Summer's here and I hate bouncy houses

So they are ALLLLLLLLL out of school. ALLLLLL of them are home. ALLLLLLL day. With me. 

God love 'em, because they are pretty darn great kids, really. But...ALLLLL day? ALLLL four? With me?

So we get creative. And fast. Because we like lists, lists give us focus, give us purpose, and get us ALLLLL out of the house. That's a good thing. Out is good-IN is good in small amounts. But after awhile mutiny strikes if we are ALLLLL home for too long. Dads at work. Working hard.  We are lucky he is such a hard worker, and I am extremely grateful. But...at work he gets to sit down for lunch.  He doesn't have to wipe booties all day, make sure that the teeeniest bit of crust wasn't left on a PB&J sandwich, and figure out how the heck to keep four kids-of varying interests, ages, and abilities- occupied over the summer. I am in no way saying his job isn't hard...he does, after all, put in countless shifts of overtime so that I am able to do ALLLL of these things.  But, for now its ALLLL about us. At home.

We do find some pretty fun stuff to do just in our own backyard...here are some fun summer photos from our season so far...

Fun for an almost 2 year old comes cheap and easy. Just mix water and bubbles in a water table..wha-la!

                                                   

Are they the cutest kids ever or what? :-)

You would never know that under this pile of tree trimmings is....

The perfect secret hiding spot built by Katie and Ethan!

These cool fort-building branches would not have been here without the work of daddy and his yard crew...

We believe in the "no child left behind" philosophy over here. Bounce houses, I am there for ya, Ryan, but you are on your own with hauling these branches out... :-)

...some playdates here and there for all the ages...

Katie and her BFF Daniela. I have to add this next picture, which was the one I had to take immediately following this. Ethan refuses to be left out of anything here...

Even the "under two crew" gets playdates at the casa de Hurtado. Here are Owen and his pals Jake and Henry, bouncing (yep, we own a bounce house...ironic, huh?), and hanging out.

The key to these toddler playdates= lots of snacks.

So Katie and I work on our summer list. Things like trips to the beach, playdates, and picnics at new parks are listed. So are things like Marine World and visiting Aunt BK and Uncle Dennis' farm in Sebastopol along with other family visits. Those are all great. They allow us to re-connect with family who we don't get to spend as much time with during the school months as we would like to, and both the kids and I enjoy it. We keep the list going...visit Nana and Papa, take a day trip to Placerville to Gold Mining country, all good....keep going. Lists are good. Then...it strikes. The bouncy house place. Ugh.

Most parents think of bouncy house places as a great way to shlep all kids into one location and let 'em run loose into the various ginormous bounce houses all contained in one area, typically with a few tables and sitting areas for parents to watch their kids have a bouncin' blast. This is just not the case with our family, because we have a different story. Katie= bouncer, Ethan= definitely bouncer, Owen=our youngest bouncer, and Ryan= knows everyone else is bouncing but he is not able. So...it looks more like this:

                             Ryan + Mom= bouncers. Together. 

                   Up, down, up, down, well.....you know.

So one of the many challenges of having children with disabilities is that as a parent we are constantly balancing...balancing the needs of  ALL our children. Its like an ongoing teeter totter where you are always looking to see it lined up and balanced perfectly...nobody should ever teeter down lower than the other. That wouldn't be fair- and fair is what we moms do best. (or at least try).

So the scene is a tad different for us when we go to a bouncy house party or gathering. Instead of gathering with the other moms with their cute hair that hasn't been matted down by sweat, I am bouncing. Up, down, up down,  until Ryan is done. Which is never soon enough for me. Standing behind him, holding him up so he doesn't hit other children (he can fall in a bounce house, but with other crazy bouncers, he risks landing giant head-butt with one of them which would not be good for him at all). 

Ryan LOVES bouncy houses. I LOVE Ryan.

So we finally emerge from these heat holes of torture and I am red-faced and winded beyond words. No cute hair here, not a single adult conversation to be had by me, but....I know in my heart that Ryan has had a blast, doing what he sees ALLLLL the other kids doing, and that alone is what fuels me to re-enter those places over and over. He works so hard every day to just keep up, I am grateful to be able to help him feel like a "regular" kid, all hot and red in the face from a fun day of bouncing.

And of course even though I have already put enough photos on this one, whats a few more.....

                                            
                                                  Ethan and the camera  have a great relationship....

                          A boy and his boots. Even in 90 degree weather. LOVE  his style!                      

                                       Katie got a stylish new haircut that she loves...so do we!

                     

                           Owen Scott, do you know anything about strawberries mysteriously disappearing

                                                            from our strawberry patch??? Hmmm???

                                            These two DO love eachother...most of the time. :-)

So as we continue to head into the heat of summer, we look forward to our "to do" list and warn those who happen to be on it..."GET READY, HERE WE COME!"