June Madness

The summer season actually kind of started in May for us, with a trip to Palm Desert and then the annual (and last??!!) memorial day trip to Utah. But then June came raging in and it was really ON. So many wonderful celebrations; plus the pool season openers at the grandparents....and we were SO beyond busy. Birthdays included Grandma Dorothy's 90th celeberation, Grandpa Roger's backyard BBQ (Ribs, fruit salad and swimming...becoming a tradition!), Grandma Carole's boat birthday (Marea and Evie's first ocean fishing trip, lots of Mackerel to keep them entertained...and dolphins, which arn't even exciting to them anymore!), and last but not least, Marea's FIFTH birthday bash-face painting, a giant purple dinosaur jumpie, hot dogs, salads, snow cones, strawberry cupcakes and all of her favorite people on earth. We spoiled her rotten and it was wonderful and she deserved it all and I still can't believe that my baby girl is 5. She's always been more mature than her peers, but now I am really seeing a different kind of maturity; that of an older child who is becoming less selfish and less dependent. It's going to be a great year (followed by a great year, followed by a great year....seems to be a pattern here). And of course it was my birthday also, and I wished for a break from the everyday and spent two wonderful and refreshing nights in Palm Springs. I can't believe how great I felt after just two nights away where it was all about me. I came back with a new energy that everyone benefited from.

And with July starts the Tuesday night concerts in the park, truly a tradition now. It was so fun for me to watch Marea grab Sydney and Mia's hands and just jump jump jump to the classic rock on the dance floor. And Evie, right behind them, trying to be one of the 'big girls' the whole time. We're had plenty of pool days already, but now that June is over, I see many more relaxing pool and beach days in our future. Marea is an amazing swimmer now. She can dive down to the bottom of the deep end and get 2 or 3 diving sticks at a time. And she dives for quarters too, which is a big challenge because they are hard to see. Evie is right behind all the girls, and has come a long was also so far this summer. I had a hard time getting her to let go of me in the pool, but now she just gets her lifejacket on and climbs on in and swims all around. Part of this tradition is the popsicles, grilled cheese sandwiches, chips and juice that seem to be in endless supply. Not my first choice, but hey, we're making memories here. And if I told that to Evie, she would no doubt say, 'Why?'