Summer

Here we are half way through summer, and I am still waiting for my chance to slow down and relax.

At the beginning of summer vacation, we made a family list of things we wanted to do over the summer. I should pull that out again and see how we are doing.

I have learned that though I would much rather sleep in on summer days, I am a much better mommy if I am up before the girls. So I am going against everything in me and getting up early to exercise (by myself) and to be showered before they are up. In the month of June, sleeping in was 6:30. I am sure my mom's mouth just dropped. :)  However, I must say it feels good to exercise. Some mornings I do the Wii Active, and other mornings I go run/walk in the cemetery. I enjoy being outside, and I listen to Focus on the Family or Family Life podcasts on my ipod, and I feel like I am engaging my mind, too.

With softball and tootsie rollers two mornings a week, groceries on another, swim lessons three nights week, library visits, Bible study on Weds. nights, and planning Kid's Camp (our VBS), and other things like maintaining the house and meals, I feel like the summer has flown.

 At the beginning of the summer, I started responsibility charts for both Analise and Maisie this year. Analise thrives on this, and I never have to remind her to do anything on there. Maisie on the other hand, only had her responsibility chart for a week. After that I gave her a new chart - an attitude chart. It's very simple. On one side of the paper is a picture of her with a happy face; the other side has a picture of her with a grumpy face. Ten stickers are in the middle. When I ask her to do something, and she responds joyfully and immediately, she gets a sticker under the happy face. And well, I am sure you can figure out what happens when she grumbles and complains. This chart has been wonderful! She is excited about getting more "happy" stickers, and I am thrilled to have fewer fits. (And the stickers are on wax paper, so we just reuse them!)

My garden is nice and green, and we are already enjoying some of its harvest - zucchini and grape tomatoes already. I love my summer salads with all these fresh goodies in them!

Unfortunately my strawberries didn't bear many fruit this year. So sad.

This second half of the summer I look forward to a little more down time, having Brandon around for some extra days (though I know he will still be working "a little"), and really getting to enjoy some things WITH the girls and not just FOR the girls.