Well, here we are in the middle of summer, and I can honestly say that I don't ever remember the last time I have felt so content. Life is just really really good right now.
We had a busy start to the summer, then traveled for three weeks, then have been doing next to nothing for the last two weeks. As much as I love to go, go, go, I could really get used to this schedule. We have taken advantage of all the old school movies on Netflix, so the kids have been introduced to Freaky Friday, all the Mighty Ducks movies, Zulu, Forrest Gump, the first Karate Kid, and Escape to Witch Mountain. We have also been staying up late and waking around 9am. The return of the school schedule will be brutal next month!
The kids seem to really be enjoying being together and have had as close to no fighting as I could expect to get. Well, almost....
A few hours after we got Matthew home from camp, we had supper club. This is usually a kid free evening, but once a year, the kids come and swim together. The evening was a blast until I saw Matthew get out of the water holding his head. Apparently, Matthew was tickling Mary Beth, she got tired of it, and whacked him in the head with a water gun. Unfortunately, there was a sharp plastic part of the gun that landed squarely into Matthew's scalp and blood was everywhere. Fortunately, there is a doctor in our supper club who was kind enough to take Matthew to his office and give him three stitches on the top of his head! Yes, it was quite the rude awakening to getting the kids all back together!
When Mary Beth found out what happened, she cried and cried. Matthew quickly forgave her and we have had smooth sailing since. We laughed with Matthew that getting beat up by a not-quite -6 year old girl sort of cancelled out guarding our home against an intruder! ;)
Now a little about the kids...
Matthew has been a dream kid all summer. I can't believe how helpful he is around the house. He and Bryon love bonding over yard work, and he has taken over some of the cooking as well! Matthew loves to cook and has made the kids eggs and toast several mornings this week, as well as shepherd's pie for dinner on Sunday night, and egg drop soup on Monday night! He even will go out and cut phlox from our garden to make a centerpiece for our table!
We have a new allowance system in our home that makes each chore a set amount of money. (Keeping their rooms clean and being nice to each other aren't chores. They are expectations for living in the house and money is taken away when those aren't up to our standard.) Matthew has been a man on a mission and is setting the table, putting dishes in the dishwasher, unloading dishes, and taking out the trash constantly! He definitely has a strong work ethic!
Matthew had his first orthodontic appointment this week. All we have to do is get two teeth pulled and he is good to go for braces! So hard to believe! The orthodontist thinks it will be an easy task getting Matthew's incisors where they should be. As much as Matthew is dying to get braces, we are going to hold off until the beginning of the year to take advantage of the cafeteria plan savings.
Thomas has had a great summer as well. He is enjoying reading, playing with his sister and brother, as well as his friends. He has been his usual funny self and some of his sister and brother's fiestiness seems to be rubbing off on him. The other day, he was annoying Mary Beth. My mother asked him why he was doing that. He smiled and said, "Because that was what I was born to do!"
Also, he got to view pictures of Matthew's teeth at the orthodontist. The tech asked Thomas what he thought of his brother's pictures. Without skipping a beat, he said, "They remind me of Matthew's body: weird and nasty!' The tech laughed and said, "We can get rid of the weird part. Nothing we can do about the nasty!"
He has also been on a mission all summer to convince us to get him a dog. He reads about different breeds on the internet and is trying to find one that he won't be allergic to. Of all the kids, he has the most trouble with pet allergies and we know instantly if a friend's house has a cat by looking at Thomas's eyes, so finding a good dog will be tricky. The jury is still out on this one, although Thomas can be pretty convincing...
Mary Beth is still Mary Beth. We have had a great time together this summer. She has enjoyed going to the library and reading books and hanging out at home. She asks lots of questions about 1st grade and continues to be our sunshine. She has also enjoyed being upstairs during Summer Fun at church, so once a week, she gets to go with her big brothers to mini golf, skate, and the pool. She is loving being a big kid!
Well, that's about it for now. Since I am not a big fan of over 100 degree heat, blazing sunshine, and mosquitos, summer has always been my least favorite time of the year, but this summer, I might have changed my mind!
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