There's a frog on the roof

We have been busy the last couple of afternoons soaking up the last of the summer sunshine. We can tell by the chilly mornings that it won't be long until it is too cold to play outside in shorts and t-shirts. Last night at soccer practice my friend Jen and I were just commenting that we should have brought a sweatshirt (me) and should not have worn sandals (her).

Both kids have been playing basketball, practicing soccer, playing on the swingset, shooting Nerf guns, and other outdoor fun, but this evening's adventure was very exciting. They were throwing their Webkinz (stuffed animal toys) as high as they could in the air, when of course it happened.

Austin's favorite frog landed square on the roof, with no hope of the non-existent wind blowing it down. At first I tried standing on our big cushioned outdoor chairs with a broom trying to knock it down. This wasn't going to work, so I knew I would have to get the ladder out. As I have gotten older, I have become more and more afraid of heights, which I get honestly (thanks, dad :)). I stepped onto the next-to-highest rung of the ladder with my knees shaking and swatting the broom around on the roof. Behind me Karsen was chanting, cheerleader-style, "Be Brave, Mom...Be Brave, Mom..." Austin had the phone in hand, I am not kidding, because he was going to call 911 "when I fell" (thanks for the optimism, son). Finally after some violent swings the frog flew off the roof. I am so glad the neighbors had the courtesy to at least stay inside their houses to laugh at me, or maybe all they saw was a broom waving wildly above the privacy fence and roof. After the adventure I am so thankful that usually Josh is here to rescue the things on the roof.
Karsen's new favorite phrase is, "I did NOT see that coming." She uses it in the funniest ways. Yesterday in her kindergarten class it was hat day, since they are working on the letter H this week. When I picked her up, I asked her how her day went. She said, "Four kids wore hats today. I did NOT see that coming." I asked her why she didn't see that coming since it was hat day, and she just laughed. Then at dinnertime she ran to the table and exclaimed, "Chicken noodle soup for dinner! I did NOT see that coming!" (I don't know why she didn't see that coming either--there are a very small variety of foods that both she and Austin will eat, so that's in our regular rotation).
Austin is still as sweet as ever, and I love that both kids really enjoy each others' company right now. It is the exception, not the rule, when Austin calls Karsen a "lazy gorilla" or Karsen screams that he is a ball hog. I am a blessed mom, look at these two sweet faces I get to wake up to every morning: