5 Days in July

Marc took me around town for a night bike ride. We snapped matching pictures of each other in Times Square.

We got out the old sprinkler that Erin and Emma gave us seven years ago at our wedding shower and cooled off a couple times in the backyard. No one is sure why we didn't do this every day. I'm trying not to think about the tan I could have had.

While walking home one day we came across this giant mural by De La Vega. I'm a big fan of his fish.

Somewhere around 92nd and 1st

This is really only a recap of 3 days in July.

Margo at 5 months

Margo is the most social member of our family. She does not shy away from anyone that puts their face in front of hers. And tries to get attention from people that aren't putting their face in front of hers. She has the nicest smile of all the smiles. She wants to eat food, read magazines, watch videos, brush her teeth, look at herself in the mirror. Really, she just wants to do whatever we're doing. She can roll over and over and over and prefers to be on her stomach. Until she prefers to lie on her back.

Storytime with Dad

Splash 'n' Dash

I ran in the NYRR Splash 'n' Dash with my friend Kiasa the other day. She showed me that it is possible to talk and run at the same time. Although I could usually only mutter one-word sentences so can't really call that talking. But she talked to me. Which was nice.

Marc and kids managed to find me twice during the race. It was fun to have a little cheering squad.

My shirt is wet with water although I did do plenty of sweating. And then we did plenty of swimming with our husbands and kids in the Lasker pool which was the nicest thing to do after running around on a hot day.

NH

The thought of hanging out in traffic on Monday did not sound at all appealing. Nor did the forecasted temperatures in the 100s, so from Rhode Island we drove up to New Hampshire to see Atkinsons and Granny and Grandpa.

Margo's ears are pretty great.



Grandpa meets Margo.

In the clubhouse. At each chair there was a sign with a clubhouse member's name on it, a flag, and some flowers. Who knows what they did in there but Harper was in heaven. She loves her cousins and Ginger the really nice dog, and all that room to run around. Hopefully we will have our own room soon.

Big Bambu

We visited the bamboo exhibit as a family. As opposed to when we go places as a traveling circus act. We had a good time.

Last Day of School

On the hottest day of the year we walked all the way to Marc's school to attend the 8th-grade graduation. We were trying to get there early so we could get a seat. But we got there late and had to stand by one of only two industrial-strength fans that made a mess of our hair while they cooled us off. And then when it was all over we all drove home together in an air-conditioned car and started our first day of summer vacation with Marc.

Fourth of July

We went to Narrangansett, Rhode Island for the 4th of July. We stayed in an old house with some of our young friends. By the second to last day (we were there for 3 nights and 3 days) I couldn't fit into my pants. It might have been the crab cakes (tiny pieces of crab meat deep fried in a baseball of batter). It could have been the fish 'n' chips or the lobster roll. But it was probably the hot dogs wrapped in bacon. I haven't eaten anything since we came home.

Rhode Island was a great place to hang out. We enjoyed backyard barbecues and volleyball, sitting under umbrellas at the beach and/or digging holes in the sand, talking to or playing video games with our friends, watching fireworks, and sampling the local fare.

By the looks of this photo Margo is afraid of sunsets. We're not sure what Harper's doing.

Thanks to Margy and Oliver and Jamie and Taylor, Harper was never bored.

Margo shows off her extra long toes.

I don't know what it is about sand at the beach but every time Marc sees it he starts digging a hole that eventually turns into a tunnel that gives him a panic attack when he tries to wiggle through it. But wiggle through it he always does. And now Harper joins in on the fun.

This was the first year that Harper did not get scared or fall asleep during the fireworks. In fact she is practically pyromaniac now.

O Canada

For a happy Canada Day Marc went all out and made us pancakes in the shapes of maple leaves and moose. We ate blueberries, which are very Canadian, and our maple syrup from Trader Joe's really came from Canada. It was the perfect way to start any day. And we were glad we could start a Canada Day this way. Because after we ate those pancakes we didn't do anything else to celebrate.