Memorial Day

Hanging up laundry, filling up pink spray bottles again and again...

We put new sand in the sandbox, and I planted flowers with Wren's help and Jane's "help." We coated each other in toxic bug spray and non-toxic sun screen, over and over.


Chase wrapped marinated dove breasts in bacon, and tucked jalapenos in just a few...

We got these from my sister Anne, who got them from the overstuffed freezer at her boyfriend's house. They were delicious. Although we grilled and ate them under the judging eyes and cooing of the neighborhood doves.


Strawberry brown butter Bettys, from Smitten Kitchen. They were so easy and good, and even better for breakfast. Everyone should make them all summer long.

Jane slumped down from the dinner table at 7:30 pm on the dot, and walked straight to her room to get in bed. We let Wren stay up late and eat dessert with the grown-ups.

It was a nice long weekend, well worth the sink full of dishes I woke up to this morning. On Memorial Day it always feels like summer is just stretching out, hot and itchy, forever. I will be forcing the kids into searing car seats, dotting benedryl on a thousand bites, wringing swimsuits out over the bathtub, shaking sand out of tote bags and sweeping dog hair out of corners for the rest of my life.

But it really goes by so fast. I think this summer will go faster than usual, since the second half of a pregnancy tends to warp time like that. And Wren starts KINDERGARTEN in August. I can't even fathom it. In school everyday.

So many things in our family are going to change in the fall. I hope this summer will be so full of good stuff for the kids that they'll remember it for years.