Laundry Day.....it's everyone's favorite

Or is it? John and Ethan tell us how you really feel about it. We have been going to the laundromat since February. My laundromat days are numbered. It is such a pain! Down two flights of stairs, fight with the kids, out to the car, across town, out of the car, fight with the kids, does the change machine work?, start the washer, actually get along with the kids for a minute, go from the washer to the dryer, are the kids riding around in the carts?, fight with the kids, fold the clothes all the while fighting with the kids, get the laundry in the car, bring heavy laundry baskets back up the stairs, and put the laundry away. And that's when the real fighting begins. It's been great!

Is that the countertop???

Hip, Hip, Hooray!!! Progress! Doesn't it look great? I was so worried about going dark with the countertop, but I think it works. If you don't like it, please keep it to yourself. Just let me walk around thinking everyone loves it. The builder says he will be done in a couple of weeks. He has said that before. This time I actually believe him. It looks like a real house with the the countertop in. I am so happy! It feels really close now.

School Already???

I need to post, but I don't think I have anything to say. School is going to start on September 4th. I am not ready. We didn't do a whole lot this summer like we did last summer, but it was still a very good summer. I wish it was in me to home school, but it so very much is NOT. I put off buying school supplies and clothes until just now. We bought some clothes last night, but we have hardly made a dent in the supply list. AND I think it gets longer every year.

I am ready for fall, though. I have been daydreaming of decorating the house for fall and Christmas. John says I don't have enough time to paint before then, but I am determined. Determined! I want at least the living room and kitchen painted before Christmas. I also cannot wait for John to start working in the yard. There are so many things to do. And I want them all done at once. That should work out well, shouldn't it?

Alright, that's all I have for now. We don't have anything exciting scheduled. Well, Open House for school is next Thursday. If I am going to get pictures of John at middle school I will have to do it then. He will not tolerate it once school starts. He's way too cool to have his picture taken. I'll be lucky if I get one at Open House. I walked him into summer school and someone called him a mommy's boy. Can you believe it? Kids can be so mean. You can hardly touch them with someone looking and they get made fun of. I just love him and he's got such soft cheeks. Ethan, also, is getting to where he doesn't like me to walk him to class. Someone may be looking, you know. Emily, on the other hand, wants me to sit in the desk next to her and spend the whole day with her. I will have to hang on to those moments. I'm sure it won't be long before she feels the same way as John and Ethan.

The Beach

What a fun time we had at the beach! Just a little note to all the mom's reading this. You must add more sunscreen after lunch! I did not, sadly. I really gooped everybody with sunscreen in the morning, but did not reapply. Oh, my poor children. I sat safely beneath a beach umbrella; they are all burned. But, we all had a good time while we were there. We liked watching the big ships in the background. We even saw dolphins swimming just beyond the swimming area. Emily and I made a sad little sand castle. The weather was great. We had a beautiful day. I love the beach.

Not much new going on at the house. The only new thing is that the doors are all in. The interior doors. And some of the baseboards. Which I thought was odd. Wouldn't it be easier to paint first?

Things that make me happy

I am so happy!!! Once again....doing cartwheels through the daisies! Don't they look great??? Tell me what you think. I can't wait to paint!

We are going to the beach this weekend. Another something that makes me very happy! The kids are so excited, they are not even arguing about doing chores. We will leave as soon as John gets home from work today. We are staying in the Roach Motel. It's the only one we could find, but we don't care....we'll be at the beach!

My camera is broken. Sort of. Enough that I am on the brink of needing a new one. And yes, that makes me happy. I have not really enjoyed this camera. And I already have another one picked out. I picked it out last year, actually. And this year it is less expensive. And that makes John happy.

Flags of Our Fathers

We went to the Marine Corps Museum today. It was very interesting. Everything in the museum looks so lifelike. Going to military themed museums always gives me a greater appreciation for our freedome here in America and definitely a greater appreciation for the men and women who serve in the military. One of the main reasons I wanted to go to this museum was because I knew that THE flag raised on Iwo Jima would be there. Well, quite naturally, it was out of the museum for some sort of professional preserving something or other. BUT, the first flag that was raised on Iwo Jima was there. It just wasn't the big flag; the flag in the famous picture. So, we will have to go back.

We also went furniture shopping!!! FUN! Well, I don't think the kids had that much fun. It was just a place for them to get in trouble for touching anything. Poor things! We still can't find exactly what we are looking for, but that just means we get to do more shopping, right?

Dirty Jobs

Alright, so the septic system is not all that glamorous, but progress is progress!! There was also someone there putting tape and joint compound on the sheetrock, but he had just gotten started. No good pictures. The insulation people also came and blew insulation into the attic. The cabinets were supposed to go in yesterday, but they couldn't because the sheetrock is not all taped and finished. So, I see us as behind. The builder says we are still way ahead. I guess it's all a matter of perspective.

I love my family

I had a unique experience today as far as parenting goes. I don't think there is anything that tops watching your children have a good time. Watching them smile at something that really makes them happy, and losing themselves in something fun. I was fortunate enough to have that experience with all 3 of my children in one day. That doesn't happen very often.

The new Bratz movie is playing in a theatre near you. A must see if you are a 7 year old girl. I took Emily today. When the lights went out, she just shook with excitement. She waved her little arms in the air like she had just won a gold medal. And at the end of the movie when the Bratz girls overcame adversity, which, of course, they had to do, she was just beaming. She was so proud of them.

We saw a Nesquik chocolate milk vending machine in the mall yesterday. We couldn't believe it. For those of you who do not know how much Ethan loves chocolate milk.....Ethan LOVES chocolate milk. So, I bought him one. He was so happy. He took my halo down and polished it for me. He told me that I am the best mom in the whole world. Not another like me. It is good to be loved!

And I took John to the race track tonight to see jet cars race. Wow! Now that was an experience. It was sticky hot, loud, and crowded. All the things I hate the most!! But watching John was a joyful experience. He was so excited to watch fire coming out of the back of the cars. Evertime 2 cars pulled up to race he would tell me which one would win and why. Because it looked cooler than the other one, of course. He just talked and talked. It was great. He patted me on the back and reassured me that the jet cars were not going to explode. We got to meet one of the jet car drivers after the race. You would have thought we had just me the President, he was so proud. Good times! What a lucky mom I am!