Brennan seemed more ready than I was on Tuesday to return to school. He didn’t miss a beat walking into his new classroom with half familiar faces and half new ones. The past two days he’s wanted to take his backpack with him everywhere we go and pretend-play he’s at school while at home. I catch him spelling his name out loud, and he’s already informed me numerous times what “A” looks like in sign language (one of his teachers has hearing-impaired children and signs everything as she teaches). And this morning I barely finished my sentence, “Time to go to school!” before he was out the door with his back pack on, the garage door screeching upward, and his left shoe on.

Summer time always makes me slightly wince. Three and a half months without a regular routine and at least one scheduled activity makes me want to hyperventilate. This is especially painstaking when I realize that Brennan’s energy level didn’t peak when he turned three, but somehow managed to exponentially grow. But we survived. And these are some of our highlights:

• Brennan received his first big-boy bike.

• Picnicking outside under covered tables while it down poured and playing in the puddles afterward.

• Sneaking in a few breakfasts outside before it got too hot.

• Seeing Popsie and Mees on Memorial Day for lunch at the Gristmill.

• Celebrating Brennan learning to swim! He had a week of swim lessons each month this summer. He went from being terrified and screaming his head off to being excited to see his instructor, swimming full-on freestyle, and diving in the pool (looks a bit more like a belly flop). We are so proud of him! So are Popsie and Mees who gave him his first trophy for learning how to swim (the same thing my Daddy gave me when I learned).

• My momma had knee replacement surgery, and it wasn’t fun. But it allowed me the opportunity to go and take care of her while my dad is working out of State. Kensie and I went down the beginning of June, and while the circumstances weren’t a highlight, being us three girls together was very memorable.
• Baseball games! With friends, on the Fourth of July, and with Aunt Melissa.

• On our second visit down to San Antonio to help Mees, we stayed at a hotel for a few days. It didn’t take long for the kids to figure out how fun climbing in bed watching cartoons and eating breakfast can be!

• Extra summer lovies and snuggles.

• Our family vacation to Colorado! We split the time between Estes Park and Denver visiting our special friends Eric, Kim, Luke and Ellie. We all wish that didn’t feel so long ago; we’d go back in a heartbeat. To top the trip off, Kim and I had the special treat of a night away in Colorado Springs for Beth Moore’s “Living Proof Live” conference and three hours at a spa getting pampered (yay, hubbies!).

• Treats that are only good during the summer.

• A few random storms in which to play.

• Kensington’s first birthday.
• Mees somehow and super generously and lovingly cleaned our home as a surprise and huge help to me while we were away on vacation.
• A day taking the Metro to downtown Austin to play at the children’s museum and feast at a trailer eatery.

• A tour with friends of the Blue Baker and getting to make our own bread.

• Aunt Melissa’s visit that included a visit to the Blanton Museum of Art for a special story time tour combined with the art, feasting at great Austin restaurants, and the Austin ice cream festival!

• Celebrating Molly’s 11th birthday!

• Watching the Olympics (the equestrian events were Brennan’s favorites).

• Two nights that the kiddies stayed at Mees’ and then when I joined them for our final summer visit to San Antonio. Let me say that this wasn’t the most ideal situation in that an hour after I dropped the kids off with my mom, Kensie threw up all over herself and Brennan’s shoes at Hobby Lobby (let it be noted that getting Brennan’s shoes dirty was probably more traumatic to him than the throwing up was to Kensie). My own worst nightmare that my dear Momma endured! The night I arrived, it was my Momma’s turn with the stomach bug. The next day as we were five minutes away from heading home, Brennan threw up all over the kitchen floor. It was awful. And gross. And not how my mom envisioned spending her two days with my children, nor what we pictured for our last summer fling in San Antonio. But laughter, snuggles and light-heartedness allows me to put it on the highlights list. No pictures for this one <grin>.
• The third week in August, we did it up big! On Monday, I took the kids down to Sea World for the day. We saw all the shows, saw Brennan brave the rope nets for the first time, and enjoyed a few hours at Mees’ for dinner before heading back home. Then on Thursday, we drove to Waco for the zoo. I think these two days with my children were two of my all-time favorite days with them.

• Books. Books. Books.

• Silly faces. Dress up. Play time.

• We ended the summer with a bang over Labor Day weekend with a much-needed visit from our awesome pals Chris, Jillie, Harrison, Haddie and Hays! Manicures and pedicures for me and Jillie, and the Lego Fest for the daddies and big kids.

We were blessed with sweet memories, cherished family time, and a lot of fun with dear friends. I didn’t end up needing the paper bag too often <grin>.

I have much to be thankful for!