longest day of the year

Tomorrow is the first day of summer and it has felt like anything but summer this month! I love the rain and even more, summer rain. But all this rain does make me a little nervous since we live in an area with a high water table. And mosquito's should be fun this summer with all the moisture. I'm just glad I didn't get a season pass to the local water park, that would be annoying to not be able to go for most of the month of June. Yes it's June and it's rained more than it has been warm and sunny.

This summer I decided it would be good to implement chores and some "summer school" so my kids can continue to stay at the stop of their class. You know how pre school can be these days. I've been holding off on the official charts because I didn't feel like they were exactly how I wanted them and I've been pulling ideas from friends on how to do. Until last week I finally just used a practice chart I made and told them to do their chores. They LOVED it and I couldn't believe I had been going this long with out chores!! They have small daily chores like making bed and what not and then they each have a bigger one (or two or three if your Cloe and love this kind of stuff). For this week, Brody vacuumed the stairs, Abbey the kitchen (they all fought over this and took turns) and Cloe cleaned the bathroom. It was awesome to not have to do as many things around the house and to get things done so much quicker. Again, why didn't I start this sooner!!??

We are going to Idaho for the 4th of July with Ryan's family and we are all going to run a "fun run" 5k. I think I'm the only one that thinks it's a "fun run" but they're nice enough to go along with my contribution to the little vacay. Anyways, Cloe has graduated from the kids run and is signed up for the 5k. Today I took her jogging with me to get her a little in shape (that sounds weird to be saying about a 7 year old) for the run. But it was so fun for me, I loved it. It was so cute how excited she was and the things that she wanted to talk about. When ever we would pass larger rocks, she would comment on the ones she thought were pretty and I could tell she really wanted to stop and look at them but knew she couldn't. She'll do great and I'm pretty sure she'll place in the top 3 of her age group. Not because of speed but because of the few kids her age that will be running. One thing she did say was "Mom, this is like we're on a date!"

we have a skate park in our city and it has become Brody's latest obsession. Daily he asks if we can go to the skate park. It works as great leverage to get him to listen and behave. I really don't like that he skateboards for injury purposes but it is exciting to see him develop and get better. One day we were there and some older boys taught him how to do the half pipe. After many falls, he did it! I was so happy for him. As the kids were saying, he can now drop in on a half pipe. I just feel silly saying "drop in", I feel to old to talk like that. The girls just ride their scooters around on the ramps while he skates. And of course little miss Charlotte plays with me on the grass. That girl, I can't get enough of her!!

We have now been home a year from Italy. Sad to think about but the way life is for us now, would not work out as easily in Italy. Charlotte being the main reason. 4 kids, busses, walking and a crawling baby...no thanks. But I still miss it and would love to go back for a long vacation some day.
It was effective to fit 3 kids on one swing

playing hop scotch on the cobble stone like she owns the place.