What Did You Do Today?

The other day, Ed came home and asked me what I did that day. I had been busy all day but none of it sounded very impressive...a little straightening up, some workbook pages with the kids, Jazzercise, cooked dinner, took the kids to the library...Then I decided that I need a category of accountability called, "childhood enrichment". It sounds way cooler than, "played with the kids" or "took the kids to the park". I love that I am home to hang out with the kids and I love having them home from school so we have time to get out and enjoy stuff. None of the things we do are all that exciting but kids are so great because they really don't need much to be entertained. We have had a blast lately...

On Wednesday I took the kids over to the Navy Rec Center on Solomon's Island. We still have MWR privileges for another year so we're gonna use them. The Rec Center is awesome. The pool has two water slides that are too big for my boys and a pool that is the perfect size for them...it ranges from 1 1/2 feet deep to 4 feet deep and its surrounded by lounge chairs for moi! I actually got to sit and read while they played in the pool! It was awesome!


After awhile, the boys needed a break from swimming too I guess! Either that or they wanted to get a tan!


You can see one of the slides in this picture, the pool the kids swam in and you can almost see the Pax River through the fence. This is all right on the river - beautiful!

The Navy Rec Center has a couple cool playgrounds, picnic areas, a fishing pier, a beach, a campground, cabins, beach houses, mini golf, an arcade (but don't tell the boys that - they don't know it and I would like to keep it that way). The boys played for a bit before we left. I don't remember why they're making grumpy faces...

Edward has sailing on Wednesday nights and doesn't get home til after 9 so we were on our own. I took the boys for a little nature walk...well it was really just a walk through the neighborhood but around here we have quite a bit of nature. We found black eyed Susans blooming in a field. They are the state flower of Maryland.

And the boys snuck up on a bunny. He ran away from them and ended up running straight up to me and Jasmine! He got about five feet from us and just froze. Then he darted across the street. Jasmine would have loved to chase him...but don't worry...I'm all for saving the bunnies!

St. Mary's County Libraries are running an Adventure Passport program for kids this summer. Each kid gets a passport and takes it to different historic sites around town and gets a sticker at each one. When they have five stickers they can take it back to the library to get a coupon for a free ice cream cone. The boys are way more excited about it than I thought they would be and I love that! We only have two stickers so we still need to visit Sotterly Plantation, St. Mary's City (Maryland's first capital and the place where Max had a field trip) and maybe the Navy Air Museum on base. There are more than five sites so we have some choices. On Thursday we went to Tudor Hall here in Leonardtown. It was built in 1778 as part of the Tudor Farm plantation. Our house is actually in a neighborhood called Tudor Farm so presumably, this land was once part of the farm. The house was owned by several families including a cousin (if I remember correctly) of Francis Scott Key and he visited there. The boys weren't very impressed with the house as its been transformed into a home for the St. Mary's County Historical Society and isn't very original anymore. We went over to see the Old Jail after that and it was more fun. The boys even got "locked" in a jail cell by the volunteer that was working there. Max shreiked! He was not a fan of that. Ha!

On Saturday we went to Daniel's birthday party next door. The boys had fun playing on the water slide.

Nolen and his friend Jayden. His mom has good taste! We bought the boys the same bathing suits from Target and they both had them on at the party. haha!


Max taking a swing at the pinata.

Nolen's turn.

The swarm of kids after the candy. Don't worry, no one was injured.

Saturday Edward rented scaffolding so that he could finish siding the garage. It was getting tough to keep climbing up and down multiple ladders. But by renting scaffolding, he put himself under some pressure to get the job done before the scaffolding needed to be returned on Sunday afternoon.

And because I'm so cheap...I decided to pitch in and make sure we got our money's worth out of that scaffolding. Also, its pretty fun to do this kind of work. Here I am cutting lengths of soffit with the miter saw.

And there I am on the scaffolding hammering up siding!

And...drumroll please....The garage!!! Ed finished all he needed to with the scaffolding. He still has a bit more finished to do at the corners but the majority of the work is done. Now he can start on the electrical. He took a test to get his homeowners electrical license. He is now licensed to do his own electrical work for two years. My husband is a real reneissance man!

And one more pic of the garage.

Phew, I'm exhausted! I need a vacation! Oh wait! We're leaving Thursday! Hooray!