Summertime Randoms

 

Nothing says, "summertime," like camping in a tent in the backyard.

Big enough to comfortably fit all four of the kids, we picked a great night for them to "camp" outside.

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Our strawberry plant wasn't very plentiful this year (only a few berries and the ones that got ripe enough were consumed by what I assume was racoons one night), but Spiderman loved to check the plant each day for growth progress.

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One of the most entertaining activities for the kids is to chisel out random "dinosaur bones" from a block of dirt.  

Their attention to detail and patience for this project never ceases to amaze me.

Slow and steady -- and worth the reward at the end.  Some of these projects yield just the bare bones and others result in bones that can actually be put together to construct a dinosaur for display.

Last year, I tucked away a cement kit that could be used to make a pair of mosaic flipflops for the front flower garden.  It was the perfect project for Jack and Sophia, as each one of them could design their own at the same time.

Complete concentration.

Lots of colors to choose from ...

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Jack spent some time supervising one of our summer projects from the back of his dad's truck.

One hot day, Steve and Jimmy used a post hole digger to dig a VERY deep hole on the side of the driveway.

Which turned into a basketball hoop!

This was something that we decided to do early in the Spring and after we ordered a backboard and hoop, Steve made arrangements with a company that he works with and they managed to custom-build a pole for us ... and deliver it to our house.  Samantha was one happy little girl.

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Strawberry season means ...

... lots of homemade strawberry jam for the freezer.

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Grandpa gave Jack a salt gun for his birthday and we tested it out with a foil target.  The trigger was a little stiff at first, but Jack soon mastered the task!

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One adorable and patriotic little boy!

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Sophia loves painting rocks and I love how creative she is with each and every one.  They are gorgeous in my flower beds and I smile every time she adds another one to the collection.

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And while Sophia was painting rocks, the boys were painting masterpieces of their own on paper.  

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Another overnight camp adventure in the tent; this time with the neighbor.  These three will probably be friends forever.

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Sophia lost a tooth this summer and I have never seen a cuter smile on anyone!

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Do you know what is just as much fun as camping outside in a tent?  Camping inside ... in the basement ... with your brother ... in your dad's hunting tent.  Especially if you are allowed to do it for more than one night in a row.

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