Random Summer Observations

Having an 80 degree Memorial Day is heavenly and extremely rare. Don't think for a second that we didn't soak it up. The downside is that opening day for swim team was very chilly for the kids. They pushed through it and toughed it out. Driving 40 minutes everyday to get to 8 AM swim practice four days per week is expensive and annoying, but I don't have homebody kids who are content to sit at home all summer. So I have justified this inconvenience because the alternative is cranking the AC for cranky kids, and playing judge and jury all day for various pointless arguments. So we drive, take full advantage of the free breakfast and lunches being offered at the school and call ourselves fortunate to have something to fill our days. On a side note, Sophie thinks she is luckiest girl in the world because Lucky Charms somehow past the rigorous school nutrition guidelines and made it on to the menu selections for said free breakfasts. I don't ever buy Lucky Charms because my conscience won't let me feed candy to the kids for breakfast, but if it's good enough for Uncle Sam, maybe I need to lighten up.

With all this money saved from the free summer meals, I figure we can afford to indulge in some Frozen Yogurt for a treat...or maybe not. When are these sell by weight fro yo shops going to realize how much kid business they are losing by having a cereal bowl be the smallest size they offer? Of course the kids are going to fill it to the brim with five different flavors and have gummy worms jammed on top. They can't eat that much and it ends up costing more than a kid's meal. The first one who wises up and give parents  a reasonable sized option for kids will get my future business, until then we are sticking with $.79 McDonald's cones. At least I know what I am getting into.

Sophie insists she is going to be a "hair-doer"when she grows up. She begs me to let her do my hair on a daily basis. It's a work in progress for sure and it is definitely not a painless process. She gets terribly offended if don't keep her chosen style for the day which is why I have starting encouraging her to do my hair at night. It's awkward. I just hope she gets good enough to be able to do her own hair soon because she got some challenging hair. She is very proud of her red hair though which makes me happy.

We got new bigger and brighter computer monitors and now my blog face gives me a headache. I'm too lazy to change it, so I apologize.

Is it wrong for me to secretly hope that Jake gets overlooked for the Little League All-Star team? Practice every night when the lows barely get out of the 90s just doesn't sound fun. One sport at a time.

We had so much fun seeing the Hatch family in St. George back on Cinco de Mayo weekend. (I have put off posting about it because of some technical difficulties with the pictures I took.) Mark gave the Ironman race a valiant effort and it was fun to be part of the festivities. He is amazing in the way that he has elevated his fitness to the point of being able to compete in these insane races. We are so blessed with amazing and thoughtful and kind extended family on both sides. Lirio had all the little girls surrounding her the whole trip. They love her and she is so kind, patient, and genuinely interested in each of them. Bruce and Becca have returned in one piece (or four pieces actually) from their Philippine adventure. It was fun to catch up and share a few meals before heading our separate ways. Let me just say that the bar has been set extremely high for the sister in laws in the Hatch family. They are all fabulous in their own right. I anxiously await the return of my actual sister. I won't lie..it has been hard to have her away for a couple months. They are slowly inching closer to the desert, making it all the way to Dallas now. Sophie and I are counting the days!