Summer time and the living is........

WILD!   who signed me up for this program?  ha ha! :)
  No,  it's all good,  I just haven't gotten my rhythm yet.
Today I am up early, actually I barely slept at all, maybe 3 hours tops. I probably should have just pulled an all nighter like back in the college days,  but I am a big fan of sleeping! 
 Honestly, That is part of the problem,  this choppy sleep, can anyone give me any suggestions on getting a full 8 hours?  (without sleeping pills! thankyouverymuch~)
 Anyways, my friend Molly and I decided to do an early morning walk,  so I was up at 5:30 am.
 can somebody please slap me.
:)
 actually It felt good once I got up and got motivated, when I came back I felt recharged, now it's coffee on the deck.
 Ian left for work,  and it's just me,  some nice alone time, watching the dogs play,   the birds chirping,  surrounded by garden flowers, everyone else still asleep in my household....that is, for a new york minute mind you.
  Then the circus act begins.
 We will be heading out to the pool soon for early morning work outs and swim team practice, one of 2 mind you.  I now have 2 kids on the team!  not to mention Jackson is still swimming for another club.  yes,  we are crazy people.
  My little itty-bitty Fiona was promoted from the developmental team to the actual SWIM TEAM! can you believe that!? she is only 6 years old!  oh my!
  She was SO excited to be on the team just like her older brother.  because you know how siblings are,  the young ones always want to do what the older ones are doing.
  Now Miss Fiona being the precocious little 6 year old that she is also decided that she would also like to be on the dive team.
o.k.,  can someone please tell me where this child of mine came from?
  This girl is a wild one.  she is a force of nature.

  in fact I am just exhausted thinking about what's coming in a matter of minutes!  I better go get another cup of coffee! ha ha!
  anyways,  She spent most of this winter in the bleachers watching her older brother swim while the dive team was practicing on the other end,  you know,  the COLLEGE age divers diving off the PLATFORM dive boards.
  she kept telling me,  "mom,  I want to do that!"
  of course I ignored her.  thinking this too shall pass.
hellOO!  have you SEEN how high those things are?
  well,  she didn't let it go,  and once swim club started she asked me if I had signed her up yet,
so what's a mom to do?
  she is now the newest,  and youngest member of the DIVE team as well.
she has her first meet this friday!  :)
oh! please help me!



 She also just swam in her first swim meet this past weekend too! 
She was not the least bit nervous,  dove off the starting blocks like a seasoned professional,  and can actually do butterfly.
again,  this cracks me up!
tell me again how did I get this child?
  It actually makes me SO happy to see my kids do so well and thrive in these kinds of enviroments.
  when I was a kid I was SO painfully shy, i used to dread participating in anything!
my mom  of course had me involved in numerous activities, but I was shy and anxious up until my college years, and beyond....so the fact that they can do these things makes me hopeful that they didn't inherit my curse.
 because being anxious really is a curse.
 just thinking about it makes me nervous! ha ha!
  oh who am I kidding? i'm nervous probably because I have lots to do today,  coolers to pack,  towels to fold, breakfast to cook. you know,  exciting things!  ;)
  Later today my mom is coming to help me watch the kids so i can head down to the studio to get a tiny bit of work in.
emphasis on TINY.
but I am trying!  Art fair is coming up in a few weeks and there is A ton of work to do!  in fact I am trying not to hyperventilate just thinking about it!
  I have enlisted the Help of my son Jackson,  I am teaching him some techniques like sanding and using power tools!
 If you have kids at home with you this summer,  I seriously encourage you to get your kids to start doing some work.
 It really empowers them!
I had him clean out my car and wash it the other day,
 the boy detailed that car perfectly, and made it shine!
  he was SO excited to have a job to do that he was in a good mood for a change! (which being a pre-teen is a MILESTONE i tell ya!)  PLUS it helped me a ton!
  I know in this day and age we have a tendency to just do these things ourselves because we want them "done right".
Oh, trust me,  I am guilty of this one. 
can anyone say "controlling"
but honestly I think it is hurting this generation of kids.
half of them don;t know how to do certain things,  and most of them have this strong sense of entitlement because they have been given so much without them having to actually EARN anything! 
 SO giving your kids these tiny jobs really helps them to be better people I believe.
 trust me,  I have made my mistakes,  and my kids are FAR from perfect,  and i am far from the perfect mom,  that is for darn sure.  but I am trying!
  ANybody out there have any great tips you'd like to share on summer parenting?
  I know my friend Julie at Janes Apron has some great Ideas!

  you should check her out!  I'm instituting some of her policies for sure!  ;)

 so On that note I am off to enjoy the last fleeting minutes of peace and quiet.
 before i am off to whip up some eggs.
 i will leave you with my tiny recipe. it's actually so simple you can't really technically CALL it a recipe,  but it's what we are chowing at the moment.
this is my new morning breakfast for my little swimmers.....
they are delicious and packed full of protein.....
 Pita egg pockets

Whole wheat pita pockets
provolone cheese slices
ready made bacon
eggs
fresh fruit
O.J.

All I do is toast the pitas,
scramble the eggs and make into an omelet
tuck a piece of cheese in the pocket along with the egg,
and add the crisp bacon.
a little fruit on the side,  and you are DONE!

these even travel well,  if say,  you are like me, and are flying out the door at the last minute!  ;)
 anyone out there have any good pool packin' cooler recipes to share?
 I'd love to see them!
o.k.,  I am off and running,  hope YOU all are having a GREAT summer so far!
thanks for checking in!
xoxo
oh,  and P.S.!!
 we also have some cute things in the shop too! 
i will hopefully be posting pictures soon of those too!  :)

Comments

[noodle and lou studio]

have a great day Catherine:):)
xoxo

[Niki]

You crack me up. Its cold blustery rainy winter here in Australia. Yuk. I love summer with a passion. Your summer sounds a lot like mine. Minus the 5.30 am walk. Ha. Yay on the kiddos cranking it out. You must be a proud Mama. Anyway can I please have another post chocked full of shop photos, Molly's house & your house. I LOVE them like no other. Plus I need a little inspiration shove right now. Plleeeaaase, Later, Niki

[julie]

From one controlling mom to another...thanks for the link!

[Kelly]

Okay, around here it's baseball cooler food... but same difference :)
Here's what we're eating lately:
Grill chicken, add whatever of the following you like on a tortilla--
shredded cheese
lettuce
shredded coleslaw
chow mein noodles
sunflower seeds
cranberries
etc, etc, you get it. NOW HERE is the part that makes it-- go buy Lighthouse brand creamy Asian dressing. And drizzle it on that tortilla concoction. Oh my gosh, it's to die for good!!
I can't find it at every grocery store, but it's located in the produce area by the salads in my grocery store here. You have to try it!!
Have fun at the pool, swim Mom :)