it all started with the turtle. (alternately titled, I need your ideas!)

When I was in college, my roommate and I would declare occasional KAPNOUFs: Katy And Paige's Nights of Unmatched Fun.  We would spend the evening doing THE most random stuff.  Once, we got our hands on one of those simulation pregnancy bellies and took turns wearing it around.  Another time, we dressed up in raptor pajamas and painted our VCR.  Another time, in the winter, we took cafeteria trays and had our friend Vern pull us around on the ice with his car while we hung on to the driver's side mirror. (Because we were idiots.  WE COULD HAVE DIIIIIIED. But we were fun idiots.)  I think we smoked a tobacco pipe once.  We air-lassoed like there was no tomorrow.

You know.  Stuff like that.

So, it's seemingly unrelated, but bear with me: last week, my friend Rachel texted to ask if we'd want their pet turtle.  (You may remember him from previous blog posts - he has three legs and a crooked shell and the forbearance of a saint.)  Todd and I aren't really pet people, but the turtle is seriously low-key, and we knew the kids would love having a pet, so we said yes.

I hadn't told the kids about it until Rachel pulled into the driveway with the turtle and all his equipment (read: cup of bait worms and a heat lamp; easiest pet in the world), at which point all mayhem ensued.  Everyone is completely thrilled to be pet owners.  It dawned on me at that point that we could turn this into a whole Week of Unmatched Fun: I could do something small and random every day to make this break week memorable.

Monday was Turtle Day, obvs.  Yesterday, I bought a sprinkler and the kids played in it for well over an hour.

Today, I'm thinking I'll make strawberry shortcake for lunch.  (I got some amazing, fresh strawberries up at the Amish yesterday, as well as some cream for making whipped cream.)  Also, as it's the anniversary of D-Day, Atticus has requested some kind of French dessert, so we'll be busting out some frozen eclairs.

I'm going to see if my friend Megan, who has a pool at her apartment complex, is up for some pool pals either tomorrow or Friday... which leaves me one remaining day this week to figure out.

Any ideas for something simple, cheap, fun, and easy to accomplish with six kids in tow?  Let me hear them!