photo bomb

• Jane and Katie, this morning you and Val sat out on the front walkway and played with slime and listened to Vinyl Cafe.  I was so proud of you for introducing Val to the incredible stories of Stuart McLean.  We have gotten so much enjoyment from them over the years
• George and Lila, you were big time into dress up today.  Lila, you changed your outfit about ten times.  I sometimes question having so many dress up clothes around because they take up a lot of space, but then I see you on days like this, and I'm glad I keep them around
• Our neighbor came over this morning and brought us some fresh salmon he got this morning.  They're huge and beautiful!  Uncle Dan cleaned them for me and we cooked two right away so we could use them for dinner at the beach tonight, and froze two for later.  How lucky are we to have such an awesome neighbor?  He also brought us a case of popcorn and a case of cheezies.  Like...what have we done to deserve all that?
• Auntie Becca had some homework to do today.  She looked so beautiful sitting at my desk in that pretty morning light
• We met the Matsuda's at the beach in the late afternoon.  We brought the salmon, and were intending to make wraps for dinner.  Daddy made an amazing lemon dill sauce for us.  But auntie Becca said her kids probably wouldn't go for wraps, so I decided to bring some rice for them.  So, there I was, heading out to the beach with my rice cooker in one hand and a bottle of Kikkoman in the other.  It was so funny.  Could you get much more Asian than that?
• Lila, you are really good at swimming.  I can't believe the progress you've made this summer.  You can doggie paddle quite a distance, and you swim underwater like nobody's business.   I'm going to sign you up for lessons in January, so you can learn good technique 
• George, you asked Andrais to play hockey with you.   Hockey at the beach?  Why not?  And because I have my "mom kit" in the van, of course I had a couple hockey sticks for you guys to use
• We stayed until the sun went down and the beach was pretty much deserted.  I love watching you guys with your cousins.  You have so much fun and get along so well.  It's really a beautiful thing