One week of summer down, only 12+ more to go.

Advice for the day: If you have a lot of tension and you get a headache, do what it says on the aspirin bottle:"Take two aspirin" and "Keep away from children."--Author Unknown

Four out of my five kids are taking swimming lessons daily for two weeks. Three out of the five days thus far have felt like winter. Luckily the pool water is heated! I watched fog lift off the water yesterday and thought back to the time when Ben and I went to the hot pools in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. We went on his birthday which is in early January. It's great in the pool but once you get out it's cold!!! The kids have been real troopers. I guess the excitement of swimming lessons makes the cold bearable afterwards.


As for me? Well I'd have to say that I'm exhausted already. It's a good exhaustion though. Before summer came I wondered at how I would handle the "kid overload." Now that it's here, I must say that I'm enjoying it. The best part is seeing all of the kids playing happily with each other. They're finally relieving the ache of all the things they dreamed about doing during school days. Even 10-month old Hyrum puts in his two bits. Why just today 3-year old Sammie made up a game involving him. "I'll tease you with your toy, then you come get it. Before you come too close I'll run the other way." At first I thought Hyrum would disapprove. It didn't take long, however, to notice that he was actually playing along.


Learning to laugh at some of my motherly ways has been my greatest "overload" coping tool. Motherhood can be crazy, but if you stop and think how blessed you truly are then life brings more fulfillment. It is like deciding to work with the tide or against it. My kids just want to be kids, so why not get down on the floor and join in the fun!