(Part 1 can be found here)

Dear Summer,

Well THAT was fast.

You blew in here three months ago in the bright eyes of my kids. You brought many high expectations with you -- some of them we exceeded, others we missed by a mile. We had some togetherness that ended in rollicking good laughs, and we had some togetherness that ended in imaginary lines being drawn the backseat. We saw an ocean, a canyon and a wizard. Your humid, healthy air fertilized both my hydrangea and my twelve year old -- both of them seemed to grow a foot.

If you follow any West Coast bloggers I'm sure you are sick of hearing about the heat wave. Especially if you live in one of the states from which we Pacific Northwesterners appear to have stolen summer. You're probably thinking to yourself, "Again? Really? Have Pacific Northwesterners any imagination at all?" And I am here to tell you: No. We are captive to our weather, and the doom and gloom of the average forecast is what feeds our art. This sun stuff leaves us stymied.

We’re having the worst heat wave in the Puget Sound region in at least 30 years, and in honor of it I chose to get pregnant 7.5 months ago just to add that extra special something to this frog boiler of summer fun.

Magoo keeps telling me he’s “BOWLING!”

Rarely am I the type of mom that pulls the “back in the day” speech, but sometimes I just cannot resist. Now that summer is in full swing, the kids are beginning to look for activities to keep them occupied -- events that are planned, cost money, or require me driving them across town. What happened to those lazy days of summer when the neighborhood was crawling with kids from dawn ‘til dusk?

When I was growing up, not only did our parents not spend their time entertaining us, they were rather irritated when we were unable to find ways to entertain ourselves.

The other day my daughter, Gabriella, and I were in the store casually minding our own business when we came upon a sight so terrifying it caused me to stop dead in my tracks, causing the person behind me to crash into me. What could cause such a reaction in someone who is (for the most part) able to go with the flow?

Back-to-school supplies, backpacks, and lunchboxes.