Freedom!

I think summer camp is the greatest invention of all time.  With the kids away the parents get to play.  How much fun did we have sans children?  More than can be adequately described on a G-rated blog.

me and the mr. 

 Steve makes friends wherever he goes

300th Post

As a thank you to everyone who has stuck around through 300 blog posts, I present the cutest picture ever. 

Summer, So Far

It's already the middle of July, can you believe it?  Summer is moving along at an alarming pace and I'm not sure there is enough time left for all the summery fun I was planning.  We are having a stay-cation kind of summer, no big travel plans, just trying to do fun things  inbetween all the kids activities that are keeping us tethered to home. 


For the first month of summer Dagny took a math class and I got to experience what other parents have to go through when I had to drive her to school every morning. The class was 30 minutes away and I did not enjoy getting up early, fighting traffic, or dealing with the parking lot drop-off. The whole situation made me grateful that I haven't had to do that every day all these years.  Luckily, Dagny (reluctantly) learned how to use public transportation and most days she rode the bus home.  


Just as Dagny started class, Dane started football camp.  This is not a random skills camp like he has been to in the past, this is at the school he will be attending, with the team he will be on. (that means he can walk there, I like that)  He has to wear a uniform every day and when I saw him in the school colors for the first time it made it very real that he will be going to school in the fall.  


The big story for Dane this summer is his ankle.  After years of him dealing with pain and having so many different treatments, I finally got his Dr. to send him to a specialist in children's podiatry. It took lots of appointments, but Dane now has custom orthotics that he wears in his shoes and he is going to physical therapy 3 times a week.  Dane is feeling really good about all this and for the first time in years he is running without pain. Watching him suffer with this ankle condition has been excruciating, watching him recover is exhilarating. 


Last week we dropped Dagny off at camp for 3 weeks.  (she is doing the leader-in-training program for 2 weeks, then she will be a regular camper for a week) Dane will join her for the last week, and Steve and I will have our annual week of childless-ness. (!)  After the kids come home Dane heads back to football, but somewhere in there before they start school we are going to find time for some family summer fun.  Count on it. 

the happy camper

rehab

It's Not You, It's Me

To everyone who calls and texts me and that I don't get back to right away, I just want you to know that it's not you, it's me.  I have a real problem turning the ringer off on my phone and forgetting to turn it back on, by the time I check my phone I have a dozen texts and messages waiting. And as much as I love my phone, I don't have it with me every second.  I am always leaving it in my purse or downstairs and that means that I miss a lot of instant communication.  If I don't respond immediately when you text to say hi it's not because I don't want to talk to you, it's because I don't see your message until hours later. By the time I do see it I wonder if you still want me to text you back.  I promise that I am way more interested in your life and what you have to say than my electronic communication shows. I can't promise to carry my phone around more or turn up the ringer, but at least now you know that if I don't answer right away it's not about you. 

Happy 4th!

There's a lot you can learn by spending the day at the county fair

• you can deep fry anything and it tastes delicious
• you are never too old to enjoy the petting zoo
• giant sock monkeys exist
• the combination of fumes from the barnyard and fried food induces giddiness 

County Fair, apple pie, and fireworks. How's that for an old-fashioned family 4th of July?

fireworks faces

Puppies!

One Boy, Two Girls

We met the new arrivals when they were just a day old and they are tiny and perfect and a complete cute overload.  It's going to be so much fun watching them grow up.