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.