Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Summertime and the Livin' is Easy????

So does anybody's life resemble this song? Or the one by Nat King Cole - "Lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer"? I feel lazy, but that doesn't mean I can take it easy. Fortunately, I live in a dry climate, so the days aren't hazy. Crazy is the only word in this song that really applies to my life. As I said on Facebook recently (with apologies to those who have already read this), in the math of summer, 2x2 is exponentially much more than 4!

My other slogan for the summer is "terrible twos times two!" They are absolutely adorable, and are so much fun, but they are definitely more of a handful than they were last summer. Kate and Emma went to the doctor recently and they are in perfect health - weighing 22 and 23 pounds. It seems that either Emma is catching up with her sissie, or that Kate has slowed down a bit - don't know which. They are still conversing in their own little language, but they are letting us in on their conversations more often now. That part makes it easier, for sure. The doctor no longer mentioned speech therapy - thankfully. These little rascals don't believe in napping, at least at my house. In fact, their favorite two mini sentences are "No Nap" and "No Nigh-Night." (They do end up sleeping at home after they go home around 2:00 - lucky Kristen!) I do enforce a bit of quiet time, for my sanity, and this is how they occupied themselves the other day --





"Shhhhh - don't tell Grandpa!"


"Emma did it, Grandma!"


Grandpa took it much better than I expected - it took him 1.5 hours to put his files back together. We put Emma's bed in front of the file drawer (which has no lock, unfortunately), but somehow she managed to do it again yesterday, not quite so much. Grandpa wasn't so blase about it this time! After he put the files back together again, he put the kabosh on any further shenanigans in those drawers!


And he's looking ahead to the day they learn to climb out by themselves and help themselves to the other drawers --



Do they ever love being outside! And Grandpa is their best buddy and most fun playmate.


They can discuss anything with him!





Playing nigh-night is much more fun than the real thing.





Playing with a floatie is just as much fun on grass as in the pool!




What is she thinking??



The big girls get to go to Bible camp this summer - Care Bear has been already and Feisty will go to a three-day in two weeks. Care Bear chose to go to Camp Itch-ow-ee this year instead of staying in the cabins. Here are the lovely accommodations:




We picked up the kids at the end of the week - I have to say, I wasn't favorably impressed when we went down to have a look before we went back home. Care Bear, on the other hand, loved every minute - she called it "Home Sweet Home!" They sleep in the tee-pees, use porta-potties, no showers, meals outside on picnic tables (not in pristine condition!), and all of their chapels and fun times around the campfire. The only reason they go across the road to the rest of the camp is for swimming, archery, and all the other recreational activities. Little bitty Care Bear was the smallest in the group, from what I could tell. When we got there, this is the condition we found her in:



Turns out she went horseback riding and came in contact with a tree branch. I never did get a good explanation for how it happened and nobody else was hit. It could have been so much worse - we are so thankful for the angel that was on the back of that horse with her and kept her from falling off! Her glasses went flying, and thankfully somebody found them before a horse stepped on them. She says she didn't even cry. That was the "owie" part of the week --

Here's the "itchie" part --



The day after she got home, she went swimming and the scabs came off. She had me take a picture so she could send it to her two favorite counselors, along with letters and drawings.



Well, I hope this one publishes okay - it's the second time I've written it. It was a good day for a re-write - it's a gray, rainy day.

19 comments:

Susan said...

Don't know how you do it!!!!!But, glad for those 4 girls sakes you guys do.

nannykim said...

ah yes, the terrible twos! Your poor hubby and the file cabinet! ugh!! Well, perhaps it needed cleaning?? My daughter's kids take late naps around 3:30!

Needled Mom said...

You have my admiration, Dawn. I know what a handful the little ones can be and no naps for a wee break would be the pits.

I am glad that everyone is healthy and happy and that includes your delightful horsewoman!!! Ouch!

Mrs. M said...

Well we are hoping for some rain here. The grass is turning so brown and crunching. It has been in the 90s and lately the 100s with no rain. Ugh.

Poor Care Bear and her accident. She is a brave girl not to cry. I think I would have cried.

And those twinsies! My goodness ... terrible 2 times 2 is right!! But they are irresistable aren't they??

Unknown said...

Age two in our house has only been the warm up for a very horribly year of age three. Let's hope those two get it out of their systems now!!! I can't believe how much they look like Fiesty.

Midlife Mom said...

Dawn you have he energy and stamina of three grandmothers as far as I am concerned! You do so well with all the antics of little ones with endless energy. Don't know if my hubby would have taken it so well to have his files demolished! DC is one of a kind, such a good grampie!

The pictures of the littles are adorable! I would love to hear their little language that they use.

So sorry about the riding mishap but just glad she didn't get knocked off by the branch. Yes, it's nice to have those angels around isn't it?!

Yes the camp did look rather rustic but I bet she loves every minute of it. My two would love it especially the no shower part! I guess that's what lakes are made for!

So sorry you aren't going to get up in July but I agree I think you will like the weather in October much better. This has just been crazy heat and humidity. We have been running our air conditioning constantly, can't imagine what the electric bill will be before this is over!!! Let me know when the time comes when you are going to be in this area!

I just came in from weeding one of the gardens. It finally got too dark to see anything. It's cooler after seven so that's when Dad and I walk and I do my evening barn chores and weeding. During the day it is just way too hot right now to be out there in the beating sun on your back.

Well I'm not one to miss a nap if I get the chance. Funny how when you are little you fight having a nap and when you are older you rather enjoy it. :o)

Take care Dawn and give hugs to those sweet girls!

Linda said...

You have my absolute admiration Dawn. I am sure I couldn't possibly do what you are doing. You two are very special indeed.

nancygrayce said...

I think you should be grandmother of the year! Maybe decade! I just don't know where you get all your energy.

That tent camping was obviously rough!

That picture of them "confiding" in grandpa is priceless!

Unknown said...

I'm glad you took the time to re-write your post. That is so frustrating to put so much time and energy into a post and then have it disappear!

You and DC are such wonderful grandparents! Having one 2 year old is busy enough...I can only imagine what 2 together is like. :-) Noah turns 2 tomorrow!

A Hint of Home said...

How sweet they are and how fun that they love their granpa and spend time with him.

grammy said...

Just got caught up
so sorry...don't know how I missed several posts....
summer and kids around (o:
I can't believe she is so brave to go to camp that long and stay in a tee pee no less. Ky, my eight year old that is going into 3rd....says no way to camp. They are so use to being a pack of sisters...fighting and all...still need 'The Sisters'.
I will have to go check out Kristins blog (o;
I need to make copies of some of my posts before they accidentally get lost.
Loved your pictures of your area. (o:

Hootin Anni said...

Oh Dawn, now that is too ironic. I wrote about how Summertime and the livin' is easy just this morning.

Poor gal. I swear falling off a horse isn't fun, and then to have a branch knock you nearly off the horse would be so hurtful!!! Thank the lucky stars that it didn't hit her eye glass and have shards of lens fly into the eyes....the ouchies will heal. Y'know...she definitely looks a LOT like you.

I feel for you....my mom always said it takes a young one to RAISE a young one. You are admirable helping out with the girls like you do.



Anni's Thursday Post. Do come join me if you can.

Jess said...

I hate when a post disappears...sigh.

Those girls are a mess....reminds me of mine. LOL

I'm sure you are kepton your toes!

Lots of love to you!

Gigi said...

Oh no - poor Grandpa and his file cabinet!! But it looks like he found a solution...for now anyway ;)

Glad Care Bear had fun at camp...but I'm with you - we always want others to take as the same care of our "babies" as we do!! Hope Feisty fares better...!

Sam said...

I can't believe all those files strewn around the room!!! I would have freaked!

It sure helps that they're absolutely adorable, right?? :-)

I have to admit that Care Bear's camp sounds so awesome! (For kids, not me!) I'd love for my kids to have experiences like that when they are older. I can't wait to hear how Feisty does at her camp.

I'm glad you had time to rewrite this post! I love updates on the kiddies!

Carole Burant said...

Hello dear Dawn:-)

I now have that song in my head! lol Love Nat King Cole!! Your days certainly are "crazy" but oh what fun you're having:-) Isn't it unbelievable what kids can get into, maybe they just wanted to play secretary with the files! lol There is certainly a reason why they call it the "terrible twos"!! Love all the pictures of the twins and so good to hear that their last doctor's visit went so well. Healthy is the word we all want to hear-)

Ouch indeed, poor Care Bear, it must have hurt when that branch hit her in the face but as you say, thank God she wasn't thrown off her horse. Seeing the tepee reminded me of when I went to Girl Guide Summer Camp, we slept in tents like those and oh what fun we had. I find she looks so much like you, it's unbelievable!!

Now on to read your other posts I missed while I was away:-) xoxo

Glenda said...

Oh my! Those precious twins do keep you on your toes, don't they?! This stage won't last forever!! You seem to handle their antics so well.

I'm glad Care Bear was OK after the fall and the bites. I'm sure she learned much and had a great time. She has the prettiest eyes, by the way!

We took our grands to their new home in MS this week. We had such fun keeping them while their parents got moved into their country home. We'll get to see them more often now . . . and that's a good thing!

Hope you have a wonderful, restful Sunday!

Glenda said...

P.S. We will be having missionaries Greg and Terri Taylor on Tuesday night. They have been serving in the Philippines.

Sharon Lynne said...

Grandpa gets a gold star for patience!

I'm glad Care Bear thought camp was wonderful. It's good she loves adventure. Now that's REAL camping.