Blueberry pie makes everything better...

It was the last day of our mom's group summer camp today. We had a potluck, and it was my turn to lead the activity. I decided to forgo a structured activity, and instead we met at a park and let the kids play what they wanted. I did bring sidewalk chalk paint, bubbles, and some soccer balls to play with, but kids could wander and play however they wanted to.

 We tried to get a cute picture of the kiddos today...I'm sure one of the moms was able to get a better shot. We've had as many as 32 kids (including babies) come to the activities!

 Tried for another pose. 

Sidewalk chalk paint!

 Daniel's patriotic artwork.

 There were lots of tears while we were at the park, and even more when we left. We've been having lots of fun, but the longer Daddy is gone, the worse our attitudes get. Washing dishes (or playing in the water in the sink) helped Matthew and Aaron feel a little better.

Daniel opted for helping to make these little blueberry pies. (Using blueberries picked during our summer camp outing on Tuesday)

Speaking of blueberries, Daniel was eaten alive by mosquitoes in the blueberry field. He's been pretty concerned about them and wanted to talk to Daddy tonight about them. He must've talked for ten minutes straight.

 Meanwhile, this was happening. Ragamuffin cuteness. It almost makes up for all the crying that happened today.

 Dinner was touch and go...but this kid finished quickly and earned his dessert.

 It took much longer for this one to see his dessert appear on his plate.

And this one almost missed out completely because it took him till nearly bedtime to finish his dinner. With the kind of day we've had, I might just eat the rest of those pies tonight... Can't wait for you to get back home, Daddy!

Pop that balloon!

Today we visited some friends. They had a few regular balloons filled with water...turns out those are WAY harder to pop than actual water balloons.

We did it!

Birdhouse Builders

Daniel has been asking for while now to do some "real building." We have some wood scraps, nails and hammers, but I'm not really too keen on the idea of just giving him a hammer and telling him to go for it. So, we asked Papa if he might plan a birdhouse building activity for us (the boys are also very interested in the birds and squirrels in the yard). Having spent yesterday morning at the zoo with Nana and Papa, that afternoon seemed the perfect time for this fun activity.

 Measuring. (When asked "what do you think we need to do next?" Matthew would always answer "Measure!")

 Sawing the wood.

 Drilling holes for the hinge screws. Working in the garage had the added bonus of bikes nearby to ride when the building action was slow, hence Matthew's helmet.

 Matthew takes a break to measure the cozy coupe.

 When this guy isn't giving us trouble, he sure is cute. :)

 Screwing in the hinges.

 Time to paint the roof! 

So impressed with Daniel's ability to use the saw by himself. He's growing up...*sniff.

 Uh-oh. This guy is up from his nap and ready to help.

 Using the tiny saw.

 The big saw and the drill were "too loud!"

 Nailing the pieces together.

 Adding some glue.

 Aaron starts working on his own project.

Everyone got to take turns hammering.

 Finally ready to paint the main part of the house.

 While the paint dried, we went to Spuds for some fish n' chips. Aaron really needed to wear his crown from his Burger King outing with Daddy.

 Home again and ready to nail the roof on!

 Matthew and Aaron decided to build a house out of the leftover scraps...

 ...and Daniel built a crossbow.   :/

All done! Thanks, Papa, for helping us build a house for the birds!

 PS. We were all sufficiently worn out after such a busy day--Matthew even fell asleep on the couch as we read bedtime stories.

Zoo trip with Nana and Papa

Today we went to the zoo with Nana and Papa. We had a lot of fun seeing a few of our favorite exhibits and some brand new ones, too!

 Brand new cheetah exhibit! [Though there's no way to get a good picture of her...]

 Aaron was trying to get to some ducks.

 Daniel and Matthew got to feed the ducks.

 Bird scout.

 In the bug house. We've never gone in before, it was pretty neat!

 Papa gives Aaron a lift.

 While the big boys and Nana decided to take one more peak at the bugs, Aaron practiced jumping on rocks outside.

 Quick photo op while watching the zebras.

 Everyone got to pick out a treat after lunch.

 The reptile house was a huge hit. We had also never been in there before!

 Wolf cubs in a hole.

 Practicing their howling.

 Matthew is howling, I'm not sure what Aaron is doing, but it was cute.

Hibernating like bears. It was pretty close to nap time.

Thanks for coming with us to the zoo, Nana and Papa!