Today finally feels like a real summer day to me. Not because of the heat (we’ve had lots of that) or the sun (we’ve had our fair share of that too) but from some indescribable quality. Maybe it’s because this is the first full week the public schools are out and so all the places - the library, the parks, the stores and restaurants - have switched into it’s-summer-cater-to-the-kids mode. Or because we spent the late morning with friends who we don’t see often enough during the year but try to catch up with in the summer. Whatever the reason, it feels like full-blown summer today.
Before we got into the van, we noticed that one small area (two square feet?) of dirt and plants near our steps was teeming with these neat little red bugs. I haven’t looked them up yet - do you know what they are? (You can click on the picture to see a slightly larger version.)
We went to the library, a park and out to eat with our friends. After trying to contain the buoyant energy of three boys while we were at the library, we let them loose at the park. Annick stayed with the kids while I ran three errands - smushing what normally would have taken an hour and a half with the kids into half an hour on my own. Then we all went out to eat at Wendy’s, because JediBoy had his birthday “free kids’ meal” coupon.
Here are JediBoy and A. swinging…
And BabyGirl swinging with C.
A. even volunteered to push JediBoy. Last year I kept telling JediBoy, “This is the year you’ll learn to pump.” But this year I really, really mean it!
Here are the three boys at Wendy’s. First, no, we did not dress them alike on purpose. Second, no, they are not triplets (the cashier wondered). Third, yes, I do realize what a goofy expression JediBoy has, but all the pictures from lunch looked like this because he would NOT stop talking!
Here is BabyGirl (with Annick) at Wendy’s, doing what she loves best. Eating!
After lunch, Annick and the kids went home but we had one more stop to make. JediBoy had a $3 gift card for Toys R Us (from their Birthday Club) and $4 of his brand-new allowance (more on that in another post) burning a hole in his pocket. We shopped, and shopped, and shopped (and BabyGirl saw the restrooms and asked to go potty, and did pee, a first out in public!). We looked at Legos (too expensive) and Star Wars guys (we had them all) and Turtles (the big ones were too expensive) and Pokemon (just not enticing today) and Kung Fu Panda (the selection was small) and finally he settled on a little rubber band launch rocket. When he paid the cashier with $3 in cash and his gift card, she gave him a balloon and a paper crown for his birthday, and told him the crown meant he was in charge for the rest of the day.
Obviously, she didn’t know who she was talking to! He has been lording the power of the crown over us for the entire afternoon, and here we sit watching Shrek for the three-millionth time. Sigh.
