Sunday, July 17, 2011

A Mid Summer Review

For me, normally summer doesn't fly by.  In fact, the deeper we get into summer, time tends to begin to go slower and slower and sloooowwwweeeer. . . This year things seem to be so much different!

I wouldn't have expected it to go this fast, especially because we don't really have football to look forward to--normally by now I would be doing a major countdown to Pre-Season, but with the lock out continuing, the likelihood of having a season at all is looking dimmer and dimmer.  And so I have set my sights on just enjoying hockey by itself this year.

And with the weather having been several days of intense hot followed by a few hours of nice and then several days of intense hot, that would normally make me say ARGGGHHH!!!  I am done with summer!!  I'm not much of an intense heat fan.  I love the nice fresh days of Spring and the cool refreshing days of Autumn. . .

So, why is this summer going so fast?  I am chalking it up to having an active school age child in my life.  Each week we have spent Wednesday evening at the Ice House while Aidan has Mini Mites Hockey--which he absolutely loves and counts down the days for!; the weekends we have been going to the pool one day and the Ice House to practice our moves the other day; every night after bath we have been outside trying to catch fireflies--we even have a special jar for this purpose. .. just wish Aidan would let the poor things live!; and now we're on the countdown to our vacation-- 1 1/2 more weeks till we see Nana and two weeks until we're at Disneyland!!  Woo Hoo!


And here's another reminder that the summer is going fast. . .when we return from vacation, it will only be 3 weeks until school starts!  Yikes!!


So this week I have decided to pull all of Aidan's winter clothes out, sort through them, and see what still fits.  This way I can make a list of what we need before school starts.  The weekend we return is Virginia's tax free weekend: everything that is clothing or school supply related is tax free.  I will stock up on socks, underpants, jeans, long sleeved shirts, sneakers, jacket, snow pants, pajamas, and I even have the supply list he will need for Kindergarten so I can buy all of that as well.  The thing that is really cool is that LLBean usually has a big sale to get rid of last years snow gear during that same weekend--50 to 75% off and free shipping.  Two years ago, I bought Aidan's jacket and snow pants for a total of $40 and it was tax free!  And they lasted two years (buy too big and roll up the sleeves).  Not bad for forty bucks!

And Aidan is being a true kid:  he looks like he is growing like a weed this summer!  Everytime I look at him, he seems bigger than the last time.  He is the same height he was on his birthday: 3 feet 10 inches; and his weight has been pretty steady at about 48 to 49 pounds.  But, he looks more solid, like he's filling out.  I bought him some jeans the other day--all of his jeans were either too short or they had major holes in the knees--because they had picture day on a pony at school last Friday (cute!).  I wanted him to wear something that was halfway decent and his idea of wearing shorts with his cowboy boots was not hitting so well with this Mama.  I bought him 6 Regular Levis.  I did pull the tags over to the fourth hole inside the waistband (love those things) and they were still a little baggy, but the length was perfect!  I guess I'll be buying 6 Slims during tax free weekend!!

Some other growing up changes I have noticed in Aidan is that his attention span is getting longer and more focused.  He still gets distracted sometimes--during hockey, he watches the other group but does come back to focus back in on the group he is in quicker and easier than before.  He is also showing some amazing advances in swimming.  The little bit Pat and I have worked with him at the pool are really showing up in how strong he is getting in the water.  He still wants to go and do things that are beyond his ability, and really has no fear of the water whatsoever, but I think these are normal  progressions for a child his age. 

So, the other things I have left to do this summer will be to watch for swimming lesson sign ups for this fall-I think Aidan will do well in the lessons again to refine his form; and to watch for hockey sign ups, also for this fall. . .Fall is shaping up to be quite busy around here!!

And so, our itenerary for today: Church followed by a little grocery shopping; then off to the ice house to practice our moves; then daddy and Aidan will go to the pool while Mama gets dinner started and starts making Bread and Butter Pickles with the avalanche of cucumbers that we have coming in. . .next weekend will be stewed tomatoes time!

ahhhhhh. . .a nice quiet Summer Sunday!!!  Enjoy yours!!

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