Summer's Flying By!

 This past school year our district started earlier than ever, which meant we were out during the first week of June. It's sort of discombobulating, having the long weekend for Memorial Day, coming back for a few hectic days and then it being summer. Though I guess it helps because it gives me a warm up into the time where I usually don't know what day it is, and I certainly don't know the date.

In years past, we've left for Wisconsin the first weekend after school gets out, but now with school getting out earlier, we've had two weeks to laze around. My philosophy is the kids can do whatever lazy thing they want until after lunch. Watch TV, play video games, I don't care. I want to go to the Y and have my coffee in peace, and then I can start brow beating them into some sort of outdoor, fun time activity. 

As in years past, it's lots and lots of beach time. We've had a couple of friends come down to visit us, and almost every morning we hear knocking on the door from one of Adam's little neighborhood boyfriends. Last night we got home late after a long day, and I had the brilliant idea to tape a do not disturb sign on our front door, and everyone actually got to sleep in. Though the neighbor boys never seem to remember that they can't come over until 9:30, at least this morning they showed they could read and didn't bang on the door. 

And then on Father's Day, off to Door County! For another week of beach time, just a different beach.

We had another great year of digging deep into family traditions

And we got to do some new stuff, now that all the kids are getting bigger. One morning we went and did a kayak tour to the bluffs around Garrett Bay, which we all enjoyed (and survived - we may have floated over a shipwreck, but no one in our party wrecked.)

We also rented a boat and spent a day tubing, with Captain Grizz at the helm. We all had an absolute blast, hanging on for our lives. The only downside is the pontoon doesn't really get up to a top speed - we joked that next year Sara would be happy to rent us all a speedboat.

We got to see all of our cousins, and even got to stop by and see Grandpa Charlie on our way home, so a pretty perfect trip. 

Adam's playing flag football this summer, which is going better than baseball (probably because it's only an hour once a week, and he's playing with his two best friends. He spends more time doing his secret handshake with Matty than he does actually paying attention.) Ellie's still at gymnastics twice a week, and we're hanging out at the beach, and at any pool we can crash. Grizz's pool, friends' pools, the neighborhood community pool that we cannot join because we technically live on the wrong side of the tracks - so some mornings I email my friends who ARE members and ask what they're up to, and then invite me and my poor urchins along if they're swimming. Just the good summer stuff, and starting now we go into three solid weeks of camps - Adam is doing two weeks at day camp with his friends, and then a week of soccer camp (with the same friends.) Ellie is doing her second week of acting camp this coming week, and then off to sleep away camp for ten days! (and this year, we're making her and Lexi take the bus and saving ourselves a long long drive.) They're both thrilled by it all. To be fair, Ellie was initially very mad at me that I signed her up for acting camp, but like a true hambone, she's loving it now that she's there! And then I feel like I'll blink again and it'll be time for sixth and fourth grade!!!