Blowing Bubbles

The citizens are old enough to try their own hand at blowing bubbles.  Not much success yet, but it is lots of fun!

Dizzy

The A-team is on the job again, learning what their bodies are capable of doing.  In this clip, they learn what it means to be dizzy:

Bice

Bice!

That's what Adam has been saying every time we see a bicycle.  The kid needed a bike. So that's what they got:

Ashley tried first:

She'll need more time to learn.  Or perhaps she's not a cyclist?  Too soon to tell.

Adam, on the other hand, could not be pried off of his new bicycle.  

When we took our daily stroll to the vegetable garden, the new bike came along:

And since there are no pedals or brakes, Adam kept on rollin':

The only way to get him to go inside for dinner was to take the bicycle with us:

Too bad I don't have any video of him with his bike after dinner.  He tried, quite valiantly I might add, to lift the bicycle on to the couch so he could ride on there.  Perhaps there are off-road adventures in our future?  

Heat Wave!

During the heat wave on Saturday we took the citizens outside to play in the water.  Nothing beats a tub of water filled with sponges and toys on a hot summer day.

Flashback

In our quest to culturally enlighten our children, MLD and I provided diverse reading materials.  Remember this post?  A Taste of the Far East.   Go ahead and click on the link.  I'll wait for you to sneak a peek at it.

You're back?  Good.

This is where the cultural enlightenment recently led our fearless A-Team:

Homeschooling, Lesson #11

Today's Lesson:  Independent Hiking

Fact:  The kids are getting heavier with each backpack hike. 

Objective: See if the A-team could hike on their own.

MLM and MLD's Final Grade:  B-

Adam shows us it's more fun to examine the ground than to cover ground.  MLM and MLD should have realized that before finding the trail.

Oh well.  Guess we'll have to go to additional gym classes to keep up.  Sigh.

Hay Ride

On Sunday morning we visited Drumlin Farms.  All morning long Adam kept saying "Adi in the barn."  Since the heat wave has officially broken, seemed like he had a good idea.  When he and Ashley saw the hayride tractor, they clearly wanted to go for a ride.  So we did:

Pizza, Please

After the trip to the library we went out for a slice of pizza.  The citizens love it!

My Future's So Bright....

... I gotta wear shades.

Zip A Dee Doo Dah

If Adam and Ashley could sing, they certainly would have belted out the Disney classic "Zip A Dee Doo Dah" when Uncle Scott took them for a ride.  Note to nervous family members:  you might want to sit down for this one....

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ayMy, oh my what a wonderful day!Plenty of sunshine heading my wayZip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay

Mister Bluebird on my shoulderIt's the truth, it's actch'llEv'rything is satisfactch'llZip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ayWonderful feeling, wonderful day!

-- song from the Disney 1946 live action and animated movie Song of the South, sung by James Baskett

Noo Yawk brunch

To celebrate the 4th of July -- and Grandma Carole's and Papa Marty's upcoming wedding anniversary -- the clan traveled to NY.  On Saturday morning we had brunch with our cousins.

a-TENT-tion please

We bought travelling tents so that Adam and Ashley can sleep wherever we happen to be (watch out, west coast relatives!).  So far the citizens see them as toys, not sleeping accommodations.  Sigh.  We'll have to work on this.

Quiet

Shhh... the citizens are eating corn on the cob.  This requires complete concentration.

Happy Moments

Thanks to Dedushka and Babushka for taking these photos.  They're wonderful!

Holy Smokes!

"Holy Smokes!" is a phrase I grew up hearing often.  Maybe it's a Bronxism.  Maybe it was just something my mother said.  I don't know.  But I do know that I heard the phrase ricochet through head last night during dinner.  Look at what the kids are eating:

Holy Smokes!  It's artichokes!

Honestly, I didn't serve it to them.  Both made a fuss when I started eating, and neither one wanted to share with me.  Each demanded their own half.  Wow.  This was an eye opening meal!