Yesterday around 5p, we all went to my cousin's house for another get-together. My Dad's mom is in from Atlanta, and all the cousins wanted to see each other again. In the backyard, my cousin's husband had set up a sheet of vizqueen that must have been 40" square and aimed the sprinkler to arc over it and back again, repeatedly. Puddles formed, bathing suits were donned, boogie boards laid claim to, and we didn't see the kids for hours. It was jokingly referred to as the coon-ass slip-and-slide, and it very definitely put any other Wet Banana type of toy to shame. I went out to watch at one point, and several of the younger kids said they wanted to dry off. So I helped them take their suits off and then got distracted and ran inside. I can't remember why. But when I returned, they were gone and a quick search, following peals of laughter, revealed naked revelers having the times of their lives on a neighbor's jungle gym.

SADLY I HAD TO REMOVE THE IMAGE OF THE KIDDOS HAVING FUN BECAUSE DISGUSTING PERVERTS SEARCHING FOR NAKED CHILDREN ARE ARRIVING HERE.

Honestly, it was delightful. They hadn't a care in the world and were just all over everything. Then they piled onto the trampoline, still naked, and went nuts. There may have been more water sliding afterwards, and there was definitely a hilarious neighborhood race that included an electric Barbie jeep and a stomp rocket. All the grown-ups sat in the front yard laughing and watching, and it was such a treat. We could never have an evening like this at our house in DC: you'd worry about bothering neighbors, crazy drivers plowing into the kids...A shame really. But again, I'm glad my boys can come here for different experiences and time with family we don't often see.

We just got back from a neighbor's pool, and I immediately had to shower because every time Ol emerged from the water, boogers were streaming from both nostrils. I taught J to do a back flip (in the water, peeps; I'm still no dare-devil), and now he can do a triple. I'm very proud because truly, I worried he would never learn to swim. While there, a beautiful pitch-black cat with intense green eyes came to meet us. Oliver named him Black Pillow which was baffling but rather enchanting.

I'm about to get another massage -bliss- and am looking forward to heading back to DC tomorrow. Aah! Tonight I'm cooking a feast so will post pics later. I've got to tell you about the handle-bar'less adult trike...remind me.