Summer is here!

Summer has officially begun. 

• The street is alive with the carefree neighborhood kids riding bikes.  And Cortlan recklessly driving his friend's Power Wheels Jeep.  Luckily, those weren't happening at the same time.  (Lord help us when he's sixteen.)
• Bubble blowing has replaced grading papers.
• Since Saturday, we have eaten every dinner outside on the deck.
• Everly has two skinned knees.
• We have already gotten our money's worth out of our recently purchased red wagon, having pulled the kids for two miles around the park and countless trips around the neighborhood, not to mention the driveway fun.
• Swimming lessons began yesterday.  The first day was met with trepidation, the second with tears.  (Here's to hoping that it is out of Cortlan's system tomorrow and that the excitement that he has on the way to the lessons continues through them.)
• Bedtime is inching later into the evening, and so is waking time inching later into the morning, allowing John and I to set the alarm and wake before the kids this morning, and have a cup of coffee on the deck...Glorious.
• The flowers are all planted, the mulching is done, and it won't be long now before we have fresh zucchini and tomatoes on our plates.
• I have remembered that I don't actually hate cooking.  I just hate it when I feel like it is taking away from scarce time with my kids during the school year.
• We've played with play-doh, had tickle battles, read countless books, painted, made a picture frame, played kitchen and diggers, and in the sandbox, and in the rain, and in the dirt...and I have still found time to keep my house relatively clean.  Of course, it has only been less than a week.
• I've gone for runs in the mornings while the dew is still on the grass.
• I've realized that I can do a lot when I have another 50 or so hours in the week and that I LOVE that my job allows me to be a stay at home mom for two months every year.

Ahhhhh.....summer.  And it has just begun. :)