Quickly Flies the Summer

It is amazing to me how quickly time flies at this point in my life. The summers of my childhood seemed to last years. By the time September managed to roll around, I was ready to slip on a warm sweater and head back to school. In recent years, it seems as if I am hanging on to August with a death grip.

This summer we have no real vacation planned. Russ is still building up time off at his new job, and vacations are rarely a vacation in the true sense of the word when there are three little boys along for the ride. Day trips to the beach, pool, or park are much more manageable than hauling a week of gear and sleeping away from home. For the next year or two, we will enjoy the little things, and look forward to big adventures with the boys in the years to come.

The Northwest Art & Air Festival is always enjoyable. My father is a huge aviation buff. The hot-air balloon launching is amazing. Two years ago we watched all forty of the balloons drift over our home early in the morning. Breathtaking! On Friday evening we will not miss the Night Glow, when the balloons will be lit up after dark.

Lessons have continued for Levi, although we have been less consistent and spent less time each day. Again, we grab moments here and there. We hope to attend more concerts in the park. In two weeks Levi and I will attend this Shakespeare performance with my sisters and niece and nephew. Prior to this event, we will read Much Ado About Nothing in our Beautiful Stories From Shakespeare for Children, and watch the movie version. Levi has been listening to many books and stories on CD, including all of Winnie-the-Pooh, and The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne. We are almost finished with The Penderwicks for the Read-Together Mission.

We will continue with our laid-back approach to learning throughout the rest of July and August. I will honestly admit that routine and structure have been very difficult for me this past year. Actually, I have not felt comfortable with the level of chaos sustained in our home since the arrival of our first-born. My husband is somewhat choatic himself, and all three boys have been unpredictable. Sleeping through the night has become a foreign concept. Adjusting to motherhood in general was the challenge when Levi was born. Luke had serious sleeping issues (and still struggles with insomnia on occasion). Leif was an extremely fussy newborn. We moved when he was just four months old.

Self-discipline and focus are not my strong points, yet I thrive in an orderly environment. "Do the next thing" has been working to a degree (enough to keep my head above water), but I'm ready for the next stage. I have written down a basic routine, and we will slowly work our way up to it. There will be some adjusting, some tweaking, some frustrations with the unpredictable nature of our lives, but I am very confident that we will get in the groove by September when our daily lessons and activities will increase. I have also started organizing around the house, working on meal plans, lesson plans, and general operations within our home. I'll post updates as we find things that work for us.