Annual trip to the Butterfly Garden
The boys loved fishing at the Lake--caught some good size fish too!
July 10, 2010--6 years and counting! Still in love!Ahhh, fresh air!! I love opening the windows and front screen door to let in the clean, cool air that we have been enjoying these past few days. It is such a nice feeling to hear the wind blow the leaves and hear the little voices playing outside after school. We had such a great summer filled with little and big adventures alike. I think the last time I posted we had gotten back from WI and we were gearing up for some fun here in MD for the month of July. We spent alot of time swimming this summer as Owen has followed in his Big Brother's footsteps and found his love of the water this year. We had to get a bigger pool for the back yard so Nick could do "laps", goggles and all. Too funny. Mostly that meant belly flops in to the pool after running from 20 feet away. They really lived it up out there and I loved watching them. Our gym pool is awesome as well and we would go there 2 or 3 times a week, especially after work when the sun was not quite so hot (ha ha, still 90 at 6 pm!) It was so nice to be in MD during July. We were always on our trip to MI, so being around was a good thing. I was training for the IronGirl triathalon and had a great time mixing up the workouts--swimming, running, biking. Whatever my heart (or timeframe) allowed. I have taken to that biking thing! It is exhilarating and so easy on the joints! The race went great--finished in 2 hours and felt awesome! Looking forward to the next one. The boys and I did a week of Vacation Bible School or "VBS" as it is known as around here. I had never done that as a kid and this year the boys were very familiar with our church and teachers, so they had a blast! I taught Nick's 4 year old class and had fun with them. Owen gave the teacher a run for her money, but she said he was good. :) Our trip to MI was amazing. The drive there was easier than expected, the weather was awesome, the boys slept great, and we just played on the beach all day long. Lots of fishing by the boys and fish to eat too! I got to swim almost every day for 30 mins, then decide if I wanted to run or bike or both!! I loved those pleasant 78 degree days!! What a dreamy to train!!
Our dear Owen turns 3 this Sunday--sniff, sniff. Where has my baby gone??? I still think of a 3rd child daily, but wonder if I have the stuff it takes. I see myself getting pretty worked up with some of his antics and just need the downtime when I can get it to process how to do things differently!! I started reading The Spririted Child as it has been recommended to me many times. I think I have read EVERY SINGLE parenting/discipline book out there, and that is not always the issue. It is really trying to figure out HIS intentions, thoughts, ideas, and temperament for the moment that is struggle. Both Andy and I get frustrated by this and know it is up to us to change and figure it out, as he is only 3...The good days outweigh the bad at this point and that is step in the right direction. Thank goodness his daycare provider loves him to death and thinks he is hilarious!! It gives us a nice break!!
So as both boys nap--yep even my Nick, I get to reflect on another year of parenting ups and downs and realize we are not doing so badly. They are happy, healthy, boisterous boys who keep us on our toes and bring smiles to our faces. They truly are our best accomplishments to date and I love having Andy to share in this wild ride. He is the best partner for me and I thank God for him daily.
