Mid Summer Night's Dream

Not really...there's nothing related to Shakespeare in this post. I just love his works and the above-fore-mentioned in particular, and wanted to use some of my literary training in this allusion...

I just wanted to do a mid-summer review. Earlier in the summer, our family made a list of what we hoped to do with the very short span of time around here called "Summer".

Let's just see what we've accomplished so far:

Baseball game- check!

Zoo - check!

movie - check!

fireworks - check!

slip'n'slide - check!

carnival - check!

park - check!

camp fire - check!

parade - check!

beach- check!

Chuck E. Cheese - check!

camping - check!

picnic - check!

Waldameer- :(

putt-putt - :(

There's still a bit of summer left (at least on the calendar). Our summer has been very cold and wet, so we haven't been able to do the things we've wanted to. Let's hope the weather permits more fun times!!

The Sad Sad Life of Being the Third Born

Poor poor Josh! Everyone join with me now: Poor Josh! See, he's my third-born, and everything you've heard about life as the third-born is true. He's not the oldest and gets to do things first and gets special responsibility. He's not even the first born girl, with her own specialness. He's not the baby...and we all know about the baby of the family.

He's the third of four kids. There aren't as many pictures of him...wait, do I even have any pictures of him at all? He's never old enough to do anything!And worst of all, poor Josh doesn't even get anything of his own to play with!

This is the conversation I had with Josh before his nap:

Me: Joshy, it's time for you nap.

Josh: ok Mommy, but I really want my dog Max to sleep with me.

(**We do not have a dog named Max. I thought that maybe he re-named one of his creatures...)

So Josh went and got his dog Max, and, well, here's what he found...

Well, can you see it? The newest addition to our family? Max? Yep, that's right. It's a package of diapers. POOR JOSH!!!

Just Like Dad

The guys getting ready to go the the barn this morning and do some "man stuff"...

Ready To Go

We've known with Rachel's Spina Bifida that each milestone would be a challenge and yet, each one a victory. The things that we have taken for granted with each of the other kids has become momentous with her. I think it's sweeter, not because of the Spina Bifida, but because she is the baby!

This morning when I went to get Rachel up, she was on her tummy. This is HUGE! Rachel is able to roll ever: in fact, she is a crazy-rolling machine, but she has not been able to roll over wearing her hip brace. She was given the brace to wear when she was about 6 months old (9 months ago) and she wears it when she naps and sleeps at night. I have been putting her down on her tummy during the day, but on her back at night (and my, how it has given her a nice bald spot right on the back of her head). Ok, imagine sleeping in one position all night long, being unable to move. That's where Rachel has been for the last nine months!

Lat week when I went in to get her up from her nap, she had pulled the hip brace off, which takes A LOT of maneuvering and struggling. I thought that was momentous.

For about a month now Rachel has been in her A frame stander. It has made a huge difference in her strength and endurance. She is trying to get up on all fours too. Prior to this, she was not able to get her knees up under herself, or she would rest her head on the floor.

I think that she is just raring to go! I think I hear revving sounds coming from her at times!

What's On My iPod

Thanks Cathy! You made me think of the most-played songs that are on my Ipod.

I listen to this while I am working out.

Here they are:

1. Bless the Broken Road - Rascal Flatts

2. Redneck Woman - Gretchen Wilson

3. Devil Went Down to Georgia - Charlie Daniels

4. Life Is A Highway - Rascal Flatts

5. Born to Fly - Sara Evans

6. Our Song - Taylor Swift

7. Cheater, Cheater - Joey and Rory

8. Every Day - Rascal Flatts

9. Lessons Learned - Carrie Underwood

10. Before He Cheats - Carrie Underwood

I am curious...what's on yours??