Summer

As soon as we got back from Utah (and recovered from the stomach flu,) Elise and Evan started swim lessons here at our pool.  I had purchased a lesson package from this swim company last fall, after the scare where Evan stepped off the steps and sank to the bottom.  He was okay, but it freaked us out enough to sign up for intensive lessons.  Unfortunately, after a couple days the weather turned cold, so we had to wait until spring.  Anyway, the teacher we got this time was amazing.  I think she was magic.  Evan, who had cried his way through two weeks of other lessons in May, was putting his face in the water and "swimming" by day four.  And he liked it!  Other than crying a bit one day, he was always happy and excited for "Miss Lisa" to come.  We also included our friends' two daughters, plus Elise, and they all made huge progress, too.  After twelve lessons, Evan is almost pool safe, but I think he'll need some touch-ups before I can really let him take off his floaty.  (The top picture is of his first lesson, the rest were much later on.)
     

Notice the deer eating trees behind the fence!

  

  
The week after swim lessons started (they ran for three weeks,) the kids all had summer camps.  Connor and Evan went to the home of some friends for a science/craft camp, and loved it.  They made all kinds of science-y things, and Connor got to burn his name in wood with a magnifying glass.  Elise went to "Dazzle Camp," where they practiced and put on a musical version of the three pigs called "The Three-Piggy Opera."  I can't do any justice to how cute this was.  She was the sticks pig, and had to sing two solos.  When it was her turn, she nailed it - she didn't seem nervous at all!  It's funny to me that my shy little girl is so un-shy when performing.
  

  
Oh, and while we're talking about Elise, I have to mention that she lost her first tooth!  She had been so worried about it, but it just popped out on its own after a snack of granola bars.  The tooth fairy gave her a Sacajawea dollar.
  

  
Little Corinney has become a big fan of table food lately.  None of my other kids were as quick as her to ditch baby food.  I mean, she'll still eat it (she eats everything,) but she demands her share of whatever we're having, and does a pretty good job of not choking on it.  Here she is getting her very first skeddy-face!
  

  
Other than swimming and camps, we pretty much stayed home and played.
   

Homemade, bean-filled boat.  It actually floats!

Corinne likes to climb up on this pedestal to sit.

Elise got a tea set for her birthday - beloved by all.

Actually, any toy food is always a hit at our house.