we were on a break

I feel like I don't even know what to say. That could have something to do with the fact that we've been living and thinking and feeling stuff for the past month but I've had pretty much nothing to say here. I'll just tell you the truth. I feel like I'm just in a constant state of overwhelmed with nary a free moment (during the waking hours) to sit and think and/or blog. Nap time is lost and gone forever. It has been for a while but now that school is out, so are my tiny bits of quiet. Gone. 

But, fear not. Here's a big ol' post of pretend catch up. I've been trying to tell myself that I don't need to blog. It's ok. I'll just take pictures, post them on Instagram or Facebook or nowhere and call it good. I'll write in my kids' journals like I did in the olden days before Instagram and Facebook and blogs. But the days keep on passing me by and they are just filled to the brim with stuff (a whole lot of entertaining the little people lately and I am just about plum wore out) and nothing gets documented and that just doesn't feel good to me. So here we are. 

I'm going to rewind to May because that just feels right. Some of this is going to be out of order of course because that's just pretty much how my life is. I'm trying to just go with the flow though.

(look at those pictures at the top and follow along to your heart's content)

Cate finished preschool.

Dan turned 43.

We started using our family passes to the fun center and Cate can't seem to get enough of these shoot you in the air and drop you down rides. I couldn't be happier about that. I'm so glad she's not a sissy about rides.

Our neighbor had a huge yard sale and my kids were in heaven. "Mommy! This is only fifty cents!! Fifty cents!" They're funny. Finally a "store" that they can afford on their small budget.

I'm not one to be big on trendy stuff. Trust me. I tend to not give a hoot about the latest and greatest fashion must haves or the hippest sandals for my kids or whatever. But these waffles are yummy (and oh, so hip) and I think I got Cate addicted. She can eat the whole thing and not even share with me (which is fine because I'm pretty sure the waffle plus the Nutella plus the fresh whipped cream on top are more calories than I need to consume in a day much less a meal but dang they're good).

Danny wrote about his upcoming camping trip in his journal at school. The fathers and sons in our church go camping together at the end of May every year. Last year was Danny's first time. He was very excited to go again.

Dan's mom brought an old duffel bag full of baseball mitts for Dan and the kids to use. One of them belonged to Dan's grandpa (or great uncle or somebody old like that). They've been having a grand time playing catch this past month or so. Especially Cate. She loves it.

Danny turned six and a half. I baked half a cake to celebrate. There's no frosting because that's the way he likes it.

She's got her arm around him and he's not swatting it away! Happy day!

Danny started reading a chapter book all on his own. I realize that there are little readers out there who do that long before six and a half. I know that maybe he's a little late to the game but I couldn't care less. The sight of my kid sitting in a chair reading a book just makes me smile something fierce.

My kids are cute and when I get in the picture with them and feel like I don't look like a wrinkled old witch with a triple chin, I like to share it. So there it is.

I helped Danny's teacher with Field Day the day before the last day of school. It was cloudy and there were lots of other moms there helping so I really didn't have to do much. That was a good thing because I kind of felt like crap.

The crappy feeling worsened after school and I ended up in bed with tissues stuck up my nose. That kind of thing freaks Cate out so I gave her one too so she'd feel better. My sister brought over the movie The Impossible for me to watch while I was locked away in my room that night. I don't know if it was the sickness or the fact that I googled the family to see if they survived the tsunami but I didn't shed a tear. None. I have heard people talk about sobbing through the whole movie so I was expecting a little sadness but none came. Oh, well.

I planted my garden. It's a pathetic little thing but it's there. We planted most of the stuff from seeds because how am I supposed to actually think ahead months in advance and plant the seeds inside and then transfer the seedlings in the spring? Do people actually do that? I don't know what's wrong with me but I don't seem to have room in my head for one thought at a time and garden stuff just doesn't make the cut until after Mother's Day. That's broccoli in case you wondered. I thought it was very cute. I should probably thin it or something but I have no idea what I'm doing.

We've been helping our neighbors bottle feed their lambies almost every day for the past few months. This picture of Cate and Ray Ray with their coats on in May makes me miss spring something fierce (mostly because it was pretty much 100 degrees here today and I am dying).

My friend got married and I made a bazillion batches of lemon brownies for the reception. I think I never need to eat another lemon brownie again. Maybe that's how I'll free myself from all the crap I eat. I kind of like this picture of me and Dan at the wedding though.

Sunday dinners at the cousins' house includes time on the trampoline (until Cate gets whiny and tired because sometimes Sunday is just a long day). She's such a cute little bug though.

Cate had a dance recital somewhere in May. This one is for sure out of order but there's nothing I can do about it now. She did great but that was probably the longest four hours of my life (or maybe it was three but holy wow it was long). She was mostly just excited that she got to keep the baby doll they used in one of the dances. 

Playing catch in a tutu. She dresses herself most of the time you know.

I found this wig in one of my garage clean out sessions. I brought it in the house and Cate found it. Is she the most adorable little grandma or what? 

Our friend's dog had puppies. I'm not a dog person but that little thing is just adorable. 

One day I had this brilliant idea to get a bag of water balloons and have a little fun. Yeah. Not such a great idea if you're the one filling the balloons and there are five kids anxious to get to them. I think I filled balloons for 2 hours. Fill enough for the big bowl. Kids take less than a minute to pop them all. Fill more and repeat. They had fun but I think next time I'll just fill all of them while they're sleeping and surprise them in the morning. Water balloons are a lot of work.

I tried on my pioneer clothes (Dan and I are going on a trek with the youth next week) and Cate told me I looked like a porridge cooker. I think I look only slightly ridiculous but that stuff sure is comfy. If I could get away with it I'd much rather wear that than jeans and a t-shirt.

We went on a little "hike" with Aunt Judy and the kids. Cate and Ray Ray sure were cute at the end of it all.

Here they are in front of the waterfall during the hike. What you can't see is all the water in front of them. I was losing my mind. I had a pretty good freak out about them wanting to take their shoes off and climb all over the rocks in the freezing water. I am realizing that I do not handle my kids being near the water very well at all, especially when it's cold rushing mountain water. No bueno. I'm not sure I'll be going back without Dan.

We've been having some adventures with my buddy Evonne this summer and it's been good for me. Maybe I'll bring her along the next time we hike to the waterfall. I'm sure she'd love to witness my freaking out.

We love our lambies.

Way out of order but here's the father and his son right before they left for the camp out. Danny's making the sign for "tent."

And Cate graduated from preschool.

Dan wanted to go camping for his Father's Day present so that's what we did. That might actually warrant a blog post all its own since I got a good picture of Dan smiling with a big blob of melted marshmallow on the side of his mouth. 

Another day at the fun center. Cate had her hands up the whole ride. She cracks me up.

Having a cell phone with a camera makes you take selfies of stuff that might not otherwise get documented, like morning snuggles with your best boy. Sometimes I like to remind Danny of the olden days when Dan would bring him to me to feed him in the early morning and then he'd fall asleep and stay with me in the bed until we both woke up for the day.

I tried on my costume for camp with a little sidekick one day. So sad that I didn't have enough up top to keep that thing from being so loose. I've heard I look like Lynda Carter many times in my life you know.

Cate and I got invited to a cupcake party with a bunch of cool blogger ladies. I'm pretty sure I was the most uncool blogger lady there but those cupcakes won the prize for best tasting. That's good enough for me.

I'm hoping this is the summer that we teach our kids to ride their bikes with no training wheels, buy them helmets and maybe fix Cate's flat front tire. It's good to have dreams and those are a few of mine.

I'm pretty sure I took this picture one night when the kids should have been sleeping. Summer is not my favorite. The days are just too stinkin' long. But look at those cute faces. 

Dan on Father's Day with his little people. I'm not sure what Cate was thinking about. 

My buddy Michelle came from California for a little visit. We were roomies our second year of college and for many more after. Seeing as how we're both 40 now, we've been friends for a long, long time. I'm the sister she never had and she's the one who introduced me to Ben & Jerry's. 

Last week Dan and I enjoyed a little vacation at Girls Camp. I know Girls Camp seems like a pretty lame vacation but I love being there I love him so that's that. Plus, no kids! Well, except for all the teenage girls we were there with but whatever. They know how to get their own drinks and they put themselves to bed.

I turned 40 while we were away. Isn't Dan a stud? I think Girls Camp might get its own post too because I've got some good pictures. 

And then my sweet baby Cate turned 5.

Phew.

All caught up.