Dog Days of Summer

I have no idea who came up with that saying or what it exactly means. We have had over 45 days of over 100 degree heat here in south Texas and there is no end in sight. Hurricane Don began to head our way, but apparently it was no match for extreme drought and ran off into the gulf. We have not been able to do too much outside, but we have taken advantage of the summer fun and enjoyed some family time outside as well as inside. The kids are growing just like the sunflowers outside, quickly and everyday it seems that they blossom more. Havely is already 5 and is enjoying her last summer before she become a big Kindergartner in the fall. I cannot believe how much she has changed and how smart she is. Sometimes her wits add so much to the day, but sometimes they turn on me and can light my nerves on fire in an instant. She is gorgeous, and her skin is tanning and those blue eyes of hers just sparkle. She is testing at a second grade level and I think school will go well for her. I am just worried she might not be challenged enough and get bored. A bored Havely is one who wanders and talks and gets into a bit of trouble. I am gathering things for her to begin this adventure. This past weekend Havely, Angela and I went school shopping. We had a fantastic day. Lunch then shopping, and hearing Havely tell us that certain items were wonderful and gorgeous, I love her expressions. Today I ordered her dinosaur backpack, a pink one with spikes, she will surely standout.
Grant is changing even faster. He is not my baby anymore, he is a little boy that collects cars and plays with bugs. He is talking and is interacting with us for many things. He also signs and that is helping with some of his frustration with the words not coming out quite right. He loves his cars. He will carry up to 6 of them around at once, having them stacked in his chubby little arms and hugging them to his chest. I love to engage in play with him just as much as I like being an observer to his world. He is so smart and takes everything in before he makes an decision or takes action. He has already figured out the baby gates, goes up and down stairs, and can climb on most things. He has even figured out if he can't reach something to push something over to it, to use as a stool to reach it. He is the cutest boy I have ever laid eyes on, and I am not the only one to voice this opinion. He has so many expressions and I am sure that when he gets older and has friends, he will be the life of the room with them, just as he is to us right now.
Havely and Grant's relationship is like a roller coaster, but with mostly ups. They fight as most siblings do, most of the time it is because Havely is being bossy and tries to control him, and he in turn takes a chunk of that nice blond hair and yanks it. He is holding his own the best he knows how, but Havely better get all the jabs in while she can because in about two years he will be able to squash her like a bug. The moments that take my breath away are when they sit and read together, or spend hours playing together. Lately they have been playing in the game room in the kitchen, Grant is the screaming short order cook and Havely is the waitress. It is simply hilarious. I love going to the cafe to get bowls full of plastic food and watching them play, it is one of the best places in town.
Jackson and Genevieve are growing quickly as well, seems to be the theme around these parts. They are talking like crazy and are close to becoming somewhat mobile. I really hope Angela and Keith are ready for a dual tornado, because those kids are about to rock their world. They know their general surroundings now, and have also become familiar with me and my family. We have been spending a lot of time together recently and I love that when those kids hear me or see me they grin and get chubby cheeks and do the baby excited kick and arms flailing, basically it says, AUNT MACK ROCKS!!! Watching the kids grow is only half of the equation that I love right now. Watching my sister and Keith grow as parents has been just as delightful. They handle the duo well and I am proud of how they work together so well. It has been so satisfying to see them with their kids and watch all four of them as a family unit. It makes my heart swell and I also dream of the days when all of us can pack up the runts and head out on vacations and mini adventures together!
Overall summer has been good, we have gotten in load of pools day, Havely is now a proficient swimmer, can dive for rings and even can now do flips underwater. She has amazed even herself with her aqua abilities. Not to be outdone, Grant is a little waterbug too. We had to get him a puddle jumper just so he could keep up with his sister. He has no fear of the water, which fills me with terror, and jumps in all on his own. We are going to attempt swim lessons with him this fall, with hopes of the possibility of putting a pool in the backyard come springtime. A large investment, but I know it will get it use.
The other night we spent time playing outside in the evening and enjoying a "cooler" day (I think it was only 92). We colored on the sidewalk with chalk, ran around with the dogs and just enjoyed the night. It's summer nights like this that I thrive on. The nights were for just a bit, life seems damn near perfect. The time when you just live in the moment and take every bit in, in hopes that it will become permanently imprinted in your memory for later. We ignored bedtimes, we ran without shoes, we got dirty. The dogs ran around without any restrain, and the kids laughed in delight as they rounded the house chasing each other. Jaaron and I just laughed and got right into the mix. This is my definition of the "dog days of summer". 08.02.11