The Dog Days

Ah Summer, where have you gone? Summer answers: "Nowhere, I'm staying forever."
It's been 100+ degrees here for nearly three months and it shows no signs of breaking. Today was the first day of school and I believe we hit 105. I had sweat running down my back before we even got from the car to the school doors. Anyway, I thought you all might enjoy seeing some pictures from our last summer frolics.

As you can imagine, the kids have spent a lot of time in the lame little pool that we got them at the beginning of June. They've been really good sports about it too.



We set up the slip and slide and break out the twirly sprinkler and then it's really a party. Asher really loves the little pool and will gladly climb right in with all his clothes on if you aren't fast enough to catch him. After every swim, the kids enjoy a Popsicle and usually finish it all before it drips down their arms and off their elbows.







A few nights ago we decide we needed to have a campout. However, as we went down the list of things that we either didn't have (air mattresses, enough sleeping bags, where is the tent?, etc.) or didn't want to do (sleep outside when it's still 101 at 11pm), we decided to just eat s'mores and call it good. However, when we went outside to roast the marshmallows over the grill, our feet were burning on the patio, the chocolate was melting before you could get it out of the packages, and our grill's gas tube sprung a leak. So we went back inside for plan B. You may think that we wimped out on this point, but did I mention that it's really hot here? Anyway, Bren roasted our marshmallows over two candles (a la The Sandlot) and we had a good time anyway.









Despite the horrible heat, Bren and the boys have spent plenty of time in the garage constructing a variety of things. Bren has the shop set up pretty nicely now. (He doesn't like this picture though)



Bren managed to get most of his "collection" organized and sorted. It's kind of pretty all put together like that. I've got to hand it to him though, for picking most of it out of trash heaps and old guy's garages, he's got a pretty good assortment of wood.



As he was sorting all the wood bits, Bren put scraps in a cardboard box for the boys to have. Aidan and Asher spent the good part of one morning sawing, hammering, and getting completely filthy. (Aidan did the sawing) Aidan ended up with a pretty impressive hot wheel track with ramps and little tiny warning signs all nailed together. Asher was just dirty... but he had fun.





LOVE.