June 30, 2008

I can't believe it's the last day of June already. Not a lot went on here today. The kids and I did some cleaning around the house. Michaela is getting lazy about cleaning the bathroom. I'm going to have to start "inspecting" it when she says she's done for a while until she gets back in the habit of doing it right.

We also went to Wal-mart. I wanted a organizer thing for the living room. Some of the kids toys that stay in the living room were in desperate need of being tamed. While we were there we bought some snacks that we can have in the car with us when we take that long drive down to Destin. We got a few necessities, too, like laundry detergent.

Michaela had gymnastics tonight. I took my book with me. I'm reading Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I enjoy their books a lot. The first one by these two authors that I read was Cabinet of Curiosities. Most of their books have a character named Pendergast in them. He's an FBI agent that solves strange cases. He's a really cool character.

Relic is actually the first novel he appears in and I can already tell they really have gone out of their way to develop this character throughout the novels that they put him in as he's a lot less refined (I guess that's the word I'm looking for) in this one as he was in the other two books I've read with him in it so far. There is an actual sequel to this book called Reliquary that I'm going to read next. Then, there's a series that have other re-occurring characters and then three books known as the Diogenes Trilogy. These three books are about Pendergast's fight to survive his evil twin brother. Sounds a little hokey, I know, but I've read one from this trilogy already and it was really good.

I've decided I need to load some audio books onto my iPod for our trip. Since we're going to be traveling at night to go down there, it would be hard to read an actual book. And, I know there will be times on the beach that I just want to sit and be able to listen instead of read. It's not going to be easy to decide, though. I want some more Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child books. But, I also have a couple Jodi Picoult I've not read yet that I want to read. Then, there's Isabel Allende and Barbara Kingsolver that I keep putting off. Actually, what I want is for Tracy Chevalier to release a new book.

In any case, I've got a ton of books I've not read yet and several magazines I need to get through. Add that to the books I will put on my iPod, I should have plenty of reading material for our vacation. It sounds so nice to have a vacation where we will not be rushing around like crazy. It's not how I want to spend every vacation, but I'm definitely ready for this low key vacation this year.

June 29, 2008

It's been quiet around here mostly today. We went to church. I got our t-shirts from Melissa while we were there. Michael, Caleb and I went to Pasta House for lunch. I picked Michaela up from Anikca's around 2:00 PM.

Michaela and Michael both slept a lot this afternoon. Caleb watched television and played with his cars and car track stuff. I messed around on Facebook. I'm addicted to game on there called Pack Rat.

Michael and I were not really hungry so I just made the kids something to eat for supper. Then, we settled down to watch Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Yes, we are probably the only people in the world who had not seen this movie yet. It was really good. I think it was better than the other two and I really enjoyed all three of them. I love the humor that they inject into the movie. Jack Sparrow's line, "That's just maddingly unhelpful." said in such a matter of fact way cracked me up. I can't seem to get the kids to believe that that is the same person that plays Willy Wonka.

After the kids went to bed, Michael and I bowled on the Wii. It's been a while since he and I played Wii without the kids. It was fun. I like it when we do things like that together, just the two of us.

June 28, 2008

This morning we went to help work on the float for the parade. There were a lot of people who showed up. It was great to see that many people there. I didn't get to help as much as I wanted, though. I really started feeling light headed and shaky. I thought I was just hungry, but I've not felt great the whole day since then.

Anyway, the float is all red, white and blue. They used tissue paper to decorate the grate on the back of the trailer. We put a white board there, too with scientific equations on it and cardboard cut outs of beakers and such. We put streamers on fans to simulate fire. They have a table on the end of the trailer for a lab table. Everyone is going to wear their VBS t-shirts. We got the kids plastic hats with red, white and blue bands on them and red, white and blue lays for the adults.

This evening Michaela went to spend the night with Anikca. Michael, Caleb and I went out to eat at R.T. Weilers. Then, we went to Sam's and bought candy for the parade. We got a HUGE bag of Dum Dums and a tub of bubble gum. At Walmart, we bought new Tiki Torches and Michael got some gardening stuff he needed. We drove up and down the highway to look at the flood before coming home. It's amazing how quiet the house is with just one kid in it.

June 27, 2008

What's cool about being off work for the summer is that I've finished the laundry already and it's only Friday. I won't have to do laundry during the weekend. Woo Hoo!!!!

The kids had their last day of Camp Read a Lot today. The students at Lindenwood that work with the campers always give a letter to the parents at the end of camp. Caleb's letter made me cry. He's made so much progress just during camp this summer. I think the one on one attention has really helped him. He's actually trying to read things on his own now. His interest in reading has skyrocketed. He can't wait to go back to Camp Read a Lot next summer. Good job on that decision, Mom! Both of my kids never cease to make me proud. I'm not sure how I got so lucky, but I got two great kids.

June 26, 2008

The kids and I went to the cheap theater today. We went to see "Horton Hears a Who." It was a really cute movie. It could have done without the "anime" parts, but it was still cute. We enjoyed it. I'm glad I did not pay regular theater prices for it, but it was worth going to the cheap theater to see. The kids really enjoyed it. The best part is, we paid for out tickets and all had popcorn and a soda and it was about 1/3 of what we'd have paid for all that at a regular theater. I think next week we're going to go back to see Nim's Island.

June 25, 2008

It'll be 4th of July soon. We always go to the parade that is here in town. It's not a huge parade, but it's nice. The kids like it. Last summer, Little Guppy had a float in the parade. Michaela's feelings were hurt that she did not get to be in it with Little Guppy, but the kids did not go to Camp Guppy last summer so why would they have been in it. I'm sure, too the kids that were in it had parents who helped make the float.

Anyway, Michaela not only got one offer, but two offers to be in the parade this year. Her girl scout troop is going to walk in the parade and the church we go to is going to have a float in the parade. The girl scouts are just walking as far as I can tell. They are expected to wear their uniforms. Well, Michaela is between Brownies and Juniors right now. Her Brownie vest is too small and I've not bought her Junior vest yet. Plus her Brownie vest still has the numbers from the old troop on it.

We decided to go with the Church. First of all, both kids get to be in it that way and not in separate places. Plus, I'm more social with people at church. I like the other moms from girl scouts, but I spend more time with people from church and am a little more comfortable around them. So, this Saturday we're going to go help put together the float for our church's parade entry. They are using it as a way to advertise for VBS this year.

June 24, 2008

The levy here in town broke early this morning. Actually, it was middle of the night, wee hours of the morning part of the morning. There is a mobile home park that may or may not see some water. They've got a major exit off one of our main highways closed because the end of that road is flooded.

There is more rain expected up north this week, too. If things get too bad, there is a possibility that the kids' daycare could see some water. I have a feeling with the levees breaking, though, it'll make the flooding not as bad as it could be. Although, there is so much that has been built up down there in the flood plane since our last flood it's ridiculous. People seem to think that since the last flood was at a height classified and 100 year flood and that since levees were rebuilt they won't see a flood down there for 100 years. Ok, maybe I'm stupid, but I really don't think Mother Nature pays much attention to statistics.

It did rain here today. We had a nice little thunderstorm for about 45 minutes or so. Just a typical summer thunderstorm. Then, it got muggy. But, not near as badly as if it were the end of July. The pool water where I take my acquacise class is still pretty cold. We really need some summer heat to warm the swimming pools up around here.

June 23, 2008

I got Caleb registered for first grade today. Since he went to Little Guppy for Kindergarten, this will be his first year at public school. Both of my babies are now big school aged kids. I'm not sure how that happened. It will more than likely be the only year they are in the same building, too. They are talking about splitting the high schools up like they did the middle schools with Freshman and Sophomores at one building and Juniors and Seniors at the other.

Anyway, it amazes me the paperwork involved in signing your child up for school. I mean really, how many times should you have to write down contact information. I think I recorded phone numbers, addresses and job information in about five different places. Here's a tip. Put it all online and parents will only have to enter information once. It can generate all those reports for you. Of course you'd still want the parent in person to make copies of the birth certificate, social security card and utility bill, but that would take a lot less time and hassle than filling out 2000 papers with the same information on them.

I do have one paper that still needs to be filled out. Since this is his first year at public school I have to have his doctor do a physical and fill out the paper on that. It seems they need a dental paper filled out too, but no big deal. Both kids have to go to the dentist soon anyway.

June 22, 2008

We went to a cook out at church this evening. It was a lot of fun. This is the second year in a row that they've done this. It's to try and gain interest in VBS. VBS doesn't start until July 6 this year. That's a lot later than usual. But, they are going to have a float in our city's parade for 4th of July this year and I think that's why. It's going to give more time to "advertise."

They had water balloons and a ball toss game and a bowling game out for the kids. They all played around and had a lot of fun. There was definitely a lot of food. We had quite a few people from the neighborhood come. Hopefully, they'll send their kids to VBS, too.

After eating, there was a game of wiffle ball that kids and adults both played in, but not me. Actually, there were several of us that did not play, but it was fun to watch. Caleb got some pretty good hits. I was proud of him. It was really nice to sit and visit with people, too.

Next weekend we go to help work on the float for the parade. We also need to buy candy to throw.

June 21, 2008

Michaela and I got haircuts today. They took 8 inches off Michaela's hair and 9 inches off my hair. We made our first donation to Locks of Love. It was a lot of fun to do that with my daughter. I wasn't going to make her do it because I know how much she likes her long hair. I think she was skiddish about it until she saw that when they cut mine off it did not make me completely bald.

I wasn't even sure myself if I was going to do it. When we got there the stylist asked me what I wanted done and I said, "Well, I'm not sure." Then, I told her I would like to donate to Locks of Love, but wasn't sure they'd take my hair. It had been a while since I had it cut and it was a bunch of different lengths and the ends were not in the best of shape. So, I wanted to know if they'd take it before I decided what I wanted done.

When it was determined that they would take it at that point I had no idea what I wanted because it meant that more got cut off then if they were not going to take it. I was going to go short anyway, just not quite as short. So, she gave me a style book and I found something I liked. Michaela got to look at the style book, too and she got a really cute wedge shaped cut. She's liking it but is adjusting to it, too.

Then, this evening, Michaela and I watched the gymnastics Olympic trials on television. She's really into Shawn Johnson because they've been talking about her at gymnastics class a lot. It was fun to watch that with her and listen to her talk about it all.