In the meantime, here are a few things that we have been up to:
Samantha received this dry erase board for Christmas last year (it was one of the top items on her "list"), and it has provided so many hours of fun for the kids. They are always drawing pictures on it and Samantha's favorite thing to do right now is play "Hangman." Even Jack has joined in the fun -- scribbling pictures for us.
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While cleaning out our game closet in the basement, Samantha came across a doodle book with many cut-out pictures loosely tucked inside. This was something that she had done with Steve's mom a few years ago (and Sam remembered doing it with her!). It was a nostalgic moment for me, as I quietly suggested that she get a glue-stick and arrange them carefully in the book. This would be something that she could add to and then keep forever.
Sophia rounded the corner and wanted to join in the activity. As they worked together, I heard Samantha explaining to Sophia about the pictures and how Grandma and her had picked those pictures out of magazines a long time ago ... before she went to Heaven.
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One night after baths, the kids were unusually quiet. When I went to check on them, I found them piled on top of one another on one end of the couch -- entranced by a movie that Sam had picked out for them on "her phone." (We disabled my old phone and Samantha is allowed to use it to play games on if she asks permission first).
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We have an ongoing joke in our household about how Jack is never more than 5 feet away from Steve at any given time. Jack was thrilled this particular morning, as Steve had asked him to help set up our deck umbrella. Yup, Jack was surely in his element -- helping his daddy with a project that involved tools. The only way that it could have been any better is if it had actually involved power tools.
Such a perfect assistant:
Using the socket wrench:
Pull ...!
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Every year, on the last Saturday in July, our town puts on a Pancake Breakfast downtown. We have attended this event every year since we moved here (six years!), but this was the first year that we stayed downtown for a little longer after the breakfast. Even though it was HOT, we stayed to watch Samantha do one of her dance routines that she had learned at dance camp a month ago. We had a great time, and I think that Jack clapped the loudest of anyone there!
We stayed hydrated:
Putting on a show:
At the end, some of the dancers came up and grabbed some kids from the audience. Our neighbor, Miss Hanna, danced with Jack:
And Miss Grace, danced with Sophia:
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When the kids were each born, I set up a bank account for them. They understand the importance of saving money and when their piggy banks start to get heavy, we make a special trip to the bank to deposit that money. They love watching the coin counter turn all of the their coins into dollars (it's amazing how soon it adds up!).
On this particular trip, the girls added between $22-34 to their accounts. Jack didn't have quite as much, but he didn't seem to mind!
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Samantha has been BEGGING for corn on the cob. It always seems to be such a long wait all summer until August, when Michigan corn is ready to be harvested. At Meijer the other day, she caught sight of some and insisted that we buy it. I warned her that it might not be very good (it is still a little early for Michigan corn), but we bought it anyway. It wasn't too bad ...
Putting the kids to work shucking the ears of corn:
Jack started to get the hang of it:
Samantha is almost a professional now:
And Sophia is not far behind ...
Only a couple more weeks until the good stuff is ready to be picked! We can't wait!
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