Summer flew in like an Idon'tknowwhat and it hasn't slowed down once.
The kids are attending Vacation Bible School each morning this week which really throws a wrench in my workout schedule, but I'm being a big girl about it and they're loving it. Jack is excited because since he's entering Kindergarten in the fall {someone hold me} he gets to participate as well.
We have to leave the house by 8:15am in the mornings though. This is rough for Mama, let me tell ya. Getting up earlier during the summer than I do during the school year (for 5 days in a row) is just wrong - but it's definitely worth the extra work, so we're managing smiles. :)
When we get home in the afternoons I quickly make lunch (that looks a lot like yogurt for each kid and then a big plate of cheese slices, apples, and carrots for them to all share) and then I have them sit on their beds for an hour and read (the 5 year old usually falls asleep). We've also implemented an hour of chores each day and it has been so nice! The structure is wonderful and the kids knowing that it happens every day keeps the, "What!? But Mom!" comments at bay. I just make a list for each child that will take them about a half hour (their barn chores take a half hour, so we just add that in) and they are expected to have it done before they get their pajamas on at night. {This idea of an hour of reading and an hour of chores each day was brought to me by my mother in law who is a genius.}
We've managed a few afternoons at the lake, but it's been pretty rainy the past week and a half (sun to come soon though!) so we're all ready for some more outdoor weather to be here. We're really looking forward to fishing and swimming and playing in sand!
Fischer is officially crawling all over the place. He's got 4 teeth (well, 3 and one that keeps going in and out, but since it's "out" today, we'll count it). He's got his bottom front teeth and his two top canine teeth - it's pretty hysterical looking and we may or may not call him snaggle-tooth....
Let's see...what else? We've got weddings coming up (Jeff's good friend from work the beginning of July and his brother is getting married the end of July) and lots of business surrounding that that we're looking forward to. Jack is going to be "ring security" for Uncle Johns' wedding and he can hardly wait. Carter saw the shirt and tie Jack will be wearing (which is to die for!) and decided that he wanted to one-up his brother and wear a tux to the wedding for fun. I kindly told him that would not be happening.
Oh, in a conversation with Natalie earlier this week in the car, she asked me about how you pick the person you want to marry. By the end of the conversation she goes, "so pretty much as long as they love Jesus more than anything else, you'd be good with them?" I said, "pretty much." Carter pipes up from the backseat, "Your top priority for your partner can be them loving Jesus - my top priority for mine is that they love the OSU Beavers." NICE.
So anyway, that's our bi-monthly wrap-up. Hope you guys have a great rest-of-the-week!
Already?
Really?
This is what I posted on Facebook this morning:
"Even
though my kids would love for it to be super hot outside and for us to
be heading to the lake (which will come soon enough), the first morning
of summer break finds us (me) sitting on the couch sipping coffee in
front of the fire while listening to the rain outside. I have to admit
that all this makes me happy happy happy."
Then real life happened.
Kids started fighting; worn out from the busy first couple of days at school this week, they are short on sleep and loooooong on overdone activities.
It was time. Even on the very first day of summer break, I just knew it.
Time to pull out my get-out-of-jail-free card.
I piled all the kids in the car and after a 25 minute drive through pouring rain we made it to civilization "town" where we had lunch at Dairy Queen and rented Red Box movies - both of which are a HUGE (and rare) treat in this house.
Right now the three older kids are laying on blankets in the living room zoning out watching a movie. Fischer is sleeping soundly in his bed. The house is quiet. It's still raining outside and, once again, I am happy happy happy.
Here's to everyone living through summer break!
Jack was coloring this morning and Fischer was playing with some bowls (as opposed to "playing with bowels" as I wrote initially) on the kitchen floor.
Jack asked for Fischer to quiet down.
I said, "Is his playing loudly messing up your artistic abilities?"
He replied, "No. It's just annoying me. Nothing can mess up my gift of art."
So now that we have "art" down, maybe we should work a little on the humility?
Already we're in that time of year where in order to plan something new we have to look at least 6 weeks down the line to find the time.
I love summer (the kids have 4 days of school left, not that any of us are counting...) and can't wait for things like my kids' laundry smelling like sunscreen and campfires. Mmmmm.
I might also love Summer because right afterwards is fall and oh how I love fall.
Summer normally isn't my favorite time of year because I don't really like the heat (I hate sweating when I'm not doing it on purpose). I don't like that girls wear next to nothing, seriously - COVER UP! such skimpy clothing,
I'm not a huge fan of water (although I love me some lake time!), and I don't like that even though it's summer, Jeff still has to work, but I sure do love having all my kids all the time.
OhmyMamaheart.
Summer fills it to the brim.
We're not making a summer bucket list lest I feel I failed, again, at the end of the summer but Jeff and I have a mental list we'd love to check off one at a time and the kids have huge lists that they'd like to check of daily as well.
All in all, we're ready for this season to begin - only FOUR more school days! YAY!
Biggest news of the day?
The dog threw up and ate it.
Aren't you glad you stopped by here today?
