Dear Friends and Family,

Best news first, is that Jeremy came home late Monday night. He was pretty tired and it took a couple of days for him to get used to the 7 hour time difference. Tuesday he went to work, came back at 6 and was asleep at 6:30. Poor guy, coming home is always a bit of a rude awakening of what life with kids is like, how loud and chaotic things can get, how many things have piled up for him to fix, going from a gourmet personal chef to being told we're having leftover spaghetti and help yourself. But good guy that he is he has been hard at work playing catch up at work and home and trying to keep his eyes open till his body makes the time change on its own.

This is the first official week with everyone out of school. We're definitely into the summer mode. Monday was a great day but since then until yesterday we had rain and storms and cold weather. Spencer and Allison had swimming lessons this week and got to enjoy swimming in a rain storm - they only close for severe rain or lightening and we've been digging into our stock of hot chocolate after lessons to warm up. Spencer had a panic attach the first day of swimming when he couldn't remember how to side breath. Once you know whats going on, it easier to handle because otherwise you wold just think he's being a stubborn little twit. But by evening he had calmed down about the subject and started to understand that he just needed to calm down. He asked if he could have some extra meds the next day and talked to his teacher on his own about how he couldn't remember how to breath and swim at the same time. So she worked with him and let him do backstroke and breast stroke more often and by Friday he was able to get back into crawl stroke again. Allison is a little fish and just cruises doing laps.

Spencer and Allison also started tumbling and gymnastics this week. Both love it and Allison decided to not sign up for dance for the fall but to pursue gymnastics for awhile. Spencer just loved learning how to do flips, and jumps and basically run around. He likes to watch street ninja videos so this is exactly what he wants to do.

Allison started her reading summer school this week as well. Twice a week for 2 hours she goes to her school to work on reading skills - sounding out words, games, comprehension, memorization of red words (words that just have to be memorizes). She is taking it along with 6 (!) of her friends so she loves it. She started reading to Robyn to put her to sleep and is so proud when Robyn drifts off during her stories. She can read most easy reader books now and seems to really enjoy them.

Allison is wrapping up her dance from this past year. She got her munchkin costume this week and had 2 rehearsals this week and than her recital on Sat. I'll take a picture when she is all dolled up.

Meredith is coming 2 afternoons this week to go with us swimming or on a field trip. Thursday we were supposed to swim in the afternoon but as kids got out in 60 degree weather with a strong wind from their swimming lesson we all decided to leave and go to the indoor pool. It was like a big sauna and Taylor just laid back with Meredith and smiled. Robyn just keeps jumping out of my hands and doesn't care if she sinks or not, she just wants to go no matter how deep the water is. At times in the past Jeremy has made fun of my "mommy" swim suits. But Thurs reminded me how much I am treated as a jungle gym and if there is any way for my suit to dragged up, down, or off our kids will find it.

Monday afternoon our friends had a welcome to summer party in their amazing backyard - its like a small beautiful park back there. Meredith took everyone but me and Robyn over and they had a great time, eating pizza, having a huge water gun fight, playing musical chairs, digging in a sandbox and just running around. Spencer and Taylor both got sunburned and everyone was hot, tired and happy by the end of the day.

Robyn was really sick Monday. She was up by 4:30 unable to stop coughing and just kept crying "owie". I took her to the doctor and he said besides an awful sore throat which was not strep she had a cold and he couldn't do anything. So she spent Monday crying and periodically she would lick a popsicle for a few minutes. She didn't sleep unless being held and then only for a few minutes. She spent most of Tuesday night being held and then gradually got better. By Wednesday she was back to eating and playing although even today she periodically will have this bad cough.

On Friday night Meredith stayed with Taylor and Robyn and the rest of us went to dinner and to see the King and I at an outdoor theater. Had a great time although we were VERY cold even with our jackets and blankets. I am not sure which our kids enjoy more, all the munchies they go through during the play or the play itself! Saturday night we all curled up on the couch and watched National Treasure 2 together while kids cheered that Dad was back as he broke out the nachos. So we've had some good family times this week.

I am starting to get back into the summer groove - where jobs get fit in whenever possible and kids stay up later and are always around wanting attention. If they decide by some stroke of luck to all be occupied at the same time you quickly seize the moment for a bit of "me" time. Jeremy brought back a bunch of swiss chocolate so I have been able to stay quite calm and happy this week on my chocolate high. Because of all that chocolate I tried out a spinning class on Saturday. My legs felt like spaghetti when I was done so I figure I should go back. The hour went by really fast and worked muscles that I don't usually think about!

Jeremy set up a table and chairs on our deck this week so we're going to try it out tonight with Jeremy's family. I sat out there reading yesterday afternoon and almost fell asleep. It feels so nice to feel the sun again and be outside. We mowed the lawn Friday and Saturday and filled up our garbage can and 5 big garbage sacks! So our yard is liking all the moisture and cooler weather.

Happy Birthday to Lathan and love to everyone else, Heather