Why can't summer last forever?

About this time of summer, I forget that it ever changes; I just feel like it should always be warm enough to swim, play in the back yard and pretend that jackets don't exist.  It's so fun to know I can go running early in the morning without having to worry about how dark it will be.  And I love having the windows open with the breeze blowing through and whisking away all of the lovely smells kids, dogs, and husbands create.

We're still in the process of re-doing our kitchen, just the ceiling and backsplash and flooring to go.  It's simultaneously terrifying, expensive and satisfying.  It's such a big difference already, but we'll wait for the final stage for the big online reveal.

The kids are loving summer.  The Bigs are in swimming lessons and Emerson finally worked up the courage to go off the diving board by himself (several days after Stella).  We stay after to do free swim at the great outdoor pool where we take lessons and I've come to find out that Atticus thinks he can swim.  He dives forward, plunging his whole head under water, and comes up laughing.  But his truly favorite move is to plunk down on his bum and fall back all the way under water.  It's a real workout for him and me.

Emerson has developed this character he calls the "teenager gangster" (no idea where he got these ideas).  When he wants to make fun of something, he slumps his shoulders, makes a frowny face, does a kind of duck walk, and says "whatever -- that's the teenager gangster."  He always ends up laughing hysterically.

Stella is in the process of learning to read after she came to me and asked me to teach her.  Hard to believe she just turned four last month!  She had a great garden tea party birthday which had to be moved from the garden into Grandma May's house (many thanks, Cheryll) due to inclement weather. This is truly an unfulfilled wish from my childhood that luckily Stella shared.  There's something magical about a bunch of little girls wearing tea party hats and fairy wings and concentrating completely as they carefully pour their "tea" into tiny cups.

Atticus is a whirlwind of chattering activity.  He never seems to stop talking or moving and he loves to play with his expressions to get reactions from people.  During church he wanders up and down the aisles and sits with anyone who seems interesting, male or female, young or old.  He's currently fascinated with all trucks, diggers, and trains (luckily we have plenty toys left from big brother).

It's racing season for me and Tad.  I ran my first half marathon in a few years and set a personal best of 1hr 50min despite sore quads and no sleep the week before.  Tad just did a bike race up Big Cottonwood Canyon (the one canyon he'd never ridden) Saturday and did much better than he thought -- only 1hr 29min.  He does another race in August and I do mine in September.  We'll keep all of you apprised of the results because I'm sure you won't be able to sleep well unless we do.