Dunzo....

Has school started yet? Because I'm done with summertime. Sure. There is no hurrying to wake everyone up, make lunches, and get them to school on time. No after-school carpool line to fight with. But. They are all here. All. The. Time. And I'm so over it. We've gone to the swimming pool a few times this summer to beat the heat. They fight with each other on the way over. They complain and argue while we are there. They fight even louder on the drive home. Today. Wow. I lost it. After I yelled my peace I enjoyed the silence of their uncomfortableness. They knew it was over. Mrs. nice mom that is. They could tell. My mind was reeling with all the things I could do to make their summer one they would never forget. Tomorrow? I'm taking Presley and Landon to the pool (because they are just happy to be there). The older three? They will be home with a list of jobs that must be completed by the time I return or....or..... I'm not sure. But something bad. And all these bodies laying around because it's too hot outside? Don't care. I've instituted a 'no electronic devices until noon every day' policy. Because idle children make fighting ensue all the more. We will be working. Reading. Playing. Or just watching the paint on the walls. I really don't care. Anyone complains? I add 15 minutes more to the electronics ban for any whine I hear. Or the word bored. Nice, right? I hope so. I'm hoping this changes these little people around here. And helps my summer to be more enjoyable. Because if it continues as is, come August I'll need to be committed. Seriously.

Presley-isms

For the last two weeks Presley has been singing "happy happy shoe shoes" repeatedly. We've all thought it was so cute. We've even joined in. It wasn't until this morning that I realized she's singing "happy birthday to you". Adorable.

Did you know that the rooster says "clock-a-lewd-a-loo"? At least if you ask Presley that is what it says.

Presley is really into animal sounds. All day I hear her say the name of an animal and then the sound it makes. Over and over again. Yesterday it was "mon-key. Ooooh ooh eeh eeh." Today it's rooster (my favorite). I think her favorite is horse. She says that one a lot more than the others.

I love the phase she is in right now. The "mimic" phase where she just repeats everything you say. I think out of all the phases and stages my kids go through (and have gone through) this one remains my absolute favorite. Soon enough she'll quit saying all the cute little things toddlers say and quit doing all the things they do that make me smile. My mom told me I had her just so I could actually truly enjoy this phase one last time. And enjoy it enough to remember it without hurrying to move on making room for the next one. True. So true.