Almost there.

There is less than a month to go until the end of summer vacation and it must be going well because there has been very little shouting and a decided lack of complaints about being bored.
I kept my promise and not only took the kids to the beach and lake, I actually got IN the (freezing, glacier-fed) water.  I will post a picture in which I look like I am gripping the floaty for dear life (Bay has the same death-grip on her floaty handles!).  I am gripping the floaty for dear life.  I am not a water person.  Gus is a water person.  (Gus might have been born into the wrong family - we can't go to the lake without having Gus say at least twice that he wants a kayak for Christmas.)
Admittedly, I have gotten off lightly regarding the number of required "water days" because the weather has been even cooler than classic cool northwest summers and it's just been too damn cold to go near the water (even from my northwest-born, coat-less, year-round-shorts-wearing-kids)  (And speaking of northwest-born: perhaps I will come back and photoshop a little tan onto myself and the waif.)

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