Last bit of Summer

Summer is winding down, and we've tried to get as much fun as possible out of the last 2 weeks. Kara and Kiersten start school tomorrow, and Evie goes back on September 2. So she and I will still have some fun days ahead.
The girls wanted to go to the North Pointe last week, so we headed there for the day. It was a good day because it was warm, but cloudy, so the heat didn't feel oppressive.

Evie really missed Ben. I don't usually take them here by myself, so I think she's just accustomed to him being there with us. She couldn't stop bringing up how much she missed him. It was hard for me to let Kara out of my sight a little, but I knew she was okay, and so I gave her a little freedom. I may have hunted her down twice in a semi-panic, but of course she was doing just fine both times, and doing exactly what she'd asked permission to go do.

Rope swinging

Kiersten always swims to the edge and immediately asks if she went higher or further than Kara, the little competitor...

The water on the splash pad is always really warm, which the kids love, but I find a bit unpleasant.

It takes some convincing to get them to stand under the bucket when it tips over. I still can't convince Evie to stand there.

Kara and Kiersten took 2 cooking classes at Schnucks. They really enjoyed it. They had an animal themed day, and a chuck wagon themed day.

They made some pretty good chili. Kiersten wished we could take more home with us. Good thing they gave us the recipe. But, I don't know that Ben would give up his beloved recipe in favor of this one. It was super sweet and barely spicy at all, probably why she liked it so much. It was dessert chili!

They really do enjoy cooking. Too bad I'm not a better teacher. We'll have to keep our eyes open for more cooking classes in the future.

Ben had a day off this week, so we took the girls to the Magic House. It was so nice to have another adult with me to chase the kids around. It was really crowded, the most busy I've ever seen it. I'm actually surprised and impressed that we stayed as long as we did. Usually when we encounter large crowds, we turn right around, and come back another time.

The girls were really good, so that's probably why we stayed. Kara spent a lot of time trying to perfect her stuffed animal flipping skills. She really wanted to knock over a block tower Ben had built.  

Playing a memory matching game.

Evie dressed like a pilot.

After the Magic House, we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner, so it was a pretty great day for all of us.

Last night we went to twilight swim at the North Pointe. The girls thought it was really cool to be there at night. You have to look clear back behind my head to catch a glimpse of Kara, she kept getting ahead of us. It was a pretty fun evening, but Evie got cold before long, and Kiersten's lips were a little blue, so we didn't stay til the end. (It went until 11). On the way home, Ben surprised the girls by stopping at Oberweis for ice cream. They loved that, but sat there shivering as they ate, since we were all in swim covers, still pretty wet.

It's been a really fun summer, and hard to think of any way it could have been better!