Summer Redeemed

This summer is divided into 3 parts-Beginning, Moving, and End.  I decided we better get busy enjoying the beginning, because the other two parts are full of Have-To’s.  Once we set our mind to it, we had no problem checking things off the annual summer to-do list. 

We had an invite with some dance friends to the waterpark.  Perfect day-cloudy but warm!     

Sof had a great time, and the big girls were great about taking her on the waterslide!

The great thing about water activities is any age enjoys them…4, 11, AND 14. 

Sof and I had some visits with Aunt Anne.  These often happen when Mommy is sick of entertaining Sofie.

Sof asked to make brownies, and of course Aunt Anne said yes.  When she realized she didn’t have any eggs we looked online for egg substitutes.  Mayo came up as an option.  Let me assure you it does not work.  Didn’t matter, Sof was more interested in the making of them.  

We discovered Tiny Town, which is a new favorite of mine.  Super cute play stuff for Sof’s age.  She loved it and so did I!

Lexi and I went paddle boarding one morning.  We loved it when we did it last year, and we were very confident leaving the beach.  It seemed like a perfect morning for it.  As we went along it seemed to get choppier.  By the time we were across the lake it was so windy that Lexi couldn’t get her board pointed in the right direction.  Long story short, we ended up paddling to the beach, borrowing a cell phone, and calling the paddle board guy to come get us.  We got a pontoon ride back, and laughed about the whole thing over lunch.  We’ll try it again on a little calmer day:) 

We had a cousin day out.  We couldn’t quite decide what to do so we did it all.  Lunch first.

Movie next.

 

We finished out the day at the sprinkler park.

   

Ummmmm, is my baby pole dancing?  She’ll never make any money wearing those goggles.

Best part of the day?  While we were havin’ fun Em’s MIL was back at the house making us dinner!

Adrienne went downtown to see a contemporary dance troop with her dance friends. 

All three girls did musical theater camp.  Livy also joined them.  Adrienne was a helper for the camp from 9-3, then from 4-8 she stayed for a vocal camp herself.  At the end of the week they all performed.

The show was the “Granny Awards” and Alexa was the Granny!  She did great!

 

Kaitlyn usually does musical theater camp too, but this year she decided she wanted to do gymnastics instead!  One day after camp the girls and I all went to pick her up together.

Then we went back to the house for some afternoon fun.

With all that kid time we needed some grown up time too.  Dinner at “Palate” was the perfect night out! 

After some rejuvenation we were ready for the next event-Balloon Fest! 

Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate for an actual balloon launching, but it was still cool to see them all blown up in the field!

Random big news in the family…Ellen is having another baby boy!  We went to a gender reveal party at their house.  Such a cool way to share big news with friends and family!

 

    

That sums up the beginning of our summer.  Now we’re onto the moving part.  We close Monday, and mover’s come Thursday.  Let the fun begin!

Father’s Day

Father’s day was as it should be, lots of fathers, lots of people who love them, all day. 

I love Livy photo bombing in the back:)

For the record, I know I’m way late doing this post, but that outfit I’m wearing just went through the wash yesterday so really I’m way late in doing everything.

 

Father’s day or not, Grandma Jackie was there and she trumps everything.  If she’s coming things get planned around her no matter who’s day it is.  If you don’t like that turn 90 and I’ll start considering you too.  Luckily for the boys she’s a fan of a good steak so I considered that a win-win on the menu!

 

Grandma was a little emotional at the fact that it was our last holiday to be celebrated in that house.  She was adamant that she wanted to spend the night at our house even though Em’s is easier being a ranch.  I agree, there are lots of great memories there.  Doesn’t matter where we are though, we always have fun.

 

School’s Out For Summer

I had one hour between checking out at school, and having to pick Sof up and join the other kids at home.  Of course I chose to go to Target and browse around leisurely.  One hour…no students, no kids.  I was in the woman’s clothing when they found me.  Two screaming, running, school age boys with a mother half heartedly telling them a gazillion times to settle down.  It was bound to happen, and it did.  The mother and I found ourselves across the rack from each other and our eyes met for a split second.  I blurted out, “There are two teachers that are so happy right now.”  She was so stunned she just looked at me as I turned on my heel and walked away. 

I love having the summers off.  If only my kids could go to school.  So far my kids have been brats.  Go ahead, call social services.  I already did…they won’t take them.  Funny thing is my kids really are usually quite enjoyable.  But that’s when we’re busy.  See, there’s this odd adjustment period where we have to learn how to be home, together.  There has been bickering, whining, complaining, and begging for friends and activities.  They don’t know what to do with themselves.  It’s been 3 days.

This morning if you were at my house you would have witnessed a conversation that ended with, “WE DON’T PUT SUNSCREEN ON THE CAT!” 

We made our first maiden voyage to the lake.  Not the cottage lake(because we don’t own that anymore), but the new lake that we have our boat docked at.  It started out okay.  Lots of room to run and explore.  Everyone feeling light with lack of responsibilities.

    Then we got on the boat together.  It wasn’t quite warm enough to be in the water, so mostly we hung out on the boat together.

Awwww, looks so fun huh?  That was about the time I was thinking of drowning myself.  You’d have to have been there to appreciate the misery.  It was the first trip out, we’ll get better at it next time.

Adrienne is back to dance this week, M-F 10-3.  Sof is going to school two days, and we have some fun things planned in between.  I can already tell this is going to go better. 

The excitement of the new house is giving everyone a focus.  We close in two weeks, so it’s close enough to start talking about decorating and plans. 

The biggest plus so far to summer?  I can go for a run 4 hours later then what I would have to on a work morning. 

I just need to make sure the cat goes out while I’m gone. 

Ending or Beginning?

In every chapter there is a last word.  It usually doesn’t come to the end of the page.  There is generally a white space at the bottom, and turning the page is the only way to get to the next word.  That’s where we are.  In that space between the last word of this chapter and the first word of the next.  We’ve wrapped a lot of things up these last few weeks.  Big milestones made bigger by the fact that with moving comes leaving many of the people that we’ve become comfortable with in life. 

The last two weeks have been all about the kids’ school.  Lexi had her last field day.  She’s following in her big sister’s footsteps and blinging everything!  I’m pretty sure she had the best shirt ever worn for field day!

 

Adrienne had her last choir concert, and said good bye to Mr. Danner, who has been her vocal music teacher for 3 years now.

 

We couldn’t be more proud of all she’s accomplished in her middle school career.  One of her teachers took the time in these busy last days to sit down and write us an email.  She wrote three paragraphs of kind words that any adult would be honored to get.  To have some one write these things about you as an 8th grader is truly amazing.  I agree with her teacher, Adrienne is outstanding young lady.

She earned 3 awards at the honor’s ceremony: honor roll, citizenship, and Presidential award. 

After the ceremony we were able to go out to brunch with some of her friends.

After eating the girls went next door to get their nails done as the 8th grade farewell dance was the next night.  We had 10 girls getting ready at our house, and you would have thought it was prom!  It was a really fun time for Adrienne.  She gives up many of these school friend events for dance, so it was fun see her be a regular kid!  Although, there were no kids in my eighth grade that looked like these girls!

 

Choosing the outfit was drama!  Everyone was wearing a dress, and they of course wanted her to wear one to!  She decided she rocked her high waisted pants and tank(which she sooooo did), and she didn’t cave!  She looked amazing!

There’s just four friends left in the group from elementary school.  After 9 years together, they will miss each other when they go their separate ways next year:(

 

There were so many kids taking pictures, I think they could have skipped the dance and hung out at the fountain.

Once I dropped Adrienne and her friends off at the dance, it was on to my next mommy job.  Lexi’s 5th grade graduation was first thing the next morning and I was a chairperson.  We had lots of decorating and loose ends to tie up that night.  The theme was based off the song “Hall Of Fame”.  If you haven’t heard it, look it up.  The lyrics are awesome!

What can I even say about this?  My second born baby’s last day of elementary school.  I have spent the last 9 years taking a child to that school.  Sof won’t go there, so it’s even more bittersweet.  Honestly, I was surprisingly okay with it.  I cried some tears, who doesn’t when it comes to the baby picture slideshow?  Lexi is ready though.  I am excited to see her take this next step.  She’s just recently become very social, and I think middle school will allow her many opportunities to spread her wings.  I think she will welcome the challenge and rise to the occasion.   

The principal, Ms. Day, did the introductions.

The best media specialist EVER, Mr. Shaw, was the special guest speaker.  Wait, I mean Johnny Appleseed was the speaker;)

Lexi’s teacher Mrs. Rohde handed out her diploma.

Congratulations Lexi!

The cocoon of elementary school is now gone, and it’s time to move on.  As I watched her with her friends I could tell they’re all ready!

 

Dream big baby, you can do so much more than you know.  Daddy and I think you’re awesome!

I was never so happy to be part time as I was in these last 3 days.  Teaching is a great job if you have to be a working mom.  The only problem is there is no flexibility.  Without my partner to cover me I would never have been able to be at all these events in the last 3 days of school.  I would have missed Lexi’s graduation on the last day, because I would not have been allowed to take that time off.  I’ll always be thankful to have had that day with her.  I did get back to my school for the last hour to say good bye to my kinder kiddos and wave the busses off.  I did a little bit of work and then snuck back out to meet Lexi and her friends at the graduation celebration at “Paradise Park”. 

Lexi can scale that rock wall in no time flat, and she was so happy to find out that she is indeed tall enough this year to drive a go-cart!  Poor Savannah didn’t make the height requirement:(

Just in case there were a few tears I hadn’t cried, that night she also had her Girl Scout fly up ceremony!  Another good bye!

Girl Scouts was another great part of her elementary school career.  So many great adventures with these girls!  I loved GS, even though I’m hands down the worst GS mom.  I couldn’t find the sash if my life depended on it, and it wouldn’t have mattered anyway because I think there may be 2 patches that I actually put on it!  Mommy fail…oh well:)

Sof had her own milestone this week.  She moved up to the pre-K room in her school.  Even Sof is defying my request to stop time!

 

Also this month my niece by heart graduated from high school, and had her graduation party.

She’s off to U of M in the fall, and I couldn’t be more proud of her.  It’s a crazy thing, this passage of time.  I embrace it, even like the fact that some of the tough stuff is done.  Yet it’s unbelievable sometimes that it’s gone that fast.  I swear Nan and I were just teenagers, and now we have these beautiful teen daughters!

What a wonderful celebration of a wonderful girl with a whole life of wonderful and tough stuff ahead of her.

It feels like this has been a month of endings.  Right now we’re in that white space.  We’ve had the last word on quite a few things, and soon we’ll turn the page.  In front of us are many new beginnings.  New house, new schools, new friends, and new adventures.  So, beginning or end?  Depends on how you look at it…