Ah summer

Well, here it is August and summer almost over. We've been doing fun things, mostly indoors - it's been as hot as last winter was cold and icy! Here is a look-see

Daniel thought he'd try out the Jimmy Neutron look:

I did Course 1 of the Wilton Method in cake decorating, this is my final project:

The boys really enjoyed a tour of the fire station. So much so that the only thing Sean talks about while reminiscing is that he wishes they'd turned on the siren for them to hear up close:

Alan got some scrub-off tattoos that he LOVED having on his arm. He showed everybody.

And Sean decided to try on shirts that really don't fit him any more. Really. That's a 2T shirt:

I'm not sure how he got that top button to button. He must have stretched up his neck or something.

We've managed to get in some swimming and camping and cousins and reading and being banished to the back yard for fighting and collecting rocks and introducing Sean to Harry Potter. Five may be too young, but it's just the first book and it's so delightful. I couldn't help myself.

My cake decorating class was so good. I'd say fun because I loved taking it with my friends, but the time it took and money it took to be prepared for the class was kind of stressful. I should have realized I'd need more than what the kit provided. Dang expensive kit. But I really liked my teacher and the skills I learned are invaluable to a person determined to create pretty cakes for children who don't really care that much (or do they? I still remember some of mine that my mom made...)

Another thing happening this summer is my avoiding grocery shopping. I find that I don't want to go with all three children. One, yes. Two, still yes. Three? No thanks. Did it, didn't like it. So it just doesn't happen until Saturday when we make it a family adventure. Hooray! This may change when Sean starts Kindergarten this fall (Holy Cow.) but we'll see how the chips fall.

We've also been making our house pretty, painting door knobs, painting walls and things, vacuuming once a week to kill the ants, etc. It's amazing how much fun cleaning is when it means that I'm finally getting back into a routine after the baby. It's also amazing how much I can get done in a day. I'll sit down at the end of the day and realize that I'd been both productive AND lazy that day and it totally was working for me. Then I reflect on four years ago at what I thought was productive then and feel all better-than and judgey-at my past self. Because not only do I accomplish more nowadays, but i have 3 times as many children (1 X 3 = 3) and that totally makes now-me WAY better than past-me. Eat it, 23-year old me.

That's all I have to say today.