Catching Up

Before July turned into August, we let the boys participate in a very informal swim meet. Even our little Aaron swam a race: 25 meter freestyle. I was so proud of the boys as they showcased their hard work in the pool this summer. Daddy and Grandma watched from the side while I had a front-row seat in the water with them. :)

Remember the dirt pile? This is what the boys looked like after playing on it. Boys and dirt and sweat. That pretty much sums up our summer. :)

On one particular crabby day, with the boys begging me to take them to the store so they could spend their money, I caved. It's not my money, right? :) We hit the dollar section of one of our favorite stores and I promised to let them pick out their own purchases. Braylen chose gum, since he couldn't find what he was looking for. Okay, that was easy. Kaleb chose a toy tank. Now, the last thing I think we need is more cheap toys. But I kept my promise and said, "Good choice Kaleb." And what did Aaron pick? Plastic toy soldiers. I couldn't hold my tongue this time. We have 200 tiny toy soldiers at home already. Aaron pointed out these were brown and green, not just green like we have at home. With a little more discussion, I decided to let him buy them. Again, it's his money, not mine. But you know what? Those soldiers and tank provided hours of entertainment. See?

So now it's August, and several countdowns begin. The countdown to Braylen's birthday. And not just any birthday--his golden birthday. The countdown to school starting. Enough said on that for now. Pretty soon piano lessons will resume, soccer season will start, and Cub Scouts will begin. It makes my head swim just thinking about it. Vacation pictures to come...