let summer break begin...

i have to say, we have completed two whole weeks of summer break and i can say that i am learning alot. this is my first official summer break with all three kids home all day every day. they are not in any camps or activities other than soccer one day a week. some of you might be telling me (in your head) to suck it up because you could think of much more challenging things in life than having three kids home full time for a few weeks in the summer. to you i say, i am not complaining in any way, it's just a time of transition (with a traveling husband) and figuring things out. i was really nervous before summer started but two weeks in, i can say it is going really well and we are all, for the most part, enjoying our summer. here are the things that i have learned so far about having kids home all summer: *more things break...a T.V. by a WII remote and picture frames knocked over by flying basketballs in the living room. *there are more injuries, if that was at all possible in our household, let me tell you it's true. the only difference is in the summer time, everyone wants to join in. quin no longer stands alone. *i can not keep food in the house for two reasons...when we stay home and the kids are bored, they just want to eat. the other reason is landon. the kid is a bottomless pit and is going through a major growth spurt. i'm going to measure his height now and see where he ends up at the end of summer. *i CAN be creative on a whim. *having a broken T.V. hasn't been so bad. the kids have actually played rather nicely and entertained themselves without fighting. *i can not keep my kitchen floor clean due to bare feet going in and out of the house *i can actually keep up with laundry. *the kids are actually really good at helping clean up after meals and have fought over who's turn it is to sweep/clean the table. *showering for this mom is done at the end of the day because we are on the go so much, there just isn't any time. *i can wear the kids out enough that they will sleep past 7:00 a.m. i have made an effort to get out of the house first thing in the morning. i like going to the park early because there is no one else there and the temperature is perfect. We eat breakfast, get dressed and go to the park until quin is ready for a nap. then sometimes, we go back in the afternoon for a bit just to really wear them out. quin is quite the little playground explorer. the kid has no fear and if he wants to try something, he does. i totally look like a helicopter mom (an i know i truly am) but we have used all of the mullah on our flex spending account, so we can not afford any more injuries for the year...like that's gonna happen. i'm pretty sure alexa is just as fearless as quin and she thinks that she can do anything that landon can do. as a matter of fact, we were at the park the other day and she followed landon down the monkey bars and fell to the ground as her feet slipped from under her, she cracked her head on the platform behind her. blood was everywhere and i was so scared because chris had just left that morning and i had no one to call for help. i didn't know how bad the cut was because her hair was so matted from blood. a very kind lady, with two year old twins and a new born came over to help me and would you know, between our kids, neither one of us had the proper items to clean up...not even diaper wipes! lesson learned on my end. i took alexa home and washed her hair, after her head stopeed bleeding, so i could see how bad the cut was. i left it alone most of the afternoon but it just wouldn't stop bleeding 100%. i called the doctor and decided i wanted her to be seen just in case they needed to close it up. thank goodness, they cleaned it up really well and told me it looked great and to just watch the gash and to watch her. so far, i think the only thing that's been bothering her possibly are headaches. she has been super sensitive and crys about everything. but each day is better than the day before. here are some park pictures taken over the last couple weeks: there have been some hot days and the kids have enjoyed the simple activity of playing in the kiddie pool in the drive way (at least until i get the bravery to take them all to the pool by myself) we celebrated quin's second birthday with close family. my dad happened to be in town and was able to bring my grandmother, which meant alot to me. the cousin's all had a good time together...for the most part. i didn't take any pictures really due to a bit of chaos that took place during present opening. chris was opening a toy guitar from a package while using a very sharp pocket knife which resulted in him cutting his finger. an e.r. visit and 5 stitches later, everyone is healing and learning to play the guitar. in the house we live in, we have a very wooded area. not very big, but enough to hide the houses behind us as well as any critters or animals that want to camoflauge themselves. the other day, i was washing some dishes and noticed a little teeny tiny deer in the backyard. i went back there and took a picture, it was so sweet and the kids watched that deer off and on for the 24 hours it was in our yard. i think that's all i've got for now. until next time.