Relaxing week...

Not much happening in this household during the past week. A great start of summer vacation. Friday Joseph met with his counselor we did a few errands and went to the library. Then I took a little nap, while the kids had lunch then I took them to see Over the Hedge. (cute movie) Met Pat at Fry's and we went to see MI3. Didn't do anything on Saturday, or Sunday (just enjoyed the cool weather) Monday I took the kids to the pool for a little bit, after they read for an hour (that water was freezing!) Yesterday and today were the same. (the water is getting a little bit warmer, thank goodness) Tonight Pat and I went to dinner with our life group from church that was way fun. Monday night Pat moved my desk from the girls' room to the living room, I'm slowly setting up all my scrapbooking stuff in and on it. Hopefully it will all come together soon. I was thinking this week has been great sleeping in, reading, going swimming and that's really it, it's been almost like a vacation :)

Good/Bad News

The good news is that Joseph will be moving ahead to 8th grade without having to go to Summer school. The bad is that he needed to get C's or better for the 4th quarter to watch his favorite thing (old Star Trek episodes) with his Dad all Summer. Sarah did not get her report card, I guess I could check her grades online too, (not that I need to now though) but she brought home her certificate for Academic All Star, which means she has straight A's again this quarter. She's proud of her wonderful year. (so are we!) Rachel had a great report card too, (she got hers today) but they do this silly checks, stars, and negative signs report. I really hate they way it's done, she did well on the testing for the 4th quarter, (a copy of the tests was with her report card). She was so fearful of the tests, and so relieved when they were over, she's such a perfectionist it's so hard to encourage her to do her best, and know it's OK to get things wrong if it's your best.

water ballon toss

Rachel and her friend tossing water ballons, during water day a

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t school this morning. The kids had fun, and some were even shivering, in their wet clothes (silly kids). I thought it HOT, and hard work, helping them have fun. Check out more water day pictures on my pictures on flickr.

I hate car trouble, but I love....

Pat took my car yesterday to get the oil changed, and it needed the water pump replaced (who knew) I'm just glad I didn't have any trouble with the car on Saturday for my drive that didn't get anywhere. So, I go to pick Rachel up from school at 11, I'm already late, because, I goofed on my timing. I get in the car and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere, why, because I have a flat tire, UGH. Rachel's friend's grandma is the best, I love her, she has 5 kids and is constantally helping them, she has more energy than I do. She takes Rachel to her house for me, so I can get the tire fixed. I call AAA to come change it. When he gets here, he discovers that the spare is shreaded, UGH. So, he tows the car for me to Firestone to get a new tire. I call Saturn about the flat and was going to go there after I got a tire to drive on, but luckily remembered that Sarah had a doctor's appointment with the urogolgist that it took 2 months to get, so I did not want to miss it. So I tell the guy at Firestone that I have to pick my daughter up from school, so could they please hurry. He's kinda of a jerk with me, but they get it changed in time. He's much nicer when I have to pay, because he's showing off for his friend that came into the shop. UGH. I had to get a different tire, because they wouldn't have a tire like I have for a couple of hours. I did not have time for that. So we'll use this tire I bought as a spare and Pat can deal with getting me a tire on his next day off. UGH. So hopefully I won't run over anything, in the mean time. The AAA guy, said the hub cap was loose, and the stem thingy was not on straight or tight, so I suspect that Saturn left it that way yesterday when they checked the tires turing the oil change. UGH. Now we;ll be fighting with them on it, the tire was less than 4 months old. UGH.

hair

Rachel was at a friend's house this afternoon and came home with ponytails, (she had worn a headband over) I noticed when I was reading with her before her shower, one of them looked shorter. Her friend cut her hair, and put it in the ponytails. I just finished fixing it, but I had to take over 3 inches off the back. She is giggly happy with the "new me look", I hate it, it was just getting so long.

Amazing

For weeks, the car has needed to be washed, for weeks I told the kids if they cleaned up all the junk in the car we could get one. (the girls are in this phase that going to the car wash is fun). It takes them weeks, but finally on Saturday they decide to go ahead and clean it to be nice to for Mother's Day, so Sunday after lunch Pat got gas for me (which I hate to do) and we had the car washed. Joseph in his teen attidue said it's going to rain now. I thought ya not likely for a good long time. (months, I'm thinking) Ha, the jokes on me, it rained this afternoon, and while I didn't go anywhere, and thought my clean car would be safe, it started raining again when I took the Scout to his meeting. I hate it when their right.

Trouble with a capital T

My children are in so much trouble tonight. First off, I take Sarah to gymnastics this afternoon, Joseph stays home and is supposed to get Rachel from a neighbor's house. He FORGETS, but he can watch TV, because he couldn't forget to do that. Rachel comes home doesn't see my car, and goes back to friend's house, I'm sure her parents must think I'm a terrible Mother. After dinner I gave all of them things to do (Joseph shower, Rachel read to Sarah and go to bed, and no TV, this should not have been hard to do), I asked Joseph if he wanted me to make a list, he says no he can handle it. I left at 6:45 for my book club, I get home early at 8:20 (we all hated the book, so there wasn't much to discuss). What did I find, Joseph fully clothed on my bed watching TV, Rachel wrapped up in a towel on my bed, watching TV, and Sarah in my bathroom (she was watching TV before using the bathroom). I really wanted to loss it with all of them. ButI managed to calmly tell them I was really mad, sent Rachel to bed, sent Joseph to the shower and ignored Sarah for 15 minutes, before I made her go to bed. There will be NO TV at our house for 3 days, and Joseph since he was in charge, both times I left today, will be sweeping (a job he really hates) and vacuuming for 3 days. He went to bed mad. GOOD.

Sarah's proud of her creation

Sarah's proud of her creation
Originally uploaded by muffinmet.

The "MOM" cake. If you look really carefully you can tell she spelled out MOM in chocolate licorice.

Wonderful Day!

Today has been so wonderful! Pat and the kids woke me up with breakfast in bed, then we went to church, without too much fighting. Went to Valle Luna for lunch (very yummy). Came home decided to go see a movie, so off we went to see RV. I laughed so hard, I cried. I was thinking though, was that really so funny to make me cry or not? I think because the day had been pretty peaceful, I enjoyed it so much more. Pat and the kids also liked the movie. When we got home, Sarah served the "MOM" cake she made for me last night, with Pat's help. It took them a long time to put it together, Joseph and I were in my room watching Apollo 13, and it was nearly over when Sarah was done. They used a frozen pound cake, so I'm not sure what took so long.( It was so sweet though because she poured so much into it, planning, shopping, and putting it together.) Pat read with Rachel and we put her to bed, then the rest of us played a short Win, Lose, or Draw game. The girls beat the boys! :) Pat and I sent Sarah and Joseph to bed, and we went out to the backyard and "snuggled" in the lounge chair under the stars. Then Pat got out the telescope, after I saw the moon, I was done and came inside, he's still out there looking for planets. Hopefully he'll hobble in soon. (He's hobbling because he had a little trouble coming to bed one day this week, he had turned off the lights, walking across the living room to get down the hallway he hit his foot on the fireplace, his fourth toe hit it good, it's probably broken :( He'll be hobbling for awhile :(

The drive that didn't get anywhere :(

I'm not big on driving, but I love my my son, so I drove to Payson, by myself this morning. (I was going with another person, but I changed my mind about that last night) So first off, I have never driven to Payson before. Silly me, I think if, I'm told to get off, Loop 101 at Shea and then take the Beeline (or 87 like the sign says, not Beeline), that as soon as I get off at Shea I'd be on the Beeline.WRONG. First you have to go left until you pass, Fountain Hills, and come to a T in the road, then take the Beeline (87) to Payson. I tried to call Pat at home (he didn't have to be at work until 11), but he was online, so I called my sister and then she called her husband at work, who called me back on my cell, and told me what to do, gheez.Finally, after a long drive, with lots of ups and downs, around mountains, that make me nervous I get to Payson. Find the 260 and turn right like I'm suppose to do, then drive 20 minutes or so looking for the sign for the camp place were this meeting is supposed to be. I drive over 30 minutes and don't see any signs. Will (B.I.L.) said they were really small. After I pass Christopher Creek, I know I've gone to far. I turn around, try to call Will for help, but I have no "bars" on the phone, just great. So I drive towards Payson, and finally get Will, who suggests that I ask in town at a service station for directions, only now it's a little after 11, it will take me another 10-15 , minutes back to town, then find someone to help me get there, and drive back. The meeting started at 11, and is only supposed to be 45 minutes, so I'm thinking why bother, stopping and asking anyone. I did stop for a potty break and lunch at McDonald's before driving home. That was one expensive McDonald trip! And there's a McDonald's within a mile from my house. And what I most want to know is, this is the age of computers and why couldn't the information and forms for the meeting just be available online? Trying to look positive at this experience at least I'll know how to get Joseph to camp in Payson in a few weeks! (It's not at the same place the meeting was, and he's been there before, and Will promised me a detailed map) I left the kids home to do laundry (I separated it before I left, so really all they had to do, was set the washer and dryer, which I make Joseph do for me anyway when he's home) and I'm afraid to go see what they've done with it, so I writing this to stall~

What to do? Gymnastics

So, I was planning on not doing much this Summer other than taking the kids to the pool a lot, the girls will go to VBS, and Joseph to scout camp. But I really don't want to be driving around all summer. But now I don't know, Sarah probably will be moving up to the next level in Gymnastics (she's really done well, for the about 5 months she's been taking classes). We will find out next week for sure. Her teacher talked to me about it today. I know she's really exicited about getting to move up, plus I don't want her to lose and skills she's mastered. So, should I sign her up for classes once a week this summer? Plus there's the cost too. UGH! I'm glad she's likes it, and does well, but geesh :( We had talked about not taking classes or going to gymnastic camp, but on the way home this afternoon, she asked if she could just take classes once a week.

2 blue and 2 red ribbons

2 blue and 2 red

Sarah showing off her ribbons and metal from her gymnastics show this afternoon. She had a fun time, all the Level 2 girls did, vault, balance beam, bar, and floor. They got a ribbon for each event and a metal for participating.

Now

I'm so tired. I did not sleep well last night. Took me forever to fall asleep and I heard every little noise. I finished reading the book for my book club last night before bed. The Weight of Water by Anita Shirve. What a very disturbing book. It took me weeks to even get past the first 50 pages. It's not a book to read before going to bed, that's for sure. This morning Rachel was up before me, and she was laying face down on the couch, she said her tummy hurt and she felt warm, her temp. was 99.3 so I let her stay home from school (it's the first day she's missed), As soon as I called her in, her face lite up, she was happy to miss school, and she's been fine all day, eating not a problem and temp. is down. Maybe she liked all the attention Sarah got over the weekend, and wanted her turn to babied some.

Why?

I've pondered this for years and years. Why does it take forever to get a child(ren) in the bath/shower and even longer to get them out? And then there's always getting dressed again. Is it any wonder I only have the girls take showers 4 times a week, I need unstressful nights a few times a week. But it's getting hot, and their going to need a bath everyday, oh help me?

Better

Sarah woke this morning with a temp. still and added her throat hurt, when I said she needed to stay home from school she got so upset, she didn't want to miss. (I'll be reminding her of times like this when she gets a bit older) I gave her some medicine and sent her to school, just knowing the nurse would call me, so I stayed home all morning waiting, I guess I could have just taken the cell phone with me and did what I needed to do, I'm so silly I didn't think of that. Well, the nurse never called. I picked up Rachel and dropped her off at home (Pat was off, but he wouldn't have heard the phone this morning or answered it if the nurse had called). She made it all day at school, when she got home no fever, no sore throat, but her stomach hurt (mine would to if I only had a banana and carton of juice all day). She was a little sluggish at gymnastics, but now after she had a good dinner, she's doing yoga with Rachel and the neighbor girls.I guess she must be cured.