Gratitude

Popcorn popping!

I decided to invest in a popcorn popper. Now, just so that you know... these are vintage. I had to hunt high and low to find this one. Anyway. Since we were going to be using this for a long time, I wanted to know if the more expensive Orville Redenbacher's brand really was better than the Walmart brand. So, I bought one of each brand and we did a maiden voyage on the ol popper and tested each type. Well... I had no idea that it would be so novel for my kids. As soon as I realized that this would be a "moment" I grabbed the camera. Here is their reaction when they saw the kernels exploding! So funny! Ben and Sam went crazy!

So, which one was better? In a blind test we all like the fancy better... except Ben. There has to be one in every crowd. That's okay though. Someone has to finish off that walmart brand I bought...

So Manly!

I let Ben get a sample deodorant from the store the other day.

Real manly smell- Old Spice.

The first time he used it (immediately after his shower that night) he paraded his armpits thru the house insisting we all smell them. He could NOT have been more pleased with himself.

Oh what to do when the first chest hair emerges...

What do you do in the summer time?

Ben with his new snorkel gear.

It is all foggy because he just walked around the house with it on. He would take a normal breath or de-fog the goggles every once in a while.

Almost just as much fun as using it at the pool!

Nate, Eliza and Natalie at the water park. Natalie is still a little cautious...

Eliza and Natalie bonding

Eliza in the lazy river

Natalie, Ben and Eliza

Our summer has thus far revolved around swimming. We started the summer off with a month of swim lessons. Every morning for an entire month we ate, changed into swim suits and lined up for the dreaded sunblock application. I don't know why this bothered me so much. Maybe it was because, without fail, each person would wiggle and whine about having to wear it and beg me not to apply to the face. After swim lessons we would come home, change again, and eat. Once Natalie was up from her nap... it was off to the pool or water park again. So, repeat morning routine. Change back into swim suits, and hollar for everyone to line back up for sunblock application. Wiggle, wiggle, whine, beg, whine. Phew. And-- sunblock doesn't last forever. So after a couple of hours at the pool, it was time to gather everyone back to the pool side and, you guessed it, sunblock application.

Eliza

Ben

Sam

eat- sunblock-swim-eat-sunblock-swim-sunblock

SLEEP

REPEAT!

Ben was so excited to get these new shorts. He has been begging me for weeks to get him a pair of plaid shorts. I finally did and they were on him the moment we stepped in the door. What is this look here you ask? Pure joy.