The summer is moving quickly and it seems we can't quite keep up with everything we have planned! We still have a lot to do for our summer bucket list, the Desert Suzuki Institute, organizing the kids portfolios, my office organization, taxes (yuck!), Schiemer Studios overhaul, and getting the 2012-2013 home school year ready! Well, we have a little over a month left so I guess we better not waste a day. We have to work hard and play harder and not waste a single summer day! Here is what we were up to this past week.
This was actually last Sunday night. We LOVE to end the weekend watching a movie together on the couch. It is usually very relaxing but Aden got a little rough. :) Thanks to my new Instagram obsession, I already had my phone out and the camera setting handy.
We have had some crazy summer weather. All the wonderful rain has brought some gorgeous clouds with it. I love when we get clouds like this. One of my goals as an aspiring photographer is to learn how to take great shots of clouds like this. For now, my iphone pics will have to do.
Monday was pretty boring but by Tuesday we had enough of our chores done to hit the pool at the gym.
For some reason this picture is really dark but I love it. The photo looks like Ally is really deep in the ocean.
Waving hello
This picture is great because Aden's hands are just touching the water as he is jumping in for a belly flop. I love when I can capture cool movements.
I guess the belly flop didn't tickle because he did the Home Alone scream after he was in the water.
Our version of a dunk contest
Peek-a-boo
Check out these guns!
We tried (and failed) to get a picture of Ally and I.
Da da da da! Super Man!!!
Wednesday, Ally had an activity at Sis Gardiner's home for Young Womens. The girls cleaned tents, shared homemade treats from home and then went swimming in their amazing pool. I was too sore from my training session the day before to be of much help so Aden and I went to pick up Grammy a birthday present. When we came back, the girls were still swimming and there were plenty of treats to munch so Aden and I stayed for a while and relaxed.
Thursday evening, we (Tom, myself, Ally, and Aden) joined Grammy and Grandpa for Grammy's birthday dinner at Elephant Bar at the District in Green Valley. I gave her a card that read, "(front, a cat speaking) I hear it is in style to give homemade gifts these days. (inside, fuzzy unidentified object taped to the page). Hold on and I will cough one up for you." I guess my Dad thought it was pretty nasty to have a fake fur ball taped to the card because he made this face when he opened it. :)
My cute mom and dad. I can't get over how great she looks.
My little herd.
After dinner, we went back to their house for make your own ice cream sundaes. Now that is what I call dessert!!! They shared photos and videos of their recent trip to Wyoming and Yellowstone with Melissa and Jay. I think they had a good time. I would love to get the whole Grimmett Clan up there together one summer!
Then, Ally and I made a last minute decision to stay the night. We watched TV, got Grammy hooked on Instagram and giggled the night away. I enjoyed having some girl time.
Ally has an app that will create a make-over for you. You just take a picture and then add hair, make-up, etc. Here is what I did to Ally. Bad lighting....she looks like a hot umpa lumpa!
This is what Ally did to me. I guess she decided not to mess with my hair.
And she had a photo of Aden on her ipod touch so she gave him a make-over too!
Friday I had to teach and get to the gym but we managed to squeeze in a game of laser tag with Mike, Jer, and his friend. Of course Mike came in first!!! Jen was a party pooper and didn't play but at least she came and took a cute picture and held my purse. Thanks Jen!
Aden won some tickets and traded them in for Chinese hand cuffs. Of course, he didn't know how to get out of them at first. Ally said it was because he wasn't Chinese. He eventually got out of them only to try it again with his middle fingers!!!! We almost didn't get him out of that situation.
Later that night, Ally was kind enough to babysit Aden and William so that I could go see Kim's musical, The Great American Trailer Park. I hitched a ride with Connie, Jeff, and Lindsay. Tom and Dave came also.
The show was really funny!
Here is a blurry picture of the set.
I don't know if the show was as funny as watching Kim play a butch, white trash, gun slinging, trucker mouth, beer drinking singer. Not your average kindergarten teacher!
Aviana makes this face every time I take a picture of her. She looks a little like Igor but she is really pretty when she isn't doing this. Aviana was a tech on the show and helped with many things including costume changes. The show was really good. We went home after the show to save Ally from the boys. Dave ended up coming to pick her up and take her to dinner with Jeff, Connie, Lindsay, and Aviana. That turned into a sleepover at our house. Dave dropped off Ana after dinner and grabbed William (who was dead asleep by then). The girls had a fun night and we all crashed about 2am.
After sleeping in very late, we loaded up our gym bags and headed to LifeTime. Tom had never been and so we were excited to show him around. We did an intense workout together. Aden went to childcare and Ally did her own workout. Tom is really fun to work out with. We push each other to go faster, lift more, and add more reps. It is a fun little competition. I think I surprised him too! I guess I'm a lot stronger than I look. After our workout, we took him climbing. He loved it! I'm hoping to convince him to join so we can go as a family all the time.
Then we hit the pool for some R&R. This is Tom having a Zen moment at the bottom of the pool.
The Rock Star and the Hippy
Thumbs Up!
The crew
Once we were done at the pool, we raced to the store and then home. I had to make a few batches of funeral potatoes for (you guessed it) a funeral. I actually don't know who the funeral was for but I'm a sucker for a sign up sheet. Every time they get passed around at church I always sign up. So this time I had to make funeral potatoes. I had never made them before and I don't really know how they taste. Hopefully they came out okay because we rushed them down to the church and made it just in time. As we left the church we saw more beautiful clouds. You can't really see on this picture but there were rays of sunlight streaming through the clouds. Ally calls them God Clouds. :)
We were all starving from our workout/rock climbing/ pool time so we went to Sweet Tomatoes. Ally had dessert that looked more like a pile of ........
Mike asked if it was Unicorn poo. I told him it was Easter Bunny poo. Very rare this time of year but we had it flown in special delivery. Anything for our little girl.
After dinner we planned on hitting the skate park but the God Clouds turned into big fat rain drops. This is Tom's pouting face. He was really hoping to get to skate with us this weekend.
And now, Sunday afternoon.....time for a few Summer Bucket List items. Build a Fort. The kids and I built a fort to end all forts. This spacious 3 bedroom no bath duplex is big enough to take a nap, read a book, watch a movie, and enjoy a snack. The premium window front property has great views of the grounds and excellent lighting. This luxury fort can be yours for the price of a package of clothes pins and 6 blankets. Both kids spent the whole afternoon in there!
The evening got a little crazier! We had a water fight. I started it. They we all out back playing catch and I couldn't resist. I filled up some cups with water, quietly went out onto the upstairs deck, and made a surprise attack. They quickly turned on each other and then came looking for me. 10 minuets later we were all soaked but happy. Beware of some of the next photos. Tom and Aden got a little crazy and it might be PG-13.
Aden declared himself the winner and did his victory flex and yell.
But it wasn't over until he got Ally one last time (with Tom's help).
Then, the boys wet pants were sagging!!!! So they actually wanted to pose with matching plumber cracks! GROOOOSSSSS!
Then Aden dropped his shorts and started singing, "Looking like a fool with your pants on the ground". I agree! He looks like a skinny little fool!
Things calmed down a bit and we got to relax and enjoy the warm summer night.
We ended the night we chocolate fondue and a movie.
Yummy chocolate!
She is even cute when she is eating!
I guess it was another crazy week! All in all it was a great week but the kids and I had a rough patch on Saturday. We worked through it and were able to move on and have a great weekend. We all made goals to try a be a little better to each other this next week. Aden is not going to talk over the top of people. Ally is going to be more careful about the tone she speaks with. I am not going to yell as soon as I am upset at something they do. And, Tom is going to try to be home more this week and help out more with life here on the farm.
I think the "teen years" are upon us and I am bracing myself for a bumpy ride. Ally is a sweet girl and I think I just need to keep reminding her of that. I'm so glad that she and I are close. That closeness makes talking things through and sharing feelings so much easier. I'm sure we will both make it out of this alive! :)
Aden has picked an interesting time to be a, sometimes annoying, 7 year old boy. With Ally's slight moodiness and my short fuze he is also in for a bumpy ride. Good thing we are all working on trying harder. My patience is being put to the test and I better find a way to rise to the occasion.
But these are all minor trials and I wouldn't want to experience them with anyone other than these three wonderful people I get to call my family. I am grateful that my kids are my kids. I hope I do right by them as their mother. I am grateful that Tom was able to spend the weekend with us. We haven't had him home two days in a row in MONTHS! I am grateful that when he is home he is willing to be so active with us and enjoys the same things we do. I am grateful for an amazing life and an amazing family to share it with!
