::feet::

I always keep my toes done.  

I'll let my eyebrows go sometimes, but my feet are ALWAYS done.

And in the summer they are always dirty.  Very dirty.  Because I only garden in flip flops.

I have no reason why.

And see all the little cuts on the tops?  I don't even know how I got them.  

You should see the bottoms.  STAINED with dirt and mulch and who knows what else.  

Lily and I have a summer motto -

"If the water in the shower doesn't start out muddy you didn't play hard enough."

::farm kids get ice cream::

 When you live in the country you don't get to know the ice cream truck.

 But when we spent some time at my friend Hannah's house I heard the sound that I knew from my neighborhood days. 

 How cute is he?

Forgive the iPhone pictures.  Sometimes you have to use what you have to capture a moment in time. 

::max vs his own eyeball::

 

Poor Max.

That black eye he got when he jumped off the porch turned in to an eye infection.

That had us in the immediate care for two hours, only to be shipped to the ER.

Meds are fixing it up, but it was a sad little eyeball.

::summer learning::

I want to use this summer to its fullest.  

One of my goals in to work on a summer tutor plan with Lily.

I met my mother in law (who was a first grade teacher) at a local teacher store and started digging through the workbooks.

I have a small notebook that I am tracking lesson plans in and writing notes to keep the baby sitters going with this when I am not home.

Here is a sample lesson plan.  I have allowed flexibility in this plan, if something is working well than we can keep going with it.  If it is not than we can stop and move on to something else.  My goal is at least one total hour everyday.

Lesson Plan:

Start with 10 minutes of reading out loud - any book she wants to read

Do at least two Mind Bender puzzles.  She loves these logic puzzles. 

2-4 pages from her Summertime Learning workbook.

4 puzzles from Puzzles and Games that Make Kids Think.  This book has four different sections/types of games.  She loves it.

1-2 pages from her Science workbook.  I LOVE this one.  We were in Lowe's and saw a peach tree.  She proceeded to tell me they were temperate trees and need  a certain amount of cold days to make fruit.  WOW. 

Then she does a journal entry.  She can write about anything.  I don't proof read it.  We just talk about what she wrote.  

Any other suggestions? 

::max vs porch steps::

 Max tried to jump the porch steps at my friends house.

It did not work out.  

His face took the brunt of it. 

 Then he and Maren (her similarly aged daughter) took turns pouring frosty in each others hair.

 Let's not forget the stubbed toe.  

And the chocolate face.

::potty training - take three::

Yes. 

I have posted about potty training Max before. 

Yes - I keep quitting. 

He wins.  Often.

AND YES, he is 3.5

But I think I might have hit one something here.

Naked.

I take all his clothes and diaper off, except for a tee shirt. 

And just walk away. 

If he wants to pee of the porch - fine.

If he wants to use the toilet - great.

What ever. 

And so far that kid has not had an accident. 

(Minus when he pooped on the porch.  But that is another story.)

"It just slipped out Mommy.  Sorry."

Can it be that he might not wear a diaper to NFL training camp? 

(But now, how do I put pants on him?)

::summer schedule::

I didn't want the summer to be a crazy mess.  So I made a glorious list. 

The Gordans (the family that helps babysit) has no problem with this.

My hardest sell will be Josh.  

All chores listed are the kids chores.  

Here is is:

8am – up and eat
          Clean up dishes and spray off table
          Brush teeth and hair, get dressed

9am –   Start one load of laundry
Play

12p – help make lunch and spray off counters
Eat
          Clean up dishes and spray off table
    Bring Luna in and feed her 1.5-2 cups

1pm – Max nap

1pm-2pm - Lily work on workbooks, reading and programs
          Emma work with goats

2pm-3pm – Chores  (if no Emma, do not do animals)
Lily – sweep kitchen, organize shoes, tidy bathroom, fold laundry, unload and reload dishwasher, help Emma with animals
Emma – feed animals, put away one basket of laundry (rotate between Daddy, Max and Girls) sweep dining room, shoes area, and family room, help Lily with dishes

3pm – wake up Max if not already awake
          Play till pick up

5-6pm – make dinner and eat
          Clean up dishes and wipe counters

7pm-8:30pm – read and play

8:30-9pm – get ready for bed
          Showers, teeth, medicine

9pm – bed time