Anna's Photo Scavenger Hunt

Anna's youth group decided to do a photo scavenger hunt this summer.

She has been periodically borrowing my phone to capture images of:

Something shaped like a heart

Service when she helped me make dinner

A sunset

Something that makes her happy

Of Dice and Men

At the library today . . .

. . . I noticed a book about the history of Dungeons and Dragons.

It was an interesting read, and it inspired me to get back to work on a little adventure

I hope to run for my kids later this summer.

Ironically, when I arrived home from the library,

I found Todd hard at work on an adventure of his own.

He's making a character sheet for a powerful parakeet character named Cece.

I suspect she will have high dexterity, but very low intelligence.

 

A Tiny Beast at the Park

Anna, Todd and I went to the park today . . .

. . . and discovered that the city is building a Gaga Ball court there.

I had never even heard of Gaga Ball 

until the kids at our church youth activities went, um, gaga over it earlier this year,

but apparently it's been around a lot longer than that.

 

In most of these pictures,

it looks like Anna and Todd are the only kids at the park,

but there really were other children there today . . .

. . . plus a chipmunk in the castle.

Hey, Todd!  Watch out for the tiny beast in the dungeon!

Oh, Mom!

Off to FSY

Daniel and Joy headed off to their first FSY this morning.

Someone sent me this picture of Daniel with a friend from our ward,

and two friends who moved out of our ward in the last few months.

It was fun to see them back together.

(Also, Daniel is average height for his age,

but he looks tiny next to the older boys, especially his tall friend Caden.)

When Joy was packing last night,

she decided to take my old Renaissance costume to wear to the dances.

I don't know why anyone would want to wear a corset to a dance,

but Joy would not be deterred.

And since Joy was dressing up, Anna decided

she might as well try on my medieval dress too.

The house was pretty quiet today, with half of our kids gone.

Anna spent her time writing a thank-you note for a youth leader who will be moving soon.

Todd worked on a book of mazes

(instead of folding his laundry).

Later in the day, Daddy went on a scooter ride with the two younger kids.

All in all, it's been a pleasant summer day.

Cat Eyes for Anna

I like to think that Daddy and I have bequeathed our children a lot of good traits,

but alas, that doesn't include good eyesight.

Sorry kids--you're all probably going to need glasses sooner or later.

Anna has been getting a lot of headaches lately when she reads for a while,

and sure enough, this morning the optometrist confirmed that she needs reading glasses.

Anna's leaning toward a whimsical pair of cat eye frames.

Maybe these?

Or how about these?

I think these shades look cool,

but they probably aren't a practical option for long reading sessions.

Unless you're reading outside on a sunny day?

I guess if we ever move to Florida, we'll know which glasses to buy before we go.

Worms for Pats

Fresh eggs will be all well and good

(whenever our chickens finally start laying them) . . .

. . . but Anna is also trying to train our front-yard livestock

to be friendly pets.

Anna: Hey Abby, I'll give you a tasty mealworm

if you let me pat your feathers.

Abby: Mealworms? I love mealworms!

CHOMP!

Abby: No more mealworms?

Abby: No more pats!

Anna: Oh, come on!

Hopefully the chickens will warm up to us a little more 

as we keep training them.

For now, we take whatever pats we can get.

Wildfires, Eh?

The sky looked a little orange today.

OK, really orange.

Which probably meant there was a big wildfire burning somewhere.

When I checked my weather app this afternoon,

I noticed an interactive air-quality map,

so I decided to open it up and see where the smoke was coming from.

Hmm . . . maybe that wildfire up in Quebec?

Then I zoomed out some more,

and discovered that half of Canada looked like it was on fire!

I Googled "Canada wildfires" and learned that 

there are over 880 wildfires in Canada right now,

and at least 580 of them are out of control.

O Canada!

Meeting George (and Jane)

I like going on outings, but it rarely occurs to me to plan them,

so I love it when someone else does. 

Like today . . .

. . . when Joy suggested that Anna and I join her . . .

. . . on a tour of the Boutwell House in Groton.

It was the home of George S. Boutwell,

who served as Massachusetts' youngest governor (up to that point*) at age 42.

He later served as a U.S. Senator,

and as Secretary of the Treasury under President Grant. 

It was fun to walk through the house and see

the fancy antique stove . . .

. . . the colorful vintage decor, 

and a dress one of the Boutwell ladies wore to a wedding

(I suppose that was the 19th-century version

of a "little black dress" you could wear to any event).

The house also serves as a museum,

with temporary displays that change throughout the year.

I couldn't help smiling at this fiercely optimistic comic:

"Cheer up!  The more you haven't got,

the more there is to get!"

*Jane Swift holds the current record as our state's youngest governor.

She took office in 2001 at age 36.

She was also the state's first female governor, 

and the first U.S. governor ever to give birth while in office,

delivering twin daughters a month after starting the job.

She worked hard to improve public education,

and helped our state navigate tough times (financially and emotionally)

in the months following 9/11.  Thank you, Jane!

Friends and Family

As a mom, I'm glad my children are good kids.

I'm also grateful that they're good friends.

I'm glad they (sometimes) like to work together 

(like when they moved our heavy chicken tractor today) . . .

. . . and that they like to play together too.

I have no clue what made-up game they were playing 

on the trampoline this morning,

but I love that they were all enjoying it.

Tacos for Two

Out of the blue,

Phillip asked if I wanted to go on a romantic getaway today.

Of course I said "yes!"

and then set to work finding . . .

. . . a cute Airbnb with a vacancy tonight.

It was actually raining cats and dogs when we arrived . . .

. . . which made the inside feel extra cozy.

After settling in, we ordered dinner for two at Tacos Tequilas a few miles away.

I can't vouch for the tequila, but the food was delicious!

Hands down, the best Mexican food I've had since we moved to New England.

We may need to go back the next time we're craving fajitas.

Birthday Decluttering = Happy Mom

For my birthday today, we had chocolate Kodiak pancakes with whipped cream for lunch,

Joy made tortellini soup (AKA Cardboard Soup) for dinner,

and my family helped me with decluttering projects this afternoon.

It was awesome.

The decluttering, not the cake.  

The cake was a new recipe which was just OK,

but at least the flowers were pretty!

My mom sent us some glow-in-the-dark accessories for July 4th,

and we decided it would be fun to wear them 

while we sang our family birthday medley this evening.

Nothing compliments a royal blue Christmas sweater

like a pair of glowing, periwinkle glasses.

Remember, Todd--swish and flick! 

Be Independent--Bring Your Own Dessert

Our family celebrated Independence Day

by attending a fireworks display in Lowell last night.

We decided to buy a couple mini pies to share for dessert,

but the line was moving at a snail's pace,

so I told Daddy and the kids to go find a good spot to watch the fireworks

while I waited in line for the pies.

By the time I reached the bridge where everyone was watching the show,

it was in full swing and I wondered if I'd even be able to spot my family in the crowd.

We eventually found each other . . .

. . . and Joy handed me a banana slathered in Reddi Whip and chocolate syrup.

It tasted better than of the pies I bought, and cost a tenth what I paid for either of them.

Lesson learned: Let's just bring our own dessert next time!

After the big finale, we headed back to the parking garage,

pulled out of our parking space, and waited for about 20 minutes

before the cars ahead of us even started moving.

By the time we left, the kids were all fast asleep in the back of the van.

Three cheers for life, liberty, and a beanie that can double as a sleep mask!