Summer Solstice

It was THIS hot yesterday. Lucky the Cat is assuming the perfect position for the kind of heat we experienced on the first day of Summer.

Sarah is demonstrating our new favorite paint.

Outdoor "Chalk" Paint

mix together equal(ish) parts cornstarch and water

add food coloring and a squirt of dish soap

Mix well and start painting!

This paint goes on pretty light, but it dries to a darker, more opaque color. And it squirts right off with the hose. No staining, and no scrubbing necessary.

We celebrated the longest day of the year by having a fondue feast for dinner, chocolate mousse for dessert, and a fireworks display for the entertainment.

Yes, we've gone Laux at our house!

All-Stars

Before closing ceremonies.

Jack receiving his all-star trophy.

Jack receiving his participation trophy.

This year Jack was chosen to play on the major league all-star team. The team is made up of 12 boys chosen from the 4 local Dixie Youth teams. The district tournament begins on July 8th, and is (luckily) being held at our local baseball complex, Parker Park.

We're proud of Jack's accomplishment and hope that this team has a successful summer.

Lemonade Stand

Jon declared that today was THE day to set up his lemonade stand. Forget the fact that I desperately needed to go grocery shopping and therefore had nothing even resembling a lemon anywhere in my house. A quick trip to the store for lemons and lemonade and we were in business.

Jon "worked" patiently for over two hours. With only 6 customers total, it was not a very successful venture. He said we'll try again another day. Woo-hoo.

Holding the sign up, hoping for more business.

The official taste-tester.

Finished projects.

Table runner, made from a charm pack I bought in Oregon--last summer. Totally forgot I had it. Project inspiration from Tami in CA.

The Shalom Cardie. Pattern can be found on Ravelry. I call it "The Baseball Sweater" because it was my goal to complete it during the season. Now it will sit in my closet until Autumn.

The "Plain Vest by Pickles." Pattern can be found on the Pickles website. This is my favorite baby knit. Quick, cute, and versatile. This one is knit in a double strand of navy cotton for a little friend's first birthday.

Chocolate Cake

Our garden is starting to produce nicely, which ultimately gives way to a surplus of zucchini. I have a lovely recipe for Zucchini Chocolate Cake that no one believes actually contains zucchini. It's so good, in fact, that I caught Sarah licking the lid to the cake pan.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Cream together:
3/4 C. butter

1 1/3 C. sugar

Add:
3 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix in:

1 1/2 C. flour

1 1/2 C. cocoa powder

1 tsp. each of baking powder and baking soda

1/2 tsp. each of salt and cinnamon

1 C. milk

Stir in:

2 C. grated zucchini

Bake in a 13x9 pan at 325 degrees for about 40 min.

Frosting

Beat together until smooth and spreadable:

1/2 C. butter

1 C. cocoa powder

3 C. powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. coffee

Milk

Weekend.

Also titled, "How My Family Almost Went to Jail." Let's suffice it to say that there MIGHT have been some accidental trespassing and there MIGHT have been a completely unsympathetic caretaker who MIGHT have been a total jerk. Let me ask you this: If you saw a blue minivan with both a Carolina Mudcats AND a "Save Oregon Lighthouses" bumper sticker on its back window, AND that van was full of children, picnic remnants, and a slightly frazzled ALMOST 40 year old Mama, would you assume they were up to no good? Like maybe stealing things like deer stands (you know, those tower things that hunters sit in while waiting to shoot deer) and vandalizing the area? I know we looked mighty suspicious.......

Our lovely picnic area. Before we saw the snake.

My feet. Ready to outrun the snake.

Jon and Sarah finding polliwogs.

Jack and Sarah throwing rocks.

Wouldn't you feel threatened by us?

Solar Shower

On our path to a more self-sufficient life, we have discovered the solar shower. Now ours isn't anything fancy. In fact, it's just a camper's shower that I bought at (the dreaded) WalMart for $6.88. We fill it with 5 gallons of water in the morning and wait for the sun to warm it up throughout the day. Although this week it's been so hot that we've actually had to add cold water to the bag before we use it because it's been scalding if we don't!

I built a little cedar platform to stand on and Bill attached a post to our deck to hang the bag from. Since our backyard is private and we don't have any neighbors too close by, we haven't added a privacy screen. Yet. The older kids won't take showers in it though.

The little kids, Bill, and I can all shower (not at the same time, obviously) with the 5 gallons of water. Heck, I've even washed my hair and shaved my legs and STILL had water to spare. It's really kind of nice taking a shower outside in the twilight, with fireflies flashing (no pun intended) about me. I do have to hurry to put a nightgown on quickly after I'm finished or the mosquitoes bite rather relentlessly.

Bill and I think we'll save about 30% off our electric bill by showering outside. Will let you know.

Looking down from the deck.

Jack, checking the temperature of the bag. WAY too hot.