The Crafts

With the rise in heat I somehow got that Robert Palmer song in my head. You know that jam you couldn't help but shaking your shoulders to when it came bouncing through your car speakers. "Some like it hot, some like it hot." I couldn't find an official video but I did snag this awesome live version from 1997. Seriously? I thought I was a little kid when "Some Like it Hot" was hot. I mean, I was a little kid. Honest. Here you go... So it is finally hot just like summer is supposed to be. But really, as long as I can wear shorts and flip flops then it is summer to me. Oh, and go to the pool. The ultimate tower...chess pieces and cards. Kate was so proud she too took a picture with her LeapPad. Summer's bounty... from my mother-in-law's garden. One day my green thumb will ripen enough to not kill plants. CJ swears she was just trying to cool off Kate. I mean, Kate was pretty sweaty. Revenge. When I ask to snap ...

My heart melts...

Can summer truly be half over? How is that possible? I'm not going to carry on any longer about my love for summer. I have made that abundantly clear. But here are a few things we have been up to recently. Visiting family. Here we went to the Cedar Rapids Farmer's Market with my parents. CJ wore her Christmas dress and is posing by an Eiffel Tower replica just like Fancy Nancy. Matt and the girls have a deep rooted love for baseball cards. Well, one of them has a deep rooted love. The others are newly in love but still, we talk about baseball cards around here a lot. In fact, Natalie doesn't say many words but she has added "baseball" to her small vocabulary. Opening baseball cards in their pajamas. (Kate and CJ like to wear Matt's shirts for pajamas sometimes. Hence the "I heart tacos" shirt. We took the girls to a Waterloo Bucks game last week.  Believe it or not the Bucks were giving away the team's baseball ca...

Earlier today we wrapped up another fantastic Clear Lake vacation with countless Crafts. Quite honestly this was the best year we have had in Clear Lake. Despite a few thunderstorms we soaked up lots of quality time with each other, not to mention chlorine and lake water too. The girls were super, everyone was happy, swimming was great, food was delicious and the drinks were icy. This trip was the 50th anniversary of the Crafts taking over Clear Lake in the same motel with the same little swimming pool. I will let the pictures do the talking... This picture IS summer. SUMMER FOREVER! Splash pad insanity. We jumped off the docks, skipped rocks, built sandcastles and Grandpa Smith took turns throwing little girls in the air. City gardens. Lunch trio. And the final day pic where we always look exhausted and fulfilled. I realize now I only have photos of my immediate family and I feel bad about that. Despite not being photoed I want eve...

Hola! There is no greater time of year than summer for me to feel blissful about being home with my kids. I love to watch them discover the simple pleasure of a life outdoors, cannonball jumping off the diving board, riding their bikes while the wind tangles their sun streaked hair. And I am almost always right there with them. For as much work and stress that life as a mom brings there is double the love when you get to watch your kids experience life for the first time. Trimming and painting eighty toes and fingers takes some time. Natalie loves to be one of the big girls. Whatever her big sisters are doing she is right there with them. If I ask Kate or CJ if they want to do something Natalie is the first girl to shoot her hand straight up into the air. There is no leaving this girl out and we like it that way. (Unless it is after 8:00 p.m. That is mom time!) Matt and I are all about pointing out the fun of living in Iowa because we don't ever want them to ...

Glancing at the calendar this morning I realized we are only a week and a half into summer. Really? Only a week and a half? I'm not complaining. Summer so far has been really pretty awesome but it feels as if we have done more activities than should be squeezed into a week and a half.  In hopes of keeping my family blog up to date I will cram a whole lot into this post because blogging has been sitting on the back burner of a 24 burner stove. (Do they make those?) The girls formed their own band. I can't remember the name, sadly. Kate was the vocalist, CJ played the bathtub recorder and Natalie danced. And per usual, Matt and I were audience members who were directed to clap, cheer and pronounce the all girl band as the greatest band in history. Matt and I have both been running but not together. I have finally picked up my pace throwing in the occasional sprint and several "long" distance runs. It feels good. I haven't dug deep for more than...