Swimming and school

We've been swimming a ton this summer. At the beginning of the summer, Levi would stay on the top step, having fun but still afraid to put his face/head in the water. After no lessons and no parental pushing, here's what he's doing now:

We are less than one week away from the start of school! Nate and Lucy start on September 5. I'm planning on doing a small "night before first day of school party" for dinner on Tuesday, with their favorite foods, dessert, decorations, etc.--something to make it special but not too involved (so I don't have to live up to anything too huge next year!). Both Nate and Lucy are excited but nervous to start school. Nate has been saying he doesn't want to go, but I know the reason for that is he wants to keep playing video games for hours a day. I know he's going to love school and hope it's a smooth transition.

Camping

We had a great time this past weekend. We went for only two nights this time, which I think was one night too short. (By the time you get there and get set up, the first day is done. You have a full day the next day. Then the next morning you have to pack up and leave!) Our other camping trips have been four nights long, which was long-ish with children our kids' ages. So I think three nights would be perfect!

Here are some pictures my friend Cassi took.

Levi and Lou playing baseball

I don't know what I was talking about here.

Long-awaited day

The kids have been counting down to tomorrow all summer!

Craft day

At the beginning of the summer, I promised Lucy we would have a craft day some time. I got everything together and made a (very simple) craft day last week, with painting, finger painting, and pipe cleaners. (When you don't provide day after day of amazing parent-led crafts, then painting, finger painting, and pipe cleaners make for an AMAZING craft day. It's all about expectations... keep them low. Haha) The kids (especially Lucy) loved it.

Mothering in the moment

I have been reminding myself that these years are short with the children at home... that I will regret hours spent ignoring or "shooshing" them. With two weeks of summer left, I am imagining what it will be like in two years, when all of them will be heading to school and I will wonder if I did enough with my time with them. Will they remember their earliest years with fondness? Or will they remember the yelling, impatient mother I sometimes (often?) am? I won't be able to get these years--or my children as their youngest selves--back. Oh how I want to be the best mother I can be for them--sometimes despite myself!

Life snapshot #3

It's hard to believe it has been over a year since my last snapshot. It's definitely time for a new one.

The good

• It's so easy to go places as a family now: no diapers, no strollers, no nap schedules. We went to the fair a couple of weeks ago, and everyone walked, fed him/herself, and went to the bathroom him/herself (Levi is almost there)--it was so pleasant! 
• We now officially have three great-sleeping kids (knock wood). Levi was a pretty good sleeper previously but would come to our bed most nights. Everyone still slept, but it obviously wasn't as restful. 
• Jon and I celebrated 10 years of marriage in June (and it was his birthday on Friday!), and I feel we're closer and stronger than ever.
• Homeschooling was a success this last year when I consider the goals I set for myself: spend time with Nate; do some fun learning things; read and work on math but generally take it easy on academics. I also came to the realization that this year of homeschooling was a "make-up year" for Nate: he didn't get to be home with me when he was 3 and 4 years old, like he should have been. He was in school 5 days a week at that time. So this year was the year he should have had at home with me when he was 3. 
• I am so pleased with how Nate is eating. That sounds silly, but I've found it so essential to the bigger picture for him--his attitude, behavior, etc. 
• Summer is nice!--care-free, fewer commitments, swimming--just fun.
• There are moments and days when the children play really nicely together. However....

The difficult

• Much of the time it feels like the kids are fighting, arguing, yelling, rough-housing, etc. In turn, I start each day with my patience already run out (there just isn't enough time overnight for it to refill). Things that wouldn't have bothered me 5 years ago are now impossibly frustrating.  
• Because of some outside forces (some beyond our control, some not), finances are stressful right now. We've had to make some tough decisions recently, which I'll detail as we head into the fall. 

How nice that the good far outweighs the difficult!