Summer Complaint

Gee, if it's 90 degrees, wouldn't it be great to have a 101 degree toddler clinging to you. Just for variety the toddler could periodically vomit on you so you can take a cooling shower. When that palls the effluvia could come from the other end. Yes, that would be fun!

Our Very Own

Our very own metro-sexual here. Notice the jazzy juxtaposition of tutu and Power Ranger undies (worn backward so he can see the picture)

Our very own bookends

Our very own reasons for buying a pool.

Home and Hot

Yesterday dd E came home from camp. She had a wonderful time, even though we didn't get home until about 10pm. It was hot yesterday and today it is 99 F if the bank is to be believed. It sure feels like it. I did have to take dd L to t-ball practice this morning and to a birthday party this afternoon. Other than that I've either been in the pool (though I'm afraid it looks like Shamu in a bathtub) or sitting in the lawn chair with my feet in the wading pool while Mel plays. I went to the Farmer's market this morning and bought strawberries. That and some biscuits in the freezer can combine with whipped cream for shortcakes for dinner. It's just too hot to cook.

Oh Yeah!

Hey, go make yourself feel better with this quiz. Of course it's not true, but since I walk into rooms with no idea why I went there, it stroked my ego.

Your IQ Is 140

Your Logical Intelligence is Genius Your Verbal Intelligence is Genius Your Mathematical Intelligence is Genius Your General Knowledge is Genius

A Quick and Dirty IQ Test

Getting My Head Around It

Sometimes there is a synchronicity to thoughts and conversations that come your way. I was looking at 20mo old dd today. Aside from thinking she is one of the cutest kids on earth, I was thinking how much I love this stage. You can almost see the wheels whirling in their brain. I realized when my oldest was this age her brother had been born, and by the time he reached this age my next ds had arrived. The feeling of my stomach dropping away accompanied the thought that there probably won't be any more 20mo olds. That makes me unbearably sad. I then encountered two people today who wanted to gleefully regale me with stories of their tubal ligations. (Why they should want to talk about that I don't know.) I'm feeling grief over a lack of babies and they are celebrating the end of that season of life. Now please, don't leave me snarky comments about how I should be so grateful for the ones I have, I've got my share, yada, yada. I know that and I agree, but... kids are like chocolate, just because you've had some it doesn't mean you don't want more.

Summer in Pictures

Swimming

Sunning

A Little Sandbox Time with a Cool Drink

Some Playhouse Time

A Version of a Summer Cottage

Our Sister Has Left The Building

Today was taken up with delivering E to church camp. She was thrilled to go and a cry of joy came up from her brothers that she will be gone this week. Ah, familial affection. Dh and I agreed we'd really like a week at camp for ourselves. All meals prepared, swimming and games provided, a mandatory quiet half hour at noon, and the evening finished each night with loud music, singing and dancing. Where do I sign up? Instead I'll be slogging off to help with Bible School for three hours every morning, and where am I assigned? The nursery of course. Am I really the only woman in town who likes babies and toddlers?

Chernobyl

I was hoping to post about our trips to the park this week, or getting ice cream, or the fact that the weather has been beautiful, but mostly all I can think of is my 6yo dd's meltdowns this week- nuclear, China Syndrome, Chernobyl, Three Mile Island melt downs. For no apparent reason. Five of them this week. At the rate she's going it'll be October before she swims or comes near electronics again. OK, maybe not October, but a good long while. Maybe I should rethink that corporal punishment stance? Actually, I'm sure that wouldn't help either. I've talked to her and wracked my brain, and I can't come up with any reason for her behavior. Of course there's always that little voice in the back of my head suggesting, perhaps, she'd be an angel with a better mother. Do they inject you with guilt inducing drugs when you give birth?

Play Ball

Two ball games tonight. Here is C at bat, as close as I could get .

This is L at bat in t-ball.

This is L after the game. She hit a homerun, though that is probably more a function of the other team's fielding than it is her hitting ability.

Family Reunion

We went to my father's family reunion today. He did not attend since he is currently embroiled in yet another family feud. (This is not a game show, but a pass time indulged in by family members, wherein at least two if not more people, are not speaking to one another.) It was 90 degrees, then it rained and was a temperate 88 degrees and even more humid. I did see lots of cousins who all told me I'm holding up well (huh?), and the best part of the day was watching my kids climb the same magnolia tree I climbed as a kid at "the folks' place' ie. my grandparents' farm.

Committment

I've been contemplating committment this week as have Chris
and
thicketdweller. 
My life seems to sometimes consist not of my committments but in steering my kids to become the kind of person who keeps THEIR committments. I seem to have succeeded, at least with the oldest three who are 13, 11 and 9. The younger three are works in progress. The one year old's only committment is to put her shoes away after all. I ask them if they need help or send them out the door and let them take it from there. I know some people think I push too much responsibility on my kids. I tend to think their children are whiny butts. It's all in your point of view I guess. I've been wondering if my esteem of responsibility and independence is a product of my having had older parents. My parents were children of the depression. My dad left home at 14 and my mom got a job and paid rent at 15. I left home at 18 and never went back. ( Ok, for a visit, but not to live.) Dear Lord, I don't want them living on my couch when they are 20. We'll have to see what happens. I really do think though, that making it to meetings and practices and places promised will at the worst not hurt them. Heck, it might even help. My committment is not to get them there, or see that they get everything done but to give them the skills to do it themselves. My committment is to let them know they are loved and that I would chew glass for them.

Yet

Is the pool ready yet? Is the pool ready yet? Is the pool ready yet? Is the pool ready yet?

Pool Party?

Well, I worked on the pool but it was no party. After suffering through a migraine Monday, interrupted frequently with pleas of "When are we setting up the pool?', I thought it would just be easier today to get it done. It's not an olympic in-ground but serves our needs nicely. I will say it provides alot of entertainment, I just wish we had a pool boy (preferably a bronzed, muscular pool boy) to take care of the darn thing.

It is only the third day without school and they've already taken bike rides, played tennis, bought too much candy, had involved water gun fights and woven clover jewelry. I wish they'd pace themselves. Maybe I can teach them to make margaritas, put on the Jimmy Buffett tunes and perhaps fan me with palm fronds.

Dance Recital

"Hey, my school turns into a dance club!" Words from my 4 year old ds. Last night was the girl's dance recital. It is held at the old elementary school in our town, now known as the Civic Center. His preschool is there, dance classes, and other stuff. I don't think it quite qualifies as a dance club though. No liquor, no mirror balls, no obnoxious pick ups, LOL. The girls did well and it is another thing we don't have to do this summer. Yesterday afternoon was also L's "blooming" from a Daisy to a Brownie scout. It made for a very full day.

Sisters


Former Daisy

A Hard Game's Night

Some days it's better to stay in bed, and tonight proved sometimes it would be better to keep a kid in bed. I dropped C off at his Little League game and took the girl's to dance recital practice. When I got back to the ball field, I was greeted by my bloody mouthed son with an ice bag. "Hey mom, I got hit with a throw." Uh, great? Second inning comes around, C bravely slides into third base, rips out his pants, and more blood flows down his leg. Uh, try that ice bag you've got. Fourth inning, C is batting, and gets hit really hard in the ribs with a pitch. It sounded sick, but what made it soooo much better was all the other parents asking me "Did you hear that?" Uh, YES! All the coaches and umps rushed over to him. I am proud to admit I stayed in my seat. He eventually shook it off. The best part, they didn't even win the game.

Last Day!!!

Today is the last day of school!! Woohoo! No more asking about projects, or forms, or lunches or did you bathe? Actually Friday was the last day of "school". I think they've been marking time and cleaning class rooms since then. E came home with a fistfull of awards yesterday. C also got a letter from his teacher telling him how amazing his math skills are and to keep figuring out new problems on his own. Who are these kids??? S at least continues my history of underachivement. "S has such potential, but...." LOL. Actually L's last day was yesterday. Kindergarten goes all day, every other day, here. I can't believe she'll be gone every day next year. What am I going to do all day with just two at home? Boring! Oh well, I have all summer with 7 kids (I babysit a friends daughter), that should make me look forward to school by August ;-).

This weekend will be a busy one anyway. L "blooms" up from a Daisy to a Brownie Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening the girls have their dance recital. ( I love dance, but the Moscow Ballet it isn't.) Friday evening they have recital practice and I think C has a Little League game. To celebrate tonight I'm making my "world famous" cinnamon rolls and calling it supper and they are sitting up tents in the back yard and sleeping outside.

On the renovation front, I finally planted flowers out front, sprayed all the weeds trying to retake our drive, waterproofed the deck, sanded the picnic table, and spent a small fortune at the grocery store to prepare for the locusts being home full time.