Summer Has Arrived! (or at least we're acting like it has)

 

 This past weekend, although only mid-May, we hit the summer activities hard.  It's a whole new world of opportunity when the Summer season hits after a long, cold winter - and I for one was eager to do everything for the first time all at the same time.  But a weekend is only so long, so we only crammed in a few.  They were good ones, though.  On Sunday we did a charity walk in support of a friend in Luke's preschool class who has Cystic Fibrosis.  I can't even imagine having a child with an illness like CF.  Makes you really appreciate your healthy kids!

Kid stuff for the week:

Luke wanted to help Matt get the boat off the trailer, but I wanted him to stay in the car.  He was upset and told me in a grumpy voice, "But, Mom, I'm the best helper there is and Dad always counts on me!"

Claire's dramatics have seemed to been taken up a notch recently.  We honestly can say that Luke was never this dramatic.  Mischievous and active and high energy?  Yes.  Drama queen?  No.  At the drop of a hat Claire will throw the most gigantic tantrum you've ever seen.  She screams bloody murder and throws herself down on the ground with dramatic flair at the slightest thing.  For example, Luke playing with a toy she didn't want him to play with (she was not playing with it, mind you).  Or just this afternoon when there was hysterics when I got home from work because she wanted me to go down to the basement and pretend to make hot coffee.  The fun part about all of this is that in these situations she just points and cries and whines, she doesn't actually use words to tell us what she wants. We've been doing time outs trying to reduce the tantrums, and they really work I have to say.  She loathes time outs, she is genuinely distressed by being in them.  But I have to tell myself that she's just frustrated by not being understood, so I try (when my patience allows it, which is less often that I would like to report) to get her to tell me what she wants to calm her down before sending her right to time out.  The whining is out of hand, too.  This must all be part of the "terrible two's" that we hear so much about.  Good thing she's cute the rest of the time and, of course, thank God she's healthy!  

First visit to Six Flags of the season

So excited to go on the Sky Tower

Claire chickened out, so it was just Lukers and me

Next activity - first boat ride of the season!

Dinner al fresco at our local Thai place. Probably was not warm enough to dine outside, but we were in that summertime mood so we just did it!

Cystic Fibrosis walk in nearby Wilmette.  We were a part of "Alexander's Army".

This is Alex, Luke's friend from preschool.  They stopped to have a chat after running around during the whole walk.

Matt ended up having to carry Claire the whole time.  She feel asleep partially into the walk and stayed asleep a while.  

The walk was at a park right on the beach.

Those smushy cheeks, I just love them!

Playing with another Kinderhaven family who was there, Jean and her Dad and sister.  Luke told us in the car on the way to the walk that "I really like Jean, but she likes Alex more than me."  So it begins!

We didn't prepare for sand play, but this kid was happy as a clam playing with his one promotional Walgreens cup to transport sand and water to his dune of choice.  

Spumoni was post-surgery this weekend and had to wear this mesh bandage holder to keep the gauze that was soaking up his drainage in place.  For the first week he could only go out on a leash, which he was NOT a fan of.  It was like being back in his Chicago resident days.  

So funny that it has ear holes.  I have pictures of the swelling and incision and stitches (which all are kind of hidden in the pics I'm posting), but I'm sparing you the images.  

A real swim!  First of the season.

They weren't in the pool very long - just long enough to need a warm-up and snack on the chairs.  

Goofing around on the swings together.

Dog walks now consist of Luke riding his "stunt bike" (balance bike) and us making Claire ride the stroller bike because she doesn't really pedal. She would prefer that we let her ride her "super bike" which is what she calls her purple hand me down tricycle from PJ, but again, since she doesn't pedal very much so it is impossible to get around the block with that one.  Especially since one adult has to make sure Luke doesn't ride into the middle of the street and the other one has Spumoni.  

They are making wishes while blowing the dandelions.