Summer Escape

Earlier this month, I escaped the humidity of New England and spent four nights in Las Vegas. I timed my trip to surprise a dear friend for her 40th birthday. She was speechless! I enjoyed two nights camping in the Spring Mountains and two nights in a hotel in Henderson. Driving a Smart Car was a fun treat, too.

Nothing Better

Sand and Sun

"In summer, the song sings itself." ~ William Carlos Williams

Evening at the Shore

Hey There, Wildflower

After many, many days of rain, my garden has been taken over by weeds. I'm hoping to take advantage of the drier weather to whip it in to shape. And while I weed, the kids will be shaking their sillies out in the sunshine. May all your weeds be wildflowers!

Hotter Than Blue Blazes List

The temperature in Las Vegas topped out around 109° F today, meaning that the "heat" has officially arrived. I have an annual tradition of making a list of things for us to do when the weather is too hot to go outside and I figured today was a good day to share it.

Here are some things we could do this summer:

• install a ceiling fan in the living room
• visit the mermaids at the Silverton
• play Ring Around the Rosie
• make our own popsicles
• finger painting
• go to story time and get a free carousel ride
• go camping at Mt. Charleston
• play hide-and-seek
• make milkshakes in the blender (or almond milk with crushed ice)
• work on numbers larger than 13 with my 4 year old
• have friends over each week to play
• create a reading list for my teenager
• work on lowercase letters with my 4 year old
• potty train the 3 year old
• sleep naked
• teach the baby colors and shapes
• watch a family movie with everyone
• sew something for myself
• take the teenager to the Adventuredome
• help my 3 year old with numbers and counting objects
• make fruit salad
• go to the Silverton to see feeding time at the aquarium
• go to the atrium at the Bellagio
• make ice cream in our new ice cream ball
• celebrate the summer solstice
• make kabobs on the grill
• paint t-shirts with fabric paint
• do a photo shoot with the four kids
• play Chutes and Ladders
• make Dirt Cake