A Spectacular Summer Day

Yesterday was one of many wonderful, hot days this summer.

I took the kids to the lake with Carl's first, best buddy.

After an afternoon filled with swimming,

fishing (they almost caught a big trout-thank God they didn't!),

and practicing crazy moves off the diving board

we were loaded in the car to take Carl's buddy home when they realized his life jacket was in Grandma's car.

Luckily, she was right behind me as we were leaving the neighborhood.

I pulled over and hopped out to grab his stuff.

When I climbed back in to the suburban, I look back to see Carl shaking his booty like he's twerking.

When I asked what the heck he was doing the boys informed me that Charlie had shoved an ice cube down Carl's swim trunks.

Gross.

Even grosser,

I heard shouts of excitement when he fished that ice cube out of his swim trunks and popped back in the jar of drinking water I'd packed.

Especially, after he'd detailed exactly EVERYWHERE that cube had traveled while visiting his private parts.

Nasty.

After dropping off buddy we went back to grandma's house for taco salad and Mexican Street Corn.

It was a nice evening.

After dinner I took the kids back to the lake for an evening swim.

There's nothing better than an evening swim when the lake water is warmer than the air.

It was a lovely, lovely evening.  

*The only thing missing was daddy who was working a 48 hour shift- which ends up being tough on everyone.  For sure, we'll make it a point to go back for an evening swim with daddy at dusk.

We were loaded up in the car, ready to head home, when the kids all hollered "GROSS!"

I whipped my head around to see what had sparked such disgust.

I see Elsa Jane gagging

and the boys demanding that I roll down the window before she barfed.

For some odd reason the kids are dying of thirst the SECOND THEY GET IN THE CAR.

Without fail.

Such was the case with Elsa Jane, who chugged the glass jar of drinking water

the same glass jar that Carl had used to pop the ice cube from down his pants.

The jar of Butt Water

Luckily she did not get e coli.

That would be really, really awful. 

We came home to this beautiful sight as I was tucking the kids into bed.

The perfect end to a fantastic day.

Even God seemed to think it needed a spectacular ending.

We are so lucky to live such a blessed life.

End of Summer and Back To School

We're now in week 3 since school started.

And yes, it's taken me this long to feel like myself again.

Finally, they're all occupied by something other than driving me NUTS!

It was a great summer.

And I'm incredibly grateful for Ken Lake.

We'd be home, the kids would fight and argue over something stupid.

It would escalate-

and feel like no one likes anyone in this house.

Then I'd pack everyone up and escape to the lake.

It was blissful.

They'd play together.

Encourage each other.

Work together.

And I could sit in the sunshine, drink my coffee, leaf through magazines and read books with pleasant children noises in the background.

Perfection.

There was a big mouth bass lurking under the dock that kept the boys occupied for many many hours.

I hope he's still around next summer too.

He brought all kinds of people together- big teenage boys, little boys, middle size boys, and more than one adult- all trying to figure out how to get him.

He'd pop out every now and then to let them know he was still there.

He'd delight the crowd by snatching one of the little fishes swimming nearby and eating it whole.

The kids also caught many little fishes, took them for rides down the slide, watched them swim in the ever present bucket.

I'll post pictures when I can use my email again.

They also ended the season by catching a poor little salamander. 

When they finally let the poor guy go, he was so confused he just kept swimming in circles.

I hope he straightened out eventually...

So this is a big year.

Three kids at Griffin and our final year of pre-school.

Big time.

This was Charlie's first day of Kindergarten, first day riding the school bus.

I like to think of this as the kid realizing summer's over.

Silly geese.

First day of second and fifth grade.

Big boy in Kindergarten.

This picture looks sweet, and that's what I was hoping for, but just before I took it Sarina said, "Mom I don't want to kiss her.  Her breath STINKS."  At least she whispered it.  Can you see her holding her breath while sweet baby sister is all in?

I'll admit, I had to take a sniff myself, and it was a bit sour.

I'll never forget feeling like the school bus was a big yellow monster gobbling up my baby the first time it stopped at our driveway.  And I feel that way each time one more hops on there.

He's still adjusting to a new school.

One without his buddies from pre-school.

He was so lucky to have so many boys he loved in his pre-school class.

Tonight he cried because he was telling me that when Peter's mom walks Peter into their classroom Peter cries and it makes Charlie miss me.

It broke my heart.

How do you tell him it's ok?

When he's used to being by my side more often than not?

That I'm always close by for a hug and kiss if something goes wrong or he needs a little comfort.

This is why we start with half time kindergarten. 

To ease into life away from home.

I told him that it sure sounded like Peter needed a friend, and I know that Charlie would be a great friend.  I suggested that he walk up to him and tell him it will be ok and that they can play together at recess to give him something to look forward to.

Now I just hope that Peter is as sweet as he sounds after pushing my kid toward him...

And let us not forget the last but not the least.

Far from the least.

She's all dolled up for her first day of school, wearing her big brother's baseball hat.

I'm a little sad that her best buddy isn't there this year, makes it feel a little less exciting to drop her off.  But I know it's good for her to branch out.

It's a new year, with old and new friends and I know it's going to be a great one.

For starters, I don't have to drive into town 5 days a week. 

Two years of that was enough.

I can't believe that this is our 9th pre-school class at Gloria Dei. 

They do grow up fast.

Roots

I believe that I'm really a pretty lucky person in so many ways.

One of those ways is my childhood.

I grew up in an awesome neighborhood.

It had one entrance/exit, 4 parks (two on the lake, one bmx track, and one with baseball/football field and tennis courts), a lake to swim in, and lots of woods to explore (but were FILLED with porn.  Who were those dirty boys stashing those magazines under every log in the neighborhood?!  And why did my friends and I ALWAYS seem to find it?!).

As I recall, I'd leave home and play outside all day. 

Only coming home for meals then again at twilight.

Every kid had their own call to come home.  Mine was my dad's whistle.

Like a dog, I knew it from a pretty good distance.

And if I didn't zip home ASAP I was in BIG trouble.

I thought most of those feelings were nostalgia about the "old days."

But this summer we've started heading back to the parks a little more and more when we go visit my mom (who still lives in the same house- which I love).

Today I took the kids on a solo trip to the lake to swim, and it felt right.  Felt like home.  Felt like my childhood.

The boys had a fishing net my dad gave Mark ages ago (which I've flirted with throwing away after picking it up MANY MANY times). 

I'm glad I haven't thrown it away yet.

Instantly, there was a crowd of boys huddled together trying to catch any of the poor little fishies swimming around the dock.  It kept them entertained for 3 1/2 hours!

There's a slide the kids could zip down into the lake.

There's a floating dock with a diving board.

And my kids fearlessly (well 3 out of 4 were fearless) dove in and enjoyed all of the amenities with reckless abandon.

I sat on the grass watching them entertain themselves and looked over a lake that holds countless memories for me growing up.

It feels special to have such strong ties to the place where I grew up.

Roots are priceless.