One Degree Hotter Than Hell

I can't believe that July is half over...or...for that matter...that the summer is almost half over!

Oh no!

Wait.

Please, don't get me started! I honestly can't stand the thought of Lily being in school for a full day come September!!

Hmmm...I wonder if any schools have half day 1st grade?

Don't worry, I'm not going to homeschool Lily. I won't lie, there is a HUGE part of me that would love to homeschool. But, I am fully aware that that is not only NOT my gift...but it's also not the right thing for our family. Besides, Lily LOVES going to school. It's just me that needs to get over it!

Okay, enough about school. We've got 51 days left (not that I'm counting) until school starts and I plan to make the most of each one of them!!

With trips to Deep Creek, Richmond, and Nags Head June flew right by! We don't have any plans to travel in July, but that doesn't mean we've been staying at home enjoying the air conditioning.

Of course we have had a few lazy days, but we've also been spending time at the pool and completing several more Park Quests.

In fact, today we completed 3 Quests. At one of the Quests someone recorded in the log book that they had talked to the Devil and that today at the park it was, in fact, one degree hotter than hell! I don't know why that struck me as so funny...must have been all the sweat pouring down my back...but I'm still giggling about it.

I know I've mentioned Park Quest before, but I can't say enough good things about this program. Seriously. It's a wonderful program run by the Department of Natural Resources. This year there are 23 different Maryland State Parks participating. Each park you visit offers a different "Quest". You may spend your time letterboxing, or kayaking, or hiking, or orienteering, or you get the idea.

When you successfully complete your Quest you get a stamp in your "Passport". Lily LOVES that part. She can tell you exactly how many stamps we've accumulated, which ones are her favorites, and what stamp she wants to get next.

This is our third year participating in Park Quest and all three of us really enjoy it! Oh, and did I mention it's free?? If you live in Maryland, and have children under the age of 18, I strongly recommend looking into this program next year. Thanks to Park Quest we have visited numerous Maryland State Parks we never even knew existed and will definitely be visiting them again.



Last week Lily stayed cool by attending art camp with a friend. Not only did Lily beat the heat and have a wonderful time...she also created some beautiful art! I think we're going to need a bigger house to display all of Lily's masterpieces!!





Oh, I know this is a little late, but I don't think I mentioned that we had a great 4th of July. We went to the local highschool in the morning for the annual 4th of July games, went to the parade, and then to a friends house for a cookout. This year for the first time we actually ended the night attending the fireworks and not just admiring them from a VERY safe distance!



I know I will blink and not only will Lily be in 1st grade, but it will also be "sweater weather". For now, I'm just going to try and savor the next 51 days no matter how hot it gets!