Summer passes in a blur

Just to catch up, we have been running/walking every weekday morning.  But that is about all that is routine about our summer.  I am proud of our exercise but then there is so much  more to try to get done, nothing else is consistent--except that the baby takes a nap every day.

So many times the day passes in a blur.  And sometimes the camera gets passed around too.  These are great metaphors for what happens when I lose control of the day...

I'm a little out of focus;

 I know there is something I was going to do, but a little girl keeps getting in the way; 

 Oh yeah, I was going to clean up that mess, what a funny face :)

And here are just some cute ones of Erica who is getting bigger and much more demanding.  She likes to eat things that are whole.  A whole apple, an entire cheese stick, the banana still in the peel.
The only problem is that she still tries to put too much of it in her mouth at once, so, she CAN'T have the whole thing.  But then she gets mad, throws herself on the floor...and I watch in stunned silence as my adorable baby turns into a tantrum toddler.

 But you've got to admit, those pigtails are CUTE!!

More samples of our home in summer:

Maire growing her bangs out and a table full of food and snacks that have been there since this morning.

Sarah, from the perspective of a little photographer

Maire.  She took the camera too.

 The girls moved into the Master Bedroom.
Yes, my husband and I gave up our spacious sanctuary so that the girls could have more space.  They love it and now spend more time in their rooms playing than they did before.
It has given them 2 areas to play in, the basement and their bedroom.  Elizabeth and the baby sleep in one room--so it is kindof like Elizabeth's own room, and the other three share 2 bunk beds.  They made the extra bed a stuffed animal and library book storage area but they call it a reading place.

and yes, the room is always messy.

Summer rainstorm and chalk

cute little muddy toes

Rachel got a cabbage from her 3rd grade science teacher.
We harvested it last week--but we did not eat it.  It was home to too many other creatures.

Erica's cute curls and her new love of crayons

...and her love of putting crayons on the floor.

One last thing, I keep forgetting to put up that I made a really pretty dress for Elizabeth.  It was going to be her dress for the Cotillion Spring Ball, but Erica went in the hospital with Kawasaki Disease and that put her dress on hold.  Then I thought I could finish it before Easter Sunday, but everyone kept getting sick (including me).  Eventually I finished it.  I think I was done before school got out.  But I am quite proud of this dress.  Elizabeth picked out the pattern, but they didn't have her size, so I re-sized the pattern to fit her.

 It had these beautiful pleats/gathers up the side that are quite flattering, and I love the long short sleeves.  She picked out the color and it is really pretty on her.  I've got to take a picture of her wearing it sometime.