I go sing?

Translation:  Push me on the swing please!!

Splash!

The best choice on a rainy spring day.  We literally turned the boots upside down at the end and poured the water out. 

  

Beer

Final selection from our golf winnings!

Boo!

Pip's artwork on display at the Wood End Spring Open House.  Top left corner.  Note the additional pencil bird scaring the main attraction.

Hose

It looked as if I was going to repeat past parental failures again this summer.  First hot day and the hose was out.  Deck completely drenched three days in a row.  Then I decided enough was enough.  I was tipping the scales back to civility.  You soak the deck with the hose.  Grounded 2 days.  All better now.  Controlled hose usage is now in effect.  Why didn't I think of this before?

Thank you

This year we implemented a genius (if I do say so) method for present opening.  Pip had to write out each card himself before he could open the next present.  I thought perhaps he'd quit half way and save some presents for another day.  But the man is nothing is not persistent!

Eyeball Skylander was a hit.

Opening was quickly followed by about 2 hours of straight lego building.

Watergun battle

For Pip's 7th birthday party he wanted to do everything.  Laser Tag.  Sleep over.  Bounce Houses.  Movies.  Popcorn.  Finally we settled on a water gun battle at Mattera Cabin followed by a movie at our house for a few friends.  

I don't even know where to start with this gun battle.  It was sunny.  Nice in the sun, brisk in the shade.  I had ordered 23 Water Warrior Hydro-current battery-powered guns from Walmart and tracked them down over the last few weeks to make sure I had them.  We went early to fill up huge buckets of water.  Once the kids started arriving and the guns were unleashed it was utter mayhem.  The guns held 24 ounces of water and shot a thick, fast stream for ultimate drenching.  The kids were shooting each other at closer range and getting soaked in short order.  I couldn't keep the guns filled fast enough.  Soons those parents brave enough to stay started helping to fill the guns and keep an eye out for the line between fun and skirmish being crossed.  At one point I tried (despite Pip's advance warning not to) to organize a capture the flag sort of game.  If even one kid was able to understand the rules whilst being squirted by all the others who were blatantly ignoring me, I would be shocked.  

After about an hour of this finally they were, at once, done.  Soak to the core.  Freezing cold.  We had no towels.  A few parents brought their own or a change of clothes.  I yanked my table clothes for blankets.  

We waited for pizza.  The kids ran rampant in the tiny cabin ... earsplitting hysteria ensued.  Finally I announced we'd do cake first.  That made everyone happy.  We forgot the candles.  Pip spit on the cake pretending to blow them out.  3 Carvel cakes were devoured in no time.  When the pizza finally arrived I allowed myself to take solace in the fact that it was almost over.  

The after party was much better (from my perspective).  Pip, Viv and his 7 friends actually watched Ponyo entirely through.  Then played in the yard and watched some of Princess Bride before ending around 10:30pm.  Phil and I enjoyed drinks with some favorite parents in the sun room.

I think we can agree this was not a party for the parents.  It was all for Pip, as it should be.  And he loved it. Happy Birthday my love.