Are You Ready?

To prepare for summer break I make a list.  It is extremely long. 

I get rid of broken things. Things they do not take care of.

There wasn't that much stuff.  I make sure their backpacks are good for next year.

I put good school supplies aside for next year.  Save as much as possible.

I clean hard core vacuum and I make sure soccer stuff is put away and pool stuff is ready!

I make sure old shoes and out and saved shoes and saved.  It all matters. 

 Of course, the extra things like: 

Pinewood Durby

            Your Child Gets Violently Ill 

You have to watch the finale of DWTS (of course)

SwimSuits without metal 

(Seriously I think this needs be a thing!  I can not be the only one who had a problem finding these!)

Also, before I write farther do we want to talk about Whole Foods?

I went there.  I have heard how people LOVE LOVE LOVE  it.  I was exhausted by the time I went in.  I had Tate, enough said.  But I will write more.  

IT WAS LIKE WALKING INTO A DIFFERENT PLANET!!!

1. I was the only person with a child.  Tate was buckled in the cart, but still.  I didn't see a no child sign.

2.  It looked like everything was in a different language.

3.  I was told it was a hassle free place I could get gluten free, dairy free.  I didn't so much find this to be true.  You really had to search for it.  

4.  So I left and went to the Natural Food place…super gross smell so I left and went back to Whole Foods.

5.  Which also has an interesting hemp-ish smell but I smelt a coconut soap bar so it balanced out-ish.

6. When I was done I was so peace, love, I need a nap get me the heck out of here I almost found everything except for the butter I was looking for.  

7.  The cashier was awesome so +10 because he went and got the vegan parmesan cheese that I couldn't find and also at the exit they had free apples and raisins which was a plus for Tate, BUT when I say you really really have to search for stuff you really do.  

8.  Also, was it me or was the lighting low?  I am not trying to be conner complainer here.  It was just the most unusual experience,  if you want organic go to the farmers marker.  It is located so close and the store is Organic Food.  Baffling really.   

Add on catch turtles, research turtles, make a home for the turtles, and after a week forget to listen to mom that the turtles climb out of their play area and no more turtles.  It was a bummer really.  They were fun.  

 I did put the turtle catching limit at 3.  The neighbor Andrew thought it was pretty cool!  He gets home from private school pretty late but Caleb enjoys playing basketball him with and they other new neighbor Hunter.

 The day's are shorter because I have squeezed every spare second I have at the school helping finish testing, I spent the entire day Friday with field days (Andy helped in the morning), and other misc. stuff.

All 3 kids won their tug o' war, Caleb won his 3 leg race (with Conner), and the sack race!  It was fun to see the kids outside on a freezing day with their buddies.    

 

 For the next 48 after they got home from school they found every thing they could to make their own field games!

 Ainsley and Winston!

 I believe 3 field trips were squeezed into the last couple weeks of school.  The most anticipated one was Tate's!!!  I wasn't able to go because Aubrey was home sick so Andy dropped Tate off and he road with his teacher!  (he has such an amazing, AWESOME, incredible teacher)

 With Tate gone on a field trip, Aubrey in her room sick, the kitchen clean (twice), laundry started, vacuum done, dusting done, kids rooms clean and organized done, dog walked..I started the shower with the excitement of taking the longest quietest shower I have ever taken in the last 9 years of my life.  Sure I had stuff on my mind because I had to go through the kids clothes for summer before I went to pick up Tate but a shower…it was going to be magical.  Of course, who is waiting for me.  Not a child but a dog.  There he lay the entire time too.  At least there was not a single question or a "Did you know?"  I am not sure why but our house has no door to the bathroom.  Actually when we were looking at houses no new houses did.  Note to builders *DISLIKE*

After my nice shower.  Winston wanted to get in.  I never really thought about it before but it is genius! Mess Free.  Easy To Clean, Why better than my bath and so so sooooooo much better than the kids bathroom.  Poor guy.  

Today was Tate's last day of pre-school and I was so on top of my list.  I hear mom's say all the time.  As soon as my kids get out of school I will get everything done.  It just does not work well for me that way.  No no.  

After going through all of my kids clothes I am happy to say Caleb is bigger and taller!!- And except for a couple of shirts that "I have no idea how scissors cut a hole in those nice shirts that I don't like to wear" most can be tubbed for Tate! 

Aubrey is Taller!!  So fun!- of course all of her clothes are in mint perfect condition and almost all the color blue so the can all be Tubed for Ainlsey.  Some of them can go directly to her closet so she was SUPER excited about that!

Ainsley is Taller and has a bum so she has tubs of perfectly wonderful clothes that we gave to another little girl who can wear them.  It's always a little sad to see clothes/memories go. 

Tate is still a BIG DUDE.  I am grateful everyday for the clothes the Rudd/ Nash family gave me.  Any other clothes that survived his growth spirt were handed to his buddy.  

Its like a circle of love.  

I was actually thinking about "circle of love" the other day.  With all my siblings living by each other with kids the same age in Utah (minus Num, but she's cool:)  I often feel out of place, or wish I was there but then I think…  We have made our own family here.  We are our own family.  It might sound a little bit weird actually, but we do our thing.  We go to the pool at the same time of day every summer, we like the turtle race, we like Diana Rose,  we have known and spent time with the same families for almost 5 years.  We do not like snow or cold,  we like band practice, we love going to the park some times 2 times a day, we wake up really early, we do not camp,  only Andy is allowed to drink soda (unless the kids are at the grandparents),  we have our own rules for games, we only play the counting and running part of hide n' seek, we can quote from our top 20 books in any given moment, and we love Father of the Bride.   We can't watch Narnia without getting scared or sitting really close together, my kids can't walk down the halls at church or school and pass each other without all their friends giving their younger siblings a hug, and when we have craft time its ALL OUT 2 hours-dining room table and it takes my dining room the rest of the day to recover!  It's kinda fun to be us.