Summertime

We had our first official summertime outing yesterday. Monday is library day, so we packed everyone up and headed out. I let each kid pick out two books, and then each week they take turns choosing a movie to take home. This is actually our third Monday in a row that we have hit the library, and I have to say so far it has been pretty smooth. I let the kids choose their books first, then they sit on the bean bags and read while I get my book. The only snag is when they all decide they have to go to the bathroom (which so far has been every time we go). The bathroom at the Nampa library is teeny tiny. Fitting four kids and a stroller in that little space is tricky, but we survive. After the library we went to Fruitland to hang out with cousins. In an attempt to keep life simple, we ate sandwiches for dinner. It was a wonderful day! Tuesdays are usually swimming days but it is only supposed to be 60 degrees today so we are bowling instead.

Oh, so the reason for the 60 degree weather is the horrible storm that passed through our area last night. I have never seen wind like that here. Of course our power went out right at bed time. All three of my older kids are scared of the dark (not to mention their mom a little bit). We let them "sleep" together, but it was after 10 before any of them wound down for the night. At one point I could hear them giggling downstairs, and I hollered at them to come upstairs so I could scold them. When I asked them what they were doing they said "We are making funny shadows on the wall." Well what kind of mom can yell at their kids for something like that? I am always telling them to get along, so I chose to embrace the evening where they did just that.

We keep losing broccoli and cabbage plants from our garden and have recently discovered that the culprit is gophers. Shelby was outside analyzing the problem with Lilly. Later when she came in she said "Mom, can gophers talk?" Not sure where this conversation was headed I said warily, "I don't think so....why do you ask?" Lilly said "If gophers can't talk, how is Dad going to teach them a lesson?" Given her feelings on animal cruelty, I have opted not to tell her how Dad is going to teach them a lesson.

So as of this morning, Emilia is officially crawling. She still seems a little hesitant, but there is definitely forward motion. Initially I was excited, but then I started thinking about the stairs and the cat food and the toilet, and all the other hazards/messes she is going to get into now that she is Mobile. Still, the girl is 10-months old. It was bound to happen eventually, and I had nearly a year of very little movement.

Where do kids learn "neener neener neener"? Certainly not from their parents. It is almost like an innate sound that every kid has in them. Carson has been doing this a lot lately, but he is still trying to get it right. Instead of his thumbs in his ears, he sticks his pointer fingers in and then says "Mo-om! Nee nee nee!" I hate to correct him because it is so stinking cute. It reminds me of when Lilly used to say "togwether" instead of together. Rachel taught her the right way to say it and I was so bummed.

Lilly keeps asking me who I love more, her or Jesus. Now you tell me, what would you say? Rachel has asked a few times, "Mom, which of your kids do you love most?" Then she sticks her hand out, palm facing me, and says "You can't say 'all of them.' You can't say that!" On the same subject, as I said before fairness is a big deal to my kids. So anytime it looks like one kid gets favored, I am questioned. For example "Why does Carson get the first one?" Or, "How come Lilly gets more than me?"I always say "Because I love him/her the most." I get some funny looks from people out in public for that one.