Summer Catch-Up

How is it August already? Summer is just flying by, and I alternate between wishing I could hold  onto the beautiful weather, the endless afternoons, the freedom from schedules, the lazy mornings, the relaxed bedtimes and all the extra time with all five of my kiddos, to wondering how I will possibly survive the next month until school starts with all five of those kiddos! We have been spending almost all of the summer by the beach.  The kids love the change of scenery and the respite that Cape Cod provides.  They have been taking swim lessons and Avery and Ella are close to swimming on their own.  Jameson has been working on his endurance during his Junior Lifesaving class, swimming between jetty's further than I would attempt, and Cam has been perfecting his strokes, while Addie just loves to bop around in the waves or float with her life jacket on.  The kids were so excited to reunite with their summer friends and were able to pick up right were they left off last Labor Day.  The beach is somewhat more manageable this year, although we do have to almost pack up a small Uhaul to get all the toys, towels, umbrellas and chairs down onto the sand, and of course two coolers full of food and drinks.  They all love the water and digging in the sand and are all taken with the sea-life as well. The boys can usually be found swimming out to one of the docks or playing wiffle-ball or pickle on the beach with their buddies or cousins.  The girls are usually busy making castles (or wrecking eachother's), snacking or splashing in the waves. The boys have also been playing baseball for the club and both are enjoying that and I think it is good to have something scheduled to start off each day.  They also love being surrounded by family during the summer months with both sets of grandparents, Aunts and Uncles, and cousins, all doting on them!

Some things I would like to remember from our July at the beach:

Avery and Ella learning to dive underwater
A fun family night at the County Fair
Me establishing a solid running schedule and making it to Bootcamp a couple days a week
Nightly trips to get ice cream and five messy faces and clothes from biting off the bottom of their cones
The boys fishing excursions with Ampa and each enjoying tasting the fish they caught
The girls first motorboat ride with Nanny and Ampa
Biking the picturesque bike path with all the kids in tow
Cam earning enough points to get himself a new bike
Paddle boating and turtle catching out back
Addie speaking so clearly, saying just about everything.  Favorites include "Oh my Gosh" and "Buddamatos" for bananas- the one word she still can't pronounce.
Watching the kids bounce and have the time of their life on the water trampoline.
Nightly bunny-hunts
First trip of the summer to the penny candy store
A rapidly growing sea glass collection now that Avery and Ella have joined their brothers in this favorite past time
Jogs with my Jameson as he trains for his first roadrace
Trips to the aquarium
The four oldest catching crabs while Addie so proudly catches periwinkles
Fourth of July Parade where all the kids loved decorating their bikes and the party after where Jim and I almost won a 3-legged race
Hearing fireworks and the foghorn
A lobster bake with Nanny and Papa.
Jameson taking on the kitchen clean-ups after dinner
Runs along the beach with my hubby
Opening a bottle of wine at the beach at sunset.
Making it to a few outdoor concerts and baseball games in the evenings
Cookouts with friends and family and the kids each eating at least 2 ears of corn at every meal.

Worm Girl

She may be wearing a tiara and a pink polka dot bikini, but Ella is no girly-girl.  In fact today she pronounced herself "Worm Girl!" Her favorite activity in the backyard is digging holes in damp shady spots and hunting for worms, which she picks up and plays with in her hands before placing in a little "habitat" she makes just for them. At the beach she is always on the hunt for fish or crabs which she also loves to pick up with her bare hands while the other beach-goers run squeamishly away.  Glad she is a girl who appreciates nature and has fun getting dirty!

Summer Cupcakes

I made up these yummy beach cupcakes to kick off summer vacation.  I frosted vanilla cupcakes with white frosting, then using blue food gel, turned one half into the ocean.  I stuck in a couple of Swedish fish to make the water come alive.  For the beach half, I crushed graham crackers to serve as sand by placing several crackers in a zip-lock bag, then flattened with a rolling pin.  I finished by placing either a cocktail umbrella or toothpick windmill in the sand.  Just one bite had the kids asking how soon we can head to Cape Cod!

Ten Signs Summer Has Arrived in March

1.) Sundresses on my girls revealing the cutest, chubbiest, pastiest little arms.

2) Trampled crocuses littered throughout the yard

3) Avery has a splinter on her foot

4) Cameron made $5 in a lemonade stand with the neighborhood boys

5) Tubs the last 4 nights in a row

6) The driveway looks like this at the end of the day

7) 10 skinned knees

8) Sandbox sand in hair, shoes and diaper

9) Ice-cream truck at the playground

10) Lawn chairs line the sidewalk of our cul-de-sac while kids play into evening (my chair remains vacant due to a fearless little wanderer who keeps me on duty).