Six...

Ah...we're down to less than a week.  And none too soon.  I am giving myself HUGE kudos this year for being more even-tempered this summer than I have ever been.  Oh, I'm sure some of those kudos can go to the kids for actually being more mature, but let's be clear, we STILL get those STUPID  arguments over nothing that escalate into "ugly" in a New York second and when I trace back how it all started I'm mad all over again.  Really?  We went "there" because...*insert unbelievably stupid reason here*?

So, what we have left on our agenda:
1. I managed  to get one into the dentist (and I'll just say I am in BIG trouble if just one year of not seeing the dentist has the same effect on the remaining 3 kids.  Big, BIG TROUBLE).  She has one of FOUR repeat visits scheduled for next week.  Beanie has her cleaning on Thursday morning before school starts next week.  The remaining 2 are scheduled out into mid Sept and late Oct.  I'm hoping I have put the boy's off long enough (late Oct) such that his braces will be gone as they are due to come off this fall.
2.  Beanie has her Open House tomorrow.  She has the same 4th grade teacher as the other 3 so I suspect we will be out of there fairly quickly (with of course a stop at the Culvers table for some custard).
3. State Fair. We plan to take the kids this year but with school starting as the fair starts, it's going to take some creative scheduling.   Plus, they have all been warned that when we go for the day, we go for the day.  We don't leave because you are "done".  Still, when given the option of going or not going, all voted for going.
4.  Middle daughter turns 12 on the 4th.  I have two kids whose birthdays land right as school is ending and as school is beginning and it is just too crazy.  They end up getting dogged with regard to the amount of time I can put into their parties.   I'm just grateful that they are getting to an age where a "party" is now more of a multi-child sleepover where I am only required to provide food and floorspace (and maybe a questionable movie...ahem).
5.  Since we have decided to put off above child's birthday til a week later (see?), we now have 2 open weekends.  The boat hasn't been out in a couple weekends, so we really want to get out on it and/or take it up to the cabin for the last summer hurrah.  My own thoughts run towards an afternoon adult trip ending at Captain Jacks.  We'll have to see if the weather cooperates.
6.  I DO have to start getting the kiddies to bed, IN THEIR OWN BEDS, at a reasonable hour.  My older 3 kids will be out of the house by 8 with the middle two actually riding the same bus at 7am.  Which means they'll need to be up by 6am.  Translated to how this affects me?  I see 3 very crabby children until they adjust to hours that are not similar to those of your average vampire.  Crabby children+non-caffeinated mom=not good.

All in all this has been a marvelous summer.  A few hiccups here and there but those hiccups only stand to accentuate how good the good has been.  And it's been GREAT.