7

I never really look forward to Saturday mornings. I usually reserve a couple hours in the morning to do chores. It is usually a process that involves a lot of moaning and complaining and a lot more of feet dragging. It makes me dread the morning. So I thought about it last night and got some inspiration. I made up a little list of the chores that needed to be done and a gauge that had as many lines as chores. The idea was to have the kids pick a chore and, when completed, color in a line of the gauge.

It worked quite well. What usually gets dragged out past lunch time took just under two hours. I am going to do this again next week and maybe we can have this down to an hour.

After finishing our chores I made a quick lunch and we all changed into suits and made for the lake.

We stayed for a couple hours. It was perfect. It was really warm today, 91*, but we couldn't tell out there. The water was pretty cold so the breeze that came across the water was cool and refreshing. We enjoyed the cool and pleasant air and the chilly water was a welcome relief. 

We got home, showered up, then started for the car. I made a wrong turn and forgot where we parked, so we had to trudge up the parking lot to get to the car. Just as the kids started grumbling a woman asked to use my phone. Hers was not working and she had locked her keys and her toddler in her car. It was running, it was an automatic start car, but it locked after she's buckled her son in. It had only been seconds but the car was warm and her son was already sweating. She called 911 and we anxiously awaited the arrival of a police officer. I sent David back up to the house for a bottle of water and a Popsicle. Just as the officer arrived the car turned off! After struggling a few minutes he finally got the car open! I was so relieved! We filled up one of the lady's bottle and gave her boy the Popsicle. I was so glad we took a wrong turn at that moment. No one else walked by in those six minutes that we were there!!

After that we went to a graduation party for one of the kids' favorite sitters. It was a great chance to have some yummy food, let the kids run through a yard, and talk to other adults. Peter fell twice on the exact same spot of sidewalk and skinned one knee and the opposite elbow the second time. Crazy kid.

We got home later and were happily tucked in by 9:00. It was a long, good, busy day. 

So we made it through the week with no more than the scratches that Pete got at that party.

Oh! I also got this fabulous picture from a friend from Field Day. David has such a wonderful group of friends here.