I feel like I should begin with a public apology to the bird on the beach this weekend.
Dear Bird,
Just…I’m sorry. If I knew where you lived, I’d mail you the fees for the bird therapist I’m sure you’ll be seeing for the next few years. If it means anything, we stop traffic to rescue turtles and my father-in-law has spent hundreds of hours giving free photo shoots to your cousins. In all fairness, you could have flown away. Please know that when you wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat (or whatever it is you birds do) after nightmares of that chase and visions of his crazed CATCH HIM! face–it was done in love. He thinks you’re beautiful, and he only wanted to play. I hope you are well now and that your heartbeat has returned to a steady calm bird rate. Fly on.
Love, The Hamptons
Speaking of flying on…
Brett is the swim instructor of the family. He’s taught all of his kids how to swim so far, and we have one more left in the Brett Hampton Patient Pool Program before a full graduating class of five under his belt. The man has the pool patience of a saint, I tell you, spending hours in the pool building trust, logging practice. “This isn’t working, let’s get a swim instructor,” I tell him. “Baby steps,” he says. “It’s about trust. Just wait.” He got Nella to let go of her deep water grip this weekend so that she at least felt the freedom of movement with her life jacket. Her pride spilled out in a smile that could not be contained to a closed mouth…
…and a hundred watch me pleas. “Lainey, watch”, “Mommy, watch”, “Daddy, watch”, “Dash, watch.” We did. We will. Always.
As for enjoying this past week, we are three days away from school being out and ready to turn up the volume of enjoying the small things–lemonade stands and sprinkler afternoons, pool parties and flower crowns, beach walks and chipped pink shells that make their way to our ever growing collection.
In photos, our summer prequel enjoying…
The Grand Finale of This Season’s Ballet
Paquita, on a big stage. I helped back stage with the second show and loved seeing all the work that goes on behind the scenes to bring to life these productions. And so many snippets of happy things! The little buns, the flowers, the tulle, the tights!
Nella’s New Glasses.
Summer Centerpieces.
Best Friends.
The Patience of Waiting for a Catch.
(got nothin’…except giant clumps of algae)
Afternoon Storms.
Weekend Excursions.
Water, Water, Water. The Backdrop of our Summer.
I finally bought a copy of this beautiful book which caught my eye in a little Traverse City shop last summer. It combines the most gorgeous summer photography with a number of inspiring quotes and passages which, since reading, have ignited a whole new appreciation for this season and the water settings we enjoy. A quote from the editor, Joanne Dugan: “Whether from a sagging inflatable kiddie pool, a deserted swimming hole, a rocky Pacific beach, the shores of East Hampton, or a gushing city fire hydrant, we define our summers by the water we sit by. We smell it, taste it, love near it, write about it, and cast our gaze out past it. We make important decisions near it and also use it to forget, just for a time, those things we don’t want to think about anymore.”
To wrinkled toes, damp beach towels, wet pony tails, getting your feet wet, finding the streams, following the current, diving in, family swims, making waves and coming up for air when you must…bring it, summer.
I’m feeling this post so hard! Ohhhh, I can taste it! Here’s to summer!!! Cheers.
Love the underwater pic! There is something magical about the beginning of summer. Hard to explain but I love it!
I agree. Something about summer always takes me back to my childhood. The carefree school’s out vibe and the enjoyment of such little pleasures.
Kelle. Geez. I enjoy your writing so much that sometimes I forget what a great photographer you are. The photo of Nella, smiling, with Brent in the background, and the one of Dash getting a drink with the ocean behind him. All of them really. They’re so great.
Thank you, Brady!
I love..always..your photos..
My daughters..40 and 38..had little asian PJs like Nella’s top.I still remembering admiring my girls in them..
Her glasss are perfect!
I have always loved tutus and ballet shoes.
I have told you how cute the Littles are…I think you are so pretty also:)
Life is too short to not say what we think .
Ha, you’re adorable. Thank you, Monique. That little Asian top was $2 from a thrift shop. :o) We love it.
Looked like Dash was falling forward into those bushes.
I was waiting for “Child Falling Into Bushes: Part II.” 🙂
Ha! You remember the bush story! Nella’s moccasins in the air. Thank goodness we didn’t have a repeat.
Holy Shit. I remember that post ! That was hilarious ! Well, maybe not for you at the moment, but for us readers it was a funny post.
Love the comments about water and your reference to that book! I grew up on a lake and now have a pool. A summer without a water source sounds like a form of torture to me! And I’m only in Indiana! Don’t you just LOVE the puddle jumper life jackets!? Our twins are only 2.5 and they can “swim” like champs with those things on! LOVE love LOVE that last photo of Lainey underwater! Thanks for sharing your life with “Us” 🙂
Beautiful pictures! Gives me such inspiration to chase some summer fun in my own backyard.
That underwater picture is awesome. And the letter to the bird – so funny!
You have the cutest family. Love Dah chasing the poor bird. Brett in the water with the kids. Nella in the glasses. Are they real glasses. How adorable. Lainey in the recital. Stunning. You too are a beautiful mama. Happy Summer.
Paquita…oh Paquita
MIssing that beach hard right now. Take me back. Take me back!!
First full day of summer at the Wolfswinkel household today. And it.was.glorious. Bring it on. All the pool days, all the chalk, all the bike rides, all the ice cream trips, all the everything summer. 🙂 🙂 🙂
First days set the tone. So a glorious summer indeed to you! xo
Oh Kelle… this might seem so weird, but I feel like you’re all part of my family. It’s probably because I’ve read every single blog post of yours, ever since Lainey was a tiny baby, that I feel such a huge connection, as if I know you all more than just through a computer screen. I hope you can feel, even from far away, all the love. It’s incredible to watch your little ones grow in front of our eyes, and your writing never fails to bring tears to my eyes. You are the mom I want to be someday. I can’t wait to see all the summer fun 🙂 Much love!
I’ve been reading your blog for a year or two. I cried while reading Nella’s birth story while nursing my newborn and I was hooked from there. I think your blog is magical. Your children are stunning and their wardrobe almost just as perfect! Where in the world do you get their clothes? We are moving to Florida in a couple of months and because of the joy I see in these posts I can barely wait! Thank you for writing, for sharing your family and your heart with me.
Thank you! And Florida will have lots of sunshine to welcome you!
The kids clothes are a giant mix of little shops we love, thrifted treasures and some bigger shops like Target and Gap.
Great photos and content x
I rarely comment but wanted to say that your dash is 15 days younger than my twin boys and every time I see your pictures of your son it makes me smile. I have two adventurous, brave, never sit still, very strong little boys. I think that Dash would fit right in over here.
I love the adjectives you chose. It can be exhausting but yes…adventurous and brave and strong. Lucky mamas we are!
All of the photos are so great, and I love the letter to the bird. So hysterically funny. I also love Nella’s glasses. All three of your children are so darling and wear such adorable clothes.
Hi , This is the first time I post a comment. But I just want to tell you how much I like your post. The way you write is great! and your pictures! What can I said , Are amazing! I wish I can have a little bit of your skills in writing to tell my girls stories about them and how much I love them. One of the favorite thing that I enjoy is taking pictures, but I would like to improve it a lot of more. Well thank you for sharing part of your life, your tips, your thoughts. By the way also I like your style for you and your kids. 🙂 and your house decoration. SO in summary I admire you! LOL 🙂 Have a wonderful day. I don’t have a blog or nothing , just a facebook account. LOL.
That photo of Lainey with her dad looking so lovingly at her – I die. AMAZING stuff here!
Ha Ha!!. Your website needs a ‘like’ button,but then the whole internet would ground to a halt trying to process them. I’m sure the bird will be ok, and it will know to run from children now 🙂 I’m no bird specialist but it looks like a young bird to me. Keep up the great blogging and photography,I needed my fix of ‘cheerfulness in print’ for the day.
Love the blog. I have been an avid reader since I discovered it…the same day I found out I was pregnant. 9 months later i had a surprise birth as well….ironic, huh? My girl is 4 now and wears glasses and I want to ask what the red things on Nella’s glasses behind her ears are? Do they help her glasses stay on? We have a lot of trouble getting our glasses to stay put so anything that helps I would love to hear about! Thanks!
Hi Katie. Yes, it’s a stretchy comfy neoprene strap by Croakies. I cut it, adjusted it and sewed it back together to make it smaller, but it works great! Tucks under her hair too, if it’s down. http://www.amazon.com/Croakies-Kids-Eyewear-Retainer/dp/B004AE1WOU
Kelle, delightful blog and happy to find it through several random clicks on Facebook. My friend is a teacher at Key West High School for teens with Down Syndrome. She has been the driving force in getting Stand Up Paddle boarding on the Special Olympics roster…SO SUP. Possibly your family would be interested. There is probably a coach in your area. If you would like to connect with her for suggestions or contacts in Naples, you can email me at ariestrob@gmail.com. God bless you and your gang
Startin the summatime right! I envy so many of your photo’s, we badly want to move to Florida, so your beachy ones make me jealous in a good way. And you are THE BEST god damn party thrower on the planet. I mean, cutest kids parties ever. Photo’s on blog, are adorable always. I enjoy reading all the posts, the good, the bad, the perfect, the imperfect, the real life BS, all of it usually makes me cry or laugh, sometimes both. This blog is a little escape for me and my coffee. I love that you and the kids have the ‘weird’ gene and aren’t afraid to show it. (that’s a good comment) My daughter and I have it too! Thanks for all you do on the blog for readers like myself. It’s appreciated. Rock on Sista !
Gosh Lainey is getting so big! She’s definitely your mini-me. So beautiful!
Beautiful pictures and beautiful kids!! Could you please share where Nella’s hair clips are from (the square ones)….I just love them and they would be perfect for my 2 year old’s thin hair! Thanks!