Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Summer activities going well

I've commented before that I was nervous going into the summer about being home with both children after Henry finished school because I'm so unused to it. I'm very routine oriented, and I was used to my work routine.

HOLD EVERYTHING. I just saw a Puppy Chow commercial with a Golden Labrador puppy that is just about the cutest dog I've ever seen, and his name is apparently 'Bandit.' *squeals*

Ok, back to our regularly scheduled blogging...

Anyway, I'm happy to report that my concerns were for naught and I'm thriving in my stay at home routine. I love being home with the kids, and I've developed a happy (albeit very loose) home routine. It's going to be much harder to go back to work this time.

We signed Henry up for just a few short summer activites, to help keep him active and not bored, and they're going very well. He's at Vacation Bible School this week at the parish school he'll attend in the fall. It's a Panda Mania theme, and there are cute stuffed pandas everywhere. They're playing lots of water games, which is his favorite part. He's also taking swimming lessons and plays tee ball on Tuesday evenings. So far, this seems to be his favorite activity.

And I have to say, I'm kind of loving this new "suburban mom" feeling I've got going on, especially since we now have a school-aged child plus a second child. I feel happy amongst the other families hanging out at the ball field each week, and am very much looking forward to attending the events of both children as they grow up.

At any rate, yesterday was a good example of how well it's all working. It was super hot, and so I didn't get out for my usual walk. I waited until tee ball time, since it's much cooler later in the evening. Mike and Hank drove to the ball field, and I popped Anne into her stroller so that we could walk and meet them there, getting some exercise in the cooler air. She was fine the whole way there, showing her maturing alert state by staying awake to look around at the trees and birds as we walked, instead of falling asleep.

We arrived, and as fate usually seems to have it, Anne chose this moment to become fussy. She burst into sobs just as we were approaching the crowds of people. I had to walk her around the surrounding buildings a bunch of times until she fell asleep. Several of the groups consisted of eager-looking teenagers flirting with each other. I provided an important public service by walking by with the screaming baby showing them:

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE SEX

Anne did settle though, and I was able to watch Hank practice throwing the ball to Mike, and then taking his turn hitting the ball off the tee and running around the bases. It's so, so cute. It's a nice activitiy for kids to learn how to follow rules, gain some coordination and work as a team. There are just as many girls there as boys too, it's by no means a male majority. It might be something we'll be interested in for Anne as well, when she gets bigger.

So, I was able to enjoy the fresh air for a bit, and Anne too, since she inevitably woke back up when I stopped strolling her, and I had to take her out and bounce her. But it felt so good to be outside in cooler air, around other people, enjoying watching Hank. Life is good.

1 comment:

  1. Your abstinence PSA is hilarious. My mom sometimes complains that she looks like a Planned Parenthood advertisement because my siblings are such a three-ring circus in public. Luckily they are also cute, so it balances out. (Hopefully those teenagers weren't inspired to procreate, despite Anne's cuteness, though!)

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