Summer summer summertime*

*Now with more Midwestern-ness! That'll keep you coming, right?


We got home three weeks ago and have hit summer running. Back to back days at the pool, nearly daily visits to the playground (even a couple times by ourselves - go, mama, go!), and, naturally, (you didn't think I'd gone introvert, did you?) lots of hanging out with friends.

I'm reveling in this summer lifestyle, because honestly, it's excitedly foreign to me! Seriously, back to back days at the pool? Back in Farmburg, going to the pool was a major, special outing . For the closest chlorinated watering holes, it was 20-30 minutes at best - far from a more than once a week event. (Except when we loaded on the hot school buses to go to the next town South for swim lessons for a week or two a summer. You know, at nine, ten in the morning when the water is really warm and inviting. But hey, the snack shack was awesome. Who doesn't love cool-that-turn-to-melty, 50 cent Reese's Peanut Butter Cups?) And not that parks were quite as far away, but with acres of land and a swing set, do you think mama Bev had us hopping into the car to hit a playground?

I digress.

Anyway, the little girls Lewis are getting quite tan. We might make it through more than one half of one bottle of sunscreen this year. We've been introduced to the neighborhood pool and plan to use generously. ($2 for the three of us? How do you go wrong?) We had lunch out and about every day this past week. (I knew that Enfamil hospital-issue insulated diaper bag was worth holding onto!) I've created a fully-loaded pool bag that's always at the ready. (We just added torpedo diving sticks to the Disney Princess bath dolls - true progress, people.) And this week? We're joining the tourists and going to hit a museum with our preschool homies.

And the best part of all of this (I think...!): we've got over a month of summertime remaining. (Give it up for post-Labor Day start of school, woo!)

So for now, sing it with me (hear the Will Smith, ya'll): Summer, summer, summerti-me...

Olaiya and a couple buddies from preschool: Kiran (big sis to the Naomi-paci-receiving baby boy twins) Olaiya and Rowan (his mom is Iowan - Dubuque, baby.)

This mid-air shot cracks me up.

Borrowing a neighbor girl's slightly smaller bike has given Olaiya renewed interest and confidence.
Post-shopping parking lot pose - how do you not capture this combination of dresses on film?
Happy park goers.
A Naomi-taken shot of the mama for good measure.
Kids' table at the Carr house with Riley, Nate and Will

All play and no naps makes baby girl very tired.

Almost two years since her swim-lesson-gone-awry (yeah, she got to experience treading water with just her forehead sticking out, followed by lifeguard rescue. Happens to every three-year-old, right?) and after three weeks of regular pool time, Olaiya has gone from "I need a noodle!" keeping-her-face-out-of-water-at-all-costs tentative pool-goer, to bubble blowing, goggle wearing, dive stick retrieving, water maniac. I wouldn't throw her in the deep end quite yet, but you get the idea.