Quick Takes #189 Summer Recap

This is in a sense our last full week of summer what with school and September starting next week for us. So a few thoughts.

1. Swimming was the great fun surprise of the summer ~ the kids all loved their swim lessons and made wonderful progress. This will go down as the summer that both the older two learned to put their faces in the water. Lisbeth is now swimming without any floatation aids and Liam very nearly is. 
2. "Summer work" as I called it went as well as could be expected and even better than I had anticipated. Liam had fun with his workbooks and only resisted actually writing letters and numbers a bit. Lisbeth did all her summer reading with only a bit of complaining and her book reports with none at all.  The quiet of the older ones working also allowed for Caitie's to nap more times than not.
3. I was able to keep reading which I really enjoy and hopefully sets a good example for the kids. I mixed a few ought to's with some fun want to's striking a great balance. Charlie and I were able to read a couple of books together and I honestly can't remember when that last happened.
4. This summer has also seen the end of the high chair according to Caitlin. While she happily went back to sleeping in her crib after vacation she is much less happy to sit in the high chair, or rather much more interested in sitting at the little blue table her sibs eat at. Which I admit is very cute if lacking the advantage of keeping her buckled until I can wipe hands & face.
5. A quick reviews of the different camps the kids attended finds Liam liking Tot Lot and his week at the gymnastic camp; Lisbeth was less impressed with Kid Lot and her week at gymnastics camp. She did however really enjoy the enrichment week at her school.
6. The staycation never came together so unfortunately the number of unpacked boxes in our office/guest room was only reduced by a few. I did manage to get some painting done in Liam's room. Lisbeth largely learned how to tie her shoes but teaching Caitlin to use the potty got deferred to the fall.  We managed to grow a lot of mint and grape tomatoes and a nice bunch of basil. 
7. And now onward: what with the start of three school years, Liam's birthday and a Papal Visit to our fair city ~ September is likely to be quite the fun, crazy ride!!

And for more of this week's Quick Takes please head over to Kelly's