Summer Time Summer Time

I wasn't really looking forward to this summer.  I am not sure why- I pictured myself laying on the couch in curlers and pajamas with sweat dripping off my nose trying to fan myself to get cool.  I could just see all the kids jumping all over me with nothing to do and nowhere to go because of the heat.
It hasn't been like that at all!  It has been great! In fact, it has been so fun I haven't blogged for a month! The weather here has just been AMAZING.  I mean, just absolutely beautiful and so much fun.
Typically our days go like this.  We get up- semi early.   I go to the gym while the older kids do jobs.  Then we do something fun- like the pool or Children's Museum or library.  Then we go home and Gabe takes a nap from 12-3 and I clean up, make dinner, surf the internet and search for jobs for Darren while I let the kids have quiet time- usually electronics or a book.   My kids have read a TON this summer which I am so happy about.  I won't lie, they have watched a ton of movies too.  But it's fun, I don't mind.  Then when Gabe wakes up it usually rains, so we just hang out.  Then Darren gets home from work and we have dinner and then go to the pool till it gets dark.  Then we come home and have what I like to refer to as "2nd dinner".  Which usually consists of a bowl of cereal or a sandwich.  Swimming makes us hungry- what can I say?    Then Darren usually has to show the kids something funny on the internet which usually leads to something else funny and we are all watching funny videos till it's way past time for bed.  I have had a hard time putting my kids to bed early (except Gabe) because we are usually having a fun time together! So lately we have all been going to bed at the same time.  And then I sneak out of bed and look for jobs and dream of houses in the peace of the night till the wee hours of the morning.  It's fun!
Some mornings all the kids climb in bed with me and we spend an hour just playing with Gabe trying to make him laugh, or talk, or point to his nose.  He is the center of everyone's attention.  He is so cute!  Sometimes I think, "what did we used to do before we sat around Gabe all day just playing with him?" This summer has been one to remember.
We have also done a lot of fun activities- but my favorite thing of all is just laying in bed in the morning nursing Gabe and snuggling with my kids instead of rushing them out the door to get on the bus.  Wait, maybe that is similar to me laying on the couch with my hair in curlers and kids climbing all over me.  I guess in Florida, the air conditioning makes all the difference.