Summer Vacation - Mom Things Style (Again - Because I'm Unoriginal.)

You are the unwilling, but obligated participant in impromptu, made-up pool games that begin something like this, "Let's play sharks and whales.  Mommy, you're the whale."  Gee.  Thanks. 

You ignore the disapproving stares of onlookers as you laugh at and take pictures of your one year old who stands terrified and screaming in a whopping 1" of surf.

Due to impeccable timing, you find yourself at the beach and in the path of Tropical Storm Andrea.  Of course, for your kids this is just an adventure of a lifetime as they got to "swim" in the rougher-than-usual surf.  (Oh, and word of advice, if you receive a text message warning of you of a tornado in your local area, that would be a tornado in your present local area, not where your home phone number is based.  Not that we have any experience with that...)

You spend the last day before vacation shopping for matching, but not-quite-matching white and khaki attire for the family so that you can take a rare, treasured family photo at the beach.  It worked.  You got some great ones, but you also got some fabulous outtakes, and, as usual, you like those the best.

(Here are some of the "good" ones...)

About two days into your trip, your four year old decides she knows how to swim, and you watch as her excessive confidence proves true and she abandons her swimmies.  In true Sarah-style, she tackles underwater swimming first, and graduates immediately to taking on waves without a lick of help on her boogie board.

You go to hit the snooze and your hand lands in a slice of semi-hardened American cheese.

Despite being 19 weeks pregnant, you find yourself demonstrating gymnastics moves at 10pm because your six year old has suddenly sparked an interest in all things gymnastics.  On a related note, you were very pleased to find out that a tripod, cartwheel, and round off are still doable.

During VBS week, when your church hosts over 800 children, you managed to lose your wandering four year old at least twice.  The good news is she didn't go home with a stranger.  The bad news is no one claimed her.  (Okay, that was a terrible joke.  It was just a joke.  Promise.)

Thanks to higher-than-average rainfall amounts for the summertime, you have to beg your children to come inside after dark because they want to catch some of the millions of little, green frogs hanging around on the sides of the house.  Incidentally, this is also the reason you cannot locate a single flashlight in your home.

You used to get all kinds of comments about how you looked too young to be a mom, too young to be married, and how there was no way you could have one two three four children.  Seems you've finally grown into your life circumstances (and beyond), since just this week someone asked you if you were your husband's mom.  And it still counts even if that someone was 7 years old.

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And just a noteworthy brag on that husband.  You know you landed a good one, when he agrees, for the third year in a row, to co-teach with you at VBS.  Despite the fact that this means he works 4+ hours with second graders, then goes to work for 8+ hours to support our family.  We love you, Sam.  And we are grateful for your dedication to us.