Mid-summer update

Ahhhh, it's a little past mid-summer.  Much of the world goes back to school in the first half of August, but we are out til after Labor Day. We've settled into summer nicely.  By about this point of the summer I've almost forgotten the craziness of the school year schedule, with activities every night and early morning Seminary and every-minute-planned afternoons and evenings.  While I sometimes think longingly about the structure of the school day (when I have some hours alone to complete something I start), I am really in love with the laziness of summer. Here are a few bullet points about our mid-summer:

• I started the summer with a plan to do a science experiment/Pinterest craft project every day.  Well, we haven't done that.  What we have done is cover the kitchen table with newspaper and then set out all of the arts and craft supplies from the depths of our craft cupboard.  My goal is for us to use up some of the supplies this summer, freeing up more space in the cupboard and filling our days with something other than Lego Batman 2 (that comment is for you, Joseph.)  So far it's been pretty successful.  We tinker with projects on and off throughout the day and Aubrey has done an awesome series of mini watercolor paintings.  We don't actually have room on the table to eat meals, but it's a small sacrifice for us budding artists!
•  Joseph and I have attended almost all the free library events this summer. Our favorite was BJ the Clown, in which Joseph was a part of the show!  Pictures will be forthcoming, as soon as I get the gumption to upload the pictures from my phone.
• July has actually been fairly busy with camps and trips until the last few weeks. We started the month with a week-long trip to AZ for the Porter Reunion.  Then the girls and I spent a week at Girls Camp and Joseph did a week-long soccer camp. The next week Bailey was one of the teenage helpers at the all day Activity Day Camp (she was in charge of a group of 19 8-year-olds and she came back so tired at the end of the day that she fell fast asleep on the couch.)  The next week Aubrey started a month-long musical theater day camp (five days a week) and Bailey left for EFY.  Now, Bailey will be back from Utah tomorrow, just in time to start Drivers Ed three days a week for the month of August.  Aubrey continues her musical theater camp, and Joseph does a soccer camp a few hours each day this week.  
• Inbetween all of this, we renewed our OMSI (Science Museum) membership and have visited every week. We bought a pass which allows us to see unlimited Planetarium shows and also bring visitors for free, so we have taken friends with us each time.
• I have read a bunch of books and really liked a few.  And then there are some that I started and abandoned, because they weren't worth my precious summer hours.
• We have eaten way too many treats. Because summer just goes with snowcones, frozen yogurt, and all other forms of ice cream. And Aubrey has taken to making a decadent treat every Sunday, and then she takes around a few plates to people who need some love.  But that does leave a lot of delicious goodness for us/me to eat.  Needless to say, when school starts I seriously need to get back on the exercise wagon and repent for my indulgence. But it's been fun.
• Bedtime has been pretty much a fluid thing. I'm a night owl, so I like the fact that I can get away with staying up late to watch a show or read a book and still make it through the next day. Right now Aubrey's camp starts at 8 a.m. each day, so that has forced us to go to bed at a fairly reasonable hour.
• We accepted a challenge from our Stake President to read the Book of Mormon again in six months.  We are pretty much on schedule (well, we are 4 days behind, but that is pretty impressive considering the busy July schedule). The kids seem to have a great grasp of the Book of Mormon stories and we have had some nice discussions about gospel topics.  We have also had plenty of complaining and orneriness as we try to read our scriptures.  It's always uplifting and delightful when the majority of the kids are in time-out during scripture study. Which brings me to my next bullet point.
• There has been way too much fighting between kids this summer. I'm back to square one trying to remember all the tips for dealing with sibling rivalry. It's exhausting. Luckily, most of the time everyone gets along and plays together peacefully. It certainly helps to have plenty of distractions.
• We have seen two awesome superhero movies - Avengers and The Amazing Spiderman.  We all liked them, although Joseph spent half of each movie with his eyes and ears covered. I'm glad he is still bothered by violence, even comic book violence.  Dan and I saw the new Batman movie, and he enjoyed it but I seriously did not like it.  It was way too violent for me and I felt like I was watching a living nightmare.
• Aubrey and I finally devised an acceptable plan for the re-do of her new bedroom (Brandon's old bedroom). We found great bedding, chose paint colors, and this week I will finish painting the room. Then the big room switch begins.  Next up, re-painting Joseph's new room. 
• Our favorite missionary (Elder Brandon Porter) is doing great and working hard in the extreme heat and humidity of Ukraine.  He says that Ukraine is bipolar - freezing cold and then crazy hot. 
• We spent a fun day at the lake this last weekend.  I'll have to blog more about it later, because this post is getting way too long.

I'll add pictures to illustrate some of the above at some point.  Right now Joseph and I need to go paint a wall.  Long live summer and hooray for sunshine!