i always love august

For one thing this boy was born in August.

Also school starts in August!  Which was like being thrown a life raft after wading in the middle of the ocean for 2.5 months!  I was really starting to lose it, and the quietness that comes when two out of four kids are being taught and taken care of by someone else...is beautiful and magical.  2nd and 4th grade.  So crazy.

Grandma and Grandpa bought Jack a ticket to Tarzan, and I got mine, so the four of us went out to Tuacahn for the night.  So fun!  He seemed to enjoy it and even said quietly "Don't do it!" when the bad guy is trying to get Tarzan to show him where the gorillas are.  

Ada loves stuffed animals, and has inherited tons of lightly used ones from her siblings who were never really into them.  So she is usually cuddling one or another and loves to have a friend in the car.

I think Isaac misses his other car seat, it was a little easier to fall asleep in.

 8 years old.  I just can't believe it!  This kid was hoping for a fondant cake in the shape of an X-box controller....yeah.  I finally told him that I am just not capable of doing something like that, and gave him the option of a two layer chocolate cake with mint frosting and Andes mints too.  He was very supportive and didn't want to watch me make it and afterwards said he loved it.  So much sweetness.  We got him a little Ipod shuffle and luckily Zach got him pink earbuds (he told me later he doesn't really tell people he likes pink but he actually really likes it).  After everything was all done he told me he didn't need anything else, he was just so happy.  With the overwhelming amount of whining we dealt with on the vacations that was SO NICE TO HEAR.

This summer I was able to get into a routine of running some days and riding my bike on others.  I bike up airport hill and on my birthday there was a gorgeous sunrise.  Love the clear air and the fact that I am healthy and strong at 34.  

I woke Lily up one day and she came upstairs a few minutes later excited to show me she had put on a matching outfit!  I realize these types of things will cease before I know it, so we had Jackson take a picture.  

Jackson's 2nd cake for friends.  That would have been a crazy day notwithstanding my super unorganized doings, and I made the decision that I will not do birthday parties for kids over 8.  Most of that came from me leaving Jack on the street at Liz's after he whined about not wanting to double buckle, not knowing or asking if she was willing to only bring him if Zach and Chase continued to refuse to come, with me driving away with all of the other birthday goers in my car.  So hopefully Isaac and Ada will enjoy their last few.  

Also hopefully they will go to the bounce house every year, as it is super cheap for kids under 8 (and yes that was part of my decision making).