Summer

This is one crazy summer. Ivy & Collin started up swim lessons the 1st Monday after school got out.  Andrew wasn't clear from the doctor to start the first 2 week session. We took Drew in for his last appointment, and got the a-ok on everything, with only instructions of he'd know when to quit the walker, and no full blown running/training for races for 4 weeks. Drew & Tom both tried to get him off the walker before he was ready. He's just about back at 100% today--still hobbles a little. Anyway, the next 2 week session of swim, Collin, Ivy & Drew got to do lessons. I had Drew in the class with Collin & told them that he hadn't had his cast off long, so if his leg coordination was off, not to stress over it.  Drew actually ended up being moved up a class for this 3rd two week session(next week is the last session for 1 week). Drew can just about swim by himself. He just needs to get over the mentality of not holding the instructors' arm. Ivy is now out of beginners and into Intermediates. She may be moving up to what's called Swimmers since she's mastered(after about 3 weeks), breaststroke. Brent is doing a mom & me type swim class this summer also--just 3 Saturdays, 30 minutes each.

Brent turned 3. He only gained 3 lbs, and 4 inches since his last birthday--the kid doesn't like to/want to sit down to eat. He's just as disagreeable as he was at 2. You get either really sweet, or really upset/frustrated instigator. He is definitely a strong fighter--any fight or flight type situations he perceives himself to be in, you get 100% of the time fight response. I don't know what that's all about--maybe because, with the exception of Collin's being in summer school(Collin only gets 3 weeks between end of school, and summer school; and 3 weeks after summer school & start of school year), he feels displaced?  He's really not terribly interested in going potty or telling me when he has to go, unless I cut off the computer and he asks "I go pee pee for 'nother turn?" Still doesn't sleep good, because someone won't let him cry it out because somehow it makes them feel less of a parent (even though there was no problem letting the older 3 cry it out). So bedtime is often way past 11 pm most nights.

I've been trying to get myself back into a regular exercise groove, and I can now say I'm consistently back up to 5-6 days a week, 30 minutes strength and 30 minutes cardio each day--but not usually done together/back to back.

I am so looking forward to the kids all starting school at the same time, and just about same pick up time this year. It was really hard with the last month and a half of school, taking Drew after kindergarten lunch & picking up like 1.5-2 hours later.

Tom & I had our 13th anniversary on July 8th. The date/celebration was kind of a let down though--won't lie. I made some stuff for Tom, and I got nothing. I'm overwhelmed & burned out with the summer stuff, as well as some other major issues I'm dealing with or should I say haven't been dealing with. So, it was poor planning on my part and Tom's been overworked taking over a co-workers' mechanisms while he was out for 2 weeks.

Before this, he had done a 4 day youth conference(6-7 am until after 10 most of those nights..ugh) and a full week of Coast Guard active duty time(they do training for 2 weeks in the year, usually summer but this year it was 1 week in April and 1 in June).

We've had 3 new younger couples move into our ward in the past month. Looking forward to getting to know them. I'm trying so hard to branch/reach out more, including going on a double date soon with some friends of ours we've known for 9 years. It would be nice to be able to have friends to do stuff with.

Not much other news. I am getting a big haircut in a month. Not related to my starting up therapy for me in a month or so, once everything's settled in place with the kids back to school, and not related to Tom.