tropical heat wave.....

What a hot and muggy day. We all complain about winter, wait for spring, and then hide in the air conditioning as soon as summer hits:) So glad my kids love to be outside! They actually all threw hissy fits last night because we made them come in the house at 7 when we were leaving to go out. In the summer they will be outside from morning til 9 or 10 at night, or whenever darkness falls. I love that they are so creative and resourceful. Eric collected scrap metal the other day and turned it in for 65.00. Instead of some dumb toy, he bought himself a nice little garden barrel fountain :)  He seems so grown up all of a sudden, riding his bike around town, friends calling on the phone, now I made him a facebook account and email so he can talk to our family and his friends, he loves that. And Adam let him start mowing the lawn this week (which he's being watched of course.) well he's been pretty careful, but today a rock flew out and cracked adam's truck windshield.  Couldn't be made cuz you could tell he felt bad, but damn that truck was totally smashed last year when Adam hit the deer, so we had to have it rebuilt and it's only got liability now. That's going to be ouchie on the wallet :(
         I also love that they are already sleeping in every day on summer vacation (usually it takes until about July!) and that they are  independent. They can get up, make their own breakfast, pick out their own clothes, etc while I'm taking care of the baby. I must be doing something right! 
        Today Holly, Alli, and I had a "girls afternoon" while the boys went with dad to drop off the scrap metal. It was really fun, we went to Babies R Us and "accessorized" Alli with new hats, shoes, and hairbands and then had fun dressing her up when we got home and taking pictures. Holly bought herself some new sandals with the 2.00 she got for cleaning her room. 
        We have so many things planned for this weekend, I can't wait to take them to the beach for the first time this year, and  a new waterpark we haven't been to also. I bought Alli her first swimming suit, it is so freakin cute! And we are also going to Menominee Park to ride the little train cuz we always do that at least once in the summer.  Next week we are doing some things at the nature center, and who knows what else. I feel like I hafta keep them really busy, especially for these first couple weeks, cuz thursday dad goes back to work.It's been a really long time since we had him around so much, and it's going to be hard to get used to him not being here all the time again.
          Last night we had a "date night" for the first time in a long time. Really it was just a few drinks and bar food but it was soooo unbelievably nice to get out for once. I haven't really gone anywhere without the baby except that one wedding since she was born. I really needed the "recharging" time and adult conversation (okay yah the booze did not hurt either!) and I am so grateful for my friend who came at the last minute to stay with the kids (even though Holly was a pain in the ass.). I like to think of myself somewhere in the middle- I know there are moms who have kids that are 4-5 years old and they will say "I've never left my kid for more than 2 hours, they've never even stayed overnight anywhere", and on the other hand, there's moms who it seems like are dumping their kids off all weekend every single weekend to hang out with friends and get plastered. I don't know how you find that middle sometimes- I always leave feeling guilty- like guilty that I inconvenienced someone else by having to take care of them (cuz it's MY job), even though I take THEM to do fun stuff all the time.  If I get one night a month to myself, I could be happy with that.  Something to work on....