A Look Back at Summer

So it has unfortunately arrived - the last night of summer.  I'm so sad to see it end.  I'm not ready.  I don't want to leave my kids every day, I won't want to miss out on most of their day.  I don't want to rush around all the time, never having time to catch my breath.  That's what it is like working full time with two little kids. 

I don't like change.  But for a teacher (speech therapist in the schools, same thing schedule wise), by the time you adjust to being home and getting into a routine, it feels like summer is over and you have to readjust.  Once I get back into it I guess I won't be as miserable, but right now I feel like my freedom and happiness are being ripped away.  I LOVE the time home with my kids.

At the end of every summer, I look back on what I did, and what I wish I did.  I'm sad we didn't go on vacation this year.  I feel like I could have spent more time with my kids.  I know I was home with them all day, but often they played or watched TV while I did dishes or tried to organize things, or cleaned, or took a few minutes to catch up on the iPad.  Sometimes I feel guilty that I didn't sit on the floor and just play with them more.  I definitely wanted to work with Sierra on Kindergarten stuff more, and spend more time doing girly stuff with her, especially during Coen's nap.

What I did accomplish this summer, is getting healthier.  I didn't like how I was feeling and looking after being lazy and eating whatever I wanted all winter.  Last winter it worked because I was breastfeeding and I managed to start the summer weighing less than I had in the beginning of Adelyn's pregnancy.  I think weaning Coen and not adjusting my diet was a lot of the problem.  So, I have been eating a lot healthier and snacking less.  No chips really all summer!!!  Another big thing I have done is started getting in a work out routine and I am so proud of myself!  I went from nothing to working out basically 6 days a week for about 30 minutes.  I feel great, and I am starting to notice it in how I look too.  Still a ways to go to get rid of the post-baby belly, but I feel much less self-conscious about it now.

I also pretty much sold most of our baby gear and clothes.  We now only have a few boxes of clothes to get rid of.  Very bittersweet, but that's another post.  I made some money which helped.

I got a new camera back in April and I finally took an online class this month.  I am 3 weeks in and have already learned a LOT!  Bad thing is now I want a new lense for my camera.  But I really like it and it's awesome to do it online whenever I want.  Surprisingly it doesn't take that much time.

We finally finished painting all the trim in our bedroom white, after being in this house 6 years almost.  With some help from my dad that is!

And as for fun things, we went to the pool a lot.  Sierra is swimming under water now, and is able to swim across the pool using an elementary kind of stroke!  She jumps in where she can't touch and swims to the wall too!  We made it to the county fair and Sierra rode every ride in sight!  She loved the horses, Coen loved the trucks!  We also went to a church fair which was small but the kids had fun.  We went to the Children's Museum, the Museum of Natural History, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factor play.  We went to lots of birthday parties too!  Just this past weekend we went canoeing with 21 family members on the  most beautiful day.  It was nice to sit and listen to nature without Sierra's countless questions or Coen's screams! 

We slept in till 8 or 9 most of the summer.  Which was wonderful, I like to stay up late and sleep in, not a morning person at all.  So ,being at work by 7:40 is not easy for me.  I realize if I would have gotten up before the kids and worked out and showered, that I could have gotten a lot more accomplished this summer.  I usually slept till one of the kids woke me up (which is so much better than an alarm clock waking me), got up and had breakfast, drank my coffee while browsing the iPad while the kids watched cartoons.  Then we would go to the pool or just hang out until lunch, sometimes eat lunch at the pool.  During  Coen's nap time, most days I would put a movie or TV show on for Sierra and exercise then shower.  Looking back I feel bad about this, I should have played with Sierra something that Coen couldn't do (like paint, Kindergarten workbooks, etc).  But, for once I had to do something for myself so I am trying not to feel guilty.  A healthy, happy mama is very important, right?

A lot of times we would just turn the radio up and jam. Coen is so cute, he will move his head back and foth (I taught him this, I did it with him all summer).  Two of our favorites, which will remind ome of summer 2013:
Blurred Lines BY Robin Thicke, aka "hey hey hey" - when it comes on Coen yells "HEY!"Blurred Lines video
Clarity by Zedd - love this song.  Glad I have a video of the kids dancing to it, precious memories....can't figure out  how to download it from the iPad.  Listening to it now, and it's making me sad that summer is over.......

Another school year begins, another fall it make it through.  Deep breaths.  There is always next summer to look forward to, although I certainly don't want to wish away the next 9 months.