Winding Down

You wouldn't know it by the 100+ forecast, but our summer break is coming to a close. Or "double summer" as Sarah likes to call it. My kids seem to be on autopilot, just waiting out the last few weeks of summer. New parks don't entice them, they are getting bored with their friends, our routine, our food. And I'm right there with them. Bored with life. I wouldn't say they are excited for school to start--they don't see it as the cure for what ails them--but I am.

Speaking of bored, I went looking for James to make sure he was dressed before lunchtime and I found him in Erica's room, in her sleeping bag. I quietly shut the door and he slept for a few hours.

This was a few days later. He hasn't had a regular naptime for months but most days I can't hack it. There have been a few occasions where he's climbed into his bed in the late afternoon and gone to sleep. This day he was watching shows at the table while I was making dinner. It took me awhile to realize the was asleep. I moved him to his bed and he got mad so he came back down and slept on the couch. 

James will fall asleep to the TV 9 times out of 10 if it's after lunch. But then he is a spaz at bedtime and won't settle down. Without at nap, he falls asleep so quickly so most days we put a kid on keep James awake duty.

Henry is playing flag football this fall so I'm sure I'll be posting more about that. He is so excited. He had a 2 hour camp and hopped right out the car and headed out to the field. That is very much against type for him. I'm hoping the enthusiasm continues and I don't have to cajole threaten him to get in the car after the first couple of games.

For National Ice Cream Day, we made homemade waffle cones and bought BYU ice cream. It's pretty much the best way to eat ice cream.

It's the one time a year I pull out my waffle cone iron and I don't know why. Finding different containers and ways to mold the cones is pretty fun and they taste so good.

Ice cream tacos fall apart but who cares? Not Sarah.

James learned how to draw people! This is a story about good guys and bad guys and swords and they are all looking for the golden sword and fighting to the death.

I didn't care about all that. I just liked this guy.

 

We also celebrated National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. Did you know the chocolate chip cookie is America's favorite cookie? And it's American. The phrase should be "American as chocolate chip cookies." 

We celebrated by baking 2 batches. One we handed out to neighbors and friends and anyone near our house. The second we baked after dinner and ate and ate and ate.

And drank with a gallon of milk.

Sarah has my recipe memorized. 

They are definietly my favorite cookie. When James excitedly grabbed one the next day I asked him wistfully, "Is there anything better than a chocolate chip cookie?"

"Doughnuts," he replied matter-of-factly.

Yes, doughnuts are up there for our family as well. Our favorite Henry quote is "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Henry asked 6 years ago.

"What are you thinking?"

"Doughnuts."

If there was a National Corn on the Cob day... (Hold on while I google......There is! It's June 11 which makes no sense since it's a late summer crop.)

Corn on the Cob day was actually a couple of weeks ago for our family. This was the day my kids and I shucked, cooked, cut, bagged and froze a bazillion ears of corn from my dad's garden.

Poor Erica got yucky wormy ears 5 times in a row. She didn't give up. She kept on shucking. 

It took us more than three hours to do a large wheelbarrow full and I did another 30 ears a few days later. I love corn and it's the closest thing my kids will get to fulfilling their dreams of being farmers so we were happy to help.

I was telling Justin the other day how I used to wear vests and then I saw this photo at my mom's house so I took a picture of it to show Justin. I wonder if vests will make a comeback.

This vest was part of my back to school shopping for 5th grade. Happy back to school season!