While working with the pastels, Isaac decided to decorate Paul's hand like clown. He even used white pastel to make the "face," AKA palm, look like a clown's white face.
Later, Isaac colored his own palm to look like a much more colorful clown. It seems his creativity never ends. That's what is so cool about kids, they don't limit themselves or their ideas by ruling them a waste of time or silly. Awesome!
Isaac has a great talent for back-walking and this summer decided to turn it into a business. He even made a sign for his business and set a rate. We decided to post the sign at home so that whenever people are over and want a massage they can request one. That way we don't have strangers coming over for a massage.
When Grammie and Papa came over a couple weeks ago, Isaac got his first paying customer, Papa. Isaac kept at it, but did keep asking when the fifteen minutes were up. Papa was a good customer and went easy on him :-) and didn't make him go the full fifteen minutes. Isaac is saving his money to buy a huge Playmobile pirate ship. Thanks Papa!
So while Isaac tattooed Paul, this is what Paul was working on. I come from an artistic family and can hold my own with a drawing, but whenever I see Paul do artwork, I am still always amazed. He has an incredible knack for capturing what he sees. Trust me when I say that this photograph doesn't do this little masterpiece justice.
So when you wonder where Isaac gets his talent, now you know! Though I will take a little credit, and offer up a little credit to Mother Nature and to Isaac himself. For those of you who only know Paul as a computer geek, here's a glimpse of the other side of Paul!
While drawing with pastels, Isaac came up with the idea of drawing tattoos on Paul. Paul agreed and so Isaac went to work, tattooing dad. He started with a heart, then to an eye with rays coming out of it like a sun. They he switched to the other side where he put burning torches crossed in an "X" and couple others. 
Next time we looked, Isaac had put "W.R." on Paul's right deltoid. When we asked what it stood for we all nearly fell over laughing when Isaac said "It stands for women rock!" After laughing our butts off it occurred to me that maybe we should be worried that he's saying that kind of stuff at six...Still funny though!
As many of you know, Isaac loves to draw. But my Aunt Rebecca is also an artist, as is Paul. One afternoon they all sat down, Kate too, on the Lake patio to do some artwork with pastels. Here's the whole gang! In the background is the Lake's outdoor camp kitchen and on the left is my grandmother, Connie.
Although it's just a picture of Isaac using his towel as a cape, for me it is representative of how quickly Isaac is growing up. I think this year will be a record for him in progress. He has the same amazing teacher as last year and so far is doing really well as one of the "big" kids in the class. He seems to do well in the role of role model, so being one of the first graders in a kindergarten/first grade class is turning out to be a successful place for him. I think I enjoy every age better than the last--six is definitely my favorite so far. It makes me sad that it will be gone in just 8 months...but maybe seven will be even better!
I am slowly catching up on Lake posts, but you'll see newer stuff mixed in now and then as it happens (well more or less when it happens). Usually the Lake cabin has a telescope set up on the railing of the porch. It's great for scoping out the Lake, boats, JetSkis and for finding the osprey and their nests across the Lake. This year, my grandmother forgot to bring it. Luckily, she did bring some great binoculars and was kind enough to trust Isaac to use them. Isaac is now tall enough to reach on top of the tall cabin cupboards and get them down for himself.
Just another picture that I like; two of my favorite things together in one shot. I feel so lucky and blessed to have access to this beautiful place that I can share with those I love. Wish I could be there again now.
I have NO idea how the lighting in this picture came out so cool. Reflection? Flash? Some setting I got by mistake? Regardless, it looks like it has been PhotoShopped for a ritzy ad, and that he isn't actually at the lake--it looks like a set. Did I tell you all that I love our new camera?
After lots of swimming, "rescuing" swimmers (she'll tow you into shore) that didn't really need rescuing, sand rolling beauty treatments, fetching sticks thrown into the lake and the like, turns out even Shelty eventually gets tired. To me, Shelty still acts like a 3 or 4 year old dog, though her 10th birthday approaches in November. She is the best dog in the world (though I may be a little biased) and I can't imagine what life would have been without her for the last 9 plus years. She an angel dog.
Max isn't the biggest dog, just 36 lbs. but I am still consistently amazed by how small he can make his body--he's a little nugget of a dog when he curls up. At the lake he liked to find a shady spot with wet sand, dig a nest, and curl up. Once again this year he wasn't so sure about swimming. Getting wet, yes, swimming, not so much. However he did get in a little swimming (once elective, the others gently forced by me). Maybe next year Shelty the master swimmer dog will finally influence him enough that he realizes how great swimming is. At least this swimmer mom can hope so. Just love that creepily loyal little boy!
I've always been willing to swim around with Isaac on my back and when he requested it this year I agreed without a thought. Turns out kids get heavier all the time, huh, who woulda thunk it! It was a little harder than I remember it...Not sure I'll be able to do it next year. Still lovin' that he thinks I'm cool enough to hang out with and doing my best to keep it that way!
One of the many perks of the lake, at least for Isaac, is the silty, soft, squishy mud right at the shoreline. He found it good for skin treatments, flinging and offering Kate's dog Alex (who deemed it worth trying). Paul captured these super cool actions shots of Isaac flinging mud. Ahh, the simple pleasures of childhood. 
My brain is still on vacation, but now that I've been back at work for a couple weeks it would be nice if I could actually get my act together. Already looking forward to next year's trip!
I still have LOTS of pictures from our trip to blog, but I'm getting off track for a moment to blog Isaac's first day of school today. I wasn't able to be there to drop him off, but Paul was kind enough to take a picture for me. I know, I know, awww how cute. I think it's going to be another great year in Jo's class! Jo has already asked Isaac to be her helper this year to teach the kindergarteners that are coming into the class "the ropes." He does well when he knows he's a leader/role model. I can't wait to see him shine!
As my first cousin once removed (AKA my dad's cousin) Tokkie pointed out when we met him at the Lake, Isaac really needs to come out of his shell more. Tokkie advised calling Dr. Phil to try to start working on Isaac's shyness. Ha! While on vacation this year, Isaac spent a lot of time talking people up. It seems that if you're in the family, you're fair game, so look out. First up to bat in the meeting place (the top of a rock Isaac took a liking to) was Rebecca (my dad's sister). I think he would have talked to her FOREVER, given the chance!
A couple days later my cousin Hannah came up with her mom Jenny (also my dad's sister). Next thing we knew, he had her up in his meeting place, offering up an earful of goodness knows what information. I suspect when she woke up the next morning she found a pile of words on her pillow that had poured out of her ears when she laid down her head! When Isaac gets going the listener need not even say "Really?" "Uh-huh." "Wow." or "Cool." He is content to rattle on without the signs of an active listener. Both Rebecca and Hannah, and anyone else he chatted up, were sweet and listened to all his words of wisdom.
Every year it seems that Paul manages to snap a picture of me that I actually like. I must admit there were a few other pictures he took this year that really weren't so flattering (let's just say they were from the back). Needless to say, those pictures WON'T be showing up here, so no need to cover your eyes!
Seeing Isaac with this smile on his face, well, as a mom, makes me truly blissful. Maybe it's that how he looks is an outward representation of how I feel inside when I am at the Lake. Or perhaps I just love that he is so happy. Additionally, the shadows across his face make for an awesomely cool photograph.
With school and work and regular life, sometimes I don't see this Paul too often, the relaxed one. But it's inevitable that at the Lake and Pineridge, I get to see Paul's face relax. That is something truly worth seeing! Soon I'll post pictures of Paul at the end of our vacation and you'll all be able to see what a difference 2 weeks vacation can make. It was good to get in a long rest before school and work start back for all of us, it makes it possible to do it all over again.
Before I get too far in all the pictures, I have to give a little thanks and tribute to my grandmother, Connie. Without her, I wouldn't be able to come to the Lake or Pineridge, let alone bring my friends and family to enjoy our little patch of Heaven. It was her parents who built the cabins on both properties, and left them to their children, for those of us who came along later to enjoy. I have the utmost respect and love for my grandmother, who when thanked by my brother for the opportunity to come to these beautiful places said "Oh, don't thank me, thank who ever is in charge!" Just love her!
