The kids are disappointed, but I am mentally doing back flips! The school year begins anew tomorrow morning. (Pictures will be shared soon...after they've been taken!)
To make the best of our last day of summer vacation, I got all the bicycles ready for a ride. That was no small task as I had to remove Nathan's rear tire and add patches to the patch that wasn't holding. Then I had to put it on again. Just as we were taking off, he noticed he didn't have any rear brakes. Oops! Those are kind of important.
I was a little hesitant about taking all six kids out on the road. Only the three oldest can ride...Rebekah is dependent on training wheels. The youngest two were strapped into the trailer behind my bike. Our road is not super busy, but the speed limit is 50 (so everyone goes about 55) and there are a few hills, which makes for short sight-distances.
I was uncomfortable enough that we had a prayer before we went. As we started out on the road, Daniel in the lead and everyone following by age, with me in the rear, I was really worried about Rebekah's ability for such an adventure. Twenty feet down the road I called everyone back to the house. Rebekah ended up in the weeds on the side of the road before we made it back. So what to do?
I called a few people, looking for a place for her to play for a couple of hours. Finally, I found someone in town (which is where we were headed), so I drove her there and then came back to ride with the kids. We had some eggs to unload as well and those were in the trailer with Joseph and Sarah.
It was a nice ride and we got some good exercise. Rebekah got to watch a partial movie, help wash some windows and enjoyed a bowl of ice cream. We stopped at another friend's house for cotton candy...their end of summer vacation treat. (Daniel and I decided that cotton candy is not really candy. And we enjoyed our cotton very much.) A 3rd friend in the area let us leave our 4 bikes and bike trailer in their yard and gave us a ride home. I seriously doubt we would have been able to make it back up the hill to our humble home in the country!
After dinner, we drove back with Chad's truck, had one more little bike ride and brought all the bikes home. I am really sore from all that abuse my bicycle seat gave my tushie. That brings back some mission memories!
The kids all bathed/showered and after scriptures/song/prayer, the kids each received a Father's Blessing for the new school year. Joseph and Sarah did not want to be left out. Joseph folded his arms and bowed his head so low, that Chad had to lean way over the back of the chair to reach him! Sarah climbed into the chair last and tugged Chad's hands down for her turn. She kept her arms folded the entire time and stared out the corner of her eye. It was very cute and several older siblings couldn't stop laughing at her.
The kids headed to bed @ 8. The school days are longer this year and there is no school on most Fridays. We have no idea when the bus will be coming, so we will be ready for it before 7:30 AM. They won't return until after 4 PM. I will only have two kids home and I don't have to worry about a Kindergarten schedule for two whole years. I am looking forward to the peace that is sure to come!
Don't get me wrong, I love my kids, and actually look forward to having a 4-day school week, but things have become survival of the fittest around here the past couple of weeks and it's been getting ugly. We are ready for new friends, new experiences and new memories!
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