welcome, indeed.

Summer has really come when Saturdays are two-shower days:  first to wash the morning's run off, then before dinner to scrub the knees of dirt and the hair from sweating in a hat all day.  Jeff's working up in the porch when he's not at the home improvement store, but after some on-and-off rain in the week, then helping the girls makes skirts for dolls Saturday morning (while I'm on the phone, why always when I'm on the phone?!), the rest of the day was outside with garden:  planting out more veggies, cleaning up, and running through the sprinkler with the girls.  At the end of the afternoon I sat outside happily with a Reed's Extra Ginger, and called the day good.

The start of the summer *has* been good.  Following a trip out of state for more than a week with a week of leading crafts in VBS was a challenge, but oh those kids do love their VBS.  (Please note Greta's class actually had close to 30 students, she and cousin and friend were at the overflow table.)  Jeff and I finished that week with going out for our anniversary at the local tea-shop-gone-restaurant-in-historic-home.  Closer to 20 than 10! 

This past week was our first "real" week off, we celebrated by continuing to get the girls up on time (to get them to bed on time), cleaning the front porch entirely, sending K to basketball camp, Gret sewing her own new skirt, finishing a scarf (older than many of my nieces and nephews) to send away, then throwing in the towel (literally?) by heading to the beach Friday afternoon.  (Thursday night I said to myself, "Myself," I said, "It's finally summer.  What do we need to do to get through the upcoming 6 months of winter??  Sun and water and sand, as much as possible.")  (Aside:  why do 12-year-olds balk at absolutely every thing?  Then proceed to enjoy themselves.)

So the weeks ahead look like lots of work upstairs, tired kids, thick gardening, more camps, sneaking off as much as possible for a swim, and going through a half-gallon of whipping cream with all the berries our yard will give us.  Bring on humidity and bugs and that tingle on the shoulders that says I should find some sunscreen or a t-shirt over my tank...and let's plan that vacation!  (welcome, summer!)