Updates, freakouts, and random thoughts...

I haven't blogged for awhile, so this may be a long post. Its something I want to do more often, but just like everything else, I feel like I don't have enough time to do it all. And, quite frankly, blogging is low on the priority list. We haven't been overly busy this summer, but its been interesting trying to juggle working full-time (at home), keeping the kids from summer boredom, and everything else. The weather has been so beautiful that we've been able to spend a lot of time outside, which is always nice.

I guess our biggest news so far is that the kids finally got up the courage to try learning to ride their bikes without training wheels. We were at Grandma and Grandpa Hinds house on a Sunday and Grandpa was telling the kids that he would help them learn how to ride. They responded adamantly that they were not ready. But it must have gotten Peanut thinking about it because the next afternoon, she told us she was ready to try. She was very timid, and it took a couple of hours until we could let go, but she finally got it that evening. Very wobbly! But she got it! And the next morning, the first thing she wanted to do was go right outside and start riding. So cute!! I love that she loves it.

Well, if you know Bubba at all, you'll know that he is not to be outdone by his sis. When she got out the next morning riding, he was ready to start too. It really only took me about 10 minutes of running behind him, and he got it. And he hasn't slowed down since. He loves to make brake marks on the sidewalk and now he's gotten so good that he likes to show off by standing up on the pedals and taking one hand off the handlebars. Pretty cool, huh? :) We kept telling both of them that they would be great if they would just try it, and we were right. It was all about having the confidence.

We've also gone to the library a few times and the kids are coming along great with their reading. Peanut is doing especially well because she loves to try to read anything and everything. Bubba CAN read well, he just doesn't like to try. I guess he's a little lazy about it. I'm working with them both everyday. Right now I'm reading "The mouse and the motorcycle"by Beverly Cleary to the kids. They absolutely love it so far and constantly bug me to read another chapter. I loved being read to when I was growing up, so I'm glad I can pass that tradition on to them.
We recently had a water fight in Grandma and Grandpa Hinds' backyard with almost everyone on that side of the family. It was so much fun!! The kids had a blast and I thought it was especially fun to see Uncle Brandon acting like the kid he is. He and Aunt Katie brought all the waterguns to use and set it all up. I'm so glad they did! I wasn't going to participate, but someone (ahem, Bill) snuck up behind me while I was filling Bubba's shooter for him. It was all over after that!! I think I had almost as much fun as the kids though, so I'm glad he got me.


I'm having a rough time thinking of the kids going off to 1st grade this year. I'm SO not looking forward to it and I'm actually really freaked out about it. Its really rough being a mom!! So I'm trying to make the best of the time we have left this summer. They are growing up so fast. It really is a blink of an eye. If anyone knows a way to slow down time, please let me know! We were seriously considering homeschooling (for many reasons, not just because I'll miss them), but with my work schedule, it is just not going to work for us. I have integrated a few things from the homeschooling program that I was looking into though, which I think we'll keep. We try to start each day with a prayer and scripture reading and then we create an agenda for the day. Bubba especially behaves so much better when there is more of a schedule. It has made a tremendous difference on the days that we have followed through with it. Its not a crazy rigid schedule, just more like a list of things we want to accomplish throughout the day and we check them off as we complete them. Its been good for me too, to be more organized.