2 This Japanese Samurai dance demonstration scared the b-jeebers out of Ben, but it was interesting.
3 Great to see Sam in all this gear - pretty cool!
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7 Ben and I went on a bike/run around the pond and park while Sam was in practice.
8 A little rainy that week in late June, but good for muddin'!
9 Super Man needs a break, too!
10 Where is Ben?
11 This is the kind of shelter I need for a horse :)
12 We got gear from the Rotary Auction for very cheap. Now we have lacrosse stuff to use at home, too.
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15 Ben handing snacks through the fence to Sam :)
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17 Mike (owner of Bainbridge Bakers) adopting some wild yeast sourdough starter from me to experiment with in his kitchen. We LOVE Bainbridge Bakers!
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19 Cheap balls at Rotary, too! Can't have too many basketballs!
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21 And a kids' golf set for Sam - all for $5! The whole thing, bag, too!
22 Even Ben is learning to play!
23 Some naughty soda for Ben, and his older brother! He found it and poured it himself!
24 Look how Ben perches Eagle to watch :) In the football kickoff tee.
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26 This is a funny bird - it repeats everything you say! (See on table)
27 Dave and I went to Seattle for Mass, then to Benaroya Hall for Saint-Saens' organ symphony.
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30 And we managed to stumble across a well-loved restaurant, The Pink Door, for dinner.
31 Flowers for mom! The kids were home with Gramma and Richard.
32 Alpacas at a farm on my running route. They enjoy the shelter just built for them.
33 Low tide beach walk.
34 Hanging out for dinner with Gramma and Richard!
35 Ben loves this new wheelbarrow! Thanks so much, Richard!
36 Helping Gramma with garden work - such great boys!
37 There are two eagles on that pier!
38 "It's a boat."
39 Ben in barrow talking to Eagle.
40 Richard took some nice pictures of the "grounds" for the July 4 party.
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51 The "Daddy Garden" before sprinklers added!
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54 Friends over for Star Spangled Banner by Sam on guitar!
55 Spinning around to come to attention for the anthem.
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57 Ha ha! SO much fun - doing trail rides in my old BOB stroller! This thing is indestructible - with more than 5000 miles on it and a bit rusty, but still truckin'!
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60 Nice time with good friends.
61 Oh! The 9x9x9 has arrived!
62 So serious about his work.
63 Ben is a really good helper.
64 Mixing up that 9x9x9!
65 Sam working on putting together his new 9x9x9. He loves to solve it first, then take it apart and study the core mechanism. It is pretty complex.
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67 Nice flowers from Pike Market. They are for Gramma, and gorgeous!
68 Prepping the work area for the new paver walkway.
69 Gordon watching the automatic waterer installation :) Ben, too!
70 I never dreamed I would get a decadent automatic chicken waterer! And boom - there was Richard with one from Bay Hay!
71 Gordon is a good helper.
72 When will it be done?
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74 Wahooo!
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76 Doing sight words with Ben is a lot of fun. When Grownup Eagle joins us, it gets really interesting because Eagle makes up sentences with each word Ben is able to read!
77 Gramma size pancakes :)
78 Mom you look so pretty!
79 Thank you, Richard, for all your hard work! This is a rare moment of relaxation :)
80 Sunday plate :)
81 Teaching Daddy a little.
82 Basketball camp was a huge hit. Both boys loved it!
83 Ben doing armpit farts at camp while watching ;)
84 Ready to pass!
85 Sam blocking.
86 Sam in white shorts running down the court.
87 Ahhh...finally, afternoon happy hour :)
88 Back to bread making!
89 Baking "sponge cake" :)
90 Took Ben to a magician show that the library put on. He loved it!
91 Didn't know that you mound potatoes so they continue to grow UP the plant, too. I knew about the toxin that doesn't degrade if the potato gets too much sunlight on it.
92 Hot chocolate and a good book, what could be better? He's sweaty, though - I think we were out at the beach doing standup paddling. So I am not sure that hot chocolate is in the cup now that I think about it.
93 A little faster, Gramma. Hold on!
94 Rides at Bay Hay!
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96 Creating the paver walkway!
97 This looked cute for about 20 minutes. The bottom isn't water tight so the water leaked out.
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99 Ben's turn at basketball camp!
100 Going home after camp. So cute, so grownup. Dribbling with his snack sack on like a briefcase.
101 Dribbling!
102 The algorithms to make a cube in a cube or snake pattern.
103 This look cracks me up so much!
104 Out shopping :)
105 Writing a book out on the front porch.
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107 Calling Mom to report in that he finished The Two Towers (Tolkien, second book in trilogy Lord of the Rings).
108 Oh yeah! Ben can read now, so exciting!
109 That's Ben's reward!
110 The reward - yogurt and toppings! Ben got a reward, too, for learning the first 100 sight words.
111 Sam has been busy making origami this summer, too. This is a magic ball.
112 Ben is taking some garden pictures now :)
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114 Dear chomped down on our fuschia!
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116 Ben just watching these three guys play at Wilkes. He wants to be this good I think.
117 STEAM camp - blasting water rockets into space.
118 Wow - pretty high!
119 Amy and I up to no good "cleaning" the beach of some wood. This is now a bench in the garden. Thanks, Amy!
120 I changed my hairdo so no one would know it was me, the wood thief. You're technically not supposed to take driftwood (although I don't think there are any signs at Fay Bay to that effect). But this was man-made wood, not natural driftwood, so I think we were beach cleaning. Right?
121 Good times :) Rainier in the background.
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124 Boys are building a beach fort.
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126 STEAM camp - high school boys explaining the hover craft.
127 I like this plant.
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129 There he is!
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131 Ben was reading "No...No...No wake!"
132 I'm out standup paddling with Ben on the front. That is the marina.
133 Gramma took a wipeout on the beach so her short are now growing seaweed!
134 Sam really liked this slimy stuff. It is still stinking in my truck!
135 Herons!
136 We made tatoos.
137 Dwarves raiding my snack pantry.
138 This cute little frog loved living in my boots - I had planted sweet peas in there.
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141 Sweet peas are growing!
142 Ben built a house for Mini Mommy, complete with a garden, picnic tables and chairs.
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144 Daddy, what are you thinking about?
145 The view up through the pergola. It has been a beautiful summer!
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147 A panorama from the couch.
148 Some pictures of the chicken-proofing efforts. Richard really worked so hard making prototypes to serve all our needs. Finally, we went with the keep it simple motto!
149 Peas finally able to grow in peace!
150 Double layer to keep beaks out.
151 Rain gauge with potatoes protected behind the netting.
152 "Urgh! She really buttoned it down!"
153 "Maybe I'll try this side."
154 "Nope. No good there, either." This is Buffy, the worst offender!
155 They resorted to a nice dust bath.
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157 Summer relaxation, cubing, sunshine and Lord of the Rings.
158 Cozy time! This was before we got bunk beds for the boys.
159 Great to see Sam in all this gear - pretty cool!