Summer Leftovers

This weekend is the unofficial end of summer.  I'm still not sure what mother nature has been smoking this year, but staying true to her 2013 form, we're on week number two of 90+ degree weather after a summer of mostly 70's and low 80's.  In years past we've celebrated Labor Day weekend by partying with friends in Mount Adams, taking in the Riverfest fireworks downtown, or in more recent years, heading up north to the Glandorf Parkfest with friends and family there.  This year we are keeping it low key.  We were almost ready to pull the trigger on a return visit to Parkfest and the turtle races, but our girls are exhausted.  It's been a very long week for us all with nightly whining and complaining, and even crying episodes.  And I'm just talking about Tom.  Just kidding :) 

Tom and I at Kenny Chesney concert

As I was going through some photos recently, I discovered some fun summer memories that I forgot to include in the blog:

Since I've started staying home with the girls full time, the girls and I have managed to stay at my parents' house for 5-6 days several times each summer.  The combination of mom having to work extra hours at the bakery and us participating on swim team didn't allow for as many visits.  I like hanging out at 'home' with my family, seeing friends, but, most importantly, I love the time the girls get to spend with their cousins.  The times that we were there to visit this summer were good ones, for sure.

A Casey original.

This summer we were able to check another goal off our list.  For Casey.  Last summer she tried and tried to dive at the pool.  She was so frustrated!  She'd get on the diving board, bend her knees, put her hands above her head, push off the board and basically enter the water in a cramped up belly flop.  Not much changed over the winter and that form was consistent almost all through the swim team season.  And just before the last meet, something clicked and she got it.  She could dive.  She loves her new skill and I hope next summer it's just like riding a bike all over again.  Nice work,

Casey!

 

Back in June Casey and I ran  walked in the Color Palooza 5K with friends.  I was hopeful we'd run more of it than we did, which was about the first 100 meters, but it was a fun time anyway.  Secretly I was hoping that running in this colorful 5K would be a fun way to get Casey interested in exercise, and more hopefully, sports.  A sports-loving mom can dream can't she...  We broke away from the group early on (more like they broke away from us :) and we walked it together, taking every opportunity to throw colored corn starch at each other, assuring that we were covered in color and had a super fun mom-and-Casey experience.  Mission accomplished.  We will for sure be doing this event again next summer!

 

We've met some 'normal' neighborhood moms at the pool this summer that have started to become friends.  (That is a total jest on last year's run-in with that mom at the pool.  Remember her?  If you weren't reading the blog last year, don't ask me about it, I won't tell you who she is.  Just be assured you are not her, and I'm sure you'd never talk about Emily like she did.)  Yay new friends!

So I think I've gotten the highlights of our summer covered now.  It was a great one!!!  A good mix of planned fun vacations and outings, swimming, dress-up, Barbies, biking, and just old fashioned playing in the yard.  Exactly the type of summer I wanted for my 5 and 8 year old daughters.  Bon Voyage to everything summer!  Except the weather...