GOAL!!!

Harrison starts school next week so this is our last week of summer vacation!  [Insert dance of joy/exhaustion here.]  We've had a surprisingly productive summer. 

A few months ago Harrison said he really, really, really wanted to get a Lego Indiana Jones computer game.  In an effort to be a "Yes Mom" and get him off my back, I told him he could save his money and buy it himself.  He spent months doing odd jobs and selling Kool-aid.  We made a deal that if he finished his first level of piano books, I would give him the rest of the money he needed for the game.  I was so impressed with the way he was able to save his money and keep his eyes on his goal for so many weeks.  He bought the game and has enjoyed playing it overandoverandover again.

Back in January Harrison's school had a reading program where if you read for 300 hours, you received a free pass to Six Flags.  A couple of weeks ago, Jeff took H to Six Flags and he hasn't stopped talking about it since.

Also back in January, I asked my inlaws if they wanted to make a family cookbook with me.  I spent months gathering old and new family recipes and putting them in pretty books.  I love having so many new recipes to try!  It makes me feel closer to our family, too.  Every time I make spaghetti, the kids ask, "Is this Aunt Melanie's spaghetti sauce?  That's my favorite!"

 We have wanted to have our kids take swimming lessons, but just couldn't afford it.  My friend Klixi can smell a deal from miles away and she told me about a rec center in the city where they offer free swimming lessons.  BAM!  Saved your life!

We participated in our library's summer reading program.  Harrison read 20 chapter books and Chloe read 15 books.  (And by "read" I mean someone read them to her.)  The prizes were totally lame and they didn't win the Wii they were hoping for, but I feel like they're developing a love of reading which is awesome.

(I didn't have a picture of the kids reading and I really liked this picture I took.)

Jeff set a goal to lose 10 lbs. by our beach trip.  He lost 15!  Kind of an overachiever that one.

This summer Miles learned to climb on chairs, wave hello and goodbye, shake his head "no", blow kisses, dance, and make a tower out of cans from the cupboard.  We're so proud.

And that's how we spent our summer vacation.