School hasn't even ended...

Saturday started like any other weekend in the Murphy house - except that we finally had some decent weather that looked like it was going to stick around more than an hour. So, the kids were forced outside. Jake headed out to meet up with one of a zillion boys in our neighborhood. Maddie headed out to meet up with one of about 4 girls in the neighborhood she knows from school. Her situation growing up here is very similar to mine growing up - very few girls for her to play with, except that she has about four times more than I did. However, Saturday was the preview for many days to come: All four girls were either out of town or busy and not home. Not good, and out of her mouth came...say it with me moms...."I'M SO BORED!"

So the unofficial summer motto had been spoken. I offered up what my mom always offered: "You can clean your room!" I thought this would send her running as it did me many times (and still does, by the way...). But, nope, my trooper was bound to drag me down with her. I've never brainstormed so hard in my life! We finally managed to make it to lunchtime and I told both kids that I'd take them to the park and they could each bring a friend. (Before you think I was rubbing it in on Maddie, one of the four had come to the door 5 minutes earlier to see if she could play). So after lunch we biked to the green park, played and biked back. Her friend stayed an extra hour and then when she was alone, that unofficial summer motto made it's way back into my daily routine. I can only imagine how the rest of summer is going to go!

Today (Sunday) was great! We actually didn't wake up until almost 8:45! (To all my friends with babies...your day will come!) We lounged around a bit and decided to head out for a late breakfast at Panzanella. It's similar to Panera, except, as Mike stated, it isn't owned by "the man"...it's a Shakopee place. Delicious food.

Well, Maddie decided to go for the half-order of pancakes. It was the size of her head. She was quite proud of the fact that she managed to eat her way through three-fourths of it!

Jake enjoys the chocolate croissant at the aforementioned other "P" place. So, he went for that here. When he found out Maddie got bacon. Whew....the aura of breakfast darkened a bit. He begged, pleaded, begged, asked nicely, reminded Maddie it's nice to share and finally coaxed a bit of bacon away from her. Only to be followed by his same routine in hopes of getting more.

Before you think we actually allow our kids to sit like frogs in restaurants - I want to make sure everyone understands I first took this picture then looked at Mike who said to both Jake/frog and Maddie who had licked the powdered sugar off her pancake, "People...manners."

Home again after breakfast. Mike power-mowed the grass and after finishing the front quarter and turning on the sprinklers he met me around the corner and asked if I would bring the hose to the front tree. I rounded the corners, saw the sprinklers right where he thought it would be so funny to see me get drenched and did what any sane mother would do...I called the kids. It's one of the reasons we have them in the first place...do the dirty work. They were already in swim suits waiting patiently for the pool to heat up and Mike and I to get done with a few other chores.

Maddie whole-heartedly volunteered for duty - until those first few drops of cold sprinkler water hit her...then she dropped the hose and ran.

She'll make a great mom someday!

Soon both kids were running through the sprinklers because:

Have suits...must get wet.

Having gotten soaked in the cold sprinkler water they were more than ready to head back to the pool where we were still waiting for the sun, cover & heater to work their magic. Here's what I found when I got to the deck:

Way to make the most of the small space, huh?

Then it was spending the rest of the afternoon in the pool and in the sun. Yep - even I got in! In fact, the first round of pool time I outlasted 'em all...amateurs!

After about an hour in the pool we decided to warm up in the sun and each pulled out a favorite read: Maddie (decided to start "Hans Brinker") Jake (Maddie found some Junie B. Jones for him) and Mike...normally a book-scrooge kind of guy stuck with his tried and Home Theater magazine articles.

Today was the first day the flags were out. To our neighbors that means the pool is open and families are welcome to drop in and swim. Hopefully the weather will keep cooperating and there will be many flag days ahead.

And hopefully this fun, full day is the kick-off for a relatively limited number of sighed "unofficial summer mottos".