Summer time, and the living is easy...

I am amazed at how well the kids are behaving this summer. With a very little bit of entertainment, they are being cheerful, helpful, and self-entertaining most of the time. Maybe the "old folks" are right about kids just needing more down time than they get in our times. With the stress of the school schedule off, they seem much happier.

James is really excited about gardening. He has always had an interest, but this summer, he is devoted. He is out every day watering, weeding, plotting. He has planted corn, beans, carrots, watermelon, pumpkin, cucumber. For his birthday he asked for two things - legos, and an azalea bush with yellow flowers.

James's enthusiasm has spilled over to John. For John's birthday, Grandma Di brought a plastic wagon pre-filled with sand toys. She had also purchased a few extra plastic gardening toys to add to the wagon before wrapping it for him. When John pulled off the wrapping paper, he squealed, grabbed the gardening rake, and ran (pell-mell) for the vegetable plot to begin raking, just as he had seen James doing. No doubts in his mind what the new tools were for. When Grandpa Glen hurried over and explained that he couldn't rake the plants that were sprouting because it "hurts the plants," John looked stricken and immediately looked down at the plants, saying "I sorry! I sorry!"

Maggie is on the cusp of learning to read. She can read some words already, but won't most of the time. She prefers to be read to, because she wants to hear chapter books and obviously can't manage those on her own. In fact, she complained the other day, "How come James has way more chapter books than I do?" I explained that she hadn't been interested in them for as long as James, but she looked dubious about that as an answer.

Jeremy picked out the Susan Cooper series to read to the big kids most recently. They both seemed to enjoy Over Sea, Under Stone and The Dark is Rising. That surprised me a bit, because I don't think Maggie understands most of the books, and James certainly not all of it. But they beg for more every night.

I am loving that this summer is more relaxed for us. I loved our travels last year, but I am also really enjoying having time to take all five of us for a bike ride to the ice cream store, or to swim lessons. I have been self-teaching myself piano from James's lesson books, and loving being able to really make some (elementary) music. The kids and I (Finally!) went strawberry picking - the first time since I had kids, I think. My fears that the kids would just whine to watch TV or play computer games all day has not born out, mostly. They actually play very well together, pretend games, and out in the yard, and with board games. We are all discovering enough time for them to enjoy the toys and games they have but never have the energy to use.