car times

I'm not sure if it is the fact that the kids are in daycare just down the street and they don't have to drive as much or if they are just going through a phase, but driving with them can be SOOO obnoxious.  They don't really like the radio playing, but they don't like it quiet either.  They like the windows down but the noise is too loud.  We resorted to giving A. 25 pennies in a bag and every time that she asks,"are we there yet?", she looses a penny.  If she makes it there with all 25, we give her a quarter.  Let's just say that only a few quarters were given this summer.  

 One car trip, she asked me how much longer.  I told her about an hour.  "How many minutes is that?"  Obviously, I replied with 60. She thought if she counted to 60 that would mean we were there.  When I told her that she would have to count to 60, 60 times, she took me up on the offer.  I think that she made it about 25 times.  So long, that I think K. can count to 60.  Really, so long that I think the car itself can count to 60.

One of the kid's favorite car games is "I spy".  The problem is that K. only knows yellow. But, if we skipped him, he would just keep yelling, "My turn, I py."  Here was an example

K: I py my eye lello

Me: the only yellow thing is the lines on the road (that was his answer the past 3 times)

K: no

Me: ummmm a sign

K: no

Me: umm the sun

K: no

Me: there is nothing else

K: holy night

we will slow down when I'm 5

This has been the busiest summer of our kids short little lives for many reasons

• This is the last summer before A. goes to kindergarten.  
• It's also the first summer that I could cut my work schedule to a theoretical 3 days a week.  
• K. only has 1 nap and its a flexible nap
• I have awesome people in my life that don't mind traveling with my kids and I

So, the kids and I made a list on Memorial Day of the things that we wanted to do this summer. 

Well, we either accomplished it all or have plans to accomplish them in the next few weeks.  So, that means that we have been gone A LOT and we have been really busy.  So busy that A. referred to us as the Berenstain Bears in Too Much To Do.   She also said, "don't worry, Mommy, we can slow down when I"m 5." Now, bear with me because this is the only way that I'm scrap booking the pictures and memories these days.

My girl went from only playing on the steps of the pool to jumping in the waves of the ocean.  She still needs some swimming lessons, but she is definitely on her way.  When we were at Bethany Beach, she found an 8 year old boy and I think was a little smitten.  She played in the waves with him for at least an hour.  I was happy to just watch but was the most proud that she stayed behind him in the waves.  She was challenging herself just enough but not going too deep.  A. please keep that confidence in kindergarten but know your boundaries.  So So So important.    

 K. was happiest in the sand this year.  He went down to the water once or twice but he cried almost the whole time. He was scared of "darks" and "water take me away"

Again, A. wanted a bit of a challenge and K. needed something nice and quiet.  He played with wood pile for hours.  Nan and Pap just hung out and watched.  

 We are lucky to have an orchard about 1 mile from our house.  Peaches, plums, and pears galore.

This is how K. put on his glasses all summer.  Who needs them on a nose?

I remember summer reading every summer when I was a kid.  I remember counting all of my books and getting stickers for every 10.  This program was about the same.  We wrote down most of our books and the kids counted each one for stickers.  By far, the kids favorite program was the Fancy Nancy Tea Party. Judging by the number of minivans exiting our neighborhood, every single little girl in our town was there. The librarians weren't expecting to be so busy; they ran out of crowns and had to send someone out for more food.