Summer winding down

This is my last week of freedom before it's back to the grind. My yearly trend towards less and less stress to start the school year is continuing. This is starting to seem easier and easier. Hooray! Once or twice through my opening-day routine in my mind and I feel ready to go. Good for me and for my family.

I will of course miss all the free family time, but I am eager to get 'used to it' again. And this year should also be less stressful because we know what to expect now from Steph's job. (I know, I know, I am tempting fate with all this optimism...) AND, the twins are really becoming much less high-maintenance....or at least a less physically demanding form of high-maintenance, which is also a good thing.

In addition, I am ready for fall. This string of 90 degree plus days with unbearable humidity MUST end. We feel trapped in the house and can't wait to get out.

It has been a good summer. Lots of medium-to-small scale travel. Plans in the works for 2011 and 2012. Hopes for trips beyond that. And, at least I feel like we've had some good home time as well. This past week just chilling at home has been really really nice. It has certainly made my thinking of transitioning back to work much more smooth.

Robby has developed an amazing interest in and knowledge of, his ABCs. Hannah too, but not nearly as obsessively as Robby. Robby has also gotten a lot mellower - he had a really bad run of 2-ism for a while there. Still has his moments, but seems to be able to step off the crazy train a lot sooner now. Mari is starting to put letters together and actually read simple words. We're trying to practice every day, and she does get frustrated, but we're being patient and trying to set her up for success. She thinks that all kids can read as well as Faith (who's reading at a 4th grade level) and so when she compares herself to Faith she thinks she's no good. Poor Took. Faith, meanwhile, has shown a big interest in learning about the states over the summer, and has in the last few months become a pretty good Mario Kart player. We're proud of her for both, for different reasons.

Anyway, all is well in the family. Finances are still ridiculously tight, but we're getting ridiculously good at managing them. Steph hasn't had a paycheck since May, but we've planned ahead and had the money put away. I am proud of us for managing things so well.

Anyway, time for lunch, gotta go.

MS