Thursday, August 19, 2010

Memories of a Very Fast Summer


Memorial Day - so long ago, it seems in some ways, but so quickly it has become the end of summer as we know it.




School started yesterday - it seems impossible that the three months of summer vacation went so quickly. Feisty has a very nice new teacher, but she's having a hard time weaning herself away from kindergarten and the awesome teacher she had last year - the one who came and took her out to lunch and to the park just because Feisty missed her and was afraid she'd never see her again. Last night she told me that she did not like the new kindergarten class. When I questioned her some more, I asked her if she thought maybe she was just suffering from envy that they were in Ms. Logan's class and she wasn't any longer. She had to agree. She then prayed to Jesus that there would be someone in that class that looked like her so Ms. Logan wouldn't forget her. Awww.



First day of first and third grades.






Last spring, at the end of school, I mentioned that Care Bear's teacher had told me about the haiku she had written (I couldn't believe they did haikus in 2nd grade - I think I was a sophomore before I knew that word!) The teacher kept a copy so she could use it as a teaching tool for the kids this year to understand how to write one. I finally got a copy myself. Here it is:

Haiku

Syllables are cool
Syllables go with haiku
Haiku can be fun


I had the 4 girls a lot, and as I've said before, in the math of summer, 4 is much more than 2 times 2. What better way to spend many mornings than going to VBS? As I mentioned before, the big girls went to VBS at six different churches and enjoyed each one. One of them had a carnival and program on the Friday night - the littles enjoyed the activities as much as their big sisters. In fact, it was the first time we saw them actually interact and "talk" to someone other than each other.




They really didn't like cotton candy after all.




There was a lot of dirt and a lot of baths ---






Throw in swimming lessons, camp, Girl Scout camp-outs, library time, the county fair, swimming for fun, sleep-overs with friends and they've had quite a summer.


Then there was helping Grandpa get the dirt off his truck ---






Helping Grandpa in other ways --- picking up sticks from the wind the night before, then "helping" mow the lawn. BTW, their "twin language" has finally given way to our language, and what fun it is to be able to converse with them a bit - and know what they need a bit more easily!




There was the day that they got to my house really early because I had an appointment to get their pictures taken - wouldn't you think a place that photographs kids all day long would have a better way of keeping a schedule? Or at least have some toys to play with?? I chose this place because it had appointments. If I'd wanted to take a chance on ever getting in, I would have taken them to Wal-Mart and sat all morning. You can imagine how much fun it was to find out they were already behind - one hour after they started. We left. Still haven't had the pictures taken and now school has started.

We headed on up to CSU to get my free parking pass (one of the perks of retirement - free parking on campus for life - not a bad perk, when parking costs go up there every year!) They had some fun climbing on one of the less attractive sculptures (or whatever it is!) Their colors matched.




The fun thing about living in the same town with lots of relatives is that when they get company, it's usually someone you want to see too. Such was the case this summer with my sister when her kids came to visit. Second cousins can be a lot of fun.




The little train in the park with more second cousins was great - the cattle car was such a fun place to ride.







The parks in our town are full of sculptures - Katie wasn't quite sure if she liked this one or not.




But we had some fun at the park by the library -







Care Bear couldn't resist a bit of dramatic acting!





Then there was the day we went and got this beautiful bouquet of flowers for the church nursery attendant's birthday - Sandy is our favorite person! Turns out she was gone for the week - so we ended up enjoying them at home and she had to settle for a nice picture!




Then there was FINALLY losing a top tooth --





What's wrong with this picture? My next door neighbors - nice folks - but they don't seem to get the concept of a BACK YARD. Big back yard. But everything sits in between our house and theirs - I have to work at not looking. DC works so hard to make our space beautiful, and this is such a mess. Especially the compost dealie-bobber - what's up with that??? Don't they have a door into the back yard??? And before you ask, no, we don't have covenants. Oh, my. I guess if that were my worst problem -- but it's not.









Have a great week-end!



18 comments:

Hootin Anni said...

LOL...we have one neighbor on one side who works long long hours...and their back yard is a mess...but the front yard is beautiful. Then, on the other side of our house is a neighbor who is too much of a fanatic in yard work...he even does ours when we don't want it done. Can't win for losing.

Loved all the summertime photos Dawn...my favorite of ALL of them is the one where the two girls are arm in arm!!!

Sweet, sweet family you have. But you already know that.

Diane said...

Dawn! DELIGHTFUL!

WHAT A GREAT SUMMER!

AND....what a GREAT Grandma!

Hootin Anni said...

ps....of course, I'm always ready and primed to read the art of your g-girls!! And it was wonderful. Yep, all about syllables ---it's perfect with the perfect flow too.

Robin said...

That was a great summer tour! I can't believe how fast it has gone either! I am NOT ready for fall, mainly because I know what follows :(

Thanks for sharing all the fun pictures and stories of your grandgirls! They are so, so sweet and it looks like they have so much fun with you!

Unknown said...

Summer is always jam-packed with fun activities and it goes by super quick! Thanks for sharing some of your memories with us. :-)

Your Walmart doesn't make appointments for pictures? That's where I take my kids and I'm able to make an appointment. I'm sorry your picture adventure didn't work out as planned.

Great Haiku, Care Bear! Very impressive. :-)

Glenda said...

Where DO you get your energy? Great pics of the sweet girls! Your love for your family shines!!

Amy said...

I can't believe how big the girls are getting. All of them.

Sounds like you had a very busy summer!

Sam said...

Hi Dawn!

I'm so sorry Feisty is having a tough transition into the new school year. She's a sensitive, thoughtful kid, who made a deep connection with her teacher last year. This is a wonderful thing! But it also means that starting something new may sometimes come with a lot of emotion. I'm so glad she has you turn to during such a time. Is there any way she can go visit her old teacher's classroom? It might help her to know that even if she is in a different class this year, she is still important to her old teacher.

Well, you know I LOVE the haiku, right?? I'm so glad you got a copy of it!

So exciting that the littles are talking more to other people! I am obsessed with language development. I love seeing how they string words together, trying to communicate their ideas. It's so wonderful!

Great post! Great photos!

Sharon Lynne said...

So rich with life...your post.
The every day things that we all can relate to. And the funny things...like buying flowers for someone and finding out they're out of town---and enjoying them yourself!

What's with Care Bear? Is she cold? Her outfit is a bit more protective than the others. I love her "drama". Such a character.

You'll have to be patient with your neighbors. Just keep basking your eyes on DC's handiwork.

I commented on your comment on my blog...

Oh yes...I remember the Nixon post. I want to read it again. How do I do that?

Brenda said...

Enjoyed your pics of summertime. As much as I love fall and the crisper, cooler days, I'm always pensive about letting summer go.

grammy said...

I had something to say about your comment...but after reading I forget (o:
We had that kind of a summer too. Busy. I loved all your pics and stories.
Oh, I remembered. I have often thought I had a dramatic imagination like Anne (o:

mariel said...

beautiful girls! we had a fun summer, too..but it's back to school around here. we home school, so school is never far...but the break was nice.

nannykim said...

Well, that was cute about your granddaughter's prayer. I hope she adjusts sooner rather than later.

Lots of fun poses in this post!! I am looking foward to the cooler days, aren't you?

As far as the yard goes....I would say ours needs some work, but I refuse to go out there to work until the mosquitoes are DEAD...The other day I spent a bit longer at watering some things and I picked a FEW and I mean a FEW weeds. I came in after only about 5-10 minutes and had over 25 bites. So I told my hubby, FORGET ABOUT IT! However....he has to mow and trim each week...thankfully he does not attract as many as I do...

groovyoldlady said...

Don't get me started about the trailer next door....

(You're not alone!)

And it looks like you had a long and eventful summer with those girlies. I know it's been alot for you, but they will ALWAYS remember their special grndparents who were THERE for them!

nannykim said...

ps. in answer to your question: yup, they surely do spray for mosquitoes, they do it by truck every week and by airplane every so often. It doesn't phase our yard. We have an access street behind our yard which is grass and on the side of this is an open ditch! So the ditch often has a bit of water which breeds them. They also tend to breed around bushes, plants, etc. I guess they hold water? I usually empty my bird bath every day...but that doesn't really make much of a difference. I use benedryl cream right after a bite and that works well--I am not sure how healthy it is to live on the cream...but that's what I have been doing!

Together We Save said...

Looks like a fun summer!!

Midlife Mom said...

What a summer you have had with all your lovely girls! Great pictures, I enjoyed them all. What wonderful sculptures you have in the parks, very, very nice! What is the one where Care Bear is joining in? What is Haiku??? I'm probably the last one on the planet to not know what it is!

I would have left the photography studio too, how do they think little ones can sit an hour waiting?! Grrrrrr....... Double grrrrr to the neighbor that leaves all his junk out where everybody has to look at it. We do have a covenant here and we are not even supposed to have clothes lines but it's not enforced thankfully. Mine is out back anyhow so it doesn't show from the street.

My hubs used to go to different VBS's too when he was a kid. We only had one in the town I grew up in and it went for two weeks instead of one like they do now. The kids love VBS and they learn so much!!

Great post, you are one busy lady!!!

Needled Mom said...

I'm not sure how I have missed your last posts, Dawn. I am so sorry.

It looks like your summer was really busy with making wonderful memories for those girlies. They were able to do and see so much under your loving care.

Those sculptures always amaze me. They are so beautiful.

What is up with those neighbors? Gross!