The Week in Review

For all intents and purposes, this was our last week of summer. Next week, the big kids start high school and Seminary. We tried to make the most of our waning summer days. On Monday, Lyndsay started Driver's Education. In California, Driver's Ed is not taught in schools, but it is required (along with 6 hours of Behind the Wheel Training) by law in order to obtain a driver's permit, and then license. The classes are quite expensive, so though she was technically old enough 6 months ago to get her permit, we only just now got to it. Rather than attend class for 3 hours every day after school for two weeks, we opted for the crash-and-burn alternative. (My term.) All day long for three days straight, though technically at your own pace.

On Monday night, after her first long day of class (boring!) we took all the kids (minus Caitlin who couldn't come) to a friend's house to swim for Family Home Evening. I brought cookies for a treat, which I couldn't eat until Thursday because I was finishing up a self-imposed week without sugar.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Lyns went back to Driver's Ed. But she ended up finishing the 30 hour class in just under 15 hours, passed the test and got her certificate. I took her immediately to the DMV and dropped her off there to wait in the infamous lines to take her CA written exam to get her permit. I dropped her off because I had piano lessons to teach back at home, and knew this might be our only window of time to get this done. She successfully passed her written test and now is the proud owner of a CA driver's permit. We went out on our first drive that afternoon, to run an errand, and she did great.

On Thursday we did Back-to-School shopping. And on Friday, we celebrated Conor's 4th birthday. The cake makes it an all-day affair, with Mom kind of grumpy till it's finished, but thank goodness for Lyndsay, who pulls me through.

Conor wanted a farm cake for his birthday. Behold, the Farm Cake:

When Adam's kids got here, we took everyone to the park at Hansen Dam for a picnic dinner (which Lyndsay prepared most of while I finished sculpting chubby animals out of fondant.) Chicken pasta salad, watermelon, grapes, and rolls.

Then it was kite flying time. I'd bought kites for the kids for Easter, which ended up not fitting in their baskets, so I'd just left them put away. I figured this was a great time to get them out and try them out, and the wind was perfect!

Here's Conor, running with his kite flying high in the air.

See it way up there? See his little legs? So cute!

Here's Aiden flying his owl kite.

Then the bigger boys had a baseball catch.

And Conor took a small break. Conor without a nap makes for a very tired Conor around 6pm.

Then the kids walked down to the lake to see the ducks and herons while Adam and I played SkipBo and battled ants. Every picnic has to have ants!

Then we packed back into the van and headed for home for cake and presents. Aiden is squished over there next to Sean.

A picture with my birthday boy.

And he blows out the candles.

Genuine excitement over receiving all things Batman. And a coveted Iron Man mask.

And an "Oh, thank you, Mommy!"

The kids played till bedtime, and then Mommy hit the sack. I took in the events of the day, thinking about my baby being 4. I remembered how I used to weep every time Lyndsay or Dylan had a birthday, looking back nostalgically at old pictures of them growing up before my eyes. And I realized that I still feel all that nostalgia and bittersweet Mommy pain.

But now, I'm just too tired to cry.

It's been a good week.