This has been a weird week because Ben and Harry were gone on Monday and Tuesday and Ben has the whole week off. It’s my last week before summer classes start, and it has been so tempting to settle into a routine and live there. But! We cannot! This is not exactly how the rest of summer will go, and times of transition are always so unsatisfying for me even when I a enjoying myself.

On Monday, I kick off an 8-week online class AND a 6-week in-person class, so this new summer normal we’ve been toying with isn’t really going to be normal. Which, honestly, is probably a good thing because Cooper, Jack, and Dorothy are WAY TOO TAN. (Harry is, too, but his lifeguard cubby is fully stocked with sunscreen, and I feel like I have done all I can there— the other three are definitely my responsibility, even with more freedom to go to the pool whenever they want).

So far, summer is far sportier than I anticipated it would be even though I knew the kids were doing a bunch of stuff. I only knew it, though, in a vague way because I avoided looking too closely at any schedules because I knew seeing a color-coded Google calendar would be a major summer buzzkill. 

Jack only has dive team, so he’s pretty chill, although he is working his first pool job, so he has that to juggle in. 

Harry is just lifeguarding and playing some tennis— again, pretty relaxed.

Minnie has one Little Gym class a week and might check out some library story times.

 But Dorothy and Cooper! OMG. Both are doing swim team and tennis (starting next week, they’re doing tennis at different times of day and Coop is going to play matches and something that went from a way to make swim team last 2 hours instead of just one is quickly becoming its own THING), and Cooper is diving. These things happen every single day.

 But then!! Dorothy does water ballet 2 nights a week, and starting July 5, she’ll be dancing seven hours a week, too. IT IS A LOT. And it kind of creeped up on me. Plus she plays softball.

 And here’s the big one: Cooper is on THREE DIFFERENT BASEBALL TEAMS: his regular little league team, a tournament team, and the little league district team. Ben coaches the regular team and the district team, so he’s got a lot of baseball happening, too. 

We are basically just never eating together again, and we are spending all of our money on sports equipment that the kids immediately lose and we have to replace and also on Costco and Whole Foods grocery delivery. Summer!

Yes, actually, she is in the driver’s seat. It’s not just a metaphor.

Kona Ice night at the pool.

We took advantage of Ben being home and me not having to grade anything and went for lunch at our favorite greasy spoon. It’s been 3 years, so I absolutely did have my very own chocolate malt.

Um, this is supposed to be synchronized? (Water ballet practice)

The Little Gym repainted and took down for good the baby pics that have been hanging over the gym for 9 years. We got to take baby Dorothy home with us, and Minnie is a fan.

Minnie had a great time and was even able to do the skill of the week! I really want her to be participating more in the skills as opposed to just running around the gym by the end of the summer session, and she crushed that goal yesterday. I, however, started class just too darn enthusiastically and struggled to maintain that level of excitement for 45 minutes.

I saw Dorothy dancing and throwing this bat in the air and I immediately  thought fire batons and Miss Wisconsin. I couldn’t even help myself.

In his favorite place.

I mean, the better question is why wouldn’t she take a walk with a tennis racket and a mermaid?

Jack spends all year excited for summer dive season, and it’s finally here!

DIVE TEAM WANNABE:

When she wakes up from her nap,. Minnie needs to watch Super Why and eat a snack on a plate on the couch in her diaper. She is very specific about this, and I love it.

I really want to go to the pool and take pictures of Harry teaching swim lessons because OMG how adorable, but so far, do dice. Cross your fingers, though— probably with some pics of him taking Hawks swim lessons. I cannot even.