Do You Mind A Recap?

I've tried to post in the past week, but the mojo is not flowing. So here's a recap of what we've been up to these last few weeks of summer:

Spending a lot of time getting wet ...

Almost every afternoon you can find my kids on the my neighbor's driveway playing in her hose with her children. Honey loves to splash on the pavement, the older kids make sidewalk chalk "paint" and I get to visit with another adult. Ahhh, bliss. Hanging on the stoop. The old people have got it right.

At a local park getting soaked.

Spending way more than the recommended amount of time watching television ...

Don't all rules and regulations go out the window at the end of summer? Including the Food pyramid, recommended exercise guidelines and electronic consumption? Yes? Good. Because we're eating fast food at least 2 times a week, I'm consuming about 3,000 calories a day and we haven't seen the inside of the gym for 2+ weeks. When people ask me if I'm ready for school to start I have to refrain myself from shouting "YES!" and getting a freaky anxious look on my face (trust me, I haven't been able to control it a few times and I've gotten back some strange looks).

Spending some time to get ready for our first guests ...

We loved seeing one of our very favoritest families this past week as they drove through our neck of the woods one their way home. It was a full house with eight kids and four adults but it was so sweet! Thanks for stopping by Wells family! We hope to see you again soon :)

Oh, and that means that our guest room it totally ready for any other guests that want to come this way (hint, hint).

Spending a lot of energy trying to camp, but never actually making it there ...

Two weekends ago we planned to go camping. After one very horrific day spent at Costco and a call to my brother, who had an equally horrific day trying to drill a well hole at his new house, the trip was ditched. This past weekend we had plans to go up with some friends. Despite Honey showing signs of getting sick, I pressed on and packed, iced and loaded everything into the car for our 3-day, 2-night trip. Half way up the mountain, our friends' van lost all power. Long story short, she and I left the husbands to man the van and we drove back down to the valley with 8 kids stuffed in my van. Let's just say that half way through the ride I went to my "special place" in my head in order not to drive us off the nearest cliff. It was quite the day.

In the end, DH, being the great guy that he is, set up the tent in the backyard for a night under the stars. And we roasted marshmallows over some coals on the cement and baked a dutch oven cake. So, it was sorta like camping. No?

Please don't mind my ginormous skirt ...

It's my "I've-had-enough-of-the-day" houseskirt.

Spending most of my day being followed by one very cute baby ...

This guy is more than mobile. In fact, when I try to set him down lately, he just starts walking away, like, "I totally got this mom ... watch me walk." His two favorite toys of late are the IKEA walking cart and the fluffy duster. Don't ask me why. But he loves that thing. I'm trying to keep it clean for him to chew on, but Little C loves to dust with it.

Spending way too much time being sick ...

Seriously, when we moved to a different part of the country I totally expected to spend a good deal of the year adjusting to this area's bugs. But darn. I hate being sick. Now we've got the cold that never ends. Miss A and Mr. M have had it for 2 weeks. I've had for a week now, and it's not showing signs of weakening. And the mondo Vitamin C pills aren't doing their usual tricks. Ahh, well. It's makes me grateful for my otherwise perfect health.