Summer Lazy Days Are Coming To An End....

Well, not LAZY exactly, but you know.  I sometimes think we are BUSIER in the summer but there's still an air of laid back, fun loving, spontaneous moments in the summer.  And there's the water; whether beach or pool, and that sometimes is the most relaxing best part to me.  So, no, not lazy, but go at your own pace maybe. 

Three or so weeks before school starts and I can feel the countdown beginning.  Soon to get the kids back on a night time routine, getting to bed on time, no distractions, getting serious again.  Maybe that brings everything back into sharp focus.  Have to be on time, soccer starts up, and I think the Littlest will get to play this season.  I know he'll tear it up on the field.  Lord that child scares me sometimes.  All of that ahead and more.  The Oldest will get settled into a new school and so will the Littlest.  I cherish these days yet I dread them as well.  Funny how it's all diametrically opposed, you know?

I promised to take us all to the OuterBanks for a beach day.  We'll get up early and go, hopefully be gone all day.  Do whatever we want.  Probably bring Harley too.  Just go.  Go, drive, laugh, sing, swim, eat on the beach, bring a big cooler and hit the road.  I bet we come home with some tired kids.  One I know will fall asleep.  He doesn't usually fall asleep in the car but with all that fresh air, playing in the waves, and decent drive, he'll be tuckered out.  No doubt.

Summer is my fav, but you know, so are the Holidays.  Guess I like this life, no matter the season. 

“The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea.”
--Isak Dinesen

Time Is Flying!

So my honey just got a jury notice; he is commanded to appear several times in the next two months for possible jury selection.  I did this before when we lived in Hampton and I've yet to be called for York County.  He will get way into this, he'll have stories galore and he won't mind it.  When I did it, I was in agony, bored, didn't want to be there, doing my civic duty, how horrible is that?  I ended up sitting on a jury about a woman who was suing someone who hit her.  We found for the defendant.  She was not happy.  I ended up passing her in a car about half an hour after the case was finalized and we were all free to go.  When I looked over to my left and saw her and her husband, she was GLARING at me.  We were nowhere near the courthouse, in fact, rather far from it.  What are the chances??  Thank God the light turned green simultaneously and I was off like a shot.  Too close for comfort.  --So he's up for all that drama and jazz.  Can't wait to see what it brings.

This summer is almost halfway over and we've had fun so far.  Parties coming up, lots of planning, lots of things to look forward to, even if on a super mack daddy tight budget.  But seriously people, who isn't on a tight budget these days?  The way of the world.  Or the way of my world. 

I look at the Littlest and he's grown signifiicantly in a matter of 5-6 months.  Amazing.  He's absolutely beyond toddler, baby has been LONG gone, and little boy is definitely here.  We are in the middle of Phase Kid.  And the Oldest?  He's a man.  Well, he's not a MAN, but he's as TALL as a man!  And his feet are BOATS.  Scarier yet.....the two of them laying side by side are only a foot different than each other height wise.  If things could slow down a tad, that would work for me.  They laugh and make things up and have their own phrases and sometimes I get what they're saying and other times I'm totally clueless.  Ok, maybe a lot I'm totally clueless.  :)  I think the Littlest drives a lot of what goes on and sometimes if I didn't know any better, I'd think he wears the pants in that sibling relationship!  It's heartwarming to watch them maneuver through stuff.  Whether fighting, making up, getting along, whispering stuff they never want us to hear (Lord only KNOWS what that could be...) or watching their favorite Selena Gomez videos together.....it's awesome to watch them..to watch them grow. 

Off to cleaning, organizing, laundry and preparing.  Being proactive.  mmmmm hhmmmm.  You heard me.  P.R.O.A.C.T.I.V.E.

Let's see how long THAT lasts......

Randomy

My favorite thing about summer is grilling out (ok, well maybe it's the beach and sitting in the sand making sandcastles and soaking up the sun but it's a close second). Grilling makes ANYTHING taste WONDERFUL. I'm trying my hand at beef ribs that my husband said would probably not be great on the grill. Here's what I did to them. Crock pot for 2.5 hours with beef stock/salt/pepper/soy sauce. Took them out and rubbed them down (like a serious rub) with brown sugar/paprika/garlic/chilli pepper and after spritzed light lemon on them. Put them in the oven covered with tin foil on 'warm' very low setting and getting ready to grill them now. They look FABULOUS. The color and rub look perfect and I can't wait to get them on the grill.

The Littlest passed out on the living room floor after a late night and early morning (sleepover with his brother which he thought was the coolest thing in the world (again) and swimming in the very frigid waters of our pool. He kept yawning, well, several times today. After a bath and he was warmed up, it got really quiet up front and I went to check him out and lo and behold, snoring there lay my passed out little bubba sprawled out and gone to the world. I will take a picture. The Oldest saw he was asleep and turned off the TV and covered him with a blanket, went up to his room to leave him be. Sweet boys. For now anyway. ;)

Cut my first flowers from the yard. They don't match but who cares. They're from my yard. I love growing things but you know this already.

Off to the grill! Nummy!