Clover Lane

Uniform clean-out.  I hate to do this to them so early :) but the one thing I have learned is that uniform shorts/pants go fast in stores and if I wait until August I can never find the right size. I have load and loads of hand-me-downs, but pants usually don't make it far with the boys.  We had a lot of laughs as Andrew tried to make some pants work-NO they are floods! I'd say, or they would fall right off of him.  

We are still going strong on our summer reading program-Andrew is flying through Harry Potter and Patrick and I are really liking these books he chose.  It makes such a difference when kids can read what they like.  It makes ALL the difference actually.  

Here's what he chose:

Who Was Jesus?

What Is The Super Bowl?

What Was Peal Harbor?

What Was Ellis Island?

What Was D-Day?

Who Was Seabiscuit?

What Is The World Series?

All About Roberto Clemente

Who Is Derek Jeter?

Jesse Owens

Jim Thorpe

Davy Crockett

Scout

We've finished:

Who Was Henry Ford?

Who Is Wayne Gretzky

Who Was Daniel Boone?

 All were excellent-we both really enjoyed them. 

I have always loved the light coming in our living room window in the morning-it seems so peaceful before everyone is up. This room is never perfectly arranged (usually a basketball hoop in obstructing the view slightly) but the light is always beautiful.  I'm so grateful for my lovely house-whenever I pull in the driveway I just feel that great feeling of "home-ahhhh".  I hope my kids feel the same. 

Abbey is back from Europe and loved it but the first thing she said when she walked in the kitchen was "I am so happy to be home, I love this country and I never want to live anywhere else."  That was not what I expected (and after 24 hours of delayed and cancelled flights home) but I loved hearing it, I have to say.  That does not mean she didn't love her traveling just that we take a lot for granted here I think mainly the convenience of what we are used to.  She WILL miss the food in Italy, Greece, France, and Spain for sure, and was amazed at the beautiful museums and building and art everywhere.

But there's no place like home.   

This kid found a new barber, which is probably one of his top priorities in life.  Kidding, but he is picky and it's funny to me.  He is having the summer of his life, biking everywhere with friends and is a very enjoyable happy kid-busy busy busy but always has a plan and is always willing to help at home.  

These two are cuter than ever and best buddies, if they aren't mad at each other which happens occasionally. 

Patrick has been working on basketball plays, and explains them to me every time he makes a new one.

Some pictures from Bethany Beach DE-went over the 4th and it was so so so crowded.  (Sadly Isaac is in the "real world" now so couldn't go with us.) The kids had a blast in the waves, but I think I am going to write down on my things to remember forever page "don't go anywhere over the 4th of July" just to avoid the crowds and traffic.  

Selfies on my phone.

We ate four buckets of caramel corn.  (I probably ate 80% of that honestly.)

Janey saw fireworks for the first time and didn't like them because they were too loud.

Huge waves were really the most fun for everyone-you can't find that everywhere!

One day they were even to big for this fellow who will brave pretty much anything the older kids can handle.

It was nice to get organized again-back to being more scheduled and sleep in our own beds, and all have a little space from each other too. :)  

And sunflowers are out!  My favorite.

Stormy Weather

I am almost finished with this book and LOVE it.  I've read a few books this summer that I wouldn't put on my recommend list but this is one for sure.  In fact, I ordered all of Paulette Jiles' books with a plan to go on a little binge the rest of summer.

It is a Dust Bowl-Texas-cowboy-western-romance and her writing is wonderful, and so are her characters.  

I feel like time is moving full throttle and life is so busy with just every day things as it is.  There are so many changes as the kids get older-new plans for the future, and angst and excitement and worry, new relationships, changing friendships, so so many unknowns and what-ifs. (And lots of avocado toast-which is a symbol to me that living with soon-to-be or already-adult children isn't always easy for them or for us I think at times.)  I laugh at their "millennial ways", knowing that they are pretty mild ways (or I wouldn't be laughing), and that I was just like them in so many ways when I was that age, whether I had a tag to my generation or not-since the beginning of existence I'm sure this was the same.  And finding time for everyone is hard as a mom. I feel torn sometimes with everyone home, helping the big ones do "big" things-job apps, and college apps, and just listening-and emotional energy on my part-and then just doing the normal-and yes, EASY things with the little three-driving, and fixing lunch and reading a book here or there to them.  And then there's laundry and cleaning the kitchen 10x a day, (EVERYONE NEEDS TO STOP EATING! I've said that a few times) which I better get to now.