The last blasts of summer

Despite the hot temperatures this weekend, it feels like summer is starting to wind down. The Montessori is closed for a few days (to allow the teachers to get ready for the new school year) so the kids get to spend some extra time with the Pauley Grandparents, who are so generous to come up and stay with them all day. I had planned on taking one of the days off but since I unexpectedly had to take a sick day last week (Reina woke up with a fever after her latest round of immunizations), the kids get a few parent-free days. Tomorrow, they get to venture to Gena's house for a day of fun.

On Saturday, we journeyed up to the State Fair so that I could do some work and the kids could see some animals. I brought my camera but didn't take a single picture, mostly because it was about 900 degrees and everyone looked hot and street urchin-y. On Sunday, we stayed around the house. I set up the kiddie pool for Will in the backyard. His swimming suit was in the washing machine so I told him just to splash around in his shorts. He doesn't like wearing wet clothing so he opted to strip down to ... the nude. It was very French Riviera in our backyard. I'm hoping that the nudity is one of the phases that ends by the time he's 5. Or 18 at least.

Speaking of our backyard, here's a picture of our tomato plants. They are as tall as the hollyhocks this year. We don't get to harvest many tomatoes because a certain 3-yr old eats anything that is slightly red on the vine so very few make it out of the garden. We also have a very lovely pumpkin/zucchini/squash? growing out of compost bin. I don't know how sanitary that is but I need to get a picture of it. Here's the front flower bed. The snapdragons have taken over. They are my favorite flower but they are starting to hide the rose bushes and the clematis. I might have to be more picky in my selection next summer.

Last week, both kids were playing with some boxes that had arrived the day before. I thought, "Hey! What a great photo opportunity!" By the time, I grabbed the camera Will had inexplicably bonked his face on the box and my great photo opportunity was quickly evaporating.
But it was slightly saved when I captured the face of the saddest 3-yr old in all of the world holding an ice pack to his nose? lip? chin?

While the daytime temps have been reaching the 90's (ugh), nighttime has been cooling off so I've pulled some of Will's old jammies out of the bin for Reina. She wears them well, don't you think? It's a little frightening that his current shoes almost fit her feet.