Kick Start the Weekend

Phew, we made it.  It's the weekend.

This summer I have had this feeling of panic about just how short the summer really is.  Once you have a kiddo in school, summer just doesn't seem long enough for all the fun you want to have before school starts again.  Even those mornings I wake up and feel like I just want to stay home, there is still a sense of "gotta get out there and squeeze in as much fun as possible."  So off we go!!!  

Sometimes all the go-go-going takes it's toll come dinner time.  I go in spurts as far as whether I enjoy cooking dinner or not.  I've not been doing a great job the last few months with my meal planning and getting dinner on the table.  Thursday night was one of those particularly bad evenings.  We got home from swim lessons where we were just hot and miserable for a good hour or so and I didn't even really feel like eating anything at all.  Leah has been begging me to make homemade chocolate chip cookies (it's on our summer fun check list) for several weeks now.  She asked me in a weak moment on Thursday night and I said, "sure, but that will be our dinner."  As you can imagine there weren't too many arguments with this answer.  So, homemade cookies for dinner it was.  

Leah and Dylan did almost everything to make these.  They even cracked the eggs. Grant was our taste tester.

 Around 7 pm we were treated to a very strong storm that moved through Wichita.  89 mph winds were recorded at Mid-Continent Airport.  As the kids watched it rain horizontally and listened to the wind blow they kept asking, "Is there a tornado outside?"  Fortunately, there was not, but there were a lot of tree limbs down in our neighborhood and I know of a lot of people (luckily, not us) that were without power for almost 24 hours...YUCK!

Friday morning we had plans to visit the zoo again with friends.  On the way we stopped at my 2nd home, Starbucks.  I ordered an iced green tea and was quickly informed about one of their new drinks, the iced peach green tea lemonade.  It's quite a mouth full, but I thought it sounded delicious so I changed my order to that.  It was AMAZING!!!!  I highly recommend it!

Iced Peach Green Tea Lemonade...aka...heaven.

 So, we finally got a zoo pass.  I promise not to flood you all with zoo pictures every time we go.  I plan to go A LOT to get our moneys worth.  

One of the things I forgot about the "newly walking toddler" is that they only last about 15 min. in the stroller before they are DONE with it and want OUT!

Poor Grant.  The boy just wants to walk!!!

 See....now he is all better.

Don't worry, there were no babies harmed in the making of this video.

He seriously pushed Leah around for a good 15 min. straight...strong little booger.

We had a lot of fun with our friends and are really enjoying our zoo pass so far this summer!  

Another summer fun list activity was to go see a movie at the theater. 

Of course this activity was not much suited for Mr. Grant, so Daddy took the big kids to see the new Monsters Inc. movie.  They had a lot of fun!

Which left Grant and I some time together.  We went across town to return/exchange a few things at Gymboree.  Then we came back to the west side and just walked around New Market Square for a LONG time.  I am pretty sure between the zoo and all the walking he did tonight he walked more today than he has his whole life.  

He particularly enjoyed walking around Petco and seeing the animals.  He even got to pet a kitten that they took out for him.  (I may have briefly considered bringing said kitten home...just briefly)  Then we just walked around some more.  He and I had so much fun!  

We walked around the fountain area and he was scared of them.  He wanted so badly to touch them, but before he could get close enough he would start to feel the spray and turn around and run away from them.  Poor guy.  

After the movie the kids requested Olive Garden for dinner, and you know I wouldn't argue with that.  It was a great day and I am betting the kiddos sleep in a little in the morning.  At least I hope they do anyway.

Here is the precious light switch cover Leah made at Playday the other day.  I just love it, don't you?  

"Jesus is the light."

What better thought to end on than that?