Sunny Days! :)))

We're quickly falling into the summer habits! Every day when the kids get home from school they want to hit the pool asap. Luckily they don't have homework anymore this year so we're free to goof off like that! The bugs make being outdoors tricky, unless you're on the move all the time though! The kids go back & forth between the pool and trampoline but still get eaten alive as we discover each night after they come in!

The kids next door & Tulip down the street were all over here Friday afternoon and Tulip ended up staying for supper and we walked her home afterwards. She was very excited about her birthday party coming up!

We got home and had lots of time to read Anne of Avonlea and do manicures :) After that, they wanted to read in bed for awhile, so they were quite cozy and content after their busy day!

They're little bookworms now! Honey has read through every Ramona book we have and seems to need new material every other day. They all take a book to read on the bus ride to & from school. They used to wave to me as the bus drove by but they already have their noses buried by that point. When they get home, we have to call them to put their books away and get off the bus, they don't look up to see that it's their stop! Maybe we took the whole "raise a reader" thing a little too seriously!!! :)))

Is Summer Actually Here?!?!?!?

I'm almost afraid to type this out loud!!! BUT I think we're getting into summer weather finally! We've had at least 3 nice days this week and it's only Thursday. The pool is a big hit and if you swim around enough the black flies can't eat you alive. Every time you come up for air, you're donating tissue and blood to their worthy cause though! The girls got bitten terribly yesterday and I had to send them in the house when I saw all the bites bleeding and running down their necks from all the water dripping from their hair. It wasn't that bad, it just looked awful and they were driving me crazy out there anyway as I sat & tried to read. Apparently these suckers don't know what Off! products are for because they were more interested in the "on". blech!!!

another weird thing in the sky, what's with these lately???

my view under my new sun umbrella for lounging in the yard and providing a veritable feast for the winged wild things in the yard.

Uh oh, cool older sister next door has a bikini and was flaunting it around. How long til my little girls think THEY should be baring their midriffs????

After their swim, Honey & Lovey got invited next door but Sweetie wanted to stay home and play her game on the computer. The other 2 ended up staying over there for supper and I waited to see how THAT was going to go over with Sweetie... I put the "you get to have us all to yourself at supper tonight!!!!!" spin on my delivery, and then braced myself for the fallout. Her only reply was a smile and "I'm GLAD!!!!" Supper was almost eerily calm as we were able to hear ourselves talk AND think and finish sentences without Sideshow Bob doing her little bit across the table. Very weird but variety is the spice of life right???

Biking Duo

Sweetie & I loaded up the bikes and went down to the biking trail today after lunch. I asked her on the way home from church & she said yes. I was afraid she'd change her mind once her sisters decided to stay home but she didn't! It took awhile to get out of the house but finally we were off! It was amazing how much faster & further we were able to go on our own! We even had time for a popsicle break. She was eyeing some icecream sandwiches when the "Itzakadoozie" caught her eye. I told her she'd never be able to finish it and she suggested we share it instead. That worked for me! (especially at this overpriced, touristy gift shop we'd stopped at!) We had the popsicle and I took the picture of us. She was pretty sure her sisters would be sorry they'd decided to stay home when they saw THAT! LOL

We biked back and as we rode along she commented on what a great bike ride she was having! and instantly wiped out as she hit some deeper gravel. I waited for an outburst but she insisted she was fine and we kept going. She was so happy to chatter away and be able to talk uninterrupted. The simple pleasures!!! I enjoyed having her all to myself and getting out for some activity on our own :)))

Quit Bugging Us

What a lot of mosquitoes out tonight!!!! We went out into the field at Mum & Dad's after supper and you had to keep moving out there or get carried off to a mosquito lair I'm sure. The kids didn't have much trouble, they never stand still for more than a few seconds anyway. Honey did a couple laps around the track Dad keeps mowed for Grammie to walk the dog, she must have covered at least a kilometre!

We had a great dinner & visit with Grammie & Grandad and Sweetie & Honey helped do the dishes afterwards. Our walk didn't last long and we came rushing back in, chased by hordes of those blood sucking leeches with wings. blech!

Lovey & Sweetie did some violin for us while we were there. Sweetie has gotten the E string under control and is now working on her A string. She's hoping to surprise the violin teacher in the fall by already knowing the introductory songs for all the different strings. Lovey has some great new material and she & Murray do violin/guitar duets for us some nights! Her playing is improving all the time and she still really enjoys it.

We got home a bit late and were trying to get the kids into bed. Honey of course went straight to work, got pj's on, clothes picked out for tomorrow, no fuss, no muss. However, Curly & Moe were NOT in compliance. After several requests, one threat of a spanking and still more mayhem & way too much merriment for 8:30pm, Murray & I both converged on them and Murray even spoke harshly and sent them to bed with no stories (Honey had been read to earlier at M&D's). They were incredulous! "no STORIES?!??!?!?!"

Sweetie took the reprimand hard. She has been bending over backwards lately, being extra cheerful, extra helpful, extra sweet and thoughtful. She hasn't had a throw down fit in..... I can't remember how long. She prays at night for God to help her not to have any crying, fussing, screaming, whining fits and it seems to be working most of the time. We comment on it every once in awhile to let her know we've noticed how much effort she's putting into being good. Tonight's episode seemed like a major setback to her and she was sure she was the worst kid ever and that we couldn't love her anymore (mind you, this is also the late night pre-bed drama/ waterworks show she's especially good at and has to be taken with a grain of salt!)