Summer's End

I guess it's safe to say that I have been on a little break from blogging. Summer came fast and it's almost over already. I have 4 more days with my sweet girls before they venture off to school and we are all forced to get back into the routine of alarms, piano lessons, ballet class, and homework. I cannot say that I am looking forward to it, but it's coming none the less, and some part of me is a little giddy buying new pencils, notebooks, markers, and all the other school supplies. There is something nice about starting fresh with all new supplies and clothes, ready to tackle yet another year. It's the alarm clock, homework and carpools that I'm not very excited about.

We have enjoyed our summer so much by doing not much of anything. When we felt like going to the pool, we went and when we felt like sleeping late, we did. We have played with neighbors past dark, ridden our bikes with friends, caught lighting bugs, grilled out too many times too count. We have eaten our fair share of hot dogs, pbj's, hamburgers, corndogs, Popsicles, and capri suns. We have played barbies, school, work, pet store, dress up, hide-n-go seek and Wii. We have kept many of our local places in business this summer, like Blockbuster, our country club's pool hut, and the snow-cone place on Broad Street (It's our little way of helping out this economy crisis...it's the least we could do).

So in 4 short days I will give up my hectic pool and nap schedule and trade it in for a new school schedule and routine. Our tanned bodies will fade and our carefree spirit and attitude will disappear, but not for long...Next summer will be here before you know it!

Beware of the Water

As I mentioned before, we had a great beach vacation. One great thing that someone clued me in on several years ago was to take a small baby pool for the beach. This has been handy with all of my kids at the beach while they are really too little to enjoy the ocean and the sand. Of course we took that small 1 ring inflatable baby pool to the beach again this year for J and he loved it. On the 2nd day there he wouldn't do anything but sit in it the whole time. We never get to actually spend more than about 2 hours total at the beach before we have kids ready to go in for lunch or ready to go to the pool, but nevertheless, it is a saving grace to have that baby pool for that 2 hours to buy me a little time on the beach with my family. J was really comfortable in that pool...loved it! When he would get a little cranky, I would just hand him a juice box or a cracker, which inevitably ended up soggy floating around him in his little pool. After about the 2 hour mark, when we were ready to head it in for lunch I noticed that his pool water was a little dingy, but it didn't really shock me with as much food, juice and sand as he was getting in it while playing. My girls came up and washed their hands in his pool to remove the sand off them, I did the same myself. After giving each other a bath in his baby pool water, trying to get the sand off of us, I grabbed J out of the pool to empty it and take him in. When I emptied the pool and picked him up the smell was awful..and some what familiar....OH NO!! J had pooped in his swim diaper and we have been washing ourselves off with poopy water this whole time! Time to get the vaccinations up to date, don't ya think?