Whew. The loooongest week ever.

Between the “earthshake,” some tired (therefore crabby!) girls, and the jam-packed days that this summer seems to be providing, it has just been a long, long week.

I did pull out a new game that I had saved over from Christmas to give the girls when a diversion was needed – and it has turned into an obsession!

Every morning, every evening, every tiny moment of “down” time – “Mama will you play Hi Ho Cheerios with us?”

Addie couldn’t believe I was taking the photo above without a “star” in it, so she had to provide a sweet face.

Today was our last day of swim lessons for this cycle. Addie seems pretty bored with the whole thing and would rather just spend her time in the baby pool.

Em’s instructor (Staaaanley! Whom she has a minor crush on and can’t say his name without being completely starry-eyed and giggly. She’s five. FIVE!) pulled me aside before we left though and said that she and one other kid, were the only ones who completed all of their Tot level requirements – one of which was swimming the length of the pool, unaided (40ft!). He said if she does maybe one more cycle, and gets her side breathing down, she can move up to Advanced Strokes.

Of course the entire time he was telling me this she was just looking at him like he was the most fascinating creature ever. GAH! And then after we walked away she kept asking me, “What did Stanley say, Mama? Did he think I did a good job? Is he so proud of me?”

Double GAH!

So anyhow, I need a break. I think we will take the next two weeks off, and then at least Em will probably do the last cycle of swim lessons before school starts. I think next year she will be full-on, ready to move up.

She keeps asking me when we are going to go school shopping. I promised each of them their own “day” with Mommy where we would do a little “Back To School” shopping. I used to love the start of school, searching for the right supplies to take in my backpack on the first day of school. Mmmm…the smell of new unsharpened pencils and the fresh, untouched sheaths of notebook paper. Yes, I was a bit of a nerd in school, too.

Anyhow, I think that Em is really just excited for a “date” with Mommy. And I expect we will have to fit that in next week before she drives me crazy with the incessant questioning.

Speaking of fall, I just threw up the last of my July photos in Flickr yesterday….today we have to create an August set!

Summer is drawing to a close, and I need to get off of this computer and back to soaking those last few moments up.