One Last Hurrah

So, this is it. My last summer night for the year. What better way to go than pack it with a bunch of stuff to do. It all started Friday when Taylor, Josiah and I packed up our swimming gear and headed to the Springs with Aunt Shan and the boys. Taylor had a blast!

He's a social little bugger. Here he is "making friends" with an older woman. I'm definitely going to have my hands full!

This was his favorite thing to do. Go up and down the "marshmallow slide" as he called it. Does this look anything like a marshmallow to you? Good, it's not just me. He probably got that from the same place he named fruit juice "pop goes the weasel juice" and honey buns "boo boo buns." Did I tell you he was creative?

Josiah had so much fun jumping and splashing that he had to take a breather. Yes, even with the excitement of the water park, he still fell asleep! Definitely following in his grandad's footsteps on that one

So, Josiah and Taylor had so much fun that Taylor asked Brad if he wanted to go to the water park the next day. He asked so nicely and sweetly that Brad gave in. So, the next day we went to the Springs in the evening. (Much cooler then and a little bit cheaper, by the way). Taylor got to ride on the "tubas" with Grandma Dee and Grandad. For those of you following along, that would be inner tubes in the lazy river. He also was brave and went down the orange "ice cream cone" slide.

Since Taylor got to the play with Treven the day before, Josiah thought it would be fun to bring a friend his own size. Cousin Max and Josiah kept Dee and Grandad occupied while Taylor checked in and Brad and I went down one of the big water slides. (You might be surprised to know that Grandma Dee went down the big waterslide, too . . .even after Brad teased her).

Finally, on Sunday, we had one last summer time family reunion to mark off the list. So, we packed in the car and took the two and a half hour drive to Centralia, Kansas aka Munchkinland thanks to my grandma and her sisters. The tallest one of that crew is five foot flat.

We played. . .

We ate . . . .

and then we came home to kiss my summer goodbye. I can say it has been a very relaxing summer for me. I didn't have any classes to write papers for or a little boy to potty train. I didn't even have to wait out the sweltering heat to pop out a kid this summer. I really enjoyed my summer of nothing.

There are a few things I won't miss about this summer: watching Imagination Movers every morning, being asked over and over and over again to watch Horton EVERYDAY. Listening to Taylor have a meltdown when he doesn't get to watch Horton everday. Saving the lamp from Josiah as he tries to continually make it fall. (Only fell once and broke one light bulb all summer long.) Removing Josiah from pulling the Wii off the coffee table. Looking for Josiah in various places when I don't put the baby gate up. Those are the things that I won't miss.

Of course there are two things I will miss from this summer: Taylor and Josiah. Things like walking to the park down the street at 10 in the morning. Going to the sprayground in Liberty with Shannon and her boys just about once every week. Watching Josiah learn how to drink from a cup and kissing the bottle goodbye. Watching Josiah pull up and cruise around everything, but just not wanting to take those first steps.(He better do that when he's home with us and if Tracey sees it first, she promises not to say anything.) It was definitely a fun and eventful summer, but alas just like Taylor had to say goodbye to the ocean . . .

I have to say goodbye to summer. So, goodbye, summer. I'll see you in 186 contract days(or sooner. The jury is still out on that).