Didn't summer just get started?

How is it that it's JULY already?!?  We're gearing up for our vacation, so every day this past week has brought some kind of prep activity -- laundry, cleaning, shopping...  I want to be able to come home to clean clothes and a clean house.  In between vacation prep, Jacob and I have been enjoying our summer break.  We've made trips to the library, gone for long walks to the choo choo bridge and around our neighborhood, blown bubbles, done puzzles, read books, played trains and trucks.  I feel like I just started my summer vacation, yet I'm already seeing commercials for back-to-school.  Say it ain't so.

We've spent this holiday weekend at home.  And haven't done much of anything, with the exception of some work around the house.  And it's been fabulous.

Checking out what dad is doing.

Socks and sandals.  I tried to prevent this.  I failed.

Trying to figure out this swing.

Got this hammer and this wrench.  I'm set.

Can't get over these big boy shoes...

Working on this screw.

Tools are so fun!

Relaxing

Hi mommy.  I go to sleep.

Jacob has been displaying his Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde tendencies more and more frequently lately.  I really don't know how to deal with this stage.  It's incredibly frustrating, and he makes me want to tear my hair out on a regular basis.  It's frustrating because I never know which Jacob I'm going to get.  This afternoon, he woke up screaming from his nap.  I wanted me, but he didn't want me.  He threw himself on his bedroom floor and screamed and kicked and flailed about.  I sat down on his bed and waited.  Eventually he climbed into my lap and calmed down, and then he was all giggles and smiles.  We went downstairs to get a snack and all hell broke loose again.  The culprit?  When cutting up pineapple, we didn't it in a bag.  Then we told him that he had to eat the pineapple outside on the front steps.  This resulted in a 20 minute or so full-blown screaming tantrum.  Again.  This is a pretty standard day for us.  On and off.  On and off.  The smallest thing will trigger a tantrum.  A wrong cup.  Watermelon instead of pears.  A Thomas and Friends episode that doesn't involve Jack the front-loader.  And I just don't know how to handle it.  I try to be patient.  And most days, I think I can be.  But couple this with the lack of sleep we've been getting because of Jacob's sleep issues (which seem to be nowhere near resolving) and it makes for a miserable day.  I'm having a really hard time enjoying this age because of these tantrums.  And I hate that, because when he's in a good mood, he's hilarious.  He talks and sings and plays games and you see his imagination really starting to develop and come out.  But I'm so afraid of when he'll turn that I find myself sitting on pins and needles, trying to figure out how to calm the next tantrum.  I'm trying.  But it's hard.

So there you go.  August is coming up too quickly.