Summer 2012

So, what awaits us this summer?  My goodness, I don't even really know where to start.  To start with, I'm only working 6 days in June and 4 days in July.  I work 16 hour shifts for the most part, so I never work more than 3 days a week to start with.  Combine that with asking for lots of PTO these next two months, and Momma is on VACAY!!!  I was originally gonna send all three kiddos to "Summer Fun" at preschool/church, which is a six week, two day a week, program.  I decided to forgo that in favor of some traveling, and just keeping them home with me.  I'll be honest here, I just don't know how other Moms survive working five days a week, and sending their kids to day care for five days a week, 8-9 hours a day.  We all most certainly do what we have to do, and I'm so happy my family circumstances allow me many days at home.  We have many big changes occurring at work-- thanks to a newly hired consulting firm, who is going to help us become more efficient.  Their changes will probably be getting rid of my loved 16 hour shifts, so I'm not sure what I'll do with my schedule come October.  I guess we'll evaluate when we get there!

The first bit of summer fun includes season passes to Carowinds!!  The kids love it, and the water park opens this weekend.  We are headed there tomorrow and can't wait.  I can't wait to take Tessa down the slides!  The boys loved them last year, and I know it will only be better this now that they are a little older.

We are focusing on letters and phonics this summer, and it's already quite humorous.  Everyone is learning to spell and write their names, and it's cute to see them mix up all three kids letters.  Like Tessa will start T-E......then switch to A-K-E.  Um, No.  Close, but no dice.  I hope to have them all set with letter recognition by the time school starts up again in September, and then we'll move on to sight words.

Next week brings our first trip of the year to Buffalo, and we are all so excited!  For many reasons!  We are excited to see all of Eric's family, and I'm excited for Tessa to meet everyone that she hasn't yet.  Drake, on the other hand, is just excited to see Oma.  All he keeps talking about is her cookies.  And her giving him cookies.  And her making cookies.  Cookies, cookies, cookies.  What's so funny is he doesn't get anymore cookies from her than he does anyone else, but he is certainly focused on that right now.  I'm excited for my three to have some quality time with their cousins!  There are seven grandkids, and the older they get, the more fun they are!  We are having pictures done of ALL of them this trip, so we'll "see" how that turns out.  Hilarious I'm sure!  I'm ready for some good girl time and chatting with my SIL's, and I consider myself blessed to have both a mother-in-law, and two SIL's that I love.  I recognize from hearing friends talk that not everyone is blessed with a MIL like mine.  We'll be spending some time this trip planning for our next one in July.  Why, you ask?  Because we are having Oma a BIG 60th Birthday luau!  It's been so much fun planning it!

We also plan to spend LOTS of time this summer down in Florence, at Grandma and Grandpa's POOL!  These three stinkers are turning into little fish, so I know it'll just get better as the summer continues.  We also have a long weekend planned to my parents cabin in the mountains.  Tweetise Railroad, hiking, and river tubing----here we come!!!  At some point, we have to get these three down to the beach for awhile.  I know they will love it.  Although, I said that last year, and they just wanted to go to the flippin' park everyday.  As if we don't live a five minute walk from one.  I mean come on!!!

That is a brief glimpse into some of our summer fun, and I hope to keep up with the blog and pictures.  The rest of the year is pretty open, but we do know we have Disney in November!  We already having dining reservations made, and we got the coveted dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table in the castle.  Tessa and I will have a big time, and hopefully her brothers will too.