settling back in from CA, another Grandpa Hayes & Grandma Lana package, Kid's Camp Week in South Carolina

We usually have a bag of balloons around for anytime fun..it is amazing how the kids can entertain themselves for days with them! Great for Poppy learning how to play catch, they cause hysterical fits of laughing as they hit the spinning fans and bounce across the room, and they make a fun 3D canvas for drawing faces (Sol's is Papa sleeping!)


The Oreo Straws from Grandpa Hayes and Grandma Lana's package...the items in these pictures are some of the things the raccoon did NOT get to!


OK, remember a while back I posted the naked bike race in SF? Well, Poppy's 'fairies' (aka Barbies) are always sans clothes because she cannot stand to have any of her babies wearing clothes and the bike came in the package we got from Dad and Lana and right away we knew we had another pose in a naked bike race. I don't think she looks very comfy.....?



Some more toy-less entertainment



Day #2 on our way to Kid's Camp in South Carolina!



Sol is very clever..as a ninja.


First day in his t-shirt, bug spray, sunscreen...ready to go and Poppy is there helping send him off.



Poppy and I spent some fun time together exploring the area where Chip and Nan live. We went to lunch, had ice cream, shopped for fingernail polish, went to the library, found a great thrift store, etc.


Poppy and Grandpa in the pool.

Poppy, Nan and I went to visit GG and Derwood one day where we were treated to a great lunch and a fantastic apple pie! GG had made a dress for Poppy out of a pillowcase and Poppy had a great time visiting Baxter, the doggie.




On our way home, we stopped at a store named.....you guessed it!


Sol and Poppy head to the Club for a big night at Kid's Camp!


On another day where Nan, Poppy and I got to hang out we went to Greenville and had lunch, played in the fountains, had frozen yogurt (from the place that sparked my now addiction to frozen yogurt...Plain Flavor, homemade, organic.....oh, yum.)

The Friday before we left, I made a solo trip to Anderson, SC to visit some folks: DeeAnna and Fay and James. It had been nearly 12 years since I had last seen DeeAnna. I had gotten to know her while working at Bridgecreek restaurant in RL. So fun to see her and to meet her sweet baby, Zhen. (She's on Facebook for those of you who would like to get in touch with her. She asked about you, Katie, Nici and Linds and sends her love!) Fay and James were a delight to sit and visit with. Can't wait to see them again at their new place next time!

On our way home on the 4th of July:






We booked a fancy hotel on Priceline (fun place + good price = smiles for all of us) for our Fourth of July celebration: Louisville, KY -- downtown and alive. The shot of the hotel doesn't look too alive but alas, it was a 'high rise' to us and was very fun for viewing fireworks.


Back into the swing of things finally. It took doing the laundry, picking out our groceries to restock the fridge, baking some bread, cooking our good standby mac and cheese, lounging around in our jammies for two days straight -- getting around to all the things that at first seemed like an insurmountable list of to-dos. I realized that they were all just part of 'feeling at home' for a while. We are going to enjoy one more week at home then next weekend, after Greg's 32nd b-day, we head to MONTANA! Wow, what a travelin' summer we are having.


ciao