We have the perfect hill...

For a slip-n-slide!!!!  So Sam and Jake BEGGED and BEGGED until we went to Wal-Mart and got the darned thing!  We got home and set it up immediately, got into their swimmies, lubed up with sunscreen and went to play.  They literally played on it for 10 minutes and said, "It's too hot.  I'm ready to go in!" Well, Mommy was MELTING, so I didn't complain... but really... after all that hoop-la!  10 minutes!

It looks like he's zooming down, but in reality, he ran down it and flopped like this at the end!!!

Jake just had fun scooping the water!

Or drinking it as Sam posed!

Or stuck his head in the water!

Or relaxed in the 'pool'

Oh well... we've played on it since - and as long as the baby pool and pool toys are out there with it - they LOVE it!!!!!!! Oh well... whatever!!!

Sometimes...

You just have to take a 'day off' and enjoy your kids!

Buy them a [sugary] slushie

Why are we the only ones here????

Let them play

And drink

Teach them responsibility (OK, I'll be honest, he was playing with the trash can and we had to make him stop - but the first part sounded much more responsible!)

Hydrate [because it's 100 degrees and we decided to do this adventure at 3 in the afternoon!]

Play some more (or 'make' them because we are here!)

Maybe we're the only ones here because it's dangerously HOT?????

But we're making the most of it!

They loved the 'broken ferris wheel'

As long as Daddy was pushing really fast [probably because it offered some semblance of a breeze!?)

Then we got smart, went home, and put those kids in a bathing suit and the water!!!

Much happier!!!

But the point is... we made the afternoon about being with our kids!  Our family needed an afternoon - however hot and 'miserable' it was - just to be together and enjoy each other!!!!

Daddy's Little Helpers...

What happens when Mommy goes to work? Well.... Daddy tries to get stuff done around the house with his little helpers in tow!  BJ was caulking and cleaning the columns and garage door... with a little help!

Water Break

Watching Intently

Up to no good

STILL up to no good!

I think they're about to squirt Daddy!?

Well... at least it wasn't Daddy!?

We're Growing!

Sam spotted a tree planting kit on the clearance shelf in the Disney Store last week. I thought... 'ugh - that means I have to take care of something else!' Then, I saw those pleading eyes, and thought, 'what the heck?'

So we bought it.

Once we got home, it was nap time, so I promised we would plant after naps. Sam woke up (actually, I don't think he really slept) asking and begging to plant his tree. In fairness, I made him wait for Jake (who could probably care less, but it was the principle of the concept of 'sharing' I was instilling there)

Once Jake woke up, we got to planting.... only, there were no seeds! Darn Disney... yes, I said it!

Nothing would do but to take an emergency trip to Home Depot. I thought it would be even more fun for them to pick their own tree anyway - this was me finding the bright spot!?

We found the seed shelf and the kids immediately wanted pumpkin seeds. Yes. Pumpkins. Not a tree. I tried to steer them away, but pumpkins it was. And being that it was post-naps, there was no way I was even going to TRY and get them to share one bag of seeds, so they each got their own!

Once home, we were back to planting. I had them throw a handful of seed in each of their pots, hoping at least one would pull through. One bag was more than enough, but whatever.....

Just THREE DAYS later, we saw little green sprouts coming through the soil. Amazing! Less than a week later, here is what they look like!We are going to have to move them to the ground next week if they keep up this pace!!!

Once I saw the sprouts, I planted the rest of the seeds beside the house where they will get a lot of sun. Three short days later, there are sprouts there too! I am amazed.... Nothing like this EVER works for me!!!! Yay that my kids get to watch a seed sprout and grow!!!

We're not done yet.... I am afraid it will be traumatic if we don't achieve an actual pumpkin... that we can carve - Sam already has his planned out! Fingers crossed!!!

(And yes, mommy has been diligent to water them everyday!!!!)

Who Needs Texting? I Have Kids!

Here is a (very small) snippet of a conversation in the car today:

Sam: (holding a Disney Monorail sticker that he found) Can we puh-lease go to Disney in a 1000 days?
Me: I bet we can come close to making that happen if I have a 1000 days.
Sam: I want to ride the monorail again. And I'll swim in the pool with the water slide, but Jake is too little.
Me: Well Jake swam in it last time!
Sam: Well OK, I guess he can swim too. But not with me.
Jake: I love to swim! Can I use my inner tube in the ocean?
Me: Why yes you can! Do you want to go to the beach?
Both boys: YESSSS!!!!!
(It's SOOOOO easy to manipulate at this point in their lives!)
Me: Would you rather go to the beach or to Disney?
Sam: I would like the beach. I mean Disney. Can't we do both?
Jake: DISNEY! OCEAN!
Me: What was your most favorite part about Disney?
Sam: Staying with Mimi and Pop Pop. In their new camper, they have a shower in the back of the camper! And there's a big glass that I will put my clothes behind.
Me: Did they tell you that's where your clothes go?
Sam: No, I just know that's where they will go. And they showed me the couch that folds out into MY bed!
Jake: I wanna go into outer space.
(I must interject here that Jake is constantly chattering back there, and I try to answer him all the time, but he's in his own little world and is only interested in our conversation when it's HIS idea... so it's really hard to give the full effect here!)
Sam: Pop Pop has an airplane.
Jake: Can it go to outer space?
Sam: Yes. It can. Pop and I will sit in the front. Jake and Mommy and Bo and Jen and Mimi can sit in the back (sorry Dad - guess you'll be working!?).
Me: Will Pop's plane hold all of us?
Sam: Yes. There's two seats in the front (he's holding his fingers up), and 1, 2, 3, 4 seats in the back. Mimi might just stay home!
Me: That sounds a bit crowded. Maybe Mommy can stay home with Mimi?
Jake: Can I fly into those clouds? Can I fly to the moon? Uncle Bo can take me! Will Pop Pop?
Sam: I think we can go to the beach AND to Disney for a 1000 days (yep, it switched from in a 1000 days to for a 1000 days!)
Me: That would take a lot of money.
Sam: Well, I have a piggy bank. Do we pay now or in Disney?
Me: We would pay the people at Disney.
Sam: Well I can just take my piggy bank with me! I just want to go with Mimi and Pop Pop. Mommy and Jake and Daddy can stay home.
Me: Can I at least go with you? I love Disney!
Sam: Well.... if you take your camper, you can go.
Jake: When do we go to the beach? Is there sand at the beach? When can we gooooo????

This was probably only a couple of miles of conversation.... I'm thinking I need those DVDs back!!! But I must say... I LOVE hearing those little minds work - and they certainly do! Sam is constantly calculating different things/situations. Jake just says what he's thinking... EVERYTHING that he is thinking!!!!

Miscellaneous

This is just a hodge-podge post... no rhyme or reason... odds and ends of little things going on in our world this summer!

Sam told us the other day that he wanted to get married so that he can sleep in our bed with us! Awwwww..... that was so sweet -- may be a little awkward for his wife, though!?

I took Sam and Jake to a free movie at the Mall of GA last week. The movie was Polar Express. Jake was thrilled (mainly because of the popcorn and Coke), but he liked the movie. Sam, however, did not like the loud noise of the train, nor did he like hearing Tom Hanks yell at the kids. So, we didn't make it through 30 minutes before Sam was begging to go home! Jake didn't want to leave. Sam was crying. We left; and once we got out of the theatre, Jake started crying and I had to drag him outside crying his head off! Geez.... I can't win!!!!! We'll try again another week... I think!?

And for the record, the $10 I spent on popcorn and Coke for the "free" movie did not go to waste. Jake CHOWED it down on the way home... the popcorn anyway - I threw the Coke out!

BJ took Sam to Home Depot for a Kids Workshop. They built a periscope... he had a BLAST! (I think BJ did too!!!! ;-)

Playing in the pool...

The dinosaur towel can't come off sometimes!

Sam building and playing at church... Jake at church dancing and singing ['We bow down, we lay our crowns... at the feet of Jesus'] It can bring tears to your eyes watching little ones sing to our Lord!

That blue speck is Sam... he is all over the pool... no worries... I am so proud of him!

Jake too, but he can't swim quite as fast!

Watch for sharks...

That's all I got for now!!!

What do YOU do on Friday Nights???

We are blessed with some extremely hospitable neighbors who have a 'driveway party' (pretty much) every Friday night for the summer!

[Well... she doesn't look very hospitable here, but Anne is showing me her 'mad' face because she can't find her oldest... don't worry... he was wooing the older 'ladies!']When we're not at the farm, it's fun to socialize with the neighbors and let the kids 'run free!'

OH! And eat... we're southern... we eat!!! And Eat...And Eat...

Jake likes to be the center of attention...

Sam on his sweet ride...

They blow up their jumpy house in the yard and the kids love it!!!

I know, I know... don't call DEFACS or anything!!! He's fine!!!Jake has a way with the ladies...

The babies have fun too!

Our hosts... aren't they fun?

Hydrating the kids...

And Jake makes friends wherever he goes... but the neighbors love him - thank goodness, because he doesn't stop talking here either!!!

Mmmmm.... Dessert!

So I was afraid Jake was the messiest... Katie may have given him a run for his money!?

This was Jake grabbing the camera to get my attention... OK!!!!

Point made --- I put the camera down and enjoyed the fun!!!