Were summering and contemplating life… hows your summer?

goodbye summer.... lets do this again, real soon!

remember making these when you were a little kid?

I have been looking through my pictures a lot lately wondering where the summer went, it's almost gone and it seems like I just picked them up on their last day of school. This summer flew by and we did so many amazing things. I have always loved summer with my kids and this summer was no exception!

We had a few bumps and bruises along the way this summer with scheduling conflicts and me running kids here and there but all in all this was a very productive summer.

Although it's HOT HOT HOT here I am not looking forward to the summer coming to an end for many reasons. The end of summer here means Kid3 will be gone, our long summer late nights will be over and we'll be up to greet the sun starting on August 9th.

Goodbye sweet summer, we'll miss your long sunny hot days, but we'll look forward to meeting you again next year. Same time, same place!

Roswell

If you've never been to Roswell NM, you really should go. I know, I know, it's not a glamourous vacation but it is an interesting one! Do you like Aliens? Do you believe in them? I can't say if I do or don't... I think if they're real it's okay with me, I just would rather not meet one, I feel the same about Big Foot!

Kid4 begged and begged to go to the "Alien Museum" and on the last day of our busy trip we went and she was scared! They even added a jump house and she was too scared! long story short, Bat Girl and I wasted 8 dollars, but got some cute pics!

GO to Roswell someday my friends, experience the desert, the aliens and eat at Martin's Capital Cafe on second street, you won't forget any of it!

Toy Story 3!

We had a great trip to Texas and as always we felt welcome at my fun friend Linda's!

I love to visit her. Our kids have such a great time together! (and so do we by the way)

One of our fun summer activities was seeing Toy Story 3 with our buddies!

FUN, FUN, FUN!

summering

We are summering.

Are you?

What has your summer been like?

Are you picnicking, camping, blowing bubbles, laying on the beach?

We have a list.

We aren't following it very well.

We have been vacationing, eating, balooning, making bears, and having lunch with Aliens....

It's been a productive summer.

Tomorrow we're visiting Monkey Joe's for a day of jumping with a friend.

I hope your having a lovely summer!

splendid Summer

Summer time CAN be a magical time. It can also be a time of stress and running around. I try every summer to enjoy every single minute, to cherish the moments I have with my kids not in school. Some days it’s harder than others.

This Summer Kid4 and I are adopting a very good idea from Meg at the Whatever blog. I love her blog by the way!

Kid4 and I wrote a big summer list of things we want to do. She is certain we will do all of them and I hope we can! She loves the feeling of putting a check mark in the box next to an activity!

So far we have made snow cones, eaten ice cream, visited Lane Packing Company, swam at Bat Girls and rode the little kiddy rides at the mall (she was too big, poor kid)

We are having a lovely summer and looking forward to playing in the sprinkler, eating lots of snow cones, making cupcakes, visiting at least one zoo, going on a little road trip and MUCH MUCH MORE!

Happy summer sweet friends!

Love,

Kid4 and me!

summer thoughts

Some of our summer has been busy and some has not. As you know we have made one big road trip and visited lots of friends and family in June. The month of July has been more relaxing, we are looking to my fun friend Linda visiting this weekend but mostly we have enjoyed being home, cooking out, swimming, hot days, playing hide and seek, sonic slushies, finishing up decorating in our house… you know summer stuff?!

Yesterday we watched TV, played high-ho-cherry-o, colored many pictures, went to Kid4’s doctor’s appointment for a pesky ear infection and read lots of stories. We skipped swimming because of that darn outer ear infection- ouch!

Kid4 wanted me to take a couple of pictures of her magnetic dolls that we worked so hard to dress, matching their clothes so carefully so I did. She inspected the pictures and approved. When I looked at the pictures today they made me smile because there’s nothing better than sitting around the house, doing a lot of nothing with your kids. It might be dolls, crayons, books, listening to your teen play his guitar, whatever it is- stop and take a moment to enjoy it.

Those little moments are gone before you know it.

Cherish them.

try it!

sink or swim friends, sink or swim...

How did your kids learn how to swim? How did you learn how to swim?

Did someone throw you in a lake until it was perish or swim? Did someone gingerly teach you day by day working so sweetly with your fear of drowning? Did you all by your brave self get in that water and work till you figured it out?

I don’t even remember actually learning, I just know that I spent many many hours and summers in Elk Lake at our family cabin getting deeper and deeper until one day I must have been good enough to swim… errrrr…. dog paddle. I don’t consider myself a swimmer really, I consider myself able to hold my head above water and thrash my arms and legs around enough so I don’t drown.

I lived in Hawaii for 11 years and when you have a boogie board or windsurf board strapped to you there is no need to swim so I did not officially learn to swim at a certain time in my life.

2 years ago I put Kid4 in swimming lessons and the teacher wanted me to dunk her over and over whether she was screaming or not and I was sick about it. She assured me that it was the best thing. By the end of the lessons, Kid4 was not only NOT swimming she was also scared of the pool all over again. If it’s sink or swim she would rather sink!

Here she is “swimming”, we have let her play *hold the dunking* in Bat Girls pool everyday sometimes 3 to 4 times a day and she believed in herself enough to venture out alone. She amazed us today as usual. The proud Mr. B. called me to rush right over with the video camera and get this new adventure on video.

Congrats Big girl, another big day to celebrate!

silly summer schedule is slowly sucking my seconds away from me

What are your summer days like? Are they busy, lazy, crazy?

Mine can be frantic like you read about last week when I was busy visiting my mom and dad, alien hunting, zipping around the zoo, chasing after Sweet Chad and Kid1 on their skateboards.

Some days like today, I stick a roast in the oven, do vacation laundry all day even though I did laundry at my moms every other day we still had a days worth left…! I also went couch shopping with Bat Girl and found a couch we loved, bought it and brought it home. I also went swimming with the kids and had peach cake with our best friends. Some days I decorate all day, or sit and read blogs, like when Harper was born, I was a nervous wreck and I spent more time than I care to admit checking on her- I almost called the hospital myself to check on Kelly- I was sick with worry. I prayed all night seriously.

My today looks a lot like this-

Getting up early (830) to make breakfast sandwiches for the kids who will be joining me at the free summer movies in Warner Robins.

Heading out to the movie at 920 to get there in time to get a good seat and deciding between the Tale of despereaux and Mall cop. (I’m rooting for the mouse movie) We’ll watch the movie and I will enjoy the kids that join me- of course Kid4 will come- it’s really a summer activity for her.

After the movie I’m going home and making lunch, today we had hot ham and cheese with cantaloupe- YUM! I will put the spaghetti and meatballs in the oven to simmer till they are ready to be devoured by my hungry crew at dinner.

Then off to take the kids to be delivered to different spots. Kid1 and Kid3 are going to different friend’s houses to spend the afternoon. Kid2 and Kid4 are going with me to David’s bridal where Kid2 will have her final fitting for her bridesmaids dress for our darling Big Girls wedding in August. The girls and I will probably have lunch together and a little girl time.

Home again, home again for a swim at Bat Girl to cool off from the heat of the sweltering day and then I’ll probably start bread for dinner and check email and take a breathe for a minute until… dinner time. Then I’ll serve dinner, start dessert, and probably have another swim while Kid1 does the dishes (oh wait he’s still out). They will sit in the sink… I’m too tired!

Somwehere in there Mr. B. will come home from work, play with Kid4, pick up the boys and eat dinner.

More than likely we'll hang out with Bat Girl and the Shadow, swim and laugh until we’re too tired to hold our heads up, take everyone home, pick up the house, get showeres and CRASH.

Friday will be much quieter I hope!