Yesterday in an effort to beat the heat Meg took the kids to Tougas Farms very early to pick cherries. The heat started early, but before they were sweated out they got some cherries, played on the swings (Henry was very happy to use the big boy swing ... or so he told me) and ate some strawberry donuts (as Henry told me, orange on the outside, pink on the inside).

Last night Meg and I got to see them play very nicely together. Hazel inspired Henry to put backpacks on, run around upstairs and pretend they were off to school via a train (our bed). This morning when I left Hazel was still being extra cute and put on this fire fighter hat. She said to me, "bye Dad woo-woo (fire truck/police car sound)."

Hazel's becoming quite an amateur bug killer. Last night I saw her swatting at a fly (or bee as she calls all bugs, but ants) with a towel and this morning Meg told me she came into the room with a shoe saying something about the shoe and an ant ... sounds bad for the ant.

Here's some pictures Henry took. It's a good sample of the many pictures he likes to take. He really enjoys posing his toys for the camera.

And finally here's some pictures of things the kids made for me.

The above is a card Henry made with Meg. When stretched out it reads, "THIS MUCH." It was a great idea because Henry uses his own hands to express any quantity including time. When making it he told Meg, "I love Dad more than that, Mom!"

Hazel put these rocks in this paperweight for me.

Henry painted this birdhouse (BTW that's a favorite word of Hazel's lately) for my work. It was his idea. He told me to put it up on a tree.

187 small dollars produced two Canadians.

5,600 quarters rounded up three silver Washingtons (2 x 1951, 1951D), seven Canadians, three US nickels and two UK 10 pence. The three silver quarters were all in the same roll.

2,700 dimes yielded three silver Rosies (1946S, 1952, 1962), seven Canadians and one Bermuda 10¢. The 1946S completes my Roosevelt album! It felt good finding that one. I can't believe I found this last one so soon after the second to last one (the 1951S in May, 2011; the third to last, the 1955D, I found in October, 2010). It's been a long time since I complete my last similar album, my Jefferson nickel album in December, 2009!

1,760 nickels got me one War Time (1942P), eight Canadians (3 Ni) and one Mexican $1.