What's Left of Summer

Vacation re-caps be damned.  What is my life, one big focus on vacations?  After I finish the St. Augustine report, I have to tell you about the trip we took last week.  It was kind of on a whim and it was lovely.  And we're already thinking about next summer's epic cross-country vacation.  But I don't want to talk about any of that right now.

Rob has been out of town all week.  This is fine, his job requires travel and we knew that when he accepted it.  And it hasn't even been a bad week.  But it certainly changes things around here.  Not only is he not around to help and play with the kids, but he's not around to motivate me to do things.  I mean, I don't need a "motivator," but just having him around makes me more eager to do even simple things like getting up, going to sleep on time, exercising, and eating regularly.  He is so intertwined in my life that I don't know what it looks or feels like without him in it.

Sounds pathetic, no?  :)

Anyways, the kids start school the day after Labor Day.  We have one more quick trip to take on Labor Day weekend, but other than that we're kinda laying low.  Normally this is the time when we run around town doing all sorts of fun things because all the other kids are back in school and we get the run of every place we go.  But this summer has felt busy, in a good way, and I don't really want to do any of those things.

I'm determined, though.  Next week we'll do a few "lasts."

The kids have been mostly getting along for the last of summer.  Miciah alternates between being the awesome big sister who teaches the boys new crafts and the slightly awkward 11-year-old who does things without thinking that make her brother cry.  "Miciah, why did you dump water on his head?"  "Because I wanted to."  "It's bed time.  And he obviously didn't like it."  "Well, sorry."  or  "Miciah why did you hit him with a towel in the stomach?"  "I did it the first time and he laughed, so I did it again and he cried and ran to his room."  "Well, clearly that means it hurt him."  Miciah shrugs.

Elijah alternates between being clingy and mopey at one moment and hyper and annoying the next.  "Hey, Tank, can I hit you on the shoulders?"  "No."  hit.  hit.  hit.  "Ow!"  ...

Tank is pretty steady, cause that's his personality.  But I'm getting tired of him asking for freezer pops all the time, like he just can't handle life without getting something "out of the freezer," as he likes to ask.  "Can I have something out of the freezer?"  "No."  "But, Mom, I WANT something out of the freezer."  "I don't really care.  You've already had something out of the freezer today."  "But I've been playing outside and I need something cold!"  "Have some water."  "I don't want water!"  "How about an ice cube?"  "No!  I need something out of the freezer!"  "An ice cube counts."  "MOMMMM!"

Clearly I miss that Rob fellow.

Okay, I feel better now that that's out of my system.  Hope you're all having a great August!