Weekend Review

Happy Monday everyone :) Josie turned 23 months old last Friday and so we're counting down the days to the big number 2!! We have a busy week ahead, I'm working more days than normal, but with all the local kids going back to school this week, I think it's a fine time to celebrate an empty beach... hoping to have the beach all to ourselves on Tuesday!



It's been quite a while since we've done a pancake weekend, and with dad home for breakfast for the first time in a month, I thought it good time! Pops even joined us for a few minutes (oh, and buzz lightyear too, if you look really close!).

My specialty is banana pancakes, something about adding pureed banana to the mix that makes them fluff right up and make them taste amazing. Joise approves.

surprise!

I mean, com'mon... coolest mom ever for ordering her THIS ice cream cone, right?



but look here... see that wayward pony tail off to the right... she was more interested in other things. That's mint chocolate chip atop, bubblegum, atop blue moon! What's not to love? It's my own fault for trying to stage a cute photo, she wanted nothing to do with this photograph nonsense.

At our house, ice cream is otherwise known as SURPRISE. Ed started giving Josie a "surprise" after dinner, and this smart chickadee now has no idea what "ice cream" is, she calls it surprise. She kindly says, "more surprise please!"



The cone wasn't a total loss of course, mom and dad helped with the top 2.5 scoops and she finished the rest.

...beach day continued

and just a few more that I loved. All sunkissed and sandy.

beach day

I feel like summer is slipping away from us even though it's still hot, I know those days are fading fast. I had dreams of spending all our summer days at the beach, and here we are, only our second trip of the summer. We wish dad could have taken the day off to come with us, but we had fun just the girls. The best part of going in the middle of the week, we had pretty much the entire beach to ourselves. Josie had little distractions and sat and played in the sand and mama got to read and catch a few rays.



We lasted only a couple hours, the clouds took over and we approached napped time. So homeward we went (so nice to be only 20 minutes from home), and both of us straight into the shower. The shower floor looked like a sand box, but it felt great to be fresh and clean - and tired out from the sun. Perfect napping conditions!

Acorn Hunting

This afternoon we got home well before dad (he's been working late and long hours the whole month of August). With the humidity finally letting up, it seemed a great afternoon to sit outside. I suppose it's time for acorns to be falling? or maybe the chipmunks knocked them out of the tree last night - either way, Josie was fascinated! They were still all packed in their little acorn caps and JJ insisted we "get em out". So the two of us collected acorns then sat on the driveway prying the acorns from their shells! Pretty darn fun ;)



How do ya like the circa 1986 side pony tail?

another Picnic

The second Sunday of every August since I can remember we have a family reunion, in the same park year after year (with a few exceptions). It's really full circle sitting and competing in the same games, playing on the same swings, eating the same food under the same trees that I did when I was little.



Lucky for Josie, she's got a good friend in her cousin Brynn, only 7 months older. She's as cute as a button too!




And I'm beginning to wonder if Josie is some sort of kindered spirit with zebras, she immediately exclaimed "zebra!!!" and gave him a hug and kiss upon seeing the donkey pinata ;) However, she didn't seem the wee bit alarmed when everyone started hitting him with a bat, so all is good!

Carnival Games

And the fair is a good time for us :) So much so, we went twice this year! Just couldn't get enough of the fine cusine and people watching. Truthfully though, we love strolling Josie through the 4H barns checking out the animals. She tried feeding each and every one of them... and when we stumbled upon an oddly spotted dairy cow, she proclaimed "A ZEBRA!!". That had me laughing for a few days...

JJ even played her first carnival game and won her very first prize!



It's like having a zoo stop into town! We had such a great time, especially going middle of the week with cool weather and smaller crowds :)

Green Tomatoes

I'm really proud of my little garden this year. I had told everyone that I'd given up on gardening and wasn't going to do one this year, but at the last minute caved and bought a few plants. Surprisingly, I've really kept up with the weeding, pruning and watering. The fruits of my labor are ripening before our eyes and it's ever rewarding that Josie loves to eat tomatoes straight from the garden (even green ones... errr, umm ;)).



My little helper, so proud of her pick (note her first pick, the little green one). She took a bite of the green tomato and immediately knew something wasn't quite right. Next year will be year 3 for my asapragus which should finally have a nice crop, we've also picked green peppers and eggplant too!

Afternoon Picnic

Saturday was looking pretty bleak with pouring rain in the morning, but thankfully it turned out to be a beautiful day for a picnic. My recipes turned out fantastic, the banana pudding and blueberry bars especially big hits! Grandma and Grandpa J were happy to see Josie and afforded Ed and I time to relax in the shade. Lucky us!




We've been taking this wagon with us just about everywhere this summer. It is entertainment for not only Josie but every other kid in the park wanted a ride too! These two just happened to both belong with us :)



Although I don't think Josie ate much more than chips and cookies, I love picnic food and just enjoying the day. We had a great afternoon hanging out with friends and spending a cool summer afternoon chatting and playing in the park.

Pearsauce?

We had heard Uncle Brian was going to bring out his tractor today and were excited to see him. So when we heard the hum of work going on, Josie and I walked over but Uncle Brian had already left...bummer! But even so, it's alwasy great to see Pops. He was busy at work but happily took a break to give Josie her first tractor ride :)



and in other news, the apple tree I've waited 5 patient years to grow apples, has apparently decided to grow pears instead. Wondering how pearsauce and pear pie are gonna taste ;)!