1. the way my boys assume someone must be coming over if I vacuum the floors. :)
2. our summer schedule, including chores, center time, school work, and rest time. Early on in the summer, I knew we had to do something to make our days at home less chaotic, especially on those days when we don't have a car. A lot of mornings during the week, there is plenty of opportunity to get out to run errands, go to play groups, swimming, free summer movies, etc. However, some mornings we just need to stay home (so Oliver can catch up on his morning naps) or Brian has the car. So the mornings we are at home, during Oliver's nap time we have a center time rotation...each boy has about 15-20 minutes by themselves at each center. When the timer goes off, they move to the next center. It works out great, the boys really enjoy their "alone time," and it helps keep the house peaceful during Oliver's nap. Our centers consist of legos (in my room), library books and puzzles (in the living room), computer time (in the kitchen), and free play (in their room). We will occasionally throw in a craft and painting center, as well.
After school work, this momma is exhausted from the day (even though it is only halfway over), and I still want to keep the house quiet for Oliver's nap time, so I really try to enforce a rest time/quiet time. A good time for reading books or drawing/coloring in their beds for about an hour. Enough time for me to just have some peace. :) It also gives them time (Hudson especially) to stay caught up with his summer reading for school.
We've also tried to be consistent with chores this summer...mainly just the basics...making their beds, getting dirty laundry off the floors, putting away clean clothes, brushing their teeth (yes, that's a chore around here!), cleaning up their room every afternoon, etc. We also added a few new ones this summer that they rotate every week...making sure Lady's dog food dish is full, windexing the glass doors and dishwasher/frig/oven, taking out the bathroom trash, and wiping down the bathroom sinks and toilets.
So now that I sound like the biggest nazi momma, my boys seem to really thrive on a schedule, and without school helping with that this summer, I had to do something. :) Plus, I tend to do better if there's some sort of plan and not just chaos all hours of the day. I really think incorporating center time this summer has been one of my (and the boys') biggest loves! It also gives me one on one time with the boys as well. :)
3. living in an old house...you never know what you're going to find! :)
4. this precious crib bedding and glider cushions my sweet friend Brooke made for Oliver's room several months ago. I found the fabric, and she made it happen! Love, love, love!!
5. the way the boys surprised me by cleaning the house this afternoon while Oliver was sitting in his chair eating lunch, and I was laying down on the guest bed trying to stay cool in front of a fan and doing my best not to throw up after trying to recover from a bad stomach virus our ENTIRE family endured a couple of days ago. The boys immediately bounced back...me, not so much.
"Close your eyes, Mommy! Don't look!" "You're really going to like what we're doing!" "It might take us an hour!" They eventually told me about their surprise house cleaning, and they really did scurry around for about an hour cleaning, sweeping, and picking up toys in all the rooms. Only later did they let me know their intentions...hoping for some money in exchange. :) Hudson, Nate, and Jake had put their money together earlier today in hopes of having enough to buy a Lord of the Rings lego set. They were hoping to earn a couple more dollars. I couldn't say no to all their hard work done so happily and quickly; and amazingly I had just that amount in my wallet. Henry, on the other hand, has decided to save his money for a pet guinea pig and cage, etc. His new passion. :)
6. Henry's love for animals. All summer he's been all about the tamarins. Today, all of a sudden, it's guinea pigs. This morning he was drawing and painting guinea pigs; this afternoon he was making his own guinea pig cage out of a shoebox; and tonight he was looking up guinea pig photos and videos on the computer. :) He's looking forward to going to the pet store later this week to price guinea pigs, cages, and all their supplies and food, so he'll know how much he needs to start saving. totally his idea! :)
7. this guy. I just can't get enough of his cuteness.
8. bed time reading. I've come to really enjoy about 7:30-8 pm every night. I try to get Oliver down by 7 and then by 7:30 the goal is for the boys to be in their beds with lights out, so Brian or I can read to them. If it's me, we're reading through the Narnia books. We're all totally hooked on The Magician's Nephew right now! If it's Brian, they're reading The Hobbit. We're also reading about a chapter or 2 a night from Egermeier's Bible Story Book, an amazingly thorough book of bible stories, that belonged to my grandfather, who read it to my mom. We're on pg.250, just starting II Samuel and not even halfway through the book! The boys love it, and I have really enjoyed it, as well. So, so thankful for this time!
9. "new" bunk beds! The boys are loving their "new" beds and new arrangement. Thank goodness for our tall ceilings...it really makes it work and not feel cramped. And they still have plenty of floor space to play!
10. an amazing husband who refuses to let me miss sweet Abby Morrison's wedding shower, even though he's preaching in Union Springs at the same time. He tells me to go ahead and don't worry about the boys. He'll bring them along and hold Oliver through his sermon. (remember...it's a small church of about 10 people and of course, no nursery). And he won't take no for an answer. And that's just what he did while I got to enjoy an afternoon with this sweet friend at her shower a couple of weeks ago...
And then to brag on him even more, he was super Mr. Mom a couple of days ago when we all got that horrible stomach virus. I think he had his own version of it last Friday, and Oliver had it then as well. This past Sunday the rest of us started dropping like flies. We all went down to Union Springs Sunday afternoon where Brian preached. I drove, since Brian was just starting to get his strength back after being pretty sick the last couple of days. On the way home just as were getting back into Montgomery, Jake started throwing up. A couple of hours later, I followed. Then Hudson. and Nate. and finally Henry early Monday morning. We were all throwing up multiple times throughout the night. And who was there to clean up the mess, change sheets, put wet washcloths on our foreheads, jump up to grab a bowl, make pallets on the bathroom floors? Yep. The amazing husband who can't handle the sight or smell of throw up himself. Somehow the Lord was gracious to him, and he was able to make it through and take care of us all.
11. brother performances. lots of plays and songs and dances were performed at various times this summer. So fun to see their creativity and goofiness come alive!
12. free summer kid movies! This summer we have really tried to take advantage of this! As crazy as it is to bring 5 boys (including a very active 1 year old who does not like to sit still!) to a movie theater by myself, I did it anyway. Free entertainment in the air condition. Totally worth the challenges. :) We probably only made it to about 4 movies (so far) this summer, but it's been fun. The Rave here in Montgomery has completely free movies every Tuesday morning at 10. In Pratville at the Carmike on Thursday mornings at 10, they have movies for $2 each, that includes a big bag of popcorn and a drink for each person. We totally took advantage of that! What a treat...to have your own popcorn and a drink...that never happens! Totally worth the $10 for us to go! We would often go with my friend Brooke and her two kids, so I wasn't completely alone. Plus, if I had to take one of them out to go the bathroom, I didn't have to drag them all with me. :) definitely the way to do it! I think we all feel a little spoiled getting to go to the movies so much this summer. a definite love.
13. brother love.
