Finding our Rhythm

“Mom, it’s not weird to me that tractors are on farms and other places; but it does not make sense to me that seagulls are here and not just at the beach.” – Jesse
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After fixing our broken lawn mower the other night, Mike came in seeming less thrilled with his success than I might have guessed and sighed, “I wish I wasn’t so good at fixing everything. I really wanted to get a new lawn mower.”

Several friends on facebook suggested I might, out of sheer love, go and damage the lawn mower further, or, even, leave it in a conspicuous spot where it might possibly get stolen. And I would . . . because, heaven knows, that would be love, but . . . if we had the spare money sitting around . . . there are sooo many things I’d like more than a lawn mower.

Poor Mike and his cursed abilities.
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We are finding our sea legs with this whole summer-time business.

We jumped in immediately with Bear Lake and Grandpa’s Farm, etc. We celebrated summer’s arrival with sheer adventure (and, as I type that, I realize more and more how, from here on out, the presence or absence of a capital letter s in that word – summer – will always require closely paid attention).

But then . . . we came home to the business of normal living and, for all their eagerness to have time to simply be, the older kids seemed a bit at a loss for what to do with themselves. Whole days of freedom? How did one manage that (particularly when one’s mother still thought 30 minutes of computer time was sufficient for one day)?

Luckily, their minds seem to be opening up to the possibilities more readily now. The past few days we seem to be discovering a rhythm that doesn’t have me worried about how to keep them productive all summer long. Guinea pig birthday parties, creation of stop-motion movies, games on the trampoline, library reading programs -- all starting to fill in spots where school time and homework used to sit.

July and August will bring more high intensity adventure again -- what with birthdays, family reunions, out-of-state family arrivals on both sides, girls’ and boys’ camps and, you know, new babies (baby); so I am enjoying this spell of smooth and relaxed summer time while we have it.

Also, a few days before summer officially started here, Penny celebrated her seventh birthday.

Daisy made the birthday cupcakes and so, needed a picture taken with them as well. Mostly though . . . I like whatever is happening in the background here.

And, from the old cell phone . . .

Recorder concert, Blaire visit, Great Aunt Sarah turning a normal farm visit into a carnival with her cotton candy machine, a note from Penny, Jumpy’s birthday, Jesse perusing Consumer Reports with breakfast, 32 weeks pregnant, etc . . .