"Time in a Bottle"

I began the summer feeling very creative and energetic. I took the boys to the beach, to the pool, to the club, to the museum, to the zoo, to the grocery store, to Edinborough, to multiple parks, to North Dakota, to ................. and I'm beat! With only days left of my summer vacation, I'm struggling to find things for the boys and I to do. The one thing I have been doing- going through every nook and cranny of this house, cleaning, organizing, pitching, making donation piles. I'm determined to enter this schoolyear/workyear feeling prepared (hysterically laughing inside).

What I Learned About Hunter This Summer:
1. He is a Star Wars aficionado. His favorite characters are Han Solo and Darth Vader. He loves "Return of the Jedi." He knows minute details about the overall story line/conflict. He has tons of Star Wars books and Star Wars toys. He intends to include multiple Star Wars toys on his upcoming Christmas list.
2. He has very good manners. Just now I heard him burp. He is in the other room with Mason and he said, "excuse me," with no prompting from me. He is also a "please" and "thank you" man!
3. Hunter will make friends when he goes to school. I've been worried. Who wouldn't be? Do any of you have memories of trying to make friends? I do and I got burned a few times! Anyway... One day Hunter made a friend when he told a kid at the park that he had the same shirt (Lego Star Wars) as him- they started chasing each other around the park. That same day, at a different park, Hunter made a friend when he told a kid of about the same size that he was 5-years-old. "Are you five? I'm five." Chasing, pushing, etc. ensued.
4. Hunter has been nervous about kindergarten but recently asked me the following question: "Do you want to know where I go to work Mommy? Kindergarten." Hunter met the principle of Cornelia the other day and wishes that Mr. Holden (principle) was his teacher. Mrs. Pilcher is, instead. We will meet her at Thursday night's orientation. I sure hope Mr. Holden doesn't become the face Hunter sees most often!
5. Hunter is a climber, a runner, a jumper, a lightsaber-er, a smiler, a people-pleaser, etc.
6. Favorite fruit: grapes
7. Favorite animal at the zoo: Puma
8. Favorite treat- popsicle
9. Favorite color- red
10. Favorite TV show- Hi-5

What I Learned About Mason This Summer:
1. Mason has a really large vocabulary and can identify some pretty unique animals- "Macaw," "Elephant," "Eagle," etc. in his Big Animal Book. He loves that book and enjoys it most at bedtime.
2. Mason's first question of the day is "Where's mommy? Where's Hunter?" He wants to know this information immediately. He then wants milk and juice immediately. Or there is hell to pay!
3. Mason will defend his brother when needed (or not). This summer he really tried to get something going with Hunter's friend Kyle when Hunter and Kyle got into a little argument. Mason started following Kyle around, pointing his finger and demanding that he "go away." He did some pushing, etc. I sure hope this desire to fight doesn't carry over into his teenage and adult years!
4. Where Mason can be a pistol, he is also incredibly sweet. He asks me multiple times a day if he can "sit on my lap." He wants to watch "Hi-5" while we cuddle. Mason and Hunter share a passion for "Hi-5" which is a singing group on the Discovery Channel.
5. Mason is determined to overcome his fears. Last week at Dick's, Mason was afraid of the escalator. He went on it with Mitch, anyway, and when they got to the bottom, Mason said to Mitch, "I did it Daddy!"
6. Favorite Fruit: Banana
7. Favorite animal at the Zoo: Monkeys and sharks
8. Favorite treat: He always asks for cake, whether we have it or not. He also needs (yes, needs) to have two drinks going at a time. Milk in one hand. Juice in the other.
9. Current Obsession: He labels everything "good guy," "bad guy." Learned it from all of Hunter's Star Wars stuff.
10. Other things: Mason loves to give Bruiser treats; he loves to swim; he doesn't like to hold mommy's hand- wants his independence; still loves his blankies; favorite toy is the semi truck toy we have (based off of a character from "Cars")

The boys tired me out! And I can honestly say, if I could spend every single day with them in someone else's house, I would be all good. I have to say, though, that I'm sooooo tired of cleaning my house. I have to do dishes and clean the kitchen at least three times a day. I'm so tired of cleaning. But I'm soooo going to miss the boys. We have enjoyed our summer, especially our very lazy mornings (wake at 8 a.m., cuddle, eat breakfast, play on the floor, etc). When I think of moving on from that, I feel like I want to cry. I begin this school year with an almost two-year-old and a child who will be starting kindergarten in two weeks. By next summer, they will have changed so much and will be another year older. Oh, "If I could save time in a bottle!"

If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that Id like to do
Is to save every day
Till eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you

If I could make days last forever
If words could make wishes come true
Id save every day like a treasure and then,
Again, I would spend them with you

But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them
Ive looked around enough to know
That youre the one I want to go
Through time with

If I had a box just for wishes
And dreams that had never come true
The box would be empty
Except for the memory
Of how they were answered by you

But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them
Ive looked around enough to know
That youre the one I want to go
Through time with