Dear Family and Friends,

This week was spent enjoying summer and getting a bunch of last summer things done.  A lazy afternoon at the pool with 4 extra friends along for the ride, a couple of late night playing with friends and watching movies made for a great week.  Had at least one summer thunder storm every day till Thursday but supposedly we are now hitting the dog days of summer with blue skies and hot temperatures ahead.  To celebrate kids made a fort on Saturday and slept in it last night.  They each have their own "rooms" inside.  Spencer even has a cot in there.

I had my own way of celebrating August by putting myself in time out in the back yard.  I can't remember the last time I sat outside and just read for a few hours.  It was wonderful.

This week we cleaned out the kids rooms.  That means everything they owned got put into the hallways while we rediscovered all the flotsam and jetsam a bunch of pack rats can accumulate.  Allison decided her furniture all needed to be rearranged which she loves to do as long as I provide willing muscle.  I always forget how big of a project that is to do but enjoy the one evening where our kids literally have immaculate rooms.  I should have taken a picture as they have since returned to their natural state.  But at least I know there are no hidden water bottles filled of curdled milk or old homework papers stashed away in dark corners.  One dark moment for me was when Robyn told me I could put away all the dolls and their clothes as she wasn't a baby anymore.  But she has been playing with her American Doll knock-off all week long so I feel like I haven't lost my little girl completely.

Allison and Robyn got their hair cut this week which they always love.  Neither of them wanted to give up the power of doing a ponytail so nothing drastic.  Allison does her own hair now and most days she just pulls it all back into a ponytail.  Other days I just try to bite my tongue unless its really something strange.  Usually she does a good job though and loves to do Robyn's hair if Robyn will cooperate.

Allison and Spencer had piano camp this week at 8 am! every morning.  8 may not seem so early to most but to them and their summer schedule it was a bit tough.  But they set their alarms each morning and were down here with red eyes and yawns to eat breakfast before going.  Allison also started a music theater class that continues through this week as well.  She has been busy singing "Food, Glorious Food" up in her room and practicing her dance steps.  She just loves that whole thing - dancing, singing and acting.  This week Allison and I went on our back to school date so she could get her list of supplies and new tennis shoes.  She just skipped and smiled the whole night between being out by herself with her mom and getting new pencils and folders for the school year.  Spencer babysat and was so proud how he carried Taylor to bed and tucked him in and remembered to watch Robyn brush her teeth and read her a good night story.

Taylor continues with physical therapy.  Today is a bad day for him as he is either in a partial/complex seizure or resting up from one.  But the rest of the week has been a good one.  He learned how to fall/sit and protect himself.  It was a huge step.  Bad part is that now instead of walking he just decides to sit down and relax instead.  So walking has decreased a lot this week.  He was casted for new daffos which will be done right before school starts which should help keep his feet under him.  We also went up the the wheelchair clinic and had everything re-adjusted for him.  His wheelchair is now more upright and bigger which is harder for us to transport in our car but is much better for him.

Kids had their last cooking class this week as well.  Brownies and tacos - what every college kid needs to know to survive.  Their favorite part of the class is that they get to eat whatever they make.  Robyn has been either her normal sunshine bubbly self or a whining, crying thundercloud waiting to explode.  We are working hard to get her voice and attitude back into a middle of the road normality.  As Jeremy says when that high pitched whine kicks in all brain function in people surrounding her quits.  Its like a little pick ax working on the back of your skull.  We talked Monday about our home being like a temple and the screaming voices do not  belong.  That gave us a few hours of nice voices before the whine re-emerged.  Maybe we just need to do FHE twice a day!

Jeremy stays busy with photography, work and church.  He is usually doing one or the other.  But he did manage to play hookey this week for a few hours with a friend and go out on the lake.  He has had a lot of introspection this week as he tries to figure out how to balance everything in his life and what he needs to put priority on. 
My foot is healing up I think.  On Friday a little kid ran full force into it which did NOT feel good.  This Thursday I get new x-rays and hopefully a smaller, more comfortable boot.  We bought tickets for Lagoon and are planning to go next Monday.  I don't want to be clomping all around an amusement park in this big boot if I can help it.  Our kids only have two weeks of summer left really.  This week and then next.  So we are trying to think of any last summer ideas we haven't done yet.  Lots of doing nothing is high on my list - with perhaps some snow cones or watermelon along the way.

Happy summer to you all, Heather