In Summer!

Today marks the first day of summer for my three boys, and the fourth day for my girls (and me, although I am still working on things for my classroom).  It was so good not to set the alarm for 5:45 am!  We all slept in a bit and enjoyed the day around the house today.

That later bedtime must have messed with my son's nocturnal clock, however, because he could not fall asleep.  As in, at midnight, I finally caved in and slept with him for a few hours.  I drifted off pretty quickly, because, well,  midnight, but after a few hours of tugging the child-sized-Snuggie I was using as a blanket, I had had enough.  I crept out carefully and climbed into my own bed.  And it was glorious.  The cool, crisp, grown-up sheets felt amazing to my tired limbs.  Thankfully, said child slept the rest of the night without incident.  This isn't the first time this boy has had trouble falling asleep.  I'm seriously hoping it's the last!

We got Shadow groomed today for the first time.  He smells ever so much better, and I'm desperately hoping the shedding decreases some.  He looks like a different dog now that his hair is shorter.  In fact, he really looks like a newborn black lamb his legs are so skinny and long. I would post a pic, but he is as black as night and crazy hard to capture in a picture.  You'll just have to trust me on this one.

Speaking of the dog, he has developed a nightly routine.  Every night when we go upstairs, he jumps onto the bed (where he isn't allowed to sleep) and settles in on my side of it.  When I am ready to get into bed, I shove Shadow a bit and tell him to get down and go night-night.  Every night, he gets up a little and shuffles over a foot or two and settles in to my husband's side.  And then finally succumbs to the floor (to his nice bed I purchased for him) when my husband comes to bed.  This is our nightly routine.  At about 5:30 am, he starts whining next to my side of the bed. . .and I pat the side of the bed and let him settle in at our feet.  We are the people who said the dog would never sleep in/on our queen-sized bed.

So, summer is here.  Lazier days, no homework, family time and a little more rest.  It's good stuff.  And as I type this, I am listening to all of my children play with the Wii Fit.  Giggling, whooping in laughter and having a great time together. And I am reminded of a card my husband recently received.  It said:

"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you'll look back and realize they were the big things."

Indeed.  Listening to them play together tonight seems like a little thing.  But in reality, this is the stuff of life.