Lazy Summer Porch Day

Just found this post in my draft section from a particular hot day in early May, but here you go anyway:

I don't know about the weather in your part of the world, but our weather has gone from too cold to have an outside birthday party (I still have not posted about it!) for my middle son in mid-April to 89 degrees at 4pm today. The kids and I took a break around noon today to "water the garden".

The water guns were a birthday present to Dema from our neighbor/friend Jair. I have gone 11 years of parenting without any type of gun (I even have friends leave their toy guns at the door, I feel like someone out of the Old West confiscating guns at the edge of town), but today I did see the value of water guns.

They had a blast staying cool and didn't beg for hours to go swim at Vicky and Greg's pool (which is not open for the season yet, but the kids start asking about the end of March). The garden was watered and the kids were watered.

My view of the porch when I wasn't watching the kids. In warm weather, it is my favorite part of our house.

I had some relaxation time in the hammock on the porch reading The Lacuna and drinking one of these babies (unsweetened chocolate soymilk, coffee, and a splash of peppermint over ice...ahhh!), as the kids dried off they drank these babies

(one bunch of kale, two oranges, one banana, vanilla soy milk, Brazil nuts, shredded coconut, a few frozen raspberries, and ice)  and read about the true history of chocolate...it all comes together at the Vegan Linda Academy. Have I mentioned how much I adore homeschooling?

Our lunch was baked tofu wraps with walnuts, Nayonaise (don't tell Rob, he loved the wraps and even came down from his attic office to steal half of mine, but believes he doesn't like Nayonaise), mustard, Cholula, guacamole, and salad mix in a sun-dried tomato wrap. Served with our first sun tea of the season (Afternoon in Provence from my friend Julia's business, Bingley's Teas).

Dinner was just as good as lunch; roasted local mushrooms and asparagus (inspired by Richelle's dish at the Easter potluck), sauteed beet greens from Kit and Emily, brown rice, Raw Red Pepper Aioli (Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan) topped with gomasio and walnuts. I love the spring growing season with all things green in abundance. Life is good!