Quack Quack

A few days ago I saw a post on a friend's blog that she had taken her kids to feed the ducks and when I saw the photo I knew exactly where they had gone. I remember when Kelton was just a small baby and we discovered the area (it was just being developed but the park was in place). There are a bunch of waterfalls and ponds and it's just so pretty and peaceful. For some reason, we hadn't been back there since.

I couldn't wait to find a time to take the kids there to feed the ducks and that time presented itself nicely on Saturday afternoon. I threw in extra clothes (because I know my kids and water) and a bunch of bread and off the four of us went.

It was a lot of fun and I'm hoping that feeding the ducks will be a memory they can take with them much the same way I have memories of my grandparents taking me to lake near Seattle to feed ducks when I was about Kelton's age.

What a great way to spend a summer weekend afternoon!

Already?

It seems like summer has just begun and yet the evidence is all around me that it is all too quickly ending. I'm not ready. I'm really not ready. But no one is asking me what I think. The school buses are out running their routes and figuring out their timing. The school supply rows at the stores are running low and are extremely picked over. The clothing sections no longer have shorts, t-shirts and swimwear. Instead there are sweaters and coats and long sleeves.

Those who have known me for very long know that I usually LOVE when the fall things start showing up in the ads. Mid-way through summer I am planning when I will put up the fall decorations and by now? They are already up and the house is decked out in colorful fall leaves.

They aren't up this year. I'm not feeling it. I want more summer. I want more time to have summer fun with my family. But according to the trees and the flowers I will not be getting my way. Fall is coming - ready or not.

Guess I should find the fall decorations......*sigh*

Some Photos from Last Week

I realized I forgot to post these last week......as you can tell, we had a couple really hot days and the kids cooled off by playing in their pools.

And by the way - they have both put in their requests for a bigger pool for next summer. I have to admit - it's time.

Brrrrrrr!!

One of my first thoughts this morning was "Wow! It's COLD!" Going from an 80-something degree day yesterday and into a 90-something day today I guess I was caught off guard by the 49 degree temperature I woke up to in the tent this morning. I mean, I know it's been cool in the mornings but 49? Really? 17 more degrees and we could have had snow. I'm just sayin'.

The Tent Adventure, Night 1 went well enough. No major meltdowns by either child, both slept through the night fine and both woke early. Considering they went to sleep later than usual, I was hoping for a later than 6am wake up call but who am I kidding? I was awake anyway.

Last night after dinner I made a campfire and the kids and Dakota roasted marshmallows and enjoyed s'mores. Then we were treated to the new nightly routine of "Circus". The other day one of the tie down stakes for the play structure broke so the kids and I went to Lowes to see about getting a replacement piece. While there we passed the play structure section and they went crazy for the trapeze/ring part. It was more than I wanted to spend that day but I went ahead and got it for them. Oh my gosh. I can't tell you the amount of time they have both spent playing on it and I have to say, it's turning out to be a great core developer for Kelton (he has weak core muscle tone) which is going to really help him in lots of ways. Kaylen? Well she flips and flips and flips. It was a good investment.

As the light was disappearing from our evening I tossed the kids in the tub to clean them up and then it was time for stories in their sleeping bags and finally....they drifted off to dreamland.

Kaylen woke up and nearly the first thing she said was "Thank you for letting us sleep in the tent!"

You're welcome, baby girl. You are very welcome.









(The cushion is from the swing. They like to have a soft landing and well...who can blame them?)

The Tent

I'm hot and I'm sweaty but the tent is up.

I decided last night that I would wait until Thursday to put it up but due to circumstances beyond my control, it went up today.

The circumstances? The children have been arguing and fighting over who gets to have Dakota put them to bed. Last night all four of us squished into Kaylen's queen sized bed because we just couldn't work out another solution. They are both so needy for her. As Kaylen settled in she said "I feel safe with both my moms. I don't feel safe with only one."

Hmmm....I wasn't sure how to take that one. I know what she means but still. I think I've done a pretty good job of helping her feel safe for the past...well...all her life. Still - I get it. She misses her other mom. And so does Kelton. And neither one of them can get enough of her. Enough of me, yes. Her? No.

When the tears started again today about who would get to be put to bed by her I decided I would put up the tent and push the air mattresses together. Dakota can sleep in the middle of the kids. It made them both happy until Kelton realized that it was just a short term solution to which I said "But it works for now so let's just go with it."

Four nights in the tent? I'm not sure how I feel about it but it makes the children happy so I will suck it up and do it for their sake. This is their childhood, not mine, and it should be filled with happy memories.

Neglected Blog

My sister sent me an email this afternoon and said my blog was boring her. Yeah well....sorry about that. If it helps any, it's been boring me too.

I tried explaining that I have nothing news worthy to share with the population at large but she was firm in her response that I should write something new every day. I do believe she gave that to me as "an assignment". To which I say, and respectfully so, Ppppppttttttthhhhhh!

The kids are good and we are gearing up to the start of the school year. All the back to school supplies have been bought and most the clothes have been sorted through. Sadly, the poor child can still wear a fair share of his kindergarten clothes but hey - just think of all the he is saving us. I still have a bin in the garage of clothing I bought for him to wear to 1st grade that never saw the light of day last year that I need to go through but there is no rush. He has plenty to start the year with.

Kaylen has been busy learning to play the Wii. Carnival Games is her speciality and she can kick the behind of anyone in the KaPow game as well at the Claw Game. Even Kelton had to admit defeat yesterday. I heard him say "I can't believe I have to say this Kaylen but you are better than me with this game." She is back at it right now and just told the neighbor boy (who is here for a play date) "You should see how good I am at this." Modest about her skill? Not all that much, thanks.

Today weather wise has been wet. The rain sort of surprised me but then - not all that much. Mother Nature has a wacky sense of humor sometimes. Tomorrow it should be back in the mid-80's and I am tossing around the idea of setting up the tent for the kids. They love to camp in the yard and the time is quickly dwindling when I can do that for them.

The Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) stuff is in full swing already with our first even being an ice cream social on Back to School Night (the night before the first day). Due to many factors, it's bound to be an interesting year at the school.

So that's about it - I told you it wasn't all that thrilling. :) Oh wait - one more thing...I spent some times yesterday and burned a DVD with a bunch of movies I've taken of the kids over the years. The kids and I watched a small portion of it yesterday before karate and Kelton just loved it. I can't wait to watch more of it with them.

Ok - now really. That's it.

In the Mountains

This past weekend we traveled two hours east to visit our niece and her family in Glenwood, WA. which is a tiny town with amazing views of Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood. We were only up there one night but we packed a lot into those hours. The cousins played and fought and played some more while the grown ups talked and drank and drank some more. What can I say? It made the children's bickering much more tolerable. :)


The kids decided that a pool temp of 67 degrees was perfectly fine for swimming. Brrrrrrr! The air temperature overall was warm but that pool? Not so much!

Sam, to dog, has ownership over the feet rinsing pool. Every time that Amy filled it will fresh clean water; muddy Sam would jump in!

Dakota sitting with Bailey, Kelton and Alise. The kids who had the sense to get out of the pool when their lips turned blue. Kaylen? Not so much.

Dakota loving on JJ. This pup is only 6 months old and is one of the most well behaved dogs I have EVER met. And he is just a puppy!

Alise has a dirt pile that she plays in and Kaylen could not wait to join her! See that dress? It took some doing but I finally got it clean again. :)

Round two for the pool. Still waaaaaay too cold!

The older kids figured out that the foot rinse pool was MUCH warmer! :)

And I mentioned drinking, right? Amy can make a mean Lemon Drop! YUMMY!


It was a fun weekend that was way too short. :)