The Little Things

The last time I got my car serviced, the car wash broke one of the ears off my Mickey antenna topper. I finally replaced it today. It's the little things that make me smile.

Looks Like I'll Be Recleaning

Drats, foiled again. My 2 bathrooms upstairs were bright and shiny and germ free...and then Jaelyn and Caden had "intestinal issues" this evening. They both need a good disinfecting (the bathrooms, not the kids, well, maybe them too) because I sure don't want those issues. At least Mt. Neverest have been conquered...until tomorrow when it'll start to grow again. I did manage to get the sink emptied, but it seems to have filled itself back up when I turned my back. Naughty sink.

Sandi - It's really 3 1/2. Craziness. Two upstairs with the bedrooms, a 1/2 bath off the living room on the main floor and a full bath in the basement. For now, the basement bathroom is locked. I'll clean it before we have guests again. Who knows when that'll be :p.

Butterfly and Bushes - Before and After

I'm having just as much fun editing my photos as taking them. We had a beautiful Monarch Butterfly on our butterfly bush this morning.

Before

After
Before
After (This is by far my favorite effect I've played with so far)

Cleaning Day

I've been trying to get my house cleaned for days. I just can't seem to find the motivation. It took 2 days to vacuum. I did get the sheets changed on the beds 2 days ago, and I have half of them washed. I've cleaned 2 bathrooms today, still have 2 more to go. My dishes seem to be multiplying by themselves in the sink and I don't even want to talk about Mt. Neverest in the laundry room. If anyone sees a cleaning fairy, would you send her my way???

And You Thought I Was Done Talking About It

Swim lesson testing was today. Everyone passed to the next level and...they had originally cancelled the next session because of lack of interest. They needed 10 kids. We had 9 interested today. The parent decision was to all call the swim director and beg. Apparently, one of the parents (a full bird) one upped us and called the swim director's boss. That's how you get things done on a military base. We'll be starting back bright and early on Monday morning :p.

And because I know you are waiting for it, may I present the forward roll, the belly flop, and the dive (along with a few other things).

Layers of Summer

(black eyed susans, hydrangea, butterfly bush, hibiscus)

It's not often that we live in a house long enough for me to watch the teeny tiny plants I love to nurture grow into beautiful mature plants.

33 Visitors

Wow - I had 33 visitors yesterday. I think that's an all time high. Who are you? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Jaelyn the Diver

In June, I wrote that Jaelyn refused to take swim lessons. She had a huge fear of getting her face wet and absolutely refused to go under water. She would cling to me in 3 feet of water. She would jump to me, but only if I caught her way up out of the water. Well...today, Jaelyn DOVE into the pool off the diving board in the 12 foot deep end and then swam doggy style and under water to the ladder with me no where near her! It was a pretty good one handed dive too (she's still holding her nose SOME of the time). She's gone from refusing to let me float her on her back and being so tense and stressed when I made her with her head way up in the air to asking me to float her and laying back like it's the easiest thing in the world to do. She learned how to do a front roll underwater today and can swim down to retrieve rings. Wow! I am so impressed! It's unbelievable. I thought I only had 2 fish, but I think Jaelyn has sprouted her fins and gills. No video from today since I was in the water, but tomorrow is the last day of swim lessons so I'll get proof of her diving and rolling abilities!

Summer Days - Bike Riding

We seem to have 2 main activities this summer: swimming and playing around the kids' school. There's a nice flat circle to ride bikes and a playgrond when they get tired.

We took Allie's training wheels off her bike in April. It's been a slow learning process, unlike Jaelyn's that took all of 2 hours. She's mastered the balance, is intermediate at steering and stopping, and is finally learning how to start by herself. I see bike rides in my future where I get to ride my bike beside them. After church on Sunday, we hit the playground for some fun.

Could he get any cuter? I don't think so...and I know, I know, I'm a tad bit biased.
I love this picture of Jaelyn. She is a beautiful little girl with her rosy red cheeks. She's growing her bangs and I absolutely can't wait till she can tuck them behind her ears. She has such a pretty face. It's a shame for those shaggy bangs to hide it.

Little Miss Attitude at 6....I cannot imagine 16. As much as her free spirit drives me nuts, it's one of my favorite qualities about her.

Here's a short video clip I shot mainly of Allie riding her bike.

it's not working

testing testing testing

Scoliosis Check

We went back to the orthopedist to check Allie's scoliosis today. She looked so cute running around the hospital's new loony toons kids' gowns. Her curve continues to be 15% which is really good. We will go to 9 months for our next appointment and then follow-up every year from there to reduce her exposure to radiation (xrays). Our biggest time to watch will be when she hits puberty.

Gluttony

Abandoned

I must admit that I took this picture yesterday, but I loved it so I'm posting it today. Maybe I'll find a second something to snap today as well. It didn't turn out as well as I wanted. I loved their bikes abandoned on the sidewalk in a pile...traded in for the swings. I sharpened the bikes and blurred everything else just a tad in photoshop - I'm determined to find my camera's manual so I can learn to fine tune the focus w/ the camera. I'm happy with the finished product, though.

Are You Tired of My Swimming Posts?

Last week, we started back to swim lessons. We missed the first week because of VBS. Erin, the swim director, was going to let me pay for half the classes. Instead, when we saw her on Monday, she said to not worry about paying her because Dan's deployed. You can take 1 class free through child and youth services. Outdoor Rec doesn't fall under that umbrella, but they are honoring the intent of the policy. So not only are we taking 2 more weeks of swimming, we are taking them free! I love free.

I think technically, Jaelyn should have started with Caden in Level 2. She wanted to be in Level 1 so I let her. I've learned the hard way it's better to let Jaelyn do things in her own time than push her when she's not ready. She's done really well. She started out being totally tense on her back. She'd sink as soon as I let go. She is now floating for a few seconds when I let go. She is doing cannonballs into the shallow end and has learned to do a front crawl all by herself.

Caden loves Miss Josie in Level 2, but he misses Mr. Lee. We love Mr. Lee. I keep teasing Caden that he's going to grow gills and fins if he doesn't watch out. His eyes will get real big and he'll say "really?" He's swimming like a little fish. Everyone is impressed with his 4 1/2 year old self.

Allie is continuing to progress. She can swim across the deep end without hesitation. She's learning a little bit more complicated strokes and learning to dive. That's a little scary for her and me. She is such a free spirit. I have horrible visions of diving into the shallow end. She hasn't quite gotten over her fear of going in head first and after lessons are over, I don't think I'll be encouraging her to practice.

Here's the video collection from last week. It's probably kind of boring to most, but it's mainly for Daddy to watch! You might want to turn your volume down because the other moms chattering is kind of loud and annoying - and I forgot to do it in movie maker.

2 short Video Clips of Jaelyn I forgot to include in the other one (cannonball and front crawl)...

In An Attempt to Catch Up

We have been busy. I've stayed kind of caught up, but I know I've missed out on blogging a few things. After Jennifer's family left, we had a week of VBS (or PBS as Jaelyn calls it) at the Crock Dock at Christ Our King (Caden's preschool). That was so much fun. I helped out 2 days. The kids are now rocking out in the car to their songs. They know the words and motions. We look for God sighting. The biggest, kind of funny, thing is Caden's description of Jesus on the cross. Apparently during Bible Study, they emphasized how bloody it was when they nailed him to the cross. He kept describing the blood to me. He seemed to be quite impressed that Jesus bled so badly. Caden can also now finish the story with the empty tomb. They learned a lot.
Last week, the day of my peach cobbler obsession, we also went blueberry picking with friends. It was hot, but great fun. I now have 3 lbs of blueberries for all kinds of yummy treats. So far, we've added them to cereal and waffles. I think the kids ate as many as they picked. It reminded of the children's book Blueberries for Sal. Berry picking is going on my list of activities. Next year, strawberry picking is going to be a must.

Creative Pedicures

All in a Morning's Work - 7 Whole Dollars

I am having so much fun with http://www.picnik.com/. Thanks for sharing the link, Traci!

My Late Night Indulgence

Our peaches have ripened. The other day, I got out our 6 foot ladder and went to work on picking. Allie was a great helper taking the peaches and putting them in her bowl. Then she "decorated" them with shasta daisy petals...such the little artist. Later that night I was hungry and wanted a treat. I don't know what got into me, but I found myself peeling and slicing peaches at 8 o'clock. By 9:30, I had peach cobbler in the oven baking. Here's the recipe I used. It was super simple and delicious.

Fresh Peach Cobbler submitted by Carolyn on Allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup milk

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200
degrees C).

To Make Peach Filling: In a large saucepan combine 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Stir in peaches and lemon juice, tossing until peaches are evenly coated.

Cook filling over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil 1 minute. Pour mixture into an ungreased 2 quart casserole dish. Keep mixture hot in oven while you make topping.

To Make Topping: In a medium bowl combine flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly, then cut in shortening until mixture looks like fine crumbs. Add milk and stir until mixture is evenly moistened.

Remove peach filling from oven and drop dough onto peaches in 6 equal-size spoonfuls.

Return cobbler to oven and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

I read the reviews and people suggested doubling the topping and added a touch of cinnamon to it. I used half of my peaches and froze half so the topping was perfect for the amount of peaches.

It was awesome, if I do say so myself. There's just something about cooking with food I've grown. I think I might be turning a little crunchy. :p

365 Photos of our Circus

Some of my friends from Hannah's Prayer have jumped on the Project 365 bandwagon. You should technically start January 1st, but, well, you know how it goes. I'm joining them and have set up a new blog for my pictures. I am in no way a photographer. I have a basic camera that has the capability to to grow as I grow. I'm going to try to use this opportunity to capture a snapshot of the essence of some part of everyday and expand my photography skills at the same time. I do not promise to post a photo everyday for the next year, but I'm going to try. There's also a link in the top right sidebar.

The Circus 365

Our Morning Sequence

Watching the Clouds Roll In

Prayers for my Grandpa and Doris

I just found out my Grandpa has cancer. I'm a little sketchy on details, but I know they did a biopsy and think they got it all. He's going to start treatment soon. Somehow they are going to use the tuberculosis virus in his bladder...my Dad explained it, but the details seemed to have escaped me. I'm feeling like the scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz...If I only had a brain. Will you please pray for complete healing and that the treatment will be easy on him. He's 88. Also, his wife, Doris, is in the hospital after a fall. Thankfully she didn't break anything. The hospitalist thinks it is one of her medicines that's giving her trouble. I was lucky enough to get to see them last week when they were visiting at my Aunt's house. It was a wonderful visit. I also got to see my aunt, uncle and 2 cousins and their children.

ETA - I found my brain and google this morning. This is what I learned about the TB treatment...

Intravesical treatment is placed right into the bladder rather than being given by mouth or put into a vein. The most common form of this type of treatment for
bladder cancer is immunotherapy. This treatment causes the body's own natural
defenses (immune system) to attack the cancer.

BCG is an example of immunotherapy that is useful for treating low-stage bladder cancer. BCG is a type of bacteria that is sometimes used to vaccinate people against TB (tuberculosis). When used to treat bladder cancer, BCG is given right into the
bladder through a thin, flexible tube called a catheter. The body's immune
system responds to the BCG. Immune system cells are drawn to the bladder and
attack the cancer. BCG is usually given once a week for 6 weeks.

Blueberry Picking

Yummy Dinner Straight From the Garden

I found this recipe on Yahoo and used zucchini and yellow squash from my garden.

Tex-Mex Summer Squash Casserole

2 1/4 lbs summer squash, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
2/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
2 1/4 cups grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup mild salsa
4 scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Combine squash, onion, chiles, salt and 3/4 cup cheese in a large bowl. Sprinkle with flour, toss to coat. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish and cover with foil.

3. Bake the casserole until it is bubbling and the squash is tender, 35-45 minutes. Spoon salsa over the casserole and sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese. Bake, uncovered, until golden and heated through, 20-30 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions.

I modified the recipe just a little. I scrambled a pound of ground beef and added it to the casserole to give it a little protein and make it a more filling meal. Next time, I'll mix the salsa with the ground beef and layer it in with the squash instead of adding it later. I'll also add crushed up corn chips to the top for a little crunch. It was really good.

Turning Cranky

I promise this will be my last entry for the day. I'll get caught up the rest of the way another day.

Jaelyn got her expander the day that Jennifer and her family got here and Jennifer, being Jennifer, decided that we should name it. I'd forgotten that I named my retainer Fred so I thought picking a name was a great idea. We brainstormed with names like Ella the expander, Eloise, Ernest, and Emma. Nothing seemed right. We were sitting at the table one morning and Jackson says "I know." He stuck his finger up in the air...it was quite the declaration. His name...Cranky! Perfect...we crank it two times a day and Jaelyn is mighty cranky about it. Later that day, we were IMing with Dan. Rich saw me go upstairs and heard Jennifer says "Kelly's turning cranky." He thought Dan had said something to really tick me off. It was hilarious...might be one of those you had to be there things, but "turning cranky" has been permanently added to my vocabulary. Today is our last day of turning Cranky before going back to Dr. G on Thursday. I am amazed at Jaelyn's bite. I'm no expert, but it looks great to me. The only funny thing is that it's pulled her 2 middle teeth apart, but the braces will pull those back together.

The Last Days

The original plan was for our friends to go home on Monday, but they decided to stay one more day at our Bed and Breakfast. I'm so glad they did. They spent the day in Gettysburg while my kids went to VBS at Christ Our King (I'll write more about that in another entry). After VBS, we spent the afternoon at the pool and had dinner. Jennifer and the gang got back in time to get ready for bed. Bedtime was bad for my kids. Caden again got tucked into my bed and the girls in the basement. The basement kids would NOT settle down. Finally, I made the girls go to their beds about 9 and they were not happy with me. Allie cried and cried for her buddy. I rubbed her back when she calmed down and she was asleep literally in 60 seconds. Jaelyn took longer to calm down. I took Caden to his bed and tucked Jaelyn into mine so she wouldn't wake anyone else up with her screaming. Once I got her calm, she was able to go to sleep within 10 minutes, but getting calm was no fun. In between me going up and down the stairs, Rich, Jen and I played more Boggle. I might have created a Boggle Monster in Jennifer. Rich went to bed after 11, but Jennifer and I were up way past one laughing like we did when we were 19 (Have I mentioned we've known each other 24 years this fall?). It was the only night we did that and it was such good silly fun. I loved it. We also learned a new word...nosh - to sneak a snack; as in Jennifer noshed a candy bar in the pantry on several occassions. Dan thought we were crazy when we IMed him in the middle of the night...his morning.

Tuesday morning, they got ready and headed out about 10. We were so sad to see Rich, Jennifer, Cassidy, Delaney, Jackson and Brody go. I can't begin to express my appreciation for their visit. They could have gone to Disney World for Rich's vacation, but instead they drove for a total of 4 days to spend 5 nights with us. I think it was the highlight of my summer! Thank you from the bottom of my heart - we love you guys!

(There's an unwritten rule that says Jennifer and I must take self portraits even when there are capable photographers available.)

Bye!

Day 4 - Birthdays, Kilgore Falls, and Slumber Parties

The plan for Sunday was to get up in time to go to church. That didn't happen. Everyone slept in AGAIN. I loved this new trend, but I knew it wouldn't last. Jennifer's girls helped me bake a cake in the morning. We had lunch and then celebrated Jaelyn and Brody's birthdays.

After the party, we loaded back up in our cars and headed to Kilgore Falls in Rock State Park. We've been once before in the fall. It was cool and no one else was there. I was not prepared for what we encountered on Sunday. It was packed. We lucked into parking places and then started the 1/3 mile walk to the falls. I was amazed at the people. They were everywhere...on the rocks, playing in the water. We hadn't planned to let the kids go swimming. Our plan was to let them walk in the water up to their knees if they wanted. We left the bathing suits at home...that was a mistake. The kids quickly waded into the water and started collecting rocks to build dams. Everything was going good, no one had gotten wet and then Allie must have stepped off a ledge because she went from knee/thigh level to her neck. Allie is so my Murphy's Law child. Things went downhill fast from there with Caden slipping and landing on his bottom and then Jaelyn just sat down in the water. I don't think Jennifer's 4 got wet, at least not like my kids.

That evening, we let the kids have a slumber party in the basement while the grown-ups played games. Caden made it in the basement until I finished tucking everyone in. He ended up sleeping in my bed. The kids actually did good this night; although they didn't go to sleep until at least 10. I got out Boggle for us to play. Jennifer, who has apparently never played, fell in love. We must have played 20 games that night before heading to bed. Sunday was a great day!

Day 3 - Ice Skating

We slept in on Saturday. Everyone was so tired from our long day the day before. It took a while to get us up and going, but going we did so that we could go ice skating. We've only been one other time since we've lived here and this time was much, much better. I'm sure it was a combination of my kids being older, having more adults skating, and the new "double walkers" at the ice rink. It was fun. Jaelyn started out with a walker, but by the end she was skating on her own close to the wall. Allie wouldn't try skating on her own (probably a good thing) because she could go so much faster with the walker. When I used the double walker that had a bar for the grown up in the back to hold onto, she literally pulled me around the rink like a husky on a sled team. Caden was the calm child in the middle, content to use the walker slowly and not get too daring.

Allie pulling Delaney around the rink.

Jackson and Jaelyn - my arranged marriage if I could manage it. Caden loved ice skating.

Evil Kneivel cruising around the rink.

Taking a break to watch the zamboni clean the ice.

After ice skating, we came home and made pretzels. That was a fun experience and was oh so yummy. I think those pictures are on Jennifer's camera. Anyway, that night, Jennifer's family went to visit some friends who live close by and I was able to get my kids into bed at a decent hour to get them a good night's sleep.

Day 2 - Washington DC

Dan and I have planned several trips to DC for the kids, but for one reason on the other, we've never made it. I had incentive with company. We got a little bit later start than we planned, but when you think about the energy it takes to get a couple of kids out the door (and we had 7), I think we did pretty well. We drive south of Baltimore to the DC Metro. That was a big hit with the kids. They all wanted to stand and hold on to the poles. We started out wanting to see where the money gets printed. That would have been fun if there had been any tickets. Next we walked up towards the National Mall and saw the Washington Monument. Again, it was fun to look at from the outside, but had there been tickets (we didn't even try), the view from the inside would have been really cool. I've been to Washington 3-4 times in my life and I've never gone up the Washington Monument. We are going back this fall and I'm going up! :p

Lunch was a hot dog from a street vendor. Paying $4 for a hot dog was a little tough, but it was all part of the experience. What did we do next? Honestly I don't remember...in random order, I know we walked down the reflecting pool (yelling at the kids to avoid the goose poop the whole time), saw the Lincoln Memorial, went in the American History Museum and the Natural History Museum. Both of those were a lot of fun, but kind of crowded. We went to National Arboretum (was that the name). I loved that and would have loved time to enjoy the plants without keeping track of the kids. They had a wonderful children's garden that was a huge hit. We walked within view of the capital, the White House and the Jefferson Memorial, but my legs were tired. No one seemed to want to get closer; so I didn't suggest it. We ended the night with a metro ride to Union Station for dinner and then headed back to the cars. We didn't get home till around 11. My kids slept till 8 the next morning...a record, I think.

Is it okay to admit I was stressed the entire time about keeping track of the kids? They picked buddies and for the most part did a great job of staying with their buddy. There were just a few times of kids running ahead or lagging behind that were freaking me out. I also had our jogging stroller. Brody enjoyed that the most :p. Overall though, it was a great day with many funny moments. My favorite, which will become a lifelong joke, I'm sure, was Jennifer calling us a Mormon family...Rich with his 2 wives and 7 kids. We were quite the spectacle, I must admit. We also almost lost Jackson on the way back to the car when he jumped off the metro at one of the stops. I saw him and grabbed him to drag him back on very quickly. That could have been bad.

Did anything else funny or memorable happen, Jen? If so leave a comment and I'll add it in.

1st Night With Visitors

I think I need to focus on one day at a time because we did so much with Jennifer and her family. I'm a little overwhelmed at the prospect of blogging all the details and not leaving anything out. Jennifer said it was the best vacation they'd ever had and we had just as much fun. They made it to our house after dinner on Thursday night 7/9. There was so much excitement when they first got here.

Once we got the kids in bed, the grown ups went to bed as well to get ready for our busy Friday in Washington, DC. We were all tired...them from driving for 2 days, us from a busy day getting Jaelyn's expander and going to the swimming pool.

Streamers and Balloons

Happy Birthday Jaelyn!

My dear friend Jenn shared about filling her daughter's room up with balloons for her birthday. I love making memories and decided this would be a fun new tradition to start with the kids. Last night about 10, I blew up 40 balloons (which ended up being much smaller than I planned - I needed 80...lesson learned for the next birthday). I scattered the balloons on Jaelyn's floor and strung crepe paper streamers all around the room. I made so much noise, but the kids thankfully slept through it. I didn't sleep very well last night. I think I was half listening for popping balloons.

I woke up to "Mommy, what did you do?" Jaelyn was thrilled with her decorated room. I cannot believe she is 7 years old. Want to stroll down memory lane with me? This is the first time we saw our Jaelyn Karina just a few weeks after her 1st birthday...

Busy Fun - A Teaser

I promise to update my blog Wednesday or Thursday. My friend Jennifer and her family have been with us and we are having the best time. We've explored DC, gone ice skating, played games, hiked to a waterfall, gotten wet :p, and laughed and laughed and laughed. We've had a wonderful visit. They leave tomorrow morning and tomorrow afternoon we are heading to Philadelphia to see my Grandpa who's visiting my aunt. I have loads of videos and photos...be patient and I'll share all the fun with you soon!!!

Jaelyn is Being Expanded

Jaelyn got her expander today. I'll crank it twice a day for a week and then we'll go back in and have it checked. She did really well getting it on. Her whining comes and goes. I'm trying to keep her happy with tylenol and smoothies.

Dr. G said to have her talk out loud a lot or have her read to me to get her used to talking with it. There are a few sounds that are really hard and I'll admit to making her say words just so I can laugh at how funny she sounds. She's being a good sport and even let me film her reading "for Daddy." The rest of you get to enjoy it as well!

Night Time Visitor

We've had a visitor to our yard at night. He likes to munch on my day lilies and has been nibbling my zuccini. We managed to see him today. Poor little guy was so scared as the kids chased him all over our yard.

Swim Graduation

Allie and Caden took their swim tests today and they both passed. Allie will be moving to Level 3 and Caden Level 2. The summer has been divided into 3 three-week sessions. We were going to skip the middle session because we have VBS next week and would miss the first week. I talked with the director and she's going to let me pay for half of the class and the kids will take the last two weeks of the next session. It works out to $5 a class (plus I might get one child free because Dan's deployed - I love deals). I'm excited that we'll be able to continue with the lessons with only a week break. Jaelyn most likely will be starting in Level 1 with all the little kids and she's okay with that. She won't go underwater without holding her nose and she needs 2 hands free to be with Caden's group.

Another Swim Video

Here's the video I shot this morning of swim lessons and then a few hours at the pool afterwards. Since I know you'll ask, Caden did not get hurt, other than a little scrape, when he fell backwards off the diving board (oh my) and wow, look at my Jae-Byrd! She might just become a fish yet. Allie and Caden are firmly in the fish category now. Wednesday, they test the kids and give them certificates. We'll have 3 weeks off to practice and then we'll do another round of lessons for all 3 kids!!!

Our 4th of July Weekend

We've had a good weekend, interrupted by only 1 explosion (progress over last weekend). Saturday morning, we packed snacks and water and headed to Jerusalem Mill. We only walked about 20 minutes on the trail because I knew we'd have to walk an equal amount of time on the way out. Sure enough at about 35 minutes, I heard "my legs are tired" and "when are we going to get to the creek." It was a fun walk...until we hit the mud. Allie is a mud magnet, let me tell you. I made them turn around and retrace their steps to a different exit trail.


We had a snack on a bench underneath a beautiful oak tree and then headed to our creek. It was such a pretty day. We picked wild daisies and day lilies to put behind our ears on the way.
We couldn't stay long unfortunately. There was a man painting at our favorite rock pitching spot. I didn't want to disturb him so we headed to our 2nd favorite spot and there were people fishing on the opposite shore. They didn't take too kindly to me letting the kids throw rocks. Oh well, it's a free country right? That's what yesterday was all about. I only put up with the dirty looks for about 5 minutes before heading the kids back to the car.

We had lunch and then Caden and I apparently slept through Tales of Despereaux. I wasn't planning on taking a nap. I really wasn't. I wanted to watch the movie, but Jaelyn woke me up when it finished and I'd missed a good hour. Caden was sacked out on the opposite end of the couch. I guess we both needed some beauty sleep.

Dinner was KFC/Tace Bell since I'd cooked at lunch and the kitchen was clean. I hate dirtying up a perfectly clean kitchen. Don't you? Putt Putt was nearly empty so after dinner, I let the kids play a round of golf. I gave up counting strokes after the 2nd hole. My kids don't hit the ball, they kind of nudge it along in one single motion until it's in the hole. I got tired of trying to show them how and just let them have fun. We had speed baths since we were late getting home and I had everyone in bed and asleep before I started hearing the boom boom of fireworks.

Today, we headed to church and Caden had a good time. He went into his room without looking back or giving me a hug. Little meany - I wanted a hug. We hadn't been in 2 weeks because of laziness and airport duty. The sermon was good today - all about Joy. I spent the afternoon cleaning and playing with the kids. Jaelyn and I had a Sequence tournament. I won 3-2, but that last game was tough! She's good.

Next week, we will be busy. We have swim lessons Monday and Wednesday. Anna is coming on Tuesday for my lonely time (yea) and then Thursday is a big day. Jaelyn is getting her braces in the morning AND RICH, JENNIFER AND THE KIDS ARE COMING TO VISIT. Yes, I'm yelling because I'm so excited. They are staying through the weekend and I think heading out on Monday. It's going to be so much fun. I know we are going to DC one day. I'm not sure what we'll do the rest of the time, but who cares because my bestest friend will be here!