Too Busy Making Memories

I realized today it has been an unusually long time since I last blogged.  This summer has been flying by and full of simple pleasures.  There are no big trips or vacations.  We've been so busy having fun, we have barely even taken any pictures (maybe that's a good thing?).

Here's a glimpse into our summer days....

Over the 4th of July my sister and her family stayed with us.  We played, went to a parade, and saw a great fireworks show (that was free of crazy crowds).

We've continued to do small, fun activities.  Bridge building is harder than it looks!

Robin is in love with books, especially the Pigeon books and Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems.  He will bring books to anyone and beg them to read, over and over again.  He drags a Mo Willem book with him wherever he goes.

The big kids have been surprisingly willing to go to their rooms every afternoon for an hour to play quietly and give me a break.

This past weekend, Dave and Linus went camping with Dave's brother and his four boys (and took no pictures).  Linus came home joyous despite being covered in bug bites.  Eileen, Robin, and I spent the time swimming, riding bikes, checking out a new toy store, playing in the backyard, and watching princess movies.

The kids have been taking daily swim lessons.  Additionally, each kid gets one week of day camp.  Eileen spent last week at rookie sports camp.  I wasn't sure how it would go since she generally dislikes sports and would only wear dresses.  She loved it, especially hockey.  One day Linus and I went on a hike through Discovery Park, just the two of us.  It was wonderful.

It's been fun watching the kids tackle new things this summer.  After day camp, Eileen was excited to play t-ball in the backyard.  She exclaimed, "I can do this! I learned how at camp!"  Linus started taking piano lessons.  He also finally discovered the joy of reading chapter books.  He has been devouring Magic Treehouse books.

Robin has been getting the hang of this walking thing and just this week started to be able to stand up in the middle of a room unassisted.  His increased balance has led to him trying new challenges like stairs, ladders, slides, and sports equipment.  He thought t-ball and golf were pretty fun.

I've enjoyed getting one on one time with each of my kids and knocking books off my reading list during downtime.  I've also been whittling away at my professional development clock hours.  To my surprise, I've slowly rediscovered my passion for teaching.  I'm still not ready to head back into the classroom full time (and I know Robin definitely is not okay with that idea), but now it actually holds some appeal once again.  The many hours spent with my lovely children also remind me that homeschooling is not a good option for us.

This summer has just been full of pleasant surprises.