Summer Fun

We’ve been enjoying the unseasonably mild temperatures by picnicking on the deck, playing outside, tackling backyard landscaping projects, going to the local Fourth of July festivities, and splashing in our new inflatable kiddie pool. Here are some recent photos from our Fourth of July and backyard fun.

Fourth of July

Ryan was excited to learn that he and Gavin were going to stay up late to watch the fireworks for the Fourth of July. In this photo, he was explaining to Gavin that fireworks make a loud "boom" and look like bright, colorful flashes of light in the sky.



Ryan begged us for a funnel cake before the fireworks started. However, the line was ridiculously long and by the time Daddy and Ryan reached the funnel cake stand, they were told they had run out of funnel cakes. Since we already had an over-tired 2-year-old on our hands, Daddy had to be creative in finding an alternative dessert option that Ryan would find acceptable. We have popcicles all the time at home, so we assumed Ryan would not consider them a special, exciting treat. So, Daddy convinced Ryan that these were "sundaes," which luckily produced squeals of delight from Ryan. Ryan thoroughly enjoyed his "sundae" and now exclaims "cheeseburger sundae" whenever posing for photos!

Mommy (who is obviously sleep deprived!), Gavin, and Ryan anxiously await the start of the fireworks. We arrived at the Westminster Farm Museum around 6:00 p.m. and the fireworks weren't scheduled to begin until 9:30 p.m. While we waited, we ate a picnic dinner and Ryan bounced on the inflatable slide and played on a wooden train. Gavin, who attracted a lot of attention, snoozed in his infant carrier.

I wish we had remembered to take the camcorder with us to record Ryan's reaction to the fireworks. I know the people around us were equally entertained by Ryan's squeals of delight and running commentary on the fireworks as they were by the fireworks themselves. After each firework was launched, Ryan would enthusiastically clap and loudly exclaim, "yook (a.k.a. "look") Mommy, yook!" He'd also scream, "Oooh, me like that one, Daddy!" After the first 15 minutes, he settled into Daddy's lap and was wide-eyed and mesmorized by the firework display. He was particularly impressed by the grand finale, but admitted that he didn't like the ones that made the "loud boom." By the time we got him into the car (which was well after 10 p.m.), he had heavy eyelids and quickly fell asleep, but not before saying, "Too-too (a.k.a. "thank you"), Mommy and Daddy, me like fireworks. You take me see more fireworks next year?"

While Ryan reacted quite enthusiastically to the fireworks, Gavin slept through the entire show! We can't get the boy to sleep through the night, but he can sleep soundly through a loud, bright firework display! In fact, he slept through the entire afternoon/evening and woke up as soon as we arrived home and unloaded him from the car!

Pool Time

Ryan helped Daddy inflate his new kiddie pool and fill it with water in the morning so that the water would be warm by the afternoon when Ryan was ready to play in it. We were expecting the landscapers to mow the lawn, so we thought it best to set the pool up on the deck rather than risk it being damaged by the landscapers or have Ryan litter the pool water with cut grass by his frequent climbing in and out of the pool. Ryan particularly enjoyed aiming the pink dolphin that spurted water at an unsuspecting Mommy or Daddy. When we squealed with surprise at being sprayed with cold water, he would giggle devilishly.

Ryan also enjoyed watering the plants (really the inflatable palm trees) using his watering can. He also liked watering Mommy's flower pots using his water gun (not exactly good for the delicate flowers) and measuring cups (time consuming, but it's not like I'm using them for cooking these days!)


Ryan worked up an appetite playing in the pool so he took a snack break for a chocolate ice pop. We normally insist that he eat his chocolate ice pops in a popcicle holder to "catch the drips" as Ryan says, but since he was in his bathing suit and could be easily rinsed off in the pool, we figured we could live with the inevitable mess. Ryan apparently took that as a call to action to see just how messy he could get! He was quite proud of his chocolate covered mouth, stomach, and hands.


As the afternoon wore on, we noticed Ryan had goosebumps and would shiver and say, "brrr, Mommy, it's windy and chilly!" However, he insisted that he was not quite ready to throw in the towel (pun intended!). It took the promise of a cheeseburger and rides at a local fire department carnival to convince him to come inside for a warm shower and clean clothes. Here Ryan snuggles in his beach towel to dry off.