Summer Fun.

We've been taking it easy around here, now that we've made it back home and summer vacation has officially started. I'm trying to keep us all on a good routine of getting out in the sunshine, moving our bodies, having some reading time every day and practicing the piano, along with letting the kids play Minecraft and rot their brains as they so desire. And we're trying to do fun stuff when we can. The kids and I made a list of stuff we'd like to do as "special treats" and we're trying to check them off as we go.

Saturday night Ellie, Lexi, Kristen and I went up to LA to see Harry Potter the Order of the Phoenix at the Hollywood Bowl. The Bowl orchestra performs the score live to the movie, and it was awesome! Lots of people in costume, including a whole group dressed up with Voldemort, Umbridge, Lockhart, Mad Eye Moody. They let the girls take pictures with them, and then gave them "I must not tell lies" temporary tattoos. Very cool! The girls loved it, though were exhausted by the time we made it back to the car.

Meanwhile, the boys went and played nine holes.

One of the things they wanted to do was visit an American Ninja Warrior-style gym, so we did that on Monday. They have open gym for an hour in between classes every day, which worked out perfectly for us. The kids had a mostly good time - some tears about slips and falls and not being able to do everything at the gym, and I had a couple of heart attacks watching them climb and jump around above my head, but we might do it again. Ellie REALLY loved the aerial silks.

Adam's lack of gymnastic training did not help him on the silks.

But he did enjoy the running and climbing portions

Yesterday for lunch we did a picnic in the park. Invited a ton of friends, but only one other mom was able to make it (much to the kids' chagrin. Look folks, I sent out a solid dozen text messages, people have stuff going on!) Adam and I walked over to the kinder-garden to check on the remaining sunflowers and cut ourselves an ENORMOUS bouquet. We also watered the remaining stalks, so should have a second huge crop to bring home and let Taco gnaw on.

The other thing we've been doing this week is getting back into swim lessons with Coach Grant. The kids had a lesson on Saturday morning, and then we're doing lessons Monday, Tuesday and today in the afternoons, as a kind of bootcamp. It's nice because while one kid is with Grant, I can swim with the other one, and then by the time lessons are over we have about 10 minutes before they blow the whistle for safety break and everyone has to get out. It's amazing though, how exhausted the kids are by that hour of swimming. I mean, I get it, it's late in the day and they love being in the deep end so they are actually swimming the entire time, not just bouncing around where they can touch. Adam asked to take the swim test yesterday so that he could get a green wrist band (which is how the Y designates that your kid is sea worthy enough to be out of arm's reach.) He had to do the crawl stroke for the length of the pool without stopping or rolling to his back, then climb out on the wall, jump back in, tread water for 30 seconds, and float on his back for 30 seconds. He passed! He's thrilled, and I am very proud of him, as well as being thrilled because sometimes I don't want to be in arms reach of him, especially when he's being a real splashy maniac. Also is a credit to Grant, who pointed out that it wasn't that long ago that he had Adam and Tim in the parent and me classes, and now here he is, swimmy fish boy, and his sister, Mermaid Girl.