summer is winding down

So it is with sadness (and a bit of denial) that I am sitting here thinking about summer coming to an end.  Yet another summer has gone by that I didn't do all the things I wanted to do. We didn't see family as much as I had hoped. My boys love seeing their cousins and always ask if we can go see them.  if only it wasn't a 9+ hour drive!!!

This summer was the most mild summer I have ever experienced in Kansas. I don't think we broke 100 once....even with a 'feels like' forecast.  We did manage to frequent the pool and get a nice tan. I am still baffled as to how Caden tans like he does....he clearly got the genes from other family than David and I!  Both boys are great swimmers. Caden was invited to consider joining the swim team clinic...to see if he could be on the team. He loves swimming....which isn't too different from his parents. I was the youngest kid on our swim team and never had an 'age group' to swim against!

We spent a fabulous week and half with family at the beginning of summer in Chicago.  We got to spend time with family and relax.  The boys had great time with their cousins.  They got to have a fun sleepover with Grandma Hope at my sister's house and then spent the morning at the zoo with Aunt Ceta, Clark and Stone.  Caden talks about them a lot and says he wishes they could come visit or we could go visit them.

The rest of our summer, due to the mild weather, had more camping trips....3 times, I think, which is a lot for a Kansas summer when you are tent camping!  All with people that have become like our family here.

This fall we are embarking on new territory....soccer and team sports.  I have avoided it with Caden's struggle with things being 'fair' or whatever the  moment brings him. BUT, it is time to see if putting him in more situations will help him overcome this.  He has all the sudden proclaimed that soccer is what he wants to do.  So soccer it is. We will try it.

Another new adventure...Coleman starts at the daycare his brother went to and is super excited.  Hopefully that remains true on the day we have our first drop off!  but he has been going there to pick up and drop off his brother for 3 years....hopefully that will help.  And Caden starts his school career. I still can NOT believe he is starting kindergarten. So far he is showing a normal level of anxiety and excitement.  He seems to like his new teacher (lucky him to have the chance to see her so often before the first day!) and he seems to relax knowing I will be there in the building.

I'm sure this year will bring a lot to write about...and hopefully I will actually get to writing about it!