this is summer

Thursday morning after we left the gym, we ran over to Walmart to search for a pump to get everything inflated. We searched the pool toy promotional aisles in the front. Nothing. We searched the garden section. Nothing. We tried sporting goods. Aside from a basketball pump, we were out of luck. Finally, after a half hour or more, we found a hidden kiddie pool aisle in the back of the store next to--what else? electronics. Whatever. We went up and down it and finally, hidden in the back of a shelf were the very last two electric pumps!! We grabbed one and headed home to set up (finally) the slip'n slide. I guess it's just the way that tunnel is made (cheap) but it was still nearly impossible to inflate. I got the pump plugged in and going and slowly, it barely inflated it. I tried shoving the attachment in as far as it would go, I tried squeezing the plug thingy, everything. Finally, after about 15 minutes, the pump overheated and crapped out on me. Are you serious??? I just spent $20 on this stupid pump for it to only work for 15 minutes and not even finish the job?? I dug out the air mattress pump and stuck the new pump's attachment on it and prayed it would fit. It did and we still had the same problem with the tunnel not inflating. Since it's battery operated (the new one was a plug-in), I was also worried the battery would die on me before I got it up. I messed with the plug some more and somehow managed to squeeze it just the right way for air to get in and bam! We had a tunnel! I also discovered (which I would have found out sooner had I just read the freaking instruction manual) that nothing else had to be inflated with air. So we could have been using it, but James was really excited about this tunnel, so it ended up working out.
After I got everything ready and was exhausted and dripping sweat, I plugged in the hose and shoved the kids outside. James didn't totally get the jump and slide concept, even when I demonstrated (yeah, hilarity ensued). So he just crawled down through the sprinklers about a thousand times.

Riley was only brave enough to reach into the sprinklers with his hand and play in the messy puddle all the water was making in the grass.

The yard guys came yesterday morning and finally cut the jungle of grass that was our yard, so by the end of playtime the kids (and the slip'n slide) were covered in wet, muddy grass clippings.

We welcomed July with a trip to Randle Farms in Auburn, Alabama to pick blueberries with some of the girls from our playgroup.

The boys were so excited to get their buckets and venture into the rows of blueberry bushes.

Even though it was 9 am (their time, not ours) it was already so hot, we were sweating within minutes. James complained, being the high-maintenance little babe he is. "I hot. I tired. We need to go inside. I thirsty" and so on.

Riley was so excited, he growled and purred at the bushes, eagerly plucking berries (even the not-so-ripe yellow and red ones) and alternating between popping them into his mouth and his bucket.

They crawled between the bushes, sat in the shade, picking from the lowest of branches full of berries left for the smallest of harvesters and turning their mouths a bright shade of purple.

As I finished filling the bucket, they ran through the maze of berry fields, giggling and chasing each other.

Riley, tired, hot, and lost started wailing a few feet away, so we combined the two buckets to make a full gallon and toted them off to pay for them. A few kids were working the stand and offered us dixie cups of cold water while they poured our loot into a bag. We hopped in the car, sticky and salty with sweat and berry juice and followed the other girls to O'Charleys in town for lunch and to cool down.

We now have a bag full of plump, juicy blueberries sitting on our counter, ready for scones and pancakes, cobbler and pies. Oh the possiblities! The boys have already been snacking on them by the bowlful and I forsee another trip in the near future!