The Summer So Far

I took this photo the first day of summer vacation.

If they could speak they would say, "Mom, keep us entertained-- OR ELSE."

June is wrapping up quick but has been a great start to summer.  Our summer started with a week of catching up on everything I'd put off until summer.  Stacks of school work, mostly.  Papers and organization and cleaning that I had set aside in the name of finishing our home school year strong.

My kids thought summer break was supposed to be fun, not full of crazy amounts of chores.  But we worked hard and got it done.  I think my role, in their mind, was one of cruise director.  I really felt as if they expected me to dress in a hawiian shirt, wear a perky ponytail, pull out my clipboard and announce, "Okay, now it's time to go to the movies!  After that, a water balloon fight!  THEN, we'll wrap up our day with a round of ice cream and people watching at the mall!"

Sorry, kids.

On Libby's birthday, we had company.  Our good friends Jeremy and Darcy and their three girls came to Tallahassee and we kept their younger two girls, Nena and Eloise for 9 days while mom and dad went overseas.  If I thought I was a cruise director before, now it really began.  Only add cook, maid, and laundry to the list for now seven young kids.  It was a crazy week but FUN.

During their visit Libby had a sleepover for her 8th birthday.

I was grateful for my neighbors pool and trampoline as part of my optional activities during the cruise.

And now, to wrap up the month my four oldest are with Granny and Grandad in Brandon, attending VBS and all kinds of other fun activities in between swimming in the pool continually.

Meanwhile, I'm here with only Juliet which is definitely a vacation.  I am able to focus on my precious baby and enjoy playing with her while doing what you do when you have been reduced from seven kids to one in a matter of days.

First, you do nothing for quite a few hours.  You are shell-shocked.  You don't know quite what to do.

Then, you clean.  Because you can.  There is nothing else keeping you from scrubbing your sink.

Then, you catch up on laundry.  Yes, I can actually catch up to the monster.  Slay it even.

Then, you paint.  I finally finished my bird painting.  It only took 2.5 years.

Then, you paint some more.  I have painted all the molding in my hallway, which is impossible to do with 70 fingers traveling up and down the hall all day.  My hall has 8 doors, so I now have a crick in my neck.  That's mostly because I'm old.

Then, you take your baby to the grocery store and photograph her right there in the cracker aisle.

Then, you write a blog in the smack dab middle of the day without anyone trying to sit in your lap or ask you questions which causes you to make many mistakes and end abruptly.

It also makes me miss my kiddos.  Today after breakfast I spontaneously started yelling things out like "I'm going to take it away if you can't share!"  Just to remind myself what would be going on if everyone was here.  The quiet makes me feel like I have let all the air out of a balloon.  Be safe kids!  I'll see you soon!  I LOVE YOU!