Wait, It's July?!?

Midsummer update...

Well, I feel like we've been out of school for about two weeks and are finally ready to settle into a summer routine. The sad reality is that summer is halfway over. It is the first time I haven't had my kids to schoolwork every day. Or any day. It has been great. This is what we have done:

• We had swim lessons every Monday through Thursday morning of June. It was great. The teachers down at the natatorium are really kind and capable. Charlotte really honed some strokes and even dove off the board. Claire gained a ton of confidence and ability and now plays around in the deep end of the pool every day like a fish. Or mermaid, since that is more her style. Gabe has never had lessons before this, and he showed so much improvement. He started with dipping his face in the water for half a second and wearing a float ring constantly to floating and going under for diving sticks and swimming a really adorable quirky freestyle between me and the wall five feet away. He now plays all over the three foot six inch pool side with abandon, no float in sight. I'm really proud of all of them and tended to get a little emotional at lessons watching them bravely face their fears morning after morning.
• Since then, we have swam with generous friends a lot.
• We went to the zoo to see the lego animal exhibit. I still hate the zoo. The Houston zoo in particular is rotten. But the kids had fun. Plus we were with family friends who came to stay with us, so that is even more fun.
• Plus those friends came to stay with us another few days this week, so it has been like a slumber party for three days. Now we are all hung over from no sleep, really junky food, and too much caffeine, I hope to do it again soon :)_
• We already got our summer reading trophies from the library (they only require 20 hours or books, so we got that in the bag). I have gotten them into listening to books in the car, too, so we are totally nerdtastic.
• I have been quilting a ton. I mean a ton. I started a Farmer's Wife quilt and work on a block or two at a time every day or so. I only like piecing the top, not any parts after that to turn it into a quilt. Anyway, I love it. I have a darling new quilt cabinet and cart for my stuff that I keep right at the dining table so I can watch tv or watch the kids watch tv as I sew. 
• And if you are wondering where Andy is in all this, he's been working nearly around the clock. Good man, but we'd sure like to see him sometime too. It will be great to have our family vacation this summer to finally spend more than five minutes together.

So, we are looking forward to a long glorious lazy summer just like this. Too bad it is friggin' halfway over already.