Summer crazies

 The "Doll Store" is open for business. Lots of inside time this hot summer and we have been rotating up boxes of toys that haven't been played with for at least a year. Suddenly Barbies were fun again. And I was harassed endlessly about how I need to come shop in the doll store. I have more photos of this later.

 Girl time in the hot tub with great friends. They even learned a new game to play in there which is good because they have an association with playing the animal guessing game in there and insist on playing it every time and it just gets old...

 Emily getting ready to make us help her with some science experiments (and also, her favorite butter toast which is requested many times a day in my 24/7 restaurant).

 Patrick LOVES the new Lego book, thanks Grandma Marjie! Now he is making houses and the girls even come help him and they stay off electronics for minutes at a time!

 Two story house that he built in layers. I think Megan helped a bit, she loves house design and also spends a lot of time on SIMS making houses. I don't know where she gets that obsession...

 Patrick always has his room clean but for some reason he is just leaving his Legos spread out right now while he is building stuff. I tolerate only because he is being creative.

 He steps on the plastic drawers that used to hold the Legos when he needs to walk through his room without stepping on hard little pieces.

 More of the house, he insisted that I take these photos so I'm hoping he wants to see them in the book later.

 Conned (bribed) Anna into helping with the experiments.

 Emily is all about posing for photos these days.

 Anna is wondering if she can have the keyboard and mouse to the computer now that this is done...

 More Lego creations.

 Very proud of them.

 Sean thought I was taking out my irritation on the kids with the hose. But no, they wanted me to spray them.

 He had an umbrella for protection....

 Kids making forts and having water wars in the pool house. Whatever... they were off electronics!

 The girl were hiding under this, I think even Megan and her friend were participating.

 Emily and soccer friends at Little Apple Soccer camp a couple weeks ago. It was steamy hot but she was a good sport about going.

 Here is the big group shot with Emily in the front tilting her head and Patrick somewhere in there too...

 Anyone remember this painting from Grandma Weeks? Obviously just a print, from grocery stamps I believe the story goes. Anyway, I was so excited to get it from her but then it got damaged in a move. Frowny face. I decided to use the frame for something at least... (note well: my iced green tea, how I survive the summer...)

 I took it apart which involved lots of old nails.

 So the "painting" was just paper glued on a linen canvas. I don't feel as bad about it getting ruined now, but still kind of bad.

 So I ordered a print of Minted.com (another new obsession-- so many to choose from) and put in over the canvas (Sean thinks it will be hilarious someday when someone takes it apart and finds a "Renoir" underneath and gets excited). I thought this was appropriate because the title of this painting is "Sailor's Delight" which as we know is from "Pink sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky in morn, sailors be warned." The artist is from Michigan and this scene is from Northern Michigan. Perfect!

 And here it is on the piano that only gets used by the children who haven't taken piano lessons yet. Sigh.

 Sean puts in the quality time with the kids even when he is on his work week. Lots of Uno going on, Emily's favorite game.

 And she's interested in golf now that she has done First Tee. Of course, she prefers to golf in a dress. Lucky for her they do have golf skirts now.

 Looking for advice?

 Just wearing an old dance costume (hand me down) to hang around the house...

 Squirt gun wars are ON. His lair is in the background.

 Neighbor's grandsons came over to play, such fun for Patrick. Boys!

 Looks like Sean took the kids to the park.

 And on a hike on the Konza Prairie.

 And the crazy shot.

 Emily and 17. Her favorite number. She has to point it out whenever she sees it.

 Getting help with the Doll Store...

 Emily's signs.... it's open, but no balls, which she spelled BAOOS? She later updated the signs to cut down on confusion. When there is a Patrick in the house, a sign banning bouncy balls is essential.

 And then she opened a Rock Store which I also had to come shop at. She made me coupons and then finally gave me money to come buy rocks. I finally threw them all back in the landscaping when we went on vacation...

Ah, didn't mean to upload this... had to send to this someone to get a quote for a new dehumidifier/pool heater. AWESOME. Hoping it's under 5 figures but not holding my breath. Okay, enough in this post for now. Another hot day inside, just catching up...