Short, But Sweet

It was a quick visit, but we fit in some good fun with Grandma and Grandpa Hartings this weekend. We hit the miniature greens, took a boat ride and dined on tasty seafood in Annapolis, and played with their month-old kitten (who went home with them)!

Happy Birthday, Jack!

Jack is two! Our house is a wreck!

Jack has been talking about his "basketball cake" for the past two months, and so we went with a sports theme for his second birthday. I guess word got out! We now have a fully stocked sports complex, right here at our house. Slam dunk basketball set, check. Shoot and score soccer set, check. Golf caddy set, check. We also have a full-scale camp site set up in our main room and a deluxe tropical island water table on the back deck.

So far, Jack is sharing very nicely. So, come one, come all...and play with our new stuff!

Let's Go Swimming

With temps hovering right around 100 degrees, there was no better way to cool off than in the pool. We swam in Grandma and Papa's wading pool, at the Swim Club, and at a friend's beautiful in-ground pool. The kids loved every minute!

A Fair Day

We arrived at the Trumbull County Fair at 10:30 a.m. (two hours after its official opening) to find all of the rides shut down and the concession stands shuttered. What the...?!? It turned out that the rides didn't start until 1 p.m. , which meant that we had two and a half hours to entertain the kids at the barns before placating them with sugary treats and thrill rides. Fortunately, they did great, and the super slide at the end was a favorite with all of the kids!

Happy Fourth of July!

I have very fond memories of traveling to my grandparents' house to watch the July Fourth parade in Canfield, so it was really special to share the tradition with my three kids this year. We all braved the sweltering heat to cheer on the marchers, catch buckets full of tootsie rolls and lollies, and sip refreshing lemon shake-ups.

Lunch with G.G.

We were all delighted to head to G.G.'s house for a fried chicken and sprinkle cookie lunch, a gourmet "crab feast" prepared by the kids in the old cast-iron stove, and a spirited bird chase in the backyard. I hope that the cardinals and robins have since returned! Thank you for a lovely afternoon, Grandma!

Here Fishy, Fishy...

Encouraged by our success fishing in Piqua, we headed to Canfield to try our luck at a friend's pond. We weren't disappointed! Within minutes of casting our lines, Kaitlyn caught the first fish. She then caught ten more! Claire caught three, just as she predicted (she retired to the shade with her Cheez-Its as soon as she met her goal). Jack caught a large-mouth bass with a little help from Papa. Even I caught a few, though the big one got away with my bobber!