Summery Wednesday

Charlie loves to dip the racquet into the pool and lick it
Look how muddy the pool got--no I did not let licking happen once this occured
Dirty Casey

Little muddy toes

Boing!

Today we did some mathematical stuff for school. We worked with the cuisenaire rods to discuss further the idea of "squared" and "area". I had Greta and Mickey first try to listen, then try to show an example, then make something symmetrical and then we found hidden instances of squaring as well as familiar multiplication examples within the block patterns. Casey was really really cool about going off and playing and filled a backpack so full of miscellanea that he really could not lift it! Charlie played with dice at the table with us, and felt part of the math action.

After this, I made lunch, and then put Charlie to bed. We went out in the yard and dumped-refilled the little pool with icy cold water and set up the sprinkler. It was HOT, and yesterdays games of mud and pedicures were much more water based today. Greta, Mickey and Casey made up a big "WAR" between cats and dogs, in which they were the cats. I tried to stay out of it, but from what I gathered from my little spot I chose to fail at tanning my neon white legs while keeping the sun off my face, one person had to be the dog, --who was the enemy-- who fought two cats. In the water, which was brown from mud... It was all about the different breeds of dogs, and their various attributes and skills versus the various cats who were ranked by age, nobility/rank and to some extent, military prowess. (Must be all that Battlelore with Daddy)

I mostly resisted my urge to tell them how cute and funny they were because that always wrecks the scene, but when baby Charlie woke up and was told in all seriousness that "You are gonna just fight a mouse, ok, Charlie?" and Charlie said "Mmm-hmm!", I had to laugh and kiss the muddy contenders, even Casey, who doesnt like kisses lately.

We did it, today- I actually made dinner at 430 and ate it at 5. When people are hungry. Before Steve even got home. I feel like some kind of super woman ultra genius. Our evening has been MUCH more relaxed, lingering, and long-feeling. At one point, I looked at the clock, thinking surely it had to be "bedtime", and it was 6:25! It was cool and weird.

Tomorrow is going to be hot again, but I think we are going to take somewhat of a break from frying out in the yard for 4 hours. Mickey's back is all hashed up from grass and mud burns, and the kids got too much sun. Steve has stayed comitted to riding his bike to work, even though for me, at 87 degrees, YEAH RIGHT would I bike in some long black pants and work shirt over 2 miles 4 times. But thats why he is fit and I am smooshy :) My point? We do have the van and we might go somewhere tomorrow. Somewhere air-conditioned.

Casey has a soccer game at 6pm and Steve has to work until 8. Yeah...lovely.... So I don't want to show up to this thing all sweaty and bedraggled with no other adult to help me with Charlie, who screams and cries and wont sit in his stroller and wants to run away from the soccer game, and then who will watch Casey? Who will encourage him to stay on the bench with his team and not trot away to the park? (the games are at a park, which is very very distracting to the players, to whom the allure of the swings and slides kind of overshadow the game)

I am honestly thinking of bringing a playpen (easy and lightweght, I know harhar) just so I can put Charlie in it if I have to. sigh. Soccer without Steve. I worry.