Snow in summer

Something about figuring out hours in the car, made me want to know more - so I figured out that we put over 2,300 miles on my car and went through 11 states (some multiple times).  It sounds a lot more daunting than it was, although we were quite glad to be home.  When we did arrive home it was to an hour long downpour, when I looked on the map to see how much longer the rain might last, I discovered there was one little area of green in all of New England and it was directly over Jamestown.  When I visited Uganda years ago, it rained on our arrival and the folks there said it was an auspicious sign, since it was the dry season at the time and any rain was welcome.

Since we've been home, we have tried to keep doing interesting things.  Harry had 2 more day long camps to attend.  Both were at a local farm, one was about bugs and one was a woodland adventure.  One of those days he brought back a cat o nine tail.  I said to him, we'd better put that outside, it will be messy when it opens up and then foolishly put it on the breakfront.  Yesterday it opened up and I quickly raced it outside.  Here's a picture of Harry, helping spread the seeds :-)

We had a little "snow" in our backyard on a sunny summer day.

Robert was napping at the time and when he came down after nap, it was still pretty white, but he was unusually hesitant about checking out what it was or where it had come from.  We had so much fuzz on the screen to the deck, that I took the hairdryer and blew it back into the yard.

End of Summer

Today begins our last full week of summer vacation.  It is a grey and rainy day.  So far the boys have watched a couple of programs - Caillou and Mystery Hunters.  They have run around with flashlights and Robert is currently "going upside down" while Harry eats his breakfast (he's always needed an hour or so before breakfast which makes school days so much fun).

I think we'll go over to a little aquarium across the bridge this morning and maybe Harry and I will settle into a movie during naptime.  We'll also run a couple of errands.  I am trying to keep the house stuff to a minimum and the fun stuff on the forefront this last week of school, though.

As usual the summer has gone by quicker than I thought it would.  Harry's early camps were fun for him and I think they helped us ease into the laziness of summer.  The 3 week trip was fun.  I wasn't as frantic to organize, but we still seemed to have plenty of what we needed from home and plenty of things to do in the car.  Books on tape are our favorite thing.  This trip we listened to Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian and  The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.  We are going to listen to the rest of the Narnia series to and from activities this fall.  I love that Harry loves to read and loves to hear books read to him.  Even Robert seemed to put up with it mostly.  His favorite music for the ride was a tie between "Pwincess and the Frog" and "Big Red Car" by the Wiggles.  We sort of alternated.  The compromise music at the moment is Star Wars which works for me.  I dream about the music from the Princess and the Frog even now - especially when it is a night I am having trouble sleeping.

We spent and I am glad that I just now figured this out and not along the way 46 hours in the car between all our trips during our three weeks.  We went from home to DC to then to Winston Salem, NC to Sanford, NC to Litchfield Beach SC to Rutherfordton NC to Lexington, VA to Greenbelt, MD to home.  We also had some day trips, but they didn't have driving over 1 1/2 hours one way so that doesn't count!  Boy the boys really were troopers.  Folks ask me how they did in serious tones and I can honestly say overall they were terrrific.  My car even survived okay.  The biggest clean up came this past week when Robert poured (not spilled - there was intent) a full cup of milk all over himself and his car seat.  That was fun to clean up...not.

Well so much more happened over vacation.  I'll probably put some more up here, but for now I wanted to at least get something written down.  Life is super busy while both boys are home, but we're doing well.  I will hopefully have more time to write again when school starts.

Catching up - some pictures from our time at the SC beach

kids doing arts and crafts at the beach

Puzzles are officially in again

new friends for the kids and a visit with old friends for the grown ups

Air Guitar and perfect light for picture taking

Is that a sand crab down there?

That perfect pucker - "No"

The boys

Daddy takes the camera and all bets are off