I've been busy trying to catch up at home. For some reason, I just can't seem to get on top of my laundry, dishes, and cooking plans. There are bills to pay, forms to fill out, weeds to pull. There is really so much I could talk about but I haven't had a chance to do it. I'm trying to keep my blogging in perspective. It can be quite an addicting thing, you know?
I was reading one of my favorite blogs, Raising Five, and she referenced Sarah at As the Lord Works on Those Sneaky Idols. This is one I'm gonna have to read a few times.
If you blog at all or even choose to be only a reader....better yet...if you love your computer and the ability to reach the world with the tips of your fingers through the internet (uuuuhhhh...that would be me)...This post is for you
Friday, August 31, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Day 2 Fall '07 PART B
Forgot to mention that although I was completely ready to go the gym this morning...I mean I laid out my workout clothes, put my workout bag together so I could shower, planned my outfit for the day, and charged my IPod....
I forgot to set the alarm clock so I didn't get up...AGAIN.
But...I have to say that I think I'm slowly coming out of the woods. At least I did some form of exercise. I woke Gracie up (so she could get some P.E. in for the day), threw Sumo (Kano and Daddy stayed asleep at home)into the old jogging stroller (it was covered with cobwebs), and went for a 50 minutes walk through the neighborhood.
So that's me trying to not to cry over spilled milk and make lemonade out of lemons :)
I forgot to set the alarm clock so I didn't get up...AGAIN.
But...I have to say that I think I'm slowly coming out of the woods. At least I did some form of exercise. I woke Gracie up (so she could get some P.E. in for the day), threw Sumo (Kano and Daddy stayed asleep at home)into the old jogging stroller (it was covered with cobwebs), and went for a 50 minutes walk through the neighborhood.
So that's me trying to not to cry over spilled milk and make lemonade out of lemons :)
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Day 2 Fall '07
So...today, I spent the morning at the teacher orientation for our homeschool co-op. My husband took the boys to Chuck-E-Cheese.
How's that for confessing more of my lack of perfection.
I think I'm on a role.
Oh...and I know tomorrow is going to look about the same. I have to go to parent orientation tomorrow and meet the parents of my students. My boys will spend the morning with their cousins playing.
See...life isn't always going smoothly! We've yet to actually go through a full day at home using our new schedule.
I think this is just a week of confessions. I'll try to keep them coming :)
How's that for confessing more of my lack of perfection.
I think I'm on a role.
Oh...and I know tomorrow is going to look about the same. I have to go to parent orientation tomorrow and meet the parents of my students. My boys will spend the morning with their cousins playing.
See...life isn't always going smoothly! We've yet to actually go through a full day at home using our new schedule.
I think this is just a week of confessions. I'll try to keep them coming :)
Monday, August 27, 2007
Day 1 of Fall '07
In light of my spirit of confession and keeping it real, I thought I'd share a peek into the window of what actually happened on the first day of our new routine.
Seeing as how I stayed up until 5 am finishing our new fall schedule, today did not get off to a pristine start. I laid down for a nap at about 5.15 am and was awakened by Sumo, right on schedule, around 7 am.
I made him lay there with me until 8.30 am at which point he convinced me that he was dying laying there and that he just had to play with his "Mac"truck. This has been his routine for awhile - mostly because I've not been disciplined enough to have structure first thing in the morning. He normally wakes up and has me go to the forbidden closet that holds all of thetoys the boys fight over special toys, pulls out his precious "Mac", and proceeds to enjoy time alone with his favorite toys and figurines from the movies "Cars" and "Toy Story".
You can imagine his face this morning as it curled up in pain when I told him that we were going to do something different - I was going to read to him. His eyes said it all - READ!?!?!? INSTEAD OF PLAYING WITH MY TOYS...OH LAWD NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
He quickly submitted to the idea and settled in to enjoy the story. We read Runaway Bunny, which is on the BFIAR booklist. He loved it. Even though he had to give up his "Mac" for a time, it seemed in the end he felt like the trade was worth it. He got completely unadulterated private time with his Mommy. That was the idea. I felt like I had nailed it. Come to think of it, he never even asked for his "Mac" for the balance of the day.
The rest of the morning was a different story. Because I had gotten out of bed later than planned, I just chunked the rest of the morning. The boys and I ran out of the door and headed to the Barnes & Noble Storytime. Followed by a trip to the local produce market, the boys were hungry and tired. I fed 'em lunch and put 'em down. Completely off schedule and completely wonderful!
Almost forgot, we didn't do serious curriculum, preschool, activity, circle time stuff today but I did do a tidbit of Little Hands to Heaven at the kitchen table. It was a blast watching the boys repeat after me, learning the finger play.
I also got a chance to play a couple of games of "Memory" with Sumo while Kano got a headstart on his nap. He's got to fall asleep first b/c if not, he spends the entire naptime trying to wake Sumo up!
Sumo was completely thrilled at his ability to remember the pictures and find the match. His mother was too. It was a joy and privilege to roll around on the floor with him enjoying his 4-year-old-ness...even if it was off schedule.
Gracie and I did meet to go over her work for the day. She seemed to be ready to roll after a few days of menagging her gently hinting to her about the official start of our school year. Around our house, we are always doing something. I keep a basket of library books for my bigs and another basket of books for the littles in the living room so that there are always interesting things to read. Somehow, though, the official notice of ramping up our schoolwork slowly with a few subjects at a time seemed destable. I can't imagine why :)
Even though she seemed reluctant, last night, she hit it this morning and got much accomplished in a short bit of time (mental note to blog about our curriculum choices in another post). I was very proud of her for being so self-motivated and putting her petal to the metal. This is NOT the same child we took out of school in the middle of her sixth grade year four and half years ago.
I did get a few moments to myself this afternoon although I didn't get that much needed nap.
The rest of the evening went smoothly, although again not perfectly. Gracie did do computer work with Sumo (free JumpStart CD from Chick-Fil-A Kids meal) even though it happened like two hours after it should have. He loved his time with his big sis.
We did eat about six but it was very boring b/c I warmed up leftovers. Why? I didn't take time for my dinner prep in the AM!
All is well though, Daddy decided to show up and surprise us with BBQ. On second thought, maybe all wasn't well. I'm haven't been off to a good start in the food department :( Bless hubby for being so thoughtful though. I didn't have the heart to let his gift go to waste :) ....whoo!...that sounds like another blog in the making.
The boys got in the bed at 8.45 pm. Still enough time for me to relax and blog. It's now 9:30 pm. I'm technically supposed to get ready for bed beforegetting stuck sitting at the computer and blogging. Even bedtime has ended up being out of order. But it's still fairly early and I'm off to get some sleep so tomorrow can be a little closer to the plan.
Seeing as how I stayed up until 5 am finishing our new fall schedule, today did not get off to a pristine start. I laid down for a nap at about 5.15 am and was awakened by Sumo, right on schedule, around 7 am.
I made him lay there with me until 8.30 am at which point he convinced me that he was dying laying there and that he just had to play with his "Mac"truck. This has been his routine for awhile - mostly because I've not been disciplined enough to have structure first thing in the morning. He normally wakes up and has me go to the forbidden closet that holds all of the
You can imagine his face this morning as it curled up in pain when I told him that we were going to do something different - I was going to read to him. His eyes said it all - READ!?!?!? INSTEAD OF PLAYING WITH MY TOYS...OH LAWD NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
He quickly submitted to the idea and settled in to enjoy the story. We read Runaway Bunny, which is on the BFIAR booklist. He loved it. Even though he had to give up his "Mac" for a time, it seemed in the end he felt like the trade was worth it. He got completely unadulterated private time with his Mommy. That was the idea. I felt like I had nailed it. Come to think of it, he never even asked for his "Mac" for the balance of the day.
The rest of the morning was a different story. Because I had gotten out of bed later than planned, I just chunked the rest of the morning. The boys and I ran out of the door and headed to the Barnes & Noble Storytime. Followed by a trip to the local produce market, the boys were hungry and tired. I fed 'em lunch and put 'em down. Completely off schedule and completely wonderful!
Almost forgot, we didn't do serious curriculum, preschool, activity, circle time stuff today but I did do a tidbit of Little Hands to Heaven at the kitchen table. It was a blast watching the boys repeat after me, learning the finger play.
I also got a chance to play a couple of games of "Memory" with Sumo while Kano got a headstart on his nap. He's got to fall asleep first b/c if not, he spends the entire naptime trying to wake Sumo up!
Sumo was completely thrilled at his ability to remember the pictures and find the match. His mother was too. It was a joy and privilege to roll around on the floor with him enjoying his 4-year-old-ness...even if it was off schedule.
Gracie and I did meet to go over her work for the day. She seemed to be ready to roll after a few days of me
Even though she seemed reluctant, last night, she hit it this morning and got much accomplished in a short bit of time (mental note to blog about our curriculum choices in another post). I was very proud of her for being so self-motivated and putting her petal to the metal. This is NOT the same child we took out of school in the middle of her sixth grade year four and half years ago.
I did get a few moments to myself this afternoon although I didn't get that much needed nap.
The rest of the evening went smoothly, although again not perfectly. Gracie did do computer work with Sumo (free JumpStart CD from Chick-Fil-A Kids meal) even though it happened like two hours after it should have. He loved his time with his big sis.
We did eat about six but it was very boring b/c I warmed up leftovers. Why? I didn't take time for my dinner prep in the AM!
All is well though, Daddy decided to show up and surprise us with BBQ. On second thought, maybe all wasn't well. I'm haven't been off to a good start in the food department :( Bless hubby for being so thoughtful though. I didn't have the heart to let his gift go to waste :) ....whoo!...that sounds like another blog in the making.
The boys got in the bed at 8.45 pm. Still enough time for me to relax and blog. It's now 9:30 pm. I'm technically supposed to get ready for bed before
Fall'07 Schedule
Here is the first guess attempt at my schedule/guide/flow for the fall. Homeschooling and being with my children all day requires some kind of planning so that we know where we are going BUT...remember this is not rigid. This is a guide and a way for me to "see" what I really have time to do based on the things required of me and the time available during the day to do them.
I'm one of those people who wishes I had 36 hours a day. Since I don't, my job is to find out how the Lord would have me spend my time and make sure I use the time He has given...wisely. In the past, I've posted my schedule in a Word document so that anyone could download it and change it to suit their personal needs. I will do that eventually but I'm going to wait until I've tried this plan for a bit to make sure it actually works well for us before passing it along :)
Remember...this is just a guide...just a tool to help me stay on track through out the day. If it's a gorgous day outside we don't come in after 30 minutes! If we have friends or company over, we will linger over lunch and the kids will go down for their naps a little later than normal. I'm a Type A but even I know how to relax a bit every now and then :)
Read it over...I'd love your feedback!
One more thing before you look this over. Don't be intimated. I didn't come up with all of this by myself. I used Managers of Their Homes to teach me how to structure my home, children, and my day. If you are structure challenged - this book is awesome! I developed my first schedule about four years ago and I break this book out everytime seasons and routines change to help me come up with creative ideas for keeping up with it all.
Ok...and now for the test schedule....Remember...leave feedback and/or questions if you have any...
5:00
9:30
I'm one of those people who wishes I had 36 hours a day. Since I don't, my job is to find out how the Lord would have me spend my time and make sure I use the time He has given...wisely. In the past, I've posted my schedule in a Word document so that anyone could download it and change it to suit their personal needs. I will do that eventually but I'm going to wait until I've tried this plan for a bit to make sure it actually works well for us before passing it along :)
Remember...this is just a guide...just a tool to help me stay on track through out the day. If it's a gorgous day outside we don't come in after 30 minutes! If we have friends or company over, we will linger over lunch and the kids will go down for their naps a little later than normal. I'm a Type A but even I know how to relax a bit every now and then :)
Read it over...I'd love your feedback!
One more thing before you look this over. Don't be intimated. I didn't come up with all of this by myself. I used Managers of Their Homes to teach me how to structure my home, children, and my day. If you are structure challenged - this book is awesome! I developed my first schedule about four years ago and I break this book out everytime seasons and routines change to help me come up with creative ideas for keeping up with it all.
Ok...and now for the test schedule....Remember...leave feedback and/or questions if you have any...
5:00
- Mommy- up for Exercise
- Mommy -Shower & Dress
- Mommy -Quiet Time + Water/Tea
- Gracie- Quiet Time + Water/Tea
- Sumo - Sleep or Quiet Play
- Mommy - AM Routine/BFIAR with Sumo
- Gracie - Breakfast Prep
- Sumo - w/Mom or Free Play
- Everyone eats Breakfast and Mommy does Bible with the Littles
- Mommy cleans up from breakfast
- Gracie take the littles off to brush teeth and get dressed.
- The boys enjoy free play until Mommy is ready for...
9:30
- Now we head outside for the boys to play and for Mommy to tackle the yard.
- Gracie begins her Independent Learning (mostly core subjects)
- Head back inside for a snack and some table activities while listening to classical. Sumo hits some puzzles, arts & crafts, coloring, playdoh, etc.
- Kano will hit the floor for some tactile activities (blanket training)
- Mommy does some specific OT exercises w/ Kano then stretches w/video
- Sumo heads off to his room for some independent playtime
- Now Mommy has one on one w/Sumo to work on preschool stuff
- Kano gets to play with the toys in his room now all by himself.
- Mommy prepares lunch while the boys play together
- Lunch is eaten while Mommy or Gracie reads aloud to the boys
- Time to get ready for naptime!
- Kano gets to read with Mom by himself while Sumo hangs out on the Blanket
- Sumo can browse through the library book basket or play quietly on the blanket
- Sumo's turn for private time with Mom
- Kano is in the crib with board books and will fall to asleep pretty quickly
- At last...Mom gets an Email/Phone Break as both boys are down for a nap!
- Time to check in with Gracie
- A quick conference will make sure that all is on track for the rest of the day.
- Every so often this conference time goes a lot longer.
- Mental note to see if this time is adequate.
- Personal Project Time for Mom. Quiet time for Gracie to explore passionate pursuits
- Mom starts dinner prep
- Boys wake up and get a snack
- Mom does a quick stretch for Kano
- Gracie takes Sumo for some computer time
- Mom gets another Email/Phone Break. Gracie helps out with dinner if necessary
- Boys get free play (fun especially if Dad has made it home).
- Mental note to rotate legos and wooden trains if he hasn't.
- Final Review/Grade of Gracie’s Work for the day. Hopefully she doesn't have homework!
- Mom finishes the last bit of dinner prep.
- Gracie and Sumo set the table and pick up the living room
- Kano is back on the blanket or riding wrapped up on Mommy's back.
- DINNER
- Littles’ Bedtime Routine (Daddy does if he is home and then Mommy relaxes for a sec)
- Gracie does kitchen cleanup
- Family Time/Prayer
- Mom & Gracie can hang free of littles
- Boys are in their room playing/reading in their beds
- Maybe they get one last story...maybe they don't. Daddy/Mommy prays over them then Goodnight!
- Bedtime Routines for the rest of us
- Mommy's time to Journal/Blog/Read/Grade for coop (so much to do...so little time)
- Gracie can stay up for a second in her room
- Lights Out for Gracie
- Lights Out for Mommy (I'm working on it)
Thursday, August 23, 2007
It's Confession Time...
Well I'm back from my blogging break. Things are settling down around the household and beginning to look more normal. But I'm not back to normal yet....
One of my friends IRL (in real life) told me that sometimes, when she reads my blog, that it seems like all is hunky-dory, and all is continually well in my life.
Well, this post should dis-spell any notions that I've got it all together. My precious journey of weight-loss has gotten off course. I'm not happy about it. Actually, I'm fairly disgusted with myself.
You know...that feeling that you've just been messing up and simply not doing your best? Well that's exactly where I'm at.
I'm up 4.5 pounds from my last weight in. UUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH.....
Why are those pounds so easy to put on and so DIFFICULT to take off?
I had grand intentions of getting home and immediately returning to my precious gym. I just couldn't get up in the mornings. Then, I decided to stick those boys in the double stroller and set out on a brisk walk for at least 30 minutes each day to get the juices flowing. I have yet to do that too.
Oh...and my love of junk food and my sugary addiction has been re-ignited. So every day is a huge struggle to do right.
Cooking is a chore and I just don't want to do it - much less cooking healthy!
So that's where I am. Confession is supposed to be good for the soul right? Hopefully this is the first step out of my state of remorse.
I want to get back on the bandwagon and back on it QUICK. It's depressing to think of where I could have been had I taken this last year of losing weight and really worked it. You know...those people who lose like 50-60 pounds in a year - yea...that could have been me...
So that's my confession and my rant. Sorry that you had to see this side of me. I think I just want to pout.
One of my friends IRL (in real life) told me that sometimes, when she reads my blog, that it seems like all is hunky-dory, and all is continually well in my life.
Well, this post should dis-spell any notions that I've got it all together. My precious journey of weight-loss has gotten off course. I'm not happy about it. Actually, I'm fairly disgusted with myself.
You know...that feeling that you've just been messing up and simply not doing your best? Well that's exactly where I'm at.
I'm up 4.5 pounds from my last weight in. UUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH.....
Why are those pounds so easy to put on and so DIFFICULT to take off?
I had grand intentions of getting home and immediately returning to my precious gym. I just couldn't get up in the mornings. Then, I decided to stick those boys in the double stroller and set out on a brisk walk for at least 30 minutes each day to get the juices flowing. I have yet to do that too.
Oh...and my love of junk food and my sugary addiction has been re-ignited. So every day is a huge struggle to do right.
Cooking is a chore and I just don't want to do it - much less cooking healthy!
So that's where I am. Confession is supposed to be good for the soul right? Hopefully this is the first step out of my state of remorse.
I want to get back on the bandwagon and back on it QUICK. It's depressing to think of where I could have been had I taken this last year of losing weight and really worked it. You know...those people who lose like 50-60 pounds in a year - yea...that could have been me...
So that's my confession and my rant. Sorry that you had to see this side of me. I think I just want to pout.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Blogging Break...
After arriving home, and coming to grips with the immensity of having been gone for so long, I'm going to take a blogging break. Not to mention the fact that I've been blogging my brains out for the last three weeks.... :)
I think after about a week or so, I ought to have things sorted out and running smoothly again on the home front. I've got to get food in the house, get clothes washed, and start the process of getting organized for another school year. I'll be back to my regular blogging next week!
I think after about a week or so, I ought to have things sorted out and running smoothly again on the home front. I've got to get food in the house, get clothes washed, and start the process of getting organized for another school year. I'll be back to my regular blogging next week!
Monday, August 13, 2007
Road Trip - Day 12 (Going Home)
My Dad used to take us on this same roadtrip every summer. I'm familiar with the freeways and with the views that let me know I'm getting close to home. I was so glad to see these familiar sights, signaling to me that we were almost there. I'm sure I looked like an idiot with my camera hanging out of the window.
We drove all the way home...well about 10 minutes away. After breakfast and lunch in the RV, dinner out sounded good, as did no dishes or mess at home :)
Just a few minutes later...we arrived home. Here's Jessie - signing off.
All the kids were happy to be home. We quickly got back to our familiar activities. Bessie and Sumo got busy using their imagination - building forts, houses, and a never-ending story line. This lasted until midnight. They were just so happy to be home. I didn't have the heart to cut it off. It was so nice to see them back to normal.
Uh huh...back to normal. :)
Thanks for taking this journey with us and for allowing myself to feel held accountable for doing a decent job of journaling. Now...whenever I get around to scrapbooking the trip, I won't have to think so hard about what we did, what I was thinking, and in what order things happened!
Road Trip - Day 11 (PM - Tennessee)
Following such an eventful morning, the girls spent the rest of the afternoon lounging in front of the flat screen :).
Sumo spent the rest of the afternoon playing with his new toys
and I started a load of laundry and then settled down to finish the lunch that I got from the pool cafe' (when is the last time you got a turkey wrap from the pool side cafe'!)
We hung out until Kano woke from his coma then we said our final goodbyes to Uncle Anthony's place.
Sumo is still talking about all the fun he had. I think he was more proud than anything to be at his Uncle's house. Here he is...ashy knees and all... on Uncle Nee Nee's doorsteps.
We hooked back up with Dad at the hotel, showered, repacked, and then left to go to dinner at Baja Fresh (one of my favorites), followed by some good 'ol Starbucks. I figured the damage had already been done so "why not live it up?"
We then proceeded to take the rental car back to the airport. The girls took the opportunity to do a photo shoot in front of some neat art sculptures.
Into the RV and off for the last leg of our trip (and yes...Jessie is driving all night again...he's amazing)
Sumo spent the rest of the afternoon playing with his new toys
and I started a load of laundry and then settled down to finish the lunch that I got from the pool cafe' (when is the last time you got a turkey wrap from the pool side cafe'!)
We hung out until Kano woke from his coma then we said our final goodbyes to Uncle Anthony's place.
Sumo is still talking about all the fun he had. I think he was more proud than anything to be at his Uncle's house. Here he is...ashy knees and all... on Uncle Nee Nee's doorsteps.
We hooked back up with Dad at the hotel, showered, repacked, and then left to go to dinner at Baja Fresh (one of my favorites), followed by some good 'ol Starbucks. I figured the damage had already been done so "why not live it up?"
We then proceeded to take the rental car back to the airport. The girls took the opportunity to do a photo shoot in front of some neat art sculptures.
Into the RV and off for the last leg of our trip (and yes...Jessie is driving all night again...he's amazing)
Road Trip - Day 11 (AM - Tennessee)
We started the morning heading down to the complimentary breakfast offered at the Embassy Suites. We did it in shifts to minimize the usual chaos found in trying to feed small children while older people feed themselves. I went down first with Sumo. He seemed glad to have me all to himself :) I then grabbed a bowl of oatmeal, a yogurt, and a banana and headed back to the room. I woke the girls up and told them to get dressed and hurry downstairs for breakfast. While they were gone, I woke up Kano and fed him in the room. This was so much easier than trying to have him situated in a highchair in the dining room. By the time the girls got back, the boys were both fed, dressed, and ready to go. Because I had the girls get their things ready to go the night before, we left the hotel in 1.5 hours from me waking up. This was great especially seeing as how we had to plan to be away for the whole day :)
Where were we going?...back to Anthony's to swim :)!!!!
On the way, we had to make a stop at Target for some essentials (swimming tube for Sumo). We couldn't resist our normal love affair with popcorn either.
Afterwards, we headed over to Wild Oats (similar to Whole Foods) for some fruit to enjoy in the hot sun, and the bank - Mommy still has to take care of business while we are on the road...
Anyway, my brother lives in the most beautiful neighborhood. It's one of those master-planned communities where you basically buy not just a home, but a concept, certain types of neighbors, and a lifestyle. Here are a couple of shots.
They have a wonderful community pool and we couldn't wait to enjoy it.
Enjoy it we did!
Where were we going?...back to Anthony's to swim :)!!!!
On the way, we had to make a stop at Target for some essentials (swimming tube for Sumo). We couldn't resist our normal love affair with popcorn either.
Afterwards, we headed over to Wild Oats (similar to Whole Foods) for some fruit to enjoy in the hot sun, and the bank - Mommy still has to take care of business while we are on the road...
Anyway, my brother lives in the most beautiful neighborhood. It's one of those master-planned communities where you basically buy not just a home, but a concept, certain types of neighbors, and a lifestyle. Here are a couple of shots.
They have a wonderful community pool and we couldn't wait to enjoy it.
Enjoy it we did!
The entrance to the pool area
Sumo...testing out the water...
My kiddos...hanging together on this gorgeous day...
Sumo got comfortable really fast!
Do you see the girls? They are on the second level of the building waving at me. They are on their way to the slide.
Uh oh...Kano is getting a little bit too brave...
Then he got mad at me because I was close enough to get this shot but still wouldn't give him a hand.
There he goes again - being brave and chasing after his sisters.
OK...Gracie....this is not Hollywood!
Stopping for a bite to eat!
Back to the pool area for more splashing!
Sumo picked a fight...
Bessie joined him when she saw he needed backup!
All packed up and ready to go!
Afterwards, we drove around a few blocks to look around the neighborhood and see more beautiful homes. Here are a few shots...
When we got back to the house, I opened the door for Kano, he took off his own seatbelt, and motioned for me to pick him up. I did. From the car to the back door, HE KNOCKED OUT COMPLETELY. It was hilarious. We are talking a matter of 10 seconds!
Poor baby...
Sumo...testing out the water...
My kiddos...hanging together on this gorgeous day...
Sumo got comfortable really fast!
Do you see the girls? They are on the second level of the building waving at me. They are on their way to the slide.
Uh oh...Kano is getting a little bit too brave...
Then he got mad at me because I was close enough to get this shot but still wouldn't give him a hand.
There he goes again - being brave and chasing after his sisters.
OK...Gracie....this is not Hollywood!
Stopping for a bite to eat!
Back to the pool area for more splashing!
Sumo picked a fight...
Bessie joined him when she saw he needed backup!
All packed up and ready to go!
Afterwards, we drove around a few blocks to look around the neighborhood and see more beautiful homes. Here are a few shots...
When we got back to the house, I opened the door for Kano, he took off his own seatbelt, and motioned for me to pick him up. I did. From the car to the back door, HE KNOCKED OUT COMPLETELY. It was hilarious. We are talking a matter of 10 seconds!
Poor baby...
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Road Trip - Day 10 (Tennessee)
Jessie pulled it off again....He drove through the night, catching a nap sometime between 6 - 8 in the am. We made it to Cookville, Tennessee for breakfast at Shoney's, barely missing the all-you-can-eat-breakfast-buffet (RATS! - like I needed that anway).
We loaded back up on the RV and headed towards Nashville to hang for a couple of days and to visit my brother Anthony.
While we are pit-stopped here Jessie has to take a quick day trip for work, so knowing how much we enjoyed the last hotel stop, he put us up in our favorite - Embassy Suites and got me a car so we could get out and about. While he went to get the car, we got settled and put the boys down for a nap.
When it was time for Daddy to leave us :(..., I went down to the lobby with Jessie to wait with him for his cab. Unexpectedly, Anthony showed up and told me that he wanted to take my boys with him to a friend's son's birthday party. I asked him three times to make sure he really wanted to do that :)...he assured me he was up to the challenge!
Completely free and unfettered, the girls and I headed for the nearest mall!
(I couldn't decide which picture of Bessie and I that I liked better so I'm posting both)
We basically followed Gracie around.
Then we headed to Anthony's to meet him and the boys there with pizza. We were responsible for picking up the pizza.
This being the girls' first visit to his home, they made it their business to show themselves around, looking in every closet and cranny. Gracie discovered Anthony's guitar and made good use of it.
Wow...boy...the Mellow Mushroom Pizza was really good!
(And yes...check out the background...my brother is a bachelor and keeps a very posh and neat pad!)
Uncle Nee Nee brought my boys home wired, full of sugar, and with new toys. Needless to say, his pad wasn't so posh when we got ready to leave. I tried, really I did but being as how he made it like Christmas with new toys, and made sure they were full of energy, I just did the best I could :)
More tomorrow!
We loaded back up on the RV and headed towards Nashville to hang for a couple of days and to visit my brother Anthony.
While we are pit-stopped here Jessie has to take a quick day trip for work, so knowing how much we enjoyed the last hotel stop, he put us up in our favorite - Embassy Suites and got me a car so we could get out and about. While he went to get the car, we got settled and put the boys down for a nap.
When it was time for Daddy to leave us :(..., I went down to the lobby with Jessie to wait with him for his cab. Unexpectedly, Anthony showed up and told me that he wanted to take my boys with him to a friend's son's birthday party. I asked him three times to make sure he really wanted to do that :)...he assured me he was up to the challenge!
The boys were overjoyed to be going somewhere with their Uncle Nee-Nee.
Completely free and unfettered, the girls and I headed for the nearest mall!
(I couldn't decide which picture of Bessie and I that I liked better so I'm posting both)
We basically followed Gracie around.
Then we headed to Anthony's to meet him and the boys there with pizza. We were responsible for picking up the pizza.
This being the girls' first visit to his home, they made it their business to show themselves around, looking in every closet and cranny. Gracie discovered Anthony's guitar and made good use of it.
Wow...boy...the Mellow Mushroom Pizza was really good!
(And yes...check out the background...my brother is a bachelor and keeps a very posh and neat pad!)
Uncle Nee Nee brought my boys home wired, full of sugar, and with new toys. Needless to say, his pad wasn't so posh when we got ready to leave. I tried, really I did but being as how he made it like Christmas with new toys, and made sure they were full of energy, I just did the best I could :)
More tomorrow!
Road Trip - Days 8 & 9 (Sandy Cove)
Wednesday - Day 8
OK...I got a little lax in my reporting of our family vacation, but with good reason - I was actually vacationing! Sandy Cove is a family camp where they have activities for the children separate than the adults. We got 3 hours free of littles in the morning and another 3 hours free in the evening. When you throw in the fact that my boys still nap for 3-4 hours in the afternoon. That meant that I had a lot of free time!
It was nice to know that the kiddos were having a good time even independently of us. I put in my time with the kiddos on day 7 @ Sandy Cove. It was nice to have days 8 & 9 for me. (I feel a bit guilty saying that out loud, but it's true!)
Wednesday, I woke up early enough to go to breakfast by myself and then took a light breakfast back to the RV for the boys and for Jessie (There are hotel-like facilities available at Sandy Cove as well as campgrounds - we were late in deciding to come so we were camping out in the RV by night and hanging out in the lodge/hotel by day in my parent's room. I dressed the littles and then ran them to "Club Cove". One of the boys went swimming and the other got to do a lot of free play with a wagon ride all over the beautiful campus. I picked them up, fed them lunch, then threw them in the bed for a nap.
My mother offered to sit in the room with them so I went down to the bookstore and hung around in there for about 3 hours. Talk about heaven. I ended up buying this book for Sumo. I've heard it highly recommended multiple times. We love it so far.
We then woke up everyone up for dinner and took them back to "Club Cove". More free time for me. My brother, Anthony, gave his concert this evening and we were able to sit and give enjoy his ministry fully. I'm so proud of him. If you would like to sample his music, visit his website! His new album comes out in September. It is SO GOOD. It is his third album and I think that it is the best one. It's straight praise & worship. Awesome, awesome, awesome... (Yes, I'm shamelessly pluggin' right now).
Here's Anthony singing his brain's out...
Gracie and Bessie helped out by manning his table and helping him to move product.
Daddy even joined in the fun!
After the concert, we picked up our boys and headed back to the RV to get some R&R. Well, instead, after getting the boys settled into sleep in the RV, I ended up pulling a very late night/morning - I was up to 5:30 am enjoying the silence and piddling. This is in direct contrast to what I know to be true about sleep. I'm still growing in good habits :(
Our girls slept in my parents room so they enjoyed lots of free time and independent time from Mom and Dad. We enjoyed the independent time too :)
Thursday - Day 9
The next day was a bit more eventful. The camp sits on the Cheasapeake so I spent lots of time catching beautiful glimpses of the view. When naptime rolled around again, I put the boys down for a nap with my Dad. This time we put the boys IN THE BED with him so that history wouldn't repeat itself.
My mom, Bessie and I headed into town. I just wanted a change of scenery and to get some laundry done without fighting over the shared facilities at Sandy Cove- my Mom and Bessie wanted to shop :) Because I had gotten out of the habit of using my camera ever five seconds, I didn't have it on me. I wish I did so I could show you the beautiful, quaint, town of Northeast, Maryland. There were lots of boutiques with neat and different things: jewelry keepsakes made of broken china, earring or rings made of old but sentimental buttons, an old school house with classic books for children, a coffee shop with fresh roasted coffee, and Woody's - the best local place for crabs. There was a light mist going on and off while we were out but it was so nice and free. I put a load in...walked down the street to "window shop" for awhile, then walked back to put my clothes in the dryer...only to step back into the light rain to find my Mom & Bessie again. So nice...
We came back, woke the boys up, fed them dinner, then jumped into the RV to start our trip back home. Jessie was in again for another all nighter.
OK...I got a little lax in my reporting of our family vacation, but with good reason - I was actually vacationing! Sandy Cove is a family camp where they have activities for the children separate than the adults. We got 3 hours free of littles in the morning and another 3 hours free in the evening. When you throw in the fact that my boys still nap for 3-4 hours in the afternoon. That meant that I had a lot of free time!
It was nice to know that the kiddos were having a good time even independently of us. I put in my time with the kiddos on day 7 @ Sandy Cove. It was nice to have days 8 & 9 for me. (I feel a bit guilty saying that out loud, but it's true!)
Wednesday, I woke up early enough to go to breakfast by myself and then took a light breakfast back to the RV for the boys and for Jessie (There are hotel-like facilities available at Sandy Cove as well as campgrounds - we were late in deciding to come so we were camping out in the RV by night and hanging out in the lodge/hotel by day in my parent's room. I dressed the littles and then ran them to "Club Cove". One of the boys went swimming and the other got to do a lot of free play with a wagon ride all over the beautiful campus. I picked them up, fed them lunch, then threw them in the bed for a nap.
My mother offered to sit in the room with them so I went down to the bookstore and hung around in there for about 3 hours. Talk about heaven. I ended up buying this book for Sumo. I've heard it highly recommended multiple times. We love it so far.
We then woke up everyone up for dinner and took them back to "Club Cove". More free time for me. My brother, Anthony, gave his concert this evening and we were able to sit and give enjoy his ministry fully. I'm so proud of him. If you would like to sample his music, visit his website! His new album comes out in September. It is SO GOOD. It is his third album and I think that it is the best one. It's straight praise & worship. Awesome, awesome, awesome... (Yes, I'm shamelessly pluggin' right now).
Gracie and Bessie helped out by manning his table and helping him to move product.
Daddy even joined in the fun!
After the concert, we picked up our boys and headed back to the RV to get some R&R. Well, instead, after getting the boys settled into sleep in the RV, I ended up pulling a very late night/morning - I was up to 5:30 am enjoying the silence and piddling. This is in direct contrast to what I know to be true about sleep. I'm still growing in good habits :(
Our girls slept in my parents room so they enjoyed lots of free time and independent time from Mom and Dad. We enjoyed the independent time too :)
Thursday - Day 9
The next day was a bit more eventful. The camp sits on the Cheasapeake so I spent lots of time catching beautiful glimpses of the view. When naptime rolled around again, I put the boys down for a nap with my Dad. This time we put the boys IN THE BED with him so that history wouldn't repeat itself.
My mom, Bessie and I headed into town. I just wanted a change of scenery and to get some laundry done without fighting over the shared facilities at Sandy Cove- my Mom and Bessie wanted to shop :) Because I had gotten out of the habit of using my camera ever five seconds, I didn't have it on me. I wish I did so I could show you the beautiful, quaint, town of Northeast, Maryland. There were lots of boutiques with neat and different things: jewelry keepsakes made of broken china, earring or rings made of old but sentimental buttons, an old school house with classic books for children, a coffee shop with fresh roasted coffee, and Woody's - the best local place for crabs. There was a light mist going on and off while we were out but it was so nice and free. I put a load in...walked down the street to "window shop" for awhile, then walked back to put my clothes in the dryer...only to step back into the light rain to find my Mom & Bessie again. So nice...
We came back, woke the boys up, fed them dinner, then jumped into the RV to start our trip back home. Jessie was in again for another all nighter.
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