Fun Stuff!

Yesterday was unbearably hot, so hot that I didn't even want to send my kids out to play. But while they were all sitting at the dining room table waiting for me to finish fixing their lunches, I couldn't help noticing the extraordinary amount of butterfly activity occurring just outside our large bay window. Finally, I just couldn't help myself. I grabbed my camera and told the kids to come on out with me. This was not to be missed! It was so incredible. Caitlyn was actually a little bothered by the number of flying friends swooping down and around our flower and vegetable garden, but Dylan and I were absolutely mesmerized. "Look, there's another! And another! Ohmygosh, LOOK! Just look at all these butterflies!!!" Swallowtails gracefully dipped and dove, gliding above us and around us, so close we wanted to just reach out and grab them.I was so excited to notice a particularly colorful butterfly land on our Butterflybush. "Look, Dylan, we've never seen this one before! Hurry, come closer! See?!" Many little white butterflies were fluttering throughout the mix, too, and yesterday, I assumed they were all the same Cabbage Whites we've been seeing for so long. But just now, as I'm writing this, I decided to take a closer look and realized that these are distinctly different. A little investigation determined that these are actually Checkered Whites!

Eventually we made our way back inside, unhurriedly finishing our abandoned lunch while happily watching the show continue through the window. After we ate, Dylan and I checked the Internet to see if we could identify the beautiful butterfly we had seen. This was so much fun! (Hmmmm, do you think he looked like this one? No? How about this one? Oh, look at the marks on this ones wings! That looks sort of like the one we saw! Wait, no! Look! This is it!) We can now add Red Admiral to our list of positively identified backyard butterflies! I know there are others that we just haven't gotten a good enough look at yet, but I have high hopes of identifying each visitor before the end of summer. I'm learning just as much as my kids!

More fun stuff going on around here:

My new camera. Darren surprised me with this one for my birthday, and I love it! It's much different from my old one, which was okay but was beginning to show signs of its age (not to mention my continual abuse...I mean use!) I really, really like my new camera. I still have much to learn about its many functions, but I'm enjoying it immensely!

Picket Fences - Season 1 on DVD! I cannot tell you how thrilled I am about this thoughtful birthday gift from my brother. My family and I loved this series when it aired back in the early nineties, and watching it now evokes such warm feelings of nostalgia, of living at home with my mom and dad and brothers. I'm rationing myself to one episode per night. Darren and I are enjoying these so much!

Melissa and Doug wood blocks. Providing pleasurable play for every one of my kids, these classic, timeless toys are among some of my very favorites. Pure and simple, they are just plain old fashioned fun!

I am also tremendously enjoying all of the organizing and planning that's been going on around here! I spent all day Wednesday switching out closets in the kids' rooms, so now the vast majority of their toys are in the closet of their school/playroom. I moved Dylan's dresser into his closet (a perfect fit!) and moved the girls' chest of drawers into Dylan's room in anticipation of the bunk beds actually being delivered sometime in the near future. I'm also still working on finalizing curriculum selections, but I have this overwhelming feeling of wonder and awe at all the amazing and beautiful choices out there. I feel like a kid in a candy store--I just can't decide! But it must be done. And soon! All in good, time, I know. And this is a very good time.