It's been a little rough around here...

Alright, I'm not gonna lie. It has been a little rough around here for me lately. I used to really love summer . . . when I was a teacher! Don't get me wrong, I love the sun shining in our windows every morning, being able to play outside every day, drinking iced coffees, eating popsicles, wearing flip flops and shorts, dressing the girls in simple dresses and no shoes (although that came to a screaching halt this week after Clara stepped on a bee last Sunday evening . . . sandals every time we go out now!) and getting wet almost every day. However, this mama is yearning for fall now, and some much needed structure to our weekly routine. I love structure. I crave structure. This mama is looking forward to Clara going to preschool two mornings a week (which she is going to LOVE by the way), starting at a new MOPS group, possibly doing a Bible study somewhere, helping with Youth Group, and teaching a toddler/mama class at the YMCA.

I would say that the last few weeks have been busy, but they really haven't. We've kind of been in a "one day at a time" mode around here, and some days feel like I'm just surviving. Clara ended up doing 4 weeks worth of swim lessons in Cashmere because it was a nice outing to have in the middle of the day. Babies sat in their stroller and ate lunch most days with me, and Clara successfully mastered the beginning level and was jumping into the deep end (with a life vest on) and going all the way under the water without choking and crying by the end, which was what we were going for! We also are done with our "little praisers" dance group tomorrow, which has been fun. Other than that, we've done trips to the YMCA probably twice weekly, gone to the library, the park, the pet store, and the splash park several times!

I have made a hobby of looking at what I will call "creative mama blogs." I have about 6-7 of them bookmarked on my computer, and I look at them probably every other day or so. I've started to copy and paste ideas I like and put them into some files on the computer . . . mostly craft ideas, but also other activities I want to try. So far, we've made our own bubble solution (didn't work well), played with a flour/baby oil mixture (was messy, but kids liked it for 20 minutes while I made dinner), tried our hand at a few different "toddler boxes" with sand or rocks or beans/pasta mix, and Clara and I have done a lot of fun craft projects together during the twins' morning nap time. THat is one thing I will miss in the next month or two: babies taking two naps. In some ways, it will give us more freedom to be out in the mornings, but I have enjoyed that time to clean, do my devos some days, and do stuff with Clara that is just not at all possible when the twins are up.

Here's a pic of Emma the other day. I decided to try giving the two of them white board markers to draw on the glass door, (clara was at a playdate) thinking that they would just think that was the coolest thing ever. Wrong. They both tried to put markers in their mouths (what else is new . . everything still goes in their mouths) and Emma got obsessed with trying to get a cap on and off one certain marker. But, we were occupied with the activity for about 20 minutes, which, for two 16 month olds is all you can really ask for!
Last Sunday, we went up to Leavenworth to take a little family "hike" through the downtown park. Another idea that seemed good at the time, but was a little more difficult than we had imagined. It was a little hotter than we thought, the river is way higher than we thought (making it not so safe for the kids to even be anywhere near it, which is what we kind of went there for) and once the babies had gotten out of the stroller, they didn't want to get back in. But, it was a family outing in God's beautiful creation and the sunshine anyway! We finished the evening eating China Express at Safeway in the deli.

Savannah J, sitting on the beach

Woops, this pic is out of the order I'd like . .. Clara, eating an ice cream cone in the backyard. Definitely a perk of summer: lots of ice cream and popsicles at the Lebow house lately!

Clara, on our little family hike

"Hiking" Lebow style. We get more comments on this stroller than I ever imagined we would. I absolutely LOVE it. In fact, if anyone out there knows of someone in a situation similar to ours (three kids ages 2 and under) I would highly recommend this Joovy Big Caboose. We also have side by side strollers that we use occasionally, but nothing gets used more than this sucker. Yes, it is heavy. Yes, it is a cadillac. No, it doesn't turn very well. But, it has a big basket (a huge plus, if you ask me), has a third spot for Clara, has trays for the babies (about 1/2 of their summertime meals have been on those trays) and fits through doorways much better than the wide ones. Love. It.

Another stress that I have put on myself this summer has been trying to figure out how I can earn a little more money for us this fall. I literally have been on the school district sites and Craigslist every single day for probably six months, looking for teaching, tutoring, or childcare jobs. Just within the last week or so, it has really taken it's toll on me, and I've kind of melted down about it. So, if you think about it, say a prayer that our current #1 option of me teaching 7-8 beginning piano students works out. It's been coming together, but we're not quite there yet, and I just want the details to be sorted out, like, yesterday.

Last thing: I kind of took a hiatus from anything craftsy for about a year after the twins were born. I havent' even started their scrapbooks (which I have decided will be my last "scrapbooks" that I do . . I have switched to digital scrapbooking now and LOVE it . . one 12x12 book for each calendar year for our family . . . but I did a scrapbook for Clara's first year, so I'm committed to doing one for each of the twins, too. I've decided that if I can get them done before they go to college, I'll be doing pretty well) and I just really haven't done anything else craftsy in a while. So, about a month ago, I caught that craftsy "bug." I think it's from looking at all the blogs. So, I helped my mom do some work in my sister's room, repainted and restored my mom's old childhood desk for Clara's room, and did a little project for the dining room area. It feels so good to start and finish a little task, and then get to enjoy looking at it every day! I have a few other ideas of things i'd like to do in the family room, but I've gotta slow down a little . . . don't think Craft Warehouse needs any more of my money for a while. :)

This is on one side of the window by our dining room table, and, on the other side is "Our daily Bread"

Clara's finished desk. Probably should have taken a picture of it before she cluttered it all up with stuff

She even got to help me prime it (another "while the babies were taking

their morning nap" project)