Summer Indulgence

( Those Of A Less Creative Breed Might Call It Slacking.....)

But who's listening to them?

This week continued at a breakneck pace.  My boys all had physicals for the year, and oh,yes, there were forms to be signed for school.  (Can one institution possibly need this much paperwork for a child who has just been cleared as 'perfectly healthy' by a doctor??  Who takes no medications?  Who has zero health problems?  Apparently so.....but it makes you wonder.)  My boys are on the 'smaller-ish' size.  But as my doctor so succinctly stated - smaller doesn't mean un-healthy.

I bring this up because I actually had someone say something to me about my eight year old.  First of all, I'd like to say that I think that took some nerve!  I certainly don't mind when I'm talking to someone and they comment on my boys' sizes.  Because let's face it, when your kids are smaller it is noticed. (And I'm sure this holds true if your kids are big for their age, too.)  But usually, the person means no harm; they're just pointing out the obvious.  But sometimes, people cross a line that enters the rude department.  My eight year old son is just over 50  inches tall and weighs about 50 pounds.  I get it!  He's skinny!!  He hovers in the thirtieth percentile for height, and in the twentieth percentile for weight.  I've definitely seen smaller kids.  My six year old gets a little closer to 'average' on the charts, but it seems he's always being compared, too.  So please bear with me a minute while I scream......."Small doesn't mean malnourished!  It means small!"
 - okay, I feel better, thanks for sticking with me this far - ;}

Anyway, this week also kicked off the back-to-school- school-shopping-extravaganza!  I managed to buy everyone pants and shorts - see above to understand just how taxing this can be - ( slim fit pants and adjustable waistbands may be one of the most ingenious ideas of the modern world....really.)  And I didn't break the bank.  Backpacks, lunch bags, pencils, paper - all checked off my list.  It felt like good progress.

We also attended our friends' annual Hawaiian luau party yesterday.  Unfortunately, it rained  - no maybe down poured is a better way to describe it - all day!  But being the resilient crowd we were, we made the best of it.  All the kids cut holes in garbage bags and took advantage of the slope to the backyard, creating a surprisingly quick moving 'slip-n-slide', and once the yard filled with huge puddles of water younger kids began taking a running dive into the mud-fest.  This only encouraged the adults to follow suit.
The D.J. played, the rain fell in buckets, we enjoyed great food, made new friends - it was a blast!

Alright, Alright....I'm Getting To The Goals Now.....

I've completed the second read through in Claiming The Prize and begun the third.  I've made excellent progress.  Things are moving along much better than I expected, and I'm very satisfied.  I also picked up a new beta reader.  I haven't sent her anything yet, but it's great to have another reader ready to offer insight. 

I've visited around so many fellow ROW80 pages this week that I exceeded my goals twice over.  (I've just been a little social butterfly all around this week.......sheesh!)

But...I've written only one page in Her Dark Baron.  It's not that I don't want to write, but that when I've finished putting in my hours on the editing, I'm burned out.  I tanked on this goal.  But maybe this week will be better.  Let's hope anyway. 

I'm off to church!  I'll be visiting around this afternoon, too.  I hope everyone is having a great weekend ~ Nadja