Successful Tuesday

The day started out pretty rocky for me. I didn't sleep well, had a temp of 101.6. N slept downstairs. I had to call him with my phone and ask him to bring me medication. I couldn't more. It was the combination of sinus infection, ear infection, fever, and migraine. I took a handful of pills, and went back to bed. No one woke up until 8. I felt so great and ready for the day. I was able to clean both bathrooms, strip my bed and do 5 loads of laundry. Zinnia brought her group over for coffee. They hadn't seen each other in more than 10 days. I am still amazed at how well they play together. They just get an idea and go with it. Zinnia had a work thing and left the kids here for the afternoon. With the basement out of commission, I brought out the McQueen cars and they were all entertained for the afternoon.

N came home early. We got a few things done and I headed to my job interview. I have to admit, I was a little nervous. It's been awhile. This was very casual and not stressful at all. Basically I gave a description of my experience, life to the teacher who taught the class the last two years. Mrs. G and I had already discussed all I shared. The only direct question they asked me was whether I was comfortable working in/with parents and comfortable with walking the fine line of knowing when to help or not help out with discipline. I said yes, I was comfortable. I also said I really got a lot out of my experience in a class like that and I would love to give back to someone else. I met some of my best friends in MN in a class for Three when she was 1 year old. It was great. I had a nice hour away. I made a trip to the store after. Scored some great gifts and got a sweet deal on Three's supplies. I moved slower through the grocery store, not sure exactly what I should get since we still do not know our plans for the week. I have the basics and should be ready for a camping trip as soon as N give the word.

The troops biked to Pats with N and got a pizza on their way home. They are still awake, just need to brush some teeth and say some prayers. In the end, a rather successful day compared to how it began. Last night, Seven prayed for N and I to feel better today. I am so thankful his prayers were answered.

Sinus Infection

The cold has been dragging me down for three weeks now! After a two hour wait at urgent care, I am home, armed with antibiotics. Who has time to be sick?

I took the kids to the pool today. They had a blast. We were invited to go tomorrow, but won't be able to. Trying to figure out the plans for the rest of the week. Hoping to go camping on Wednesday. We will see what the weather report says.

Sunday Sunday

We said goodbye to our priest today. He stepped in after Father Larry passed away in December. Fr. R was great. He was all about the youth and getting people involved. Many times I left mass to ponder on a thought prompted by his sermon. He inspired me weeks at a time and for that I am thankful. He will move on to a different parish in Michigan. They are blessed to have him. I got to see my friend Lavender, whom I haven't seen is so long. Poor girl was in tears today. It was a tough year for her and Fr. R was very supportive and helped her though lots. She smiled through her tears and it was good to see each other.

What better motivation to behave during mass than the promise of cake after? They were pretty good today. It was long, but great. We had cake and cookies after as a farewell to Fr. R.

A trip to the grocery store followed church. With supplies in hand, we headed home for lunch. N had to get to work. This summer mass time benefits us in that we aren't so rushed after mass to get home. On the other hand, it was hard to get up this morning. I am not a snooze person, but manged to hit it 3 times. After lunch, it was decided when N went to work, we would bike to the school. They love playing on the equipment. I can't believe some of the things they can do. Five has no trouble getting across monkey bars. I was able to catch up with Daffodil on the phone while they played. I was so glad to finally be in touch with her. I hope to talk to friends I have not heard from in awhile. Friday I was able to talk with Iris. Sure do miss her. I am looking forward to the trip to MN in August more and more. Can't wait to see the Mpls crowd this time around. We will one way or another. The new baby girl will be here by then. : )

We had to return to Pats (the grocery store in town) due to forgetting my coupon. They sent some in the mail. I put them in the glove box of the Camry so we would have them. My plan doesn't work if we take the truck. Lucky for me, the friendly neighborhood store would issue me a refund for the coupon later in the day thanks to my forgetfulness. I am glad I asked. After playing at the school, I promised them a Gatorade from Pats. We got our coupons figured out and headed home. Everyone was pleased with the afternoon. Normally, I am not the one to pull the bike trailer. It is attached to N's bike. I have a baby seat on the back of mine, I take passengers of that sort. The ride to the store was fine, but I admit it was a little more of a challenge on the ride home. Three, 4 bottles of Gatorade, 5 lbs of sugar and a couple other things were all in the bike trailer. Of course Five wanted to take the short cut through the back yard. I didn't know about pulling the trailer on the grass, I was certain I would not make it. I let the boys take the short cut and Three and I went around the long way. Wouldn't you know, Mr. C pulls up behind us wanting to know if I will pull him too. He beats us to the driveway and meets up with the boys. Seven tells me when I get to the yard that Mr. C said "there's an old lady pulling a cart up our street." Seven then informs me he told Five "She's not old." Thanks boys! They've always got my back.

When you're up, you're better than you were before

Happy to report today was a success. I managed to get the living room back to normal. It needs to be vacuumed, but otherwise is much improved from its condition this morning. The basement is pretty good too. N's shelves are wonderful. Two more will be even better. The entire floor needs to be washed. That will be my next job. The insurance list needs another go round. I have more pictures to load on the computer. The plastic stuff that needed to be cleaned is clean. All rugs we are keeping are clean and dry. Stuffed animals, clean and dried too. I am debating on taking the fabric off of the toy box. Maybe I can reupholster it. I am wondering about their little chairs Grandma gave them for their first birthday, do I dare try those as well?

A trip to the pool this afternoon rejuvenated all of us. I really think we need to continue on a regular basis with a year pass or something. I just feel so much better after being there. It's in my blood. Can't take the pool out of the lifeguard.

Five pushed the limits today. We played outside after the pool, cleaned the plastic toys. They saw the neighbor kids and we were out for an hour or so. We came in and I wanted them to play while I prepared their meal. They wanted a movie, I wanted that to wait until bedtime. Five asked if he could play on the computer. I said no. They played on it in the morning when N and I built the shelves. They were all quiet during my meal preparation and I wondered how many fell asleep. When they come down to eat, Seven informs me they were online at pbskids.com

Five turned the computer on himself and said they could all play. I specifically told him no and he knew better. After supper, they were going to have a piece of candy they received yesterday. I told them Five would not get any for turning on the computer. Oh the humanity! If you've met Five, you know how dramatic he can be. The rest of our meal went fine and they were in their pj's before you would know it. Movie time! I was finishing up laundry, washing the kitchen floor, etc. completing the various tasks at the end of the day. I heard the chair in the kitchen go across the room and I knew he was helping himself. Caught in the act! Needless to say, he was in his bed much earlier than anyone else. Turkey.

Oh so tired

It's only 1 o'clock and I feel exhausted. There are still a few things to be hauled outside, but the basement is looking pretty good. N built two new shelves, he plans to build two more just like the first. The floor is dry. I just need more totes and shelves to place the rest of the items in the living room. Then our house will be back to normal.

I am a little sad today as my entire family is together at my sisters. They are making preparations for my sisters baby. My parents brought some furniture and projects they did, delivered in person, along with Uncle D. Wish we could be there to help. Instead, I face a Saturday afternoon/evening with the kids and our mess.. The kids are full of energy. The pool is my only option today. We'll hit the pool and wash away my sorrows.

Summer in MN?

My friend posted a blog entry about summer in MN. Hate to say it, but I am jealous. She made it back there, I did not. Haven't seen her or her sis in years. Missed out on the wedding due to bad weather. At least FB and blogs have brought us back together.

Still trying to figure out the summer vacation. Hard to think with the disaster in my house. The living room is still turned upside down. We are going on Day 3. Not sure how much more I can take! I think I finally have the last loads of laundry done. Just a couple more rugs to clean. I have been working on the list for the insurance company. Boy is it growing. I am very thankful for technology and digital cameras. I take the pictures in the basement, come up here and record it all. Need to get it done sooner than later, but the kids want to play games on PBSKids.com

Wish it would get nice outside again. Looking forward to some good times next week. We need good weather to have fun. We already canceled one camping adventure due to rain, I don't want to cancel another.

Job Interview

I have a job interview! I am not sure I remember my last interview, probably on base in 2002?

It's for a position at Three's preschool teaching a twos class. The parents stay for the hour and half course. I am excited to see if it works out. I am not sure how many others they are interviewing. The principal and I spoke for quite awhile this morning. We will see where it takes me. They are also looking for subs. Perhaps I can be the first on their list? I will be able to be there while Three is at class. If I sub, Three can come with me! The preschool has a great group of people. They really make you feel warm and welcome. Looking forward to spending more time there regardless of how the interview goes. There is a program to get my teaching license, but my new plan is to put that on hold until she is in kindergarten. I am not sure I can commit to the hours now, once she is in school things will be different. With N's schedule, I would only not be available to sub on Mon afternoons and Tuesdays. If I bring her with, then it is not an issue.

I have been praying for guidance and look where the Lord led me. Another adventure awaits!

Thursday

Feels like we got quite a bit accomplished today. Basement is pretty dry. Tomorrow, list for insurance. N goes back to work. Five days until his vacation. I do not want his vacation to turn into finishing the basement. Hopefully we can get it back to normal before that. We hope to build some new shelving down there.

We discovered only one tote that leaked. I think I have all wet clothing washed and cleaned. There are a couple rugs and stuffed animals to still try to clean. A box of N's flying books were ruined and a box of kids books. I took pictures of all. Tomorrow we make a list.

One scrapbook was ruined. After taking it apart, I am so thankful it was only one. More than 50 pages, I have no idea how many pictures. Five's post card collection was also wet. I laid them out, but am not sure how they will turn out.

We took a break and went to the pool. After we went to see Rio. We discovered a cheap theater. $2.50 every Thursday. Three was free! The movie did get shifted and stopped during the show, but only once. Still, a rather enjoyable experience for the right price. The kids have pretty limited theater experience. I am sure they have been to the movies less than 10 times in their lives.

The kids had a good day. They have been thrilled with moving things around and making additions to their rooms. We should have the basement figured out in time for the cousins to come and stay. They have been using their imaginations and playing more upstairs than ever before. They are already discussing what to do when Grandma and Grandpa come.

In looking at the ruined scrapbook pictures, I was left with the desire to get to our favorite camping spot. Next week, we will go to Tawas. I have waited too long to get a great summer picture. We have gone there every year, since our first in MI. I'll try to post the pictures from before. I'd also like to take them back to Frankenmuth. We have gone back, but never spent the night like we did that first summer. The kids still love it, even if we go for the day.

So tired from the surprise flood, but thankful and have much to look forward to in the months ahead.

Daisy to the rescue!

Just when I was almost done, my friend Daisy swoops in and saves the day. She took the kids off our hands. Oh how thankful am I! The kids were thrilled to go on an adventure with her. N and I were able to have some time to breath. The basement is looking pretty good compared to last night. The landlords high power fan is doing a good job. We are now in the market for a new piece of carpet. I hope we can get shelves built to keep things off the floor. Oh Lord help me if this ever happens again. I am not sure I could take it.

Exhausting

This is so exhausting. The insurance doesn't cover this. What do they mean they don't cover this?

The landlord brought a squeegee and a very powerful fan. Not sure what else they plan to do. I am not sure I want to live here anymore. How do we know it won't happen again? I can't go through it again. The kids are driving me crazy. Poor Three cried over losing stuffed animals. We are all dirty. The floors are dirty. I have been doing laundry on an continuous cycle. The garbage man didn't take the carpet. Another meal is around the corner and I have no ideas. Once again, very frustrated and feeling so alone. I want to say things that I know I shouldn't.

So, perhaps we look for somewhere else to rent, except there isn't anywhere else to rent!

The flood on Nuthatch Dr

What a way to ruin the week, possibly summer. My poor kids, their play area is ruined. This morning, I was bragging about getting so much sleep. Sure, I have a cold and am sick. The reason I got all that sleep was because of our basement. My children were down there, making birds out of Duplos. They had a whole bird family and two nests.

We had a wonderful day at the pool. Great family night. Wonderful start to our summer. Such fun, only to be ruined by a flood in the basement. There is no where for the water to go. The landlord could not help. Apparently it happened throughout our street. We are all in the same boat, almost literally. I think I have a pretty good idea of what is on the bottom of things, but I know I will be disappointed when I find out exactly what it is tomorrow. Example, the Thomas trains. I know the boys are past them, but they were something special and valuable I wanted to hang on to. UGH.

It's going to be a long day tomorrow.

Summer cold

It seem so unfair to get a cold in the summer time. At first, it was hard to decide how much was allergies, etc. It's been 5 days, it's a cold. Last night I slept for 12 hrs. Completely shocked when I woke up that I had slept that long. N did too, but he kept different hours. He went to bed around 6:30 or 7 and got up at 5:30. I put the kids to bed at 8:30. They woke up this morning and went straight to the basement. I gave them Duplos last night and I believe there was serious building going on this morning. What else would keep them down there so I had uninterrupted sleep?

To top it off, I have two cold sores and a sunburn. I got the sunburn working in the driveway on painting projects. I painted these two shelves to match the book shelf in the living room. I was finished yesterday afternoon and went in to take a shower. Wouldn't you know, it started to sprinkle. I am afraid to go see how they look after spending the night in the garage. They turned out ok. They weren't the best to start with, but hey, I'm not picky.

We are supposed to start a camping adventure today. The forecast does not look good. We've camped in the rain before, so not worth the gas to get there. What do to, go and give it a shot? Or save our money and wait until next week.

After talking with N about his week off, I felt much better about the situation. I admit, him coming home and telling me he has another week in August off helped too. His work situation makes so many things seem impossible. To start with, he was to have no time off this summer. None. Then he magically got the week of our anniversary. It seemed like a golden week, one we had to do something great with. Now we have two golden weeks this summer! How lucky are we? I guess we will make the best of our first week in MI. We want to take their bikes to Mackinac Island. Have to look into the details and build Five's stamina. I think it will be a great time. He wants to go west to Ludington, MI. I am worried about traveling to a popular spot without reservations. Oh well, we will figure it out as we go. We always do.

So many summer adventures await us. We still haven't been up to Tawas yet. I want to get there sooner than later. It is my favorite spot in MI.

My attitude has changed, now if only the weather would cooperate, it would all be great!

Quit your whining

Ok, after a day to think about it, I have decided to quit my whining. I am thankful for all the time will spend as a family this summer. Why did I want to do something without the children? There are reasons, but I guess it will have to wait until they are older. Some day we will take a real vacation.

Our time for the 4th of July will be fun. We may take our bikes up to Mackinac Island and bike around for the day. N and I did that once before we were married. Whatever we will do, I am determined to enjoy it.

I will complain about the rain. We are supposed to have our first camping excursion this week. Looks like that is out. We've camped in the rain before, so not fun and not worth the effort.

Thanks for listening, I am through whining.

Schedules and happieness

Summer is here and well under way. It seems to have flown by when I look at the calendar and see the things we have planned. Last night, N came home and told me got an extra week of vacation in August. Great! Would be even better if the dates worked out with everyone else's, but they do not. So, here I am now, wanting to spend the month of August in MN, two weeks without my husband. I don't think he is keen on the idea. I am so torn. Some days I feel stuck in MI. I had to settle with living here, it wasn't a choice. Don't get my wrong, I am really enjoying living here, but it's not the same. It's hard when we can't just get in the car and go visit Grandma and Grandpa. My kids talk about them all of the time. They play such an important role in their life from so far away.

How do I ask this of N to let us go for 2 weeks? I feel selfish, but thinking of the short week in MN that we have arranged, it just doesn't seem long enough. If only I had a ride home a little earlier. So, for now these are my thoughts and this is the pickle I am in. It always comes down to trying to please everyone and someone winding up unhappy or not exactly thrilled.

Thankful children

I am happy to report we have made progress on saying our prayers daily. Each time, they surprise me with their ideas. Tonight, Five was thankful for arriving home safely from our weekend away. He also was thankful for "getting a new father." Meaning the new priest coming to our church in a few weeks. So sweet, random and sweet. Three blows me away, she usually says she's thankful for everything. Tonight, she is thankful for the "people we don't know." Seven is thankful for our safe trip back and prayed for a safe trip camping next week. Tonight at the party, I was told I have good kids. I hear that often when we go to public places. Even thought at times, they can make me crazy, I am proud of the people they are becoming. I pray He gives me guidance and patience, direction to raise them to be the people He wants them to be. Stay on the straight path Hermie.

Cards, cards and more cards

These are the cards we created. We gave 10 to the preschool teachers and secretaries at school. I gave Miss Di the pack with the green ribbon and yellow flower. It was fun to make them. I enjoyed coming up with new ideas. We let the supplies guide our ideas. I hope we can make more.

Neighborly Inspiration

We were honored to bring our neighbor to her Surprise Birthday party tonight. Mr. C had this planned since February. He asked us to invite her to a "program" for our kids at the local banquet hall. We had one job, get her to the party. We arrived on time, but there was no where in front to park. We drove around the cars and wouldn't you know, their church van was in back of the building. Oh boy, did I feel bad. In the end, she was grateful for a few minutes to prepare herself. She was completely surprised. There were over 175 people from all over the country there to celebrate her life. The things people said, one could only wish to hear about yourself. She truly is the sweetest, most kind person. She is always giving to others. Her son spoke about her sharing his thoughts on how she gives. He mentioned how he will call to talk to her and she tells him how she is planning a shower for someone she just met that week. Her siblings said nice things and confessed how they have never had a fight, except over who was better, Elvis or the Beetles. Mr. C did a great job hosting, making everyone feel comfortable and welcome. After, we were waiting for our cake, Miss Di's brother came to talk to me. He said she talks about my kids a lot and says how nice they are. He also said he wished for my children to have such a great relationship with each other as he and Miss Di. It was really nice, what a surprise. When people were giving speeches, Three asked if I could lift her up to the microphone to talk. I asked her what she wanted to say. Her response "I love my Grandma." I told her it is supposed to be about Miss Di. She changed the subject. Such a sweet girl.

We sat with some friends from their church and a kid who works in Mr. C's shop. The food was fantastic. Here I show up with three little kids. The buffet table has real (heavy and breakable) plates. The sweet couple next to us offers to help with the kids and plates. Luckily, our table is right next to the food. I managed to stick the salad plates on the table before the main course.

I had to go and get drinks for us across the room. Before I left the three at the table, I pointed out the navy blue cloth was their napkin. They all looked at me. Seven said "That is the napkin?" Mr. Clarence giggled. Five had eyes bigger than his tummy. He ate more than any other kid. Chicken drumstick with BBQ sauce definitely left a mark on their cloth napkins. Mr. Clarence came and helped Three with the end of the buffet line. He commented on how he should have gotten her more fruit as she took over my strawberries and watermelon. There was so much good food there. Two kinds of chicken, corn, ham, lasagna, mashed potatoes and gravy, almond green beans, salad, coleslaw, fruit salad, apples, watermelon, pineapple, and strawberries.

There were three different kinds of cakes, banana, lemon and chocolate. All had a great time. We brought N home a piece of cake. It was a great night. The flowers pictured above are ours from the center piece at our table. We "won" them by having the youngest person at the table. We will enjoy them all week long. Thanks to Mr. C and Miss Di for the fabulous night in Freeland!

Movies, Movies, Movies

Tonight, I will watch two movies in a row. Crazy for a mom of three kids, I know. Three fell asleep early, 7pm to be exact. After such a busy weekend with the cousins, everyone was exhausted when we got home. N was able to get a nap in before heading off to work. I felt really guilty after the much uninterrupted sleep we had last night. Two nights in a row with poor sleep is not a good thing. The first night at Aunt Lilac's, it was my fault. I had this allergy/head cold thing going on. Should have taken something other than what I did. I was awake off and on all night in anticipation for the morning. Terrible. It was slightly rough on N too. The second night at Aunt Sunflower's, Seven had a rough time. It was too hot in our room. I took a NyQuil and slept better than others.

We made it home early and I hope N got enough rest. I think he got in an hour nap. The kids were still full of energy. A trip to the park and grocery store tuckered out Three. The boys enjoyed a movie and still didn't want to go to bed, but did. Tomorrow is a big day, I will report everything at the end. It will be great and exciting. We are honored to have a special job.

This summer adventure has begun. We got a great visit in with Great Grandma from FL. Next we go camping. Have to check the air mattresses to be sure they stay filled with air all night long. The truck is good and ready! We took it to the cousins and it was really nice to have all the space. I hope to get some projects done before the camping adventure this week. Looking forward to posting progress.

Armada-Memphis Adventures

We celebrated a wonderful family get together this week with N's grandmother from FL. Everyone had a great time catching up on family news. The kids ran around Aunt Lilac's house enjoying every minute. We later took a walk around the property. Apparently the previous owner had paths created for paintball. Oh how fun that might be for our group in a few years.

The allergies are getting the best of me. I am not sure what is in the air, but I am going under. As soon as my medication wears off, I am suffering. Didn't get much sleep last night. Hoping to rest tonight. Kids have been playing hard. They had many adventures with their cousins yesterday and today. They only appear when hungry. Cousins 5 and 6 are almost inseparable from our group.
We've gotten to spend more time with the younger ones. I think Cousin 8 is finally warmed up to me. Last summer, Cousin 7 associated me with food. Any time he was hungry, he came looking for me. This summer, he is talking more and more. Cousin 8 doesn't say much yet, Cousin 7 does all the talking for both.
Not sure what the evening has planned for us. The sun is shining and the kids are happy. That's all this mama can ask for.

10 Years and longing for plans

It's our 10 year anniversary coming up. N just so happens to have the week off. One can dream of getting away without kids, right? Too bad it is not realistic. The logistics are too complicated. I wish we could have planned something like that. It would have been great. You'd think after 10 years we could. Maybe if we still lived in TX. Seems like we would have been able to do something like that down there. Here, not so much. How do people get to have time off without the kids? I guess it all comes down to having the right volunteer. Like I said, logistics. We can't pay someone to take care of them for that long.
Oh well. That is the life we have for now. Maybe we will have it figured out by our 20 year anniversary. Sad to think N and I will have to wait another 10 years before having a vacation alone. Our family takes priority. We just need to make time to do somethings alone. We haven't for gone on a date night for a few months now. It seems like we always settle. Example, the church dance. I had to go without him and wait for him to come after work. Late, but still there. We settled with what fit into our schedule. When will the day come where we don't have to settle? Where we can plan something for us, that it will be about accommodating us first and not everyone else? 20 years? I don't know why I feel we could have gone in TX. Maybe because it was more common then. It's a military thing, people support each other so much more. The entire neighborhood was like our family. Here, we only know a couple people on our street.

In the end, all I wish is for a couple days away. We will get away as a family in August. I have signed myself up to hosting a group of kids as soon as N goes back to work in July. After that is when I will need my vacation.

Ok, sorry for whining. I guess I need to be thankful for what I have. What am I thinking complaining? We've made it ten years and he has two weeks off in the summer. We never thought that would happen. He was the low man on the totem pole for so long. Last summer he had no time off. Turn it around and stop complaining, I will focus on what is in front of me and not think of the what could be. It's selfish. Foolish to envy those around, when I can embrace what I have and enjoy. The summer is so precious for the children. It seems like school will be back here before we know it. Thanks for listening to me ramble. It will be a great summer, regardless of what we do.

First weekend away

It's our first weekend during our summer vacation. Great Grandma is in the area from FL. Tomorrow, we are off to Aunt Lilac's to BBQ. Today, I will pack. Everyone is excited because we are taking the truck there. Good thing gas went down a little. Hope the weather remains as it is, warm with a gentle breeze. This is my favorite, not too hot, but not too cold.

Today I am watching Zinnia's three while she prepares for a 10 day camping excursion. I love how easy it is for us to swap children making our prep time more beneficial. They are happy to roam around the house. They have created homes for themselves. Frequent trips between up stairs and the basement have been made. I giggle when I hear the pretend doorbell to the bedrooms.

Pancakes were a hit this morning, good thing I made an entire box of mix yesterday. The muffin prep has come to a halt, guess we will save applesauce for the next camping trip.

Laundry is in full swing, hope to have it all done by noon. Soccer tonight, it's Five's last game.

Tomorrow morning we will be off to see the cousins!

Five Scored!

First time this season, Five scored at his soccer game. Too bad tomorrow is the last game. I think he was just getting warmed up.

Summer is here!

Today is the first non-school day of summer. We start it out with a great play date. My friend Daisy is bringing over her son while she takes her daughter to the doc. The boys are very excited.

We have soccer games the next two nights, then it's off to Aunt Lilac's! Great Grandma from FL is in town and we are all going to BBQ on Wednesday. N has the day off. It will be our first summer adventure. Very excited to see everyone and have a great time.

Zinnia and I made 5 gallon ziplocs of mini blueberry muffins. We plan to toss them in the freezer and be able to bring them camping. She wants to do applesauce next. I have pumpkin and banana chocolate chip already in the freezer. They should come in handy and be an easy breakfast while away. We discovered our preference will be to pick the small blueberries this summer. They work much better in mini muffins.

Today, I must clean and pack. Tomorrow, same thing. Zinnia's group will be here. We got a new shelf for the girl room. We will move her bed and switch a few things around to put it together. Hopefully she and I can get it done so N can carry it up there today after work.

That's all for now. There are some hungry boys in their room, maybe we will start this summer day off with pancakes!

These People

• They associate the sound of the lock on the door being turned, with their dad coming home.
• I can tell when they are in need of something, but too shy to ask.
• They wake up early and are finally aware that we do not need to be awake as well.
• They sleep through the night, 98% of the time.
• They can make me smile when I least expect it.
• They share half my DNA.
• They know me better than anyone else.
• Their silliness can be the most adorable thing, or the worst, depending on the location and topic of silliness.
• They can make me laugh and be filled with joy.
• Their innocent conversations bring me to realize things that I may have missed or forgotten.
• I've never been more proud of any three people in the world.
• When they get home is the best part of my day.
• They get along, most of the time, and play well once they know what direction to go.

• I pray for them daily, looking for patience and guidance as they grow.
• Their names are Seven, Five and Three. These are the most important people to me.

Goodnight Three

As I put her to bed tonight, I told her to think of driving to Grandma's house and how we will get to see my sister and her baby. She responded "She will drive there with her baby (then a little giggle) in a car seat!" Funny girl.

Kids

Imagination at work. Look who came out of my basement:

Darth Nemo and the Knight in Black Socks. Five was a Jumping Bean, leaping all over the kitchen.

The last day

Today was the last day of school. What a day it turned out to be! We arrived early for the kindergarten picnic. We presented Mr. T with the book we made for him. He was thrilled and very thankful. Seven had a great day of games and fun. He brought Hungry, Hungry Hippos to share with friends. The students were invited to bring a game to play. When we arrived to pick up Seven, Mr. T and a friend of ours were in a game of Battleship.

The kindergarten picnic was in full swing on time. It was really crowded this year because of rain outside. Last year it was full, but many went outside where it was cooler. We made banana chip muffins and came home with almost an empty container. Mr. L was really happy with his gift. I emailed the parents and shared details with them about the book. They were happy and glad to see the book today. It was great. The kids were all smiles. Buddies were taking pictures of each other, happy to be seated together. It's sad to think they have had lunch together all these months and now might not see each other for awhile. It will never be the same. Some may have the same teacher, but not all will be together. They move on and make new friendships. I know which class Five will be in for First grade, but do not know about Seven yet. I have heard more homework comes with second grade. Seven was burnt out in the end. I am glad he will have a nice break for awhile.

Tomorrow is soccer and my friend Ivy will bring her two boys over to play. Let the fun begin! The pressure is off and we can enjoy our time together.

Quotes from Five and Sevens class about the teacher

We put together a book for the teacher that included pictures of the kids, their signature and a quote from them about what they liked best about the year and the teacher. The answers varied, were cute and funny. Thought I'd share them with you.

Kindergarten:

"I liked playing and meeting new friends."

"I liked playing blocks."

"He was good because he was new to me."

"He's the best teacher."

"He taught us words. I like his yellow coat."

"He's pretty good. Sometimes he gives us stations and sometimes free choice."

"He's awesome!"

"I like having Mr. L because he's fun!"

" I liked reading and playing outside."

"I liked stations and computers."

"Pajama day is the best day ever! It's the best thing!"

" I wish I could be in kindergarten again."

"I think he is a really good teacher. He was with my mom."

"I like Mr. L"

"He made me think of my brothers and uncles cause he looks like them."

"I learned a lot. I think he's sweet."

"We learned that he wasn't so bad. He wants us to learn."

"I learned how to read."

"I liked to play on the new equipment."

"I liked to learn to read."

"I wish I could stay with you. You are the best teacher!"

"I liked when we did our writing."

"I like Mr. L because he's my teacher."

First Grade:

"I liked that he teaches people about stuff we don't know."

"I liked best about first grade: that I got to learn."

"I like Mr. T because he read with us."

"I like Mr. T because he lets us do fun stuff."

"I like when he lets us have prizes and that he tells jokes."

"I like when we do math. I like when Mr. T is silly."

"I like first grade because we got to learn."

"I like when Mr. T tells jokes."

"I liked how to do science."

"I liked Mr. T because he lets us to puzzles and games when others are finishing their work."

"I like Mr. T because lets us do fun stuff."

"I like Mr. T because he teaches us so much."

"I like Mr. Thornton because he makes jokes."

"I liked when we played games and got prizes."

"The best thing I like about Mr. T is how he teaches us stuff, but in a fun way."

"I like Mr. T because the stuff we don't know, he teaches us."

"I like Mr. T because he's super nice and all that. I just love his class."

"I like math because we got to learn stuff and do it almost every day."

"I like that he did jokes."

Field Day

Yesterday was so unbearably hot, they canceled Field Day until today. This morning, I had my doubts, but the rain stayed away and we had an awesome morning. It almost makes me sad to say goodbye to the school year. The relationships we established with the kids throughout the year are precious. I love going there and seeing each of their smiling faces.

My projects for the teachers are near complete! Just a couple more things to add and we are good to present them tomorrow. It wasn't until today that I realized tomorrow is NOT a half day of school. I have been telling my group that it is all month long. Kindergarten has a picnic in the afternoon. We are able to take the kindergartners home after that, I guess Seven will be able to come home early too.

We had playground duty for the kindergarten Field Day. First grade was in charge of hula hoops and jump ropes. N and Three followed the classes while I remained at my assigned post. Handing out the Popsicles was fun. "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit." This had to be the theme for Popsicle time. We also had to make it clear that they needed to be careful not to dump it out, they were only to receive one. In the end, we were short one and a teacher had to run inside for it. Turned out to be a great morning. Both boys have pizza parties this afternoon. They are very excited. So much fun packed into two days! Soccer tonight as long as it isn't too wet.

Happy to report Three has been much better with her behavior once she was around older kids. This whiny, baby act is driving me crazy. I think she is spending too much time with N and myself. When she is around other kids, things are good. She was proud to be big today at Field Day. They all had a great time with the face painting. Zinnia's boy, poor sweet boy. I did a lighting bolt on his cheek, my first of the day. It turned out more like a lizard. When his dad arrived, he asked JC who gave him the lightening bolt. JC replied: "Miss K, and that is the way she makes them." Bless his little heart! I love that boy.

Hot Hot Hot

Another day of school is done, they are heading to the pool as I type. Poor N, this was his only day off and he ran errands with me all afternoon. It can be exhausting. Three acted out again in the store. Not sure why, but I think she is ready to share the attention with her brothers. It seems easier sometimes with all three together, they fall in line and listen well, most of the time.

We became Sams Club members today. We will see where that takes us. We've never done it before, not sure how we will like it or if it will be worth it. Not everything is the "best" deal there. Buying so much means having to store it too. You really have to know your prices to judge whether it is a good deal or not. Our purchases today included 750 Dixie plates for $13.98. I paid $3.50 for 50 plates when they were on sale. It's a lot, but I hope will last us all summer. I created a shelf for such items and now have easy access to them. I purchased a new cooler before we went to the zoo. It's soft with pockets on three sides and a nice strap. I put silverware and napkins in the pockets, will just need to pack the food and paper plates in a Ziploc on top.

Soccer games were canceled tonight because of the heat. I have to admit, this was a relief. It would be miserable for the players. Our plan is to enjoy the pool in the backyard and try out some new things we got at Sams. We found some tuna steaks, we will see how they compare to Jacks. Jacks is our favorite food market. We also got Five some sweet potato fries. He asked a couple days this week when we had sweet potatoes.

Fathers day is coming up. We found some new things for N to look his best this summer.

Field day is tomorrow. Five will do some games/obstacle courses and then play outside. Popsicles wrap up their time. Seven has kickball and other activities. Last year I was roped into the face painting table. Five has a pizza party tomorrow for his class. They brought in the most box tops of the entire school! Seven will have pizza too in the afternoon. They call it Fraction Pizza and will be discussing math during that time.

More soccer games tomorrow night and then finally, the last day of school on Friday. This week was borderline painful. I wish they would have been done last week. I would even be in support of them going to school until 4pm if they could be done earlier. Just seems to take a week away from the summer break. The school is not air conditioned, thus the reason the week was painful with record high temps. It's like an oven in there. Poor children. The teachers make it work as best they can. Two more days!

Shoe Box Rummage Sale

Today kindergarten had a shoe box rummage sale. Each child was asked to bring a shoe box with items to sell in it. All items had to be priced at home. The children were also asked to bring 25 pennies. What a hit this was! Organized chaos is how one teacher described it. The kids were very proud of their boxes. They sat by their lockers and displayed their items in front of them. Each class took turns shopping and selling. The hallway was lined with little salesmen and women. They were pretty serious about their selling and purchasing. A girl told me she was closed because she sold everything. Lupcke went around and bought items from the children. They beamed when he made a purchase from them. They took turns by class, then girls only, boys only, then one side of the room, followed by the other. It was great and fun to watch. I brought Lupcke a coke from McDonald's at the end of the day. No AC in the school, everyone was roasting.
Now, the kids are in the backyard in the pool. If only someone would make supper, we'd be set for the night!

Bonus: I visited with a friend without kids around this afternoon. I think I got the smoke smell out of my clearance smokey purse, and I am steps closer to completing the teacher projects.

Tuesday Update

Happy to report we made it back into our prayer routine last night. It was not so smooth thanks to Three and a few fits. She had a rough day. Didn't start out normal since N's alarm woke her up before 6am. She is usually the last to get up in the morning and needs all the sleep she can get. Bedtime was 7:30 because of her needs. We did get our prayers in and it was a nice end of the day. I am always amazed at what they think of during this time. Making this part of our routine keeps their minds and hearts in the right place. Their focus began on material things, Legos, Star Wars toys, etc. It turned to the food we eat, the house we live in, etc. Five always amazes me at this. I love to see the wheels turning in his little head.

Today is shoe box rummage sale day for kindergarten. We priced a bunch of items and each student gets to sell those items to each other. Each student brings 25 pennies to school and gets to make their purchases. I get to help with it, very exciting. I didn't help with this last year, Seven was eager to help get Five ready.

Wednesday is Field Day. N volunteered to help with Seven's class. They are in charge of kickball and jump rope. Last year I was talked into helping with face painting. It is always a fun day and the kids really enjoy the games. I hope it isn't too terribly hot and doesn't rain. That's not too much to ask, is it?

Happy to report, I am almost finished with the teacher gifts. Lupcke's is nearly done, Thornton's will be after Field Day. I gave a Wednesday dead line to the parents, we will see if any come to make their addition today and tomorrow. Very excited to present them to the teachers, I'll try to post a picture.

Seven is having a Fraction Pizza Party on Thursday. Sounds exciting. I guess they will discuss fractions while eating pizza. I am eager to hear all about it. We have soccer games that night, looking forward to those. Only a half dozen left and we will be done with soccer for the season.

Five has a family picnic on Friday, which I am supposed to bring a dessert to. Still have no idea what I plan to make. If you have a fabulous idea for me, email me! I am at a loss for meal planning lately. Lack of ideas or motivation, not sure which excuse I can use. Even my latest issue of Simple and Delicious did not inspire me. Maybe I am ill?

I've been invited to breakfast with some moms on Thursday morning. I only know one mom who is attending. Still not sure if I can make it yet, but would be fun to get to know more moms in the area. This might open a whole new group on connections in town. Not sure what I am searching for or what my goal is. I guess just to meet people and have an enjoyable summer. I seem to always be the one trying to bring people together. Last fall, it sort of blew up when I made an attempt to get people together. Not everyone always gets along. I think this began when I was in Germany. I met so many wonderful people there. We would meet at the fish fountain in the center of the city, then set off on an adventure for that day. We did so many things. We brought together people from countries all over the world. I do not recall many opinions or people not getting along. Maybe the fact that we were all in Germany, from other countries and wanting to explore gave us a foundation, something we all had in common right from the start. We all were seeking adventure and wanting to explore what Germany had to offer. We would go to museums, parks, beer garten, walking tour of the city, churches, and most tourist attractions or just popular places to see in Munich. I loved every minute of it. Munich is such a fabulous city. I hope to take N there some day.

Well, for now, I will be content in my little Michigan town. Enjoy the summer months, time with the kids and their dad.

Filters

A friend (Bluebonnet) recently wrote a blog about filters and their purpose throughout this life. It got me thinking and wondering about myself, where I filter things and when. I recently had a few friendships that turned dramatically in a different direction. Both took me by surprise and left me wondering if it would ever be the same again. With one, I voiced my opinion and everything went down hill. That relationship has since changed and is moving back to the direction it was originally.

The second however, is still a loss to me. I am not sure what happened. I tried to ask, but never received an answer. How much does one filter with one friend vs. the other? How much do you filter on Facebook? Guess that is what I have a blog for. Bluebonnet discusses scripture in her blog entry. Putting the filter first before speaking, "exercising self-control, you will ask yourself before you speak if what you are about to say will be a blessing to those who hear it (Ephesians 4:29), and whether or not this would be something that would bring glory to God, or display His greatness to those who may not yet know Him." Could this be where my direction changed in my two relationships? Did I fail to think first, have self control and wonder about the other person first? With the first relationship, yes, I am certain this is what happened. I was upset and thought the other party needed to know exactly how I felt. I didn't hold back and wanted to stand up for myself. How do you chose? How do you decide whether to speak your opinion and stand up, or remain silent. In the end, the first relationship where I spoke my opinion is on the road to recovery. The other, still at a stand still. Will it ever come back? The Lord only knows. And He was in my thoughts throughout this relationship too. Bluebonnets comment about whether people know Him or not, choosing your words wisely because of them rings true to the second relationship I've discussed. To be friends with someone who does not have a relationship with the Lord can bring forth a challenge. I've never been one to push religion on others. I've probably not been a strong influence on others when it comes to religion. I try to follow the path I have chosen. It all comes back to an episode of Hermie the caterpillar "Stay on the straight path." How do you influence someone who doesn't want to be influenced? I guess I don't feel it is my place.

Other influences can be both positive and negative, all coming from the same person. As relationships change, you either get closer or a distance is created and grows and grows. Since moving here, I have had many different relationships with people in the community. How do you decide what to filter to each person? Those you are just getting to know, you possibly keep more to yourself, stick to a generic story? Keep it at the basics, the simple facts of your life. When do you cross a line and your discussions become confidential? How do you know if that person will keep the discussion confidential? Does the filter determine what you share and with whom based on the other persons opinion? If you know they feel a certain way, do you hold back on those topics due to strong opinions? I learned this lesson in high school and the topic of politics. It was discussed at a family gathering, so many different opinions. I was like a fly on the wall, just watching what was happening in front of me. That experience possibly was key to forming my filter. It gave me the realization of how different and incredibly strong opinions can be, especially among family members. I feel like have been filtering many things since that time. I usually keep my opinions quiet, depending on the people I am with. Granted, my immediate family hears my opinions frequently and there is not much of a filter with them. This past year has given me less of a filter with a friend, but more with others. For her, I am thankful. For so many things in my life, I am thankful. He has guided me on this journey to a place in the community. I am still not sure what that place is yet, but am eager to see where it takes me. I hope to continue to be happy and content here. My weakness is when a crisis or challenge comes, I want to toss my hands up in the air and blame living here. So funny how a topic can turn and always seems to come back to my being content where I am.

There has been more distance created lately. I am not keeping in touch with people as well as I have in the past. What has changed that? How do I explain it? Am I so busy with life and my children, I don't take the time to fit keeping in touch in anymore? School, soccer, teaching, volunteering, etc. It all takes up so much time, trying to keep order. Focusing on the children and my husband take over and all else is put second.

I admit, I have been hasty with bedtime lately. I get so very frustrated and rush them to bed. We haven't been saying our prayers together every night as we once were. This disappoints me greatly. Why do I leave that part out? Why can't I take the extra 10 minutes it takes to pray with my children at bedtime? It sounds so horrible when I write it out, but this is what has been happening lately. I want to come up with excuses, that the change of weather keeps them up late and there is a need for them to get enough sleep to be ready for school the next day. They play so hard and are exhausted at the end of the day, thus becoming uncooperative and I just want them in their beds. Tonight, we will pray together. I am determined to turn this part of our routine around. I have to make it happen alone. N is not always there at bedtime. I put them to bed on my own three nights a week, sometimes more. I will find strength and keep this routine going. Summer will prove a challenge, but I hope to rise above and kick the weakness out the door.

Advice

Five, Seven and their four year old friend are discussing the week ahead.

Five says "I only have one month left of school, then it's summer vacation."

Seven promptly corrects him "We have one week left of school."

Five asks his four year old friend "do you know what summer vacation is? It's a time to relax, rest and have a break from school."

So nice of Five to share his wisdom with others.

The bikes are out

I think I am really liking the Saturday mass schedule. Throughout the entire school year, we were racing out the door Sunday -- Friday, trying to get to school and church on time. We went last night to the 4:30 mass. It broke up our dull Saturday evening home alone and gave us a relaxing Sunday morning. We focused on a snack before church, then with good behavior, a trip to the movie store after. Supper was quick and the house was cool for a movie in the evening. We were to have a movie on Friday night, but that never happened. The girl was so tired, she fell asleep during the movie.

My pictures came in the mail yesterday. I am almost done with the Lupcke project, just a few more things to add. Not sure which direction to go with Thornton though. I love the book idea for Lupcke. It all just came together, but I do not have as much material for Thornton. I did not get as many participants either with the Thornton group. Lupcke, almost the entire class is participating. Parents really are more involved during the kindergarten year than later. I am still surprised at how that works out.

We took a bike ride to the grocery store this morning. The treat of the trip were letting each kid pick out a donut. They were thrilled. We have a bike trailer, which allowed us to pick up a few groceries for the week and transport them home. Gas prices are so high and biking is good for the body. Got us out the door and gave us a great start to our morning. I hope we can bike lots this summer.

The neighbor brought over a little girl bike for Three this morning. It was so sweet of them to pass it along to us. I felt bad that she has been riding the Deigo bike for so long. My plan was to get her a girl bike in the next size up. I was waiting until she was more comfortable on the smaller bike first. She has just recently started riding the Deigo bike. Last summer she would choose her trike each time. Since the neighbors were so generous to pass along the princess bike, we can pass the Deigo bike to Cousin 8. He was riding it a little while we were at their house last weekend. I wanted to leave it for him, but didn't want to leave Three without any options.

Soccer this afternoon! Both boys had games yesterday morning. They did pretty well. Seven has a game again today, it's a make up game from a rainy day. This week is our last week of school. So many things to do, all crammed into one week. Both boys have Field Day. Should be a good time. Five has a shoe box rummage sale, we are half way prepared for. My goal is to have that project complete by the end of today. Get as much done ahead of time as I can.

Enjoy this beautiful Sunday readers!

Another end to a busy week

Today was the kindergarten book swap. Each kid can bring in up to five books and trade for five different books. What a great idea. The kids have so much fun, they are thrilled to go home with new books to read. It was fun to see the experience in person.

We brought home our grass from Science on a cart today. I think Zinnia and I need to let them plant a few more seeds than we did. The grass was not lush like last year.
We ended the day with a play date. It was great. Pizza, fun and friends. They have requested a movie in the basement. Perfect solution since they need to clean it. Soccer tomorrow! We should receive Seven's pictures. I was so very happy with Five's.

Looking forward to a nice weekend, hoping it doesn't rain.

Run, run, run

I have the Rudolph song stuck in my head (run, run, Rudolph). The weekend was crazy, I needed two days to recover. Thankfully I had those two days because today is crazy. We had an Author Share Day at school for Seven. He wrote his own hardcover book. I can't wait to share it with my parents, the book is the story of our last visit to their house. Uncle D made it in the story too.

We also heard him read poems and stories he wrote throughout the school year. It was a great morning. I was so proud of him. I had no idea our weekends were being recorded though, he kept track of lots of Lego building.

The boys flew out the door, running a little late. Five had a minor shoe crisis. He ran to the bus. In the end, they took the wrong backpacks. We made the switch after the Author Share.
Today, N is getting the boat in the water! Mr. D and him are on the job this afternoon. We will see how that goes. They are taking three kids too.