We are having lots of summer time fun! Our garden is growing well thanks to Andrew's electronic watering system (we are in a drought so the lawn is brown and crunchy). We are looking forward to tasting our tomatoes soon.
We've been doing lots of little projects around the house, playing in the sprinkler, riding bikes and going for family walks around the neighbourhood.
Lucy completed 2 weeks of swimming lessons. Now she can swim 25 metres with a small float and she can dive (arms first)
Lucy also attended a week of Vacation Bible School (VBS) and we saw her sing and dance in the show on Friday night.
Henry is still up to lots of mischief (for example today he took a full bottle of gripe water, after being told not to, and poured it all over himself) He can now put two to three words together.
Felicity is doing a whole lot of growing. She is responding back to conversations and is very smiley.
Four weeks before we hit Washington DC. Better get planning.
At Grand Asia Market we purchased a couple of ducks. The staff cut them up and boxed them. We drove them home to Wilmington and delivered 1.5 of them, together with steamed bok choy to Margaret next door who then created duck noodle soup.
The soup had such a rich flavour to it.
Margaret also made us some wonton soup which was also excellent. However the duck creates a depth of flavour that is unparalleled.
Next time we are in Raleigh we'll pick up some more duck! Note we are drinking young coconut juice.
Here are our first home-grown watermelons. They are called 'golden midget' watermelons and the cool thing about them is that they turn yellow when they are ripe so you know when to pick them.
However there are two problems: there are LOTS of seeds and the flavour is very weak.
We'll see what happens with future melons, whether the flavour improves.
We took an overnight trip to Raleigh on Friday/Saturday with a few things in mind: 1. Shop at Crabtree Mall 2. Visit Marbles Childrens Museum 3. Shop and eat at Grand Asia Market 4. Grocery shop at Trader Joes
We did all of those things but everything took longer with 3 kids especially after a broken night's sleep. Some lessons learnt for our roadtrip later in the summer!
We celebrated Fathers Day with ... a lamb roast lunch. Lots of cards and presents followed (clothes valet, carcasonne expansions, chocolate coated passionfruit and a beer making kit)
Also lots of cuddles, comforting and nappy changing.
And now Felicity is wearing the 'my dad's a geek' onesie!
The kids put on a great show for us - singing songs and reciting poems.
Afterwards we 'enjoyed' a hot dog lunch as well as a bounce on the bouncy house. Lucy refused to eat any hot dogs but she did enjoy a graduate cupcake. At home later she opened her presents - a bible from her teacher and a dollhouse nursery set from us. (She was super excited to get a doll to represent Felicity)
As a special treat on preschool graduation day we went to Cracker Barrel for a pancake breakfast. Henry really did enjoy himself even if he looks unhappy in the photo! And Felicity did sleep through the whole thing.
Sharing a room is not always fun (for the parents that is!) Henry moved into Lucy's room earlier this year.
This wasn't a complicated process to move him - we just put his cot mattress on the floor in a corner of the room.
It was complicated Henry-proofing the room. Both closets have locks on them, the telephone jack was replaced, and Lucy received some shelves to keep her special things safe. All toys were removed from the room. And now he wakes poor Lucy up at 6:30am every morning.
We decided it was time for a big boy bed and purchased some bunks (which can convert to two single beds). Henry loves his new shark sheets and enjoys sleeping in his new bed.
Lucy is loving being on the top bed and now her special things really are safe.
However we have not attached the ladder. Henry wants to climb the ladder which is totally not safe. Well it is safe for him to climb up but it is not safe for him to get down (via the ladder or otherwise!)
Lucy has to call out in the mornings to be let down.
Hopefully at some point in the future we can attach the ladder... (maybe when Flissy and Henry change rooms?)
Over the weekend Lucy discovered a pale blue bird egg lying on the ground. It had dropped out of the bird house above.
About three years ago Lucy made this bird house at the hardware store. Andrew painted it and hung it on the pine tree near our screened porch. It has remained empty until about a month ago.
Now as you can see there is a nest and four eggs (the one on the edge was the one that had fallen out). The bluebird parents have been flitting around protecting the nest.
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We are having lots of summer time fun! Our garden is growing well thanks to Andrew's electronic watering system (we are in a drought so the lawn is brown and crunchy). We are looking forward to tasting our tomatoes soon.
