Summer Daze

I took the photos of my sleeping children the morning following a long night at Lagoon. It was nearing 10:00 am and they were all passed out. Why do photos of sleeping children make a parent feel all warm and fuzzy inside? It's the sweetest thing.

At the end of June, we went to Andrew's work party. They held a carnival in his company's parking lot. We felt spoiled as we helped ourselves to the delicious food trucks and fun activities. By the time we got there, the crowd had diminished so we were able to enjoy these things with very few people around. We didn't bond much with Andrew's co-workers, but it sure made for a fun family memory.

Andrew might have had the best time. I just laughed and laughed when I heard him request "antlers" from the talented balloon lady. The kids had a good time in the bounce houses, watching people at the dunk tank, etc.

We have a rule at our house that Dad is the only one allowed to pick from our garden. I'm okay with this considering that our kids often pick fruit and/or vegetables prematurely. Andrew was out of town the other night, so Eliza and I tiptoed out there together and helped ourselves to the raspberries. Eliza makes a pretty picture so I couldn't help but snap a few shots of her.

Andrew was especially pleased to show me our apricots. We planted several fruit trees a few years back. It's been neat to see them grow and produce fruit. Few things bring Andrew that much joy.

July marked the arrival of our cousins from New York. This reunion was particularly exciting as we met two month old cousin, Lila. We are in love with this baby! That night as I tucked Forrest into bed, he brought her up ask he asked, "Mom? Baby Lila come to my house?" Of all my children, Lottie asks to hold her most.

(Cousin Truman's baptism)

Our summer has been full of interaction with cousins; on both sides of the family. First, we saw a lot of Mark and Jen's family. Their departure coincided with Liz's arrived allowing our attention to turn to that side of our family. Growing up with cousins is a blessing we do not take for granted. Sometimes it feels a little crazy as we try to plan times to be together while remembering we have normal life obligations to take care of, but it's worth it. Our kids are so lucky.

We are often the host. I like to host more than I like to drive places so it works out great when family and friends are willing to make the drive up.

Nana Marie took my three oldest kids to see "The Secret Life of Pets" with cousins. Between this show and Finding Dory, they liked the pets movie most. It was strange, but nice, to have that one on one time with Forrest. Since school got out, my one on one time with Forrest has been limited. I was reminded of how much I love being with just him as we ran errands that day.

(Lagoon is another great way to have that bonding/one on one time with a child.)

Speaking of Forrest, he isn't making great progress potty training which concerns me since I need to have him trained if I want him to go to preschool this Fall. That is the plan. However, in the back of my mind, keeping him home with me an extra year doesn't sound like a bad thing. This might sound surprising, but it's what I want most. For his benefit, I think he'd really like going to school twice a week. No matter what happens, I do want him potty trained! He is scared to poop on the potty. He will use the bathroom to pee, keep his underwear dry, etc... but the idea of making "poop splashes" is terrifying. Lottie thought poop splashes were hilarious so clearly, kids operate differently. If anyone has any tips on what I might try, holler at me please. :)

In between play dates with cousins, we've had a few friends come over and play too. An especially cute play date was between Lottie and her friend Lizzie. Eliza wanted to transform them into Anna and Elsa.

I don't know who was the happiest with this arrangement. Eliza loves to style, apply make up and doll up her sister... and these girls just ate it up! They called her their, "royal servant." In addition to playing beauty parlor, she provided them with an outdoor picnic; complete with heart shaped sandwiches.

Seeing how a friendship theme has quietly emerged from today's post, I'm going to close with the following sappy thought. What I have enjoyed most about our summer is watching my kids play together. Yes, they argue, visit timeout, cry and go out their way to push buttons. However, they also make each other laugh uncontrollably, fix each other a snack, share Popsicles, cheer each other on when someone does a new trick at the pool or rides a scary ride at Lagoon. They cuddle, buckle each other in and out of seat belts, read books, play make believe, etc. When I'm on instagram, I often select pictures from an extra special outing or experience. But often times my most favorite snaps are from days that you might label ordinary. I love these kids. I hope and pray they will continue to enjoy and nurture their friendship with one another long after I'm gone.

A handful of videos: