Summer Days, Part One

School ended for Riley on May 15 and we have been pretty busy since then. Summer is off to a fun start; here’s what we’ve been up to!

While Rory was at his music class with Grandma, Riley and I met Dana, Claire, and Colin at the Cool Zoo on May 21. A new lazy river, the Gator Run, opened there at the beginning of May so we decided to go check it out. The kids loved it!

One of the zoo’s resident peacocks walked right by me just after we ate lunch. These are not zoomed in at all; he really was that close. So pretty.

When we declared our time at the Cool Zoo was up, everyone put on dry clothes and the three kids walked out holding hands. So cute. Then we decided to stop for snoballs on the way home, and Riley let Claire try his nectar one.

The next week, Riley actually went to Rory’s music class with him and Grandma on Thursday morning, so we got together with Dana, Claire, Colin, Diana, and Alcee after nap. We met at Tutti Frutti for an afternoon treat, and Ms. Lisa was even there to spend some time with her kiddos. I loved that Riley’s ice cream choices matched his shirt.

 

  

After ice cream, we stopped by Aunt E’s house to see Kate, although she wasn’t too happy about having to share her chair with my two. They don’t give a second thought to worming their way into a comfy spot, even if it is at their cousin’s expense. Sorry, Kate!

Kate was in school a bit longer than Riley, but since she’s been out we have done lots together, mostly at Nola and Nopsi’s house. Plenty of time in the pool and many dinners at (or, in Rory’s case, ON) the kitchen counter.

The two older cousins actually spent the night at Nola and Nopsi’s on May 29. Kate slept in the big blue bed in her daddy’s old room while Riley slept on his travel bed in his mama’s old room. They both had a great night and feasted on cinnamon rolls and bacon for breakfast the next morning.

That was just one of four nights that Riley has spent at Nola and Nopsi’s house so far this summer. He has also spent a night at Grandma and Grandpa’s and one at Zac’s as well. (I’ll be curious to see how many nights he’s been away from home at the end of the summer.)

I wasn’t sure how he would do at Zac’s since he doesn’t go there often, but he did great. (It of course helped that Zac has a ton of Legos.) Aunt Jaimi and Uncle Steve even took the boys swimming at a friend’s house on the river before bed. Needless to say, Riley did not want to come home with me when I went to pick him up the next day.

One of the last things we did in May was on Saturday the 30th, when, on a whim, we decided we wanted to go out to dinner. Aunt E, Uncle Jeff, and Kate joined us at Velvet Cactus for a fun meal.

It had poured for a few days prior, so there was a huge puddle on the sidewalk leading up to the restaurant. Riley and Rory splashed in it while we waited for our table to be ready (Kate hadn’t arrived yet), and they sat through dinner with slightly wet shorts. However, after dinner, it was all over.

I don’t know what Kate did, but Rory rode home in his diaper and Riley rode home completely naked. They were absolutely soaked after their puddle jumping, but they had a great time.

Riley has been in camp and swimming lessons these first two weeks of June (a separate post about all of that is coming up next!), so we haven’t done much else. But we did manage to find time to get together with Mrs. Amelie yesterday. Her pregnant self requested frozen yogurt, so we went to Tutti Frutti for a special treat lunch. It was great to see her again; Riley has been missing her.

More tomorrow!