a post for the g'parents

We've been having a deliberate end of the summer, trying to do some extra things that prove harder once we're in the routine of school. Also, we're spending some lazy time at home... just trying to soak up summertime as much as we can. 

I am not a critter person, but check out this lizard I caught. He was living in an outside storage closet with the kids' sports stuff. We played with him then promptly found him a new home in the canyon.

Also, we're starting to make things a little more homey around here. The boys' table from their old room? We added some fresh orange paint et voila! A new coffee table. The big boys helped with that project.

With all the travel and change, we skipped camp and other scheduled activities this summer. But I was happy to get the older two in a two-week swim class that was simply awesome. They both were little fish. 

And Xavier found a new favorite activity: hiding in lockers.

 We went to a military appreciation event with the Chargers where we saw them practice.

And met the cheerleaders

Finnian and Isaac weren't really sure why they were there, but they definitely wanted a signed photo!

It might be a new window and it may be a different day, but watching the trash truck is still a weekly highlight.

 And painting.

We went to a USO Sesame Street show, free for military families. All the monsters were there, as well as Katie, a military kid/monster who has to move to a new base. The kids were amazed by the show, even Finnian. And Xavier, like all two year olds, is inexplicably obsessed with Elmo (we don't even watch SS?!). He left our seats and walked right down the aisle and stood in front of the stage.

San Diego Public Libraries had a very generous summer reading program, which F and I completed. They read books and won tickets to many SD museums as well as Legoland. So nice! The boys chose the Science Museum first. It was kind of old, musty and small, but they didn't see those things and just loved playing there for a morning.

And how do you end a visit to a science museum? With some astronaut ice cream, of course!

And a run around one of the fountains in Balboa Park. 

One more week of summer left, then I think we're all going to be ready for school. Oh yeah, and guess what? It does rain in San Diego! It rained this morning - the first rain we've seen in the six weeks we've been here. Don't believe that SD is tropical. It is definitely desert.