Can you hear that?...

Shhh....

Do you hear that? 

The sound of the washer running, the dishwasher rinsing, the floors sparkling and the clean clothes happily folded and put away for the day?? 

It's the sound of the first day of school. 

This summer was a LONG one and a HOT one.  Long and hot days = extreme boredom = restlessness = bickering kids = time out = stressed mom = extra guilt imposed on self by said stressed mom = loong day(s). 

This was, looking back, the most uneventful and somewhat disappointing summer we've had so far.  I'm glad its over, and glad to look forward to cooler days and a schedule.

Wow, I sound like a pessimist.  I'm not. Well, not always anyways.

The plans we had for the summer all went down the toilet after receiving Madeleine's hospital bill (You may remember this post about Maddie getting stung by a scorpion).  We received the bill a few weeks later, and after we had picked up our eye balls from the floor and popped them back in, we had to cancel all plans made for the summer. Ugh.  Frustrating.

So, we stayed home, swam a lot, sweated a lot and had many introspective discoveries this summer.

Some things we discovered were

-kids can start picking on one another as soon as they get out of bed
-Jalepenos are a really good tactic for talking back/sassing/tattling/mean words.  Don't worry, I just rubbed a little piece on a tongue and gave a sermonette about the tongue being the most powerful member of our body. It worked for a few days. If needed, you can just rub and repeat.
-Swimming is a great activity and it's FREE
-Money is stressful. period. enough said.
-There is no possible way for a house to stay clean during summer vacation. IMPOSSIBLE.
-If your children feed a stray cat to get the reward from the neighborhood signs, and the owner ends up being a "no-show" doesn't mean that you get a free cat.  You get a free pest, complete with cat hair. Though it is nice to have a little purring machine sit on your feet while you blog.
-Don't mention the "pound" "Humane Society" in front of your kids regarding the afore mentioned feline. 
-Mint grows like crazy and chokes out all the other herbs you may have planted around it. But is great in lemonade and served with homemade peach sorbet.
-In AZ there is indeed such a thing as butt body water.  I've had sweat in places I never knew about.
-Eating Popsicle's in front of an air conditioner vent and giggling with your kids is timeless entertainment.
-Sometimes God tests you in ways that seem so irritating, but are SO necessary.
-Guilt is never the way to change yourself.
-You can be too hard on yourself (Thanks for the straight words Andrea) Show yourself some grace, you're only human after all.
-Dr. Neil Anderson's book "Freedom from Fear" is a must read.
-When your kids love learning it changes every stigma about school.
-Kids are the best spiritual mirror a parent can have - Good Lord, I have been convicted this summer.
-Mac N Cheese is NOT healthy in any way shape or form... 
-It's lovely when family comes to visit and it's lovely when they leave.
-God is much bigger than a church and can blow your mind in your own living room
-I may have snuck a Starbucks coffee 6x once or twice this summer
-Budgets stink, but are totally necessary (see above)
-Music soothes the savage beast
-My kids are now having a love affair with 'The Golden Oldies" and are known to walk around singing "If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life, never make a pretty woman your wife..." and "Yakkity yak - Don't talk back!".
-The library reading program can save your summer.
-Discovering how to be content in what ever state you may be in is a tough test, and once I accomplish that I'll let you know.  In the meantime, I will pray for grace and my 'tude every day. 

and... 

The list could go on... and on... and on...

So, I'll stop. 

Oh, one thing I did learn this summer was how to give myself a pedicure (budget again) and do a home facial.

Here was my favorite facial I found over the summer.  My face felt firm and glowed like a light bulb afterwards. Jane Austen would liken it to "incandescence" but I liken it to a light bulb.  Humph.  =)

Asprin Facial

4-6 uncoated asprin tablets
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp honey

(Still taking photos on my iphone - whose lens is smudged - obviously!) WHOOPS!

Place your asprin tablets in a smidge of water - just enough to dissolve them completely but not cover them.

Stir in baking soda and dash of honey. Stir up and let get all foamy. Rub gently onto face (avoid nostrils and eyes) and allow to "set" for 10-15 minutes.  Rinse thoroughly. Voila!  A shiney, clean, soft and firm face. 

Let me know if you try it!

Happy end of summer all!