Last Call

Something woke the small people up early this morning. Early is in air quotes because rolling out of bed to start the breakfast routine {Coffee first.  Always.} at 5:45 AM used to be standard.  The small people are getting less small.  Their bodies are letting them sleep past the first rays of sun shining in through their windows.  Hallelujah.

Except today.

Something told them that my plan for our last summer Wednesday together was to go to the beach.  And somehow they know that being the first pairs of feet on the beach in the morning is worth the early wake up call.

We weren't quite the first.

The two sweetest beach days of the summer are the first,

and the last.  {We even beat the guy who opens up the umbrellas out there this morning.}

Our swim suits are faded and stretched.

We still have a few school supplies to hunt down before next week arrives.

And we don't even want to think about what is probably swimming along with us in this lake in August.

We just needed one more day to dig and splash.

To soak up what little is left of Wisconnesota's painfully short summer.

What will I do with myself next week when the Wednesdays of just me and Maggie start?  Seriously, I'm taking suggestions.

A Long, Long Way to Run

A real {text} conversation between Kevin and I:

Let's play Jeopardy! The category is, iTunes Library Stats and the answer is, 142.
Holy Maria! I'm sorry. I mean, What is Me. Me! MEEE!?

For those of you who don't know what song Me.  Me!  MEEE! is, I will give you a hint.

That's right.  Our baby, The Birthday Girl, the girl of the week during our entire recent family road trip to South Dakota and back, requested Me.  Me!  MEE! one hundred forty-two times in six days.

You still don't know what I am talking about?  Let me share another real {text} conversation with you.

Guess what we're listening to right now.  Go ahead, guess.
Hold on... let's start at the very beginning, because it is a very good place to start... what was your question?
I forget.  Such a long, long way to run.
I will get back to you.  I need to have some tea with jam and bread.  With jam.  With jam.  And bread.

For real, friends.  This is what we have become as parents.

Despite the incessant Re, a drop of golden sun, we had an amazing time on vacation.

Okay, amazing might be overstating it.  But we have been home for four days now.  Four days is long enough to filter out the i'mboredihaveNOTHINGtodo and caniplayontheipad? ringing in my ears and the bleary eyes the mornings after middle of the night tent freak outs from the

and the

We really loved the Badlands.

We could have climbed for days.  We did.

Even the baby, who took a few spills on the rocks, dusted herself off and ran out for more.

She ran a lot.

Kids love rocks.  Er, is it just mine?

The cicadas at the Badlands KOA, though - they were deafening.

There was so much more.  The awesome roadside sculpture park.  Rushmore.  Water park.  The cave that Maggie called cake and fell asleep in the middle of.

But no more tonight.

Maybe just one.