We went swimming at the pool for the last time this season.  So sad.  Summer is way too short!  Hugo really was a fish this summer.  It has been great fun watching his progress in the water.  I'm thinking for next summer to sign up for back to back half hour lessons.  Maybe even a brief stint of swimming lessons at the Y this winter for a refresher.  Maybe even a trip to sunny southern Spain where I've heard that a certain family we know well has obtained a house with a pool and guest quarters a block up from the beach.  I hope the sheets will be settled and clean possibly sometime this coming January/February??!

This N' That

It's a rare morning these days, when I find my way into the bathroom to apply some makeup to my face.  This summer, I am not like my normal self.  I'm chubby so nothing fits, my hair has not been happening, my mascara and lip gloss tubes may as well be baby chew toys, but worst of all, I'm Casper the Friendly Ghost white.  No suntan for this twin momma.

I feel like we've been on the run, full speed ahead, for weeks now.  Summer is half over and I have no idea where it went.  How did this happen?  Normally, Hugo and I have spent long, leisurely days at the kiddie pool with friends and a packed cooler.  Not so far this summer.

I think I've figured out what the great time sucker has been... swim lessons!  We've been driving 30 minutes to a Rec facility for a 25 minute lesson, five days a week for the past four weeks.  Whew!  Once poolside, I park the double stroller under a shade umbrella and nurse one girl and then the other while trying to make conversation with ladies near by, keep myself covered and keep Hugo in the pool.  Our skinny boy freezes while waiting for his swim turn so he'll hop up and hurry over to where we've "parked" and warm up in his towel for a quick minute.  Today was our last swim lesson but, it's raining outside, so we didn't go.  A slow day at home is just the ticket needed by this momma of three.  I do feel bad that Hugo will miss out on his last swim class and his certificate.

The rain thus far has kept the temperature low today, a cool 71 degrees it is outside.  The air is damp and breezy blowing through our windows, I've actually thought about closing them.  Hugo just pulled on some socks to warm up his toes.  Sabine has stretched her morning nap to lunch time.  Marlo is kicking around on the living room floor in long pants.  The weather man said that tomorrow the heat index is supposed to be 101 degrees, I can't hardly believe it.  If the rain continues throughout the afternoon, I'm gonna light a fire in the wood stove.  I'm cold!

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Friday Morning

The girls have improved their sitting up skills immensely this past week.  Marlo is a trooper... until she topples over in a face plant, her screams can be heard two counties away, I'm sure.  Sabine is still loosey goosey with her trunk muscles, but ever so slowly, she improves daily.  The past two or three days, she has been showing off to her older sister by rising up on her knees and rocking a bit.  Won't it be something if our floppy girl crawls before our stiff one does! 

We have two bouncy chairs for the girls.  Sabine uses the red chair which we bought long ago for Hugo, it supports her spine and trunk muscles the best.  A second, but different, bouncy chair was purchased for Marlo.  Back in her Missunderstood days, she was in the bouncy chair with the vibration mode turned on full blast whenever she wasn't being held.  Which was a lot.  I wish we'd counted how many batteries we went through to keep her calm and quiet.  I wish, I wish...  oh well.  Marlo loves her pink chair.  She can make that thing bounce like none other.  Sometimes she waves one leg up and down to make her chair bounce.  Other times she'll lift both legs up and down in the air for a fun ride.  During tummy time, she'll now thump the floor as she waves one leg up and down.  Smack, smack, smack the top of her foot will sound against the floor!  I wonder if it will develop into a lifetime habit of sorts?   

I didn't take any photos this morning as Charles and Sofia left for home with Vava.  Hugo was long in the face and sad, sad, sad to have his cousins leave.  He asked repeatedly if he could go to Rafael's house too.  We tried to explain that the kids will be away at camp next week, that Raf won't be home much nor would there be any food in his fridge, but none of that soothed Hugo.  Thank heavens that as soon as Vava's car pulled down the drive (Sofia blew kisses from the back seat), we all raced back inside to dress for our trip to Hugo's swim lesson.  It was the perfect diversion.  He was soooo excited to show Papa how he wasn't afraid to jump off the diving board anymore! 
  

A Big Day

Hugo jumped off the diving board today, by himself, for the second time.  He was driven by the bate of a new toy.  He really wants a Poison Ivy figurine to add to his Batman bad guys collection, but instead, received The Riddler.  He was happy with the Riddler, loves that he can shoot giant question marks at things, but he is fixated on Poison Ivy.  Why?  How?  Is Poison Ivy even an option?  I need to look up our Batman Cave toy on line and get some answers before I'm in real toy bribery trouble.

As we pulled up to the house after Hugo's lesson, Vava was waiting for us in the driveway.  We ate a quick lunch of Pepperoni Bread and watermelon then quickly packed up for an afternoon at Big Deep.  It was wonderful.  Wonderful.  So happy we discovered it.  Hugo wore his Spiderman inner tube and swam his little heart out.  He played at being otters with Sofia, watched Charlie build towers and scratch messages into the stones.  The girls slept, nursed and had their feet dunked into the cool water by Vava and I.  It was a hard place to leave.

After dinner, Vava wanted to pick berries outside.  Sofia and Hugo begged for a bowl and were out the door in a flash to follow their Vava throughout the yard.  Raspberry jam is in our future!