In the Good Ole Summertime...

**updated to add pics and video link**

Summer is going by so fast.

R and A are bronze-hued and sun-kissed. Though E is still looking like a fair maiden as any part-Irish, not-yet-two-year-old should look.

We have had a couple of trips to the Cape to dig in the sand, frolic in the waves, and soak up the sun.

Early in the summer, just after school let out, we took the kids on the Virginia adventure 2007 which, on the whole, went well. We are, however, considering alternatives for next years "big adventure." In fact, Rick is turning the "big 4-0" next year and his parents are each hitting milestone birthdays so a big ole family trip to somewhere is being discussed.

Other summertime excursions have included road trips to go Geocaching, splashing in rivers, and dips in a friend's pool.

The older girls have had a chance to enjoy some time at camp and they are currently enrolled in swimming classes.

All in all, a good summer. One that I'm sad to see end. The girls are doing so well and we've enjoyed some great times together this summer.




R is growing up so very fast. She is reading at a fast and furious pace. She probably reads faster than I do now and she is taking after her dad and devouring books faster than we can replenish her literary plate...which reminds me - a trip to the library should be on our agenda this week.
Just in the last few weeks I'm finding her to be maturing in leaps and bounds. She is more "even keeled" and able to problem-solve issues with little to no intervention. She still lets A get under her skin at times but yet there are times when she handles formerly tension-fraught moments with ease. I've found her to be, in the past, rather negative and fatalistic when it came to problems or things she merely perceived as insurmountable problems and now she seems to be able to see past that mentality and is finding the solutions. This has reduced stress on so many levels. And I think she is even starting to look forward to second grade...at least for today. She was excited to buy a new backpack and seemed to be looking forward to the new school year. We were wondering together who her teacher will be and who she might have in her classroom - she has one friend in particular from Kindergarten that she is hoping will be with her again this year. If history repeats itself she might begin to show signs of stress as we get closer to the first day of school - but with her newfound maturity maybe it won't even be more than a blip on the radar screen. In other exciting, "R News" - she is turning into quite the fish! The last two evenings at swim class she has managed to figure out and execute a standing dive. Her swimming has improved dramatically as well and she loves to be in the water.



A is on the cusp of 'big girlhood' now that she is nearly five (5?!). The last few months have been a bit rough with A. She has been testing limits and asserting her independence a little bit too much for her own good. She's been reverting to that annoying 2-year-old phase where her favorite word is "no" and she has not been shy about using it. More times than I can count I've had to have the "who's in charge?" discussion with her and it often took asking that question more than once for "Little Miss I'm in Charge" to get the answer right. I've vented at length with Lauri during our morning walks and she has assured me that many kids go through this stage just before they turn five. She doesn't quite know why it happens but it seems to be something to do with that fear of the unknown, cusp of becoming a big kid thing. It also seems to coincide with those months leading up to Kindergarten. I'm so hoping that A is getting this phase out of her system and we don't see it rear it's ugly head again next summer before her big transition to Kindergarten. Being an October baby means she will be starting Kindergarten about month before she turns six. So, she has one more year of preschool and she is looking forward to being one of the "big kids" at school who already knows the ropes. There are six kids in her class who will be returning for their second year of preschool - the rest will all be new students. Unfortunately, last year A befriended many of the kids who are now moving on to Kindergarten so she will have to make new friends this year. Fortunately, I have no concerns about her ability to do so. At the end of year party at school in May all the kids received a certificate from the teachers that highlighted one of their strengths and A's certificate was for "being a friend to all." So true. She is really my social butterfly and the one most likely to make friends no matter where she goes - school, the playground, story time, the library....you name it! So, A is also looking forward to the new school year and all the time she will get to spend with her friends - new and old. She, too, has made leaps and bounds in her swimming skills this year and will now eagerly jump into the pool without holding the teacher's hand. She goes completely underwater and bobs back to the surface and the teacher helps her swim back to the edge. She is so brave!

Check out this video of the two of them at swim class.




And last but not least, my sweet little E. She is just wanting to be one of the big kids so badly! She jumps at the chance to do whatever they are doing - riding...or rather sitting...on a big kid bike, wearing goggles at the pool and attempting to put her face in the water (she is by far my most fearless kid when it comes to the water), helping (well, hindering might be a better choice of word) with setting the table, clean up time and other chores, climbing up the ladder to the tall platform on the playground equipment, etc... Her speech and language skills are exploding and she is putting strings of words together to make her desires quite clear. She can be quite a bossy little thing but also very sweet and thoughtful (she will often say "danku" unprompted, as well as "bess you" when someone sneezes and "cooz me!" when she passes gas...of course she thinks it is hilarious to pass gas and will often try to do so on purpose. Such a delicate and refined little lady). She already loves to accessorize and play dress-up. A is more than happy to help her into a princess costume and tiara and some of E's favorite things are shoes, hats and her Dora sunglasses. And the more shoes, the better, by the way. If we go out shopping and she sees shoes anywhere she is begging and whining for me to take off her shoes so she can try some on. My very own little Imelda. She even has a fascination with trying on other peoples' shoes and will often clomp through the house wearing my sneakers, Rick's boots, or the older girls' flip-flops (which she charmingly calls "bee-bops").

I guess I'm just realizing that they will never be 7-ish, nearly 5-ish and nearly 2-ish again and I'm realizing that as crazy and annoyed as I can sometimes get "in the moment" with all of them that I've really had some wonderful times with them, too. They are growing and changing constantly and although they are exhausting and exasperating and complicated they are also wonderful, amazing and unique. We have more fun times ahead, I'm sure, but right now I'm wanting to hold on to this summer and not let go.

Ok...so maybe there is also a tiny part of me that is looking forward to the start of a new school year when I might be able to carve out a bit more kid-free time during the week... And perhaps my desire to extend those lazy days of summer has a tiny bit to do with the fact that the end of summer means...well...it means that another year has gone full circle for me. When did the milestones turn from celebrations (first steps, riding a two-wheeler, turning 21, first real job) to moments of dread and distaste (first gray hair, another wrinkle laugh line, turning 37 thirty-something) anyway?