Hot Summer Days

We've made it to August! Blue skies, hot days and a house buzzing with noise and action all the time.


 We've been making some great memories. And I've really had only one mental breakdown, which is a significant improvement from previous summers. :) 
However, I know that it's the middle of summer because whenever I lay my head down on a soft surface for even a moment during the day, I almost immediately start to drift off to sleep.

My days are full full FULL!

I do wake up early to read, pray, write, think and exercise. These early hours have been my most treasured moments this summer. There is peace in my heart when the day begins,  and sacrificing a bit a sleep for this actually gives me more energy and is the necessary fuel I need to love and serve my family.
If you walked into my home during the summer, you'd find it a "hub" of activity and people.

Levi and James would almost certainly be on top of each other, struggling over a ball.
Caleb would be in the corner, happily listening to his music, singing and preforming the hand motions for anyone who is willing to listen.
Evie has had several girlfriends from school over. They hang around the house together all day and she is as happy as can be.

We usually have a stray child wandering around somewhere, like the neighbor boy from down the street.
I've given up on having an organized and clean house during the day. Between the snow cone maker and dusty shoes, my floors are evidence of the days events.

One of the things that keeps this area interesting and busy this time of year is an arts camp that sets up down the street from our house. Camp Willowbrook sets up tents by the river each summer and offers all sorts of artistic outlets and opportunities for kids. Evie has gone to this camp here and there over the years. But this year, Caleb proudly proclaimed that he wanted to go, by himself, no siblings. Evie begged him to let her go with him, but he flat our said no to her, which is not normal for sweet Caleb.
I told Evie that Caleb deserved to have this experience alone since she has gotten to do it many times. So I signed him up for a half day session, and he and I walked there together one morning in July. He was just as happy as could be. When I dropped him off at his designated tent, he waved me on.
 I lingered.
I hesitated.
 I spied on him as he sat right down to a boy he didn't know and began chatting.
 As I walked home, I realized that this is the first time I dropped Caleb off at an activity that his brothers didn't do with him.
I already saw him waving me on as I turn and leave him in his dorm room. 😥

Spying on Caleb before I left him at camp; he's already making small talk

When I picked him up at noon, he was radiant.
He was confident, happy and in his element.
His face was painted, and on his head was a little crown he construct with ribbon and branches.  He showed me his pottery he learned how to make on the wheel.
People waved good bye to him, shouted his name enthusiastically from across the camp.

One day and it seemed he already established a name for himself. 

He insisted on going again the following week, and this time he asked to go a full day. I told him it would be long; he'd have to eat lunch there and he might get tired.
Still, he insisted he wanted to do a full day of art camp.

Again, he was just as happy when I picked him up at 3:00. He told me it was a "perfect day", and when I asked him if he made friends, he said everyone was his friend.
"Mom," he said, " I realized that the way you get people to be your friend is just to be nice to everybody."
Five years old and he is wiser than most adults. 

This is just the beginning of my little people asserting themselves and advocating for what they want to do and establishing who they are.
So far, they have done everything together. But I'm now seeing their little personalities really shining through.

And they all want me to share their interests with them which is the challenging part; it is the reason I probably fall asleep the minute my head hits a soft landing.
 Levi wants me to pitch baseballs to him in the street;
James wants me to build train tracks around his room;
Caleb wants me to watch his shows;
and Evie just wants me, as usual, to be her gal pal.

So what do I do pulled in so many directions? 
I do small moments within each day, with each child...and I take them peach picking. 

"Oh Mom, why are you forcing us to pick your fruit under the hot sun?"

I don't know what it is with wanting my children to harvest fruit,  but I seek it out and hand each of them worn brown boxes under the hot sun. I think it's the surroundings, the peaceful atmosphere, the trees, the miraculous fruit that is sprouting from the branches.... I'm amazed by it, and I want my kids to appreciate it too and not fail to recognize the miracle of it.

We marvel at the fruit together, deciding which ones look the sweetest and dreaming about what we could do with the fruit and who we could give it to.

Beauties

We always end up picking way more fruit than we ever need and spending way too much money at the farm.
This year I made a delicious peach pie.
I have to say, it was worth the money we spent picking.


I try to get the kids out of the house everyday. Whether its going to the fountains,

 or the swimming pool


 or walking in the woods,

I allow them to spend as long as they want at whatever they are doing. One day we spent two hours in the woods while they played with sticks and chased squirrels.

Sitting on a bench while my children find magic in sticks....

I try to let their lives take their own speed.
When I walked with Caleb to camp those days, I left a lot earlier than I needed too because Caleb enjoys the journey of it all.
He stops and comments on the plum tree.
 He picks up the fallen apples on the ground and tried to determine if they are ready or not to eat.
He observes a slug crossing the sidewalk.
 He pokes at a caterpillar and makes a bouquet of Queen Annes Lace.

James finds the perfect flower for me

 I want him to do this, and I want to learn from him, to enjoy each step of the day and each moment of summer.
We are going to spend a lot of August traveling, which I'm looking forward to.

 I'm looking forward to being with John, spending some quality, uninterrupted time as a family, visiting family in Seattle and Chicago.
John and I are also getting a significant break from the kids and are going to do some traveling together while we are in Chicago.

 Stay tuned for our upcoming adventures in August!