Four Years Old

I never want to forget Isaac's excitement during our first few hours at the cabin. He was all over the place, saying, "Look at me mom! Look at how I can sit on the bed! And, lay on the bed! And jump between beds! And, run across the nightstand between beds! Look mom, look, look, look at me!!!" Then it was out to the porch for some, "Look mom! Look at how I can walk on the porch! See how I can tiptoe? See how I can run? Look, look, look at me!!!" And so on and so forth.

Into the nighttime hours he was still walking around, chest puffed out like a peacock, saying things like, "Yeah, we live here now. This is our new home." When we packed up on Sunday, he cried genuine tears of sadness over leaving.

All three of my older kids entertained themselves by collecting rocks throughout the weekend. Ian ended up with a huge ziplock baggie full and notions about selling the largest ones for a big profit when we got home. Brian said we should leave all the rocks there because it's such a hassle to have rocks floating all over the house (where they always seem to end up in spite of the "keep them outside" rule). But, I thought we should let them pick a few favorites to take home. It seems like our kids are always collecting rocks right now, but, in a blink of an eye, rocks will no longer hold the same magic for them anymore. Soon it will be IPODs and then cars and dates and off to college before we know it. Then I'm sure we will miss the days when rock collections graced our home.

Even this morning, as the kids were getting ready, they had those rocks out, rinsing and polishing them. Discussing which ones were igneous and which ones were sedimentary and wagering on which ones were solid marble. Now Sophie and Ian are off to their first day of school. Katie is sleeping. Isaac is in the tub. And, I am daydreaming about more days like this one. When things are just a little bit quieter and calmer and lunch at a girlfriend's house is a real possibility.

The Best of Times

Friday afternoon, we began our ascent up Logan Canyon and I said the same thing I always say to my kids:

"Get ready to drive through one of the most beautiful canyons in the world!"

I can't help it. Of all the picturesque places I've visited, this canyon must be one of the prettiest. And, I hope it's one of those silly memories that will stick with them when they are adults. Driving through Logan Canyon with me.

We arrived at a lovely log cabin in Southern Idaho in the early evening and as soon as we pulled up I knew I was going to love our time there. Everything was perfect. A wrap around porch with a view. Picture windows facing the mountains. A loft with pitched ceilings that was a magical place for the older kids to bed down with their cousins.

My dad grilled succulent steaks on the charcoal BBQ while the rest of my siblings arrived. We had a carnivore feast accompanied by all manner of yummy side dishes and desserts.

Saturday was a perfect day at the lake. Bear Lake with it's gorgeous aquamarine water and sand that is just right for digging. The day was hot. But, also overcast so it wasn't too hot.

That evening, back at the cabin, there was more feasting. More four-wheeling and Ian riding his red bike on the dirt roads and trails. More quiet meditation under the stars.

It all ended too soon when we had to pack our things this morning and drive home. Back in Logan Canyon, it was raining hard and a thin fog rested around the majestic cliffs making it even more beautiful. We drove through the section where the trees make a tunnel over the road and I looked to my right at the river rushing by. I thought about my own childhood and memories of trips taken through that very canyon to Bear Lake. A childhood that is now past. And, I thought about my children. Two of them go back to school tomorrow. Another summer passed.

I reflected on the summer and decided it was the best of times and also the worst of times. Having a May baby was a delight. And, summers with my kids are my favorite time of year. There was also a lot of fighting, chaos, exhaustion and mess to deal with. Too many kids. A lesson learned that I'm not ready to take on seven for a summer break.

I thought about how Kindergarten Ian is gone forever. I really loved Kindergarten Ian with his dimples and stick straight Dutch-boy blonde hair. Before he lost any baby teeth. A boy who was eager to please and obey all the rules. Who daydreamed in numbers and equations. His long fingers flying over the piano keys while his feet didn't even touch the floor. Those same fingers feeling the fringes of his car blankie as we laid together at bedtime. My peacemaker Ian.

Katie Jane is 3-months old today. Sleeping through the night (knock on wood), calm, bright blue eyes and smiles. She's ready to roll over any day. We are all drawn to her tranquility. And, I melt at the way she is such a novelty to the other kids. "Mom, can Katie watch me come down the slide? Here I come Katie! Did you see that Katie!? Did you see me come down the slide to you?"

Sophie has adopted a Punky Brewster-esque style of clothing. As in, she tries to see how many different colors of the rainbow she can wear at one time. Including mismatched stockings and different colored rubber bands in her pony tails.

Isaac, ever adventurous, is still mesmerizing me with his baby blue eyes.

We drove through the canyon and I thought about this summer. The trip to the cabin was the perfect ending to summer break.

We didn't visit Pineview Reservoir once a week as I had hoped. But, we did manage to take two boating trips to lakes. We didn't hike as much as I had planned. But, we did make it to our beloved Birdsong Trail once. And, we still have the fall. We didn't go swimming much because I didn't feel ready to brave the pool with all four, but, the kids did spend lots of time sweating on the inflatables and the skating rink of Classic Fun. We didn't spend too many nights in a tent, but, we did spend days at Tony Grove (and, nights at a hotel in Logan -- my kind of camping with a new baby!) and evenings roasting hot dogs and s'mores in our own backyard. We tried something new one day when we visited the art building at Weber State University. The gallery was closed for the summer, but, we explored, rode the old fashioned elevator, enjoyed whatever art we could find, and sketched some totem pole statues in our sketch books. Then we fed the ducks and fled from a gang of angry geese. All things considered, it was mostly the best of times.