Summer 6, Gwen 2

Summer is officially kicking me in the ass. I can't believe summer is doing this to me on day six of official summer after all of my raves about glorious child filled days, sunshine, pools, and bug bites.

Alas. I am now ready for August. I would totally embrace July if I could eliminate a few things from my daily routine:

1. The whining. Please God let it stop. Surely I don't deserve the whining I've endured today. I even sat for 10 minutes in a parking lot refusing to move reading my book until the whining stopped. The worst part is that they totally dig into my I can be more stubborn than you gene and then well, we end up sitting in parking lots.

2. The fighting. Please stop poking each other. Please stop looking at each other. Please stop telepathing each other. It annoys everyone, slows us down, and makes me grumpy. Plus it seems to lead to more of #1.

3. The dog who shits all over just cleaned floors. I know he's not feeling well because of something he probably stole off of the kitchen table but it still is a pain.

I am surviving thanks to the following mainstays. Without these I would be working full time at minimum wage just to survive summer.

1. Play Dates. These rock my world, help sculpt our days, give me leverage with the kids, and provide adult conversation!

2. Medical appointments. These provide at least an hour of quiet. Running behind? No worries, I'll just sit here in this waiting room awhile longer.

3. The gym. Exercise, showers, and childcare. Enough said.

4. Pools. Many thanks to all of our friends who invite us to use their pools to escape and cool off.

5. The public library. It's my current favorite 'yes' zone. They get books which entertain them all afternoon, I get books which entertain me all afternoon, the library has awesome air conditioning, and it's all free.

After talking to a few other friends I'm starting to think that this is just a bad week everywhere for summer. The novelty is wearing off, VBS is over, vacations are around the corner, and we're just one calendar page away from the start of school. Days like today make me wonder how on earth I could ever dream of having a rural rustic life, doing home school, and withdrawing from mainstream life.

Petty Thoughts.

I want to be positive. I really do. But today I'm feeling mean, grouchy, and I am yelling a lot. Mario thinks I should just put the television on and give up. I'm starting to think he's right.

What bugs me:

Clare telling Wesley to run out of his room to ask if rest time is over.
The child boom box I got for the kids that only has 1 volume setting.
My headache.
I can't find my library book that is overdue and not finished.
Being a single mama.
The dog that won't eat so I can't give him insulin.
The scorching heat outside.
Incomplete summer projects.

And an attempt to put a positive spin on my heart before hitting publish.

5 Things I love.

That my gym has childcare.
Rye chips in Gardetto's snack mix.
My new iTunes downloads.
My mama zone in the red room.
Text messages from friends.

Ben's Hoopla

Ben's Baptism

Saturday Ben received the sacrament of baptism in Charlotte. We took a mini road trip up so that Uncle Mario could expand his job description to include: Godfather. Ben wore the same family gown that Clare and Wesley both wore for their baptisms, something that seemed to amaze them both.

After the ceremony and luncheon we made an impromptu visit to Ikea. The kids spent an entire hour in Smalland together, ate free meals, and we got an entire hour child-free to wander. I left inspired and purchased a small table. My vision for the table: mama's work zone. It's perfect for sewing, typing, writing, and thinking. Most of all I'm excited that it is mine and mine alone.

After giving up the tangerine room to house the massive television that we never use I've missed having a zone to play. The sewing machine tends to live on the kitchen table, my laptop is all over the house and my craft supplies are in boxes under my bed. It's amazing how a small table and a thirfted chair can open up such dreams of potential letters to write, things to sew, and stories to document.

We also stopped by Trader Joe's in Charlotte where we stocked up on Wesley's essentials: rice milk, rice balls, rice bars, mini cookies, and raisins. Mario and I also snagged a few treats but the bulk of our purchases are for my upcoming road trip to New Hampshire. Food does wonders on road trips and Wesley is a hard person to keep healthy and safe via drive thru.

I'm planning on leaving in mid-July for the 17 hour journey. If you have any advice on L-O-N-G trips involving toddlers let me know. In the meantime I'll be mapping out routes, planning snacks and saying lots of prayers.

Pool Party!

That's my baby on the diving board! Jumping, swimming, getting out, jumping, swimming, getting out all by herself! I am so proud of her for figuring out this swimming thing.

We spent yesterday afternoon at a friend's swimming pool with a lot of other kids. We ate pizza, made tie dye shirts, and visited. Wesley passed out in the backseat on the way home completely exhausted from a morning of VBS and the afternoon in the sunshine.

And a little exercise to perk myself up: 5 things that make me happy right now.

1. Air conditioning.
2. Knowing that Grampin' is en route.
3. A letter from a friend.
4. Wearing pigtails.
5. Chicken salad from the Gourmet Shop.

And 5 more just because.

1. Talking to my mom this morning.
2. Watermelon from the Seeds of Hope.
3. A coffee date this am with Mario.
4. Swimming laps this morning.
5. A spontaneous girly tea outing.

Meet Monkey and Zebra!

Monday = the first day of VBS! Clare is in the monkey class, Wesley is a zebra and mama is freeeeeeeeeee!

Even more exciting?!? I spent my first free morning at the foot doctor where I learned that my MRI came back just fine and I have clearance to start running again. I wanted to sprint out of the office but I restrained myself until I got the gym.

His suggested plan: 3 minutes of walking followed by stretches and then 5 minutes of running. I did my usual 'safe' workout and then treated myself to my first run post boot. Ahh. It felt so good and I wanted to go longer. I think I even savored those five minutes and thought they went by too fast.

Now I have to take 2 days to rest (but I can swim and bike) before attempting more running. My legs and head are itching to get out there even though it's 100 degrees.

An afternoon pause.

Temperature: 98 degrees.
Place: Roy Lynch Park.
What: Urban fountain.
Time: 5:15 PM
What didn't get done: dinner.
Wish: That mama had her bathing suit too.

On the way home from running errands we drove by our local park. The fountain was on! We never ever know when it is on and there doesn't seem to be a schedule to follow. I pulled the mini van over, we piled out and the fun began. I love stopping everything in the name of random joy. Together we put our afternoon on pause and lived to tell about it.

Rapids and Rocks.

Inspired by my friend Laura I planned ahead this Father's Day. The kids and I went to Get Your Gear On one afternoon and picked out an adventure.

Adventure = a two hour kayak trip for all four of us on the Congaree River on Father's Day.

Whoa. Somehow the kids kept the trip to the boat ride store a secret, somehow the weather held, and somehow we managed to surprise Mario this morning with the news.

At 2 p.m. we met at the kayak shop dressed in our bathing suits holding a bulging bag of snacks. I don't have any pictures from the actual trip because of the whole wet camera thing but I promise that we did go.

We had two guides (one per parent/child sit on top two seater kayak) and a shuttle to help us get in and out of the water. After a quick chat we jumped in and pushed off. We stopped about four times to get out and swim in the river. The kids LOVED the swimming and sliding on the rocks. We saw two grey heron, minnows, turtles and heard rumors of a water moccasin.

They handled the adventure, enjoyed themselves, and seemed relaxed enough that we would attempt another excursion. Hello upper Saluda River! Hooray!

(All pictures are post trip.)

Happy Father's Day!

We hope that everyone had an extra special Father's Day!

Save Second Base.

Date Night = ROLLER DERBY!


At the last minute we got a lead on a baby sitter and decided to take a gamble with our children's lives based on the research and trust of someone else. Our new sitter arrived at 5:30 PM and we left her with a list of suggestions for dinner, the bucket of playdoh, and Popsicles. Mario and I drove to the National Guard Armory for Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am, a roller derby bout benefiting local breast cancer research programs.


Wow. I was a roller derby virgin until last night but now everything is different. Instead of joining a commune I want to be a derby girl. Badly. I want to wear a helmet, skate with skill, let out aggression, be part of a team, and give autographs to little kids during half time! First I need to heal my tendon and then check on our health insurance. This would be a good year to start join the Richland County Regulators since met our deductible long ago with my leg! (Added bonus: I'd get to pick a porn star name!)


It took us awhile to figure out how it all worked. The first thing I noted: bring your own chair. The second thing: anything goes so go ahead a bring in your fried chicken, coolers of beverages, snacks, and costumes! Mario worked on the rules and regulations and together we pieced together what was happening on the rink.


The bout was very exciting! The alternative/punk/liberal/normal crowd was enthusiastic. We yelled and screamed and stayed until the end of the close contest between the Regulators and the New River Valley Roller Girls.
See. We had fun. Together. I'm looking forward to the next home bout in September. Afterwards we headed to the Hunter Gatherer for dinner and drinks which stretched into the late evening. Hooray for date nights! (And awesome new babysitters!)

Inside.

My red minivan feels more like home that my actual home lately. I think we could live for a week with the stuff accumulated inside: swimming suits, towels, snacks, diapers, a case of water, a potty, chairs, movies, DVD players, iPod gear, library books, and stuff to drop off at Goodwill.

My inner core wants to spend more time at home just being and doing normal household things. Mario and I have very little interest in household stuff lately so we tend to escape home often in persuit of different things.

Yesterday afternoon we made a deliberate effort to stay home together. It was really hard. I could feel the keys calling my name to go and buy wax to do my first ever bikini self waxing, to redeem my coupons at Chick-fil-a, and to putter around a bookstore enjoying their superior air conditioning.

Earlier I named this summer: the summer of unfinished projects. Since we were home I took this to heart and shocked myself. While watching FOUR children I rehung Wesley's curtains closer to the ceiling, rehung the master bedroom curtains, assembled a lamp, hung Clare's flower art above her bed, hung other pictures, cleaned up a bit, purged a bit more, and sorted through a bag of Ikea stuff that was purchased but never happened. I felt awesome afterwards.

Maybe if we had more kids we would get more done around here? To fill the time the kids turned to fort building in the living room. After they wrecked it three times I gave up and left them on their own. Turns out they were fine with a mini me version and squealed with delight each time their creations crashed down on their heads. Sofa cushions rock.

Hot and Bothered.

25 kids in bright yellow shirts crashed the play place at McDonald's this morning where we were enjoying a very quiet morning outing with friends. Really. 25 kids and four teachers.

I looked at my friend, looked at the horror in the eyes of our children perched high in the play place and made an instant decision: one more climb and we are out of here. Within seconds the place descended into absolute chaos and our heads started to throb.

Luckily we had a second part to our play date planned: backyard wading pools and Popsicles. My mama friend and I perched in chairs sipping our 1/2 consumed coffee and put our toes in the pools as they filled. Just having our feet immersed in the water cooled our entire bodies to a tolerable level. When I get hot I get cranky....

Like yesterday after the Secret Agent 23 Skidoo concert at the library. Clare danced with her friends at the front of the stage and Wesley stood in front of me and 100 people and peed. It gushed out of his pants, down his legs and my cries to STOP did nothing at all. I scooped him up for a bathroom trip to make sure he was done and to diaper up. He spent the rest of the concert in a diaper and t-shirt. I did my best to cover his puddle on the carpet with a wad of paper towels. After that adventure and the trek to the car I was really hot. And really cranky. The kind of "I don't care if it is 4:45 PM and you are up all night, we just need to rest and cool off" cranky. Moments after walking in the door we all stripped to our skivvies and spent about 45 minutes in our rooms alone to decompress.

My next wish: an built in or stand alone ice machine. I'd dump the whole thing in the pool for an ice bath on afternoons like these.

**Face painting by Sarah Dippity at Moe's.

Thankful Tuesday

• Slow melt Popsicles.
• Story time at Richland County Public Library.
• Free cookies at Publix.
• Mail.
• Air conditioning.
• Gym memberships with child care.
• Friends with pools.
• Evenings filled with books and conversation.
• Play dates.
• Podcasts.
• Goddess Apps.
• Summertime arts and crafts.
• Coffee made by Mario.
• Ceiling fans.
• Decent child swim goggles.
• Time to pause with my kids.
• Vacation plans.
• Twinings cold brew iced tea.

Birthday Fortune.

Sweet Abigail celebrated her birthday this weekend. The kids and I attended her party filled with the most thoughtful activities, treats, and fun. We went on tractor rides, went fishing in a real pond, dug for treasures in the sand, decorated buckets, sang Happy Birthday, and visited.

Her party felt indicative of summer thus far. Lazy stretches of time filled with things designed to delight with a sprinkling of treats and friends. We are starting another week of summer vacation today. I only have one thing on our agenda. Last year or the year before that would have scared me to have such a blank stretch of time in front of us. This year it seems like a relief. I know that it can easily be filled with friends, water, parks, and outings. And even more importantly filling it is not the object now: letting it evolve according to what we actually want and feel like doing at the moment is enough.

Last week we spent time with Grampin' at the beach while Mario was out in LA for work. Being loved and spoiled was great fun for all of us. The kids ate Popsicles and swam until they collapsed in exhaustion each night. There's something about beach living that is really easy.

In the meantime we are going to get the glitter out, take a few more bags of stuff to Goodwill, and finish the coffee that Mario made for me this morning. Happy summer living to all!

Swimming at Neptune Park.

This is the splash zone at Neptune Park. Yesterday afternoon we spent two hours here closing the place down between this gradual entry pool and the accompanying toddler water park. This morning we returned at 9:30 a.m. for swim lessons. Not a bad place to sip a mug of coffee and sit in a chaise lounge.

The lesson started with Clare, Wesley, and Miss Lindsay. Less than five minutes later Wesley 'graduated' to the Sea Turtle class suggestion and Clare got a chance to have her own private lesson. The girl CAN swim. Clare insisted that Grampin' come to her lesson to watch her swim. (We both wondered what happened to the two hours we spent watching them swim at this exact same spot on Wednesday afternoon?) Wesley threw a small fit when removed from the lesson but Grampin' did a great job entertaining him with a bag of snacks and conversation. These two were both up and out early this morning to give the girls of the house a few more sleep tidbits.
Upon review, Miss Lindsay said that Clare would be best suited for either continued private lessons this summer OR participation in the 6-9 year old Shark class. Whoa. That news (along with time for Wesley to cash in his bribe to get out of the pool) necessitated strawberry Popsicles on the pier after lessons.

Thirst

This is the book that I am currently devouring. Lately I find myself reading more and more to satisfy some internal brain hunger. I'm in the mood to learn this summer. I think I'd even sign up for summer school if there was a reason to take a class. The geek in me just needs to decide what it is that I want to learn about.

What would you take a class in if you were doing it for kicks? Or what book would you read?

In the meantime I'm trying to squash the urge to run off to a commune where I can learn how to make jam, tend chickens, and sew aprons.

While driving on I-95 South.

Mama: Clare, what do you want to do tomorrow?

Clare: I don't know. You make the plans for us okay?

Mama: Okay but I want your input. Do you want to go swimming, shopping, for a walk, or visit a park?

Clare: I want to swim and eat ice cream. THAT'S ALL.

So tomorrow we will be swimming and eating ice cream. I love the simplicity of summer fun.

Luckily we have access to Grampin's stocked freezer filled with Italian ice cups that both kids can eat and the pool is waiting for our arrival. If you are looking for us check the pool first because I'm pretty sure that's where we will be.

I am having a hard time blogging because I only seem to get online using my itouch and I can't figure out how to get it to type in the post section.