Winding Down

Summer is coming to a close here in the desert...or at least for the school-aged children it is. Our first summer here in the desert has been a good one...a hot one to be sure, but a good one. In just over a week, our boys will put on their new school clothes, throw on their backpacks and head back to the wonderful world of elementary school. Max will be a fourth grader and Ben a second grader. Clara would LOVE to go to school, however...I'm not quite ready to let her go. I think that she and I need just one more year of girl time before I let her go off into that great big world of pre-school. I think that I may put her into a little ballet class or something...but this mommy is not ready for preschool yet!

The monsoons have arrived here in the desert and that has been a kind of nice thing. They have not brought the kind of rain that I had anticipated...but it has rained and it has cooled things off. Most evenings are incredibly pleasant and bearable with cooler breezes either following light afternoon rains or preceeding the early evening rains. As I sit writing this, it is lightning frequently and I am enjoying hearing the distant rumble of thunder. The other night after the rains we went to the park and were there forever...it was glorious! It was so nice and cool and the breeze was magical. I snapped a really sweet black and white picture of Clara on the playground. It is one of my favorites of her...she had the sweetest smile that just lit up her whole face...seeing her like that just makes me smile.

Speaking of Clara...Clara got her ears pierced on Sunday. Her little friend Mallory, after MUCh debate and many chickening out trips FINALLY got hers pierced. Clara has been talking about it for some time now and has had one chickening out trip herself. But once she saw Mallory's ears she was ready! So we went Sunday right after church and had it done...just like that. She was such a big girl! She picked out the earrings she wanted (little light blue stones), sat up on my lap on the chair and was just great when they pierced her ears. She did not flinch or move or cry or even say ouch. She just sat there like an angel. And they had to do them one at a time as they only had one girl certified to do it. I could not believe how great she did! She looks so sweet with them. They really are so pretty. I keep catching them catching the light and sparkling so pretty. She was sassy today...and not sweet at all. She missed her nap as she had a friend over to play, so she was exhausted and out of control with her attitude this afternoon. But she still at least looked sweet with her earrings!

Chris is out of town in San Francisco. He and Todd are doing some hiking tomorrow and then Chris returns on Friday. So it is just me and the kiddos until Friday! I have no big plans for the days ahead...except for attending the new "Get Ripped" class at the gym. On Tuesday mornings it is all "above the belt" work and on Thursdays, all below. Today's class was quite painful! But it was great. I could tell that I was really working some muscles a lot differently than they are used to being worked. And I really need to change up my workout and get some variety anyway...so this class is exactly what I need. It is short enough that I can get it in and over with if I am in a hurry, but at a great time so that I can do another class behind it if i am not rushed. I have never done a boxercise class before, but hope to try one in the next week or so. Wish me luck! I'm attempting to "get ripped"!

That's all for now! Life is good in the desert!