Sam's summer vacation

The weather has been very nice lately so Sam and I have been having lots of little summer adventures over the past week or so. In the interest of full disclosure I have to admit that the reason we do so many things is that I get bored hanging out at home but here is a snapshot (but without pictures since for some reason I haven't been bringing the camera as often) of our activities over the past several days:

• Strawberry picking. It took Sam a bit of time to believe me that you need to pick the bright red berries but after a few bites of the white and pink berries he finally, despite the strong streak of contrarian he inherited from his father, had to agree that I was right. We picked about four quarts of berries plus the quart or so we ate.
• We met up with some friends, went to the playground, and walked around downtown for awhile. The big excitement for Sam and Lewis were the gummie bears they got to eat. I wish I could get excited about something that simple.
• Went to a Vermont Lake Monsters game where we saw Judyboo and where Sam was enthralled by Champ, the team mascot, as long as he wasn't too close. When he was close Sam hid behind me. We made it almost to the halfway point and he got to eat ice cream in pellet form so once again, this was a big deal for him. Notice that all three items so far include food and I suspect most of the rest of the list will also include food.
• Attended a birthday party for a five year old with a big inflatable water slide. Sam was still talking about climbing up ladder with the handles and foot holes the next day. And yes, there was more food!
• Went for a picnic at Ethan Allen Tower with Beth. The tower is currently protected by a mama pigeon who didn't seem to want us anywhere near the tower but we preservered. We even managed to avoid the poisin ivy.
• Stopped at several garage sales where I was cruel and wouldn't buy him a huge plastic Tonka fire engine for only $10. I really don't want to buy toys that require their own zipcode. Wait! A food free activity! Make a note of it.
• Our neighbors had their little pool set up with a slide going into the pool. Three naked little boys were enjoying the water and Sam perfected his signature move of a backwards jack knife into the pool.
• Went to the beach where Sam once again showed no fear of the water. We start swimming lessons today although I suspect that he's not going to be able to propell himself to the edge when we go to my parents at the end of July. Note to self: Bring Sam's lifejacket.
• Visited the "frogpoles" after a two week hiatus and they've now got both front and back legs. I took pictures but haven't downloaded them.

In between all that we did the ordinary things such as bikes, walks, the park, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, books, sandbox, etc. I'm sure I'm missing a few other things but overall, I think Sam is having a fun summer. Now if only I could sneak in a bit more time for what I'd like to do: a good book, a cold drink, a shady spot, and a comfy chair. How old does Sam need to be before he can mow the lawn?