Summer in our neighborhood means that there is never a shortage of playmates.  This group truly astounds me with their ability to play all day long with each other.  They even happily include Shortcake (who adores every one of them).  This photo was taken at the door of a fort made with lawn chairs, a toddler slide, sheets, and towels.  Seven kids were inside, sharing a communal lunch of fresh strawberries, cheddar cheese, crackers, and juice–arranged entirely by the kids.

This day, they were playing some crazy imaginative game, during the course of which I heard these snippets:

“OK, your brain surgery is now finished!  Let’s get out of here!  Quick!”

“…pretend you didn’t know I was an archaeologist.  You know now, but I told you I was just a scientist.  And you’re beginning to ask questions…”

“Oh no!  Something happened!  Dr. C!  Do you know who this is?  Do you know who I am?  (gasp)  He doesn’t know who we are!  Stay here, I need to go check out this alien!”

The entertainment is well worth the 100 popsicles a day.*

*mild exaggeration.  It’s more like 50.

A glimpse of yesterday at 12:25 pm

I peel each individual grape with my teeth, and chop it into quarters. Shorcake sits on my lap and, between bites and giggles, says “Yeah. Yeah.” like Rainman.

Mowgli, smiling, licks his upper lip, ingesting a mixture of mac ‘n cheese sauce and boogers.

Dimples kicks off into a fit because I suggest grapes instead of candy.

Belle and That Neighbor Kid emerge smacking bubble gum and sporting sparkly bindis. I not-so-subtly direct them to the corner of sweet kitchen light and grab my camera. During our impromptu photo shoot, TNK starts a new bubble and accidentally spits her entire wad of gum at Belle’s face. The girls collapse into giggles. Belle pees her pants.

(Now go take my survey: http://www.polldaddy.com/s/E2CE2B42C4DEB66A/)
(please)