Whoa. Where did June and July go?
I no longer bemoan the swift passing of summer as I used to do when our kids went to public school. Every passing day of summer was one more closer to them being gone all the time and that made me sad.
August should slow down a bit for our family when compared with July. With Bible camp, our county fair, and VBS, each week was FULL. Which leaves little time for the work that needs to be done on a farm and in a house, not to mention the stress of "running" here and there and trying to keep enough in the gas tank to get there and back.
Linnea and Isaiah will both have a few days gone at the State Fair toward the end of the month; the older three kids all have off-the-farm jobs that they are gone for but at least I don't have to run them there. Days that I can stay home all day---consecutive days---are the most productive and the least stressful for all of us.
Abram has started walking! Finally. He is, at 15 months, my latest walker. In all fairness, there were many obstacles to him learning to walk. Namely, all of his siblings who pick him up and carry him wherever his little heart desires. Also, our floor space is limited and often strewn with toys that either a) trip him or b) catch his attention and he decides to play with them.
Add to that the fact that Elizabeth thinks she needs to intercept his every move, and well, you get a 15 month old just beginning to walk.
He has gone from 1-2 steps to the entire hallway and getting back up on his own when he falls in just a matter of days! I'm bummed to have no pictures of it as my camera is still not working. The last picture I was able to take was at the end of June. Bummer.
That camera was a once-in-a-farmer's wife-lifetime for me. We've not ever spent as much at one time as we did when we bought that $450 camera at the end of a particularly good bean harvest four years ago. My brother-in-law, a photographer, says that all electronics are just plastic and they wear out so very quickly; that I take a lot of pictures and it's just time for a new one. *Sigh* Ain'tgonnahappen.
Today was a different sort of day.
To back up a bit, Linnea and Isaiah were at camp all this past week (Sunday through Thursday) thanks to a generous anonymous gift to the camp for our family. It was also the week of our church's Vacation Bible School. Our church also has a Baseball Clinic prior to the evening VBS to which I sent Andrew, Christopher, and Elijah. Nathaniel was out of town for work Weds-Friday late, so thankfully, Dennis' parents generously helped with rides.
I'll admit, getting Ruby, Ivy, Elizabeth, Abram and me out the door on time fed, in clean clothes and with hair done was a challenge by myself. I was a mess most days. I've been very tired lately and my legs have been swelling more (just normal pregnancy stuff--no worries, just uncomfortable) that I wear out very quickly.
Linnea worked all day Friday and today and is spending the night at a friend's house tonight.
My brother came from ND today and cut down some trees for us. (THANK YOU, AARON!!!!!!) The younger boys pulled branches and hauled them away. Dennis was haying and Isaiah was fencing. The three little girls and I cleaned house; I couldn't let them go outside with the tree cutting going on. We got a lot done and made a big dinner and then the girls rode with my brother to my parents' house this afternoon. They'll sleep over tonight and go visit my grandma tomorrow for church and the afternoon. She lives an hour away so I don't see her much, but my parents will usually check if they are making the drive to see if anyone wants to ride along.
All of that to say, I only had Abram in the house this afternoon. Nathaniel had left for work and the other boys were all outside doing stuff. I don't know if it's ever been "just me an' Abram"....he played very nicely, and wanted to show me everything. I was very tired by this point and so I sat in the chair and made a grocery list/menu plan and folded some laundry. Not too long after, he crawled up in my lap and we both fell asleep.
Yes, I took a nap.
And it was a good one.
n hour long.
This simply does not happen.
I woke up on my own--not because some came to ask me something.
Not because someone screamed because of something someone did to them.
Not because I could hear nothing and "nothing" in a house full of little kids is usually not good.
I woke up rested, and thought to myself, "Is that what a nap feels like?"
I'd forgotten how lovely sleep is.
My brother headed back home to ND after delivering the girls to Grandma & Grandpa's house for me, but he posted on fb quick that he had reminded Ivy that she needed to share with Ruby.
Ivy said, "But I just wanna share by myself."
Ivy is four and is stuck in that strange land between toddler and big girl....she typically over-reacts to anything Elizabeth does to her (and Elizabeth is quite pleased with the reaction she gets--she can tell, she's makin' her mad!). If I'm there and can remind Ivy to use words and not scream, I can usually head off a melt-down. But it takes near-constant diligence on my part and I often fall short there.
Anyway, I thought his post was funny and wanted to put it on my blog so I'll remember it.
Ruby is counting down the days now until her birthday because it's now less than a month until September 1st. She is SO excited that she will be SIX before the baby arrives.
Christopher and Linnea both have September birthdays and our anniversary is at the end of September. We'll see if Baby gets his/her own day or doubles up on one of these!
Isaiah and Dennis went fishing tonight a caught a very nice string of bass; it was good for the two of them to have some downtime.
Nathaniel has been working a lot so we are beginning to understand what it's like when adult children are spreading their wings. The younger ones get very excited when he comes home; Elizabeth and Abram in particular. He's always been very good with little people so that's no surprise.
It will be very different in the morning, getting only boys ready for church. As Elijah pointed out to me earlier, I AM THE ONLY GIRL IN THE HOUSE TONIGHT. This is weird. On the big plus-side, I should have to hurry in the bathroom much. :) And all of the boys' hair can be done with a sweep of a comb--and they can do it themselves!
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