Summer's End

As our summer draws to a close, here are some of the ways that we've been spending our time:



We've enjoyed these last summer days outside, playing with our new beach ball sprinkler. As you can see, Luke thinks it is also a water fountain:




Late summer evenings bring cooler weather (in South Carolina, this means it's actually bearable to be outdoors without oppressive heat), and we took in one last baseball game over the weekend:



Since Luke has attended a Greenville Drive game every summer since he was 2 months old, the above picture makes me quite nostalgic. This year, he found a seat in the bleachers all by himself and sat quietly, watching the game, and taking it all in. He even tried pitching, as you can see below. What a big boy I have now!




Last week was full of festivities, as we celebrated 8 years of marriage and Winnie's 7th birthday:


Happy Birthday to our sweet princess Winnie! You are truly the best dog in the entire world, and we love you to pieces.



Those of you who aren't dog lovers may not find this photo quite as endearing as we do, but it completely encapsulates Winnie's sweet, gentle nature with her siblings, as she willingly shares her new birthday toy with her inquisitive baby sister.

Somehow I didn't manage to take any picture on our anniversary (amidst our "romantic" carry-out Italian dinner shared with our kids), but we are planning big things for our 10th anniversary in a couple of years. Mark thinks this means a date night out without children. I'm thinking more along the lines of a fancy vacation.


The end of summer has also meant the end of Luke's naps. I mourn the loss of this afternoon rest, and we are all adjusting to the change in our routine. Luke (and Mommy) has literally collapsed a couple of evenings lately after long days without a break, and I have discoverd him asleep in the most unlikely places:


Sound asleep in the upstairs hallway, after sneaking out of his room to see what was going on downstairs.




"Reading books".

We have implemented a "Quiet Time" for about an hour each afternoon, which has been successful with a sticker reward chart as an incentive for Luke to stay in his room and have some downtime.


As always, my precious family makes me smile:

Daddy stealing a kiss from his girl.


I came home from Book Club one evening to find my boys sitting in the darkened family room, wearing 3-D glasses and watching a movie. In typical guy fashion, they couldn't be bothered with my camera, conversation, or presence while they were zoned out in front of the tv. But it was too cute not to photograph!


And the end of summer also means a huge change in our lives, as Luke begins preschool next week. Although we are eagerly anticipating this new beginning, it's the end of an era for me. The days of having my babies all to myself at home are over, and my firstborn will enter the big world without me. But that's another blogpost all in itself...