Blog In Progress

I have been messing around with my blog, which I know is frustrating some of you, but blogger has decided to be difficult, and every time I try to change something, it lets me make one change and then revolts, and it is driving me crazy because it means I have to wait several days before it forgets that I irritated it and lets me try to make another change, so please just stand by, programming will continue in hopefully a few days, weeks, months.... who knows??

My Days

My days seem full and busy lately, much like a friend of mine. And while I wish that I could call one day of the week my own, I keep reminding myself that I volunteered for a few things that occupied my free time.

So here is a look at our weekly schedule.

Monday: School for Katie until 9:30, when we leave for swim lesson at 9:45. Then we return, eat lunch, do more school, put Nick down for nap, and finish schoolwork.

Tuesday: School for Katie, gymnastics 4:30 to 6:30

Wednesday: 9 to 12 at our church working Faith Lessons for Moms childcare. Lunch and nap for Nick, school for Katie

Thursday: School for Katie, gymnastics 4:30 to 6:30

Friday: School for Katie, gymnastics 4:30 to 6:30

Saturday: Ballet at 9:30 for Katie, soccer sometime between 9 and 12 for Nick, and other random gymnastics exhibitions and team things.

Sunday: Sunday school at 8:00 for Katie and I. Other random gymnastics exhibitions and team things.

It makes me tired just looking at it. Then throw in the doctor, dentist appointments, errand running, and other stuff that comes up, and whew, how did life get so busy from one year to the next.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

After returning on Sunday from our trip, we planned out Daddy's birthday. He asked for pancakes for breakfast, which we happily made and enjoyed. And then we went to the library to pick up a book I had special ordered for him, to Subway for lunch, and out to a nearby park for a little play time.

For dinner it was homemade pizza, and cake.

Katie really wanted to make a cake for daddy. So we ran out to the store to get a cake mix, frosting, and decorations. Talk about last minute planning. The kids chose a set of baseball players at Michaels and from there we planned what kind of cake to make.

I think it came out well for a last minute cake, and it tasted delicious.

The kids practiced singing Happy Birthday, and then enjoyed a very smoky candle blowing.

The Beach

The kids picking shells.

My water baby.

The boys throwing rocks.

On the Road

The mountains of Pennsylvania in the distance.

Midway through Pennsylvania

The best part of the drive...picking acorns at a rest stop.

HOME SWEET HOME!!!

We are home from our all too quick trip to New York. Everyone arrived back safely, in one piece, although a bit tired.

And for that reason, I shall say nothing but that I will post more in the next few days. Pictures included. But school starts back up in our house tomorrow, and I am sure our days will be busy ones.

King's Island

Yesterday morning started early (7:30) as Katie and I left for her first Sunday school class. I am assistant teaching a kindergarten class, and she is in the classroom right across the hall. And needless to say, she loved it. Although I am not quite sure what she spent the hour doing. All the papers we covered in our class, came home blank from hers. HMMMM???

Anyway, afterwards we took off for a quick drive to King's Island, a nearby amusement park that used to be owned by Paramount, but is now Cedar something or others. This means that they have a kids area that is entirely themed on Nickelodeon. So the kids had a fabulous time riding the kiddie rides.

We met Blue

The Backyardigan Swings

Go, Diego, Go Cars

The Kiddie CarouselAnd Nick's 1st rollercoaster Little Bill's Giggle Coaster

He loved it!!

Hello Benny!!

Gymnastics Girl

After Nick's soccer game, Katie had a gymnastics exhibition out at one of the summer fairs. Even better was the fact that it was right on the library property, so I could run in after to pick up some books I had on hold and a movie.

Here are some of the better pictures I got. She is getting really good!

The back handspring in progress!!

Nick's 1st Soccer Game

I signed up Nicholas to play Itty Bitty Soccer at our local YMCA over a month ago. He was so excited and couldn't wait to play.

Then came the shin guards, and soccer cleats. After the knock-down dragout fight at the shoe store to purchase the cleats, he fought Daddy on Saturday morning when actually having to put them on for a game.

While we finally convinced him to practice with his team for the first 15 minutes, once the game actually began, he looked much like this photo.

I'm pretty sure the next game will be played in regular socks and gym shoes. But he does look awfully cute!!

My Tooth is Looth

My little girl has got her first loose tooth. She complained for 2 days that her tooth hurt when she ate, and daddy said he checked it and nothing was wrong. But when I touched it, there was some definate wiggling going on.

How is it possible that my baby girl is already losing her teeth!!!!

Pictures will be following in the next week or 2 I predict.

The First Day of School

1. Don't expect widespread enthusiasm the first day. After all, the weather is still warm and a 5 year old can imagine endless possibilities of better things to do.

2. A spider the size of your fist will definately show up wandering the living room floor, and both children will SCREAM hysterically until it is killed and vacuumed thoroughly. Even then, they will continue to discuss the spider the remainder of the day. It was definately more interesting than the numbers we were previously writing.
(And maybe it was only the size of a half dollar - but it was GIGANTIC)

3. A spider will then meander on the ceiling, directly above the 5 year old's chair. Mind you this spider is the size of a pencil eraser at most, but all work will cease until the spider is disposed of properly. (What were they doing looking at the ceiling in the first place? Am I really that boring???)

4. The simple mention of tea, cookies, and painting will brighten anyone's day. But attempting to instruct the 5 year old to paint like Monet with dabs instead of lines, will result in long protracted sighs, and comments of "I like lines better!"

5. The first Magic Tree House read-aloud was a raving success, and instead of 2 chapters as scheduled, we read 5 by days end, as well as printed out the Passport. Thanks Celeste!!!

6. A sticker chart that shows what needs to be accomplished for the day is a wonderful incentive.

7. Illustrating poetry, and then memorizing it is considered great fun by 5 year olds. Who knew?

8. A 5 year old is totally and completely able to complete a math worksheet on her own, while mom puts the 2 year old down for a nap. And she even will quietly whisper when she has finished. HURRAY! HURRAY!!

9. After completing a first full day of 1st grade, I cannot fathom how I could ever spend more than 3 hours max teaching her a very full curriculum. And somehow the state of Ohio expects 5 hours a day for 180 days of the year. Are they NUTS!!!