Time Keeps on Slippin', Slippin', Slippin'...

Last summer I spent each morning sadly counting down the days until I sent Ezra off to the first day of kindergarten.  I mourned the passing of time.  This summer I've employed a different tactic:  Denial!  I am in denial that next week I will send Ezra off for the whooooooole day to first grade and Caroline for the afternoons to kindergarten.  This tactic would almost have worked, except--these kids are so excited about school that they ask about 50 times a day "NOW how many days until school????"  When I ask them if they care that my heart is breaking they say with no feeling "Nope".  One day as we drove down the street I muttered "stop, time, stop!" and Caroline from the back hollered "go, time, go!"  The age old argument between mother and child.

So, as I try to slow time and they try to speed it along we've enjoyed a few summer activities...

 Such as popsicle making with the popsicle maker that Grandpa and Grandma Tractor got Caroline last year.  Blueberry-peach was a hit.  We need to go out on a limb and try "flavor core" popsicle making and diagonal stripes and so many other ideas the box shows.

 We went and watched the Boys of Summer.

 See that little orange hat just above the dugout?  That would be Ezra.  And the bobbing brown flower headed girl is Caroline.  They patiently waited for attention from the opposing team--unfortunately all the loud "Throw it here" older kids and pretty girls managed to catch all the balls thrown at the end of innings.

 Sitting right behind the dugout made me laugh this year--because I realized that those professional players are just the same as Little League players.  They laugh and joke and need to be reminded to pay attention to the game.  They chew sunflower seeds (okay, okay and "other stuff" too) and look around the stadium.  They are just little boys a few feet taller and a lot of $$$ richer.  And they don't have to sell candy bars or get their parents to shell out the big bucks for their uniforms each year.

 It was a perfect Seattle evening for baseball.  Unfortunately, the M's lost.  After that night they went on an 8 in a row winning streak.  And two nights later King Felix pitched a perfect game on the very mound we were so close to.   I think the mood in the stadium that night was a little different.  Win or lose, though, the kids are always excited to watch baseball.

 Caroline got to play school with one of her favorite older friends.  The dollies were willing and well behaved little students.

He's growing up...and up and up. 
I've been wanting to write down a few of the words coming out of mouths around these parts.  But, of course, I negelect to write things down when I should.
A few I can remember are:
When we are driving down the freeway Ezra always wants me to get into the "kiddie pool lane" to go faster.
When we are at swimming lessons Nora wants a chance to play in the "kitty cat pool". 
We eat a lot of "squash and bikini" from the neighbor's and my parents' garden.
On beans and rice night sometimes Nora wants to add "whackamole-ee" to her  burrito. 
And that's all I can remember at the moment. 
Now--off to see what I can do about stopping time some more.