summer, why must you leave so soon?

this was our last day before the start of school and routine and i wanted to spend it at the pool with the boys. i have to say our new spring hill pool turned out to be quite nice. i was very skeptical at first but it ended up being the best thing for us this summer. this was the first summer in what seems like forever that i could actually relax enough to read in a lounge chair while the boys swam. it was quite wonderful!!

we have had a major heat wave going on here ever since we got back from our vacation and most of the things we had left on our summer list were physical things to do outdoors and it was just too hot so the pool became our everyday haven. the older boys would usually meet up with friends and porter would stay close by asking for a snack every 5 minutes---despite that, it was still great.

what was not so great was what i thought i would try to do that morning quickly before the pool opened. i don't make a special "school clothes" shopping trip before school starts. i just buy things as they are needed (usually for easton) and the others get the appropriate hand-me-downs and an occasional new item here and there. well, i thought i would be nice and take them to each pick out a new shirt for the first day (with some guidance from me as i have pictures in mind) and then some new shoes for easton. sounds simple enough....oh.my.word...it was a nightmare!! i didn't like the shirts they wanted but after a few choices, i gave in. i guess my days of having them dress nice and somewhat matching for the first day are over. but the shoe situation. DRAMA! i was trying my best to let easton pick out his own shoes but after seeing what he was choosing i decided since i'm buying them i have to at least like them a little bit...and this was not happening! i went to famous footwear because i had a coupon but everything was still way more than i felt comfortable spending plus....me no likey nada! sorry, i'm trying to sum this up with out giving every last detail; picture oldest child pouting because we can't agree and i want to look at other (cheaper) places and him not understanding that he can make it one more day without a new pair and that we'd look more another day (mind you we thought he was a size 5 and they measured him at a 7---a "men's" 7!!), middle son keeps trying to show me shoes and begging for some and throwing a fit because it's "not fair" that easton gets everything (even after i just bought him a shirt), youngest child taking shoes out of boxes trying to try them on and just wanting them for the heck of it. after a few rounds i say we are leaving empty handed, in their protest they don't budge. i ended up having to walk out to the car and wait for them to come out after they realized i was serious (porter came with me, he was actually the best behaved for once). easton starts to get in the front seat but then he changed his mind because he didn't want to sit by me. cooper was just crying a river but easton had to throw out all kinds of things like "i hate you", "it's like you're not my mom anymore", " you are you and i am me, i am my own person mom" ~ oh my! i was like wow, isn't it too early for all this crap to start now or is God having a sense of humor and giving me a taste of what it's like to have girls! LOL! it was not fun and definitely not how i pictured our last summer morning but after some lecturing (and maybe a bit of yelling...ahem) and a "you are ungrateful children" speech, we made it to the pool. at this point it was not for them it was for me because i did not think they deserved to go somewhere and have fun but i did deserve to go somewhere and relax!!

after all those long winded run-on sentences here's some pics...

porter had just got brave enough to jump off the diving board a couple days before this. he even did flips to try and give me a heart attack! i love to see how proud they are of themselves when they overcome a fear and have a blast.
i would sit right on the side waiting in case he needed help but for these pictures i had easton right there...even though the life guard was there. paranoid mama.

i kind of miss it when they used to be afraid to try things!

i did not want to leave but we had "meet the teacher" night to get to. i felt like a kid kicking and screaming on the inside not wanting to go. the pool would be closed from now on except for weekends, closing after labor day and i just felt sad, as i typically do at the end of every summer. thankfully the day had improved immensely from our dramatic morning and we were having a great time. i waited until we absolutely had to leave and decided to try and get a quick picture of the boys.
you'd think i would know better that when you're in a hurry, waiting until the end to try and get a decent quick picture is pretty much impossible! cooper just could not focus, i even tried bribing him with a dollar. well, you see how that worked!

on our way to meet the teachers...


thrilled to be in 2nd grade, can't you tell? 

my boys are too embarrassed to get their picture taken with their teacher right upon meeting them so i don't make them but they both seem super nice. i am happy and so are the boys...i think.

on to easton's school...

my 4th grader was ready to pose...

i knew there was no way he would do this for me in the morning for the 1st day of school when people were around so i took advantage!

as much as i hate to say good-bye to summer, school is starting, ready or not! 

xo

 

Comments

[s]

for reals...where in the world did the summer go? def. flew by way too fast (ok, to be honest, with as hot as its been im glad to see that part go!)

your shopping experience stressed me out just reading it! ugh. last night at dinner some friends were talking about how boys are so much easier than girls. so as 'drama' as that adventure was, can you imagine if it would have been 3 girls?!? yikes...surely some sanity saving meds for mommy would have been an order! lol

love the pool pics......and had to laugh that we have some similar meet-the-teacher shots! lol (totally NOT surprising;) luv ya girly!!

[Jenna]

You write just like you talk and I love that! I had heard this story and I am sorry again, but I am glad the pool made things a lot better. The pictures were great and what I noticed the most is how stinkin' big they look! They are so big and handsome! Love those boys and love you!

[Momma Jones]

Dear Juli,

You are to be commended for all you do for those boys. When you kids were growing up, your brother was very easy about what he wore but not you and Jenna. I'm glad you "stayed your ground" with them and that you got some pool time. Being a Mom isn't easy but it's the best job in the world. I'm extremely proud of my children and grandchildren. Just looking into all your precious faces is reward enough for me. Love you, Mom