Summer Photodump

Because I'm too disorganized to post pictures as they happen, you get a whole bunch at once!

Well, I suppose technically I DID tell them to put the couch cushions back... just didn't specify which couches!

little miss instigator, right there.

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Of course, summer means JAM!  I didn't get to make as much as I normally do this summer. :(  We may have to ration or else we'll have to eat store-bought jam!!!  Spare us!

Katie is much more creative in jam labeling than I am.

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Speaking of our Kreative Katie, she made a life-size board game in the driveway.

it's amazing what you can do with chalk and a giant cardboard box!

the die.

the directions: green meant you got to move ahead; red meant you died in some creative manner.

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I think they were flying a space ship (while eating their snack)

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Miriam's new haircut!  And Confirmation dress, since we neglected to get a shot of that at her actual Confirmation:

it's a stacked bob, and despite my original misgivings it looks REALLY cute on her

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The kids' books were in a sorry state, so in July we re-arranged some bookcases to make them more easily accessible (and in theory, easier to put away).  I had to move all the homeschooling and parenting books to the shelves (and floor) in our room, then we moved this bookcase from the den into the living room and filled it with the chapter books and religious books:

then Miriam and I organized them alphabetically by author, natch.

The original kids' books shelves now house poetry and collections, non-fiction and reference, picture books, and board books.  Being this organized makes me a better mother, I'm sure of it.

pay no attention to the crap on top of the shelves

 Now we just need a solution for the grown-up book shelves...

each of those shelves is double-stacked, with even more books chunked on top.  help!

There just aren't enough walls in my house for more bookshelves!!

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Last Christmas one of the kids (Daniel?) got a straw-extending kit with rubber connectors.  Joseph set out to see how long of a straw he could make:

now THAT is a straw

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Guess who's tall enough to turn on the gas stove!

 That monkey there!

"helping" empty the dishwasher

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Homemade ball pit!

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In preparation for Miriam getting her braces on in August, we stocked the fridge with food that didn't require chewing.

It's a good thing, too -- she was pretty sore for a couple days!  And we keep forgetting to get a picture of her metal mouth!  Must do that soon.

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Welp, there you go!  We weren't home much this summer, hence the shorter photodump.  More trip photos to come, though!