Oh What Do You Do In the Summertime?

Be Careful What You Post About

Remember last week when I said the weather had been so pleasant that we'd had the windows open all day? Well, it's not like that now. Today the high temperature was 93 degrees and the heat index was 104.

We did not open the windows today.

On My Own

"I'm doing the dishwasher all by myself. No big kids are helping." -Topher, as he handed me a dish to put away since its home was out of his reach.

Family Resemblance

Most of the time I think that Topher looks like Bryan. When I compare pictures of Bryan and Topher at the same age they look so similar. One morning last week I discovered Topher tucked into Sophie's bed. I pulled out my camera and took this picture. When I looked at this picture later, I discovered something. He still looks like Bryan, but there's something about this picture that reminds me of my brothers. I don't know if it's his crazy messy hair, or the glasses, but the resemblance between Topher and his three uncles on my side is surprisingly strong.  

Coolsville

I keep thinking about the heat of last June. When the AC stopped working we pulled out all our fans and borrowed even more. We would open the windows each morning and position fans in front of them to draw in the cool morning air, then shut them once it got too hot. The temperature inside the house during the afternoon was often in the mid-to-high 80s, sometimes higher. Then later in the day, usually while I made dinner in a sweltering kitchen, we would open the windows back up and let the hot but flowing air back in. We were sweaty almost all the time. It was miserable.

This summer we have a fully functioning AC, it's lovely. Also this summer? The temperature has been moderate. We've had a handful of hot days, but most often we keep the windows open all day and the house stays between 75 and 78, which is just about perfect for me. We haven't really needed the AC this month.

I suppose if we hadn't gone through the melting torture of last June we wouldn't be so thankful for the cool breezes and optional air conditioning available to us this summer.

The Active Photobomber

We went on another big walk up to the field to run around this morning. Just before heading back home, I called the kids over for some water. The girls arrived first and Sophie asked that we take a picture. Cooper heard her and ran as quickly as he could to jump into the background. The pictures below are in chronological order and you can tell he's sliding into the shot just in time to ham it up for the camera.

He's quite the performer when he wants to be.

Bloom Where You're Planted

The girls and I attended an outside Activity Days activity on Saturday morning. They painted pots, then planted flowers. I had the foresight to wear a hat, but I should have put some sunscreen on the back of my neck as well. Oops. The girls each did a great job painting, I think their color choices fit their personalities well.

Strike a Pose

I thought Topher looked exceptionally  handsome in his suspenders yesterday before church, so I asked him to stand against the wall so I could take his picture.

I asked him to smile, the poses were all his. He stayed in each position until he knew I'd taken a picture, then changed to a new pose.

Everything

The kids have pointed out that I've stopped posting about most birthdays. 

They are correct.

I didn't intend to stop writing up birthday celebrations. But we take a lot of pictures on those days, and the pictures take a lot of time to sort through, and I don't generally have a lot of time these days. So I put it off in favor of quicker, easier posts. And once I've put it off a little, it gets easier to keep putting it off. Then we get to a point where it appears no one is having birthdays anymore, and that's not great.

So, guess what?

Bryan had a birthday, and I'm going to write a short post about it, because short is better than no post at all.

Bryan likes very low-key birthdays, and that's just what we gave him. He opened gifts from his parents, my parents, and us. We made a nice dinner and ate cake. Then we watched a movie of his choice which happened to fit into the theme of the day.

This is a blurry Amazon picture of the gift we gave him since I can't find the one that's actually in our house.

Here's his cake.

And here are the kids enjoying his cake. Bryan enjoyed it too.

To complete the evening, and to celebrate Bryan turning 42, we watched The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

If 42 is the answer to life, the universe, and everything and Bryan is 42, does that mean that Bryan is now the answer? Possibly, at least for the next twelve months...

The Ensemble

I really hope she always maintains her own sense of style.

Good Answer

While Peter played with Topher yesterday, Peter picked him up, Topher laid his head on Peter's shoulder, and the following conversation took place.

Peter: I love you.

Topher: I love you too.

Peter: I love you more.

Topher: Good.

The Dressmaker

Phoebe discovered that this large Amazon gift bag had a hole in the corner. She asked if she could make something out of it and I said sure. A little while later she proudly came in to model her creation. She used staples to hem the neckline. 

I think it's fantastic.

Action Shots

The kids and I went on another walk this morning. We unintentionally split into pairs, which made the walk a little easier since the kids usually congregate around me and all talk at once. Being slightly spread out was more peaceful. I looked up to see the girls walking happily ahead, hand in hand.

Topher was cheerfully holding my hand and walking next to me.

I figured I should grab pictures of the whole party. I switched my camera into selfie mode, then held it over my head and blindly took a picture of Peter and Cooper walking behind me. I don't think they were pleased, or maybe I just caught Cooper at the wrong moment. Whatever the reason, this is the most teenager picture I've taken of either of them.

Don't worry, I showed them the picture and told them I planned to post it, they didn't object.

We Made It to the End

 

Ready to Run

For the last week the kids and I have been getting out of the house early each day. We've gone on lots of walks around our neighborhood during the many years we've lived here, but until last Friday we had never ventured into the neighborhood above ours. Each walk has been an adventure as we walk new territory. Our cue to turn around is when Topher starts asking to be carried.

Today we found a big baseball field about a mile away from our house. Do I wish that I'd known about this sooner? Like, during last summer when we were desperate for outside time? 

Yes. Absolutely, yes.

Am I happy that we finally found it?

Also, yes.

It's good to have space to run.

Show Me Your Grumpy Face

 

First One Done

This is a picture of Sophie holding her final assignment of the school year! The last official day is Friday, but she put in some extra work and finished early. This was for her music class. They studied the Carnival of the Animals, then she picked one of the animals, illustrated it, then recorded a video of herself dancing to that song. She chose the swan.

She and I are both so glad she's done!

Do As I'm Doing

 

Summer Plans

Phoebe was given a writing prompt today asking what she thought her teacher would be doing over the summer. She was encouraged to be creative. She ran with that instruction and wrote the following, which I think is delightful.

Dear Students of the World (SOTW),

June twelfth may seem a normal day for you. But, for the Secret Association of Teachers (SAT) it is special. Now, June twelfth may be nagging at the back of your brain, making you think incredibly hard to figure out what is so special about this day. I will spare you the difficulty of thinking, and tell you why. June twelfth is indeed the first day of summer vacation. Yes. To 75% of you that first glorious day of freedom might be what you look forward to all year. To the other 25%, keep learning. Now SAT, or the Secret Association of Teachers hold a meeting every year on June twelfth. This meeting is important because they discuss the following school year. And yes, your teacher is a part of this too. SAT meetings are highly confidential, and we have only been able to gather a few pieces of information about them.

1. They meet in Antarctica, away from all human civilization. 

2. They own half of the world

3. 95% of them enjoy tap dancing on tables

We hope this has helped you in your research.

Sincerely,  

TSMG
The Student Mastermind guild (Who also love acronyms) (WALA)

Can't Touch This

After almost every meal and snack I walk Topher into the bathroom and help him wash his face and hands. Yesterday morning when I did this I followed up the hand washing by tousling his hair a bit. He looked up at my reflection in the mirror and, with a severe voice, said, "What are you doing?! Don't do that! That is not a toy! It is hair!" I stopped and apologized.

And now I know, hair is not a toy. 

We've Got Ears, Say Cheers

The bright spot of the long weekend? Bryan had gotten some Mickey Mouse shaped ice cream bars last week and surprised the kids with them on Monday. Mickey shaped ice cream brings happiness apparently. Topher's outfit even coordinated with the treat.

Rolling Stones

Our long weekend did not go quite as we had hoped.

Our original plan was to rest, do some deep cleaning and stuff-purging, and maybe watch a few movies as a family.

What actually happened was that we left Topher in the care of his older siblings (and watching more TV in a single day than ever before) while I drove Bryan to the ER for what we estimate was his 8th kidney stone. We've actually lost count of how many kidney stones he's had, which doesn't speak well of his kidneys.

This was the worst bought of kidney stones he's had. 

I checked in on the kids several times using the cameras we have in the main rooms in the house while I sat with Bryan. I came home for a few hours and got Topher and Sophie to bed, then went back to the hospital for about an hour. While I was gone the doctor decided to admit Bryan for the night because he couldn't keep anything down. It turns out the pain medicine they gave him not only didn't do much for the pain, it also caused nausea. And once his bed was ready for him upstairs, I had to leave. It was past visiting hours.

Thankfully, he passed the stone during the early hours of the morning. I did church at home with the kids, then I went back to the hospital while Topher napped and brought Bryan home. I'm so thankful that we could delay the Sacrament until he was back with us so he could partake of it as well. I'm also thankful that Peter was able to bless the Sacrament on his own while Bryan recovered.

I'd like to say that he's feeling better today. He was feeling better yesterday, but today he's starting to have kidney stone pains again. We're both really hoping it's part the healing process and not another kidney stone coming down. After his CT scan on Saturday the ER doctor confirmed what we've been told before: Bryan's kidneys are both still full of stones.