Pleasantville and poop cakes.

With Seth still out of commission as far as kid duty, last week was even more of a scramble than usual. By Friday night we were "stick a fork in us d-u-n." Thank goodness for our little neighborhood. Sally, the resident MVP, calls it "Pleasantville." We just call it a lifesaver. Having finally made it to the workweek finish line, I dumped kids into the driveway after yet another eleventh-hour daycare pickup. They promptly reunited with friends and scampered off down the street on various death-defying wheeled contraptions. Seth was already having a beer in the neighbors' driveway. Sally appeared with dinner and fed kids while I fished a bottle of wine out from the trunk of my car. (Yes, really.) We hung out under the streetlights with half the neighborhood until, exhausted from scooter races and covered in ice cream and  cheeto dust, the kids headed for the bath of their own accord.

And that's the weekend kickoff, West Point- style.

Although this wasn't technically the "last summer weekend" before back to school for us like it was for the big kids on the block, we decided on a summer sendoff anyway. Saturday the kids and I went out to Round Pond and met the Ryans- who had, against their better judgment, camped there the night before with kids in tow- for vicarious camping (throwing sticks in the fire) and a day on the pond. It was glorious. 

We capped it off with dinner at our favorite restaurant-with-sandbox, and a good time was had by all. 

Seth stayed up 'til all hours of the night to watch the fight with friends, and I took pity on him Sunday morning and spirited the kids off to Connecticut for another trip to a swimming hole, a hike up Mount Tom, and a Trader Joe's run. Mount Tom was only a mile and a half to the top, but Finley walked the entire way, picking up acorns "for Dad" as she went. 

 

Naturally, she whined for "Ford-y's pack-pack" on the way down, so I gave Ford a turn to walk and he surprised us all by hiking more than a mile holding my hand and happily hitting things with sticks. I couldn't have been more proud of both my little Walters-in-Training.

I treated them to a trip to Rosy Tomorrow's, our new favorite restaurant, where Finley got to order a dessert for sort of making it to the potty at the lake. She called it her "poop cake."

Ford learned how to use a straw.

We made it home in time to prep vegetables

and restock the cooler.

And then had one last summer play date in the street with the school-aged crowd. And sure enough, this morning it was dark when I left for PT. It seems that fall is almost upon us. I'm not sure how I feel about that yet.

Photos of the week are of the kids, ecstatic to greet Dad when he got home one night last week

and Finley trying to carry Ford's hiking "pack pack." While he's trying to pull her hair.

Oh, and this incredible video of Ford working out this morning.