A glimpse at my summer

I remember when nothing could keep the kids out of the water. 

Five degrees and blue lips? NOT A PROBLEM! 

But that was then.....

And this is now.

We finally headed down to the pool and the kids were pumped! That was until they stuck their toes in the water, and then it was all, HOLY MOLY MOM! THIS IS REALLY COLD!

Now you know there is really only one way to handle water like that, and that's to JUMP IN AND EXPERIENCE HEART FAILURE. Or at least that was what I told them, not that I would do such a crazy thing. Hope was the first to be brave and take it like a boss.

But Pierce was cautious...

Lots of contemplating

And him-hawing around.

But finally, and I might add, regrettably on his end, he took the plunge.

After that he was content to play OUTSIDE the water.

 Hope lasted a lot longer than her brother, but eventually they both ended up outside the water.

And I watched them playfully fight, until it of course turned into a real fight.

And that's when I got a glimpse of my summer.

Only three days until I say, KIDS STOP FIGHTING at least 648 times a day. And I can't wait.

Happy Mother's Day, why am I so short?

Last weekend I was in the land that flows with milk and honey, to celebrate my mother, and all things motherly. 

It was a jam-packed visit, that included a little animal sight seeing in my parents side yard. 

Wonder if momma bird got to celebrate her fist Mother's Day?

So ugly they are cute.

Paul worked that weekend, so it was just me and kids. We went to Huber's and ate a buffet of friend chicken and fried biscuits, SIGN ME UP.

Cody Bear, as I annoyingly affectionately call him, is always so sweet to pay attention to the kids.

And when he plays with them, sometimes you even catch him with a REAL smile.

I told Jo and mom that I wanted to get some pictures of us, you know one of those 'four generations photos' which made them moan.

I do love this photo, but I can't help but wonder why Almighty God decided to throw me on the short train when he made me. My mother is 5'10, and my sister, WITHOUT HER MASSIVE HEELS, is also 5'10. Then there is me, 5'5.  Can't you just hear it? ONE OF THESE THINGS IS NOT LIKE THE OTHER...Thank you Sesame Street for understanding. But enough about my short stature in this here family.

When I was a child and someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would always tell them I want to be a mommy. It's really all I every really wanted.

I'm so thankful I got what I wanted, and I'm sorry for all the times I take this gift for granted.

Oh and just because my kids said so.... Happy Mother's Day indeed.

The end is near

Straight off the top we have to address it, because there is just no way around it.

13 days left. 

THIR-TEEN. 

I sort of view it like the end of pregnancy and the early stages of labor. Now is about the time we start pacing the floor with pains, the end is near, but we still gotta push through the hard stuff. 

For the kids the hard stuff is next week. TESTING. Pierce said he is really dreading it. Not because he can't handle it, but it's just really tedious. But I keep reminding him, it's almost over. 

I've also promised ice cream when it's over. Hope doesn't start K-Prep until next year, but she'll reap the benefits of ice cream as well, because of course. 

You know what else helps get us through? LETTING OFF STEAM AND HAVING FUN. 

 Britt texted me and asked if we wanted to come swim, and lo' and behold we both had a free night! Super rare.

 It was our first swim this year.

 The kids had SO much fun.

Pierce thanked me after we left, "thanks for bringing us over tonight mom, I had fun."

And well these two?

TOO MUCH.

THIRTEEN DAYS YOU GUYS. We got this.

It's not a skating party until they play Amy Grant

First of all let's get to the important stuff: ONLY 17 DAYS LEFT OF SCHOOL. 

As we head into May I can hear in my head, "please secure all your belongings, keep hands and legs inside ride until it comes to a complete stop" or you know something like that. Because May is a ride on the crazy train. It's exciting, it's busy, it's expensive, and just when you think you might come up for air, crazy train May tells you the ride has not come to a complete stop. 

But I love May. 

May means it's time for some activities to come to an end until next August. 

The Jumpin' Jags put on a last performance for the parents.

She's really so good with a jumprope!

She told me she's ready for the season to be over

But wants to do it again next season.

Listen, if you're going to put a full year into any sport, you sort of live for the handing out the medal moment.

She told me she couldn't wait.

Check out her expressions, I just can't convince her to give drama a go. She would be so good...

When the coach called her name, he made a comment about her actually being 21. I'm not sure what that meant, but she died laughing. I hate that this picture is sort of blurry of her, but that was her completely embarrassed.

Way to go Hope! You jumped for an entire school year!

In celebration of the end of the season there was a skating party for all the jumpers and families.

I stepped into that skating rink, AND STEPPED BACK IN TIME. Every Friday night as a kid, our school would have skate night/movie night. I went to a private Christian school, so we would jam out and skate to Amy Grant. I mean you've never really skated until you've gone around a gym to El Shaddai.

 This rink wasn't playing any Amy Grant, but it did take me back. I forgot my socks or I would have joined and showed them my old moves, even though I'm sure I would probably fall and bust a hip.

But Hope did great! I only got one photo of her in action, but she really took to it pretty quickly.

I definitely want to go back as a family and all of us go skating. Maybe I'll even ask the DJ to turn off the Wobble and spin a little old school Amy for me.

Such a fun Saturday! And such a great season.