Summer Pros & Cons

Watering the daisies
Best parts of summer so far:
Using fresh food from our garden, radishes with garlic salt, mint in our water, basil & green onions on our fish, popping strawberries and cherries when we walk by.

Playing in the neighborhood, sprinkler, beauty shoppe on the front steps, dodge ball, medic, pushing babies in strollers (real & plastic), basketball & pitching to little brothers.

Watching baseball & soccer games.

James being an Altar Server for the first time and seeing what a gift a strong faith foundation is when you have a child entering the pre teens.

Being together.

Cozy Fathers Day moment
Patio & porch nights with friends for mom & dad time.

Worst parts of summer so far:

Getting TO baseball & soccer games.

Cleaning. How many wet suits and towels can 8 children create? Lots apparently.

Cooking, we are all getting sick of sandwhiches but really 3 meals a day a gal can only get so creative.

Our table works well for the kids but someday
 I have a huge farm table on my wish list!!
Mama time. Harder for me to find a moment to workout.

Overall a great start to summer. Annie is off for a WEEK long camp and most of the boys start football camp in the morning. We have celebrated oodles of birthdays and more to come. Our house officially is  12, 10,10, 9, 8, 6, 4 and 18m. Well and some in the 30's but those we don't disclose:)
Keeping up with miss LuLu can be a challenge but the kids fight for turns to hold her and care for her.

Looking forward to week 3, our library reading charts, some new summer recipes & a little more time at home this week. I would like to try to be better about an organized snack time 2 x a day and some kind of group work time when everyone was together but on task. The older kids often go and read but they loved doing a craft when I pulled out the pearler beads and wax paper. I would also like to do a field trip to someplace that is new, a new park or nature preserve. AND I would like to have them help me make freezer jam with the cherries from our tree. Lofty goals, hope some of your summer goals are actualized this week!

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