Soccer Camp

Nathan and Thomas are both attending soccer camp through the U this summer. They both have a bunch of friends there and seem to be having a great time. I think the unlimited supply of Gatorade at any time is a huge bonus for them, but if that makes them happy, I'm happy.

Today, after camp, Thomas told a story of accidentally dropping a penny into the pot of the Honey Bucket. I had a vision of the situation, but didn't think twice about it. About two hours later, it hit me out of nowhere. The "penny" he was referring to is not a coin. No, the "penny" is a "pinny": the light mesh jersey the players use during the scrimmage to designate teams. Thomas dropped his pinny into the toilet in the Honey Bucket! What?! I then asked how on God's green Earth could this happen, and I'm not convinced it was an accident. His story had a few holes in it. After the untimely death of the pinny he said he came out and told his coach what had happened, and his coach said it was OK. I'm still shaking my head in disbelief.

Bye-bye pinny.

Camano Island

We spent last Saturday afternoon with good friends on Camano Island at the McGary vacation home. What an amazing spot. It really got us dreaming more than we already do about owning vacation property. So close to home, but we really felt like we got away. The boys had a great time, and were more than sad to leave at the end of the day.

Happy Birthday Thomas!

Thomas' birthday party this year was a hit, and probably something we hope to repeat next year with him, or with Nathan...finally, a positive when it comes to a boy's summer birthday! Thomas invited his favorite friends over for a BBQ, scavenger hunt, s'mores over a campfire, and a backyard slumber party in the tent. I think they all had a blast, and we did too. Scott had the pleasure of sleeping in the tent with the boys. He had to go out at 10:30 pm to quiet them down, but they soon fell asleep. Everyone slept well through the night (except for Scott, thanks to our teenage neighbors and their backyard antics at 3:30 am). All and all, a great party, an affordable party, and a night full of memories.

Happy 4th of July!

Ocean Park 4th of July Parade.
Sparklers for the first time.
He looks a little timid here, but Thomas was soon trying to light the beach plants on fire with his subsequent sparklers. Not good.
Drew did not like the sights or sounds of our neighbor's fireworks.

Are we still in the city?

Our friends, the Clarks, have a huge slope in their backyard that is completely engulfed in ivy. The space is unusable for play and to remove it by hand would be incredibly difficult and time consuming. Enter 29 goats and 1 sheep. These ruminants are chowing down on the ivy, weeds, and everything in between in preparation for the installation of a new landscape. We had to see it for ourselves, and I think we all were smiling the whole time. It was quite a sight to see, and an odor to smell as they were there for almost a week.