Scenes From A Summer

One of the best things I've done this summer is taking a morning bike ride with Pink and Tink who are my 8 and 6 year olds.  Pink has been riding a bike for years, but lacked confidence and practically refused to ride it preferring her scooter instead.  Tink, on the other hand, was eager to ride but had to work on some bike skills to get truly secure and independent.  We were at an impasse, so I thought if we all went out together and made it into "special time with Mom" it would work better than commanding  them to "Go out and ride your bikes!" while I busied myself with things around the house.  We do it in the mornings, after CB and Rella get on the bus to their ESY programs.  We don't go fast, we don't go far, but it is absolutely building their confidence.

It's so amazing to me that I have girls riding bikes and whatnot when it didn't seem so long ago that I was ooohing and ahhhing over the first time they rolled over, ate solids, crawled and walked.  I am reminded how fast it's all gone when I see my little niece who just turned one last weekend.

So, in the summer of "hanging" instead of "doing" we've had lots of time to draw, paint, craft, redecorate, dream, and splash.  I love listening to them play in the extraordinary amount of down time they have this summer.  Like when they play "doctor's office" and I hear...

"Now we have to drive to the North Pole to see if you pass out.  We need to know if you have 

Pass-out-ititis."  

"Okay, Rella pretend you passed out"  (Rella complies by shutting her eyes and sticking out her tongue.)  "Oh no, her blood is white.  Thats a bad sign."

Or when Tink is laying in her bed, dreaming big with grand plans for a garden.

She asks me

"Mom, can I please have a garden?"

"Oh,"  I reponded "So you can grow your lettuce and tomatoes and peppers for salads?"  (Baby girl loves her salad).

"Yes, and I'll grow scallops for you!"

"Scallops?"

"Yes, scallops... you love scallops."

"Ummm, honey, scallops are sea creatures that live in the ocean."

"Oh. "

Hmmm.

****

We're all reading a lot more during the summer.  Even in the coffee shop Pink is catching up on current events.  Or comics strips.

And she thinks she's the cat's meow with her music.  

I'm continuing to enjoy the summer pace, which involves easing into each day with the freedom of time, something we are not afforded as much of once September comes.

Occasionally I've enjoyed going out with friends where things have the potential to get a bit crazy and  people I may or may not know end up on the floor during the band's performance of "Shout!"

 I'm not naming names...  just a photo of random legs in the air...  

We still have some things to cross off the Summer Bucket list like the Zoo and the Drive-In but honestly, when I see September looming before us (and already starting three days a week of soccer practice for the 3 girls) I am seriously in no rush to create any more running around than necessary.  

It won't be long before this is is the portrait of our daily lives again...