***Summer Lovin, had me a Blast!***

The title is way more catchy if you sing it with the correct Grease music playing in your head!

Summer is here, full blown. We have spent nearly every day that it has not rained at the pool. We love our Riverside pool. It's not a private- in your own back yard- kind of pool. We do have to share it with others but we we have 3 to 4 lifeguards at a time watching the children. So, the other people don't bother me.............much.

Tanner, is wrapping up his baseball season. Shew! He started Middle School, with much complaining and protesting. He thinks we hate him and that I would rather not spend time with him. Then after the first day, he had an epiphany. He realized that what I told was true. That if he were to walk into that big, foreboding building on the first official day of school, he would in fact be a mess. This boy does not do change. It has been a week now and the poor kid cannot figure out his locker..........still. No need to say, the momma is ALWAYS right.

I need to gush about him one more time. He had a very busy first full week of summer. He had invites from one friend after another. He was so overwhelmed during one of his trip to a friends house. I asked him what was wrong and he explained it like this. " Mom, the whole summer is going to go by so fast. Like right now, I haven't got to spend one day with you!" I love that boy!

Taylor is busy with High School football. At the HIGH SCHOOL. The other morning I had to drop him off early for weights and as I drove up there were some really BIG boys standing by the gym door. My heart did a little dance with my nervous stomach and I asked him, in all sincerity, if I should walk him to the gym because those boys looked really intimidating. He said "NO, MOM" before I finished my sentence and jumped out of the car. I rolled down my window and he shot me a look that meant business. I slowly drove away all the while watching from my rear view window. I am not ready for High-School. Lovin that Big Boy.

My little Tucker man is simply my buddy. Because the two big boys are busy in the morning, he and I jump get to work out together at the Y. Tatumn goes to the child watch, where she was greeted with shouts of great joy from her friends today! But because God is so good there is treadmill right next to my machine. The I600. Killer. But we manage to chat and give each other a thumbs up when The Suite Life with Zac and Cody come on! We are still struggling with his asthma. That makes me a little more worried than normal. I love that little man.

Tatumn is almost, completely, I don't want her to know that I know, potty-trained! Yeah! I have almost conquered my fears of public restrooms with her, too. Big week here at the Crawford's. This is the second week in a row that we have not had to empty the dreaded Diaper Champ. We can actually walk into her room with being welcomed by the camouflaged stench of dirty diapers. She is loving the pool more this year. She has gotten a tad bit more brave than last year. Although she did trip the other day and could not regain her balance (heart be still!) and went completely under the water. I was right there and scooped her up quickly, Glory, but she was done and told me "I want to go home right now. That was scary." The way she says scary is so cute. She is the darling of our house. The true delight of our lives.



And you gals thought I was just being lazy with my posts.



Never a dull moment. Ever.

I had made up my mind that this Summer we were going to take it down a notch with our meals. I am not bragging or patting myself on the back when I say this, please know that. But for any typical meal, I will use serving bowls, napkins, glasses, etc when we eat as a family. I love dishes, not washing them, but love a pretty table that is set. Quirky, I know. But I was pretty pleased with myself when I decided that we were going low-key. Paper plates and more disposable things. Easy clean up. Less dishes to put away. Less dishwasher duty. Etc. When I told my husband he gave me that "you're kidding, right?!" look. I wasn't but I went ahead and sat the table like usual. Anyway, when he prayed over us that morning it sounded something like this " Thank you Lord for supplying us with pretty dishes and letting us eat off of real plates and not paper ones." Oh Lord, help me love this man. Kidding aside, I really do love this man. A bunch. And the dishes thing is no big deal. Really.


For those of you who didn't jump over from Sarah's, I want to give a shout out to her. She is my bloggy friend forever. BFF. I cannot even remember how we met. She has three little guys, so it goes without saying that we will mansions close by in Heaven. Because, as you may or may not know, there is a special place in heaven to the mother of boys'. With a princess, as in our case. And maybe one day, hers too! But please go over and visit her blog. www.lifeintheparsonage.blogspot.com And pray for her tiny town, it has been hit hard lately. Praying for you, Sarah.