as summer slips away

I suppose summer's not really over.  Technically summer isn't over for a few more weeks days.  But it feels like fall -- we're well into the new routines of a new season, a season with school days and dance lessons instead of lazy mornings at the park and pool.  (Of course, in due time, those routines will all need to be adjusted, too... fitting in another little person.  We'll just have to cross that bridge when we get to it.)

We've felt summer slipping away for a while, though.  We've known it was fleeting, and we've done our best to make it last.  We filled our days.  And hopefully over the next few weeks I'll manage to share some of that fun here -- before I can't possibly blog for a bit, since I'll have my arms full of new little baby.

One of our favorite summertime traditions is our town's Thursday night festivals.  They're over now, but during the summer they occur about twice a month.  The main street downtown is closed off and filled with classic cars and booths from a variety of city services and community activities.

Kathleen poses (with her free coloring book from State Farm or some other insurance company) in front of her "favorite" car of the week.

An animal rescue always brings pets available for adoption.  This is one of our children's favorite booths.  Of course, our children have no idea that people can choose to bring these animals home; they think they're just there to visit.  Consequently, our children never ask for the puppies, and this omission/deception on our part suits us just fine.  In fact, while taking this photograph, a father nearby started to explain to his daughter how the dogs were for people to adopt.  Jim and I looked daggers at him, whispering under our breath, "Shut up!  Shut up!"  Fortunately for us, our children were too enamored of the dogs to listen to anyone else.  We escaped -- this time!

The park district has a booth, too.  On this visit the girls learned (or attempted to learn) to hula hoop.  Kathleen had some success.  And Madeline gave it a good effort.  (And yes, we let Madeline go out in a leotard and ballet skirt.  Some fights just aren't worth it.)

Both girls seemed to excel at sack races!

There are some produce booths, too, from local growers.  We've been known to wander around munching on raspberries or sugared almonds.  But we generally eat supper at one of the restaurants downtown during the street fair.  (I suppose that's why they have the street fairs, after all.)  We eat outside, enjoying the atmosphere, and savoring some of our favorite ethnic cuisine -- the kids happily will eat Mexican or Thai or Greek/Mediterranean with us.  Of course, the highlight of the evening is a stop at the gelato shop.  Even John David knows enough to insist on his fair share there.

Two strawberry cones, please!

A different band plays at each of the Thursday night festivals, and some of them are quite good.  One of our favorites was a geekily-attired (think Revenge of the Nerds), 80's cover band, the Spazmatics.  They were excellent and hilarious.  Dancing ensued.  (But then, dancing almost always ensues around here!)

We miss the long, warm summer evenings already!  We'll surely try to fit in a few more street festivals before we move next summer...