Park Life

It's the countdown to our annual vacation, people, and we are READY.  Once Daddy gets home from Aspen, it's packing and sorting and loading the car and driving North!

But it's not time yet.  Harper is snuggling Lion to get through.  (trying to capture her bliss with Lion.  And only sort of succeeding)

 

Luke built some sort of cult compound out of Daddy's old Legos.

 Complete with a pizza loving cowboy?

 They suited up for a "safari walk" in Daddy's old dress-up hats (and Daddy's FORTUNE conference badge)

"Wion and Giraffe need to watch my SOCCER MOVES!"

 The heatwave broke and Superheroes reported to the BIG PARRRRRRRRRRK.

They went down the big slide.

Luke helped Harper get down. (Awww)

Undaunted by the rope ladder.

"I AM SO STWONG!  I AM STWONG LIKE BATMAN!  

NA NA NA NA BATMAAAAAN!"

 They had a great time "cleaning" the log cabin.

 "I AM DRIVING TO THE BEEEACH!"

They spent a good 30 minutes over in the cabin/sandbox. 

Friday Foto Fun

 Last week at Camp All Aboard, everyone had to bring in their favorite book.  Harper, of course, brought in Dragons Love Tacos.  Luke brought in his library book du jour, Ducktales, featuring Scrooge McDuck.  We began calling him that as he counted up his savings for our trip to LEGOLAND last month.  

Below, his book report.  What is best?  The crude beak?  The money being thrown about?  Or Uncle Scrooge's glee in his riches?

ERMAGAAAD!  THERE IS A REAL BABY IN THE DOLLY STROLLER!

 I am compelled to assure you that this was the baby's father's idea.  Or he at least signed off on this in placing his son, his firstborn, in this stroller.  

No babies or strollers were harmed in the execution of this task.

 After dinner on Sunday we went to the Blue Pig for ice cream.  And a modeling shoot?

Call My Girlfriend

The other night while Mama was doing dishes, Luke and Harper worked out a song. "Mama, we were practicing," said Luke.  Harper, once again shirtless after a very messy dinner of one kind or another.



I enjoy that Harper is making (Lennon and Maisy's cover of Robyn's) "Call Your Girlfriend" (aka Yogurt Song - she thinks the cups look like yogurt containers) her own, and Luke is incorporating some of Lennon and Maisy's percussion from "Telescope."
We have watched A LOT of the Stella Sisters on YouTube.  A lot.

And so, Hollywood, all offers for co-starring gigs with Connie Britton will be entertained.

Beat the Heat with Luke and Harps

Harper requested cupcake jammies.  Mama couldn't find any, so Grammy came to the rescue.

I think Harper likes them.

Luke and the Miller's Gulf Falcons played the last t-ball game of the season on June 22nd.

Grandma and Grandpa, who were coming to babysit so Mama could indulge in some birthday festivities, made the game!

Harper checked out Grandpa's beard.

And she expressed disgust at not getting to partake in the celebratory last game Doritos.

Chase's daddy captured her t-ball fan essence.

That essence is hubris driven by her Cupcake Shirt.

Luke got his trophy!

PARTICIPANT.

And Luke and Chase posed with Coach Joe (r) and Coach Jay (l)

We checked out Ossining's St. Ann's Festival.  Mama partook of a new street fair delicacy for her: Pizza Fritta.  This is essentially a piece of pizza dough flash-fried, topped with sauce and sprinkled with cheese.  It was AMAZING.

(There is also a powdered sugar version.  You know, for dessert.)

Harper held court.

Luke was grumpy, really only interested in getting to the RIDING RIDES portion of this outing.

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE, LUKE.

We took our first Bronx Zoo trip of the season.  Mama went to the ladies room and returned to this scene.  Nerds.

We rode the MONORAAAAIIIILLLL!

Harper was just a little bit excited.

And basically never stopped talking during the entire ride.

Luke and Daddy did a sunglass switcheroo.

The Bug Carousel equalled the monorail in excitement.

"I am riding a BUMBLE BEE!"

We went into the butterfly garden.  Here she is exclaiming, repeatedly, "IT IS SOOOO BOOTEEFULL!"

These never get old.

Harper was a little under the weather before the 4th, and when she was on the upswing, she and Mama had a Panera date while Luke was at school and Daddy at work.

She announced it was Lion and Giraffe's birthday (for the second day in a row).

So she made them some Lego cupcakes.

 "They are wearin' smocks because they are MESSY EATERS!"

 

 Luke then took a turn with the bug that was going around.  So, instead of going to see dinosaur skeletons in the city as planned, Harper donned her superhero gear and we headed for Trader Joe's.

 She was a hit, "zooming" in her cape and mask.  She picked out alphabet cookies. "THERE'S AN H IN HERE!"

 When everyone was better, we took a trip back to Hoboken so Mama could get her hair cut (Imago Beauty Group, I can't quit you!) and so we could catch up with old friends.  Luke and fellow Bright Horizons Hoboken Inaugural Class Member, Rebecca, had a blast on the new playground at Church Square Park.

 Harper and Matthias were reunited as well!

 Goofballs, the whole lot of 'em.

This will be featured in the slide show at their wedding.

And we took a family outing to Maxwell's one last time before it closes its doors at the end of the month (sniff sniff).

It was still early and quiet enough to let Luke play in the front room while we waited for food.

Harper was thrilled to join him!

WORLD'S BEST NACHOS! 

Harper, still heavily influenced by Dragons Love Tacos, queried, "is this a very mild salsa?" before digging in.  She paused periodically to announce, "I LOVE NACHOS!"  

Me too, kid, me too.

 Double-fisting her brother's pierogies and her own pasta.

 Being a waitress.

 Dancing to Daddy's picks on the juke box.

 Awwwww.

 We visited the old neighborhod.

 

The ongoing, never-ending heat required a trip to Ossining's splash park.

When did he get SO TALL?

Water cannons?  HUGE HIT with Luke.

Harper took her time getting reacquainted with it.

And soon dug right in.

Last, ever since our 4th of July trip to John Jay Homestead, Luke has been fascinated with blacksmithing.  Here he has constructed an "oven" out of soft blocks and is firing the cardboard horseshoes Daddy had to cut out for him.