End of Summer

This summer has been such a fun one for our little family. We didn't get to go camping as often as we would have liked, but we did spend QUITE a few nights huddled together under a blue canopy.

Cameron has LOVED his time at the Learning Center, and when he asked me when his last day was and I told him it was Friday, he almost cried. He loved working with those young, enthusiastic people. He's enjoyed his new friends and is sad to leave it behind. But I reminded him that he will get to go there again next summer and I could hear the tears leave in place of a happy boy.

Jake has fallen in love with being outside. Even though we don't play outside at home much (too scary) he's learned that he can play safely outside at Grandma's house, and often stands at her front windows jabbering that he's ready to go out. Any time any of us leave, whether it's Steve for work, or me running an errand, he knows and he will scurry over to the door pointing and TRYING to turn the knob. He loves being on the go and playing outside.

We spent many nights going to the drive-in and seeing fun movies. I'm so glad we live where we have the option of going to these places. They're so much fun, and will be very memorable for our boys as they get older. Those nights where the four of us are together are such cherished memories.

Most of these things will change.

School starts tomorrow. Cameron (and I) are VERY ready for this new school year. Cam is excited to get a new teacher and principal. We're anxious for his learning to continue. I'm excited because Jake will have free time to just play by himself and not worry that he's about to be taken from whatever fun he's got going on and can just play.

I will definitely miss the sleeping in. (I've trained Cameron from a VERY young age to take himself to the living room, help himself to breakfast and keep himself occupied while mommy sleeps...) I'm trying to train Jake to sleep in, but it's slow in coming.

Over all, I've got many fun summer memories, and I'm ready for the next school year. Let the 3rd grade begin!! :)

Wishful Thinking?

Twice in the last week I've had very summer-y dreams. Both of them took place at amusement parks.

In the first one, I went with my family to our favorite park. (Just a few hours away...and SOOO much fun!) While we were there, I HAD to go on my favorite loopy-loop roller-coaster. I got in (and for some reason, none of my family was with me on the ride.) and we took off. As the ride started, everything was fine. We went through the first loop and then the ride broke down and we were stuck at the bottom (not upside-down *phew*) of the second loop. For some reason the people running the ride wouldn't let us get off. It was a LONG dream, but that's all I remember of it.

Then last night, I had another amusement park-y dream. In THIS one I was with my family (again) at a different place. I don't even think it exists... We were at someone's house, I think. ANYWAY, they had a maze of red water-slides. The slides would tangle around each other and you would race other families to get to the bottom fastest. They had cameras installed in each tube and if you weren't racing, you could watch each team's progress. I didn't go down the tube (I think I used Jake as my excuse) and watched as my family raced down the tube in a comfy couch. The couch was teal green and not really waterproof, or even MEANT to be in the tube, but it was there. And nicely enough, the tube was large enough for the couch and possibly 3 or 4 more couches to fit in it. You knew who won because at the end of the tube a sensor was set up with a cascading waterfall. It looked almost like the film a bubble makes on a wand before you blow a bubble. So as my family is racing down the tube, they realized half-way through that the couch was slowing them down, so they all jumped off (and the couch stayed IN the tube) and they finished...coming in 2nd, I think.

Anyway, all of these warmer weather dreams are getting to me. Happily I think it will be a warmer day today. No sign of snow so far. *knock on wood* I just think it's funny that my mind is taking me on summer vacation already! *giggle*

*************************************************

On a quick side-note, I LOVED Conference this last weekend. It was SO wonderful to hear from our leaders and get their support and happy words. (I fell asleep during one FULL session...my dad thought Steve was snoring when it was me! :S) What I did hear was great, and very positive.

Have I mentioned how much I love hearing from a prophet on the Earth? He's such a wonderful man! :) And I whole-heartedly agree that the music in each session was BEAUTIFUL!! I'm so glad that during one session they sang one of MY favorites (and apparently one of President Monson's favorites) "Consider the Lillies."

*sigh* I'm a little sad it's over, but I can't wait to get my Ensign and read the messages again!

Poor Cam though, he did complain, quite loudly, that he would rather go to church because, "I love my class, mama!" ;)

Oh, What Do You Do in the Summertime?

I am really excited. The next few weeks we're actually doing things that are SUMMER related! YAY!

On Friday we're going on a "family" reunion to Utah. It's actually a new thing we started last year for my siblings and parents. We're going to hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's concert on Friday and then we're spending the next day at Lagoon! We're doing some last minute planning and then we're off to have fun! Steve and I are HOPING to squeeze in a session at the Salt Lake Temple EARLY on Saturday. We're planning on like a 6 AM session. Neither one of us have ever been in that temple, so we're both really excited! I even did a session at my own temple today, just to have a recent experience to compare! (Actually, I REALLY needed to go and was VERY blessed for going!)

We're supposed to stay at my sister's apartment Saturday night and join her at her ward on Sunday. My sister lives in a basement apartment, and it's TEENY! So my small family (Steve, Cam and me) will be camping out in her backyard in a tent. I'm hoping that it will be WAY cooler outside than it will be in her apartment.

Then next weekend, we've got a larger family reunion planned for Saturday. I was supposed to babysit on that day, but they've worked it out so I won't have to! It's going to be outside and should be lots of fun. We're making a rag quilt that has family info on it and it's just STARTING to come together! It'll be pretty when we're done. I'm going to have to take many pictures of it to show it off to all of you! (Since I don't think we'll win it in the raffle!)

Then the NEXT week we're going camping for my mom's sibling's reunion. She's one of twelve kids, so there should be TONS of people there! I'm really excited to see everyone again!

Then our final summer activity will be my husband's 10 year high school reunion! (Geez...has it been 10 years already?!) He's so excited for it, but I'm not really looking forward to it. I'm not even sure if I want to go to my OWN high school reunion next year. (The only people I want to see are my fellow Neptunians!) We'll see how it goes! :)

So what do you do in the summertime that makes it feel like you're doing something productive? Let me know! Maybe we'll steal your idea and try it next year!

P.S. Blogger, WHY do you hate me?!

My Week of Summer...

To me, Memorial Day is the START of summer. I don't care what the calendar says....Summer starts when school is officially out and I've been camping. (Granted, camping this year felt more like winter, but I was still outdoors and in a tent!)

Coming home from camping on Monday, I was worn out and I brought everything into my house and just left it on the floor. I was too tired to really care about it, so it stayed there until Wednesday.

Tuesday I had really forgotten that Cam STILL had therapy, so I almost missed it. We also had to get my wedding ring inspected to keep my warranty up to date and while we were there we decided to get Steve the wedding ring of his dreams! (We won't be getting it for a while, but hopefully before our next anniversary we'll have it paid off and on his finger!) That day I also had the little munchkin I usually babysit and kept her for most of the day while her parents did their running around.

Yesterday was the day I needed to motivate myself for. I actually put most of the stuff from camping away and began my regular cleaning routine. (Laundry, dishes, vacuuming...) So after sleeping in, I hurried and cleaned my house and was able to relax in a more comfortable environment. YAY for motivation!

Today I was able to sleep in again, like I have been all week, and I realized that I won't be able to have this luxury again until next Tuesday. Because, starting tomorrow, Cam will be going to the Learning Center, where he'll be that extra boost he needs for his school work. He'll be there for most of the day. I won't be able to drive him there, so he'll be picked up by a local transportation company (they really aren't the best, but until I get motivated for that change it'll be the same company.) The company is okay, I mean, they get him to the appointments he needs to be to, but they complain to me about the therapist and then I turn around and get complaints from the therapist about them. I'm stuck in the middle without any REAL ability to change either one. It just gets aggravating. The transportation company complains that the therapist isn't ready for them to just drop my son off and allow them to take other kids to their appointments, and the therapist complains that they are very brusk and impatient while he gets one client off before leaving Cam with him. There's nothing I can really do about it, but they both complain to me! WORK IT OUT BETWEEN YOURSELVES!! I CAN'T CONTROL EITHER ONE OF YOU! *whew* Okay, now I feel better!

At the Learning Center, Cam will be working on his therapy goals and interacting with other kids. I'm really excited for him to start, so he'll get the support he needs, but I'm not so excited about the alone time I'll have. Sure, it'll give me time to do the chores I KNOW I should do, but I won't have that little voice following me around the house saying things like, "Mama, I'm hungry." "Mama, can I watch Looney Tunes?" "Mama, can we go somewhere?" As much as I complain about Cam's whining I know when it's gone I'll miss it! I just need to remind myself that going to the Learning Center is good for him! (My mantra for the next while will be: "It's good for him...it's good for him...it's good for him...")

Sleeping in this week reminded me of summers gone by when I didn't have anyone else to worry about and could do what I wanted. Man, was I really that selfish? I guess I've just been too spoiled. So much for those lazy summer days...now we have a schedule. Cam will be starting summer school on Monday and will go again on Wednesday (his only days!) then on Tuesdays and Thursdays he'll have therapy and then his one possible day off, Friday, is now filled with days at the Learning Center. Am I making his life too busy? The poor kid is only 5 and has already been in preschool for 3 years. Now he'll be starting Kindergarten in the fall and won't be done with school until he graduates from high school. I don't want to think about that! Happy times....he's still a kid and loves to play with his cars and still needs his mama!