Summer in Full Swing

I feel like I have lost a bit of focus lately.
So I am going to post a little more about the kids today. Now that summer holidays are in full swing, we have been having a great time with a relaxed but busy schedule, if that makes any sense. It’s very cool not to have to hustle them out the door and scream at them that “We’ll be late, we’ll be late” when does it really matter if we’re late to the beach? Or to berry picking? We have a full summer schedule and we’ve already done so much!
Last Tuesday we celebrated Canada Day. Although the free outdoor Loverboy concert was surprisingly good, we had to put up with the smell of pot and smoke. Mike had taken the kids home after leaving Eliot’s place. Ethan and Jack had already had a blast playing with the other kids and we could see they were on the brink. As in the brink of “look out for grouchy meltdowns”. So I got to stay and hang out with Gene and Kim, Eliot, Janna and James, and Eliot’s cousin Cory, who led Kim and I in a tri-et (what’s triple for duet?) of “Almost Paradise”. I’m pretty sure our blanket neighbours loved it as much as we did.
I had to work the next day (too early), and the boys had their morning “Dive Deep Detectives” camp before heading to Milli and Nancy’s in the afternoon. Dive Deep was fun for them – first of all, because it was for 4-6 yr olds they got to do it together, and secondly because it was led by their former teachers Colleen and Aideen. Every day they “found” something new on their scavenger hunts – sharks, blue whales, seahorses. And they came home with “art” every day too. (Great)
On Thursday I had a dentist appointment in the afternoon where I went through my semiannual process of lying and saying I floss regularly. Now I also lie and say I floss the kids too. Isn’t it enough that I get three of us brushed twice daily? It’s also embarrassing because the dentist and his receptionist wife are my mom and dad’s best friends. I have known them since I was two – we used to live right next door to one another in Fort Langley. They used to have two cats: “Floss Daily” and “Gingivitis” who was of course a ginger cat. At least they have a sense of humour so they must chuckle every time I lie to them. Right? I had left the kids at home this time (all the staff was disappointed since the boys usually bring them drawings – you never feel like chopped liver so much as when people are let down that it’s “only you” coming through the door) and when I finally got back after 3 hours (a full hour to drive there and another to drive back – ERGH) the boys were STILL playing MarioKart. Seriously, three whole hours and they hadn’t moved. Yey for the active summer!
So here’s Jack’s favourite song: “I kissed a girl and I liked it” and as he interprets it: “the taste of her cherry chah-ster”. (It’s chapstick) He belts it out at top of his lungs, running back and forth through the hallway upstairs. So then Ethan gets to thinking about it and in the car later, he offers up the following insight: “But Mummy, it’s a GIRL singing this song and she’s singing about kissing a GIRL and she likes it!” Me: “Hhmm, yes.” Ethan: “Do YOU like kissing girls, Mummy?” and here’s my brilliant response: “Depends on the girl, I guess.” What??? “I mean, if it’s GRANDMA, or Aunty Jen or someone, I would kiss them but really I only kiss Daddy.” And then I realize where this conversation can go and shout “Look! A dump truck!” – “Where? Where?” and crisis is averted. But only for the moment, as Jack starts quietly singing at dinner that night: “Mummy kissed a girl and she liked it” which Mike found hilarious. Hmph.
My birthday weekend was fun. How awesome to wake up to two sweet boys bringing you two King-size chocolate bars? Breakfast in bed, for sure. Mike and I went shopping for a backyard lounge chair for me while the boys were in their last day of camp, but I didn’t find the perfect one yet. After camp we had a relaxing day; Mike enjoyed the Fourth of July holiday from work. Jack and I went to see Wall-E (Ethan didn’t want to go for some reason so he and Mike stayed home) and then the boys made me dinner and dessert. On Saturday I went to my friend’s 60th birthday dinner and arrived home to find friends and dessert waiting. Aaron and I practically share a birthday – we’re one day apart – so usually we celebrate together, and this year was no different. We stayed up late enough to get our second wind – which was potato salad and BBQ pork at 1:30am. One person dipped in and before you knew it we were all scarfing it down!
We went with Jen, Laurence and Hannah to Crescent Beach on Sunday. After a short walk, we met Eliot, Bennett and Madelaine down the beach. Eliot summed it up perfectly by saying “I couldn’t possibly be more relaxed right now”. It was the perfect temperature and we enjoyed the sunshine for a while before inviting everyone back here for ice cream cake. Jen ate a mango instead – she has lost 56 pounds so far – yey Jen! She’s already lost the equivalent of an Ethan but she wants to lose a me so she is working hard on it. She’s doing great!
We picked berries on Monday. Got the first of the raspberries and lots of strawberries, too. As always, I can’t leave the fruit stand without buying pies – this year I dragged myself away with only two. We picnicked with Chantal, Fraser and Bryce, Kim and Marzia. It was hot and sunny and my forehead and neck got burned again. Of course I had the boys in hats and sunscreen but I am awful about remembering mine. Later I took the boys to Pyjama Storytime at the Library, in pj’s and slippers, then straight home to bed. It was a perfect summer day.
Mike has been gone all week and we have been working hard on a surprise for him. I can’t give any further details in case he reads this before he gets on the plane but I think he’ll be shocked and pleased at what Ethan can do. We’re off to work on it some more before swim lessons, so I’ll sign out for now. More on that next week!