The end is near...

The end of summer, that is.

This summer has been a BLUR! Good and Bad and Crazy and calm??? Actually, I don't remember much of it being calm, but overall, it's been a good summer. We survived and for the most part, we're still smiling.

School starts in a week. My kids excitement level decreases greatly as their age increases.

Beck is starting Kindergarten -- he is SO excited, he can hardly sleep! He asks me everyday, "How many more days until I can go to school?" He talks about it all day long.

Kaia is starting 4th grade -- she's excited to see her friends, meet her new teacher, go the school library,  and of course, go to recess!

Zoe is starting 7th grade -- she's excited to see her friends, sort of...

Gabe is starting 10th grade -- he's... um, "school, what? at least I got new shoes, right?"

I'm excited, I am. I'm not gonna lie. It's time. We've had a good time together going to the park and the library and swimming lessons and playgroup and the splash pads. We've spent a lot of the time organizing and enjoying our new house. We rode the bus one day just for "fun". (It was fun for about the first 5 minutes, but it was an adventure!) We made a fire pit in our backyard and have enjoyed roasting marshmallows and string cheese and grasshoppers and...  yeah. We have improved their cooking skills (their request) and cleaning skills (MY request). And we have done a LOT of yard work, but I've really enjoyed it.

I'm not a big fan of the sun. In fact, I really don't like it at all. It makes me very ill every time I go out in it for more than, well, about 5 minutes. Really. So that's hard to work around. My kids have learned to adapt. We stay in the shade or we don't go outside. We've been playing board games quite a bit this summer -- strange, I know, but it's been fun. Our favorites? Monopoly and Killer Bunnies (I'm using the term "favorites" VERY loosely).

Our favorite inside activity though, would have to be reading. We've cuddled up with more than a few books this summer. Well, my kids have. I can't seem to focus... I've been working on "The Lost Hero" by Rick Riordan nearly all summer and I just finished it last week. It's really good -- it just isn't captivating? I don't know what's happened to me... I used to LOVE LOVE LOVE a good YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy. I still do, but I find myself being drawn to memoirs and even just fictions that are a bit more realistic. Huh. I hope I'm not growing up too much... maybe it's a phase...well, I'm forcing myself to plow through "Son of Neptune" and on through that series. My kids love that one -- they're waiting for me to catch up so we can discuss it. :) Awwww.

We also did our traditional Summerfest day (arts festival) and Cache County Fair adventure. 

I think this ride was called "Dizzy Dragons" or something... so fun! Beck is on the far right, with Kaia next to him, and our friend Monique next to Kaia. (Random girl next to Monique... Beck says she is their new best friend. Ok.)

Oh, one more VERY important thing to note:

This is a CHURRO... the really YUMMY kind from the fair. My friend, Rose, and her family makes them. Rose is Monique's mom. This one has dulce de leche filling (like caramel, but WAY BETTER.)

And this IS Churro (He found his way to our house and well... he's just too adorable.) 

He's our newest family member.

The kids and I think his fur looks like it's sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and his eyes are truly the color of dulce de leche. (I need to post a picture of his eyes). Yep, it's official, we're crazy. 

And it's official: We have the legal limit of cats per household in our city. 4. 

4 kids, 4 cats -- my kids think we are now complete.

More on summer later...

Time to organize a few more drawers and boxes before school starts (as in, I really need to find my social security card -- I'm teaching preschool this Fall -- I start next week! -- and my employer needs a copy of it.)

It's "MEOW or NEVER" (saw that on Facebook!)

P.S. Kaia chose my new background -- it really goes with our houseful of CATS! It's kinda hurting my eyes, but I'll keep it for awhile.

Three is a Magic Number

Well, here's my week: Swim lessons everyday, Playdate/Park everyday, shopping, library, gymnastics, art class, oh, and laundry, dishes, dinner, and guilt from NOT working in my yard.

I realized this week I have reached a milestone in my life. This is the FIRST time EVER in 10 years that I have been able to sit and watch my kids during their entire swimming lesson. WOW. Really it is SO weird. Gabe started when he was three and I was busy with Zoe. Gabe and Zoe took lessons and I was busy chasing Kaia. For the last three years, I have been chasing Beck while Gabe, Zoe, and Kaia have been doing their lessons. Now, Beck is three and this is his first summer taking lessons.

I have 40 whole minutes just to sit there! *bliss* It took me until yesterday to realize I should bring a book! Every few minutes I would look up and smile and wave at the kids. Beck keeps giving me the "thumbs up" I like this new phase of being a Mommy. My brain feels so calm. It's time to re-fuel. Especially after chasing Beck through Wal-Mart yesterday morning!

Today is the first day this week I don't HAVE to go anywhere. I'm looking forward to working in the yard and reading "Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo". I'm on chapter four and it's really good so far. Really good, if you like juvenile science fiction/fantasy and I DO!

We're also going to a wedding reception tonight for one of Zeke's former young men/scouts. It's so cool/bizarre to see the youth grow up and get married. *sniff sniff* Where does the time go?
My girls just LOVE to go to weddings and see the bride's dress!
The girls have been playing dress up lately. Here they are as the Red Fairies complete with RED lipstick. I know I'm just a *little* biased, but I think they are absolutely adorable. I am so thankful they have each other. They are so close. Sometimes too close... there are some occasional arguments, usually over candy or jewelry or the cats. Oh, to be little again!

Last Friday, Zeke and Gabe went camping with the Scouts, so I took Zoe, Kaia, and Beck to the park. We also went Father's Day shopping for Zeke and got him some new shorts. This guy doesn't really ever buy clothes for himself other than shoes and T-shirts with funny sayings on them. I've mended and re-mended most of his shorts. He calls one pair his "Frankenstein Shorts" because of all the stitches on them. It was time to get new shorts!

I love this picture of Beck.
He was jumping up the slide and I caught him with his feet in the air:

Unfortunately, he jumped so hard, he hit his head on the slide:

"Whoa, Mom, did you see dat?!"

The girls call this the "little red spinny chair". It's tilted a bit, so when you sit in it and lean just a little, you start spinning so fast you wish you never sat there. I've only sat there twice. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me! What was I thinking? I used to love stuff like that. Not so much anymore, actually not at all. It's really hard to get out, especially with one hand over your mouth! Needless to say, Kaia and Zoe LOVE it!
Beck isn't too fond of the "little red spinny chair",
but this motorcycle is one of his favorites.

This park is one of my FAVORITE places to be.
It's only three minutes from our house.

I hope you're all having a FABULOUS summer and please don't feel bad if I haven't commented on your blog... I haven't forgotten any of you wonderful friends. I LOVE your comments and I look forward to catching up on your blogs in the next few days.