Squeezing in Fun

I'm sure the kids are actually having a lot of fun this summer. Days on end at mom mom's and with cousins while I was painting is nothing for them to sneeze out. But if you know me you know I don't like to be left out and I want to see their fun!  SO....

I finally let Van play on the computer. Jesse was playing Barney at 2 1/2. Van is 4.  At this time our home computer set up isn't really ideal to be sharing with the kids.  But while we were house sitting I was able to bring my (new) laptop and let him go on Starfall.  Fun for me to watch him develop the coordination skills and increase his knowledge of the alphabet.

Slip n slide, picnics with juice boxes! Fun for me to see them get excited about the simple things.

Fun for me to see their creativity.  Simply sliding on their bellies was not enough. They invented different ways to risk bone fracture on the plastic death.  There is the dance, the Airplane, the Twist, and my favorite one to gasp at...the Save Beck.  This came from Beck standing in the middle of it when they wanted to go.  They decided to just go for it and grab or "save" him on their way.

ain't got no rythm

That's how I feel. The past few summers we have fallen into a rhythm that suits us, but this summer it just ain't happening.  We've been back and forth working on the house and....well that's basically it. It's a means to a beautiful end, or shall we say new beginning? Yet it's still a bit rough.  So I'm trying to focus on the bright spots and enjoy my kiddos when we are home.

Staining baseboards..

Sorting flooring..

House and pet sitting...

enjoying aunt Gina's big bathtub...

with our favorite people...

doggie photo shoot...

because they love their puppies...

and sophie is getting up there....(she actually shares a birthday w/ Jesse...she's 11 too!)

11

Happy 4th!

Kids across the street came over to watch us light the fiery death traps. No injuries, only mosquito bites.

We've been doing a lot of going back and forth lately. Back and forth from Den's parents place so we can work on our place. Painting duty has officially begun for me. I get to scoot across the field in this sweet ride while the kids stay behind and play with kitties and cousins.

On my first day of painting the older kids helped paint the garage. Yesterday I let Van help for a tiny bit with some dining room touch up and Den is going to great heights to reach the awkward angles. har har har...  But seriously. I UNDERESTIMATED how much time it takes to paint. The cutting in or edging along the ceiling takes 4-EVER!  I was in near tears as I drove down Tuesday morning. But when I arrived my angel sister in law Gina said that she was going to help me! Tears of joy.   Then that evening I got two more phone calls from painting fairies. So Wednesday I had a helper and it looks like I might have one Thursday or Friday. The Lord really did hear my cries.

I was able to show the kids their painted rooms yesterday. Jesse's still needs a bit of touch up, but nothing he would notice.  His color is called English Saddle. aka brown.

It was one of those times when she didn't feel like sharing her opinion. Which means she probably likes it. On the left is her bedroom in Forgotten Promise (what? turquoise.) On the right is the PINK (should have gone lighter, this is the lesson I'm learning when choosing colors) bathroom or Daddy's Little Girl.  I want the color naming job. I couldn't do worse.

Some of us sweat and paint in the humidity and some of us lounge in the pool. Beck prefers to swim in the nude.

When we are home the older two have been camping out on our floor because we have an AC window unit and for some reason Jesse wakes up wheezing in his room.  Reason #243 why we need to finish our house.  I digress. So I'm checking my internet junk before I climb into bed and Eden asks me to turn around. She has created clothes /accessories for all her stuffed animals that she sleeps with. Love that girl.

- for the record the kids requested their colors for their rooms.

Mountain Highlights 2012

Every year we do this is different. Same place and usually the same people, but as the kids grow I grow too and see everything in a new light. There were some missing adults this time and even though we love it when they are there it was still a good trip.  This is the morning view off the back deck.  You can see the kids walking around the pond looking for frogs and turtles.

turtle!

buddies

He was happy if he was eating and there was no sand on his feet.

There were several serious games of Settlers of Catan.

And Guess Who? was taken seriously too.

Annual wiffle ball

Van up to bat was pure entertainment.

"Stand there and act like you like each other" said I.   Even though I know they do this picture is not very convincing.

Getting ready for their scavenger hunt.

Pointing out frogs.

My man has style.

June = Summer = Adjusting

June 6 was the last day of school.

Everyone was excited. Even me! 

Sometimes when I'm reading my Bible, Van decides to "read" his too.

Eden received some pencils (among many other art supplies) from her Great Grandpa Jim. She decided to try them out right away and put his tips to use as well.

We went creek stomping the week school was out. PERFECT weather.

And we built a dam! So my friend and I were really into it, and finally the kids caught on to our awesomeness. She took this with her itouch.

Look who I caught helping his little bro put on his shoes. These moments are the best.

Father's Day. After lunch, naps, an outing on his own to peruse Home Depot, steak, potatoes, & asparagus dinner, we went for a walk. Well, the kids rode, we walked.

Beautiful golden evening.

Watching the older kids race down the hill.

This guy. He probably won't even see this and if he did he would probably be perturbed that his picture is on here. However, let's talk about him for a sec. He works harder than most anyone I know, he loves me, his kids and desires to obey God even if that means adopting more kids (heaven help me).  The kids adore him and he's definitely the favorite when it comes down to it. I'm okay with that. Number One Dad indeed.

Van agrees that daddy is worth jumping up and down about.

Adjusting. Over the past couple years I've noticed that after a few weeks of bickering the kids chill out and become bff's for the rest of the summer. It has not totally kicked in yet. It feels like there is so much going on right now that they are bouncing off the walls and I don't have time to deal with it.  But that's my job. Not even just dealing with it, but shaping these little ones in to loving beings instead of selfish beasts. So in the middle of my taskiness I had a good mom moment and we made a fort. See how happy they look? That lasted 10 seconds after this picture. I kid you not. Luckily it was nearly lunch time. So I fed the littler ones and  put them to bed. Then the older two ate and started acting like civil humans again. Maybe they were just hungry. I had them have some reading time with a timer on and I went upstairs to do some other work.   After a while Jesse comes up to ask me how to start the washing machine. Turns out they had swept and mopped the floor, put laundry in the dryer and folded the rest. I nearly cried with joy that they thought of this on their own. He said they were bored and so they thought they'd help out. YES!  And then the rest of the day was perfect. Not true. There was more bickering and screaming and crying and the like. But today I learned a lesson. Normally I group a day into either good or bad. Either everything was great or it wasn't.  But that's just not reality. Everyday has good and bad and it's not always even. But what am I going to choose to remember most? The bad was there, learn and move on to tomorrow where everything is new. The good....yes. What I will choose to remember most about today is that my kids decided to help their mom out, without being asked and do a good job of it. And then they asked for a treat. :)