Summer progress

The summer is going well so far.  The kids have been out of school for about 20 days now and I feel like the days are going by really fast.  

The boys are staying busy:

Streeting at Shibuya Crossing with the Elders in the ward

YM's camp for Eli (kayaking, surfing, repelling, etc)

Long walks where they come back dripping with sweat

Working out at the gym together

Working on college essays for Isaac

Getting ready for Singapore (Will)

Rizzing up girls for Isaac (dates)

Movies/dinner/swimming with friends

Playing video game

The girls are also staying busy:

Going to the park

Having a playdate with a friend (almost everyone is out of town for the summer)

Crafting 

Swimming at New Sanno

Playing the computer

Baking

I also have a list of things I'd like the girls to do each day like reading scriptures, reading a book, exercise, clean their room, do a few minutes of school work

It's harder for me to keep the girls engaged because their friends aren't in town and we don't have a yard but so far there has been minimal fighting and a lot of playing together.  I bought a bunch of crafts for them to work on like cross stitching and hand sewing so that when they start to get bored we can learn a new skill together.  

I love the summer time.  I love having the kids home.  I love the slow mornings and unrushed evenings.  I love that our conversations are deeper because we have time to actually have them.  I like the way Piper is when she doesn't have the pressure of school and friends on her shoulders. 

Mike has been gone in the US.  His trip is a two-week trip and he'll be back in a few days.  A few days before he left he took the day off and took us all to Showa Kinen which is a park about an hour and a half away.  It was such a needed break to get out of the city.  I convinced the boys to rent bikes and they chose a tandem bike and we could hear them laughing as they rode away.  Mike and I stole the bike at one point and went for our own ride together.  I haven't been on a tandem bike since I was a little girl and I loved it.  It felt like we were on a little date together.  After the park we drove to base for groceries and Burger King for dinner.