Free July 4th eBook

Visit Favecrafts.com for a free eBook about 4th of July crafts and recipes. I just downloaded my copy, so I've just barely skimmed it, but it looks like a nice resource.
http://www.favecrafts.com/Fourth-of-July/4th-of-July-Crafts-and-Recipes-eBook

Summer Activities

Summer is in full swing here, it seems. Our library's summer reading program started this week, so we attended the first program at the park. The theme is Read on the Wild Side, and this week the kids learned about bugs and other creepy crawlies. They looked at a book about insects, made foam and paper notebooks decorated with bug stickers, and ate a snack that included gummy worms. Of course, we took some time to play on the playground equipment too. We'll have several more weeks of these fun programs. Our library opens the reading program up to kids of any age; I know of several others whose program begins at three years. Check with your local library to see if they offer a program in which your young child can participate.

Another source for fun kids' activities in the summer might be your local Conservation District. Ours offers several toddler camps, so Landon and I will be participating in one in few weeks. We're also thinking about going to a Conservation District program on insects at the local library this week.

Last night I hosted a Summer Fun Night for the kids at church. We played water games, such as water limbo with the hose and a water bag toss (like a water balloon toss, but with Ziploc bags instead--much easier to clean up). The kids also decorated bug catchers. (Ours came from Oriental Trading. I tried to include a link, but it seems that the ones we used aren't currently available.) For our snack, the kids got to make their own ice cream sandwiches. We used Chips Ahoy cookies, vanilla ice cream, and multicolored sprinkles. I saw red, white, and blue sprinkles at the store, too, so I think that Landon and I might make more for the 4th of July using those sprinkles and homemade cookies. The ice cream sandwiches were a big hit with the kids.

It's pool season!

It was hot here this morning, so we filled up the pool to use after naptime. Unfortunately, by that time it had cooled off a lot and was about to storm, but Landon still got in some playtime. He was too busy shooting hoops to smile nicely for a picture, though.


Here's Simon trying out his infant cabana for the first time. It's designed to keep UV rays off of baby. It's not huge; something much bigger than the bouncy seat wouldn't fit inside, but it's plenty big for a little baby. And folds up compactly into a backpack carrying case. They do make a larger family-sized one, but since we live nowhere near the beach, I didn't figure we needed one that big.