Bits & Pieces :: June

**Chloe's new favorite song is Home on the Range.  She had me print out the lyrics which she has decided to copy.  Her added illustrations are my favorite part :-)

** Evan has been all about the Titanic again.  He is fascinated by the wreck site and the story of how it sank.  He spends hours poring over informational books, studying.  One morning we got out Jeff's lego collection (which we keep in storage) to build a Titanic model.  He made all four funnels, the bridge and a nice base.  After about a week of work, he felt discouraged that it was too big a project and took it apart.  What a cool idea though!  You can see the white bridge section and a yollow funnel in the picture below.

** I found these two set up on the deck playing Transformers and horses.  For real.  I never thought it would be possible for a brother and sister to have so much fun together, but they do every single day.

** With summer comes the catching and observing of bugs.  A very pretty moth found itself in captivity recently which thrilled Evan since it was his first.  This picture captures the fascination and magic that nature holds for these two.  Such a sense of wonder.

** The kids discovered Garfield comics this month and cannot get enough!  They read and laugh together first thing in the morning, when they come inside to cool off on the couch for a bit and especially at bedtime after we read family books, cuddle and say goodnight.  They grab a flashlight and "read" these silly books for a while before it's lights out time. 



** I have a feeling that this summer our kitchen table will never be without flowers.  Chloe is always coming inside with a handful of something.  We planted a  mixed box this year with lupines, hollyhocks, morning glories, sunflowers and cosmos.  Also some green beans and strawberries.  We'll see what comes up.

 

 ** Evan built his first little robot after watching a how-to video online.  It uses a toothbrush head and the vibrating motor from an old cell phone.  He loves playing around with motors and wires and batteries.

** Hot days mean it's time for bathing suits and the hose to make their first appearance.

 

** Chloe loves her new suit.  Isn't it so her?

** At Bryce's house this week, we were lucky enough to get to hang out with the bunnies in the back yard cage.  The kids both got to hold and pet to their hearts' content.  I have a bunch more pictures of this special time, but that will be another post on it's own.

** The tree in front of Bryce's house is so perfect.  Chloe's longer legs have made her able to climb higher than ever.  Not to be outdone, Evan can also climb even higher and then "get down from the tree faster than you Chloe"....  *drop*

** A pair of Mourning Doves started to build a nest in our backyard tree this week.  We have spent hours quietly observing them (with and without binoculars) as daddy bird hunts around for the perfect addition to mama's nest, flies up while making lots of chirpy noise, hands over the goods and comes back down.....  We really hope they stay.

** I will probably be using this tent set-up on the swing all year as it is the perfect shady spot to enjoy a morning.  Kids play on swings and run around being Flynn and Rapunzel or Odie and Garfield or horses with nothing but their imaginations at work.  How I love this life....