Summer Can't End.

Everyone is talking about going back to school, and I hate it. We still have 3 weeks left of summer here on the East Coast. And I want it to last a long time. Not because I'm one of those good moms who wants my kids around me at all times and wants to sleep with their kids in bed with them and wants kids on her lap all of the time. I do like snuggles (gross word), but I like my space too.

More than any of that, I just really don't want to start packing lunches again. 

Or having to be at certain places or certain times.

And I abhor homework.

I already bought all of the girls' back to school clothes and school supplies so that we could enjoy the rest of the summer without worrying about any of that. But it did sort of implant school thoughts in my brain in a permanent way.

Anyway, we did enjoy some good summer days this past week.

Last we left off, Dan took his fam and our girls to the Priesthood Restoration Site. Here they are in the front of the replica of the Hale Home.

It was fun to have them here. Having more adults than kids is a great way to handle any and all kid situations. Kiduations, if you will.

On Monday, we went to the beach. Or "down the shore" if you're from Jersey.

There were some majorly choppy waves, and everyone got sunburned but it was a really fun day.

On Tuesday, Dan and I went on a date while Grandma Kristi, Papa and Mikaela watched the kids. While we were gone, they all did crafts together. Kristi brought each child's initial in wood so that they could paint them. She brought a "B" for Beck as well, which Mikaela painted super fancy. I have found this letter "B" next to Beck all this week. June keeps insisting that he have it near him at all times. One day I found him like this during this nap:

So comfy!!

Speaking of initials, Dan's coworker had this sweater made with Beck's initials. Though June insists it really stands for "Big Detective June". She's been really into the Nate the Great and Cam Jansen easy reader mysteries lately.

Dan's family left Tuesday, and it's been pretty boring without them here. We did take a walk one early morning because it was nice and cool out. I was in such a hurry to take advantage of the good weather before things got hot and sweaty again that the kids all just wore their pajamas. Just like, always I took the kids way too far before deciding to loop back. Lots of complaining ensued. 

Holding hands with Dolly:

 The kids love to either run ahead or walk so slowly that I trip over them with the stroller.

Beck didn't complain, which makes him this week's best kid.

We like to say the numbers on each mailbox and then add them together and then subtract them from each other. We're a lot of fun.

Yesterday, the weather was great AGAIN, and we all went down to the park. Dan rode his bike down and pulled Gwen and Harris in the bike trailer. I drove June and Beck down, with June crying the whole way because she wanted to ride in the bike trailer. Not to be confused with the ride home when I drove Gwen and Beck in the van with Gwen crying the whole way because she wanted to be in the bike trailer.

There's always a lot of crying.

But the truly big news from the park was that I rode a bike!!

I have always been a TERRIBLE bike rider. Truly awful. And I haven't really ridden a bike in 25ish years. Dan knows this and challenged me to ride his bike. He had to hold it for me while I tried to hop on. And then he had to continue to hold it as I pedaled. Riding on that bike seat made me feel like I was giving birth again, but this time to a bike. Youch. But I got up! And pedaled! With both feet! It was not pretty. I was super wobbly. But I was proud of myself. And the next time I got up BY MYSELF and shouted to Dan, "Did you SEE THAT!?!? Are you watching!?!?!" just like the kids always do. 

Then that mean ol' Gwen raced by me on her training wheels, darting dangerously close to where I was wobbling along. "Get away from me, Gwen!" I yelled. "Stop hogging the road!" She laughed at me mercilessly and sped up, leaving me to eat her dust.

Kids are cruel.

And today we had Stake Conference. 

The older three kids cooperated for a photo

until they didn't.

I'm pretty sure that spot in the floor has a permanent indentation from Harris's bum from when he throws this anti-photo shoot tantrum every Sunday.

And the Beckster, who did not throw an anti-photo shoot tantrum. He's really trying to hold on to the best kid record for two weeks in a row.

The End.