Strawberry farm-June 19.

We tried to extend strawberry season one more day by visiting a pick-your-own berry farm.  Jo and I went with Miss Leah on the first day of the season and picked 26 pounds to make into jam.  

Alas, there weren't many strawberries left, so we headed over to the playgrounds instead.  And we found the best set of slides ever made!

I'll be honest- some of the slides looked a little scary from the top.  You dropped almost straight down.

That didn't seem to bother Henry and Georgie.

The first few times, Georgie didn't want to go down alone, but soon she worked up the courage.

June, on the other hand, stuck to the smaller slides and couldn't be persuaded to go down a big one, even with someone else.

All that running up hills on a hot day made for some sweaty kids.

The girls took temporary respite in a strawberry tunnel. 

What else can you do after a hot day in the sun but go out for ice cream?  There's a Seibert for you.  I'm sad to report that June not only takes after papa in looks, but also in propensity for ice cream headaches.  Henry and Jo continue to take after me and can gulp down gallons without harm. 

Just what the doctor ordered.  In this video, Jo shows off her yodeling, complete with a deep squat during every yodel, June gives us a dramatic portrayal of her love for ice cream, and Henry shows us how to eat Seibert style.

Baseball and friends- June 14 and 15.

Papa took the big kids to see a minor league game in Silver Spring.

Henry earned a ticket through the summer reading program at the library.

Apparently, the ballpark also had a carousel.  I kid you not, this is the first time Henry has ridden a carousel and worked up the guts to actually sit on a horse instead of on a bench or something else fixed to the floor.

You can tell, it was no small feat of bravery.  

The next day, we picked up some friends and headed downtown for some fun.  First stop- Union Station for Bojangles!

We visited the Smithsonian Postal Museum, which is a relatively unknown museum, but loads of fun for the kids.

We ran around this place for a few hours (and they had an exhibit on the Titanic AND the Hindenburg!).

Next up, we headed south of the Capitol, where we've never really explored.  Right outside the Navy Yards is an awesome new Waterfront Park.  

We took a tour of USS Barry (twice) a destroyer that took part in the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam and Korean Wars.

It was a very bright day, so I couldn't see that the lens on the camera was dirty, but you can still tell these kids were having a good time.

We ended the day at an awesome wading pool in Waterfront Park.  There's Georgie on the right in the yellow bathing suit.

The entire thing was only about 10 inches deep, perfect when you're trying to keep track of five kids.

Unfortunately, the pool was overrun by mermaids who shouted "Watch this!  Look at me!"

Up top we discovered a splash pad.  

What a great day to spend with our friends Henry and Rosalind!

Preschool graduation- June 6.

 In June, June joined the ranks of preschool graduate.  They had a field day to celebrate the last day of school.  I was lucky enough to co-op and spend the day with them.

 Dilkini continued to break my heart with cute.

 None of these kids quite figured out a good strategy to hide and seek.

But I think they all fit in there eventually.

A rowdy group of Tigers.  June is hugging her best friend Kiyoma.

One last day of carpet time and calendar duty.

 The kids headed upstairs for graduation practice.

 June was very excited.

 Then they all sang "Make New Friends, but Keep the Old" and I cried.  Thankfully I got it out of the way during practice so I could keep it together during the real ceremony.

(Kiyoma, Gabe, Dilkini, Nethuja, Blakely, Claire, Mercan, Lydia, Hannah, Charlene, Kalpana, June, Amie, and Kelvin.)

 Game time!  June's other bestie- Blakely waits patiently.

 Poor June.  Right before graduation, she took a spill on the playground and required bandaids for both knees and both elbows.  

 Luckily, the "Most Fashionable Dresser" award from Mrs. Claggett made her feel better.  We're sure going to miss our little school!

Pittsburgh! - June 1 and 2.

Though we love DC and it's wonderful suburbs, by May we had to admit, we were getting a little tired of big city life.  There is ALWAYS traffic to be stuck in and everything costs a ton (times 5).  We were desperate for an escape and found it in the most unlikely place- Pittsburgh. 

Don't get us wrong- as true Cincinnati people, we were raised to hate Pittsburgh, but the Steelers aren't very good lately, and we've head lots of good things about the city- like they serve french fries ON their sandwiches.

Plus, the Reds were in town playing the Pirates.  

I mean, how can you not like a place that has Racing Perogies?

Henry and June were very pleased to get to go to a baseball game and stay up late.  And eat snacks!(Georgie was with some friends we were staying with in town.)

The sugar kicked in and we all got a little silly.

Look!  Joey Votto!

They're goofy, but they're also toughing each other without fighting.  (Until the elbow at the end.)

Even surrounded by Pirates fans, we had a good time.

PNC Park.  We'll definitely be back.

June gave Willie Stargell a big hug before we left (but not before I made everyone stay longer to watch a post-game concert from Kool and the Gang.

How can you not like a ballpark on the river?

Many thanks to our friends, the Griffins, who let us stay at their house and visit the pool.  We only got this shot of our friends Connor, Drew, and Will.

On Sunday morning, we headed out to see this new charm of Pittsburgh that everyone is talking about.  I can't remember why, but somehow Henry wound up pantless and stuck in the trunk.  Haven't we all been there?

The Strip (the old warehouse district) is every but as cool as we've heard.  Papa got another Primanti Bros. meal on a sandwich.  I dined on a meal of freshly fried fish and other brown foods from Wholey's Seafood and Market.

Henry enjoyed a bottle of Hank's soda.  

Before we headed home, we took a ride up the Dequesne Incline.  Our camera died before we got to the top to get a good shot of the city, but it is forever burned in our minds.  Free parking, good midwestern food, $2 trolley rides up the side of a mountain.  Pittsburgh, you had us at hello.

More May photos.

I thought I had all of the May photos up, until I realized I never uploaded one of our camera's pictures from all summer long. I thought I was missing a few things.

Henry took part in his first science fair.  His project was officially entitled "How does a fire extinguisher work?"  The short answer is: by removing one of the three elements of fire- heat, fuel, or oxygen.  

 JoJo's class took a trip to a local nature center.  Anush, Yohansh, Elaine, Georgie, Sabrina, and Madison had a good time in the log canoe.  

 And they really liked seeing the Bald Eagle out in the bird enclosures.

That eagle was so funny!  (Though it did creep me out a little.  I don't think those eagles and vultures were very happy to be tethered in a cage.  But they were injured, so I don't think they could be released.)

 For papa's birthday, we made an almond joy cake.  

 It was delicious!
 
 And apparently, the sugar was enough to induce this dancing.

 We visited the nature center beside our apartment to do some geocaching.  We found the cache, despite the best efforts of two litttle girls who did not want to look for tupperware in the woods.
One afternoon, all of the kids were back in the bedroom when I heard some pretty loud thumping.  They'd constructed a jumping pit where, luckily, no one ended up hurt.  

 This sweet girl was so happy to have "princess hair."

That's unicorn hair that June is dancing with, in case you didn't recognize it.

We headed downtown on Memorial Day Weekend for the parade.  The girls were quickly persuaded to vote Democrat, while Henry and Olivia held out to see which politicians offered the best candy.

 Of course, the Bolivian dance troops were there.  No parade in South Carolina is ever going to compare.

Georgie spent some time dabbling in undressing herself, but not without a fair bit of whining.

Here's the whining.

 She also dabbled in using the potty, though that ultimately didn't happen until August.

May brought nice weather, and those skinny little legs were happy to see the sun.