Whoa...it's March?

Some days are just boring...
Some days are way too full...

It all becomes such a blur.
Kind of like when I think about the fact that it's already March and it will soon be summer.

I have a love/hate relationship with summer.
I love/hate having my kids home for the entire summer.
I love/hate going to the pool everyday.
I love/hate hearing my kiddos say "I'm so bored!"
I love/hate the heat.
I love/hate hearing all the locusts.
I love/hate all the time to do whatever we want.
But whatever I do, summer will be here in no time.
I think I am going to make this one the best EVER!
That's my goal.  If I spend a little more time planning it now...all will be good.

There will be lots of treks to the snow cone place right around the corner...

And since my kids absolutely love trees, lots of this

Sprinklers...no doubt!

Hanging out with friends...

And I know we will spend lots of time here...

 
We already have some plans set.  Z starts baseball here very soon.  L and Z will be on swim team which will keep up busy daily.  K is planning on doing Summer School.  They offer a really great thing for highschoolers in Webster Groves.  They let you take classes that you would normally take during the school year, during summer so you can get them out of the way.  It's not remedial at all.  K will be taking PE and also Desktop Publishing.  Very cool!  I would have loved getting PE done during summer...no dressing-down into gross clothes during the school day!!
So those things will keep us busy quite busy...I will just make my plans work around that. 

Other than that, we have our annual trek to Kansas to see my bestie and her fam-damily, Colorado to visit my sister and all the friends that we left when we moved and to Wyoming to visit my parents.

It'll be here before we know it!

Yay/Ugh!
Ha!

Days of Summer

All is good... 
Nothing new to report...
Just enjoying summer...
Random summer fun...Enjoy...we sure have!

The park w/ a friend!

Right out my back door...I just love the hummingbirds!

Lemon tasting!

Pools are awesome!

We have really enjoyed the pool at our rec center.  So far whenever we go, it's a big party as we run into so many people that we know.  We all have such a great time.  I have noticed though, my skin is no longer up for sun.  I am now the sit in the shade mama!  Thank goodness there is a good amount of shade at the pool. 

Happy summer days!

Whatcha been doing?!

So far, here's what we have been up to!!!

The St. Louis Zoo!  The zoo is free so its easy to go for a whole day or just an hour...really nice when you just can't seem to find anything else to do that day.  

The petting zoo

Hanging with friends...lots of this going on!

Wii

chit chatting

nice shades Lil!

 I have been busy playing with my new camera.  I hope these pictures look much better to all of you, they sure look better to me!

So many hostas...love their colors

Daylillies

Tiger-striped ornamental grass

 Oh and our perennial favorite summer activity...climbing trees!

Yesterday they even headed out to the tree in our front yard with iPod and speakers (the twenty-first century version of the boom box!) so they could hang and listen to their favorite music...Fun! 

Side Note:
Do you have an "I'M BORED" rule?
The one major annoyance of summer is when my kiddos come to me an say this.  I am thinking of putting in place a rule that whenever you say it you have to add .25 cents to the snow cone fund...what do you think?!

Finally...lazy Summer begins...ahhh

 After the craziness of the last month of school, we can now start relaxing.  I don't remember it ever being as busy as it was this year...I don't know if that comes with age (my kid's or mine!) or if in Webster Groves, they just do it UP! 

Here is a few of our goings-on...

ice skating lessons

Katia practicing her backwards crossovers...she is really getting so good!

zoo field trip
cardinals stadium tour field trip

fishing field trip
5th grade camp wyman
track day
wow event
pizza party
StL opera field trip
field day

pool party
blackburn park party
gram and gramps visit
5th grade graduation!!!

new camera!
sleepover bday party
cards bball game

orchestra concert
girl scout party
mother's day

SO ready to relax!!!

This is what we will be doing for a couple months!!!

Tropical Moose snow cones!

nerf gun wars

  sprinklers

 

summer is serious business!!

 Yea Summer!

What's wrong with "House-cleaning day"???

It started like this...Summer starts this Friday!!!!!!!!!!  Yea!!!!!!!

A Kiddo/Mom meeting was in order... 

This is no laughing matter..I have to prepare...for my own sanity!

Good news...I need to make lists of all the fun (free) stuff to do, plan "Free Day", swimming outings, bike rides, hiking, bowling, weekends to WY!!  Great Mom...you rock!

Bad news...I need to plan home-school stuff, chore lists, house cleaning day, recycling day, laundry day and finally daily quiet time!
WHAT????!!!  Mommmmm!     



Most everything was exceptable to them expect house-cleaning day and daily quiet time...I got a big thumbs down for both...they actually started bargaining for 1/2 hour...hmmm...don't get why?  It's such a great thing to help your mom clean the house.  I have very good memories of helping my Mom when I was a kid clean the house during summer break while Loveboat played in the background.  It was on at 10 am on one of the 5 channels we got via the huge antennae on our house.  It was fun...right?!!!!

Here is the reaction at our meeting...

The meeting started like this...

And ended like this...

They only pretend...I think...!  Loveboat anyone?!  Happy Summer!