Sweet Summertime

It is early here as I write this.  We are in full summer mode around here.  Days have been full of biking and swimming and kids have gotten the memo and started to sleep in.  I have been only around the computer enough to check email, check weather and work on my class this summer....only 2 assignments left!!  I have never taken a class with non-napping children in the house so it has been challenging to say the least to juggle it all and I feel like some things are slipping around here:  mostly housework things.  Our floors are dirtier, laundry is piled more, kitchen needs a deep clean, as do the bathroom floors.  But I wouldn't trade all the quality time I've had with the kids for a clean house at this point and when I get a free moment I am working on class.  So our house will be clean 2 weeks from today, until then....we are just going to be living in it I guess.

Day 38:  Sunday, July 5th.  Time to head back home from vacation.  I have no pictures from the event but we did come home and Craig's Anniversary present had arrived in the mail:

All those mentions of "I really like THIS necklace" and showing him where it was and then getting my mom a similar one for Mother's day (some differences) and TA DA.....I have a necklace I absolutely love and wear constantly.  Good Job Craig!

Day 40:  Tuesday, July 7th.  Did you catch that...yep, skipped a day.....I actually can't believe I made it 38 straight days of taking at least one picture a day.  UNHEARD OF.  Day 39:  We were full on recovery mode from vacation on that Monday.  Many books were read, laundry done, camping gear cleaned and put away.  Camera was not any where near my thoughts.  It rained most of the day Monday but Tuesday dawned bright and beautiful.  A great day to bike to one of our favorite parks.  The only reason my kids like this local park is for it's old school merry-go-round.  Well, I sort of forgot that it rained the WHOLE day before making the area around the merry-go-round a little muddy.  We got to the park and saw the mud and I had two choices really:  Let them go for it or make them stay off the merry-go-round. 

I choose to let them go for it that day:

It's summer.  I am a little more fun in the summer.

Day 41:  Wednesday, July 8th.  Still struggling a bit to adjust to being back from vacation.  We went to one of my favorite places with some friends.  Kids were needing a little more "attention" and "redirection" this morning.  But hey....the scenery and company were great!

At one point, we made water balloons.  My three kids, who had been struggling to get along all morning, decided to mount an attack on the friend we were with.  Ummmm....that is great that you all want to be united for the FIRST TIME all day but let's not bombard one child with waterballoons.  But the day got better and we slowly started to get back on our schedule and remembering expectations, etc.......

Day 42:  Thursday, July 9th.  So.....it was going to be coolish and beautiful....but not really warm enough to go swimming.  We had been bumming around the area most of the week so I took the kids on a little road trip to the zoo.  They had been asking when we were going to get to go.  It was awesome.  We spent the whole day and had a great time.

Day 43:  Friday, July 10th.  Today was a day around the house.  We did a few errands but then it was "you can be bored and then think of something you want to do around the house" day.  They asked:  "Can we open a restaurant and invite our neighbors".  I only have sandwiches and a little fruit but yes, you can do that.  

They spent an hour prepping:  tables, menus, invitations, order taking sheets, and goody bags for the kids....well worth the peanut butter and honey sandwiches and watermelon that was served.

Day 44:  Saturday, July 11th.  We have never been in town for our town's celebration days, so this year we made it a point to be here:  Carnival on Friday night, parade on Saturday.  More candy than we know what to do with now.  It was really fun though, because we have lived here 2 and a half years now and it really is starting to feel like our community.  Going to the carnival and running into a lot of people, then seeing people we knew in the parade solidifies that this is home.