Outdoor living

As usual, this summer is flying by. I haven't even written about all the fun we are having. It really is such a blessing that I have been able to spend this time with my kids. We are really strapped financially, but in the end it is so worth it. The last two years of graduate school have really done me in. I have really needed the outdoors and the quality time with my two "crazies". Weston's first and second weeks of "school camp" (this is how we are reframing summer school) have gone well. He was pretty pissed off at us for signing him up without even asking him. "Who would do that?!" he said. The first day he was very excited to take the small bus. He came home with a smile, but really wasn't impressed with that type of camp. That night he went with my mother in law to her house and they went out to eat at Five Guys. I had to work. His second day he was even less enthused to go, but he did. This day my sister picked him up. Ella got a special day shopping in the morning with her aunt for her birthday clothes. In true Ella fashion she got some crazy outfits that were full of "bling" and color. That afternoon was filled with swimming in the pool. Wednesday I picked up Weston and we went straight to the beach (got to get it in while we still can!). Unfortunetly, he had to pee so badly that I forgot the sunscreen in the car. Thankfully I was the only one who burned...and I did it badly. We had a fun time though. We went to the other section of Rocky Neck and climbed all the rocks out to the sea. We were looking for crabs but didn't catch any. I didn't wear shoes because I thought it would be too slippery. Big Mistake. Ouch! Still it was a good time. Anytime on the beach is a good time. Thursday was the 4th! Woohoo! One of my favorite days of the year and this year it was extra awesome! We went to the Canterbury Parade as usual. Ella was actually with us this year. At the parade, one of Weston's teachers came by with a coupon for a free pony ride. We went home to cool off and have lunch (because it was horribly hot that day), and then went to get our pony rides. Afterwards we went to my friend Marie's house for a picnic. It was so much fun. Andy joined us later and everyone had a blast. The kids swam all afternoon and played with friends while we chatted with the adults. We tried to walk down and see fireworks over the pond, but there were only a few this year. Friday, Ava came over and we went to the pool. It was another hot one. We were going to go to the beach but it was too hot, we heard that many had been shut down the day before because of overcrowding, and two kids drowned on the fourth which made it scary for me. That night the girls went with me to the Tigers Game and helped me recruit foster parents. Well mostly they went to the gift shop and watched the game, but still it was fun. At the end of the game was fireworks. Really awesome fireworks! I also had them announce the girl's birthdays on the screen. Saturday, was Ella's family birthday party so I baked and cooked all day and dragged it all to my mom's house. It was a fun time. We just had immediate family which went well. The kids played with their cousin's and Ella got a lot of nice things. Mostly cash which she loved. Sunday, Ella was off to camp! I haven't seen her since. We spent the morning packing and buying the things we didn't have. That was pricey! Monday was back to school camp for Weston. I tried to clean out Ella's room in the morning, but two trash bags and two hours later I only had about 1/3 of it done. After he got out we went swimming at the pool with Missy and Matt. Tuesday I worked and Weston went with Kris and Brady on a train ride. He said it was his best day ever. Wednesday I spent the morning driving to North Haven because our patio was being poured and we needed some materials. I snuck in a trip to Ikea and got some new shelves and a stuffed animal holder for Ella's room. :) Nana and Pa picked up Weston and he was ready to leave when I got there. He didn't want to miss that cement mixer! I cleaned the rest of Ella's room while that was happening. Thursday, I had Brady. We stayed home in the morning and played a few board games when it began to thunder and lightening. Then we went to Target. When we picked Weston up from camp we went rail-fanning in Niantic. Then to the book barn. The boys bought two train books. We had DQ and went to New London to rail-fan. Today we went to my mom's house. She suggested going to Hopeville so Weston could ride his bike. We went to get his bike tire fixed, made a picnic lunch, and were off to Hopeville. It was a lot of fun and great weather outside! Afterwards we went to the pool to hang out with Missy and Matt. Now we are getting ready to pick up our Ella at camp!

The first week

We have been very busy this first week of vacation. Last Friday was the kid's last day. Missy got them from school because I was at Yale visiting my mom (who is doing great post surgery!) Missy took Matt out of school early and the kids had a lot of fun playing over their house. They were pretty bummed that we hadn't done our annual last day trip to Buttonwoods Farm for ice cream, so they convinced me to go that night. We were able to use their free coupons they earned from screen free week. Saturday was hot! We went to Aunt Kris' pool in the morning to cool off and then the kids got themselves ready to sleep over their Aunty Ali's house. All five cousins were there including Donna. They played all night and swam again on Sunday. Sunday afternoon I drove to get them and as soon as we got home Ella was off to sleep over Carina's house. Weston had a birthday party to go to. Then we went to make Nana some dinner since she had just come home from the hospital! Weston got to play with Brady at Nana's house. Monday, both kids woke up with a rash. Weston's looked similar to poison ivy. Ella's I didn't know about until later since she was over Carina's house. A trip to the pediatrician later, West was put on steriods. Then we were off to Rocky Neck beach with Brady and Aunt Kris. The boys had a blast watching the trains and fishing with nets in the brook. They even got a few rides with their boogie boards down the brook into the ocean. It was a great day. Then they got Dairy Queen ice cream on the way home. Ella came home right before I left for work that night. Her rash looked more like a sun burn. Everyone is looking much better now that it is the end of the week. Tuesday, Ella's hair had dreadlocked all on it's own from two days of pool swimming and not washing it. Ugh! It took over 2 hours between Monday night and Tuesday morning to comb it out and a lot of expensive conditioner. It called for an emergency hair cut! She finally agreed to go shoulder length. Thank god! It looks adorable and she can handle the maintenance of it. Then Mammy came down to get the kids because I had to go to work. She took them overnight and they got to go watch Monsters University at the movie theater! Wednesday I had to watch Matt, so he came over early in the morning and we drove to RI to get the kiddos. We came back and hung around the house for a few hours. The kids played so well together. There was no fighting or ganging up on each other. Then around 2 we went to the the pool. The kids swam for over two hours even with the threat of thunderstorms. Then we came back here and had dinner. The kids wanted Matt to sleep over, so he did. Thursday we had a play date at the splash pad with the other moms. It was overcast, threatening rain, and although it was humid at home it was chilly when we got there. The kids still went in the splash pad even if it was freezing, but it started to sprinkle after an hour and a half of playing on the playground and splash pad. We were way through eating our homemade lunchables when we had to leave. We went home and the boys played outside for a couple of hours. Then we went to the library to sign up for the summer reading program. Then we dropped Matt off at home. Friday we had Brady. We went rail-fanning at Old Saybrook. We brought a picnic lunch and saw a few trains. Then we went to the Book Barn. That place is awesome! The kids didn't want to take the time to look around, but I figured we'll go back one day so I can really look. We tried to find books on trains at the Midtown location, but we didn't realize we were at the wrong one. Then we got Dairy Queen and came back here. Last night we went to Target. The kids got their allowance. They decided to get water guns which were on sale for $12 and they used $5 off coupons to make them both $7. We hope to have a water gun party later on in the summer. :) Ella is sleeping over Ava's house today for her birthday party after going to Skate Inn. Weston will hang back with us and hopefully get some yard work done. We are making gains to get this patio completed. The only thing about being busy is that housework doesn't always get done. :)

Creeping up...

While it feels and looks nothing like summer in New England right now, school is almost out. The kids have exactly one more week left of school. 2nd and 5th grades. Ella will be in middle school. Where or where has the time gone? Next Tuesday is my mom's surgery. The first few weeks of summer are going to consist of taking care of her. It is going to be tough, but we'll make it through. Money is tight as always so we'll be trying to figure out some cheap activities to occupy our time this summer. Weston will be participating in "school camp" for the month of July, so he'll be gone M-Th in the mornings. He also has boy scout day camp and Ella is going to her first year of 4H camp where Lizzie is a counselor. We have made a list of activities we hope to do during this summer, but I think it might be hard to fit it all in. There was a time when I dreaded the kids getting out of school, but for the last two years I have really loved it. No homework, no schedules, no packing lunches. Sure a little more fighting and such, but nothing I can't deal with. :) I cannot wait to enjoy my kids after two years of graduate school. MSW

Snow cones for sale!

After months of the kids begging me, we finally had a snow cone stand today. The kids made $22 and had a fun time. I was dreading it, but it wasn't all that bad. It was fun to see how excited they were, and for a few hours there was no fighting (well maybe a little) and crying. I am so sad summer is coming to an end, but I have to say after today's fighting between the two, I am starting to see the good in school.

Afterwards, we came home and Ella, Weston, and I went for a bike ride around the block. Andy had put the tantum bike on mine, so Weston rode with me. It was a perfect day, weather wise, to ride. I hope to get a few more rides in before the craziness starts.

The great outdoors

For the last two days I have enjoyed exploring the outdoors with the kids. There is just something about watching them discover the natural beauty and fun in the simple things in life. I was determined yesterday to get my bike repaired so that we could tackle a bike path. It took all of the morning to pack, get the kids out the door, get their favorite bikes at my parents house, get the bike fixed, get gas, and stop at the grocery store for more lunchables for lunch but we got there! We got lost on the way too, but we discovered this beautiful covered bridge that ended up being worth the extra minutes. The landscapping lady pointed us in the right direction. Once on the bike path Weston went full speed. Because he has a smaller bike (he feels more comfortable without training wheels that way) he has to peddle harder and more frequently, so he got tired out quickly. It took us most of the time to convince him that he could continue to peddle and make it back to the car. What seemed to work was when I told him that most people think he is the strongest little boy they know and that he has been through so many other painful things that he could do that too. It wasn't a long ride, but it took us about an hour. Maybe one mile? 1.5? Next time I will have Andy hook up the two seater and Weston will ride with me. I need to be on my bike (especially after I spend money on fixing it)because it makes me feel great. When we finally made it back to the car we decided to go back to the covered bridge and see what it had to offer. Honestly this was like finding hidden treasure for me. This place made it feel as though I was in New Hampshire and was exactly what I needed. Thankfully I brought their swim suits (I know to come prepared). The kids went back to the car and changed into them so they could play in the water. The river had small rapids going through it, so Ella had to help her brother across. They could have played in that water for hours. We decided to check out the trail to see if there were any other beauties to be discovered. The trail was gorgeous but after a big hill Weston was done. They played a little longer at a different spot, but decided to leave when they saw a small river snake pass them by. It was a great day outdoors. I am hoping that most of the rest of the summer will be more like these days. I needed it badly and so do they. I'll be off exploring our state!

Natural beauty

Lately I have been feeling like we have been cooped up inside. In reality, we have been doing a lot of fun activities, but on days when it is hot or we have nothing else to do we have stayed inside. I don't want these precious moments of summer to pass me by. Especially since I have completed my last paper for school (one more class). This last year has been so difficult and I haven't found much time to enjoy the simple things in life because at every moment I have a gazillion things to do. Yesterday I decided that I needed to get outside in nature. We started at Bluff Point. I haven't been there since I was a kid. We had printed out some letterboxing clues and then planned to go to the beach afterwards (found a free beach...score!). Weston decided to go down to the water at Bluff point even though Ella complained that he always gets to do what he wants to do. After the morning thank god the complaining stopped. We explored for a few hours. The kids got creative and Weston ate the rest of the ham we brought for a snack so he could use the container to catch fish. He ended up with a hermit crab. It was a fun adventure. Then we went letterboxing. We found the first stamp, but not the second. The miracle in this was that Weston didn't complain about walking the whole time!!! He must have done at least 1.5 miles. I think we will be going back there to do more. Lots of people brought bikes, so maybe he would be able to bike it. Afterwards we hadn't brought lunch (I didn't have anything to make sandwiches), so we found the local grocery store and Ella had the idea of lunchables. It worked out perfectly! We then went to Esker Point beach and ate our lunch there. The kids went into the water. It was rocky and then had this dark mud that was icky, but again it was free and it was the ocean, so I am hoping it was okay to swim in. Other than that it was a beautiful little park and the kids didn't care. They played and swam. We stayed for a couple of hours and then I got them to leave by promising to buy them DQ. I didn't know that they had extra small Blizzards!!! Cheaper and less calories. Weston ate his whole ice cream which is always great for him. That was yesterday. Saturday we went to the library and played our last Bingo game. I am reading the Stephanie Plum Series so I need the second book (reading for fun!!!). We spent most of the day inside and I felt as though I got nothing accomplished. That night I brought Ella to the pool and we competed against each other. That girl beat me every time except for the back stroke. Friday we had Brady. They were all getting along so well in the morning so we hung out here and then went out to get lunch. Afterwards we hit the pool. Wednesday we went to the magic show again. This time we brought Ella's friend, Ava with us. The kids had fun riding the rides, watching the show, and eating ice cream (lots of ice cream eating this summer). Ella even got picked to do a trick. She had to draw a picture of the magician and he drew one of her. Then the pictures magically switched. I have to figure out what we are going to do today...Got to keep these kids busy and do it on a budget!

Wishes

On Friday, I had planned that the kids and I would go to the Springfield Museums because it was part of a program of Free Fridays. However, Weston woke up at 1:30am vomiting so our plans changed. Brady couldn't come over and I didn't want to drive a long distance just in case Weston got sick again. After a few hours of trying to relax at home (and write some of my last paper), the kids were fighting so badly that I knew I had to get them out of here at all costs. Since we hadn't gone gone to the Sunflowers for Wishes event yet this year, I decided that would be a nice stop. The kids were not thrilled with my wanting to take pictures in the hot sun, but it is what we do every year.

This year they had the cow ride in addition to the hay rides, so we did both. It was all for a good cause.

Then we had ice cream and bought our sunflowers, but by that time Weston was complaining of a headache, so we left and came home to rest up. He was fine after some pain meds. The kids slept over Missy's house on Saturday night because we had a Jack n' Jill to attend. On Sunday we stuck around the house. By Monday, it was time to get them back out again. Weston had a hearing test so we stopped by a Splash Pad and Playground on the way home and had a picnic lunch there. The best part about it was that it was FREE!!!Ofcoarse then Ella convinced me to go school shoe shopping, so we did afterwards and spent some serious cash there, but at least it was money well spent. Yesterday I had the day off, so we went to the pool with Missy and Matt. Then Ella's friend Ava came over last night and the kids played with the neighbors. I'm not sure what our plans are today. It is supposed to rain off and on today which makes it difficult to find cheap or free activities. We may hit the free movie at O'Neil theaters this morning.

Taking the time...

It seems as though once again this summer is flying by. In the process, I feel as though I have been devoting a lot of time to doctor's appointments, school work, work, and boring stuff. By the time Tuesday rolled around I could feel myself slipping into a small depression, and I knew that I needed some sun and some fun. I decided that night that Wednesday would be devoted to just having good old fashioned fun, and I was going to get out of the house. I took the kids to the beach. This particular beach has no waves, but lots of stuff to explore from crabs to other sand animals and shells. There is also a small stream that they can ride their boogie boards down. It is a lot of fun for them. Also, the ENT had asked if I was taking Weston to the beach. Now, I can fail at other aspects of his treatment regiment, but how can I fail in this area.

So we played there all day, and just so I didn't feel as though I was wasting my afternoon, I did bring some research studies to read for my power point presentation that was do today. The kids played great together (for most of the time) and really enjoyed themselves. They even got some ice cream from the ice cream man. That is a must. I remember how special that was as a kid.

After the beach we went home to eat some dinner and then back out to the Magic show on the beach! The kids enjoyed some rides and of course some more ice cream (it is summer and the extra calories are great for Weston). The magician was great. I took some pictures of the kids laughing, and realized that this was exactly the sight and sound that I hadn't heard in a while and that I needed it.

Yesterday I had to work and finish that power point. I was all geared up to have another fun filled day today, but Weston woke up at 1:30am and vomited. Sigh. It will have to wait for another day. In good news, one more paper and one more class and summer classes are DONE!

VBS!

The kids started Vacation Bible School again yesterday. It was supposed to start on Sunday, but I completely forgot and thought it started on Mondays. Weston was nervous to go again. He asked Ella if they would be in the same group and she agreed that she would stay with him after he pleaded with her "Ella will you please help me not miss mom." He stayed the whole time and really enjoyed himself. When I picked them up he kept saying the word "butt crack" in sentences. I asked him if he had said that in church and he replied "Just once, but don't worry no one heard me...no one but God." The kid cracks me up even if he is a little bugger. Yesterday we had Weston's GI appointment in the morning which went well. Then Ella had a pool party at her friend Morgan's house in the afternoon. I would have forgotten about that if I hadn't looked at my calendar. Thank god I did because I needed a few hours without one of the kids. This past weekend we had the outdoor movie night over the Williamson's house for CF. The kids had a blast!!!! They both knew kids there and played on the trampoline, tree house (which freaked Andy out), the pool, and roasted hot dogs on the fire. Then they watched Chipwrecked on the outdoor projector. Fun times!

Just Beachy!

Today will be the first time this summer we have gone to the beach. I cannot believe it! I am very much looking forward to it after a long, stressful week of doctors appointments, birthday parties, and being on the phone with RI DMV waiting to see if my driving privileges are back (as of Tuesday they weren't). Carina slept over last night, so the kids should have fun. We were planning to go to Misquimicit with Missy and her friends but then I remembered about the driving. Oh well, hopefully they will have just as much fun in CT. Tonight I get to go out with the moms from Weston's pre-school. I am really looking forward to it. This week involved two trips to CCMC. One for CF clinic and the other for a CT scan. CF clinic was an exhausting appointment filled with disappointment. He is in the concerning category for height, weight, and BMI. Plus, his cough was junky and so his PFT's weren't good. There is also a polyp in his nose that justified the CT scan. I really hated CF this week. Summertime gives me a break usually and makes it feel as though CF isn't in our lives, but this just ripped that band aid off again. I can't wait to have fun with them today. We set up a station in Weston's room for his vest. I got him headphones for his Nook and my mom picked him up a chair to sit in. Thursday he really enjoyed it, but last night I couldn't get the darn Nook to charge. I just ordered a new charger online last night. Let us hope that works faster because I thought I had finally figured something out that would get him to do treatments without complaint. Off to the beach!

I called and was cleared to drive in RI, so we ended up going to Misquamicut. It was a blast (other than Katie getting sick and Missy having to leave). The kids really enjoyed it and I forgot how much I loved the beach. I can't wait to go again!

Three day birthday extravaganza!

Yesterday was Ella's family birthday party. What a long, busy day. I had two papers to turn in, so I had to finish them (can we say procrastination anyone?), then I had to clean the house from top to bottom (thank god it wasn't as horrifying as it can be sometimes), run to get the cupcakes I ordered from Rachel (so worth the money and drive), dropped off three cases of soy milk to my friend Corinne at Dairy Queen (her father gave the kids free ice cream so it was so worth it), stop at Aldi's for some extra bday party supplies, and run out again to get pizza from Dominos (went all the way to Norwich so I could use my buy one, get one coupons). During all of the above, the children were driving me nuts. Last week was a full week of pure bliss with no fighting, crying, whining, etc. Yesterday was the first day with two kids again and it sucked! It wouldn't have been bad if I didn't have so much to do. It is essential to keep these kids busy and entertained. The birthday party itself went very well. We had the grandparents and my sister and Scott. Will and Ben came with Mammy, Poppy, and Aunt Anne. The pizza was good (even thought it was Dominos) and the weather was perfect. It was a great night to eat outside. The boys were so busy playing that they didn't eat. Then it was tie dye time! Ella has been so excited for this part. Only Ella, Brady, and Griffin wanted to tie dye though. Which was fine because it was less work for me. I did succeed in tie dying my hands. Ella tie died her feet. Then we did cupcakes and presents. Ella got a camera, itunes cards, and girly stuff. It was fun, relaxing, and enjoyable. Ella said it was her best birthday ever. :)

It's my party...

Today we had Ava, Lillian, and Carina over our house before the party. The girls played well, and I drove them to Michael's Craft store.

At the party we first painted these pretty wooden boxes...

Then we worked with beads to make different shapes and animals...

Then it was cupcake time, so we decorated those too...

Then it was time for presents...

After that we had a few minutes to spare to make bracelets, but didn't get to finish them. Everyone had a good time and left with their creations. I now have a very tired nine year old after this full, jammed packed week. Is it time for bed yet?

Baby you're a firework!

Last night we had planned to go to the New London fireworks, but Ella had gotten invited to Ava's birthday party which lead to our whole family being invited. The neighbor does a huge fireworks display every year. It was a lot of fun. The kids got to play and even Andy enjoyed himself. The huge bonus was that we didn't have to get stuck in traffic. I love impromptu events like that. Ella was home for a few hours and ended up sleeping over Ava's house. We can't even hang onto her on her birthday! I love that she has made so many good friends and was having a good time though. I'm going to go get the three of them and then Carina is getting dropped off her at 12 for Ella's birthday party today. It should be a fun filled couple of days. Too bad I still need to tweak two papers by tomorrow. Ugh.

She's back...

Happy 9th birthday to my Ella Bella! I picked her up this morning at camp. As we thought, she had a blast, made lots of friends, and didn't miss us at all. Well she said she thought of us once when another camper was throwing up and crying because she was home sick. I am glad that she is the type of kid who could be without us.

She went horseback riding every day and learned how to gallop on here own. She even went bare back. At camp they are required to clean the horse stalls and take care of the horses. Her favorite horse was Applejack. They also went boating every day and swam every day. She earned a white cap in swimming, but is hoping next year to improve her skills so she can swim in deep water. She also says that she never wants to go to the pool again and would much rather prefer a pond. They also did archery at camp. Today since it was her birthday she got to wear a birthday sombrero, and everyone sang to her. She can't wait to go back next year! Today she has a birthday party for her friend Ava and later tonight we are hoping to make the fireworks in New London. Tomorrow is her friend party at Michaels and Monday night is her family party at our house. We are going to have pizza and tie dye shirts.

Happy 4th!

Here it is again. One of my most favorite holidays. The fourth of July! There is something about dressing up in all red, white, and blue, watching a parade, and hanging out with family on a summer day that is just glorious. We attended the annual Canterbury parade this morning. Weston got a bunch of loot (candy ofcoarse). I am really missing Ella. I wish she didn't like to go away on the Independence Day, but I would just be fighting with her over her outfit choice anyway (that girl hates to wear red, white, and blue). Tonight we are off to have dinner at my sisters house. Right now I am doing everything in my power to avoid school work. LOL.

Off to camp!

Today we send Ella off to her first FULL week of overnight camp. She also gets to participate in the horseback riding program. She is so excited. I'm actually going to miss her, but it will be nice to have some time with just Weston. Yesterday we went to Ashlyn's birthday party. The kids had a blast in the bouncy house and slip and slides. Weston played with Jayden for most of the day. At one point he told me to go get his bathing suit and then slapped me on the butt. I have NO idea where this came from, but he was very apologetic when he saw my reaction. We also went to the library and played the game for the first time this summer. The kids both got a free book. This morning I jogged to bootcamp with Missy and Courtney. Lynn kicked our butt and then we walked back. It is also 94 degrees and humid outside already. I'm tired but glad I did it. later... I dropped Ella off at camp. It was in the middle of a thunder and lightening storm. Thankfully we arrived during a lull in the storm and it got much worse after she was at her unit. She is really excited. However, Andy and I already miss her. Weston has since gone through her room to make sure she isn't hiding anything and watched shows he can't watch when she is here.

A childless night

Last night my mother in law took the kids overnight so she can watch them today while I go to work and school. I should have been researching and writing a paper, but because we got an extension, I decided to enjoy my time. I went for a run and then put my ipod on and danced around the house. I love to dance when no one is around. It is so freeing. Today I had lost another pound. I am down 22, and at 150.4. I am so determined to get into my 140's by the end of this week. I don't know if it will happen, but I was stuck at 152 for a month. That is so frustrating! Oh, and last night while I didn't have kids, I went to Target for some tortillas for dinner. While I was there I tried on clothes. I found a skirt that is a size 6! Woohoo!!! Now, I think it was sized wrong because the 8 in another skirt fit perfect, but who cares the tag said 6 and I'm going with it! After seven years of eating my feelings, I am finally getting back to who I am. Yesterday the kids and I hung out here. They played mostly with the neighbor kids while I cleaned. It was peaceful and needed to be done. Plus, we had no money and it was a free option. I was also able to register Ella for camp this weekend. I'm so happy. She has been looking forward to doing a full week sleep over and horseback riding for years now, and I didn't think it would happen do to money. Thankfully I was able to register her last minute thanks to my in-laws and my sister. I can't wait to drop her off and get excited with her. Plus, that means next week is just Weston and I. I have Brady on Friday so two kids will be much better than three. Off to work and school. This is my last class for summer semester I, and I start up the second class next week. That will only be one night a week though. Woohoo!! I am kind of tired of this classroom bs. However, I am down three more classes and only need seven more to graduate next May. Also, this is my last week working 24 hours at work. I agreed to go down to 16. The paycheck will suck, but it will be nice to have more hours with the kids.

One week completed!

One week has gone by of summer vacation already! While we have been low on cash, we have made the best out of every day. Friday I cleaned the house in the morning and then we went to the library to sign up for the summer reading game. Afterwards we went to Kris' pool and swam for three hours. The kids all got along great. Brady and Kris were out there and Missy came with Matt and her friend Evelyn. It was a good time. The best part was that Weston got enough confidence to swim in the deep end. Once he saw that he could do it, he was jumping off the diving board and swimming to the side. He did awesome! I love when he is in the pool all day. The salt water is so good for his sinuses and the exercise is good for his lungs. Saturday, I went to boot camp in the morning. Then it took us all morning to pack up and shop for our overnight camping trip. We finally made it to the campground a little after 1:00pm. Due to a storm the night before there was no power, so the pools were not open. After a little disappointment, we found the Franson family and played on the playground for a short period of time. Then the kids hoped on their bikes and rode around for a while. After they got tired of that, they asked to go down to the river. The nature trail takes you down under railroad through a tunnel. Then you come to this beautiful river. Many people had tubes to go down the current. It was breathtaking. Who needs New Hampshire when you have that kind of beauty in your backyard? The kids had fun playing in the water. Buddy, the dog, enjoyed the rocks. Weston was starting to get chilly so we got out and went back to the campsite. The older kids got back on their bikes. There was also a girl named Haley that was in Ella's girl scout troop, so the three older girls played and found a hill to ride down. Then they had a blast playing in the tent. It was so nice to hang out with Julie and Craig. They are such down to earth people and their children are a lot like ours, so you get the impression that they "get it" without judgment. It is so peaceful to sit back and relax while the kids play together. They even made us dinner, breakfast, and lunch. I tried to contribute what we had, but they were more prepared with food and a grill. That night we roasted marshmallows and called it a night. The tent was freezing, and I have no idea how the kids slept in their tent as it was so hard on the ground (we had a air mattress). I kept waking up because I was so cold. Thankfully Andy stayed the whole night and I was able to gain warmth from him. The next morning we got up and I came back here to shower and let the dog out. Then we basically spent the whole day in the pool. I didn't think I was ever going to get the kids out. We ended up leaving around 2:30 and coming back here to unload, and so I could finally tackle the two papers I have due on Thursday. Yesterday, was the only day we stayed home. It was a severe thunder and lightening storm in the morning. Which is perfect weather to write a paper. I paid the kids to leave me alone for the afternoon and that worked. Unfortunately, it looks as though I will have to do the same for tomorrow to finish the second paper.

Chocolate covered deliciousness

Today we made chocolate covered strawberries. It was much easier than I thought. All I had to do was slice up the chocolate and microwave it. Hmph! They were delicious too! Thank god Andy was able to get the AC's in the windows last night. The house is actually bearable now. We are going to eat lunch and then hit the library to sign up for the summer reading game. Then we'll be off to the pool since it is in the 90's again today. Yesterday, the kids were at Mammy and Poppy's all day with Will and Ben. They spent most of the day indoors due to the heat, but got to go out and do the slip and slide a few times.

Work days not so fun days

As in every summer, there comes a time when you need to go to work (and school). My Tuesdays and Thursdays make for very long days. Yesterday however, they asked if I wanted to reduce my hours to 16. I decided that with school, internship, and kids this fall and spring next year, that I couldn't pass that up. There was no way to fit 24 work hours, 20 internship hours, 7 school hours, and kids. While reducing to 16 is a) going to heard the pocketbook and b) not going to solve all my time restraints, it will help a lot in stress and getting children from school a couple of days a week. So I am happy about the decision and a little relieved. While I was at work/school the kids were with my sister who also had Matt. They went to the Children's museum, out to Five Guys (which they both apparently loved), and swam in the pool all afternoon. Then my parents picked them up for Andy who needed to work late, and they came back here. Today we have Matt. I think we are going to hit the free movie at O'Neil theaters. It is Kung Fu Panda II. Then I think the only other place to go is the pool since it will be almost 100 degrees today. Ugh! Tonight the kids sleep over Mammy's and she is watching them tomorrow.