This is the last full week of summer for the kids and me. They have another week and will spend it with their paternal grandmother and her husband while I travel to see my grandparents and sister's family. I am pretty excited to go back to the humidity, but I am hoping my nephews will take me out for a late night fire fly catching adventure. Oh, the memories of staying with Papa Homer and Ann. They have both passed now. They had this giant back yard that had a huge slope that we went sledding on in the winter. In the summer there was a vast vegetable garden at the foot of the slope. My cousins, all boys, lived down the street. They built a bridge across the creck and it was literally a bridge to Teribithia. In the late sweaty evening, the fire flies came out. We ran around catching the fliers in baseball caps. garmdma provided us with milk jugs with holes punched in the top. Just pick out the frieflies from the cap, drop into the jug, and you have a personal lantern. That and the root beer floats in the glass bottom pewter mugs made summers so lovely.
The past couple of days have been full of summer memories, I hope, for the kids. Wednesday started off witha visit to the Boulder County Fair. They have been making stick horses with the royal court since they could walk. As I watched Daughter tower of the little tikes, I noted this just might be her last year. Okay, hopefully I can fan her imagination and playfullness for a few more years like my mother did for me. Then, we had to see the cows for Son. Home for lunch as the temperature reaches the nineties. A little more house cleaning for Mom while the kids...what where they doing? Then it was a few errands to the Gallery to pick up some art and to RedBox for a video for later. Next, the horse ballet with friends, disgusting hotdogs, cool fluffy chickens, giant bunnies, more goats and cows, all while it stormed. We stayed dry, sort of, between showers and celebrated the wet kept the usual dust at bay. Phew, I was tired.
But, the evening had yet to begin. The three kiddos we spent the afternoon with came over for movie night. Being as we all ate junk food at the fair, I made avocado, spinach, banana, pineapple, and mixed berry smoothies with a pinch of dairy-free chocolate chips. Yum! We watched Mirror Mirror and the youngest, not old enough to sleep over, went home. When his mom came to the door, he promptly announced he was bored during the movie. To each their own. After brushing teeth and rearranging sleeping bags a dozen times, the four remaining kids were ready for Lala Land. Yah, right. The two guests had to ask my two to settle down and go to bed. This they did do by 9:30. Not bad.
This was so fun! For the first time in my motherhood, I got to sneak down the stairs to the family room and yell BOO! The kids were so startled. I remember my folks doing that when I had sleep overs. Now, I know why. French toast breakfast followed by some serious Barbie playing. sSon got to be Ken. Thanks, girls, for including him. One girl went home, the other wanted to go swimming with us. After exchanging clothes for a swim suit, we were off for a full day at the Bay. Five slides, splash area, large five foot swimming area, baby pool with its own slides and stretches of lawn and sheltered picnic tables is a delight for all. We tried going to the Bay two times earlier in the week and got rained out. So this time we went before lunch. Three and a half hours of wet fun on our third day at the pool this week. Did I mention we went to Kanemoto on Monday and the Erie Rec Center with friends on Tuesday. Phew check that off the summer bucket list.
A full week of activities for sure. My reward? A BLT with avocado. Do you think I like avocado? And the victory lap is a hot yoga class with a friend followed by a leisurely snack of salad and smoothie. I have to say I am pretty proud of my kids. At first they started to cry and literally ran to me and clung to my arms when I said I was going out. I calmly said, " Look, I have been with you and your friends for a full 24hours of non-stop entertainment. Now it is my turn to go relax. I expect you to respect that.". They let go of their hold on me. They said they were sorry and would let me go if they could watch TV. Oh, the constant wheeling and dealing of those two. In the end, their desire was granted as they waited for their dad to come home and I left for yoga. They must have given their dad the run around. I found Son passed out in a weird position snoring with his mouth open. Daughter was sound asleep still holding her book on Marc Chagall erect on her chest. And Dad, well, I found him smack dabble in the middle of the bed with his clothes still on. Thanks for letting me get some me time and girl time. Now, kids, tomorrow, I am thinking we stay home all day while you go invent imaginary worlds in the backyard like Phineus and Pherb. Me, well, You can find me sorting my studio so when you are at school in thirteen days, I can pick up a paint brush instead of a dust rag.
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