holy COW!

Holy Cow.

Life has been.....well. A lot like being shot out of a cannon. Every morning.

Every. Single. Morning.

Some highlights. 

Sweet hubby worked most of the summer. Slight sad face (we missed him & he was exhausted)

but the Pollyanna in me says, thankfully-we have work. 

[Anyone with a job, especially a job they LOVE should be utterly thankful everyday. amen.]

Secondly, we were able to be that said sweet hubby a car, he loves, paid cash, good mpg, sporty. 

Being that he worked a LOT, also meant I had 5 kids waiting for something fun to fill their days until the routine of school swept them off their feet.


A few fun day fillers with my five:

 bike rides.

 wine tasting. but before this looks bad.
how genius is this; wine tasting for mommy & soda tasting for kids!!!
they LOVED it.

 beautiful huh? They can even join the "soda club" and get shipment sent to their house.
cool.

 beach days.

 water polo tournaments.

 midnight showings of Harry Potter.

 Beach Boardwalk.
oh this brought back memories, haven't been in a decade.

 carrousel fun

 the ONLY ride he'd try. after this one, he went on slow boat to china & semi on a loop.

 cotton candy fun.
dontcha just LOVE the hipstimatic pics. they are always my favorite & I don't feel guilt on not lugging my big ol camera.

 lake days when no one needs seat belts because momma drives 10 mph & we're just going to marina-but it wins me Funnest Mom of the Year Award.

 visit to Avila Beach Farm
so much fun there, I'll have to do a whole post.

teaching how to play double-solitare.
my favorite.


It was a great summer but I was one

 Exhausted momma. Who typically loves every moment all my kids are in the nest.....wasn't able to do her usual organizing & preparedness for school. I barely did school shopping in time. 
no one had school clothes picked out til day before.
failure to get them back on bedtime routine.

and I'm a rookie once again. 

High School Mom.

[insert snicker...I'm also a Cougar Mom. As her school mascot is a cougar, hummmm...don't want that on a t-shirt ;]

Here's sweet thing with her crate, they keep all their books in this under their desks. No need for lockers. 

 first day of High School
uniform & all. 

 one of her best friends Aaryn.

we dropped her off together, just like we have for every first day of school since preschool. 
felt so strange being in new place with so many new faces. 
and then it was time to go. 
I didn't want to, I wanted to stay & follow around just to get a glimpse of everything. 
of course I know I shouldn't. 
just one more picture of her first day if High School in assembly with all the fun about to begin. 

the first day of 5th 7th & 2nd grades.


I am so proud of all of you, it hurts.