Summer Week 6: The End (of summer) is near

That's a wrap on the 6th week of summer.  I intend to do a summer debrief post, but for now let's review another great week.

On Saturday Andy had a "year of 40" birthday treat and went biking all day while I watched all the kids.  We took bikes (I walked) to a local park, where one of the kids immediately needed a "comfort break" and so we left within minutes and went to the library instead.  At the library we were only 95% chaos.  I have this photo evidence that we were not 100% chaos

We stopped at a bakery after the library and I was smart enough to know that while 11am me felt confident in my quad child parenting, future me was going to need a brownie to make it through the day

Future me thanked past me a lot for that brownie.  It was delicious.

In the afternoon we had a play date where my big kids fought with each other and whined most of the time.  I really appreciated the Girls Next Door podcast "Parenting in Public" after the meltdown play date.

Andy came home from biking in time to go out for a BBQ dinner at a local pub! It was hosted by our local cycling club and I'm fairly sure my kids consumed more sausages and burgers than I did.  We also cycled there since it was less than a mile away, I wish I had a photo of everyone:

On Sunday I went for a long run in the morning, I had a whole Rachel morning (9-12:30) to enjoy.  I did a really fun 8 mile loop which took me about 1hr 45 because it included a pretty decent climb and it was all off road.  I am not a fast runner, I am a persistent runner.

In the afternoon we went to a local model train place which does an open house a few times a year and the kids rode some trains and had a great time.

On Monday it was a bank holiday and we went back to the Botanical Gardens, where we met one of our friends and spent the day walking around and looking at flowers and having the most gigantic picnic.  

Ezra also met Bluey and Bingo

Tuesday-Thursday were normal work days for me and the kids last days at their summer camp.  They had such a great time at this summer camp and although it is pricey we will definitely be going back again next year.  I did a 30 minute run on Wednesday and strength training with a friend on Tuesday evening.  Plus I got a massage on Wednesday (after the run).  It was great!  Work is slow with lots of people on holiday. 

Andy and I were both off work today (Friday) and it was a pretty good day.  Andy took Aubrey & Clara & Ezra to the tip in the morning, and I sorted out house stuff with Lily.  I managed to post some returns and get rid of a baby gate we've taken down from the dining room.  A twin mom picked it up from us so I gave her a bunch more baby stuff since her twins are a year younger than mine.  I might hang out with her again as I'm going to need some friday mom friends and I've so far met zero people with kids the same ages as the twins.

During nap we sorted house stuff and managed to get rid of even more things.  We found two baby high chair attachments which we listed for sale and one has already sold for £15! That's going straight into the "Andy and Rachel have fun together" budget line.  Andy cleaned out the eaves storage.  After nap I took Ezra, Lily, and Aubrey to the butcher to get sausages for Lilys birthday next week and then to the park.  Going to the park with just one twenty month old feels so easy compared to going out with twins.  Andy and Clara did more house stuff at home.

The only bummer today was that we stopped into a pharmacy because Ezra had a weird bite on his leg (I wondered if it was a spider but it turns out the UK doesn't have any poisonous spiders).  The pharmacy said to go to another more specialized pharmacist, which I did, and that pharmacy said to go to the GP.  I did manage to get an appointment and now I have antibiotic steroid cream for the bites on both Aubrey and Ezra, plus oral antibiotics for Ezra.  We've never done medicine in school before but unfortunately the course will last until next Thursday and school starts on Wednesday.  In the UK it seems antibiotics generally need to be taken 4 times a day.  Ezra and Aubrey are both fine in themselves (ie acting normally) it's a bit of a faff to apply creams and medications multiple times a day... and we still don't know what biting insect they're both allergic to.

Overall another excellent week of summer.  I'm getting very used to this holiday thing but school starts on Wednesday so it's back to that reality for another year....

Who has two thumbs and loves a bike? Clara!