Strawberry picking at Stades

A favorite summer tradition - strawberry picking at Stades!

Besides popping them in our mouths like candy, we came home and made strawberry shortcake and strawberry milkshakes!

Libertyville Days Parade

Caroline and Clayton marched in their first parade! They marched with their school in the Annual Libertyville Days Parade.

Outdoor movie

Our neighbors are the best! They put together an outdoor movie night for the kids on the driveway. What a blast!

Independence Grove outing

A leg brace didn't stop us from going to Independence Grove! Austin even flew the kite (with Caroline's help).

Father's Day

Steak dinner, homemade cards, homemade banoffee pie

Happy Father's Day Kevin!

 For their cards, the kids drew and wrote about their favorite thing to do with daddy.

And Happy Father's Day to  my dad!

Caroline and I brought coffee and muffins and had a Father's Day breakfast with my father. 

Sadly, we didn't take a picture :(

Austin and the bike

To celebrate the end of school, our neighborhood had a s'more party in the cul-de-sac down the stre
There were tons of kids around, tons of adults, and (unfortunately) several scooters and bikes.  It was a bad combination. A nine year old on a two-wheeler plowed into Austin.
There was a commotion, I turned to look and there was Austin, sitting on the ground screaming, blood running down his head, blood all over his clothes.  At first, you couldn't even tell where the blood was coming from.  Thankfully, neighbors ran to get washcloths and bandages and helped me care for Austin.
We rushed to the emergency room where we proceeded to wait for an hour and a half in the ER waiting room.  Three and a half hours after we arrived, we were finally discharged with 3 stitches on his forehead, 11 stitches in 2 places on his knee, and a full-leg knee immobilizer.  He was ordered to keep his knee straight and dry (no swimming or bathing) for 2 weeks.

 The poor thing was such a trooper. He screamed pretty healthily when they put in the sutures. The doctor assured me that he couldn't feel a thing. I beg to differ and so does Austin. The first night was rough. I ended up sleeping with Austin, who basically cried all night long. It was really hard for him to adjust to this big leg brace.

After a day or two though, he really perked up and was such a good sport about it. I mean, here's a 5 year old that loves to be active and he is now sidelined at the beginning of summer with orders of no swimming, playgrounds, scooters, or any of the other fun summer activities that he enjoys. A cancelled trip to the lake. Cancelled swimming lessons. No rides at Libertyville Days.  I would have been a total grouch.  He had such a good attitude and I was really proud of him.
Family and friends peppered him with phone calls, get well cards, and even a toy fish!

 When we were in the pediatric waiting room, there were no books, no toys, and nothing to help make the time pass for sick or hurt little ones.  A few weeks later, we brought some childrens books to the ER to have in their children's waiting room.  Let's hope they put them out! It would make such a difference to some sick and scared kids!

swingset

Clayton - "Mom, can I borrow the drill?"
Me - "No."
Clayton (a few minutes later) - "Mom, can I borrow the hammer?"
Me - "What for?  No."
A few minutes later, I find Clayton trying to take apart the swingset with his and his friends' tools.
After quickly putting the kabash on his exploit, he steams "You never let me do ANYTHING!  I can't wait until I'm grown up. THEN, I can do whatever I want! "
He was mollified a bit later when I let him twist screws and some other random things I don't have names for into some firewood.
Good grief.