Our weather has been really beautiful. We haven't headed into the serious triple digit Chico heat yet. So, it's been especially nice to ride around town. Last Friday morning the kids and I rode our bikes down to the creek in Bidwell Park. There is an especially nice little swimming hole just up from the One Mile Area. I wish I had brought my camera. I packed a nice picnic and the kids and I parked our bikes next to the water. Immediately they jumped into the creek searching for pollywogs and fish. Much to their delight, there were tons. There was a half fallen tree hanging over the water that made a great structure. There were the delighted squeals of happy kids, trickling water in the creek, the buzz of insects and the croaking of a bull frog to play our background sounds. Lush vines covered the trees in the area and blackberry bushes lined the paths. Really, I wish I had thought to bring the camera!
Besides getting a picture of Rex lately is like trying to get a picture of Sean Penn back in the days he was dating Madonna.
After tiring of the water hole, the kids and I proceeded to bike downtown to the plaza where there is a water feature spraying up for all to enjoy. I bought them snow cones and watched them run through the fountain for a while. Then we headed back home.
On Saturday we took our annual trek up to Sunsmile Farms in Grass Valley. Our friends Mark and Suzanne go up there every year to help with the U-pick in cherry season. It's traditional for us to meet them up there and squeeze in a visit and pick lots of cherries for ourselves. Mmmmmm!
Here's Mark giving us the review in proper technique of picking a cherry so that the tree will be able to produce more fruit next year:
Here's Elizabeth and Valerie having a picnic under a tree at the farm:
Suzanne and I met in the trenches of video production. And here we meet again in the trenches of motherhood ... in front of a hydrangea at the farm:
I'm pretty sure I ate too much fruit. In addition to the cherries, I bought a box of blueberries/raspberries/black berries. That was finished before we even got into the car. And then we had to stop at the fruit stand on the way home to pick up strawberries and blackberries. There is nothing like fresh off the vine, super sweet berries. I ate more fruit on the way home. (I am not going to document the results of the vast fruit experience ...)
But another fun experience was the kids got to play in the pool at the farm. Here are Valerie, Amira and Elizabeth:
Here's Theo splashing in the shallow end:
Did I mention that we didn't bring our suits? So, the kids had a little underwear party at the pool:
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Saturday evening the kids got to hang out with their favorite babysitter while Michael and I had a nice date downtown. (We even rode bikes again). We had a delightful dinner at Christian Michael's followed by a movie at the Pageant Theater. I love that place.
Sunday, of course, was Father's Day. The kids helped Michael clean out the garage and I mowed the lawn. He got to spend the afternoon playing games with his friends Matt & Eamonn. Then we took him to the Bear for dinner and finished off the evening with an Outlaws baseball game.
Those baseball games are a hoot! They play the Imperial March (Darth Vader theme music) when the umpires march onto the field. Then they announced that every time a certain player on the other team struck out that all drinks would be half price. I felt a little sorry for the guy on the other team ... because every time he got up to bat, you know everyone was cheering for a strike out a little harder than usual.
Of course while Michael and I watched the game, the kids roamed the park playing with other kids and getting their faces painted. Well, faces, arms, etc. There was also a clown making balloon animals, hats and swords for the kids. Love those Outlaws games!
Here's Amira with a Heart on her face:
Valerie got this cool alligator on her arm:
Once upon a time it was all butterflies and princesses ... now it's skulls and alligators for Valerie:
What a fun summer weekend! I have to remember to bring out that camera more often.
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