To Be Continued...

currently drowning in a sea of school supplies...

The Lazy Days of Summer...

were long gone so we had to create some of our own! The parents of the squirps are on a much needed little getaway! More blogging coming maybe when everyone is back in school and I have five seconds soon!

Now, back to relaxing and sleeping uninterrupted...

The Lazy Days of Summer...

are OVER at our house! Seriously, when did August happen? Last week Jackson started back into therapy and Summer school, all four boys are "doing" swimming lessons (in quotes because you know on any given day one of them is too tired, too cold, too hungry, too naughty, too something to stay in the pool and participate), my sister came back after being gone (far too long) on a mission trip to Africa, and I started participating in some mommy and me fitness classes. Yes, that means that we are in the car before 9:00am and not out until after 1:30pm on some days.

I have been very quickly reminded why I was so eager to give up my taxi job and take on the home with five kiddos all day Summer job! Except now I'm ready to take on the mom of five children going to school job so we can stop screaming, bickering, hitting, teasing, driving me insane the run out of things to do vibe that is all the rage at our house!

July brought our 11th wedding anniversary AND my 32 birthday...yes, I did just admit that! I also got braces...are you tired of looking at my teeth yet? This is round three!!! Woohoo! I had them once in junior high and then again the year before I got married. They weren't quite ready to come off but come off they did. And I probably don't need to explain that I haven't had the time in the past 10 years to fix them AGAIN. 10 months or so from now the pearly whites will be all straight...hopefully!

About Campbell Knievel...she won't stop climbing on ev.er.y.thing!




I would have about 27 more pictures to share of her climbing adventures except my hands are full saving her life catching her. It must be genetic...




And speaking of genes...

How about wordless Wednesday...on Thursday?

Bad, bad blogger!!!

When I wrote my last post I was thinking it would be a couple of days...not a week before I could blog again!!! I can't even say it was a,b and c keeping me away, it's just been busyness.

My mom and her friends graciously offered to take Jackson and Tucker on a little trip last week. Instead of using the extra calm to hang out at home and get stuff done I packed as much as I could into those days. I definitely took advantage of having a lighter load! Out to eat, to the movies, shopping a little more leisurely...aaahhhh, it was wonderful!



Sarah and I always been part of each other's lives and she and her husband Jeremy are dear friends. They have two kiddos Maddie and Owen and while our big boys were away we joined them for a trip to the zoo. Unfortunately, Campbell battled a fever off and on all last week so her first look at elephants and manatees was not as enjoyable for her as I had hoped. After we piled into the car, had a snack, cooled down and the kids took a snooze, they perked up and were ready for more. We continued our fun day together grilling out, the kids played and the grown-ups got some much needed time to catch up. What an awesome day!!!



So what was up with CK wearing a backpack a couple of posts ago? Well, she will be toting that little backpack to "school" at the end of the month. When I told Todd that I had to buy school clothes for his baby girl I'm pretty sure he welled up! There is a story behind this that deserves it's own post (but we all know by now how much time I have on my hands) but I'll keep it short with this. Campbell (and Finley too) was born aspirating liquids. She has been followed by a team of really fabulous therapists/coordinators/teachers since her diagnosis and she qualifies for early intervention services. Our little sweetie will ride a bus two afternoons a week and spend some time with other adorable little people and the most amazing teachers...seriously, they are the best and we love that they are in our lives.

With all that out there I have to say that Campbell is just as brilliant and amazing as her siblings. She's been toddling around with fluid in her ears and in an environment in which practically everything is said and done for her. It IS hard to send her off but from experience I know that she will do awesome and love it! It's my opinion that in our house where there is a tendency to act and travel as a pack that some time away socializing and communicating with other children is super important. CK also had tubes put in her ears last week and I know our little sassy pants is going to be verbally giving it back to her torturers brothers very soon.

I have lots of other squirpy stuff to share but I wanted to get this out there since I kind of left it dangling last week. Our baby is going to school...whoohoo, two hours a week all to myself sniff, sniff!