Wrapping up Summer at Ross Falls

Wrapping up Summer at Ross Falls

• 8.22.2016

For the entire past week Levi has been walking around {and going places!} wearing one green size 8 sandal and one yellow size 10 sandal.  I swear, that kid would lose his head if it wasn't attached.  I keep waiting for the other sandal matches to show up someplace, but they haven't.  It's kind of funny.  I have a feeling I'll find them sometime after school starts... which is in exactly one week!

For the first time in my entire life I think I am actually okay with saying goodbye to summer and welcoming a new school year.  Part of it is because I'm getting bigger and slower with each passing week.  The commencement of Fall just means I'm that much closer to meeting our newest family member!  Plus, a regular routine is sounding awesome.  Jed and Levi are frankly bored at home.  A few hours away from each other every day will do them some good.  They're cute and play well together most of the time, but gee whiz are they competitive and wow are they physically cruel when they fight!  On top of that, Levi seems to calculate whether the punishment is worth retaliating; it almost always is.

For instance, just earlier this week, I oversaw Jed scrub his toilet and sink after he severely scratched his brother.  Levi waited until Jed was done cleaning and then got his revenge with a mean scratch of his own!  I took him outside to weed the front courtyard.  I'm not sure what we're going to do with that kid.  We've tried taking away toys, time-out, spanking, chores... but revenge always trumps the consequence.  "But Mom, I get angry a lot," he said to me when I sat down and talked with him one day.  I laughed.  I know!  Hopefully we can channel that competitiveness and aggression into something productive one day.

Anyway, the shopping is all done and both boys are super excited to start school.  I can't help but be excited along with them. Jed will be going into first grade and Levi will start preschool.  We live in such a great community and school district.  I feel at ease knowing the boys have supportive teachers and a good group of kids from which to choose solid friends.

But until then, we're going to enjoy our last sunny and completely carefree summer days doing the things we love to do best.

These pictures are from an afternoon trip into the South Hills last week when the boys needed to get out of the house and burn some energy!  I packed my camel backpack with water, jerky, cheese, crackers, and apple slices to eat at the top of the short Ross Falls hike.  Clouds moved in over the sun and we got to explore the falls in balmy 70 degree weather.  It was nearly perfect.  I'm hoping our last week of summer has many more moments like these.  I love my boys.  And I love spending quality time with them.       

^^Little stud.  He's a poser for the camera.^^

^^The end of the trail: Ross Falls!^^

^^Not moments after we arrived at the top, Levi literally fell into a stand of stinging nettle!  I grabbed him, ripped off his socks and shoes, and told him to soak his legs in the cold water.  He's such a tough kid!  I never heard another complaint the rest of the day.^^

^^Something about this rock made it special.  Jed has a thing for rocks these days.  I find piles of rocks on my kitchen counter and in the back of my car.  I find them everywhere.^^

^^Feeling the soft green moss in the little cave.^^

^^Eating crackers on a rock.  The sun peeked out from behind the clouds for a minute.  I love how the light is falling on him here.^^

^^They spied a grasshopper!^^

^^A sign that Fall is indeed just around the corner.^^

^^This sweet face, closing his eyes and making a silent wish, just before blowing this giant fluff to smithereens, melts my heart. It's totally him, all the way.^^

^^We drove through the canyon with the windows down.  This little hand in my mirror is everything.^^

Til next time, Ross Falls!

P.S.  The other night at the dinner table Jed was jabbering along when suddenly he looked out the window and in mid-sentence blurted out, "HUMMINGBIRD!" I looked at Bron. "Squirrel!" we both laughed out loud together in reference to the movie, Up.