Summer fun on the deck

The weather in Seattle has been quite strange this year and it's been ever so unpredictable that I don't pay much attention to the weather forecast anymore.  It's almost July and we still have long sleeve kind of day.  However, we have had some days above 70 and the kids and I enjoyed them to the fullest potential by pulling out the water table and kiddie pool.  The water was still cool, but the kids didn't seem to mind.  The children in the Pacific Northwest get trained early for cool weather water play.  Me, coming from a city with muggy and hot summer, cannot train my brain to think swimming at temp at lower 70s, but whatever makes the children happy and tired works for me.

Looking at Saya in her little pink swimsuit, I remembered my own toddler photo wearing flower bikini.  She is a lot chunkier than I was, but I saw some resemblance.  Sean was the first one to put his feet in the kiddie pool and was standing in there playing for a while.  Alyson enjoyed playing with Sean and riding her trike in her swimsuit.  Noah loves water, too, and did manage to make his shorts and shirt soaking wet before I had the chance to change him into his bathing suit.  The huge deck we built was a smart investment.

On the side note, Saya has been terrified of sleeping in her room (my room) since she found a big spider on the wall the other night.  I caught it in a cup and let him go outside, but she thinks some critters are still hiding somewhere in the room.  She screams and screams and would not want to sleep at nap time and bedtime at night.  I am sure it's just a phase, but it sure is making things difficult for all of us. 

I enrolled Sean in a Japanese music summer camp, however Sean hadn't gone there yet.  He refused to go inside the school (it's Aly and Saya's Japanese school) in a panicky way, so I let Aly go instead for the past two days.  He will have three more chances of going there so hopefully he will decide to go at least for one day.  Aly has been having fun though, learning to read music and all.  It's a shame he is terrified of attending the program.  I am sure he would enjoy it once it starts. 

The summer has been going fine but I must admit, it's been stressful.  The change of routine is throwing Sean off and he has been a bit unstable.  Aly and Saya's classes are out this week, too, and the boys' summer program with Bellevue school district won't start until next week.  So, it's been interesting...  I had lots of ideas about what I could do with the kids during summer but I am operating at max level at this point, just keeping up with the appointments and chores.  I have to find a nice routine for all of us, so that we can find that harmony that had gone out the window ever since the school year ended...