- Summer 2021 -

At the end of the school year in May, Fr. Michael and Fr. Jeff encouraged the kids to have a fun summer and play, relax, pray, and read...

...and that's just what we've been up to for the duration of June/July/August!  Between lots of reading, a few full days of playing and crafting with alllll the cousins at "Grammy Ann's daycare," and even a Lion's Choice picnic in the back of the van one day while we were out shopping for new puzzles...

...there were still plenty of lazy days for some splishin', splashin' fun in the sun!

In late June, Harper and Kate attended Totus Tuus at the parish and had a great week! Scarlett and I joined for a few of the daily masses and also for the water party on the last afternoon.

We made it to the splash pad for a grand total of: ...*drumroll*... ONE TIME this summer...

...but enjoyed several cruises around the lake on Grammy and Papa's new boat!

Other highlights = seeing Spirit Untamed at the drive-in...

...swimming with the world's best babysitter...

...learning to drive the Power Wheels...

...reciting/rewriting prayers/songs learned at Totus Tuus...

...helping create the parish's children's stewardship video...

...visiting the library...

...[multiple times!]...

...learning to SEW [!!!]...

...enjoying a treat at Strange Donuts... 

 

...and moving into the same bedroom [partially as a trial run for when baby comes and they'll have to share a bedroom, and partly because Scarlett likes to sleep next to someone every night and Brian and I got sick of our 3am visitor!].

Summer 2021, YOU WERE GOOD TO US!!!

 

 

And now?!  

 

...BACK TO SCHOOL time!

 

 

- The Torment of T-ball -

One of my very favorite pastimes was playing softball through the summers a kid and then through high school, too; so it goes without saying that I was so excited for Harper's first T-ball season this summer!  ...Although, she wasn't QUITE as excited...  She had a great time in the dugout with her teammates [mostly classmates!] and of course loved the sprint over to the snow cone stand as soon as the last inning concluded each week, but wasn't shy to say mid-way through the season that she was not interested in playing future seasons and thought she'd try soccer next instead. Haha!

 

But! From June-July, Tuesdays nights at the ball field were our jam, and I'll savor the memories of warm summer nights under the field lights until she decides to give it a whirl again some time. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Coach Cassie and Coach Greg for a great first season! 

Until next season... ;) :) #heybatterbatter 

- County Fair -

Momma may be 35w pregnant, but ain't no chance she'll miss out on a chance to waddle around the county fair!

Livestock and carnival rides and cotton candy...OH MY!  2021 County Fair was one for the record books! :)

 

- Out of the mouth of babes: VOL XXIII -

While feeling the baby kick/flip/roll:
"Is it doing gymnastics in there?  So NOW I'm starting to think this baby is a boy, because boys are wild.  It's probably about to get worn out!"

 

After watching me scream/batting at a spider coming down from the sky:
Harper:  "Mom!  DON'T. KILL. GOD'S. CREATURES!!!"
Scarlett:  "Yeah, if you kill God's cwea-shurs, a bug will DIE and 'dat would be wheely [really], wheely bad."

After passing a cemetery on the way to church:
Harper:  "Are there 100 people in Heaven and 165 people on land?"
Brian:  "4 billion people on land."
Harper:  "4 billion??!  Then I would say that's 100 + 100 + one million...  Right, Mommy?"

Randomly:
"Mommy, does God have His ears pierced?"

During bathtime after being at a friend's pool all day:
Harper:  "Sissy, you have to get your hair washed when we get out of the bath because it's full of chlorine!"
Scarlett: "What is coh-ween?"
Harper:  "Well it's stuff in the pool, because pool water gets in people's privates and then it comes back out and then the chlorine gets all the germs out."
Scarlett:  "Oh..."

 

 

 

While actively arching her back way out:
"You know what you should do so people know you have a baby?  Your should put your back like this so your tummy looks bigger and people think it's a baby!"

 

While assessing my sunburn:
"Mom, next time you should just put three coats of sunscreen on because you're never going to have a tan like me." 

Randomly [as I'm 28w pregnant]:
"I bet the baby is getting tired of being in there!" 

While watching me get out of the shower [at 29w pregnant]:
"MOM!  Your wrinkles [stretch marks] are getting huge!"

While driving home from Schnucks [at 30w pregnant]:
Harper:  "Anyway, are you allowed to drive a car when you're prag-nant?"
Me:  .....

After pulling up to the lake to go boating with Grammy and Papa:
Harper:  "Oh my goshhhhhh, look how big the sea is!"
Grammy Resa:  "Yes, isn't it nice?"
Harper:  "Yes. And I've got my binoculars and my camera AND my goggles, just in case I see a turtle or something..."

 

While driving down the interstate during the day:
Scarlett:  "Why does all 'dose cars have 'dere yites [lights] on?"
Harper:  "Well let me tell you one thing, girl:  it's because the sun is reflecting off their lights and making them look bright but they're not actually on.  And THEN when they turn into another lane they have to put their turn lights on so other people know where they're going."
Scarlett:  "Oh."

While dragging her into the last T-ball game:
Me:  "Did you not like T-ball too much this year?"
Harper:  "No...  But I did like hitting the ball!  And playing with the dirt, is all what I liked..."

After getting her ears pierced:
Me:  "Did it hurt?"
Harper:  "Yes!  Well it doesn't hurt THAT bad, it just feels like a red ant bit you."

While driving home after a thunderstorm:
"I was just wondering if you can climb a rainbow?"

- 4th of July -

POP...

 

...CRACK... 

...BOOM!

Another year of Fleming family 4th of July fun is in the books!

Happy 4th, all!  God bless America!

- Out of the mouth of babes: VOL XXII -

After watching me scream/batting at a spider coming down from the sky:
Harper:  "Mom!  DON'T. KILL. GOD'S. CREATURES!!!"
Scarlett:  "Yeah, if you kill God's cwea-shurs, a bug will DIE and 'dat would be wheely [really], wheely bad."

 

While working outside:
"Daddy, your g'rage [garage] is wheeeeeely [really] junky.  Pob-ee [probably] you needa' cwean it up soon..."

One evening:
"Hmmmm, what should we watch on Nets-fwick [Netflix]?"

 

Five minutes after Brian walked out the door on his first day back to work since March 2020:
"I wonda [wonder] what Daddy will do when he has to go potty at work, be-cuh [because] I don't 'fink [think]'dere's a boy baf-room 'dere, so Daddy will pob-ee [probably] jus' have too poop in his unda-weah..."

 

At YMCA Tot Skate with the entire rink to herself:
"I guess e'rybody else is still sweepin' [sleeping]!"

On the way home from T-ball:
"If 'dere is monstas [monsters] unda' my bed, I will wun [run] into your bed-woom [bedroom] and cry because I am afwaid of monstas and I don't yike [like] 'dem."

 

After surviving a tornado watch with the babysitter:
"Katie had to wook [look] at her phone and said we had 'da go to 'da basement because 'dere was a tomato [tornado] coming!  But 'den 'da wain [rain] went away and we got to go up'tairs.  If 'dere is a-nudd-uh [another] tomato 'damorrow, what will we do?  Will it break 'da windows?"

At bedtime:
"I'm getting some wotion [lotion] on my hands so if I accidentally fall asweep my hands won't dry out. Is 'dat a good idea, Mommy?"

Randomly, excitedly:
Scarlett:  "Hey Daddy, GUESS WHAT?!?"
Brian:  "What?"
Scarlett:  "I wuv you!"
Brian:  "I love you too, buddy!"

To herself, while putting away pool rafts/noodles/toys on the way out of our friends' pool:
"We wheely [really] had a good day today!  Yep, it's been a good day!"

 

On the way home from church in a thunderstorm:
Scarlett:  "Mommy, have you eva' seen a wain-bow [rainbow] before?"
Harper:  "Yes Scarlett, she's seen HUNDREDS, she is a grown up!"
Scarlett: "Oh."

Shout/yelled at Schnucks after nearly hitting a woman with a cart [who she couldn't even see because she can't see over the cart's handle bars]:
"Mommy! Am I a wheely [really] wheely good driva' or what?"

As Harper was wiggling a loose tooth:
"Hawpie, don't eva' eva' EVA' be afwaid of 'da Toof Fairy, because I watched a show and 'da boy put his toof unda' 'da pillow very very carefully and 'den 'da Toof Fairy came and she was a WHEELY [really] nice fairy."

Randomly:
"Wait a minuteeee, I 'fink [think] boys don't use-a-wee [usually] have babies growing in 'dere tummies, is 'dat right Mommy?"

On the way to the neighbors' pool party:
Scarlett:  "You guys bedduh [better] not poop in 'da pool OR pee in 'da pool!"
Brian, Harper, me:  .....