Summer Happeninfs 2013

Our 1st full summer in Los Osos got off to a rocky start with a broken washing machine, which meant several days of laundromat and researching replacement parts, while 5 kids ran around in smelly clothes( or no clothes, going into schedule-change shock(mostly Kaleb). Then, we topped that sundae off with some sort of bug infestation, which left me waking up covered in bites(infinitely more washing...and researching...and freaking out). Once those two bumps in the road were bypassed, we were able to relax a bit. Kaia did two weeks at Cuesta's College For Kids. She took Digital Imaging, Sculpture, and claymation. She was so inspired. She came home with her own claymation movie on DVD! Now she makes them with an app on my phone. She and Gabby have been enjoying swim team practices for the Pumas. Kaia decided to join shortly after Gabby got started. She is very giddy about it, and she never wants to miss a practice. Gabby doesn't want to get beat in races at practice. Her competitive nature will definitely work in her favor when meets begin. We have enjoyed several after practice get togethers with the Kennedy's, as they swim for Pumas as well. Our kids get along so well, like ALL 8 of them....then you add two moms that have been husband less for several days on end(weeks for Amy), Pizza or Mexican market, beer or wine, and you've got a great thing going.
Kaia has also been rendezvousing with Parker and Vienna & Sophie. Gabby has had several totally epic sleepovers with Zaiah. Now, they've got nicknames and a secret handshake. We all win when Zaiah comes over. She is an incredible Gabby-diffuser.
The main thing that keeps Kaleb out of trouble is helping in the kitchen. If he is focused on preparing food, he doesn't find himself bored and without direction or purpose. He likes to help make scrambled eggs, tuna, roasted vegetables, cookies, Mac and cheese, soup, enchiladas, tacos and anything he can finish with hot sauce and avocado.
Kaia has advanced to making her own cinnamon toast....okay, just putting it in the toaster. Gabby has been making her own guacamole, start to finish. Everytime we go to the store, she asks to get like 100 more avocados.
We have been going to Cayucos at about the same rate, almost every week. Kids found really big rock crabs last time. Benny playedB-ball with Dad.
Penny got a hair cut. She does significantly more mirror work now, which includes outfit assessing, hair smoothing, lipgloss application, earring checking, and sometimes some additional sparkles from Mommy's makeup.
We visited a new church that we all felt really good about! I enjoyed sitting in the pews with Kaia and Gabby. Kaia has been reading the good book on her own as of late. She has actually been a reading tornado this summer. She still Animal jams occasionally, and draws constantly, but her summer reading is far more abundant than during the school year. Her teacher really fostered the love or reading this past year. Benny is talking a lot, well, it's sort of like speaking in code. He blurts out key words then we try and string them together to find the message. One example is, "zoos!(shoes)...doo!(two)...daydub!(Kaleb)...woom!(room)"- which translates to "I want you to get my shoes from Kalebs room!".