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This is the first week of “summer” in our house… and instead of being slow, laid-back and lazy, Andy and I just had to draw a flow chart to make sense of this week’s schedule.

Things that are making this week particularly complicated include:
— School is not quite out yet – Kate goes tomorrow and Andy has teacher work days Tuesday and Wednesday.
— Jenny and I are going to a super exciting Tide blogger event that I’m sure you’ll hear about ad nauseam (if you haven’t already, which most of you have, since I’ve been moaning about what I’m going to wear for approximately 7.5 years).
— The kids’ regular sitter is on vacation this week.
— Swim team season kicks into full-swing, which entails practices, pictures, and a meet.
— Kate does not have a driver’s license.

And there’s that minor detail about me having to work. Throughout the week, we’ve got 5 people taking care of the kids at one time or another (in addition to their parents, who aren’t completely absentee).

It is bound to be crazy, but hopefully crazy in a good sort of way, because each of us has at least one thing we’re really looking forward to this week (except Sammy, who basically just goes along for the ride). Kate is loving swim team, Andy is counting the minutes until Thursday when a new Rush documentary plays one magical time in Dayton’s most off-beat movie theater (**nerd alert**), and while I am pretty pumped about the blogger event, the part Jenny and I are most looking forward to is after the evening is actually over, when we’ll each fall into a Heavenly Bed at the Westin.

I just hope she leaves her vacuum cleaner-esque white noise machine at home.

Here in Ohio the temperature’s been vacillating between cold-as-balls and hot-as-Hades (and now we’re throwing in some torrential downpours just for kicks). Memorial Day weekend it was on the hot side, and while I could have done without the humidity, it was great to get the kids outside and let them run. We discovered a new favorite outside toy, and that got me thinking about all the fun outdoor toys we’ve accumulated over the years. I thought I’d share a few of our favorites, and I hope you will do the same!

Here’s the one we discovered this weekend – the Banzai Wiggling Water Sprinkler.

I picked it up at Target on a whim Sunday because we were having friends over, and it was a hit! It’s basically a long foam plastic rope with little ropes jutting out of it, and as the name implies, it wiggles when you turn on the water (although it gets a bit crazy when you turn it on full-blast!). The kids thought it was great fun, and I especially liked it because they could all play in the water at the same time, rather than having to wait and take turns!

Along those same lines, last summer we bought the Ultimate Beach Ball Sprinkler.

I’ve actually never seen this one in action, but Andy (who is home all summer, not like lame-o mom who has to work!) and the kids think it’s great. And really, doesn’t it just look fun?

We bought the Little Tikes Jump n’ Double Slide a couple years ago, and kids of all ages have had a lot of fun with it.

It’s a bit pricey, but for birthday parties and picnics and days when the kids really need to get some energy out (or we need them to get some energy out), it’s been well worth the money. Little Tikes also has amazing customer service, which I posted about here a long time ago!

Kate got this sand and water table for her second birthday.

We’ve had it for four years, and it’s still good as new. I love, love, love that they can play in the sand (and the water) without sitting in it. Sammy’s really loving the table this year, and we haven’t even put water in it yet! I also love the cover and the umbrella.

Last but not least, the old stand-by, sidewalk chalk.

This is a summer must-have at our house. Kate loves to decorate the sidewalk. And the trees, for that matter. With the exception of bubbles, another must-have, I can’t think of anything as simple and inexpensive, yet creative and engaging as plain old chalk!

Those are some of our summer favorites, but we’re always on the lookout for more! I’d love to hear what your kids (and you!) enjoy doing outside on those long summer days.

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For more Things I Love Thursday fun, head over to the Diaper Diaries!

I don’t know what my problem is… I’ve the blues. A case of the Mondays. I’m down in the dumps. It’s just one of those days.

Already.

I feel like I’m in a fog. My limbs are heavy.

I don’t know why. Nothing in particular is wrong.

Nothing big, anyway. I could list a bunch of things that aren’t quite right, but in the grand scheme of things they all add up to a bunch of nothing.

I just want to go back to bed.

So, how are you?