Last Blast of Summer

School starts for the big kids on Monday. Just when the weather starts to heat up around here the school doors open. What's wrong with this picture?

We are trying our best to fill our days with as much for as possible before routine is forced upon us. While I love the new notebooks, pens and color coded calendars that a new school year brings, I've been loving summer this year.

We've spent countless hours at the pool, at the Lake House, and just hanging out. We've dined al fresco on our back deck, had friends over to play and C has played countless rounds of golf. We've enjoyed the summer and it's laid back attitude. No big plans, no huge responsibilities, nothing, Nada that could not be put off for another day. Just like Summer was intended.

I've been prompted lately in my heart to carry this summer attitude into my fall planning. To not over schedule. To not take on more volunteer jobs or responsibilities than I can handle. To enjoy my family and the season.

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With A red shirting kindergarten this year and C entering 7th grade, I'm beginning to realize that very shortly this season will come to an end. Next fall, I will have no one at home during the day with everyone off to school. I'll have plenty of time then to volunteer and do projects for church, school, or myself.

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This fall I want to have a little summer every week.

* A free day each week with A to play or go somewhere.

* Fall dinners al fresco on the deck with the deck lights on and the grill fired up.

* Evening games of soccer in the backyard or Scrabble contests over a bowl of popcorn

* New projects started on my knitting needles: felted purses, cable knit scarves and maybe just maybe I might think about sewing again.

* Teach A some reading basics and work on letters and sounds. She'll get some of this in preschool, but I'm thinking she could be reading by kindergarten if we worked at home too.

* Work with the Girl Scouts to give back to our community in some big way: I might even teach them to knit !

* Teach M how to latch hook. We have a pillow kit to start with.

* Challenge C to practice golf this fall so that he can beat his grandfather next spring.

* Encourage my kids to invite friends over more. I want to be a welcoming house. Less activities scheduled should free up time for more of this and give me time to make snacks and keep the house up and ready for visitors.

* Be consistent in my morning devotion time, don't just do my Beth Moore Bible Study actually spend time in the Word for the sake of growing rather than learning.

* Find time to have a date night once in awhile

* I'm looking forward to a new year. I know for some a new year starts in January but I also think of September as the beginning of a new year. I have my fresh Desk Calendar all started with perfect color coding and lots of open blanks that I'm hoping to keep that way!!
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Come on Fall Bring it On!!

Funny Things Happen on the Way...

I need to record a few of the funny things my 4 year old has said lately. They are priceless and remind me so much of her older brother and sister and their funny ways at the same age.

She is very observant, quiet and often gets right to the point when she has something to say. She might go with me to lunch with friends, not say anything the entire timel and then repeat almost word for word our conversations.

Wednesdays are our crazy days. We have preschool/bible study, a little break for lunch, dance class at 2:00, kids coming home at 3:00 and 4:00, and then piano lessons followed by dinner at church/confirmation and pioneer club that night. It's busy, but I've given up trying to "get anything done" on that day of the week.

Last week as we were driving away from dance this is what I heard in the back seat...

"I've been so busy today. Preschool ...Check.... Watch Movie and Lunch...Check...Dance Class...Check...Pick up Icee ...Check."

It was as if she was checking her items off her to do list..

No idea where she gets this from. HA :)

We've been working on writting her name. It's long, but it has many letters that repeat themselves. The other day she was copying letters that M wrote for her to practice.

I said Great Job A. Those letters spell your name. You just need to write them in the right order and we'll have your name written.

Her response: It doesn't matter if the letters are in the right order as long as they are there.

Guess we are going to do word searches to find her name now.

That conversation took me back some 4 years ago when M, who is now 8, was in preschool. She would constatnly write only the letter M on her papers. I asked her why she never wrote her whole name, it's beautiful and I knew she knew how to do it. Her response? I only need to write the M. I'm the only one in my class with that letter and the teachers already know the rest of my name.

Guess we should have been smarter parents when we named our children and just given them one letter names. So much easier for Preschoolers to conquer.