Summer's On (a mega post)

I just realized that there is a blogger app. There wasn't last time I checked, but that was probably quite a while ago... Maybe I can actually get back to blogging regularly. I really need to, because it's the only way I keep a record these days, and I'm guessing life is just going to get busier, not calmer.

We've just completed our first full week of summer break, and it's been a busy one!

Last Thursday morning we traded babysitting (Katy) with a neighbor while packing and cleaning in preparation for a trip to Pima. About noon, Jeremy. Shawn, and I attended Reilly's little awards ceremony, then Jeremy stayed to help with Reilly's end if school party and Shawn and I went to Jaina's awards and party. Both kids did super well in school this year. Reilly got awards for reading over 100 books and for being the best at phonograms in his class. Jaina got awards for pretty much every subject. They had two very different teachers, but both really enjoyed their years. Jaina, especially grew and blossomed so much and was friends with everyone in her class, I think.

As soon as we were done with all that, we jumped in the car and headed to Pima for an unexpected funeral for Grandpa Maurice. He was 90, and went peacefully, but it's always sad to lose somebody. 

We had a really nice visit and stayed for several days. It was great to finally meet our new little nephew, Logan, who was born a few weeks ago. We missed David & Nicole, who weren't able to make it. All the little cousins played together better than they had before, and we had a really enjoyable time. Shawn slept as well as he ever does (iffily) so it was all good. We had some fun water play, some great card games, visited with lots of relatives living and gone.

Once we came back Monday morning, summer was in full swing. We took our first swim of the season, and everyone (including Shawn) definitely enjoyed it. 

Since them we've learned about giant pandas and sea turtles, gone swimming again, ridden the carousel (free for a few hrs on Thursdays) and played outside (on a nicer, cooler day) at Superstition Springs mall, played with our smiley-faced baby boy (who is finally sleeping in his crib at least part of the time) and watched a little too much tv.

Friday night we attempted a "family fun night" involving pretend camping. The tent, card games, and mini s'mores were a big hit. The campfire songs they'd never heard, foil dinner food they didn't want to try, and sleeping in the tent, not so much. I was mostly grateful we weren't -actually- camping. Maybe in a few years...

Today has been a busy, good day. Shawn refused (while smiling) to take a nap this morning, because he knew we actually had somewhere to be at a certain time. We signed the three older kids up for a session of swim lessons through Mesa Parks & Rec and they started today. It's only 8 lessons (in a 2 wk period) but hopefully it will get them all moving in the right direction. They had a good time, and Shawn did amazingly well for not having napped.

(they're happier in that picture than they look, I promise. They liked it)

Monday is usually a day Jeremy kind of takes off, and he's usually sweet and helps get tge house back together (from the weekend) and laundry caught up. So we worked on that a lot today. 

Shawn had been a little extra fussy lately, and drooling and chewing like crazy. It stems like babies just start to get gun and a little more reasonable when teething hits. I really dislike teething! But at least he's easy to distract. He loves to go places, (even just to Bashas' tp grab an FHE treat) and is usually happy when we're out and about unless he's overly tired.

Family Home Evening is something we've been trying to get back in a good habit of doing the last few months (since Shawn was born and all the craziness that goes with that) and it has been a little rough, especially with a certain almost-4-year-old. But tonight there was little fighting, everyone more or less listened, and they were even reverent for the prayer. I hardly had to threaten withholding the treat afterwards at all. ;-). I know that there will be many, many more difficult moments, but it's so nice to see some progress once in a while. It gives you hope. 

A few more pictures of our (drooly) cutie tonight, and then I'll quit. Hard to tell how long this post is on my little phone screen, but I think it's getting up there...

(Not sitting yet, but we're trying to encourage him!)