Summer

I'm struggling with this summer. I miss quiet, and I miss being stuck in my house because it's below freezing and who really wants to go out in that mess. I miss my kids actually wanting to snuggle in bed and read or play board games. I miss hanging out with Isabella. She dashes out the door in the morning and runs two houses over to play with her friend every evening. Mainly, I miss togetherness, because it feels like we are separate this summer, and it's driving me a little crazy. Don't get me wrong, I love sitting outside and I love not having to bundle up in layers of bulky winter gear, but our nightly family dinners are rushed because the kids can't wait to get back outside and bedtime is incredibly late because the fireflies just haven't gotten my memo to turn out their lights at a reasonable hour! And no, I really can't deny the catching of fireflies because Isabella, already in pajamas and past the point of being tucked into bed, tells me they are calling for her. The fireflies will not leave my daughter alone! And then, Isaac hears all of this debate about firefly catching and he chimes in, "Me too! Mom, mom, mom, me catch fireflies too!". A year ago he couldn't put all of those words together, so out they go, cupping one firefly after another in tiny hands. 

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The last of our vacation pictures: 

*Isabella turned seven. To me this is unbelievable. It sounds completely ridiculous that I should be surprised that she is seven, but it's also completely ridiculous that every single week I am surprised and annoyed that I have to wash and iron all of Walter's clothes...again. And every single day I am annoyed that I have to clean my house...again. Why? I must be in denial. 

*Every time we say, "Who wants a hamburger?" or "Who wants a donut?" Isaac shouts, "Me, me, me!" Sips of water from a sippy cup and reluctantly putting a Cheerio to his lips--this is the progress we have made. Actually, the drinking of water, is quite a significant gain.

*Next week I am attending a writer's retreat. My friend asked if I would facilitate a discussion and I chose the topic, Writing for Healing. I am planning to discuss how reflection in the form of writing (journaling, prayer, poetry--any written form) can aide in one's processing of emotions and feelings. This blog has been an opportunity for me to share my struggles and joys in raising a son with special needs. I believe God uses many avenues for healing, and in my life, He compels me to write, and I look forward to discussing that with other writers and hear their own experiences. If you're interested in attending (women only), there are a few spots left, so feel free to contact me.

*Isabella's end of year homeschool evaluation went really well. Now that all of the paperwork is in the mail, we're just waiting to hear that we are approved for another year of home education. Even though Isabella says she never gets a break from school, after almost two months off, we began our school year on Monday. We are taking a fairly different approach to learning this year, which I will share in another post.

*Isaac's speech is exploding by the day. One morning as he stood in his room, he said, "Mom, mom, mom, you help me choose new shirt."

I think after next week, our summer is going to finally slow down. We had our trip to North Carolina, two trips to Columbus, family in town several times and business trips for Walter. I'm done! At least the weather has been amazing, and even though I miss that togetherness I wrote about, I do love the fact that my kids play outside all day and find so many ways to explore and be creative in our own backyard.