I'm cooking up all I need to keep the kids entertained this summer

The main ingredients in my recipe for a Summer O' Fun include:

1. a readily accessible pool - check!...neighborhood pool down the street
2. something to break up the monotony for Addi - check!...preschool camp in July
3. a library that lets you check out as many books as you want and has super-cheap late fees - check!...here
4. a play set that includes "Sings!" and "Sides!" in our backyard - check!...thanks to Daddy, Tom and Poppa
5. enhancements to aforementioned play set - just have to order them from here...fyi: did you know they have Site to Store "shipping", which is free?!
6. an occasional day trip to this beach - check!...we can count on our friends Suzanne, Ally and Carter to make it even more fun
7. a lush, grass-filled backyard - maybe next summer!...we still have to seed it in the fall since we had 9 trees cut down to give the grass a fighting chance too late in the spring this year.

I think I'm as prepared as a momma can be to dive head-first into the deep-end that is summer. It's sink or swim time and I'll be swimming sans floaties.

Have you had enough of the analogies?! I will try and resist any more that pop into my head, but really they're the most clever things to be posted on this blog in a good 6 weeks :) Here's hoping, for you, my blog-break was good for my creativity.

Back to the topic at hand...this summer...and distractions diversions entertainment.

Until this past weekend we had a well-used play set that included 2 swings, 1 baby...ahem, Toddler (as Addi reminds anyone who dares refer to Libby as a mere baby, "She! Is! A! TODDLER!") swing, a trapeze bar, and a glider swing. Saturday, we inherited a gently-used playset with a "rock" wall and a ladder, a bumpy slide and a twirly slide, a platform, a bench with picnic table, 2 swings and a glider swing. Quite the upgrade, as you can imagine!

It is worth hours upon hours of entertainment for both girls and will be a welcome relief to my ears from hearing Libby yell repeatedly, "MomMyy! OutSIIIIDE! Sing! Side! OutSIIIIDE! MomMyy! MOMMY!" Bryan's made plans to use all the mulched up wood, from the 9 stumps he will be grinding any day now, around it. And our old swing set went next door to our neighbors' backyard. My neighbor runs a home daycare and told me this morning that the swing set was a hit yesterday. All the parents came in telling her that their children couldn't stop talking about the swings. It's a win-win(uhh,-win-win).

Once we get the toddler swing, telescope and pirate's wheel added, I may not be able to drag the girls back InSIIIIDE!