Summer, in retrospect.

Admittedly, it feels a little odd to be finishing up the summer reports in November.  I choose to think of all we've been up to and feel a bit proud that I am still blogging at all.  Some of our summer highlights:

Going to see Brave.  My kids just love going to the movies.

Visiting Nasa.  Poor kid stepped in an anthill about two minutes after I took this picture.  We'd been reading all about space flight and particularly the Apollo program all summer so this was a great trip for Alastair to see the capsules and all the space acoutremont up close.

 Emery has fun no matter where we go.

Alastair enjoyed driving this shuttle repair module the most.

Then there was the 4th... 

 

 It was hot.

We participated in the our neighborhood parade and pool party again this year.  All the kids decorate their bikes and then follow a fire truck down the main drag to the swimming pool.  In years past, this parade has progressed so slowly that it was difficult to remain upright on a two-wheeled bicycle.  Using this logic, Kim and I decided to walk along with Emery on her trike.  Alastair took off with the bigger kids at the front of the pack and we set off on what felt like a heated death march with a police car behind us.  This was not the leisurely stroll of years past; they were driving us to the pool like cattle.  This pregnant person did not enjoy herself.

The pool party, then, was a wonderful relief.

This was the first year that Alastair participated in any of the DJ led events and games.  It was so neat to see him going whole hog in a hula hoop competition (considering the boy can not hula hoop to save his life) or getting down in a dance competition.

 

Look out ladies.  These boys will be heading to a high school near you in about 8 years.

We also had fun hanging out with our summer friends, the Weatherwaxes.

 

Summer buddies.

Tara was a saint and watched the kids the entire day when the movers came.  That may have been the happiest six hours of my summer.

Finishing up our summer activities, we redeemed a wakeboarding/waterskiing lesson that I bought for Alastair.  He decided he wanted to give waterskiing and kneeboarding a try instead.  The guys at M2 sports (who we highly recommend) were very encouraging.

First, he went zipping along on skis.  He got up the first time and several times thereafter but still wanted to try something else.

Then, it was kneeboarding time.  And boy, did the giggles start then!  We had to pull him off the thing when his lesson was over. 

Since his lesson, Alastair has gotten up briefly behind the boat on skis.  Grammie and Papa have returned from camp and brought back our old kneeboard, so we'll give that a go in the spring.  Until then, I think our lake days are over for the year.  We went out in October and although the forecast was for 10 mph winds, it was like victory at sea out there.  We'll be back as soon as the new baby is big enough to pass coast guard requirements.

Next up:  more birthdays and fall.