Livin' That Summer Life

Hello! Long time--no blog. We have just been over here living our best summer life. 

We stay up late and sleep in when we can. Okay, Emery sleeps in when she can. Auggie is a 7ish a.m. riser and B is often right behind him. They couch cuddle with me for about three seconds before it is breakfast wants and needs, so I try to steal as many quiet morning kisses as I can. 

After weeks of rain, we finally just accepted it as our new way of life. Emery has always been a rain runner, but this year she added the boys to the rain dance crew. 

They played, I read a book from the porch swing, we counted it as our bath for the night. 

Maybe rain isn't so bad (jk--stay away rain). 

Now that the heat is here we have been staying cool by eating afternoon ice cream bars or stealing popsicles out of the neighbor's freezer. I will be honest, I am bad about saying "no" to extra treats in the summer. I just shrug my shoulder and say we are on vacation! Summer is short. Eat the treats. 

We finally had our first pool party of the summer. (Dang rain!)

I love this cute crew and the parents on the other side of the picture. Year after year we have more and more fun.

Doug and I snuck away for the weekend and went to a concert with Phil and Tari and the girls. We had an absolute blast and can't wait to go again soon (because we are haha). Word of advice, book summer concerts in the winter so that when they finally come around they feel free. Or maybe thats not good advice....because then you feel fine spending money on yummy food and drinks. Oh well. Remember its summer, eat the treats!

Bennett Lee has had the most exciting few weeks. He officially started speech therapy and is doing so good. He picked up on a few signs very quickly and they have helped him get his wants across (don't worry, screaming still works just fine too). I am most impressed (i.e. slightly shocked) at how well he listens and how hard he works during his therapy sessions. I am pretty positive I have never seen him sit still for any amount of time let alone an hour actively listening and trying to do whatever the speech pathologist wants him to do. But then again, when does he ever get one-on-one time? Never. 

When he is frustrated with his lack of speech (and when I am frustrated too) I have been trying to remind myself to pray that God would someday use Bennett's mouth for His glory. 

Jeremiah 1:4: "Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.'" Then He says in verse 9: "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms" 

When I read this verse, I think of Bennett. 

I also dream of him calling me Mama....he is getting there!

In other news, my baby is now sleeping in a big boy bed. Definitely not by choice, but by necessity. He has been climbing out of his crib since he was like 8 months old, so we finally had put his mattress all the way on the floor in his crib and that was working just fine. Just fine until he climbed out of the pack-n-play all weekend for Sue and Sam (sorry Grandma and Grandpa!) and figured why not try to climb out of his crib again. He was quite successful. Add in that bedtime with B has been horrible for the last couple of weeks (like screaming mad for a few hours every night) Doug and I decided it was time for something completely different. Time for the toddler bed! To be honest, we had the lowest of hopes for it going well but in a shocking turn of events, it actually is! We shut him in his room, he plays around in the dark and then when we haven't heard any noise for awhile we peak in and he is usually fast asleep in bed! Still working out a few kinks at bedtime but all in all B is rocking the big boy bed. Thank goodness!

B, what are we going to do with you?

The highlight of my last week with Auggie has been successfully talking him into wearing shorts. I don't know how many times I have said the words, "Farmers wear shorts too" in the past two weeks. I guess he got hot enough and finally gave in.

In the last few weeks I have learned that if I lay down with Aug in my bed for five minutes, he will take his much needed nap. I have learned that calmly reminding him to listen the "first time" helps both him and I (I might say it 50 times a day but still, its working) and I have learned that no one makes me laugh like he does. He has spent the last few weeks practicing T-ball with Doug and it really showed this last game. He is by far the youngest and littlest on the team but man does he take it serious. Thinking sports might just be this boys thing. Its pretty cool to see him focus in and concentrate on something he loves. He also loves asking for a snack every five minutes and eating one bite out of whatever I give him. He makes the most dirty dishes but the least amount of laundry so I guess it evens out! Oh and he loves me unconditionally. And I, him. 

Now that it has been hot enough to swim, Em's been living her best mermaid life. I think I am going to have to get this picture framed because this is Emery Kayt. Soaking in the sun, hair blowing in the breeze, with a crinkle-nose smile. She is the second mother of the house and helps me so much with the boys. Really Bennett should say Em before he says my name. She spends her days playing with the neighbor girl and taking care of her brothers and spends her nights trying to catch lightning bugs and not wanting to come inside. Most days she looks like a crazy person because she gets out the door before I can comb her hair, but I think she is the most beautiful girl, inside and out. 

Yesterday I held her hand as we crossed the street and I told her that I loved having a big girl. Her words back: And I love having a good Mommy.

Good Mommy. Did she know that those were the sweetest words to my ears?

I love her. 

And did I mention she is almost SIX?

So thats what my crew has been up to. We plan to continue to live our our best summer life...it won't be hard this week with the 4th and the fun that comes with that!

Have fun!