End of Summer Break

Since we are on the brink of the end of summer break I decided we should have a inventory of our accomplishments.

This guy faced his fears and learned how to ride a two-wheeler.  He is now a speed demon and can keep up with his two older siblings.  

 My kids complained about my forced bike rides all summer until last week when we didn't have one and they were devastated!  Then my oldest wrote his last report of the summer (yes, I make them write weekly reports in the summer) about how his favorite thing about this summer was the bike rides.  HA!  I asked him whey he hated them and now loves them.  He said, "It used to be hard, but now its easy."  I said, "That's because you built muscle!"

This girl became and avid reader.  She LOVES Rainbow Fairy Magic books and can't get enough of them.  I think there are like 100 of them at our library and I swear she read them all this summer.  This also meant she could never get her jobs done but their is a part of me that is happy whenever I catch my kids staying up late to read or hiding in their beds away from chores to read.  I make them stop when I find them but I'm glad they loves reading.  

My oldest took a class at the library on how to make balloon animals.  Now we never have to stand in line at the Farmer's Market again.  Hurrah!  He's determined to sell his skills at birthday parties from now on.  

And this girl got potty trained.  She didn't want to, but it was time.  When you can practically change your own diaper its time.  It took a week but now she goes to bed in underwear.  Hurrah for great bladder control!

 Brent went to California for a week to visit his Grandma.  He brought back matching shirts for the girls and A's hats for the boys.  I can't manage to get a picture of the boys, but I will one of these days.  The girls were thrilled and the baby loved her new stuffed dog she named Sandy.  Her older sister did not take her daddy being gone very well.  She cried herself to sleep one of the nights.  Glad he's back.