Oh What Do You Do In The Summertime...

When all the world is green? Do you fish in a stream, or lazily dream on the banks as the clouds go by?
Do you swim in a pool to keep yourself cool, or swing in a tree up high?

Do you march in parades or drink lemonades, or count all the stars in the sky?
Oh what do you do in the summer time, when all the world is hot? Do you drive with Grampa, pet a bear with big claws? or pretend to be Dan'l Boone? Do you you to the park before it gets dark and see the log cabin there? Do you eat M&Ms, and make cool new friends and wish that the day never ends? Is that what you do?

So do I.

Saturday, in the house....

The house is quiet. Thor got up early to accomplish his duty cleaning the church building. every third month we get an three week assignment: High Priests, then R.S., then Y.M./Y.W. It stinks living where one has multiple callings! lol. S'mee is ditching this week due to still having the lower left quadrant owies.

I can hear the snore of #2 on my couch. He spent the night after visiting well into the night with us and #3. His wife and the baby boy are on a small Aunt J. funded vacation (daddy had to stay home and keep working, : I ) and expected home Monday. Until then we get phone calls that begin with giggles, a sigh, and then a hello to whomever picked up the phone. Short visit with the baby boy, who informed gramma yesterday he "wen swimmmming with mommy an shopping an swimmmming!" He likes the water, it's a genetic thing. They were headed out to the Farmer's Market and then the State Fair. #2 informed us last night that "mommy" was licked by a llama and booted in the tuchus by a friendly and amorous goat. "Mommy" wasn't too keen on the affections, but baby boy thought it was a hoot (as did Auntie J.).

As he is want to do, #2 sprung another "While You Were Out..." (Last year he organized such an "episode for S'mee and Thor, repainting the house exterior and laying wood flooring while we picked up #3 from her mission.) This time he is surprising "mommy and baby" with a back yard redo. The dirt slope that used to be is now level and a retaining wall has been set in. This enabled #2 to lay sod and place a small wood patio for a barbecue. Today, to finish the project, a small exercise trampoline will be placed at ground level, a small 4'x4' sand box installed to keep baby boy happy (but mostly to give mommy a break; providing b-b a place to play while she "gets things done" without constant interruptions.) Mommy will be most happy to have a place to read while baby boy covers himself with outside dirt and grass. A three ring rubber pool will also be purchased this morning in an effort to pacify baby boy of his water requirements, and to cool off mommy when/if possible. All this being accomplished in an apartment back yard! You gotta love that man.

#3 is still asleep after a late night. She went and saw "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". (movie review later) She had a great week. It started off by taking her sissy, #5, back to the BY-U on Monday. The move from first apt. to 2nd was canceled because she moved during the week. Cousins were involved and a good time was had by all. Anywho, The drive was fun and without having to move they were able to do fun stuff sisters do. One being a Jack Johnson concert.

AP:UPDATE: Tuesday evening, 10-ish, Phone rings. There is no reply to "hello" other than the sounds of "woooowhooo!" and Jack Johnson singing in the background. S'mee listens for the entire rendition of "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing" and then realizes that off spring are returning in favor what they have learned from their parents knee (or at least telephones): "When having as much fun as possible, call the family and brag that you are there and they are not. As in, "Hey! We just thought we'd call and tell you we are standing on the beach and ....." or "Hey! We just thought we'd call and tell you what the glacier looks like....". Thor and each of the siblings were treated to a song, pretty cool!

Two being that her school of choice called (not only her work but) her cell phone to tell her she was in! Oh joy, oh rapture! The only down side was the cost of said school, about 50k. But then Thor rationalizes that he has seen several kids that drive around in the cars with the wheels and paint jobs that add up quite nicely. In five or six years those cars will be junk or at least devalued and if #3 gets into a 50k debt with school loans, at least it will be for an education; something that will last and increase in value over time. So she is ready to dive in.

That's it for the Saturday morning report. All is well in the S'mee household. Life is good. : )

Saturday Rambling

Today hubby and I were to attend both a wedding and a funeral. We opted out of both for reasons to numerous to explain here. Instead we spent the better part of the morning with #4.

He is to be married late summer and has the opportunity to purchase 10 acres of land and a small house out in the toolies for $10,000 over the original owners current loan - well under what it is being appraised at by perhaps 2/3rds. The only problem will be qualifying and, because of his age and job, etc., that may or may not happen. But we drove out and saw "his land". It has a small little house, a well for water and is run by solar and generated power.

He has a beautiful view as it sits deceivingly high on a low hill that you don't realize you are climbing until you look out over the valley below. Off to the east is a rather large town with a rather popular freeway that cuts through a mountain pass. This will definitely glitter prettily at night as well as the tiny tiny community to the south west of his property. The tiny town also has a small lake which will sparkle just about sunset, which he tells us glows in all shades of hot pinks and oranges and settles down into a turquoise blue and violet splendor. In between these two towns lay a stretch of verdant farm land and riverbed that tip toes through the desert cliffs; which I think resemble a rather minuscule version of the Grand Canyon. So all in all if it were me, and I could afford it, I would pounce on this land for nothing more than the view.

His bride to be has approved of the idea and is already imagining improvements and shades of fresh paint. The closest neighbor happens -coincidentally- to be a retired couple of which the husband is of good acquaintance with my hubby. So that's another plus.

The rest of the morning and afternoon was spent with #1; whose wife is in New York this week with a group of cheerleaders, whom she coaches. (they came in 2nd!) He came up to visit and keep his mind busy, and from what he said, "to avoid cleaning the house". He can't fool us, that kid is lonely without his bride! We went driving and looked at houses they are looking at. The market is still climbing, but there are some who predict it will begin to come down soon... so they are playing a waiting game. Signs for them have been the new incentives they are noticing developers offering new buyers such as covering closing costs, front yard landscaping included and one even has built in pools for every home purchased in the next phase of the development.

We looked at a couple of sites and walked away less than impressed. "All like Orange County. Big houses, no land, funky plans in some - others great, but all on top of each other or situated so that you can peruse the neighborhood from your up stairs bathroom and see what everyone else is having for dinner." They would prefer a home closer to where they both currently live and work. They are in the minority (I think) of folks who live in SoCAL - they both work and live in the same town and the commute is short. Most folks in our area have at least one person commuting an hour one way. That's crazy, but true.

Hubby and I will spend the rest of the evening in solitude I believe, unless something changes. But for now it is weird and the feeling of what is to come. A quiet house. Good thing we are friends and enjoy each other!