Kid stuff...

This was built in the backyard by the little ones and their neighborhood friends. They spent all afternoon setting it up, getting snacks, and giggling. (The orange shorts and shirt were purchased today off the Gap clearance rack - Tag had to have both. But the deal was he wouldn't wear them together, a little too much orange, as the girl at the Gap said "you don't want to look like a pylon". But as you can see, my deal went out the window as soon as we got home and he proceeded to shed his other clothes and put on the pylon outfit.) Yes, Tag does spend most of his days playing with girls, it's just the dynamics of the neighborhood, but he doesn't seem to mind.The building in the front yard by Cooper and his friend Daniel soon caught their attention and they left their little fort to check it out.Tag standing there with his hands on his hips like he is supervising their work kind of cracks me up.

Cooper's happy dance after the ramp is successful.This also took most of the afternoon and kept my sweet eleven-year-old off the video games. This kind of play from my kids just really makes me so happy. Just good old-fashioned fun.

Things to make you smile

The gorgeous flowers that are blooming all over the backyard. Don't you think that this first photo could be framed? Tony took it.
Homemade pizza, eaten in the shade on a hot summer evening.Baking something yummy on a Sunday afternoon and enjoying it with those you love. you can find this recipe hereOut with Dad at The Keg for a rib dinner - a reward for scoring 100% on his end of the year school project (this one definitely made Cooper smile, as it was him who went). No photo of this one but Cooper more than made up for it by giving us a detailed play by play of the 3 hours they spent at the restaurant and every drink, appetizer, meal, dessert, etc. that was consumed. Those of us who know Cooper can appreciate the significance of this. No doubt, a big highlight of his summer.

Back up to full strength

Picked Hudson up at camp tonight so we are back operating at full numbers again. It always amazes me that just one person being gone makes a real difference in the house.

Hudson ran up to meet the car as we pulled in to camp tonight, with a big smile on his face. Tony said, just before we left, how he was so looking forward to that huge grin we knew we were going to get when he saw us, and he didn't fail to deliver. He was exhausted, of course, but really chatty about all the things they did and what they had to eat. Seems like he had a better experience than last year which I was really happy about. He originally wasn't even sure if he wanted to go this year so I'm glad that his decision to go paid off for him.

These two missed him the most I think. They really wanted to be in the picture and I had a hard time getting the one of Hudson on his own. They look happy here but what you don't see is that just seconds before Taggart is screaming because he thinks he can't be in the photo, Reagan is being hit with a stick (by Tag) that he found and is now the best stick in the world and has to come home with us, and Cooper is sitting in a tree beside me shaking the branches so violently that leaves are falling all over me as I try to get Hudson to stand beside the Cedar sign for a photo. They say a picture says a thousand words, but trust me , there are many words left unsaid in our photos taken of smiling children.

Anyway, we are happy to have Hudson home again.

Summer breakfast

The warm wather has left us for a little while and I am wearing jeans and a sweater today but I am still enjoying my favorite summer breakfast. Vanilla yogurt with whatever fruit I have in the house (today it's raspberries, blueberries and nectarine) and topped with a pile of granola. Yummy!

I wonder what Hudson is eating for breakfast today. He spent his first night at camp last night. We pick him up on Friday. I hope the sun comes out for him.

A little bit of silly

There's never a shortage of silly with this little dude around. He is seriously always up to something and always has something clever to say.

Ended a pretty lazy Sunday with a dip in the pool for the kids and some mini marshmallow roasting on the deck. I'm still trying to convince Tony to build a little stone patio down in the yard so we can get one of those fire pit table things. But for now candles will have to do.

A day at the beach

I cleaned my house all day yesterday so today I figured we deserved a day of play. We got a bit of a late start as we had to wait for skipping camp to finish for Reagan. By the time we arrived at White Rock beach it was already 2:00. We packed all our stuff across the rocks to set up camp on the sand but ut wasn't long before we had to move back onto the rocks as the tide was coming in pretty fast. Reagan and Tag had just started to build a sand castle when their little plot of sand turned into a little island and then got covered under water all together.

So since they were already out there Cooper, Hudson and Reagan played some catch in the waves while Taggart found a friend on the grass to play frisbee with. Some man sitting there all peacefully with his wife in the sun started playing with Tag. He said that he looked like he needed a playmate. I didn't actually see it but my guess is that Tag through he frisbee at the guy hoping that he would take a hint. Seriously, that kid will talk to anyone.

Some snacks, some more football on the grass and then Tony showed up at around 5:00.She didn't like the camera today.

We were just trying to figure out what to do next, whether we would stay for fish-n-chips or go home, when my cel phone rang. Some friend of ours were also in White Rock and wanted to meet us for fish-n-chips. So that decided, we spent the rest of the evening eating on the grass and visiting with friends.

Happy Day!

Happy Canada Day!

The boys talked me into taking them to the parade. They didn't really have to talk that hard, as I actually quite like that kind of thing. Tony on the other hand, would rather do just about anything else. So since Reagan had her skipping camp all morning he stayed home so he could pick her up.

Just me and my three little Canadian boys.

We got there almost an hour early, to get a good seat of course. But since we were right in front of the Tim Horton's the big boys went in to buy donuts while Tag and I waited...and waited...and waited. (Taggart kept checking through the window to see how far they had gotten in line.) When they finally came out there was still 25 minutes to kill so I sent them over to Starbucks to get me a mocha. By the time they did all that and came back they still had to wait for a while for the parade to start.

More time to kill so they talked me into buying those silly little yo-yo balls. $2 and it entertained them for a while.

Time for a self taken shot. Tag loves those.Finally it started.

Two and a half hours later we headed home to have some lunch and get ready for our annual neighborhood Canada Day BBQ.

But I really just wanted to hang out and visit this year so I left the camera inside.

These little guys are the only proof that we had a party here tonight.

And if Tony wouldn't have reminded me I would have forgotten to put them out. How annoyed would I have been to find 24 little googly-eyed beavers staring at me tonight after everyone had gone home? Mad enough to eat quite a few, I'd think. Lucky for me they quickly got devoured by our guests. The whole night was a great success and the kids, as always, had such fun. Eating, running around with friends, swimming, throwing water balloons and then later in the night they usually find one house to congregate to and they all start to chill out. This year it was our house. So around 10:00 we kicked them all out, the ones that weren't ours of course, and put some tired little kiddos to bed. And speaking of bed, that's where I'm headed. Good night.

(By the way, Reagan and Hudson made it right through in the tent last night. This morning I heard them giggling in there. Apparently they started playing charades after they woke up)