Saying Ciao to Summer...

Summer is over?

I'm still gobsmacked as to how time flies around here. Which seems like such a paradox when it can feel at times as if its the same old, same old day after day after day. Wiping up dirty kids, putting on shoes, cleaning up muddy kids, laundry, laundry, laundry...the fun never stops!

But seriously, my kids are all looking bigger! Gemma's 6 and losing teeth and making me want to cry. Dominic's work ethic has already surpassed mine. Luke is smarter and more hilarious everyday. Max...IS STILL NOT TALKING...but his non-verbal communication is excellent, as is his tried and true way of getting my attention....pinching my legs. And the baby bambino is 5 months?!

we did the backyard campfire multiple times this summer-so thats a win! and everyone ate their bodyweight in s'mores!

Am I coming out of the long tunnel that is newborn/infanthood? I'm not quite sure. I always feel as if it takes about six months to feel like you've once again got a slim grip on life around you. Life with a newborn seems to just swallow up all your minutes, especially all those few minutes you're not devoting to the cleaning and tolerating of whiney toddlers. But those minutes are usually spent holding a cuddly bundle so it makes it precious. However, the precious moments are also countered by an ridiculous lack of sleep. Do people who get uninterrupted hours of sleep know what a priceless commodity they have?? Uh, no. Those ungrateful bastards. Where was I? Oh right, the inability to have complete thoughts, or life with a newborn. I think I'm doing fairly well. Let's not talk about the standard of that curve right now though. 

Our summer was without giant landmarks of trips, vacations, or life changing milestones. But I still think we had a summer that will be full of the wonderful memories of childhood. Of outside playing with friends and family, plenty of time in the sprinkler, afternoons and swimming lessons at the lake, fights over popsicles, and extra time with daddy. I think those are the really important things when our little minions are so small. As we all get a little older and more experienced we'll move onto the cross-country road trips, and dare I say - trips to waterparks!

Its refreshing to see summer through the eyes of your kids isn't it? They aren't looking for the glitzy glamour of the summer rental or fancy getaway but the fun found every day in something that's right in front of them. (Spoiler alert - its usually mud.) Life really is simple. And joy comes for free. Its just the right attitude to contradict my wayward and worldly thinking that tends to go straight to wanting more and more exciting "experiences". The thinking that I should be "doing" more. That I need more to be happy and enjoying myself. All of which is complete flat-out lies. 

you think I have opinions...just wait until Max can talk!

I'm also trying not to go down sentimental lane, BUT my kids will never all be this little again. Next summer they'll be older, bigger, into new things and hopefully a little cleaner. They really do grow up even when I don't see it everyday in the summer work of washing muddy feet or popsicle-soaked fingers. 

I think its safe to say that when I look back at this summer, I will feel it as a blur. A gust of baby-filled wind, if you will. I know though, that it will also have so many fun memories of sprinklers, laughter, and sheer joy in summer provided by five, mostly happy, children. So I'd say that's a pretty successful summer.

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