Lagoon!!

Scott, Shelbi and Jensen on the Tilt-a-whirl

Anja took a quick 20 minute catnap around 9 p.m. then woke up and asked for more rides.

The boys on yet another roller coaster of some sort (they all started to blend together after the first hour or two)

Nadia getting ready to do some crashing.

Jensen getting ready to hit Nadia and Mom (although he could barely see over the steering wheel).

Anja and aunt Kristin.

Anja's favorite ride.. around and around and around and around and around and around...

Jensen felt vindicated after spinning his car to the point that he made uncle Scott and aunt Shelbi nearly sick...

Some were not happy we made them ride...

Nikki talked the boys into riding everything.

Road Rage at Lagoon

No explanation needed...

I've never had a child exhibit road rage at Lagoon. But then again, I've never had a child like Anja.

Half way in the grave??

...not quite, but I'm really not a fan of getting older. It's awful. I'll be one of those 80 year old women they do news stories on who can't give up her youth. I'm a full supporter of plastic surgery, liposuction, body shapers, tanning creams and high heels. If you don't have it any more, find something that can give it back to you!

That said, I did have a wonderful day thanks to my kids (they went back to school on my birthday), my girlfriends (who expressed their love with streamers and balloons) and my husband who handed me plane tickets for a trip next month-- top secret location TBA.

I have a deep love for flowers, which my girlfriends indulged.

And a deep love for chocolates which they wholeheartedly supported.

Rich also knows my desire for Mrs. Cavanaugh's chocolate dipped strawberries.

Thank you to everyone for making my day so wonderful!

First Day of School

Monday morning brought enthusiastic cheers (from me), belly groans (from Carter) and cautious optimism (from Jensen) as we pulled on uniforms and headed out the door for 1st and 4th grade. Carter said changing classes seven times a day was nice-- "Now I only have to listen to the same teacher for an hour a day."

Jensen was bored out of his mind and said, "It took so long for the day to end!"

Anja was happy to send the boys out the door and be left with just mom.

The best part was the phone message I had left around 11:30 a.m. on the answering machine. Carter called during lunch while I was gone.

"Mom, this place is a zoo! It's so unorganized and the lunchroom is just crazy. People are just being dumb and not staying organized. It's like they've never been at school before. I know I can't come home-I'm a Coombs and I know what that means, but really mom, everyone needs to get their acts together and stop being so out of control. So, I just needed to call and tell someone. See you after school."

Our home thrives on structure, can you tell?

Chuck E. Cheese

Yes, this place does still exist. We promised a trip there this summer and had to make good--

Something a little sweet

Our last play group field trip this summer was to Sweets Candy Factory. Anja thought she had died and gone to heaven and Carter now informs us he wants to make candy when he grows up. I suggested he be the engineer who designs the machines that makes the candy.

"No," he said. "I just want to make candy."

Jensen was a little grossed out, but liked the chocolate machine. We only have one picture because there are no cameras allowed in the factory. Thanks for organizing it, Dawn.

Look at me!

Ah, trying to keep up with her brothers.

Lessons are OVER!

(Jensen's version of the cannon ball)

This was the last day of swimming lessons this year. After two months of four-days-a-week at the Taylorsville pool, the kids got a day to play. Thanks papa for "investing" in our summer lessons we had a blast!

(um yeah, that's my bikini clad body at the top of the slide)

(body surfing?)

Anja may have been brave enough to go off the diving board but she wasn't willing to go on the slide until this week. Her cute teacher did it over and over with her. She also tied to body surf which is very difficult to do without the waves.

(too cool to even smile for the camera)

Carter and his buddies took the teacher's lifeguard float and thought they were so cool pretending to swim on it like a surfboard and trying to stand on it. Guess he's just getting ready for our next trip to Hawaii.

Obligated to have a childhood

My girlfriend Stacey and I were talking this week and pondering the question, "why do we try to do so much?" We came to the conclusion that it has to do with our kids and their lives. We, as their devoted stay-at-home moms, feel obligated to make sure they have memorable childhoods. Why the obligation? Because we don't wont to be the parent whose child says, "I don't really remember my summer." Instead, we want to be the parents whose children remember they swam everyday, made pancakes for dinner and had weekly play dates. We want to be the parents whose kids say, "I loved my summer."

Despite my tyrant last Sunday, I think we've fulfilled our summer quota. Yes, there have been more than a few bad days, but there have been more good than bad. There were plenty of days I let my kids play video games more than the 1.25 hours suggested by American Pediatric Association. Our lunch menu didn't comply with the state childhood nutritional guide because I counted hot dogs as a protein and ketchup as a vegetable. Lastly, I didn't monitor the morning tooth brushing like I do during the school year so I'm sure, there were a few times their breath could have killed--as far as I know, no one is dead.

So why the post? Because it's the end of the summer. We've got one more week before we hang up our swimsuits and flip flops for khakis and Polo's. I've got 7 more days to help my kids answer the essay question 'what I did this summer' and make sure the answer makes their childhood memorable.

Cooking with Jensen and Anja

(Jensen at the cabin with grandma and grandpa)

Six year's ago I hated to cook. Guess I had to learn to love it when I started staying home. It's now a bit of a hobby. Jensen is my "cook" Anja is my "helper". Generally the cook is more help than the helper.

(Anja making chocolate zucchini bread with me)

Where are the fairies?

Today I totally lost it. Sunday's are hard anyway. Rich has meeting all morning then we finally go to church at 1 p.m. only to have meltdowns. I consider it a good Sunday if no one throws anything during the meeting. Before we even got there Carter push me over the edge.

After lunch I asked him to get ready for church. He then told me his white shirt needed to be ironed. I, not happy about it, got out the iron and ironed it. I went back in his room 10 minutes later to remind him to brush his teeth and he had balled the shirt up and threw it on the floor.. I TOTALLY lost it.

Something about, "name one thing you've done in the last 48 hours to be helpful to me? Dishes, toys, meals, laundry, babysitting--nothing. Well until you can think of something don't talk to me or ask for anything. Now let's list the things I did for you in the past few days-- clean, cook, read, shopping, school clothes...blah blah blad" Not one of my finer days. We still aren't talking. And the lunch dishes still aren't cleaned up.

Rich tried to calm the seas but that only fueled the fire.

So I'm at home blogging, they are at church and I'm counting the days until they are all back in school and life can resume on its normal schedule. But school leads to homework and I hate spelling-- it's a no win.

Where are those damn cleaning fairies? I need a break.

A nose fix

So what happens when you bump your nose and your mom has heard one too many whines that day to help you out?

You fix it yourself.

Trip downtown

Every summer we make a trip downtown to have lunch with papa. After lunch we went to play in the water on main street.

Anja had a hard time understanding why she could throw pennies in, but not take them out.

We love spending time with Papa-- love the happy meal boxes!

We watched the construction going on before we got back on the train. Fun time!

Summering at the Cabin

Thirty years ago my grandparents purchased several acres in the high Uinta Mountains not far from the East-Fork of the Bear scout camp.

We--meaning all their children and grandchildren-- spent years cutting the road through the woods and eventually building the cabin. Every year we go up and spend a few days enjoying the great outdoors with my parents. And for the first time in nine years, it was relaxing for me because everyone is old enough to know not to eat the dirt, fall in the lake or throw rocks at the wildlife.

We rode the three-wheelers quite a bit..

We even did a little fishing in the private pond. Nadia was the only one to catch anything-- but we all had fun.