Overall....it has been a busy summer, fun at times, crazy at times, losing my patience at times.... My sitter that usually helped me out 3 days a week left in mid-July and that is when things got a little crazy. Each week we were scrambling to find help so I could work my few hours, get the kids to camp, and I no longer had the freedom to run errands during the week. It was an adjustment. In this same time frame we have had Gabby evaluated for her delayed speech. She will begin receiving some speech services when the school year begins. Amanda and Nicholas have been busy playing a lot of tennis and they are really improving. They enjoy riding their bikes and scooters around the neighboorhood and playing with friends before school starts in just over a week. They are anxious to find out what teachers they have this year and are hoping their friends are in their classes. The school year brings an end to summer.... that stinks.... but an end to sibling bickering during the day... that's great.... I guess I have mixed feelings about the upcoming school year. We will start a new schedule in a few short days... I hope I'm ready!
Steve has been busy like usual...(or more than usual if you ask me) coaching and teaching. He definitely needs a break. Me....I'm surviving. As one of my clients reminds me... this part of my life is not about me... it is all about the family. I want to make it through the day without repeating myself to ad-nauseum, make it through the grocery store without every box being opened and a flailing 2 year old in the cart, make a dinner that everyone likes (besides lasagne), and keep on top of the seemingly endless amounts of laundry and housework and soon-to-be-homework and extracurricular activities. Then I go to bed ( until someone awakes with a bloody nose, or a bad dream, or a crying fit) and reality hits.... I have a few more years like this ahead of me. I've always tried to look at this positively.... but lately.... I have realized it just isn't going to get better for a long time...
So as not to bring you down with my cranky-tired-underappreciated-lousy-cooking-mother RANT.... here are some photos from the start of July. Enjoy!
Gabby and Amanda in the sprinklers... once again!
Gabby is staying out of the direct line of fire....
Taking care to water all my flower pots....
Here is a picture of Steve.... hard-at-work.... chopping down a dead tree in our backyard.He used a tiny hand held hack saw to cut it down... back and forth... back and forth.... for a long time.... I figured there was no way he was going to get this tree down...
Steve looking a little perplexed.... when would this darn thing fall over already?!!!
Just walk away.... you were using a hand held hack saw.... that expends a lot of energy my DEAR!
The following shots were all taken during our impromptu-Fourth-of-July-barbecue... Slip and Slide anyone?????
Megan and Amanda racing tandem...... I'm not sure if that was the safest idea.... but it looks like they are having fun!
Tyler got caught off guard when the timer went off for the sprinklers... he had a fit... he didn't like it one bit...
During the party Steve was still working on cutting down that stump... Brad brought over an electric chainsaw and Dad and Brad did there best to oversee the situation and offer advice from the lounge chairs....
What would a Fourth of July party be without some face painting? Can you believe my sister-in-law Kaye? She decided to paint all the kids. She is so talented and may have found a second career. We can rent her out for birthday parties, corporate events, and Fourth of July festivities. Look at Anderson as an AWESOME Tiger!
She gave the girls matching American Flags!
Very patriotic....
Very patriotic....Nicholas chose to be a pirate with crossbones and all... (this looks oddly familiar to me.... remember when I tried my hand at face painting a few months back....my pirate never looked this good)
Even the littlest ones participated... I believe Emmersyn got a heart on her cheek...Let's not forget about Gabby and her heart too!
Cute Bella came to the party.... What a sweetheart!
Sparkler fun supplied by Aunt Laura.... They were a little difficult to see in the light, but remember it stays light for sooooo long. I couldn't wait until 10:30 with the kids....
Bob and Anderson lighting it up!
Amanda loved the sparklers and saved a couple to light when it got really dark outside.
So that is a little bit about the month of July. I have been trying to post these photos for the last 5 days. Hopefully I'll share a few more memories before the start of school on Tuesday. Well I'm off to read Harry Potter with Amanda, it is almost bed time. Harry has just arrived at Hogwarts and we are anxious to see what happens next. Until later....
