After weeks of summer weather that I'd hoped would never end, it's rained. For three days. And we have
five inches of rain and a brand new swimming hole in our back yard. Actually, the rain has been quite pleasant. The wind doesn't blow, and the temps have been in the high 50s. We've had our bedroom windows open the whole time and no need to run the heater.
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I don't think either of the kids has ever gone to the street to get the newspaper--until now. They find it great fun for all three of us to pack under the umbrella. Of course, it's only fun if *I* come along. It passes for fun around here, lol.
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We've also continued to do some school work on the front porch.

Notice my coat. Trevor's in shorts. It was a little too cool to comfortably do art, so Holly and I did that in the car at her request. That gives new meaning to the term "carschooling" when you do it in the driveway.
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For the past ten years, regular white milk has not passed Holly's lips. She can manage chocolate milk, but that's about it. She discovered soy milk a few weeks ago and likes it. This might not seem wacky to anyone else, but I never would have guessed this in a million years. And with the price of milk right now, it's not a big leap to soy milk.
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Trevor discovered that Transformers is on at 6 a.m. That's a little early for all of us. But for the past three days, he's set his alarm and woken up to watch. At Holly's request, he wakes her up too. He shines a flashlight in her eyes and finds it great fun. And Holly, who's never (ever, ever, ever) been one to get up early, gets up with him. This is the same girl who sets her alarm every morning for 7:15 and stumbles downstairs an hour later. I had (have) reservations about them doing this, but there are advantages. They go to sleep earlier at night. They've also been totally ready for school at 8:30, flying through their schoolwork. I can't complain.
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Trevor. I've known this kid for nine years now. My sweet faced boy.

At least I try to remember him this way. He's enjoying driving me absolutely nuts with the most hideous faces.

This one looks like something out of a Mrs. Piggle Wiggle book.

That's his tongue over his upper lip.

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The faces are so awful, but it's hard to not laugh sometimes. He continued at dinner, where his reading/viewing influences are showing up. And it's not pretty.
Trevor: (Burps at the table.)
Mom: (Turns expectantly.)
Trevor: "Better out than in, I always say!"
(Thank you, Shrek.)Mom: (Mouth dropping open.)
Trevor: "Must be a barge coming through!"
(Thank you, Calvin & Hobbes.)I laughed so hard that I almost cried. Then I threatened to send him to his room.
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While Trevor's been busy showing off his marvelous memory, Holly's been training the cat. To fetch. Holly throws something for Pumpkin, and Pumpkin will chase after it, pick it up and return to Holly, waiting to go catch it again.
Good thing the cat now knows how to fetch, because our dog sure doesn't.
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It's been an interesting week.