All the Little August Things

 I better get this post done before September is over...

Yoga story time at the Groton library. We went to this new library a few times this summer to visit our friend Kira who does the story times there.

 The kids cheering me on at my final softball game this summer. Every time we drive past the field now Belén yells out, "Mommy ball game!"

 Little mama birthday brunch at Ithaca Bakery for some of the ladies in our congregation. There are four of us with birthdays within a month of a each other, so I made sure we celebrated. 

  The National Parks Concert!! I can't believe I haven't posted about this yet!! 

Anna came up to Ithaca and watched the kids for us so that we could go down to Bethlehem, PA for Musikfest. We drove down after Darin finished class on the first Friday in August and quickly made our way over to the festivities. We parked and took a shuttle over.

 While walking around, we found the National Parks van.

 While I liked the National Parks well enough before the concert, I completely fell in love with them during the concert. They were SO good. It was really amazing listening to them perform in person. So much so that we decided to stay for their concert Saturday evening as well (our original plan was to drive home during the day Saturday, instead of late at night--our new plan was better :).

 We met the band after the concert. Poor guys were SO hot and couldn't get over the humidity. It was such a hot day. They were the nicest people! Brady Parks chatted with us for a bit and after we told him that Darin has been a fan since they began way back when and that our kids are obsessed with their song Ba Ba Ra he was like, "Let's get these guys some free shirts, you guys are great!" And we turned red and were like, "No, you are!" 

 While walking around the smoke stacks before the concerted started on Saturday, we ran in to them again and like the weird-o nerdy fans we are, we asked them for another picture--you know since one of the band members was missing in the previous photo. Totally normal, right? Just wish Brady hadn't blinked right at that moment...

 Lots of waiting, as we had to check out of our hotel at 11 a.m. and the concert wasn't until 5 p.m.

 Mic check!

This concert was two hours rather than just one as was the night before. They did a bunch of acoustic songs which were really great, and the venue was just so much better. So glad we stayed the extra day!

And just to prove that we were not the only ones at the concert as it may appear from the above picture, I stole this one from their insta feed. There were a lot of people there, we just wanted to be front and center. Such a cool backdrop.

I was looking at some shirts one day in Target and turned to see where Belén was and found her modeling with the mannequins. 

 Love this little reading nook she discovered. And that she is looking at a chapter book.

 Our apartment management threw a big end of summer party for all the residents. There was face painting there which the kids were very excited about. Belén was so excited to get a ladybug on her cheek.

 And Shae wanted to be a cheetah.

 I spaced taking a picture of Belén's finished ladybug, but found this accidental shot on my camera that will have to work.

 We were gone for my birthday, but the kids still wanted to celebrate with me (and I still wanted cheesecake :), so we chose a day to celebrate.

 The kids found some pine cones on one of our nature walks that they really wanted to bring home to paint.

 While Belén thrives in the nude, Shae is much less comfortable without a shirt on. I told him he either had to take off his shirt or put on a paint shirt and he didn't want to go back and get a paint shirt, so no shirt it was. He was so uncomfortable and it cracked me up.