The slumber party last night was so sweet!!  There weren't very many girls there because it's summer and so many families are on vacation.  It was Dennise and her grandma Sallie, Mica and her mom Jennifer, Kayla and her mom Marilyn, Sarah Tank (the first grade teacher) and Alicia and myself.  I was the only mom who stayed the night.  Kayla didn't stay because she was too scared to stay at someone else's house, but the girls had fun playing with her anyway.

 

The girls went swimming for awhile after snacking on egg salad sandwiches and fruit.  They had so much fun!  They kept sliding down the slide that would bounce them into the water off the little bump at the end of it.  They swam until it was too dark to see anything and too late to be very noisy.  Then they came inside, got dressed up like princesses in play dresses and boas and ran around like crazy girls!

 

We moms sat on the couches and talked and talked.  We talked about who isn't coming back from Alicia's class (Gigi, Gracie, Jacob S., Jacob B., to name a few) and the curriculum that Sarah is required to teach.  We discussed our frustrations of constituents not getting their kids in because the tuition is too high and too difficult to make.  Other names were thrown out as possibilities of not going (Kara and Kayla for two).  I'm sad; I was hoping that these kids would be Alicia's friends for the next 12 years.  I feel that our church should be making our education a priority and making sure that no child is refused an Adventist education.  I'm not the only one who feels that way, which was at least a little comforting, if nothing else. 

 

Poor Jennifer kept falling asleep as we talked.  I'm sure that with her job she is used to getting up early and sleeping early.  She looked soooo tired when she finally left.  I was worried that she wouldn't be able to make it home safely!!  She did, however, and that was a relief.  I had intended to do facials on all of the moms, but Jennifer doesn't really do much with her skin, Sarah was reluctant to try anything on her face and Marilyn was worried that she would get so relaxed she would fall asleep on the way home!  Sallie and I were the only ones who actually treated our faces (and what a treat it was!).  I did a foot treatment on Marilyn, which was so pampering for her since she is so pregnant.  Sarah and Jennifer did try the heating masks on their arms and seemed to like it.  I think I did get a couple of new customers last night even if I didn't get any bookings.  That's all right.  I can get bookings other ways.

 

We fell asleep around 12:30.  Sallie read to the girls after the others left.  Dennise, Mica and Ali were all camped out on the den floor, but Ali decided at the last minute that she wanted to lie with me.  Poor Mica got up twice in the night, once to go to the bathroom and once because she had a nosebleed.  Dennise decided that she didn't like sleeping down there and went to cuddle with her Papa.  I didn't sleep too well because the couch, although comfy, wasn't huge and I had Alicia slammed up against me.  Sallie got up early to make cinnamon rolls and was trying her hardest to be quiet, but I'm a light sleeper and woke despite her best efforts.

 

We all got up and had waffles, fruit and cinnamon rolls.  Well, Sallie and I had cinnamon rolls.  Each of the girls decided that she didn't like raisins anymore so none of them would eat the rolls.  Silly girls!

 

A little after 10:00, the lone boy showed up, Alexander.  The girls greeted him like a rockstar.  Why?  Because they had been told that once he arrived they could swim!  He and his brother hurried and got changed into their swim trunks and all the kids went out to the pool.  The girls all lined up for the slide and that was how they got into the cold pool.  That water was cold!!  Alicia is doing so well with her swimming; I am so proud of her!!

 

We had to leave early because my brother Josh and his wife Mary were coming to visit.  I let Ali swim for about an hour and then we packed up and came home.  We had a nice visit with my family as usual.

 

Tomorrow the kids start swimming lessons.  I expect to be taking lots of pictures!

 So far it's been a typical Central CA summer - hot and hotter.  We had a few days of cloud cover, which doesn't offer any relief; it only makes it humid because it continues to be in the 100's.  We haven't been out too often due to the heat and when we do venture out of the dark, air-conditioned house, we wilt and whither and get grumpy, whiny and all-around not too fun to be with.  Well, at least I do.  The kids handle it all okay, but I'm sure they would rather have cooler weather as well so that the playground equipment isn't scorching their bare little legs.

 

We suffered through summer colds a couple of weeks ago, all of us but Alicia.  My niece Anayla had one, too, and rather than go to her house and get everyone sick, she stayed here with me.  We lay on the couch and groaned, moaned and slept while the kids wreaked havoc on my once clean house.  I still haven't recovered from the mess.  Time and patience, I suppose.  I've had some migraines as well; they don't help much with my activity level.

 

The kids start swimming lessons on Monday.  I can't wait!!  I will be there with my camera AND the camcorder on hand to get it all well-documented.  They've been swimming quite a bit this summer, actually, and Alicia is making great strides on her own.  She is able to swim a few strokes underwater (better than her mom!) and is learning to float.  I'm looking forward to seeing what she can do after some formal instruction.  Reece has been wearing floaties, but has no fear of jumping into water above his head and dog-paddling to the edge to do it all again.

 

Reece starts preschool the next week and I can't wait!  He has been so clingy that he is driving me crazy.  I am ready for him to have a little bit of independence and learn some routine and how to handle a classroom.  Alicia starts FIRST GRADE on August 21st.  I think I am more excited than she is as well.  I think that she will love her new teacher, Mrs. Tank, but is also going to miss her Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. King, horribly.  I feel that she hasn't retained some things as well as I'd like her to have, but I suppose that is the bane of summertime.

 

We took the kids on a trip to Gilroy Gardens, previously Bonfonte Gardens.  They had such a fun time!!  We brought Anayla with us so that there would be someone else to ride the rides with the kids rather than just me.  Mike rode on a few, but sat most of them out.  I think it was too soon after getting his splint removed from his leg to be traipsing around an amusement park, but he was a trooper and stuck it out, painful though it was.  Most of the rides were geared toward young children, but we all managed to have fun.

 

Summer will be over before I know it and I'll be back on the routine of early mornings and early-to-bed nights.  I think I'll miss summer with my little ones.