How is summer.....

[Linda]

going so far with the kids and yourself?

I hate to jinx myself but I have more time to myself than I can remember!!!

Paul had 4 wisdom teeth pulled this week...but it didn't keep him " Down". He is gone most of the day working and at night he is with friends.

We have Jacob at the "center" which he really loves. He is going to our local baseball team "The Lugnuts"....then he is taking a tour of the capitol.

Me? I am actually getting things done around the house that I neglected all school year. I can actually see in my closet now ;D ;D ;D ;D

[camismom]

HOT!!

ok, seriously.... Our summer is going great so far, though I can't believe the first month is gone already! Cami as you all know is taking swimming and getting ready to join the Columbus Hurricanes swim team at the end of next month. With the exception of her bad day I vented about Monday, she is doing very well. The coach told daddy yesterday he is planning to really work with her this next month because he really wants her on the Hurricanes.

Though I do not get summers off anymore, I have taken a few days of vacation here and there. We have done quite a bit of camping. In fact, we have only missed one weekend since school let out! Andy hauled the camper back up there last night to reserve us a spot for next weekend (the long 4th of July weekend) . We will probably head up for the day after Cami's swim meet in the morning.

It's getting pretty busy here at work with the close of the fiscal year. We will have to do that in the next day or two then start readying everything for the next school year.... building calendars, chnging salaries, rolling projected assignments to current, etc., etc., etc. I will be ready for the weeklong family vaca when that's all over. WHEW! That comes the week of July 18. On the one hand I can't wait, but on the other I know the closer it gets to that week, the closer we get to school starting over.
Whatever happened to the month of August being a vacation month too?

[Linda]

Christy...It is HOT here too. Going to be 94 today with no end in sight I hate having my windows and doors closed up,but I am not crazy about the humidity...but I guess all my southern pals know about that ;D ;D

[vickilyn32]

Well we are just a busy as when school was in session. Baseball and softball are still going. Amber has 4 more games of regular season, then we start tournaments. They are doing very well, so I expect to spend more time at ball games. She has also been doing well with her braces. We are done with the expander, so she now has a big gap between her front two teeth. In 6 weeks she gets her top braces, and she is looking forward to getting rid of the gap. We have started practice for Lone Star Cheer Empire competetive cheer squad, and for her jr high squad. Dan has been lifting weights each night and running plays to get ready for football next year. He is also on a 7 on 7 team. They have had 2 tournaments so far, and did not do as well as they do during regular football. Other than that, we have been swimming at my dads a lot, and sorting thru cloths and shoes to clear out for school shopping.

[camismom]

linda said:

Christy...It is HOT here too. Going to be 94 today with no end in sight I hate having my windows and doors closed up,but I am not crazy about the humidity...but I guess all my southern pals know about that ;D ;D

Yeah, that break we all got last week with the cold front didn't last long, did it?

[AnneM]

Hey!! ... I can even report from the UK and say it is TOOOO hot !! ... In the 90's all this week with high humidity .. I have been waiting and waiting for some decent warm weather and then when it FINALLY comes I end up complaining about it !! ;D

[milesofsmiles]

Hot here too, I can't do much about changing it, so I don't complain, just deal with it. As far as the family goes, we are having a great time, as long as there are no rules, no structure, and no limits. Introduce any of those three details and it goes downhill fast. We're all learning new ways to deal with it though..

Miles

[Linda]

How are you dealing with it miles?

[milesofsmiles]

Well, a lot of comes from knowing what sets Nate off and restructuring the way we present it to him. He does have control issues. Meaning that he wants to control everything, so if we present it in a way that allows him to control the choice we present to him, then he is less likely to explode.

Sometimes it does not go as planned and he is already frustrated by something he is thinking of or had just happened. Then I try my best to not take it personally, sort through the trash talk he throws at me, and get at what is really bothering him. Alot of time he just needs time and space to cool down.

We are also having him take more responsibility for his actions. He has to earn marbles toward his big goals. Each goal has a price tag of so many marbles that we decided on together. He earns a marble for each morning of leaving on time. He can cash them in for one of his rewards when he earns enough marbles. We are keeping a log of his behavior at the daycare so when he earns smiles for good behavior and decisions, he can do some small fun reward afterwards with us.

We just realized that he needs structure and the ability to control his environment. When he realizes that he has control, then things will go a lot smoother.

Miles

P.S. Were you just asking about the heat?

[Linda]

Nope ..I was asking about Nate I think you will find having Nate take resposibility for his actions will make a big difference.

Kids definitely need structure and routine...they feel better about themselfs when they know what to expect.

Let us know how it goes. Nate is one smart kid.

[mothercat]

The only marbles here are the ones i am losing..maybe Nates family has them?? So far it has been a busy summer...between Gramma, the folks, (all never ending)
and other peoples yards ..I feel like I am six steps behind myself all the time(and I dont like my rear).. we are remodeling and painting/moving everything around down in the basement to FINALLY give the kids a hang out place to play music and such (that means I get my living and dining rooms back sort of) , we are about to start the floor tiling upstairs, and I am putting in new flower beds and redoing old ones , and I am putting up a green house (just a small 6x8ft one) and in the mean time I still have to get out the okra (first batch caught frost earlier) and I have a garden that needs weeded , three ceiling fans need to be installed and the garage needs painted.
We have gotten quite a bit of fishing time in and Bud is going camping tomorrow , Jared is bouncing off the walls, and I am not far from padded walls, and
the humidity is not our friend at the moment. Yesterday I planted 27 more tomato plants and 30 more pepper plants ... tomorrow I have to rip out a big flower bed and redo it and plant 40 asparagus starts (late but on sale) and mow the yard (and probably atleast one other yard..hope not) and fix a leaky hose in the washing machine (we evidently pulled it lose when we had it apart) and put up one ceiling fan and do all my normal house work and all BObo has to find time to do is
wash the cars. YUP ! Its summer and even tho its busy we are enjoying it! You should see the fish I caught on just a dew worm and croppie hook... I hold the record so far this year ..me 3 bass / the boys zip. ;D

I cant wait to get the greenhouse up but it wont happen till next week some time ( to many projects at once)
In the winter I go nuts being stuck in the house..I am in my domain this time of year...There are some things I would like to do..hike a few times, go on a rock hunt , and it would be nice to go to some of the archeological digs or a cavern down in southern illinois as a family outing... BUT we have to get the other junk done first and see if we can afford any travel..
I still miss Jareds meds...ALOT!

[Linda]

As usual m/c you are making me tired ;D ;D ;D Let me guess...you are going to can all those tomatos

I actually know what okra is...I got introduced to it many years ago from my in-laws who are from the south.

[mothercat]

Just a quick minute to check in...I will can the first tomatos off the first 48 plants we put in...these last ones i will donate the tomatoes to people who are needy and dont have any.. the okra will be ALL mine.
lots to do...

[Linda]

I knew it....it is way to HOT to be canning
My dh does the canning here...I refuse to stand in the kitchen and sweat ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D.

[finnmom]

My summer has been work, work and work and will be until the 4th of july(funny hah) when my 4 week´s vacation start´s, that´ll be the day

It has been quite nice wheather-vice in here, not so hot as you descripe, but summer after all. Yesterday we celebrated our midsummer day and it was SWEET Lovely sunshine all the day and when we left the summercabin at 1 am this morning(YAWN) sun was still up there shining(well, not actually "up there" but shining )