Summer Evenings

So, I don't like summer. I think it's gross and hot and usually a little boring. But I must admit that about 7pm has been quite beautiful the last few days.

Thursday evening I wanted to try some things with my camera with motion and blur (which didn't really turn out), so the bigs and Margaret and I went out after the twins were in bed. Natalie and James enjoyed watching a dragonfly on the ground.

The grass in the yard (not pictured) was about ten feet tall and still kind of swampy, plus the mosquitos were swarming, so we didn't stay out.

I did get this one of Joanna before we went back in though. I love the light through the trees.

Friday evening we went over to my Aunt Gail's for enchiladas, and when we got out of the car, Natalie insisted I take her picture by this tree. :)

How could I object?

Later, Joanna and I went out to look at the garden – the light was so so pretty.

It has rained pretty much every weekend for what seems like forever, but Matt was finally able to battle the tall grass on Saturday. He also sprayed for mosquitos in an effort to at least keep them out of the house when we open doors for two seconds.

We all went outside after dinner yesterday – it was practically pleasant. There was a little breeze, and the mosquitos were just bad, not terrible.

Don't be fooled, Thomas is NOT leaning over to kiss Michael sweetly. He is yelling at him to get out of the chair.

My toddlers cannot seem to sleep past 6:30 in the morning, even when they're totally exhausted, but I'm hoping I can maybe push that back a little so we can enjoy some evenings outside. I don't go out unless absolutely necessary earlier in the day. :)

VBS and Swim Lessons… so far.

This week is Vacation Bible School at the church.  Joanna is old enough to be dropped off without having a parent on-site volunteering.  The littles aren’t as lucky, so they’re stuck at home with me.  I’m just not up for volunteering this year.  :(  I miss it though.  I thought about seeing if there was a super-easy job I could do, but then I thought about just getting everyone up and out the door, being gone from home (draining for an introvert like myself) for a few hours, then coming home hungry and having to fix lunch five days in a row would be much more than I should do.  So we’re not.  :)

I am sooooooooooooo super thankful that Lisa is taking and bringing home Joanna every day!  It is HARD just getting everyone out of the car, walking inside, and then getting them back in the car!

Monday was orange day, and Joanna came up with this shirt that has some orange hearts on it.  We’re not really orange people, so it’s not something we buy much.  :)  I put the bow in her hair to help with the over all orange effect.

The girls also have swim lessons every afternoon this week at the YMCA.  That’s another good reason I shouldn’t tire myself out in the mornings!  They are at 4:15, which is prime “fall asleep in the car” time for Mr. James.  Yesterday I pulled him out of the car, and he stayed crashed on me.  Then we walked inside and into one of the family change rooms.  I laid him down on the bench in there because I really can’t go 20 minutes without visiting the facilities.

He stayed asleep, even after I picked him back up and put him on my shoulder.  We walked back outside, signed in, waited for lessons to start, then went in to the pool area, and the girls were about halfway through with lessons before he woke up!  It messes with his nighttime sleep and overall grumpiness when I let him nap, but it was much easier to keep a sleeping James entertained than an awake one who would have wanted to hop in with the girls.

Joanna:

Natalie:

I deeply deeply deeply love the family change rooms at the Y.  We can all go in, lock the door, shower, dry off, go to the bathroom, and get dressed.  It is AMAZING.

My clean babies:

I didn’t bring our showering gear yesterday, so we just rinsed off and then brushed hair at home, but today we full-on showered everyone.  I figure it’s late enough in the day that we might as well! 

Today James and I wore our suits and got in the water while the girls were having their lessons.  SO MUCH BETTER!  It felt amazing in the water, and James had a blast!  And with my swimsuit on, I could shower everyone off in the change room while sitting on the bench in there.  Hallelujah!  And while I’m doing that, Matt is at home fixing dinner.  So even though I’m pretty sure I could go to sleep right now and sleep until some time on Thursday, it’s doable.  :)

Aloha! (Or really, “Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday!”)

James got decked out in some of his new Rucker duds for our day of birthday parties yesterday.  This right here is classic Jamsie boy – I could just squeeze him!

Doesn’t it totally look like he’s hula dancing?!

He wasn’t.  Natalie was waving to him from the window.  But it totally works with the shirt, I say.

The first party of the day was for James’ girlfriend Josie.  She’ll be one on Thursday!!

I missed the part about how the big kids needed to bring their swimsuits for backyard water play.  This is why you will see my girls in something other than their swim dresses.  Abby was so kind to loan out some suits to her friends!

Here Joanna is watering the slide before she goes down.

Did I mention it was about nine thousand degrees outside?  Actually, not quite, though it did get up to 109 they tell me.

Oh man, is he just the cutest?! 

James is pretty handsome too!

Josie sleeps with a classic Pooh doll, so that was the party theme!  Look at the cake – amazing, huh?  Amy has a cake lady she uses for the girls’ parties.  This frosting job just floors me.  It isn’t fondant; it’s regular ol’ icing, like tamped down or something.  It was really pretty.

James was a very large fan of the goldfish crackers.  :)

Josie with her cake after we all sang “Happy Birthday” to her.

Josie was a very big fan of the cake!

As were my girls.  Natalie is naked because I noticed right before she started eating that she was wearing Abby’s dress up clothes.  I don’t mind getting our own clothes messy, but I didn’t was to trash someone else’s!

Mmmmmm…  I just love how neat my four year old eats.  Sometimes when I’m kind of tired of cleaning up after James and Natalie, I remember that eventually they will eat a little more neatly.  :)

Abby helped her sister open presents.  I think one year olds don’t quite get it.  :)

Happy Birthday Josie – we love you bunches!!

After the party, we came home, had some naps, then headed back to Atascocita for Jacob and Bella’s birthday party!

Bella just tuned four, and Jacob is about to be seven.  They had a very fun party at their house, mostly in the backyard with lots of games and tons of yummy food!

Here Natalie is enjoying a hot dog.  Natalie is just so fair that I encouraged her to play inside as much as I could.  That, and 109 degrees is too hot for the momma.

It just did not phase the kids though!  They played and played and there was lots and lots to drink for them. 

Joanna taking a swing at the piñata.  I peeked out the window while she was doing this, and she did a pretty good job with that stick – watch out! 

Happy Birthday Jacob!  Happy Birthday Bella!  We sure do love you guys.  Thanks for letting us come play!

I really have been making a concerted effort to get my kids outside a little, even though it is offensively hot outside.

This was Friday afternoon while James was having a quick third nap.  (He’s feeling TONS better from being sick but sometimes needing a little late-afternoon nap.  His naps are short, don’t anybody get excited.)

I love Joanna’s faces.  :)

And Natalie’s faces.  I love their sweaty selves.

I don’t have to go out with the girls; they’re okay to play awhile in the backyard by themselves.  We’re very fortunate to have a nice shady backyard in the afternoons though, so it’s almost bearable to sit under the umbrella with a book.  :)

Matt and the girls went to the elementary school up the road Saturday mid morning to play.  The real park is a bit far for walking in this heat, but the elementary school is very close, pretty shady, and fun!

I love watching my girls run.  It’s cute.

And these pictures are courtesy of me.  James was asleep when they left, but Matt made us come when he woke up.  He’d forgotten the camera.

I told Natalie to go get a drink of water.  She said, “I bring it back.”  She meant she would bring the whole wagon (it was at the monkey bars) that had the water cups in it!

James, chillin’ (yes, in his jammies) and watchin’ his sisters play.

Monkey bars for Natalie too!

This elementary school isn’t the one I went to as a kid, but it’s the same model with some of the same playground equipment that I remember.

Joanna said that inside the jungle gym was a candy factory.

I’m not sure what she’s doing here, but I like the shot.  :)

I like this shot too, of Natalie framed in the triangle.

They sure had some hot, sweaty fun!

I barely tolerated it.  I was hot, I didn’t wear good shoes, and I forgot a hair tie.

But I had my book.  :)

Everybody was getting hungry, so we headed back home for some chow!

It was good to play, but it is just too doggone hot outside for the momma!!