Update 4 of 7 - Summer Ended

Summer came to a quick close - now more than a month ago. Our sitter's last day was a few days after H was born so we had a few piecemeal weeks of sitters and then we had some sniffles which we didn't want to pass to people before the new school year so I ended up staying home more than I anticipated - which was fine. I just find that my office with 4 other adults tends to be more peaceful than a raucous house full of kids. 

E went to another week of her favorite place on the planet. She had a blast and had a cabin full of 6th graders so they stayed up later and they really had a great time with their councilor. She might have to start working next summer to help pay for all the camps she's got on her mind. 

A shot from camp. 

Another E update. 

She's been asking for a while to get her ears pierced and I finally said yes. E was thrilled. I'm basically in the dark on all things earrings because I don't have mine pierced. I see lots of accessorizing in the future. 

Having the trash truck honk on Thursdays is a staple around here. A was even hoisted into the drivers seat one week so he could honk the truck. It is such a thrill!

We had some fun pool days. M's friend tried to teach her out to flip (seen on the shorter board) but she never quite figured it out. 

J definitely warmed up to the water and I see swim lessons in the next summer's plan for him. 

The brothers - in the matching shoes - and Js shoes are remain MIA. Maybe we will find them buried in the sandbox but for the moment the $10 reward for finding them has not brought them about. 

The kids went to VBS at a friend's church. They had a blast and are caught still singing the songs. 

J has master the art of summer popsicle eating. 

While the big 5 were at VBS, Lee and I and J went to dinner before the last day program. It might have been one of the only out-of-house dinner dates we've had this summer - we've had some in house. J behaved and always ends up in Papa's lap - which I adore watching them. 

A and his cohort caught a frog one afternoon. He made a case to keep it because we have a turtle BUT we nixed poor frog and let him go. 

While I walked the street with H and kids would spend some time outside doing a number of things. E included. 

One day A woke up and shot outside. I'm pretty sure he spent all of 12 hours basking in outdoor glory. Biking, digging, all the things. 

He and his partner in crime has a secret hideout at the end of the street. At one point in the afternoon I went looking for them and found them a rows deep in the tobacco field. They came out a sticky dusty mess but that didn't stop them from staying outside for a few more hours. I think Papa was in charge of showers that night!

Speaking of Papa... we celebrated his bday a few days after H's. We were going to order from a restaurant but they changed locations and hadn't opened yet so that was a bummer but E's cake made up for it. 

With everyone back in school now, summer seems like it was a lifetime ago but I think some fun times were had and memories made.

7 QTs - More camp, A first, and Hangtime

Linking up with Kelly ... Well we survived another summer week but not without some fun and some not so fun

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E went to swim camp at State for the week. Grammy and Grandpa Joe taxied her daily which is great because I’m still not 100% sold on overnight camps with unbridled internet access - aka other campers with phone. She says she had a fun time and she’d go back again. 

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M had soccer camp this week and has been soaking that up since she missed the spring season courtesy of yours truly. She’s had a few late nights with her friends who’s going and pretty much having a fantastic summer week.

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It was Rs turn at Willow Springs this week - E went last week. Dropped her off Sunday with her 3 friends and she was set for the week. 

Until Monday night happened and we get a call that she fell off the inflatable jumping pillow - it sounds like a buried 20x20 trampoline. She wanted to stay the night so I was hopeful Tuesday wouldn’t bring another call from the camp nurse - but it did. While I was driving - in the opposite direction to my OB - she said she thought it needed to be looked at. 

So 3 hours after that call and some pulled strings by a family friend to get us into the orthopedist we had a radial fracture and 2-3 weeks in a sling. I didn’t think it was bad until her arm was rotated up for the X-ray and then I knew she was done for. I pled with her to go back to camp to hang out with friends and enjoy what was left of the week but she wasn’t having it because she didn’t want to see everyone else having fun. Which I get so home she stayed. We can now check the broken bone box of bucket list items for the family. 

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Thursday brought the swim meet. C again wouldn’t jump off the block. A had some fantastic air time on his dive in. M killed it in butterfly. E missed several partners in competition but swam despite having qualms about being at swim camp all week.

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The weather this week has been beautiful for the most part. We have kept the windows open for three nights and I’m so proud of Lee for letting us. He’s big on then AC but 50 degree mornings do help the window cause.

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The addition seems to be finally coming to a close. The floors will be finished starting Tuesday which means only one more week without my cubbies! The pantry is pretty epic and the laundry is great. It’s all great but there’s a few things that I am super excited about. 
 

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June is coming to a close but we'll get some dirt and worms in for John the Baptist's bday - which my be the kids favorite saint day to celebrate - it is right up there with Transfiguration. Then it will be nearly time to go to the beach!

How to Kick off summer right - Lot of Sun, Sugar, & Water

Now that our summer sitter is here to stay (at least until #7 comes), school is out and summer feels a bit more official. If fun was measured in wet clothes, pounds of sugar and square inches of sunburns then we definitely kicked off summer 2021 right. 

First popsicle of the summer

Lady C with her supposed to be popsicle but came back with an Hair-head. All the eyerolls and no more unaccompanied snack bar trips. 

To recap the last week of school (which I underestimated with the amount of crazy - as I thought the two weeks prior were going to be crazy) 

Last day of school pic

First day of school pic just because

Tuesday - swim practice

Wednesday - summer swim practice that got rained out and end of year school party that didn't get rained out. Insert ALL the wet clothes and fun times on the bouncy houses without mom checking in because she couldn't bear the thought of all the wet and dirt and grass coupled with hot dogs and Icee Pops. I won the cool mom of the month award for not nixing it because EVERYONE knew I wanted to

Thursday - E's voice recital followed by skillet cookies because I would have been terrified singing in front of 75 people. Weekly voice lessons were a success!

Friday - end of year swim team party and free play in pool. Tacos, chips, cheese, cupcakes and more water. Another night of fun especially for the big girls

Saturday - Open Water swim meet. Never been to one. It was pretty stinking cool and crazy and terrifying at the same time. We drove 2 hours to the meet. E swam the 2K - that would be 2000 meters, in a lake. Imagine a lake with three buoys in it spaced about 333 meters apart. Then insert 50 or so kids and send them out to swim two laps around the buoys. Its worth noting the 13-14s swam 3K and the 15 and ups swam 5K and the really really brave swimmers swam 5K then 3K then 2K!

The brave 2Kers 

E finished in about 40 minutes which I think was pretty good for her first open water meet. She claims she'd do it again. I was more nervous about her not finishing and the 2 hr trip being for nought. 

This was the start of the 2K. E was in the first wave of swimmer because her coach (thankfully) submitted a time for her so there wasn't as much traffic as a few of the other waves. 

The specks are the swimmers. It was really hard to pick out who was who but their coach was able to spot them from a distance - because she's the best. 

A, C and J were dragged along for the trip. I can't say I'd have them come again because it was really hot by the end of it. J had fun cheering GO GO GO and eating unlimited snacks. 

Just some perspective... having kids brave enough to even attempt the swim made me super proud. 

Then R and M were up for the 800 M 

M was reluctant to do it in the first place but was less than a minute off from 8th place medal. 

R said she was really scared but was glad she didn't have to raise her hand for one of the boats to pick her up! Same girl! Same!!!

To recap my thoughts on the open water meet. I think it is really a mind over matter. I got this. I'm going to finish. I did finish swimming a 2K or 800 so now I can basically attempt or do many other things - whether swimming related or not. All the proud for the girls and I hope it remains in the swim circuit of meets for our swimmers. 

Just to make things SUPER interesting the weekend before Lee and I decided to rent a pontoon boat on Sunday. I suppose it is one of the perks of having church on Saturday nights (but I really will be glad once we have liturgy on Sundays again). We aren't afforded much family vacation time because #poolseason and Lee isn't much of a beach guy - but he is a boat guy - we found out. 

J perched in his favorite spot

The girls couldn't get enough of the tube

C wasn't big on the lake but had a pretty good day

A hated the girls on the tube because they fell off but once he realized they were having fun he was better. He was coaxed on the tube once but not for long. 

They rode the tube as much as they possible could 

We did eventually pull them off every so often for food, drinks and sunscreen - they still ended up with burnt legs

It was a family day for the books and I can say we will definitely be doing it again before the end of the summer. 

We finally got to go for our Open Water meet treat (because we were rushing to church after the meet itself) E got Peppermint Moose Tracks, R got Chocolate and M got Play Dough. Yes I made them wear their shirt from the meet and it kept their clothes clean. All the proud for these girls. 

Summer Swim 2019

Summer swim team had been over for nearly three weeks and with school starting next week it is worth recapping the season 

E had a good season. She swam at a few practices above her age group and had fun with the girls she swam with. 

Second from the left

I don't know that there were huge strides made in anything in particular but she had a fun season. Probably my most memorable moment of her swims this summer was the 25 free at the conference meet. She swam in bizarrely fast and when I asked her about it afterwards she said she just decided to not breathe for the entire lap. That certainly made a world of a difference is hopefully she'll keep up her speedy ways going into the fall season. 

R had a good season as well. She got down the butterfly and worked hard on breaststroke. Her dives need a bit of help but it is a work in progress. 

Evidence of the butterfly which is probably the hardest stroke to race - I would argue breaststroke is the hardest stroke to master the rhythm.  

This girl is forever smiling in the pool. Outside the pool when she realizes she didn't win is a bit of a different story but she is the smiliest swimmer. 

That's how she finishes the race

M had a great season thanks to the month of Y swimming before summer league. I am quite sure she would not have had the confidence to swim unassisted had she not swam in May. 

I can't say she's got the strokes truly legal but she's a pretty good backstroker like her big sisters. 

And the summer would not have been complete with her BFF from up the street!

E and R swam in a relay together which was neat!

At conference - and they all swam the same strokes which they found hilarious

Post conference CFA despite the insanely long lines!