School starts for us in 10 days. This is flat out wrong.

W R O N G

Granted, we DID do this epic end-of-year water fight 65 days ago, but still, it's too hot and there's still so much fun/sleep to be had before starting the school routine.

However, the bus waits for no one...

So before we head back to school, I thought I'd compare notes (which are really photos) with the kids to come up with some of our favorite summer "wins." These aren't the trips and adventures (which were all amazing), but the little, everyday joys which cumulatively make summer our favorite time of year!

Dance parties!

Team Phenix isn't afraid of mixing it up on dance floor. Our favorite jam was with Nandy (Billy's mom) who showed us all up with her slick moves!

Evening Walks

When you don't have a strict bedtime, everyone relaxes about staying up late. For us, this often means taking a final stroll around the neighborhood or sneaking in some extra time with the cousins.

We're going to miss those extra hours of daylight!

Pool Fountains

I usually restrict my bragging to my guacamole and carrot cake baking skills, but that's only because I often forget the outstanding pool fountain I make! This year I was thrilled to discover that my very own son has the potential to fill my tremendous shoes.

I try not to think about where the pool water has been prior to being shot through my teeth...

Minor League Baseball

There's nothing wrong with going to a major league baseball game (though my favorite team isn't in my time zone), but after the easy logistics and exciting play of minor leagues (so many errors!!), I have to admit I like the smaller parks better.

Refreshing Our Skills

Whether it's busting out the knitting needles or discovering the joy of the library, we have enjoyed returning to activities we loved.

And now I'm waiting for either my mother OR my daughter to knit me an afghan!

Parades

We hadn't been to a small-town July 4th parade in five years and that's about five years too long. This year we were in Bend, Oregon and attended their annual Pet Parade.

The experience of watching people walk through the streets with dogs, cows, snakes, tortoises, and little dogs (which are different creatures from regular dogs) all dressed in red, white, and blue, is one of life's greatest pleasures.

One guy put his puppy in the sky by using helium balloons.

People are awesome.

Board Games

This was the summer of Yahtzee, Backgammon, Uno, and, our new favorite, Ticket to Ride.

I don't know why it's taken us so long to finally hit our groove with games (though I'm pretty sure our developing math and negotiation skills were factors), but we finally have the fever.

Set up the board. Let's play!!

Summer Casual

Ponytails and baseball caps ruled the summer fashion. Not sure there's a bigger "win" than this fact.

Night Swims

Call me nostalgic, but one of my favorite childhood activities was swimming after dinner. (My family never bought into the "wait 30 minutes before you swim" myth) This year the kids, and the dog, started loving this too.

Definite win!

General Shenanigans

Maybe it's the lack of homework, or the steady diet of Calvin and Hobbs comic books, but the energy around the house has been on how to surprise, prank, or otherwise make each other laugh.

Eleven and nine are my favorite ages so far!

What were your wins this summer?

Hopefully you have more than 10 days remaining.

Summer Wins