A Summer

Our summer has been full to the bursting with activities, love, sadness, new pets, sickness and traveling.
We decided to watch our friend's eighteen month old for the summer too.
We got a new cat named Sierra.
My sister visited for a solid week. :)
We had a friend stay with us for a month.
Zaid took his first trip for a week by himself to my Mama's house.
We visited the zoo, the Shaker Museum, Kentucky Down Under, Chaney's Dairy Barn, the movies (kid's summer film festival) Curious George and March of the Penguins, we went to Lost River Cave, I worked a VBS going to the Artic Edge, Zaid attended Artic Edge and a VBS at Mawmaw's about Australia.
Zaid sang a song in front of the church from Vacation Bible School at Mawmaw's church (the other kids were a wee bit late.)
We watched Fireworks in the Franklin Park. The kids jumped on the jumpers most of the night. Fun.
We attended a July 4th celebration at the square. Zaid, Mitchel and Serenity rode in the wagon at the kiddie 100 Firecracker parade. Zaid won a spiderman big kid bike. (Tamer said I should have seen the look on his face. Awestruck I assuming. I was working the PTO booth.) He loves his new bike.
We caught fireflys outside at night with our wonderful friends.
We watched "Cars" at the Drive-In Theatre.
He rode his bike to the Franklin Pool. We walked beside him.
Zaid and I went to Relay for Life in Franklin, Zaid played with a friend and they jumped on the jumpers and punched a punching bag and went down an inflatable slide. Zaid played golf at Relay for life. He won a free french fry and free ice cream.
Zaid learned how to swim laps at Mawmaw's house.
Tamer's friend Josh visited us in May.
Zaid graduated from preschool.
Zaid went to a cool birthday at Imagination Stations for one of his best buddies. Oh, the fun they had. They jumped and ran and slid and laughed and smiled.
We painted a plate and a mug at a Pottery Studio. Zaid painted a cool alien on his plate. He painted black polka dots on his mug. He signed his name on the back of the plate and put a handprint. His mug is orange and his plate is blue on front and green on back.
Zaid made a mean bear mask at the Library when the Clay Lady came for a visit.
Yesterday we played in the sprinkler, Zaid hosed Jacob down, Jacob hosed whatever the hose was aimed at down. They played with the watering cans and sand box. They had popsicles outside. I gave them both a bath and fed them cheese sandwiches and beans (they did not like the beans), Jacob took a nap easily yesterday. Zaid sweetly petted the cat in the chair, I took a memory picture. I read to Zaid on the couch, he did not want a blanket, he was warm, he dressed himself in a fuzzy blue and red blanket sleeper. He cuddled with me as I read to him. I adore him. They chased the cat. They threw memory cards at Sierra, I had to deep-clean lots of things. Jacob saw that I was eating a hot dog, he said "hahaha" and dropped his toy, he climbed up on the chair next to me and had a few bites of hot dog. Zaid appeared just as the hot dog was gone. He wondered why we had hot dog and he did not. I fed them a snack of granola bars and mandarin oranges they ate it up they loved it so. Zaid ate a two Kashi TLC crunchy granola bars. Jacob came back over while his Mom was at an Open House, we ate gyros. Zaid LOVED his, he ate over half of it, a ton of lettuce on the gyro too. Jacob like his food, the pita bread especially. We had a sugar baby watermelon for dessert. Tamer is the best cook in the world. Jacob colored in a color wonder book with finger paints and markers. Zaid took a bath to get the watermelonm off. I told Tamer about an article I read, where you poke holes in the watermelonm and drink it through a straw, then you throw the watermelon on a clean towel/sheet and scramble to get a piece. Zaid decided to drink his watermelon through a straw, he said that it did not work. Zaid and I went to Wal-Mart. We came home and slept. Today we went on a nature walk, Zaid found beautiful flowers and put them in tiny dixie cups. Zaid and Tamer checked on the pumpkins we planted. Jacob played in the sand table while Zaid played on the swingset. Zaid got a container for his nature findings. We played outside and went for a walk, Zaid found "frogs in the grass" after I threw them in the grass(he closed his eyes.) Jacob painted a walrus that was leftover from Zaid's birthday. Tamer and Zaid made delicious homeade pizza with turkey sausage and onion. We walked to the Library and Zaid picked up his animal mask from Ms. Gayle, his mean bear Zaid talked to Ms. Gayle, we checked out a some books. We went to Rite Aid and Zaid played on a toy keyboard. We purchased color wonder and elmo coloring book for Jacob, today was his last day here. The boys ahd a snack of applesauce and milk for Jacob, water for Zaid. I read them The Ten Little Rubber Ducks. They both watched the book intently, I think they liked it. Jacob went
home. Zaid played some video games with Tamer. I did a ton of laundry and talked to my Mama. Tamer took Zaid to get his "prize" at the library for reading 20 books.
We pulled them in the the red wagon. Zaid and I went outside on the wicker swing and watch the rain, we saw red birds or cardinals as he call them, we sang songs about standing up and speaking for God, Five Little Speckled Frogs, Going to the Zoo Tomorrow, Robin in the Rain, then the great fun began when he had me smell his stinky feet and I shrieked, then he did it over and over again. We played give me five and penuckle, I gave him a ride inside, we checked on Tamer and then outside again we went to read books. I read The Napping House (two timnes) Zaid read along the second time, he loved this book where the child is on Granny, the dog is on the child, the cat is on the dog and the mouse is on the cat and the flea is on the mouse, Love is Like a Handful of Honey and The Kissing Hand, when it was Zaid's turn to give me a presend, he gave me a stinky foot instead of the kissing hand that I gave him. We had a peaceful night, Zaid informed me that my feet were too big for my shoes and that I wore the same shoes over and over, red ones, black and green flip-flops and that I need to buy new shoes. "Mommy, you need to buy some more shoes." Tamer cooked eggs, turkey sausage, grits, and biscuits. I put peach preserves on my sausage and the n Zaid wanted to try it, he told me that I was a weirdlo when he did not like it very much. (He ate it all later on and and put peach preserves on everything.) I told hinm that he hurt my feelings. He thought about it then he told me honestly that he was sorry he hurt my feelings. It was bath time for Bonzo (Tamer gave him a bath.) , then I went in iand listened to his prayrers. He talked about the zoo and what we were going to tdo tomorrow, how he wants to make ice candy t Ice Day at the Zoo. He talked about how Jacob would not be coming back , then he talked about going to preschool, I reminded him that he would be going to kindergarten and that we had already met his teachers at open house at the picnic at his school, that he had been in the classroom, he said thhe remembered. Then he asked iwhat grade he would be in after kindergarten, he thought he would be in sixth grade, then I told him 1st, then 2nd and I went on till 6th and the he said "I didn't know." I felt bad, I was not trying to make him feel bad. I told him "I was just telling you." I gave him lots of hugs and he kissed me on my cheek a few times. Then it was time for my shower, he kept saying "Go, Mommy, go and take your shower."
Tomorrow we are going to the zoo for Ice Day. We are all excited, Zaid said that he was going to get up before us and get ready and then wake us us. "I'm going to wake up early and get ready before you and Daddy." me-"Where are we going Zaid?" "We are going to the zoo and I am going to make ice candy."

I wonder why he wants to get up before us? :)
Time for shower and sweet sleep.