Summer Reflections

I love summer. But I think I'm more suited to the routines of the school year. I'm always so relieved when falls rolls around and it's time to go back to school. Today as I listened to my kids and neighborhood kids squealing and giggling in the yard though I felt a little sad. I'll miss those sounds of summer!

However, that school bell is ringing. It's time!!

This summer Jill got a volunteer position at Cardel. She helps teach swimming lessons. It is right up her alley and she really had a great time - although she said she felt a little weird when she was helping teach kids her own age how to swim.

This week she's also been able to have a job! I ran into a lady who needed some help in her yard. I tried to help her find a teenage boy that could do some work. After a few fruitless attempts I asked her if she'd consider letting Jill do it - and she was happy to have her. It's been a really great experience for Jill. She's learned a lot about wedding and compost and gardening in general and she feels so rich!! She was paid $9 an hour. Pretty good for a kid!!

This summer Peirce's big change has been bike riding. He originally said that bike riding wasn't for him - but he's sure changed his mind. He loves to go with his neighborhood friends to the park or ride around our area, or who knows where else! It's taken a little time to get him to understand that he can't just take off for hours and that he needs to check back in with me often. I'm thinking we need to get him a watch with an alarm that beeps on the hour and half hour to remind him to go back home and let his mom know he's still alive.

Today before Jill went to her "job" we went and played at a school playground. Had a great time! Here's a few shots I got before my camera battery died. :0) One wonderful thing about this summer is Jill and Peirce really have had a lot of time to play together and they seemed to have really enjoyed it. The other day they had a spat and Peirce was telling me how sad he felt. I told him he should talk to Jill about it. It was so heartwarming to listen to them. He told her when she did whatever she had done it made him feel like she doesn't love him. She was quick to reassure him and tell him she does love him. His eyes got full and he said, "Man! When you say that it makes me feel like I'm going to cry!"

.....I love seeing my kids work out issues and learn to get along. Warms a mother's heart!

Cool things at this playground!





Thanks for the pushes Jill!




Here's Jill doing her "swing tricks"