7 hours.

it's hard to believe that in three weeks this will all be over.

7 hours later i finally dragged 

their water logged bodies home.

FISH.

they are all just a bunch of fish.

with tan bodies and white bums.

alcohol & vinegar {swimmer's ear}

swimmer's ear is brutal.

wish i would have had my wits about me at 2:30am this morning to have figured out it was that.

instead, sean and i gave him tylonel {b/c we have been out of motrin for over a month--i'm in denial that we will need it during the summer months. we shouldn't need it during the summer months. wah!}, 

water with a straw {part of me thought he was just dehydrated with a headache}, 

and we just kept thinking 

"he's going to calm down and go back to sleep any minute. 

any minute now! wait for it...wait for it..."

the poor kid just kept crying inconsolably while we held him and tried to talk him down.

3 hours later he fell asleep for an hour and was back up screaming again. 

at 6am i watched the sun come up through our blackout curtains, and i've got to admit, 

i was wishing it was winter and dark for another two hours.

i envisioned snow falling outside, my heater just getting ready to warm us up,

{surely i was a traitor to summer at that very moment. no shame. july is just too hot once it's over.}

cold air ready to pounce on me from over my heavy down comforter...

at which point he was so exhausted from being up until 10:30pm the night before, 

and then waking up for half of the night, that he finally cried himself back to sleep holding my hand.

and then i fell back asleep to.

the last thing i remember hearing was sean's alarm buzzing him awake to get ready for work.

and right then i just felt tired like i was old.

or at least, i remember thinking, i'm sure not 25 anymore am i.

b/c sleep never felt so good.

1tbls white vinegar

1tbls rubbing alcohol

3 drops in ear, 

lay for 5 minutes, 

cotton ball in ear to sit up, 

remove when you're 5 year finally knocks it out 

{so pretty much 2 seconds after he sits up.}

good as new:) 

like i said,

wish i would have thought of this at 2:30am.

better late than never.

boy i loved cuddling with him while we slept.

rub a dub in the tub

BATH TIME.

swimming counts.

just keep swimming, just keep swimming

{right after this, he took his floaties off, went down the big slide again, 

and swam to the sides ALL by himself after the slide dumped him into the pool. 

NO FLOATIES. this is BIG business around here folks. BIG:) 

then he did it 10 more times. no help:) did i mention he needed no help? so proud.}

....

swimming lessons at 

the family yard.

it must be june:)

troy and his ice cream machine.

we were the lucky ducks yesterday who got the first three cones.

the creamiest soft serve ice cream you'll ever lick.

slllluuuuuurrrrp:)

i could sit on uncle dave's comfy patio chairs and listen to music with my cousins all day every day.

watching my kids run from the sandbox to the tramp to the pool.

and i can't imagine it will ever be winter again:)

{photo bomb by brody. he sends his regards.}

don't tell me it's not june, i won't believe you:)

last night the air smelled like summer.

the most delicious smell!

i pulled out the baby pools from the basement and slathered on the sunscreen.

i should have slathered on a second coat though 

b/c max's cheeks and shoulders are bright red this morning.

whoops.

brooke drove down from park city at the last minute and it felt like it really was summer.

when we went to fill up the smaller blue pool, 

two spiders went running across the floor of the blue plastic.

so i grabbed a red lightening mcqueen cup and scooped them up,

and brooke identified our spiders on the internet.

she likes doing stuff like that.

a daring jumping spider.

that's what we had.

and here i thought i was being paranoid when i just didn't feel right about getting up close to this one.

the white spot on his back freaked me out.

call it intuition {or paranoia}, but i tell ya,

my inner self knew he was a jumper.

anyway, the dramatics were unnecessary as usual 

b/c it turns out the things are harmless to humans.

except for the part where they bite you if they feel threatened,

but even then their venom will only be dangerous if you are allergic to venom.

after 4 hours of having him swim for his life in the little mcqueen cup 

while the kids played in the water and ate the season's first round of Popsicles,

i finally decided to set him free in the garden strip along the fence.

the sun has put me into a good mood of epic proportions.

don't tell me it's not june.

i won't believe you:)

.....

it's a jungle over here.

to the left of my kitchen sink.

 i'm am always so amazed at how a tiny little seed 

can push its way up through the dirt to find the light.

never

gets

old.

can't wait for the peas to pop out in the garden.

in july

 my car battery died twice today.

the second time was its last.

i am now the proud owner of a brand new car battery.

thank you carl the car guy for installing it for free.

you are the best.

and linsey for jumping my car this morning.

i love you pioneer woman.

and richelle 

{insert MOST AWESOME SWIM TEACHER on the planet here} 

for waiting an extra fifteen minutes for us to have our car jump started 

to get to swimming lessons late.

bless her.

boo on the pool cover for breaking after lunch.

we are sad we couldn't get in and swim the second time.

little max just didn't understand.

and it was 68* tonight.

in july.

my mom offered me a blanket and a coat.

i turned her down both times.

i just wanted to enjoy shivering.

in july.

it was wonderful.

cold, crisp, and wonderful.

i'm recharged for the 90's again now.

cue angel choir singing here.

tasted too

out with the old,

in with the new.

while our new fridge sat glowing in our kitchen, cooling itself,

 we spent the day in the pool. 

chase napped on my mom's bed in her air conditioned house.

she arrived home from hawaii this morning with treasures for us all.

a pink mumu for max,

with a matching dress for her baby doll,

a shirt with a panda for brennan.

and flip flops a'plenty

{she calls them slippers}.

i know it's almost july in utah b/c it was hot in the shade today.

but it was lovely in the pool.

especially when troy came out with his shave ice maker.

tiger's blood for all of the gibbies.

andrea told me there's 5lbs of sugar in one gallon of water in shave ice.

i wish i didn't know that.

but now you know it too.

i still say it's just juice.

basically water.

so eat up:)

because life is too short.

 the thick of summer never felt so good:)

tasted too.

aquafish

i finally caved and signed brennan up for private swimming lessons.

who knew he could swim on his own without floaties???

they did.

once a week for the rest of the summer.

richelle asked me what i wanted to focus on.

i said i want him to learn to not drown.

that's about it.

i think she thought i was trying to be witty.

i wasn't:)

there's nothing else i would rather spend $175 on this summer.

snorkeling in an over sized mask

reasons why i love this picture of brennan:

1. bright orange floaties around his chubby arms

2. his serious "it's time to swim" face

3. the snorkel in his mouth, duh!

4. the dimples on his hands

{my cabbage patch kid}

5. the over sized mask

.......

last night we bbq'd cheeseburgers,

sliced a pineapple

{ok, it was already pre-cut from costco},

ate uncle dave's crispy cookies with chocolate chunks,

and spent the evening swimming with the fam.

i drank strawberry lemonade in a lawn chair with chase.

sean went between the hot tub and the pool with max.

she loves to jump off the side and belly flop every time.

brennan is terrified of being thrown in the air.

and learned the art of snorkeling.

we may never get him out of the water for the rest of the summer.

breathing under water=magic.

i still love it myself for the same reason.

no need for fish.

the act of breathing with a face fully submerged is entertainment enough.

although, when i finally did snorkel with real fish it was pretty great too.

but man, there's just something wonderful about a snorkel in a swimming pool.

i don't make the rules,

i just know they're true.

snorkels people,

we're talking about snorkels!

chase loves audrey.

i've titled her

"the baby whisperer."

really,

she is.

happy family night.

:):):)

latch is back {swimming}

swimming lessons.

this morning.

feels like summer is closer than ever.

felt good to get out.

all of us together.

bree fed chase from a bottle.

nursing out and about is not in my nature.

too much work to cover us all up.

too much pride to let it all hang out.

it's just not for me.

he fell asleep on her after.

nice and full milky tummy.

max kept begging to get in the pool with the boys.

i offered her juice boxes, star shaped marshmallows, and my phone to entertain.

she would not be pawed at.

but settled for her binky and blankie in the end.

thank goodness she doesn't know how to unclip the stroller straps.

LATCH IS BACK.

in case you were wondering.

happy me.

happy chase...sort of.

his tummy still gurgles.

and he cries from the cramps after eating.

but then i burp him,

cuddle him,

{usually scold the big kids for jumping on us or dumping out a box of cereal}

and finish up by swaddling him like a burrito, with a binky

and he nods off to sleep.

target was out of gripe water this morning.

for chase's gurgling tummy.

i went by myself before sean left for work.

the lady in the baby aisle offered to call another target.

the thought of coming back later with all three kids to another store did not sound like an option.

but now that we've conquered swimming lessons before 11am

{AND ON TIME...within 5 minutes}

it doesn't sound so badly after all.

the time of our lives

at some point this year "man talk" began before bed.
where sean and brennan talked about man stuff.
then it turned into a "fireball" dragon story.
everything very "man."
{insert time allen barking here}
the stories are different every night.
sean makes them up as he goes.
usually with some of the day's actual events included to the story line.
the characters are always:
fireball (a dragon he got on his birthday from blake)
cheetah racer (a game on pbs kids)
robot tiger (no idea where they came up with this one)
a life lesson is sometimes at the end.
they always do things during the story.
like go swimming, eat dinner, fight knights and other mean dragons, or save princesses.
one time robot tiger's head fell off b/c he was standing in the water table after lunch and slipped, falling head first onto the cement.
where his head fell off.
and he was hurt.
and had to have a time out.
b/c he didn't listen to his mommy about not standing in the water table b/c he might fall out and hit his head on the cement.
see?
life lesson:)
brennan gets to make up some of the story as sean goes along.
and then he always asks for me to come in to sing a song after the story is over.
twinkle twinkle little star and/or baby beluga.
sometimes he is already asleep by the time i get upstairs.
i sing anyway.
and stroke his hair.
kiss the bridge of his nose.
and his temples.
this is the time of our lives.
every single minute.

today i learned:

max hates the big pool.

even at 91 degrees.

she loves the hot tub.

at 101 degrees.

it is the only place she will stop crying.

she laid on her back kicking her legs the entire time.

and brennan wants to live in the water.

and never get out.

and last but not least,

it is more fun to get in the water with my kids,

but makes me more tired.

worth it.

*bonus thought*

do not wear a non-maternity swim suit when you are 9 months pregnant and then try to wear it the following year when you are no longer 9 months pregnant. you will have a saggy bum b/c you stretched it out when you were 9 months pregnant.

then you will wonder if you had a big bum when you were pregnant,

when you didn't think you did,

{which i still claim i did not and that is all that counts},

but you will feel like you have a small bum now,

so that is great.

really great.

that is all.

the end.

aquaholics: part deux

despite the thunder and lightening outside,
swimming lessons started today.
three cheers for the indoor pool.
the only time anyone cried was when it was time to leave.
HER-RAY
{hooray}
i had to haul brennan out screaming b/c he wanted to stay so badly.
now if i could just get him to listen all the time occassionally,
he'd be perfect.
i'd be perfect.
we'd all be perfect.
YUCK!
but,
if i could just get him to listen!
wouldn't that be a dream.
or potty train.
whichever.
told him if he screamed and ran away every time we had to leave swimming lessons then we couldn't come back.
i was lying.
fun and cheap.
can't go wrong.
3x a week is going to keep us awfully busy.
and so it begins...

lots of talking, a tale of AQUAholics

i swim.

did you know that?

well, i do.

i love it.

i crave it all day.

thank you city for having a public pool.

thank you husband for watching the babe.

the asleep babe, but still, thank you.

weeknights are free.

saturdays are cheap.

free and cheap, they go together.

free, cheap, & swimming, well, it's just a love affair!

so my love affair with swimming.

the girls, we go.

lots of talking on the way to the pool.

lots of talking during kick time.

silent time for my thoughts during the rest.

i do a mile now.

it's aMAZing.

lots of talking on the way home.

so we went to swim tonight.

"closed for maintenance,

sorry for the inconvenience."

there were are, fully dressed for swimming,

except for jess

(it's a long story, don't ask).

bree in shorts and uggs,

me in parachute pants, sweatshirt, and heavy coat,

keri quiet as ever, but we know she's royally ticked.

the dang people could have at least tipped us off last night.

the girls have their theories.

sudden maitenance on the pool can mean one thing...

and one thing only...

oh well, let's go to yogurt stop;-)
so we did.

lots of talking on the way.

lots of frozen yogurt.

(coconut & pecan w/cookie dough, don't ask...

double for me, i save half for the next day)

lots of talking during the eating.

lots of talking on the way home.

i love swimming.

little swimmer in training below