Summer Nights

There is something about living in Michigan that makes you savor every bit of sunshine, even the bit of it that's lingering way past normal children's bedtimes.  

This summer has been exceptionally pleasant, even a bit dry with fewer mosquitos and manageable humidity.  We've mostly been out playing and swimming but have also enjoyed a few of the community events.

Here Clara is up top Daddy's shoulders at Ann Arbor's Top of the Park.  There was a small circus act called Strange Fruit that the girls are still giggling and talking about.

The boys were less impressed with Three Belles and instead found more entertainment in wrestling in the grass.  We all enjoyed the live music but being out with 7 children in a large crowd can also look like a circus act.  Many people stopped to ask if they were all ours and I caught even more nodding their heads in counting heads.  We just smile and nod back because it is fun to be out as a family on such pleasant summer nights.

4th of July was celebrated with a few cheap boxes of grocery store fireworks.  They were up close and simple and the kids loved it!

There were colorful smoke bombs, snappers and expanding snakes.

And of course boxes of sparklers (only a few burnt fingers but we just picked some plantain at our feet, mashed it up and wrapped the burns - it worked).

George starting screaming at the first bang and was happier in bed.  The girls enjoyed a safe distance and the boys of course enjoyed lighting the matches.  All the while I was trying to figure out how to use my camera in new ways (still figuring it out).

We also had a chance to see our favorite local singers Gemini play at the library.  We've listened to them for miles on road trips and I even remember them visiting our elementary school years ago.  Maryanna got to go up and perform with them. 

George enjoyed bouncing along as I sang along to every song, I may be a bigger fan than any of the kids.  And of course we had to pick up even another one of their Cd's to sing along to in the van.  My siblings will all remember the famous "I'm gonna tell".

When we are out on summer nights Paul likes to just walk the streets.  On one occasion I was pushing the double stroller behind and Clara dressed in her favorite puffy princess dress got the skirt tangled in the wheel.  The stroller came to a quick halt and both her and Henry fell to their knees in the middle of the street we were crossing.  There is now a new no dress-up rule for our summer evening outings.

If the kids are lucky the night will end like this:

And if we are lucky our summer nights will end like this: