July Summary

Time keeps slipping away from me. Maybe it's because work has been extra busy, or maybe it's because a certain small girl has been extra busy, or maybe it's both of those things...and here we are, just about to close out July. Crazy.

But summer is NOT over. Please, I beg of you, do not start saying things like "fall will be here before you know it" or "just a few more weeks until the kids are back in school" or "I can't believe the summer's about over." If you say those things around me, expect a smack. Or at least a glare.

August has yet to begin and while it is very true that school starts in about four weeks that does not mean summer is over. Summer break may be over, but not summer the season. Big difference.

And while I'm loving this weather, it is not helping to ward off "summer is over" comments while the air is crisp and it feels like we should be sipping hot cider and pumpkin spice lattes instead of iced coffee and lemonade. Definitely not helping.

So before July completely slips through my hands, here are some snippets of life this month. Not all, and mostly not edited at all since I don't have time. And I'd like it to still be July when I hit "publish."

This past weekend I went to The Summer Market in Avon Lake. It's always a great show with cool vendors and you can't beat the location:

My heart skipped a few beats when I saw this, and skipped a few more when I saw it was for sale:

Later that day we went to the farmer's market at Crocker Park. It was really sunny out and I realized when we got there that I'd left the sunscreen at home. Charlotte overheard me say that I forgot about it and said "it's okay Mommy, I won't get a sunburn. I'm with my Daddy."

Then there's these two:

And this guy, who was finally caught after being at large for over a week. There are others. It's only a matter of time, mark my words. After a four year battle with a groundhog I'm not messing around anymore. 

As for this guy, he's fine. He was safely moved to a shady spot and slept sweetly in his cage until Chad got home and relocated him to his new home in the woods. 

We went to the Children's Museum for the first (and second) time, and Charlotte discovered the wonders of the wind machine:

And the wonders of the Mother of all Playgrounds, at Blesser Park in Avon Lake:

Charlotte has also discovered the wonder that is the ice cream truck. Our city hasn't allowed them as long as we've lived here, but they must have changed their tune this year because there were rumors of an ice cream truck spotting for weeks. Then a few weekends ago we heard that telltale music and sure enough, the truck came down the street. It was stopped for a looong time. Our street was collectively overexcited about it, I admit.

This girl began swimming lessons this month--she goes every Saturday morning with Chad. Her favorite part about swimming lessons are the pancakes she eats afterward when they ride the bike up to Bay Diner :)

Her favorite part about this playground we found was the climbing net. Girl can climb. So can her daddy.

We've had some rainy days lately...

...which means I've gotten to watch some Little Mermaid with this girl:

She's decided that running the bases on an empty baseball field is mostly the best:

I read this, cover to cover. We're in the very early planning stages...So. Much. Planning. So much information. September 2015. Can't wait :)

And last but not least, fairy lights. I bought these awhile ago with plans to make a reading nook in her room once we moved the changing table out. I made it my project this past Sunday, using six yards of sheer white fabric draped around sparkly white ribbon with fairy lights sandwiched in the fabric. Add in some floor pillows and voila: reading nook. She's a happy girl and I'm a happy mama, since the whole project cost less than $25. Take that, Pinterest. My only complaint: that obnoxious black cord and bulky plug that are attached to the lights. Oh well.

Happy July.

~Stacy