Warning! Long post.

So, where do I start. Two weeks has gone by since our computer died. We were hoping to just take it in for a tune-up and squeeze a little more life out of it but no such luck. I took it in to the computer shop where(to my slight embarrassment)the guy opened the side panel to reveal the inner workings and about a one-inch layer of dust covering all the little wires and pins and things. This might be why it died, he says. Are you supposed to dust in there? I ask innocently. Probably a good idea every couple of weeks, he answers. Every two weeks!! I'm lucky if my furniture gets dusted every two weeks, never mind the inside of the computer. Anyways, the new computer is up and running and completely dust free, at least for a couple of weeks.

Two weeks ago was Reagan's birthday and it seems like a lot has happened since then. The day after her birthday we all{all except for Hudson - he had to go to school :(} went on a field trip to Harrison Hot Springs with Cooper's class. The agenda was to go through and view all the sandcastles on display for the sand sculpture competition and then spend the rest of the day on the beach. We left Abbotsford at 9am with bright sunny skies - as we neared our destination the skies got darker and darker and then the rain hit. By the time we arrived we were in downpour mode with wind so hard it was turning the few umbrellas the "lucky"ones had inside out. You could see the panic on the teachers' faces as the buses pulled away and there we all stood - looking very pitiful, I'm sure, all huddled under the too-small shelter. We waited and waited while the teachers conferred and then...good news! The hot pool across the street has agreed to let 70 eight and nine year olds into the pool. Cheers go up and the mood shifts from sad and freezing to happy and freezing - but soon to be warm. Of course, I checked the weather before we left and I said to Cooper, You won't need your swim shorts - it will be way too cold to swim. Of course, that was before I knew he would be swimming in a heated pool rather than a lake. Mom, I don't have my swim shorts, he says in a panic. I run across the street to a little tourist souvenir shop and to my relief they have boys swim shorts and for only 10.99. I also remember that I have bags of too-small clothes in the back of the van waiting to be passed on. So I rummage through those and find suits for Reagan and Tag - a little small but they worked. Everyone was happy - everyone that is except for the dozen or so seniors that thought they were going for a nice relaxing soak in the hot pool on this cold and rainy Friday morning. They were in for a bit of a shock as 70+ third graders came stampeding into the pool. Needless to say, they didn't stay.

The following week was the last week of school for the boys - which meant bringing home lots of unused school supplies(I knew they wouldn't need 8 glue sticks) and of course Sports Day. Tony always takes the day off and we take turns cheering the boys on in their events. They were both on the yellow team this year so that made it easier. Yellow team won first place, by the way, led to victory by the Symonds' boys of course :)

We kicked of the start of summer and celebrated Canada Day at the same time with our second annual neighborhood picnic in ours and Stephanie's backyards. The turnout was smaller than last year but it was a really great night. The food was fantastic, the kids had a blast and not one person was left dry after the massive water balloon fight. Not even the couple that had moved in two days prior was exempt - a very fun welcome to the neighborhood. Steph and I thought that the 600+ water balloons we spent hours filling up would last a little longer than they did though. Next year, Tony suggested that on the invites we state that no one enters unless they arrive with no less than 50 filled balloons. Not a bad idea.

So, we are in full blown summer mode around here. The pool is full, the slip and slide is out and the washer and dryer is going non-stop with towels and swim suits. The weather is finally co-operating. I really love this time of year - it's hectic and chaotic with all the kids around. But nothing beats watching them all run around barefoot, shirtless(apart from Reagan-who thinks that's unfair, by the way) and with popsicle juice staining their bellies. Being a kid in summer vacation has got to be one of the best things.

Today we packed up and went to Aldergrove Lake. They had a great time and that lake is so perfect for their ages - small and contained. I am really noticing this year how things are starting to get easier. Last year I never would have packed them all up on my own to go somewhere for the day, but this year I think I will try to go there often. Really trying to make the most of the summer - you think you have so much time but it will go fast. No big holidays planned so we will try to make lots of little memories.

Speaking of little memories, I will end this horrendously long post with a shot of Reagan with her hula hoop. She seems to move from task to task. Monkey bars, then cartwheels, right now the hula hoop. She works and works at something until she can do it and then moves on to the next thing to master. I love her determination - not to mention she gets pretty good at what she wants to do. I think she kept the hoop going on her little wiggly hips for at least a full minute today. Way to go, Reagan!