Life as a Lewis

I am kind of chuckling as I glance at my last blog post because it kind of felt all we've got this new back-to-school thing down and we're rolling with it feel. And then I think about this week and how it's been crazy and there has been hardly a moment to breathe. Soccer, guitar, piano, school, church, lots of long hours for Brian, allergies for Camden and Rory, doctor's appointment/antibiotic for me has combined for kind of a non-stop week. I'm remembering why we used to say no to many extra-curricular activities.  However, it's all downhill from here on out (well, this week anyway) because I'm off work Thursday/Friday. I sometimes feel guilty that I am off 2 days a week and then I come to my senses and just enjoy the extra time to work at home as a wife and mama. Rory started soccer Monday, and I think excited isn't nearly a strong enough word for how she felt about it. She hasn't played a team sport since she was 5, but I think we

"If you think reading is boring, you're doing it wrong."  -Anonymous Now that the kids are back in school, my Wednesdays and Fridays are much more productive. They're full of domestic duties like grocery shopping, cooking (I've been trying to take advantage of these days and cook in advance for the rest of the week), laundry, etc.  But Wednesdays and Fridays have also allowed some time for my own interests to show back up in the weekly schedule. I've been scrapping again (this time no pressure to document everything, just what feels fun) and reading. If I were a gambling girl, I would bet that I have read more in the last 3 weeks than in the last year, and I am thoroughly enjoying it. I've pulled out some parenting books that I've started more times than I can count but never finished; I've flew through fiction and am working my way through something a little more substantial . . . all at the same time. For the first time in my entire

School schedule, both for the kids and Brian, is back in full swing and it feels good to be back in a routine although Brian would probably argue against that. It may have taken me years to put this fact together, but Rory likes to chat in the morning on the way to school while Camden is a grump. In the afternoons, however, the opposite is true. Camden wants to tell me all about his day in great detail while Rory consistently has a headache and needs a bit of quiet time before jumping into the stories from her day. Transitioning to middle school is proving to be a bigger deal than I really gave it credit for although Camden is handling it well. We're experiencing some locker room bullying, which is challenging. At this point it is not directed at Camden, but he is feeling the pressure to stand up for his friends and it is a hard thing to go against the crowd even if it is right. As we've gotten back into the swing of things over the last 2 weeks, I've tried

We had the best time with my sister-in-love (as she calls us) and nieces and nephews several weeks ago. Gram and Gramps, Uncle Jon and  Aunt Robin were also able to join us for a short time. My house was bursting at the seams, but in the best way. Cousins laughed and giggled and had crazy Nerf gun wars; there were lots of slamming doors, lots of hair braiding among Rory and Aunt Robin. Camden and Logan did more than their share of aggravating the littles while Jessica and I were our ornery selves. As usual, I did a poor job of taking pictures of adults and I really didn't pull out the camera much. Partially because it was busy and there were so many of us. For instance. This picture cracks me up because there are four of us all in this little space. Pretty representative of the weekend. Camden's last baseball game of the season happened to be while everyone was in town, which made him very happy. Not that I actually have a picture of him.

Does August 5-6 feel early for back to school? When I was in school in Illinois (more years ago than I would like to actually count), we didn't start school until the Thursday after Labor Day each year which is another solid month of summer. Camden started middle school this year so he started a day before Rory. He was a little unsure as to whether or not he wanted us to walk him in, but in the end chose for us to walk with him. He hugged us outside his door and then was off. I told Brian on the way back to the van that was the last time we would walk Camden into school. Sad. Rory started yesterday, and she had a good day. A third grader is less articulate than a sixth grader so we didn't get quite as much real information from her about her day, although she spent a solid 5 minutes telling about everything that happened prior to her day getting started. Sharpening pencils and turning in folders is apparently riveting if you're 8. We had crazy storms both first day

There's a field of sunflowers just a few minutes from my house, and I determined this would be the year I actually remembered to go take pictures. I almost waited too long, and many of them were wilting in the heat, but I kind of love them anyway. After spending about 8 hours Friday getting my 278-page 2013 blog book ready to print (also included 781 pictures), I was feeling as if I might never take another picture or write another word. Seriously, just so. many. words. But then my mom said she keeps checking for my posts and Rory keeps re-reading the blog books I do have printed, so I'll be back later this week with Utah/Tennessee Lewis pictures and first day of school photos (already?!!). Just without as many words as 2013.