Welcome Summer...We've been waiting.

Summer. It's here. Almost. Technically we have 5.5 hours until summer 'officially' starts. And by 'official' I mean, school is out. No alarms. No rushed breakfasts...perhaps no breakfasts IN the house. Perhaps many meals in our bathing suits?! No differentiating the days -- is it 'share' day, snack day, singing in the car Tuesday?! Nope - the days will run together like popsicle particles melting on the driveway. Like ice melting in my gin & tonic...which I'm sure to need no later than Wednesday of next week :)

So - our summer plans? Pool in the back yard. We did it up this year. Talked ourselves into an above ground pool that will hold us all! No deeper than the kids standing, but big! Ella & Calum are already excited to swim in the pool AFTER dinner. At night. In the dark. With the fireflies. And my dear husband, who grew up on the water, is endearingly in love with the idea of this pool. He went to the pool store for salt (salt water filter) and came home with a 'disco ball' type gadget that will float, and hang, and spin, and do all sorts of 'disco light' diddies to make our backyard pool into that memory making, drive-our-neighbors-crazy, fun place to be!!

It's actually quite exciting...this idea of summer. Ella and Calum are old enough to really care. Old enough to make some memories. Old enough to know the difference...summer vs. schedule. And I'm old enough NOT to care. I can't wait NOT to care if the kids eat at 9:30am. NOT to care if we have a popsicle at 8am when it's already 85 degrees outside -- hey, it's a fruit serving. I'm excited to watch Calum potty train by sending him into the great outdoors, naked. "Just pee in the grass sweetie...away from people" Oliver and Drew will learn to eat with utensils this summer...because we'll be eating outside, and I WON'T care if they get food from head to toe and all over the floor. I have a hose...

We'll throw our feet up in chairs and let the juice from a watermelon roll down our chins. Watch with curiosity as the drips go from our chins, down our pool-soaked bodies, and drip from our toes. Our skin will be tan. Our laughs will be plenty. Our memories will be great. Adam & I will watch our oldest children learn to swim - learn to dunk their heads - learn to ride a bike w/out training wheels. We'll watch our babies learn to walk. Learn to talk. Learn how to play in this silly family of 6.

Welcome summer - just 5.25 hours to go now! P.S. the Rubbermaid container used as a pool in this picture does not accurately reflect our current aquatic equipment. Pictures to come! :)