In The Car Today

It was raining this morning, so I drove her to the bus stop (2 houses down!). We sat together and waited for the bus. She did most of the talking:

"Hey, mom. What would you do if you were a raindrop?"
"I don't know. What would you do?"
a moment to contemplate...."I'd plop."

***

"Hey, mom. Guess what? I've never peed at school."
"What? You mean, you've never used the restroom at school? Ever?"
"Nope. Never. I can just hold it a long, long time."

***

"Mom, I think we should buy Emmy (my sister) a Range Rover."
"Oh, really? How will we pay for it?"
"We can use my money and your credit card."

***

Life with this girl is never dull or boring :)

I Can't Stop Giggling

They trickled out the door this morning. One by one. My sanity seeped back in as they went. This year, there is a Foster in every age school. I wonder if our district has been notified.

The high schooler left before the sun was up. The elementary child left an hour later and the junior higher left 45 minutes after that. I started singing.

The first day of school always brings out my 'best mom, like, ever' flair. So, I made them a simple after school snack. Just a little something to celebrate.

I know, I know. I should have doubled it.

The Days Drag Long

The final week of summer is just like the final week of pregnancy. Grueling. Torturous. Shall we add slow and bloated?

I reached exhaustion this week. Not a physical exhaustion, but the mom kind. The kind of tired that reaches deep and sucks you dry. The kind that leaves you wanting to cry from the moment you open your eyes in the morning.

The kids played my exhaustion to their advantage. We went to the pool. It's been my goal NOT to put on my swimsuit this summer. But, with temperatures at 105, sacrifices have to be made.

This summer, Sam and her friend invented a method of playing UNO with every. single. card. they could find in my house. Total count- 156. It's fascinating to watch.

At one of my really weak moments, I let every loose to do whatever they wanted, "Just as long as you leave me alone!"

Somehow I should have guessed that paint would be involved. Why is it always paint around here? Why can't they quietly sit with a coloring book?

Even when they started painting their hands, I let them continue. I simply took a picture and sent them on their way. Mom exhaustion can do that to you.

In between my visions of scratching my eyes out, I started to feel the 'crazy school schedule' pressure. I know you feel it too. The homework, carpooling, lessons, feeding people, getting people out the door on time craziness. I've felt the pressure building all week. School life is so very different than summer life. Good thing the backpacks are lined up and ready to go. Freedom arrives in 11 hours.

We Begin Again

It's that time of year again. The time where I wonder how I ever gave birth to an athlete.

She now uses big words like, 'distance' and 'spikes' and 'healthy eating'. She might as well be speaking a foreign language.

She ran up hills, through bushes and in 102 degree heat. 2 miles in 14 minutes, somethin' seconds. My mind goes fuzzy just watching her. And as she crosses the finish line, Todd turns to me and states for the 4th time today, "Why, oh why, didn't she pick an indoor sport?"

Running season is off to a heated start.

Quote Of The Day

"Hey. I just ate my booger, and it tastes like mint!"

I'm not even going to tell you which child said it. And yes, I'm raising all girls. It's moments like this that make me wonder.

Third Time Is NOT A Charm

For the last 3 years, 'Making Taffy' has been added to our summer list. And for the last 3 years, we've failed.

Last year, it was too soft. Gooey globs were everywhere:

This year, I was positive that we would have the perfect taffy. It's a simple recipe, with straight forward instructions, so how hard can it be? Apparently, too hard. This year our taffy quickly formed into hard shards of glass:

The kids still found a way to eat it and I just walked away from the whole mess. Will this activity make the list next summer? I may just need a cooking class before I make that decision.

The Beach

 You either love the beach, or you hate it. There is no in between. There's water and there's sand. After those two elements, scorching temperatures are the only thing left.

Talking about the beach is so very different than being there. Yes, the sound of the waves is lovely, but did you forget about the sand? It. Gets. Everywhere.

And then there is the child that is "worried about sharks", so she won't get in the water. She wouldn't even dip a toe until the last 30 minutes of the trip. I tried to explain that sharks can't live on the shore in 2 inches of water, but she didn't believe me.

I am sunburned in odd places where the sunscreen didn't reach and I'm pretty sure that I have grains of sand stuck in every crevice of my body. I'm going to pretend that it's an expensive skin treatment. In a week, I should be scrubbed smooth. Yee Haw.