All ticked off

This post should suggest that our family has been slowed down a bit by the summer heat, and I think we've learned our lesson on NY traffic off the island, too.  With that being said, we have chosen to commute less by car.  But, no rules have been put into place on others transporting us in their air conditioned spacious rides.  On Sunday, Wendy and the squids ventured off into East Hampton with Lauren and Zoey to swim at their friend's uninhabited pool.  Wendy was intentional about not bringing a camera in order to connect, instruct, and enjoy the experience first hand.  Jamin progressed in his aquatic skills by relinquishing the foam noodle and refining his freestyle swim.  Not sure on the exact details, but initial reports from the pool included a baby diaper full of dookie being tossed into a bag resulting in messy laughter and cleanup.  Upon returning from the pool, Eric was cooking supper with our first guest from outside camp--Megan, from the farm.  Megan arrived on bike with a basket full of freshly picked salad fixins, and a small bouquet of flowers to brighten our day.  Jamin was determined to flex his memory game skills, and challenged Megan to a game before delving into our stir-fried veggies, quinoa, and salad.  After supper, Jamin and Cora invited our guest to play memory again before transitioning into our bedtime routine.  With irresistible cuteness, Cora poked her head out of her bedroom door and projected into a room full of conversation, "Eric, can you ask Megan if she will read to me?"  Now, don't we all wait for this moment of opportunity and seize it will immediacy?  True.  And Megan had no trouble following suit.  Cora rambled and chatted and explained the intricacies of her day for nearly a half hour before pulling the covers up over her waist and rolling over for the night.  Such a fluid, relaxing, and effortless day.

  Monday arrived with debilitating heat.  Eric typically works alone at the farm since the co-pickers take Sunday and Monday as their weekend reprieve.  Decked out in a sun hat and overalls to protect from the the sun already high in the sky, Eric cut his shift short by an hour and a half.  Upon returning home early, Eric was noticeably beat down by the sun and negotiated a nap from the kids.  The agreement--they both stay in their bedroom, use quiet voices, let papa sleep, be kind to each other, and they will be rewarded with ICE CREAM!  Eric set the alarm clock on his phone with a fun ring to initiate a dance party wake-up, and unbelievably.....it all worked.

Roller derby socks, b-ball shorts, NC State gear, and Keens. Nice.

The drive to Tuck Shop, the local ice creamery, is about 4 minutes from our cottage.  Upon arrival, Jamin and Eric had to wake Cora up.  Inside, the ice cream options were many.  But remember, this is Jamin and Cora, practically virgins in their ice cream exploration.  "Would you like vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry," Eric inquired.  "What?, you offered us chocolate, papa," Jamin replied.  "Chocolate is for grown ups." Yes, this has been the most effective ploy in avoiding the chocolate mustached craze that potentially ensues when little people indulge in cheap sugary goodness. (side note: Jamin awoke on Tuesday morning and said, "Did we brush our teeth last night?" "Nope, we forgot," Eric said with a raised eyebrow.  "We had ice cream yesterday, oh man!," Jamin responsibly retorted.)  Well, they earned it.  Eric, Jamin, and Cora shared a medium sized cup of rich creamy chocolate ice cream, a timely solution to the summer sweats.  Surprisingly, The Bean Machine zonked as soon as she got back in the car, foaming at the mouth and rockin' a chocolate mustache.

  Later in the evening, Eric decided to join his buddy, Ralph, for a swim across the bay.  What Eric failed to account for was his lack of endurance and stamina.  After a quick 200 yard swim with barely any current, Eric conceded, admitting he had some conditioning to do before entering a triathlon.  BTDubs, Eric has no desire to enter a triathlon.  Eric hurried home on his newly borrowed bike so that Wendy could head off to lead her first staff devotional at camp.....and she totally rocked it!  High fives and follow-up inquiries left her both inspired and proud.

  Prior to easing the squiddos into their bedroom for the evening, we had to do our daily tick check.  The deer population is notoriously large as they migrate across the bay and chow on everything and anything on the island, except geraniums.  Some deer are tagged with bling and necklaces and ear tags to assist in tracking their migratory habits and patterns.  Still rather alarming is the number of ticks pulled off our family since we have arrived.  Yes, we have a running tally.  In eleven days, Wendy 4, Jamin 11, Cora 8, and Eric 6.  Now you understand why we're all ticked off.