Salamander City: This week

This week started off with a visit after school to Baskin Robbins for a school fundraiser. There aren't too many of these around here, my kids had no idea what it was. "Is this the ice cream they dip in chocolate? Do they mix-in m&ms here?" Really, no idea. Both kids drew very cute ice cream pics the next day, I can't find Elise's (whoops, I'll keep looking!) but here is Owen's:

Edited to add:

And here is Elise's:

Also this week, Elise had the priviledge of bringing home Chester, the class "mascot". (Since our school no longer allows live animals in the classrooms, due to allergies. :-( And Chester's little brother. Her homework was to take or draw some pictures of what she did with Chester, and then write a little story about it in the class book. They explored the garden together:

Tuesday I dragged the kids to pottery lab with me, while I played. (No new items to show yet!)

Wednesday was a late start day at school, so we all slept in very late (love that morning cuddling time!) and then we hung out at the park after school with friends, til 7:30! Gotta get as many of those in as you can, before it starts getting too dark.

Thursday Elise had another ballet class. Next week they both start up gymnastics, as well.

Friday, I attended a just great LLL meeting, reminding me why I keep doing this :-) and then went to to an Indian restuarant for dinner with friends from my earliest parenting days, my attachment parenting group. Just the moms this time, as our kids are plenty old enough to hang without us :-) It was yummy - need to do THAT more often, too.

Saturday, book club in the morning (some day I will post a review on the books I have read lately!) and then berry picking in the afternoon. Same moms (with families) as Friday, and last weekend, plus a few more families. It was super sunny, and a beautiful day in the upper 70's. Most of my pics got washed out by the sun, unfortunately.

It's too sunny to look at the camera!!!!!

Yummy berries..... (not enough though - we'll have to go back in a few weeks to make a batch of jam).

Beautiful flowers - Berry Patch Farm is such a lovely family- run organic farm, with you-pick strawberries, raspberries, flowers, and basil.

Here is our "bounty" from this week: John brought home a bushel of peaches (not all are shown here, obviously!!!) from Colorado's west slope, raspberries, basil (pesto coming up!!!), cilantro, garlic, and hot peppers from Berry Patch Farm. Much more to be harvested from our own garden, maybe today. :-)

Here's a video of the kids surpising me with a box. I had a feeling they were up to something ;-p