A summer photo series: Each week during our summer vacation I will be posting a photo summary. I will include photos that capture the mood of our days and how we're spending them. 

This week we...

…had some wacky weather that started with clouds and rain:




…then the sky cleared and the weather turned into really hot days (108+ degrees), sending us outside in small doses:




…took our dog to the vet and learned that she isn't the Brittany Spaniel and Border Collie mix that we suspected! She is actually a very rare (in North America) breed called a kooikerhondje! We feel like we found a Picasso painting at a yard sale with this sweet and beautiful dog!

The weather has been very wacky here. We started the week with two days of rain and, now, we are headed for triple digits for about a week. Either kind of weather, rain or Africa-like heat, keeps us inside a little more than I would like. I am trying to schedule outings for us in the early or late parts of the day or in places that have air conditioning!


Here are some ideas for getting the wiggles out on HOT (or rainy) days (I've included some links for my local readers):

More ideas for my local friends, here!

A summer photo series: Each week during our summer vacation I will be posting a photo summary. I will include photos that capture the mood of our days and how we're spending them. 

This week we...

…had a preschool graduation and celebrated with chocolate treats:




…enjoyed water play for the last day of preschool:



…and in our backyard:




…played with the neighbors over our back fence:


…lost a tooth:


…went to the dentist:


…and lounged around in PJs a little longer than usual:


It's official as of this week- happy summer!

In the spring, I did a ton of research and brainstorming to come up with a plan to keep my kids occupied this summer. I found lots of great ideas on Pinterest including a post about nature journaling. My kids LOVE to draw and hike and observe nature-y things, so this was a natural fit for us (pardon the pun)!

I bought a couple of sketch books and let the kids decorate them with some sticky foam letters and markers:




Their first nature drawings were done in our backyard:



From there, we ventured out into our neighborhood for a creek walk and some journaling there:



We love to take our nature journals along on hikes, walks, and even trips to the dog park! Drawings of flowers, trees, animals, bugs, animal tracks, and natural settings will be so much fun to look through on a rainy day when we're missing summer.

Some ideas for nature journal entries that I love:

Find more great nature journaling ideas, here.