Lazy Days

While I am disappointed that swimming lessons won't happen this summer, we are enjoying the lazy days of summer, with nothing to do and all the time to take long walks, or play outside, or create something that takes hours, or just lounge in the backyard. I am glad that this summer we will get to enjoy as many lazy days as we want.

Lake Luzerne

I consider myself to be very lucky that my kids aren't badgering me to go more places and do more things, considering the situation. Once in a while SlimJim asks something sad, like, "playgrounds open yet, Mommy?" and when I say no, he rationalizes with, "Maybe soon, because it isn't summer yet."

I know the kids have been dying for a beach day, so today we tried going up to Lake Luzerne, since it's a small and not so well known beach. 

We arrived early and had the beach to ourselves.

By 10:30 the crowds were rolling in, and by noon there were so many people crowded where the water meets the sand (where every toddler plays and where every mom needs to be an arms length away) that we decided we had to leave. 

Luckily a few hours at the beach was plenty for everyone once I mentioned stopping for ice cream on the way home.

These Boys

Mr. T. is always following SlimJim around, doing whatever he's doing. Sometimes I find him scaling furniture or jumping off the top step of the deck. Sometimes SlimJim doesn't think it's fun and there's a lot of "NO BABY!" Sometimes the places I find them or the things they get into are hilarious. 

But today, they were absolutely adorable. 

 

My Little Creator

LittleL.G. is constantly creating. Whenever I turn around she is making something in the "art room". It might be a drawing, or a sign, or a book. She is constantly bringing ideas of ridiculous things she wants to create. Things like the life-sized doll out of paper- which we managed to execute. And things like a tight rope across the living room- which we could not. But she is never discouraged or daunted by her imagination. She will make great things. 

Today, she scavenged a shoe box from the recycling and insisted it would become a trailer for her bike that SlimJim could ride in. Well... no three year old is riding in a shoebox behind a five year old biker, BUT we did manage to make a pretty fantastic bike trailer for her doll. 

Sure, she needed a lot of help in the execution (hot glue, x-acto knives, drills and basic knowledge of mechanics and physics), but the ideas were all hers. 

Final product: Detachable Bike Trailer for Dolls

A Week at the Resort

At least, it felt like a week at a resort. Heated pool and hot tub right out the back door. Zip line, trampoline, swing set, woodsy "survival" fort, bike loops for the kids. 

We spent last week in NH at Gram and Grumpy's and the kids played and played and swam and swam and couldn't have been happier with all the activity options and change of scenery. 

 

 

 

Dance Finale

Sadly, the girls' dance studio wasn't able to pull together a recital for the end of the year. There was talk of a parking lot presentation, but most families still weren't comfortable with the idea, so instead, there is hope for a recital this fall. 

In lieu of a recital, they will produce a video with pictures of the kids in their costumes and video clips of them dancing for the finale. 

The girls were thrilled to don their fancy costumes one more time and we had a photo shoot in the front yard. 

 

 

 

SlimJim didn't get in on the recital photos, but he did manage some chalk "warpaint" somehow that deserved an adorable photo. 

Venturing Out

As things are slowly opening, we are still feeling cautious about being out and about. But we did decide to take a walk downtown at Congress Park to check out the status of downtown and to see the baby ducks. There were a decent amount of people around, some stores open and a few restaurants with outdoor seating. 

It was so nice to be out in the park for a change of scenery. The girls, as always, were enamored by the ducklings and the boys loved chasing the ducks.