FUNNEST SUMMER EVER and that sounds sarcastic, but it's NOT.

We have been making the most out of our last dog-free week and have had so much fun taking a couple of day trips and generally relishing these final few days before school starts.

Ben and I both finish our summer classes this week and have next week free to prep the fall.  Then Ben has in-service the following week and starts classes the week after that. And then the week after THAT I have to work like 3.5 days (not in a row-- day off in the middle of the week THANK GOODNESS) and then it's September and BAM!  The boys and I start school.

On Saturday, we took a quick trip to a state park to hike and bicker and stopped at a neat-o roadside vetren's memorial.

I wish Jack and I had made the whole picture

Better, but now no Dorothy

Cooper is the sweetest little guy EVER, except maybe for Jack who was willing to give up a summer enrichment class field trip to come to the office with me tomorrow (but I am taking him next week instead and he cried a little because that's how bad he wants to go to the office with me).

This was late afternoon, and no-nap Dorothy was getting a little sleepy.

 A seriously gorgeous lake-- the water is crystal clear

He takes posing really seriously.

See?

Selfie

And there's the rest of us

best friends

They were winded by the end-- we went pretty far up a super steep bluff, but the deadly drop off on one side freaked us out with Cooper the Terrible in tow, so we gingerly picked our way back to the bottom

3 stooges

Picnic (downwind of a pretty stinky and meaty fire)

We had such a good time Saturday that we went to the Milwaukee Zoo on Monday.  I love zoos.  I love staring at animals and saying rally stupid shit about them.  At our cute little zoo in town, I looked lovingly at the giraffes one day and then turned to Ben and said in all seriousness, "Wow.  Giraffes are so tall."  And I MEANT IT.  (And they are).  Monday's deep thoughts concerned zebras-- have you ever looked at their manes and notices how perfectly their mane hair matches up with their stripes?   SHUT UP.  I like looking at animals.  WAIT UNTIL I SEE A PANDA.

Lunch.  The kids LOVE these ridiculous Sponge Bob popsicles and look forward to them every summer when we make our one and only trip to the zoo.

Ben convinced Cooper he was seeing a liger.

She's hell on wheels at a picnic and ate most of the broccoli out of my salad.

Poor, poor ponies

Dorothy:  One of the big kids.  Cooper:  Trying to get his damn head stuck in the fence.

I just want pne picture of all 4 kids where everybody looks normal.  It's too much to ask, clearly.

Dorothy hates to be contained, but she loves this car.  Unfortunately at the zoo, she only loved pushing it.

She decided to crawl around the ape exhibit. She should be getting sick tomorrow. 

You know, after whatever the hell she got incubates.

Right before she lost her shit on the carousel.

Chillin

And she lost it.

Camel ride.  Poor, poor camel.

Popsicle again.  It's a pretty big deal.

Pony!  Dorothy realized about 3/4 way into the ride that it was a real live animal and then she got all excited and tried to pet it but couldn't reach.

I was trying to figure out if I could take pictures, hold onto her, AND avoid pony shit all at once, but, alas.

JUST ONE PICTURE OF EVERYONE LOOKING AT ME.  THAT'S ALL I WANT, DAMNIT.

JUST ONE?

Ha!  A cow named Dottie and our little Dottie.

This girl and a picnic.-- sheesh.

Very serious about the pony.

This morning, I had the kids decorate lunch bags so I could pack them a picnic and not have to clean up lunch.  Again, Dorothy took the task seriously.

So did Coop.

While the big boys went to their enrichment class, the babies formed a band.

Cooper took over Dorothy's bed.

Harry came home and packed some intense army toys to take with to the park

And played pretty hard.

Dorothy climbed to the slide and went down at least 50 times.  Everyone took turns catching her.

Lunch.

Dorothy is worse than a bear.  She ate everyone's cupcakes.  Even the wrappers.

Such a sweet little big brother.

And then she lost her shit on the ride home because she WILL NOT BE CONTAINED.

So Harry pulled

And I hauled the mad baby. (who took a killer nap once she got home)

Of course, we have not let day trips and picnics keep us from the pool.  I will miss he pool during our 7 months of winter.

That thing around Harry's belly?  IS OUR GROCERY RECEIPT.  Because we buy so much food each week that my little teapot 8-year-old can wear the receipt like a belt. (Also check out my sweet smug Prius-only parking spot)

And I have saved the best and biggest news for last. JACK LOST HIS FIRST TOOTH.  I know that he is 6 and all, but he seems like way too much of a baby for missing teeth!  It's been loose for days, but still I was shocked.  Not Jack, he was so, so proud and excited.  The tooth fairy is doing her thing while we speak.