Duke Gardens with the boys.

Another trip to Duke Gardens. This time with just the boys. They loved wandering and exploring and trying to get into the fountains. It's so fun to see how the gardens change throughout the year. I love to see what color combinations they create. The central gardens had been filled with tulips just a few weeks before. This time there was foxglove everywhere. We just missed the peak of the giant purple Dr. Seuss-like allium but they still looked pretty grouped with all the foxglove. The roses were also in full bloom.

this girl makes me happy.

Hanging out at the doctor's office with this silly girl, waiting for her six-year-old check up. Six!

(It was also crazy hair day at school.)

memorial day weekend.

We kept things simple and easy for Memorial Day weekend. Backyard camping, pancake breakfast on the deck, and a few friends over on Monday for a cookout (do not confuse a cookout and a bbq in North Carolina).

Relaxing with a book.

No need to go camping anywhere else when we already live in the woods.

Art projects on the deck and cereal for dinner one night.

sushi cutter.

We spent a fun evening at a nearby park, relaxing on the grass, running, playing, and exploring. There was a disc golf putting green so we tossed our frisbee around there and enjoyed the soft patch of grass (actually it was artificial turf but perfect for cartwheels and general frolicking).

The girls introduced us to a game they invented called "sushi cutter." The "cutter" lays on the grass and tries to cut the "sushi" as it jumps over. This game was guaranteed to end with injury. I think Ben took the biggest beating as the cutter.

We spotted our first fireflies of the season when we got back home, and also caught a frog in the backyard. Someone handed the frog to Simon and he immediately tried to put it in his mouth. We all screamed and he cried.

target practice.

Aunt Stephanie sent Elsa a real archery set for her birthday. Elsa was so excited to try it out. She got the hang of it pretty quickly. Everyone else had fun trying it too.

Oliver roaming our backyard woods. He looks like Elsa's target. (Don't worry. He wasn't.)

Simon is always climbing.

Time out to catch a little frog.