It’s like a heatwave!

Paulo is wearing Chameleon Camouflage from Le Top's 2011 Spring Summer Collection.

We were complaining last month that summer wasn’t here yet since it even rained in June. But now, summer arrived with a vengeance here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Time to play outside. But wait… It’s TOO HOT! It’s sweltering that playing outside is a challenge. For five minutes, Paulo dribbled his basketball, ran around a bit, then pushed his Tonka truck before we all called it quits and went back in the house. Then we decided to go to the movies to cool off! Phew!

If you’re planning to be outside, remember to:

• drink lots of water to stay hydrated
• put sunscreen on to protect your skin
• wear a hat
• take a rest preferably under a shady tree

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Le Top Takes: Out of the Mouths of Babes!

No, I did not say that!

DAY 1 of SUMMER

I’m bored. I think I’m going to count all the dogs we drive by… and also those people who cut the grass. I have to find at least three but not more than 10 or else I’m going to have to use my toes.”

– Miranda, age 6

Editor’s Note:
Please spread the giggles by sharing your funny quotes with us!

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Fun in the sun… and water!

Lots of ways to stay cool. (Center: Miranda is wearing a bikini from the Spring Meadow collection. Right: Paulo is wearing Hip Hop Grasshopper. Both are from Le Top's 2010 Spring/Summer Collection.)

It’s summertime! My FAVORITE season. I love the sun, the heat, and the feeling you get when a light breeze hits and you are suddenly cooled. Ahhh… And if you can’t stand the heat one second longer, go splash in the water. There’s lots to do. Here are a few:

• Jump in the pool.
• Visit a water park.
• Got a hose? Attach a fun water sprinkler.
• Got a big yard? Go for the “Slip and Slide.”
• Play at a water table.
• Have a water balloon fight.

What do you like to do to stay cool?

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County Fair Fun!

Every summer my family and I look forward to the County Fair. We love the rides, the shows, the animal races, the fireworks, and most especially THE FOOD! Corn dogs, cotton candy, snow cones, chocolate covered bananas, deep-fried Twinkies, and our family’s favorite… FUNNEL CAKES! We visit the fair at least three days per season. One day is devoted to getting there early, pigging out on all the food, watching animal races, riding a few rides, walking around to see the displays, seeing a concert, and staying late for the fireworks. (The two other days are to eat more fair food because it will be another year before we can consume such greasy, fatty goodness.)

This year was my son’s first time at the fair. He is only 3-months old, but we weren’t going to let his age stop us from enjoying this family tradition. Big Sister wanted to show him around to see why the county fair is so much fun. She took him to see a circus act and bought him his first clown nose. Daddy showed him every kind of food he bought before eating it so that he can admire the crazy shapes and sizes, such as footlong corn dogs and tornado potatoes. And I took him to his first rock concert: Night Ranger! I don’t know how much fun my son had or if he even understood what was going on, but we’ll be making sure he knows how important county fairs mean to this family.

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Kids’ Activities: Summer Day Camps

School’s out and it’s almost summer. You imagine sleeping in, having a leisurely, stress-free breakfast with your loving children, then taking them to the park on a beautiful, sunny day. Or, perhaps a trip to the beach or the zoo or the local museum. But then, the first school-free Monday morning arrives. The kids wake up earlier than usual. They’re cranky. They’re fighting. They’re yelling. And the first words you hear are, “I’m bored! There’s nothing to do.” Are your kids signed up for summer camp?

Last summer, I signed up my daughter for every camp possible (or as much as I could afford anyway) to give myself some relief from the “I’m bored” syndrome. Luckily for me, the community center where most of the preschool day camps were held was just around the corner from home! So I signed her up for Dinosaur camp, Cooking camp, Cheerleading camp, Circus camp, Space camp, etc. etc. etc. She had a blast, and I had me some “Me Time” – even if it was only in the morning.

In my town, the summer camp catalog is mailed out in the spring so that parents can sign up their children early for summertime activities. These day camps are usually half a day (either morning or afternoon) for a week or even for the whole summer. There are various activities and sports, such as soccer, cheerleading, theater, bowling, art, music, dance, basketball, gymnastics, science, math… the list goes on. Our church and our preschool also offer Vacation Bible School (VBS) which is a half day, week-long summer program where the kids participate in fun and educational activities while learning about Jesus.

If you don’t know where to go to find out about summer day camps, the first stop is your local library. They will usually have a catalog or a flyer that will give you information about what’s going on in your community. You can also try your child’s preschool or your local church.

So give yourself a little break and sign up your children for summer day camps. It’s a win-win situation.

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We were Lucky Ducks at the Beach

I have wanted to go the beach ever since the rain had stopped. Two months ago, I randomly picked a Saturday in June and wrote in my calendar “Go to the Beach!” A couple of days before Beach Day, the weather turned gray and it had started to rain. In fact, in some areas it started to hail. I said to myself, “NO WAY! This weather better not ruin my Beach Day.”

Early Saturday morning, we packed our beach gear then left the house. It was a bit chilly, and the clouds partially covered the blue sky, but I was determined. This is MY Beach Day, and we were going to go to the beach—whether it was sunny or not. I didn’t care if we froze out there and caught colds!! Our hour-long drive to the beach wasn’t promising. It had been cloudy all the way there, but as soon as we arrived at my favorite beach spot, lo and behold… It was a gorgeous, sunny day. Blue skies and a warm breeze. We were certainly “lucky ducks” to have perfect beach weather! Maybe it’s because I dressed my children in le•top’s 2009 Spring Lucky Duck and Tiptoe Tulip Ducklings collections. (Haha!) At our next beach trip, I think I’ll have them wear these outfits and see if we can be lucky again with a perfect, sunny day. Have you gone to the beach yet this year?

le•top Tiptoe Tulip Ducklings for girls and Lucky Duck for boys. Click on the image to see all the offerings for both collections.

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It’s an Ice Cream Kind of Day

The weather’s getting warm, and it’s finally sunny enough to pull out the summer clothes—even though it’s not quite summer yet. I’ve been waiting to have my daughter wear this ensemble from le•top’s Sunnyday Garden collection. Colorful sunflower blossoms and comfortable denim shorts with lace trim. Boys can wear coordinating outfits from le•top’s Sunnyhill Farm adorned with tractors and friendly farm animals. It’s the perfect thing to wear on an ice cream kind of day!

Click here to find a le•top retailer near you. Here are a few more peeks from the Sunnyday Garden and Sunnyhill Farm collections:

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Baby Model, Cousin, Cyclist…All-Round Good Guy

Alec (Yellow Turtle baby model!) in le•top, circa 1993, with his tricycle and...is he holding a bug?

J. at Yellow Turtle found a “vintage” photo of her son in le•top and sent it over for fun. I loved the old tricycle and the whole composition of this photo; the un-mowed grass, the dandelions, the lone tennis shoe and little Alec looking like the quintessential, all-American portrait of little boy having a great summer! Of course, I wanted to share with everyone on the blog, so I asked J. for a more recent photo of her son, Alec (now 18), and she sent over a few. I noted to her that there seemed to be a cycling theme, and she said her niece, Alec’s cousin, has MS, so Alec has been doing the Bike MS ride since he was 12! Alec and his dad do this ride every year. Last year Alec raised over $2000 – they both rode 75 miles each day, in the hills of Vermont! J. and her daughter are the cooler girls – they wait at the rest-stops with drinks and food. Great family support! We’re looking forward to photos from this year’s Bike MS in Vermont which will be held August 8-9, 2009…Go, Alec!

Alec, now, but still being a little boy at heart! Photo at left is from his Bike MS 2008 event

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Cousins Make Great Friends

Cousins born on the same day showing some love!

I just got this adorable photo, and it reminded me of how much I loved having my cousins around when I was little. I think it’s so special to grow up with them around. I have lots of memories of running around and playing all day during the summers. Cousins seem better than siblings because even though they are family, they’re not nearly as annoying! 😉 They are a nice balance between being a family member, as much as being just a good friend. How neat that these two were born on the same day!

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