It's all downhill from here

Well, it's my own fault.  

Somehow, we had the Best Day Ever on the first (real)* day of summer vacation.

What composition!  I call this one Hufflings, Tree, Small Furry Companion.

  

We had toast for breakfast, then took the kids and dog off to Regent's park with what the locals refer to as a "football".  After sitting by the boating pond for about 45 minutes, eating croissants and quietly watching a family of ducklings follow their mom around, we followed a dusty path to the sports fields to play some two-on-two in the sun.  When it got too hot, we found a nice shady climbing tree, then stopped by the sand-and-rope, Swiss Family Robinson-esque playground on the way home.  Vaughn even said to me, "This is a really fun day."  (Wow.)

After lunch, they had 45 minutes of independent-ish play (I had asked for 60) while I did some work, then off we went on the bus for the first swimming lesson, which went -- so sorry -- swimmingly.  That son'o'mine again came up to me and said, "Thanks for setting up swimming lessons for us!" (Am starting to think he's up to something.)

We ate the Last Box of Cheesy Noodles for dinner (with added peas for nutrition and reduced mom-guilt), then took the blackberry-yogurt "ice lollies" that the junior miss chefs made on the weekend, along for Ziggy's walk around the block after dinner.  

Up next:  jammies, teeth, stories, and bed.

All in all, it's been a good day.  Could we be turning a corner?  Or are they just trying to lull me into complacency for the next 8 1/2 weeks of vacationing with my children without a break, and also Chris has to work late for most of it and oh god...

But for now, it's been a good day.  

* technically, the first day of summer vacation was spent with Chris on Friday, while I was on a course.  I wasn't there, so it didn't count.