Time-Warp Wednesday

Last week we went back about nine years.  This week we're going back about two months!

Today my kiddos headed to school ... backpacks on, lunches packed, new clothes on display and big smiles!

I was glad to see them getting back into the school routine, but quite honestly, I wasn't ready for them to be back in school full-time!  (Neither am I ready to adhere to someone else's schedule, make endless school lunches, hunt down permission slips or talk my kids through homework.  Sigh ...)

We had a great summer filled with fantastic family memories, but it was so filled that I feel like we just got into our "home for the summer" rhythm!  Oh well ... as my mom says, "Change is the only thing that doesn't change!"

Here are a few mini-Time-Warps for this week.  Just a few steps back in time to help us remember what a great summer vacation we had!

First up ... Aaron, the Barracuda!

Look at that form ... he's sooooo long!

When I scheduled swim lessons back in June, I had it in my head that we would do that "way at the end of summer."  Imagine my surprise and shock when August 1st rolled around and we headed to the pool! Aaron turned into an actual barracuda this summer and it has been fantastic to watch him fall in love with being in the water.  And under the water.  And jumping off the high dive heading toward the water.  And cutting through water as he dives off the board.  As a fellow fish, it is thrilling to me to see my little barracuda find his fins.  Now to keep his gills good and wet the rest of the year so he doesn't forget all he learned!

Next, we have Norah, the Gymnast!

She was worn out from the smiling!

As soon as Daddy bought the plane tickets for our trip back to Denver in June, Norah was focused ... on flying in a real actual plane.  Oh.  And doing that state meet, too.  Our little cartwheeler knocked our socks off with her poise and grace.  Mommy couldn't help blurting out a, "Yeah, Norah!" when she jumped onto the podium to receive her medals.  Even though she had repeatedly asked me to not embarrass her, somethings just can't be helped!  Her passion for gymnastics continues to amaze us and we are excited to see what God has in store for her.

Now, we have Ashley, the Biker-Chick!

She's fast.  And silent.

For the past several years, Ashley has loved biking in the culdesac.  Unfortunately the sheer noise of her training wheels rattle-trapping around on the asphalt made it one of my least favorite outdoor activities. You could barely hear yourself think, much less have a conversation while she rumbled around the bend. But now ... now ... our little Ashley is pedaling around the neighborhood.  Silently.  And even more happily.  She graduated to being training-wheel-free exactly three months from her fifth birthday.  And has been biking ever since!  This little boost of independence is just the beginning of the many new adventures that await Ashley this year in Kindergarten!  (insert mommy-sniffle and teary smile here)

Finally, we have Lydia, our Daredevil!

She has a need for speed!

This summer we had an amazing week in Wisconsin Dells with Brett's family, where we spent the entire time laughing, talking, eating and ... well, staying wet.  We discovered a new side to Lydia as we enjoyed water park after water park.  Our little Liddy loves to slide, loves to go fast and loves for that fast sliding to dump her into a pool!  She was thrilled to play on the water park playground and zoom down all the slides to which she could climb.  And even a few slides she couldn't get to on her own.  On one particular occasion, Mommy was waiting at the bottom of her favorite slide - she even had her frequent-slider pass for this one slide - when she disappeared into the soggy throng of kids.  As I stood there, waiting and waiting and beginning to wonder and waiting some more, I tried to spy her purple suit in the sea of suits.  She was with Aaron, so I wasn't worried, but ... still waiting.  Then to my complete surprise I watched her zoom down the big-kid green slide!  Oh, my!  Aaron came down right after her and as I hauled them both out of the trough at the bottom, my boy answered my quizzical, wide-eyed question with, "She wanted to Mom, she just needed help getting up there."  And so it begins!  My little adventurer is certainly going to keep me on my mommy-toes this year!

A little proof that we had a great summer ... now to prepare for a great fall, too.

(I guess I need to figure out what to do with last year's school papers now, huh?)