Wrapping up summer...

It has been a lovely week. I am so glad I took this week off from work to focus on relaxing before the hectic pace of fall.

Sunday...
We attended an airshow, all of us. It is so nice when M gets to go along on our adventures with us! We came back a bit pink from the sun, with tired feet from hours of walking, and sore necks, from so much time spent looking up at the sky. It was a fantastic afternoon! Then we watched Star Wars... you know, the original one, with Luke, and Han Solo, etc. One of our all-time favorite family movies!

Monday...
We went to the beach and met up with a bunch of friends. I walked along, barefoot in the sand, collecting an odd seashell here and there, while Cyrus constructed sand forts against the tide, and Cassia splashed in the water. I got in some great chatty mama time, the kids had a blast with friends, and we returned home full of sand, and a bit worn out!

Tuesday...
A nice day at home. We were invited to a park day, but decided we needed an us day. We lazed around. We read stories, played card games, and we all played in the pool.

Wednesday...
Play date with friends we hadn't seen in quite a while. The kids were beyond thrilled to see their friends again, especially Cyrus. R is his best friend ever - they have been true friends since the first day they met, and I was so happy to see that bond renewed. R's mom and I have promised ourselves, and the kids, that we will make way more effort to get them together more often. I got to hang out with R's mom, which is always nice. We chatted, she gave me fresh kale and chard from the garden, the girls played dress-up, and all had a good time!

After that, I went to my first class. I think it will be an interesting semester. It is a class that teaches us about literary criticism, and how to apply various forms of analysis/criticism to differing works of literature... prep work for the Master's program if I choose to follow that path.

Thursday...
We headed out to Morton's Warm Springs for a hot afternoon of fun, meeting up with a few families from our Friday Park Days. We spent hours in the pool, splashing, swimming, and just having loads of fun! Cyrus learned to do in-the-water handstands and somersaults, and he can dive down to the bottom of the pool now. Cassia, who insisted on a floatie thing when we went just two months ago spent a lot of time swimming. Dog paddle and underwater! With no flotation device! I am so proud of the kids and their newfound swimming skills, and am now much more comfortable with them in water. We returned home happy, worn out, and feeling fantastic.

Friday...
Park Day! I spent the morning doing chores and errands, then we headed out to the park. I got more mom chat time, and the kids saw their friends from every other activity this week. It was a relaxing, casual afternoon... just what we needed to wrap up a fantastic summer week.

Today...
My last day of vacation as I return to work tomorrow. We're hanging out at home today, nothing special on the agenda, except a family friend coming over for dinner. I want to read a bit in the sunshine, weed and deadhead the front garden for a while in the evening, and just relax.

How are you spending the last days of summer?