July 31, 2009

This morning the kids and I hung out around home until around 10:00 am. They decided they wanted to go roller skating today. I gave them the choice of doing that or going to Union Station to see the Disney Train Tour, but they wanted to go roller skating, so that was the plan for the afternoon.

This morning we went to Wal-mart to get a new toaster. Of course that's not all we bought. I got them each another new shirt and Michaela got a skort. I got a few exercise things, too. I got an exercise DVD, had weights with straps and pedometer. Now, I need to make myself use them.

After we left Wal-mart we went to Culver's for lunch. It was a nice lunch together. There were a lot of army soldiers there. There always seems to be army soldiers at Culver's when we go there.

We got to the skating rink around 2:00 pm. I let them skate until almost 4:00 pm. I sat and read my book while they skated. It was nice to be able to read some. The kids enjoyed themselves, too. I think this is the first time they actually chose what we did this summer. I mean we've all had fun, but today they had fun totally on their own account.

Tonight we all went to Trailhead for supper. We always love going there. We got there before the rush, too so we did not have to wait. There was a brand new baby there that was so tiny. It reminded me of Michaela when she was a baby. Gosh, it all goes way too fast.

Now, Michael is up at the duplex. He should be finished with it this weekend. Thank goodness. It's taken way too long. The kids and I are having a quiet evening. They have been bickering so much that I'm making them stay apart. Michaela is in her room. Caleb is in the living room and I'm in my room. I think we all need some alone time at this point. We've had so much together time this summer.

July 30, 2009

We did not go anywhere today. My van was at the dealer getting fixed. It had a clunking noise in the front end that we thought was struts but turned out to be an engine mount problem. There were also three recalls on it that needed to be attended. Luckily all of this was warranty work. Yeah!

I also needed to stay off my foot. It has been a bit better today. It still hurts but I'm walking more normally on it than I was yesterday. I hope tomorrow will be even better. It sucks not being able to walk properly.

Michael came home early from work so we could go get my van. The dealer closes at 5:00 on Thursdays. I am glad to have it back. It drove so much nicer without that clunking sound.

I had to stop and get gas before coming home. I did not realize it until I got behind the car, but the car in the turning lane to the gas station was dead. I smelled like the engine had died. There was that smell of burnt oil and smoke rolling out from under the hood. I know that smell all too well. I ended up getting around them. There was a police officer there by the time we left. I sure hope that the car problems that person is having is not too much of a financial strain on them.

Tonight the kids and I watched Igor. It was a cute movie. It had fun music in it. It is one I am glad we didn't pay full movie theater price for, but it was cute. We enjoyed it.

July 29, 2009

Today the kids and I went to a park we'd never been to before. It's up close to the northern part of our county border. It's called Indian Camp Creek Park. It's about 600 acres. It's just beautiful there.

They have a couple big playgrounds and then a few other areas with swings. There are two big creeks that border the park. The trees and prairie areas of the park are gorgeous. There is also a big fishing pond. We really enjoyed ourselves. I would have enjoyed it even more if my foot didn't hurt so badly.

There are tons of hiking trails there, but we only went on one small one because I just cannot walk correctly right now. I think we'll have to go back during the height of fall colors because I bet it's brilliant there during that time of year.

I had to drop my van off tonight to have it looked at tomorrow. It has a clunking sound in the front end and there have been two recalls on it. I really hope they are able to get it all fixed tomorrow. I also hope whatever is wrong with it is covered by my warranty.

We stopped at Westport Plaza to eat tonight. We ended up eating at Puljos 5. It was good, but it was a bit expensive. The kids enjoyed it. Caleb thought it was really cool especially since he had on his Puljos t-shirt.

July 28, 2009

I'm feeling pretty good about myself right now. I got myself out and exercised again today. The kids and I went bicycle riding this afternoon. We rode up to the school. They played for a few minutes on the playground while I rode around the parking lot. Then, we rode up to the park and around it some. We were gone for almost an hour. That is two days in a row that I really exercised. I am proud of myself.

This morning we did the grocery shopping early enough to be done with it before I had to take Abby to the vet. The vet took Abby's stitches out today, so now her bandage is off. She's very confused now. She's noticed something is missing. It feels funny to her to walk on that foot so she's limped around a little, until she forgets that it is supposed to be bothering her. She licked at it quite a bit, too. It may be itching a little from healing.

I managed to make an appointment to take my van in to have it looked at. We have to drop it off tomorrow evening and they will be looking at it first thing Thursday morning. I hope they don't have to keep it too long.

July 27, 2009

Well, I am sun burnt. But, we had a lot of fun today. We went to McNair to go swimming again. That's three days in a row we've been in the water. We met Stacey, Lauren, Jen and Tori at the pool. Stacey also had Kurt with her. The kids played and swam all afternoon.

Michaela, Caleb and I got there first. It was no later than 12:15 when we got there. Jen and Tori came a little while later and then Stacey, Lauren and Kurt showed up. I enjoyed talking with Stacey and Jen very much. I enjoyed watching the kids very much. And, I actually was able to swim about 10 laps again today. We didn't leave until about 4:30. It was so cool to be able to be there all afternoon.

Tonight I made spaghetti for the kids and Michael for supper. I ate an improvised tuna salad sandwich, lima beans and cherries.

After supper, I took Michaela to gymnastics. Caleb went up to the duplex with Michael. He was with Griff when Michaela and I got back from gymnastics. This evening we've all just been laying/sitting around watching television. We are all really tired. It was another wonderful day.

July 26, 2009

Today was another busy day. Michael went over to the duplex to paint this morning. The kids and I went to do the Wal-mart shopping and also stopped at the produce market on the way home. We had scrambled eggs and bacon for lunch.

This afternoon the kids and I went to Waplehorst aquatic center. We met up with Jeremy, Kelly and their kids. Jeremy Jr.'s friend and his friend's little brother were there too. We had a lot of fun and were there until after 6:00 pm.

We stopped and got McDonald's on the way home. We stopped at the duplex and dropped off Michael's and his dad's food. Then, we came home to eat. This evening we are all just relaxing. It's been a good day.

July 25. 2009

Waking up this morning was cool. When I woke up I realized something. For some reason I'd gotten it in my head that I only had one full week left of summer break. But, that was wrong as I realized this morning I have TWO full weeks of summer break left! Yeah!!!! Of course that last week I'll spend time in my classroom, but that's ok. Just the fact that I have two weeks when I thought I had one made my day.

We took Abby to the vet this morning. They did not take out all her stitches. He said it's still healing. So, he wrapped it back up again. Looks like I'm going to have to change her grooming appointment again. He showed us where a gland is on her leg that we need to keep an eye on. If the cancer comes back that's probably where it will be located since the tissue surrounding the tumor on her toe was clean.

After we brought Abby home we went shopping. We needed to pick out handles/knobs for the kitchen cabinets and closet doors at the duplex. That was actually pretty painless. We also went to the bank and took Michael to get his allergy shot.

Once we got home I cleaned up the kitchen and did some more laundry. We got McDonald's for lunch. Michael went up to the duplex to work on the kitchen with his dad.

I also worked on pictures a little bit, but not long because Michael called. He'd left the handles in the truck. So, the kids and I walked them up the street to him. It's about a half mile up there.

When we got back from that we all three worked together to vacuum the house. Then, we got our swim suits on and went to the pool at McNair Park. There was only about 40 people total there. It was kind of nice. I managed to swim about 10 laps while we were there. I got to read about four chapters and just lay on the lawn chair for a little bit, too.

Tonight I grilled chicken breasts on the BBQ grill. We also had corn on the cob, green beans and cantaloupe. It was really good if I do say so myself.

Michael went back up to the duplex after supper. I've cleaned up the kitchen and have the last load of laundry in the dryer. I am going to relax and work on pictures this evening. Hopefully, I'll finish them tonight.

July 24, 2009

I slept in this morning again. I'm getting way too used to that. When it's time to go back to work I'm going to have a lot of problems getting used to work routine. But, I'll worry about that later. I'm going to enjoy this as much as I possibly can.

The kids and I went to do some shopping for my classroom this morning. We went to Bookmark and I found some treasure chest/sea type things to decorate my classroom with. This way I can leave my fish up on the ceiling. I want to find and actual treasure chest to keep prizes in because I'm going to revamp my prize system to make it easier on myself this year.

We also went to Target. Both kids got their "back to school" outfits. I like them to have something new to wear the first day of school. We'll pick out picture outfits in a week or two. I got some erasers and glue sticks for my classroom. Then, we went to the food aisles and I got some more Kashi stuff to eat as snacks and sides with my meals.

After shopping we went to Chuck E. Cheese for lunch. I did not eat pizza. The kids got individual pizzas and I got a grilled chicken chibatta. My lunch came with an orange slice and pasta salad. I only ate about four bites of the pasta salad. The kids had so much fun. I like watching them have fun like that.

We did go to Dollar Tree before coming home. I got a few more things for my classroom and then we came home.

I worked on laundry and pictures the rest of the day. I got quite a bit of laundry done, but still have several loads to do tomorrow. I was able to get through our Magic House pictures, the last t-ball game, girl scout camp and part of the way through the zoo pictures. I'll work on them some more tomorrow, too.

The vet called today to tell us that the test results had come back on Abby's toe. It seems there was a cancerous tumor on the toe. He said that all the tissue surrounding the tumor was clean so he's cautiously optimistic about her being ok. He is going to show us how to check a gland on her over the next year to see if there is any sign of the cancer coming back.

We went out to eat as a family tonight. We went to Pasta House. I love that place.

July 23, 2009

Today was a productive day for us. When I woke up this morning I actually felt like getting Caleb's room completely cleaned. I've been thinking about doing this all summer and have just been putting it off, but haven't done it. Since I actually felt like it today we did it.

I started out the morning changing the sheets on my bed and getting laundry started. Michaela and Caleb started emptying his room while I was doing that. This lasted until lunch time. We took about an hour break at lunch time and then got back to work.

Once the kids had the room pretty much cleaned out, I moved furniture and vacuumed really good in Caleb's room. Then came the tedious part, going through all the stuff. This of course took the rest of the day. We were not finished by supper time, so we stopped for about an hour or so for supper.

After supper I decided to finish up myself. I was in Caleb's room working until almost 8:00 p.m., but it's finished. Actually the closet needs to be tidied, but that's not a big deal. It's so nice to walk past Caleb's room and not cringe. It looks SO MUCH better. I like the furniture the way it is better now, too. Now, I just have to get to the point where I feel like doing Michaela's room. Her room is harder because she has more stuff, even though she keeps her room neater than Caleb keeps his.

July 22, 2009

Today was a really good day. It was very busy, but also very good. I got to sleep until after 8:00 a.m. which is always nice. Michaela slept in, too.

After we all got up and had breakfast we decided to go to the zoo today. It was in the 70's today and cloudy, so it was not going to be too hot to be at the zoo. It did get sunny in the afternoon, but still it did not get hot.

We spent most of the day at the zoo. It was fun. It's been a long time since I took them to the zoo like that. We got the safari pass wrist bands so we could ride the train, carousel, and simulator ride. It also gave us admission to the sea lion show. Which was a lot of fun. The simulator was a bit rough for me and Michaela and Caleb really did not enjoy it either.

We did have lunch at the lakeside cafe there. I am proud of myself. I resisted the pretzel with cheese, the cheese fries and the chili cheese dog. I had a BLT croissant. While the bacon was probably not the best protein to have, at least I did get some veggies in there with my lunch and I only drank water today.

We left the zoo around 4:00 p.m. I stopped and got Arby's for the kids and Michael before we came home. I did not get anything for me because it was my night out with the ladies.

I went to Ladies Night at The Melting Pot. It was so much fun. We actually had 9 ladies go this time. Two people pooped out on us. One dumped us to go on a date with her husband. The other just was not able to be there.

We laughed so much last night. I have a feeling the other tables were glad when we left, but we were having fun. Our poor waiter, we just harassed him to no end. I mean, we weren't mean, just silly and a little naughty. We made him blush several times. The manager kept coming over to "scold" us, but really I think he just wanted in on the fun!!! *LOL* He was trying to get us to make a reservation again in two weeks. Both the manager and waiter were great.

Oh, and I won the door prize last night!!!! It is a very pretty pink hat (like Easter bonnet type hat). What is so funny about that is that when I dropped my kids off at my mom's last night she asked if everyone was close to my age... well no we have women in our group ranging from age 30 to 50. My mom said she was wondering because she thought we could be pink hat ladies. I just knid of frowned at her. She said, "Well, you're 40, so you're old enough." Whatever. Then, I go and win a pink hat!!! *LOL*

July 22, 2009

The kids and I were really lazy this morning. I had interrupted sleep last night because Abby started her ear flopping thing she does. I guess her ear was bothering her pretty bad last night. She even started breathing hard. I gave her some benedryl and about a half an hour after that she calmed down so I guess her allergies are driving her crazy right now. In any case, I was awake from about 2:00 a.m. until 3:30 a.m.

So, I managed to avoid getting dressed until 10:00 a.m. this morning. Michaela did not get up until after 8:00 a.m. again this morning. I guess she's learning how to sleep in a little. I wish Caleb would learn how to do that. Although, I do not want them to be hard to get out of bed when we have to get up, either.

Around 10:30 we left the house. We went to the library to turn in our books. We all checked out some more books. Then, we headed to St. Louis Mills.

When we got there we went into Books A Million because there was a book I wanted to buy. I found that book. I also got two photography magazines. Michaela found an American Girl book she wanted and Caleb got a Harry Potter sticker/story book.

After we paid for our books we took them out to the car and then headed for the movie theater in the mall. We bought our tickets for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and had about 30 minutes to kill. We went ahead and got our popcorn and nachos (it was our junk food lunch) and sat at a table to eat until it was time to go into the theater.

It was a really good movie. It was 2 1/2 hours long, but did not seem that long. I think it's the best Harry Potter movie they've made so far. Although, I have broken my rule about not watching a movie until I read the book this time so I don't know how much they strayed from it yet.

The kids and I stopped at Angie's on the way home to get Anikca's cooler. We'd left it in Angie's truck Saturday night. We'll take it by Anikca's tomorrow because she also left something at our house that we did not have with us.

I got to meet Angie's mom. She's really cool. I'm looking forward to her going to the concert with us.

Tonight I got on my bicycle for the first time in about 12 years. The kids and I rode about a mile and a half. That doesn't sound like much, but when you've not been on one in that long it actually is pretty good. It was not all flat land either, we did one good sized hill and one small hill. It felt good to be on my bicycle again.

July 20, 2009

It was a busy day for us. I didn't really get myself going as early as I should have, but I still managed to get things accomplished.

This is what our day included:

• Pay bills and clean up breakfast dishes
• Took Abby to the vet to have her bandages changed
• Wal-mart Shopping
• Lunch
• Grocery Shopping and dropped off games at Blockbuster
• Kids did their chores and I did all my classwork/homework for the last week of my online classes.
• Supper
• My nephew's baseball game
• Showed our duplex to some potential renters
• Home around 10 pm

July 19, 2009

It was nice waking up in my own bed this morning. I am really glad we came home last night. It was kind of a lazy morning for the kids and me. Michael went up to the duplex to paint the basement. We are aiming for the inspector to come on Monday next weeks, so hopefully, this will be the last week of working up there.

This afternoon Michael, the kids and I went to pick out appliances (stove and microwave), counter tops and kitchen flooring. It was actually pretty painless. I saw the exact counter tops that would work perfect in the kitchen right away at Lowe's. We found decent brand stove and microwave at Lowe's for decent prices.

Then, we went to Becky's to look at flooring because that's where Michael saw what he thought would work best. He wanted me to see it before he bought it. It definitely will work in our duplex and it's less expensive than Home Depot or Lowe's either one. We did have to drive to the Becky's on Lindbergh because the one here in town did not have enough boxes of it, but that wasn't a big deal.

This evening, Michael and his dad were working on putting the stove in at the duplex. The first stove they got did not work so they took it back. The next stove they got looked like an elephant had sat on it when they got it unwrapped. Finally, the third stove worked out. So, they got nothing else done but putting in the stove.

They still have to put on counter tops, finish the cabinets that sit on the floor, put the kitchen in the kitchen floor and finish painting the basement. Everything else is done. Maybe in a couple weeks we'll have new tenants.

The kids and I watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix today. We also watched Haunted Mansion. So, yes it was a very lazy day for us.

July 18,, 2009

Ok, I will preface this by admitting, that no I DO NOT like camping to begin with. So, when I found out our troop had to stay in tents this year at camp I was not really excited. But, I kept telling myself that every time I am not looking forward to something I usually end up enjoying myself. Add that to the fact that I love doing these things with my daughter and I love spending time around the other girl scout adults and I actually had started to look forward to it.

Well.....

The tents that we were supposed to stay in were infested with HUGE wolf spiders and roaches. The trees were so overgrown it was almost impossible to get to the tents. Friday night we slept in our vehicles. I had three kids in my van with me. It was not comfortable, but there was no way I was going to be able to sleep in those tents. We tried sweeping them and spraying them and the roaches and spiders just kept coming. Plus it was pitch black... no light whatsoever.

We managed to move to newer tents on Saturday morning, but this meant we missed two of the activities while we were trying to get re-settled. The girls did enjoy canoeing, making pinatas and swimming (even thought it was COLD). I spent the canoeing time with our leading getting lunch ready. That was kind of a nightmare, but I really don't wanna talk about it.

It got cold last night. I had made sure Michaela brought a jacket with her, but forgot one for myself. I had my blanket wrapped around me at the bonfire, but of course Michaela had not brought her jacket to the bonfire with her. So, she took my blanket.

By the time it was dark Michaela started freaking out about one small spider she saw in our tent. It really was no big deal, but she just freaked. I finally got her settled down and she and I were attempting to go to sleep when two more girls started freaking out over grand daddy long legs. One tent that did not have any critters in it at all earlier in the day turned into a grand daddy long leg disco tech, they just kept coming into that one tent and there was no way to keep them out. Then, another girl started freaking out because she'd never really been out in the woods, away from the city at night and she just could not take the dark. It really just became a nightmare.

The newer tents were actually really clean considering they are outside dwellings, but I think they were still freaked about the night before. Plus the bathrooms by the newer tents had more bugs in them... go figure. After moving girls around to different tents trying to get people to settle down and be calm for about an hour we decided to leave. We started packing up at 10:30 or so last night and left by 11:00.

I will NEVER stay in tents at a girl scout camp again. I could have made it through last night if our girls were not just freaking out, but it was just too much after not having much sleep the night before. But, if our troop does not have a lodge I'm not going.

Anyway, after carrying our things up to two different tents and back to the van and carrying very heavy coolers with food in them around most of the day, I am sore and am just glad it's over.

July 17, 2009

Today is the day that Michaela and I leave for girl scout camp. We are supposed to be staying in tents. I've not been thrilled about this, but I'm sure we'll end up having a great time anyway. I can handle it for two nights. And, I am looking forward to having this time with Michaela. I also like spending time with the other adults involved in our troop. Michaela is really excited.

It's amazing how much stuff we are taking. I've got a cooler full of drinks (water, capri sun 100% juice, Fuze), two coolers with snacks, bedding for both of us, duffel bag for each of us with clothes, enough sunscreen that could probably last two weeks, bug spray, off bracelets, citronella candles, lighters for the fire, hygiene items, fans, two lantern/flashlights and extra shoes. But, I did manage to get it all in the back of my van so I won't take up space in Angie's truck and everyone else who needs space can have it.

July 16, 2009

Abby had her surgery today. My poor kids were so worried about her they were crying after we dropped her off. I have to admit I was really nervous, too. Anesthesia just scares me.

We had to drop her off at 7:45 a.m. The vet was already there and he explained what they were going to do. They are going to send the toe they take off out for lab work to make sure there was no tumor there. It may take a week or so because they have to de-calcify the bone.

I had a doctor's appointment today, too. After stepping on the scale, I am going to really try to find a weight loss plan that will work for me now and forever. I just need something that will fit into our lifestyle and that I can do as a permanent change, not just a diet. I am determined to make sure it is something that will work for me.

The kids went and played at Angie's house while I was at the doctor's office. They had a lot of fun there. Louie was so cute when we got there. He took Caleb by the hand and said, "C'mon to my room."

We picked Abby up from the vet around 3:15 p.m. She has been out of it all afternoon and evening. But, she doesn't seem to be in too much pain. I've made sure to give her the meds the vet gave us so she won't start shivering from pain like she did with her last surgery. But, this one will heal a lot faster.

July 15, 2009

Today was a bit more relaxing of a day. I did not get out of bed until about 8:00 a.m. The kids and I just hung out around home for a while this morning. We left the house around 10:00 am.

Our first stop was Target. The kids both had Target gift cards that they've been dying to spend. Michaela bought Harry Potter Clue and Caleb bought a baseball DS game. While we were there we also bought some snacks for Michaela and I to take with us to girl scout camp this weekend.

Next, we went to Wal-mart and finished buying what Michaela and I need for camp this weekend. We hopefully did not forget anything. I think we have plenty of insect repellent and sunscreen.

When we were finished at Wal-mart, it was lunch time. So we went to Culver's. The kids love it there because they get ice cream after their meal. Ok, so maybe that's why I wanted to go there, too. I really like their frozen custard and they have hot fudge, so I'm there! Honestly, I think I've grown to like Culver's milk shakes more than Steak 'n Shakes even.

After we ate we went to Blockbuster. It was our intention to get Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix. But, of course it was already out. So, we ended up coming home with Journey to the Center of the Earth.

We came home and watched the movie together. The kids had seen it, but I had not. I really liked it. But, I really like Brenden Fraser. He's such a cutie! The movie had some really cute parts to it, too. I'm glad we rented it. I've put Order of the Pheonix on our Netflix que.

July 14, 2009

This morning the kids and I went to The Magic House. Angie and her kids met us there. We got there right as they were opening. It was Louie's first time at The Magic House.

The kids really had a great time. It was fun to watch them. It got busy there really fast. There were several camps there on field trips.

I really like the expansion that they opened this year. It's added a lot of cool stuff to the museum. I am glad we went. But, I am also glad we only spent a couple hours there. It was really starting to get crazy when we left.

We came back to St. Charles and had lunch at Denny's together. It was a nice lunch, but it was freezing in that restaurant today. I was so cold by the time we left that I did not even turn the AC on in the van.

The kids and I then went to the grocery store. We really didn't have much to buy this week. I am glad because I really hate doing that chore and was especially not in the mood for it today. For some reason I've been really tired today.

This evening I've been working on the pictures I took at the Botanical Gardens. Hopefully, I'll finish those up tomorrow. I have no idea what we're going to do tomorrow.

July 13, 2009

Today was a great day! The kids and I went to Missouri Botanical Gardens today. That place is so beautiful. I just love it there. It's been so long since I've been there. I don't think Caleb had ever been there before today.

I'd forgotten how big it is, though. It was a lot of walking. And, it was pretty hot and humid today. But, we had so much fun. The kids really enjoyed it.

We got to everything except the box garden and the temperate house. I'd say that's pretty good. We also took the tram tour. That was fun. Caleb even sat quietly and listened this time. I was really proud of him.

They now have a children's garden. They did not have this the last time I was there (which was when Michaela was a baby) so I was excited to see it. It's really cool. The kids loved it. Next time, they wear their swim suits so they can get in the fountains, though.

I want to go back during Labor Day weekend. That weekend they open the little island in the Japanese Garden that has an original Japanese Tea House. Also, we did not get to tour Shaw's house because it is not open on Mondays.

We did not leave until after 3:00 p.m. because we were having so much fun. But, tonight I am really tired from walking around in the sun most of the day. I'm so glad we went. It really was another perfect day. This is turning out to be another GREAT summer.

July 12, 2009

I went to church with Michael this morning. I just do not like going to church there. I'm tired of the crap. But, of course Michael is so emotionally attached to the church it doesn't matter. I'm too tired to even think about it anymore.

We went out to lunch with Michael's parents. It was nice. We went to JJ's. I actually had brunch food, instead of lunch. I do enjoy talking with Michael's parents.

This afternoon I spent most of the afternoon working on school work. It's only Sunday and I'm finished. Well, I should say I'm finished with what I can do. Part of our assignments each week is responding to two of our classmate's posts. Well, in one of my classes I'm the only one who has posted to the forum so far so I cannot respond to anyone yet. But, I've got both the papers completed and turned in and I did the response thing in the other class. It feels good to have that finished before Tuesday.

July 11, 2009

I have been next to useless today. I did not sleep well at all last night. I kept having nightmares. I hate that.

This morning Michaela and I went and did the Wal-mart shopping. Michael and Caleb went to Michael's allergy doctor so he could get a shot and then went looking at flooring again. We still need to buy flooring for the kitchen at the duplex. I love my husband, but getting him to make a decision is just about impossible.

Michael and his dad did some work on our yard and our next door neighbor's yard when Michael got home. I got us all lunch and then started laundry. I think I only got three loads done today.

This afternoon, I really tried to work on my school work, but I could not concentrate and could not focus my eyes. So, I laid around quite a bit. I did manage to get my pictures from the last few days edited where needed.

The kids had Hannah come over. They all got in the swimming pool and played for a while.

Michael came home after 6:00 and took a shower before we could go eat. We ended up at Bellecino's for pizza. We wanted nachos at Trailhead but their wait was an hour and a half by the time we got there.

After we ate we went to Sports Authority. Caleb got his first set of football cleats. Michaela got a new one piece swim suit. She had to have one for when we got to Waplehorst. She does not like wearing a two piece on the tall slides. I don't really blame her.

July 10, 2009

Today was our day to go to Grant's Farm. Michaela and Caleb have not been there since Caleb was a baby. Neither of them remember it. So, it was like something new to them. I was supposed to get up when Michael left for work this morning, but I fell back asleep and didn't wake up until Angie called me at almost 8:00 am. Oooops!!!!

Anyway, we got to Grant's Farm around 9:30 or so. It was grey and raining outside. Not raining hard, but it was a little irritating that it decided to be cloudy. By the time we got there it pretty much had stopped, but it was still cloudy. We wandered around for a while looking at all the animals. It was not so bad. It was kind of nice that it wasn't terribly hot. The kids seemed to be having fun.

We did feed the camels, llama and alpaca. They are cool animals. We then took the kids to the goats. They all got milk bottles to feed to the goats. It was so much fun to watch them feed the goats. They really enjoyed it.

After we finished with the goats, we took the kids to the carousel. It's not a big one, but it was still fun. They all really liked it. I even rode it. There's something about a merry-go-round that makes you feel like a kid again.

Finally, we went to get something to eat. It was nice to just sit down and chill for a little bit. I really enjoyed the day with the kids and Angie. I love spending time with all of them.

We did buy t-shirts and postcards and stuff at the gift shop. I'm really glad we went.

July 9, 2009

Ok, so this morning I had to take Abby back to the vet. Her toe nail was split last fall and it's never gotten completely better. As a matter of fact it got worse. Two weeks ago when we were there we she was given antibiotics and told us to come back today. Well, it's still not better, so next Thursday she has to have surgery. They are going to take off the whole toe. I'm kind of nervous about this. Since she's so old, the thought of her being put under anesthesia scares me. But, they do blood work first to make sure its safe, but you know it still scares me. However, if we don't do this it could end up effecting her whole foot or leg later. They are also going to check it to make sure it's not a tumor.

But, this afternoon we did have some time for fun. We met my friend Angie and her two kids at the pool. We splashed around and had fun together for about an hour and half. Angie was going to take her 3 yr old home and have him lay down for a while and I was going to stay a little longer at the pool with my two and Angie's girl that is Michaela's age. Well, while we were re-applying sunscreen, Caleb got stung in the ear by a wasp. He's ok. It hurt, and is a little swollen, but no big deal. However, it pretty much ruined everything because he just wanted to come home after that, so we came home. It was fun while it lasted.

This evening was a little hectic. Michael and Caleb had to leave the house to be at the park by 5:30. This was his last game. They do have a game next week, but Caleb will miss it because of Football camp. Michaela and I left in time for her to be at VBS by 6:00 pm.

Then, I went to the park and watched the last bit of Caleb's game. When it was over I took Caleb to VBS and Michael went to McNair park to turn in Caleb's birth certificate for football and to ask about the teams.

I came home to look up rental applications online and Michael went to buy closet doors and light bulbs for the duplex. When it was time for VBS to be over I went to pick up the kids. It ran late again. We did not get home until 9:00 pm. The kids went to bed and I got in the shower. It seems I got a little sunburned today. It's not bad, but it's not totally comfortable either. Michael put Ocean Potion on it so hopefully it'll be a little better tomorrow.

July 8, 2009

Today I spent most of the day waiting for carpet layers and then watching them work. They were supposed to be at the duplex between 11-1. They arrived at 1:10. They were still installing carpet at 5:00 pm. They finished a little after that.

The kids watched movies and played video games in the van while we waited. Michael's parents came and kept us company too. It was pretty warm today, but sitting in the shade was not bad. There was a nice little breeze going. The sun was out and it was just a nice day.

This evening while the kids were at VBS I went down to the river front to mess around with my camera. I walked down in Frontier Park first. I got some decent shots, I think. I've not uploaded them yet, so I've not gotten a close look at them yet.

I also walked down part of Main Street and took a few pictures there. There were some business men that are probably here for some sort of convention down there, looking for Lewis & Clark's. They were only about a block away from it. I showed them were it was. It's cool to help people from out of town find places. I think I'd make a great tour guide. Of course it helps that I LOVE my home town.

July 7, 2009

Today was a boring day. Our AC went out yesterday, so today I spent the day with AC repair people. The first person came to look at it and see what it would take to repair our AC. While I was here, the kids went to the Butterfly House with Angie and her kids. I wanted to go, too. But I had to be here for the AC troubles. Turns out it really was not worth fixing, so we ordered a new one.

Then, I had to wait for the guys to come and install the new one. It really did not take them long to get here. But, that is a major thing to install so they were basically here all day. At one point I really thought they were never going to be finished. But, now we have a new AC and our house is back to normal.

Since I was home all day for that mess, I did not get to the grocery store during the day. So, I went while the kids were at VBS. It was nice being able to go by myself this week. But, I really do not enjoy that chore.

This evening I found "Little Darlings" online and watched it. Some of the parts were missing, but I've also found it at Amazon.com and iTunes for rent. It still is almost impossible to find on DVD and when you do find it, it's either sold out or over $100. I am probably going to rent it on iTunes at some point.

July 6, 2009

I did not feel very good again today. I was also still very tired. For a while I was afraid I may be coming down with something, but this evening I am feeling better. Which means I am really relieved that I am not getting sick.

I also had no motivation today, so I did pretty much nothing. I had planned on getting pictures uploaded and the ones I want to scrapbook ordered, but our Internet was down most of the day, which was very irritating.

The kids and I did go to lunch at DQ because I had a very strong craving for a hot fudge sundae. It was GOOD!!! I love hot fudge. YUMMY!!!!

Tonight I dropped the kids off at VBS and then went out to Michaela's gymnastics gym to pay for her classes for July and August and to let them know she would not be there tonight. After that I spent some time just driving around. I came home and talked with a neighbor for a while, then was finally able to get online to check my email. I had 101 emails to sift through.

Now, I'm sitting here hoping that it gets cool tonight, because our AC is broken. Michael has already called Jerry Kelly and they are supposed to call tomorrow to let us know when they can come fix it. Hopefully it will get fixed tomorrow. In the mean time I turned on our attic fan and it won't stay on. It keeps turning itself off, great!

The kids and I were going to go to The Butterfly House with Angie and her kids tomorrow, but I don't think we will be able to now.

I guess we'll have to just wait and see.

July 5, 2009

It was pretty much a quiet day. I am hurting today, which tells me I really need to exercise more. I thought I'd be sore from all the physical activity yesterday, but I did not expect painful joints. UGH! My muscles really aren't as sore as I expected, but the pain in my joints is not fun. My appetite is non existent today either, which is probably a good thing.

The kids and I went to Walmart. I made it as quick as I could because I just wanted to be at home. Michael asked me to get some Kilz while we were there. Of course I'd gotten the wrong kind and had to go back and exchange it.

I did most of the laundry today, too. I also worked on the pictures I took yesterday.

This evening we went to Michael's church for their VBS kickoff cookout thing. The kids and Michael ate. I was not hungry. One of the women at church works for Mo Conservation Dept. at Busch Wildlife and she brought in some animals to show the kids. Michaela petted a wolf snake (I think that's what they called it).

I am not doing the photography this year for various reasons. One reason is Michaela will not be there tomorrow due to gymnastics and Caleb will not be there Thursday for t-ball. Michael will probably not be there at all because he's still working on our duplex.

When we left church we went to Michael's brother's house to get our gazebo that they used during our 4th of July fun. We left it there last night because it was really wet. They were watching Inkheart and we watched part of it with them. It was interesting and I think I'm going to rent it to see the whole thing.

At home, tonight we let the kids shoot off what was left of our fireworks. The neighborhood was popping and cracking and lighting up everywhere. I guess everyone had fireworks they did not get to shoot off because of the rain last night. So, that is two nights in a row the kids were up past 10:00 pm. Maybe they will sleep in tomorrow.

Happy 4th of July!!!!!

I love 4th of July. It's the best part about summer. Today was a lot of fun, but the rain tried to ruin it all. We didn't let it.

This morning Michaela and I walked in our city's parade with girl scouts. It rained right up until we were about 3/4 of the way through the route. But, we still had fun. I was really impressed with how well the girls did and the parents that showed up. I was also really impressed with the fact that so many girls and their parents came and walked with us. Everyone that participated deserves a great big pat on the back!

After the parade we came home and got dried out. We had a couple hours to just chill. I got pictures uploaded and got the coolers ready to go. Michael took a nap and the kids watched a little t.v. Then, we were off Michael's brother's house.

There was a big crowd there this year. It was a lot of fun, though. We had TONS of great food. My niece was the "d.j." She played music that she and her dad had downloaded to their iPod. We all danced, too. We did the Cha Cha Slide, Cupid Shuffle, and Macarana. More than once. I am going to be sore, especially since we were dancing on a hill. But, it was well worth it!

It rained in the middle of one of our dances. So, we got wet, again. But, that did not stop us, at all. It was just too much fun.

The kids and the dads played wiffle ball. They had a lot of fun with that, too. The conversation was great and of course my SIL and her sister were crazy as ever. But, that's part of the reason we love them.

They had TONS of fireworks. They started shooting them off between 8:00 and 9:00 pm. We managed to get to watch most of them. We seemed to be entertaining the people across the street, too. Some of them danced on their porches when we were dancing and others came out and sat on their driveways to watch our fireworks.

Then, it started raining HARD, again. It also began to lightening and thunder, so we went inside. By this time I was really tired and did not have any energy to fight the gloom of the rain. So, we came home. Now, I just want to feel dry and not soggy for a long time! But, it was a really good day and I enjoyed it all.

July 3, 2009

Gosh, it was a busy day. Michaela and I left the house close to 9:00 am. We went to the credit union and then to the bank. After that we went to Johnny Mac's to get her a girl scout t-shirt, they did not have any, just uniforms. We then went to the mall where we got pedicures.

Next, we went to JC Penney and got her some shorts to go with her 4th of July t-shirt. Then, we stopped and got Burger King and took it to the duplex to sit down and have lunch with Michael and his mom. They were painting up there all day.

Once at home, I looked up the girl scout shop online only to find out they are closed today. Our girl scout leader told me someone had seen girl scout shirts at the Walmart in O'Fallon. So, I called out there and they said they had them.

Well, we get out there and all they have are daisy and brownie shirts. Grrrrrrr. So, we decide to buy white t-shirts and make our own. Of course there were no solid white shirts in the girls section so we got a package of boy's shirts. And, of course Walmart no longer sells printer iron on transfers.

So, we went next door to Office Max and found some. Then, it was off to the grocery store to get fruit to cut up to take to Michael's brother's house tomorrow afternoon. And, finally we came home.

I got the iron ons printed out and went to put them on the shirts only to find out I'd bought the wrong size. So, back out we went to Michael's to get more shirts. We bought two because I promised Angie one for Sami, too.

Then, we came back home and I got to work on the shirts. I was just finishing up the first one when I realized I'd printed the iron ons wrong. I'd printed them the correct way so when they went on the the shirt it was backward. Yes, I was very frustrated at this point.

Michaela wanted to go to Pasta House for supper tonight so I decided to just wait and get another shirt while we were out there. I called Angie and told her all that was going on so she'd know when to expect us to be home with Sami's shirt.

At this point I folded a load of laundry and put the third load in the washer. Michael came home and got cleaned up so we could go eat. We stopped at Hobby Lobby to get another shirt first because it's very close to Pasta House.

After we ate, we took some clothes back to Michael's brother's house that we've been trying to give to them for a while now and kept forgetting or missing them. We stuck around and talked for a little bit.

Then, we stopped at the fireworks tent on our way home. We bought a few things, but not a lot and came home. I still had so much to do.

I finally got Sami's shirt made and put the third load of laundry in the dryer. The second load is still in a basket. I did get the first load folded but not before I cut up the fruit.

I cut up two cantaloupes, one big watermelon and a huge flat of strawberries. I also cleaned a bunch of blue berries. The pineapple I bought already cut up.

After all that I went into the bathroom to do my hair. It was way past time to do my color so I did that. I read a couple chapters in my book while I waited for the color to set and then took a shower. Now, I'm finally feeling like I'm winding down.

It's 11:00 and I did not get the clean dishes out of the dishwasher or the dishes I dirtied cutting up fruit in the dishwasher. I also still have that second load of laundry in the basket and the third load in the dryer. I guess I'll have a few things to keep me busy before the parade and between the parade and going to Michael's brother's house.

July 2, 2009

Today was not a very exciting day. The kids and I had errands to run this morning. The most exciting one was to the library. I got a couple books on genealogy. Other than that it was just normal routine errands.

We hung out around the house most of the day. We did have to go up to the duplex around 3:00 to let the carpet person come measure for carpet. Hopefully by this time next week all the floors will be finished.

We had sloppy joes for supper. I also made corn and cut up fresh apples.

Michael took Caleb up to the park to sign him up for football tonight. This will be Caleb's first football season. He came home looking like a little transformer with his shoulder gear on. The league bought new ones this year and they are black and silver. He will have camp July 15 - 17th. That will be his first experience with playing any kind of football. He's very excited.

July 1, 2009

Today the kids and I went to Daniel Boone Home Historical Site in Defiance Missouri. It's about a half an hour from our house. The drive is a little nerve wracking because it's a very narrow two lane highway that winds and twists and has no shoulder. There are trees on both sides so it's a bit claustrophobic, too.

But, we got there ok. It's a really cool place. They have the original Nathan Boone house where Daniel Boone lived the last part of his life. Nathan was Daniel's son. There is also a village there where they've brought some old buildings from a one room school house to a 1904 church building.

We really enjoyed it. We did the two hour tour. This meant we got to watch a short 15 minute film on Daniel Boone, then we got to go tour the Boone house. The house is really cool. We got to see the living quarters on the first and second floors. Then, we got to see the kitchen on the bottom floor. It also has a fourth floor, but they are not allowed to take people up there because of fire codes.

After that we got to tour the village. I really enjoyed that, too. The church is beautiful and they still allow people to have weddings there. Michaela said she wants to get married there. Of course, she's only 10 and that could change.

I was really proud of Caleb. I was a little worried he'd be bored, but he did great. He paid really good attention and even asked questions. He also was able to answer one of the tour guide's questions. He really enjoyed himself. He did not once ask if it was time to leave.

We went to eat lunch at Culver's after we left Daniel Boone home. Then, we wrapped up our fun day by going to the park next to St. Peter's City Hall and playing. The kids played on the play ground for about 20 minutes or so and then we walked to the part of the park with the little lake.

I was bummed they did not have the waterfall turned on today, but it was a nice day. There was a nice breeze and it was not too hot. I got some great pictures today both at the Daniel Boone site and at the park. I'm really happy with the way the day went.