crazy

Summer is crazy. Mostly because my kids are crazy. Sadly, i don't think it's a genetic mutation. i'm pretty sure every one of them came by it honestly.

Doesn't help that my husband is now supposed to be at work from the time the stores open at 7 and close at 6. And he has a minimum 1- hour commute... you do the math. Gotta love being in an economy where, if you aren't part of the top 1%, you are there to be used up and thrown away. So, I'm trying not to feel sorry for myself. i'm not doing a great job of it. But i can honestly say that i'm trying. i'm grateful it pays well. Shopping always takes the edge off.

It also doesn't help that Aj's anxiety is running at full capacity. We've had to go back to a strict, structured schedule. The pros are that he is much more manageable. The cons are that it is absolutely exhausting to maintain.

So, we've been busy. Super busy. And it's mostly self-created. But, according to Aj's therapist, it will make us happy, eventually. And SINCE i pay her a decent amount to believe her... sometimes i just wish she wasn't so right all the time.

Here's what we've been up to...

 Lots of juggling swim and soccer. Aj isn't swimming on the team anymore now that he is playing soccer. Getting everyone everywhere where they need to be has been a little insane at times. I'm grateful for a working car, dropping gas prices, baby-sitters and Pioneer Crossing.

On the up-side, since we fixed Gavin's breathing issues, he has gotten so much stronger and faster. He qualified for state in the 50 yd. backstroke.

And he CRUSHED his old time.

i'm probably more excited than he is. I think he's just glad he doesn't feel like he's drowning - in or out of the water.

 This is what the view from my house been has been in literally every direction this month. This whole state is a raging inferno. It reeks of smoke.

Baseball - with real baseballs, metal bats and helmets. 

We've created a little thing called "daddy-time" and it is precious. It's an hour where the Jace picks the activity and they play with him. It happens at 7 pm - which before, was their bedtime. Now, it's prime playtime. And when he is out-of-town, I get to try and fill-in... usually failing miserably.I'm a good mom - but a horrible father. Yeah... there's that self-pity again.

Camping. I've fulfilled my once a year obligation. Now we can just hike, right?

(p.s. it really was so, so fun..)

The crazy thing was, that not 2 days after we came off this mountain, it was evacuated because of a fire. And the canyon is currently closed. Last night, we got a pre-firework show as we watched the fire-line continue to burn out-of-control up the mountain we so thoroughly enjoyed just a few days ago. Although, i'm not surprised at the fast rate it's burning. The wood and kindling we found was so, so dry and burned in our campfire within minutes.

June was crazy. July will be crazy.

I think crazy is the new normal for me. I suppose I'd better learn to love it.

3 1/2 months to Mexico and counting...