the summer for our monkeys

The first day of school is greeting me this morning with grey skies and rain. And it's just what I've been praying for for weeks. The clouds are helping the transition away from our summer tremendously. Neither of the girls or I were ready for summer's end. We have had an absolutely wonderful vacation. I can say it's the been the best one yet here in Hidden Hollow, hands down.

The summer for the kids was just as I remember mine: swimming, otter pops, movies, friends friends friends, food and a tremendous amount of family. We would play in the mornings, Rodney and Phoebe would nap, then play in the afternoons, a quick summer dinner, baths and bed. Then rinse and repeat for three months.

 The older girls and I have been reading the Little House On the Prairie series at night and it's been delightful. The chapters are just long enough that their little bodies calm down nicely into their beds before I shut the door. I'm loving the books just as much (shockingly, never read these growing up!). I do skip some parts where they explain for an entire page how he cut the lumber for the house. But you know, I'm not a dude so...yeah.  We are almost done with book 2 and grateful we started them this summer. It was perfect timing.

The kids all practiced and mastered their swimming skills for June, July and August and even Phoebe surprised us by showing us she can swim too. No joke, she took her life jacket off and did a perfect breast stroke. She can now, just like the big girls, jump off the diving board by herself, and dive for toys in the shallow end. Rodney still prefers that I hold him the entire time and no one "splashes" him. But I'm fine, I like that he's still a baby that way. He'll eventually grow up just like the rest so I'm keeping him little as much as I can.

Friday night we went to a 51's baseball game in Vegas and it ended the summer break beautifully. Perfect weather, great friends, entertainment and expensive food.

So goodbye summer 2013, you were so very good and kind to us. I'm sad to see you end, but I am excited to see where the school year takes us.

*We watched this last night and it was perfect for us and the kids.