School Spirit

Celebrate the small things...

Exciting things this week.

- the kids both love their teachers
- new bookshelf
- lost 1.8 lbs (it rounds to two in my head)
- Todds FINALLY heard from the insurance company so the tunnel has a light at the end

First Day of School

Tori starts 4th grade...

Tristan starts 1st grade...

365 days until 30

I know you are supposed to make resolutions at New Years but this seemed like a good time of year for me - to do before I am 30!

- I want to be a runner darn it - goal is 5K in Nov, 10K in March, half marathon by next August.

- I also want to be two sizes smaller - hoping all that running with some spinning and pilates gets me there.

- I am going to finish the novel I started. Even if only to stick it in a box and noone ever read it.

So I'll keep you updated!

Screenplay Kids Camp 2009

Happy Birthday Max

Max turned 2. With his bday gift - a new Kong Wubba.

Recipe...

4 elementary aged children (preferably half boys and half girls)
1/2 day of brutal heat
1000s of complete strangers
1 mother whose head is clearly not on straight
1 safari theme park

= recipe for exhaustion

Tori, Tristan, Riley and Rebecca and I went to Busch today. We were joined by my friend Christie and her two year old (but no stroller cause we forgot it). It was a long day - fun day but long day.

Let the Adventure Begin...

We have not been to Universal Studios in 11 years and Islands of Adventure since Tori was 6 weeks old...so we spent the weekend up there and hit both parks. It was a little disappointing to be perfectly honest. Not alot of excitement for the kids, long lines for short rides, and way way overpriced. My heart belongs to Disney.

But it still made for a fun day. And we topped it off with a quick trip to the Nike outlet for school shoes - which we did not find. And pizza at Unos - which makes me happy because I LOVE their pizza.

Poseidon's Fury:

My very dramatic family about to be attacked by a giant octupus:

On the way out:

Update

- there is only one week of summer vacation left. the kids are excited to head back and have all their school supplies ready to go. both hoping for certain teachers, neither find out until the day before.

- still house hunting, considering placing an offer on one, trying to gauge how much to offer due to the amount we need to have to put into it, a little discouraged i think but trying not to be

- tori has spent the last month hanging out with friends and having multiple sleepovers, going to her first sleepaway camp (pics coming next week), and helping me cook meals to put in the new freezer for work days (she loves to cook - did not get this from her mom)

- tristan went to soccer camp, had multiple playdates with friends and got signed up for fall little league

- todd "hired" a guy to work with him, then fired him, back on the lookout for someone good as his customer base is growing quickly

- still working at the hospital, most days right now doing insurance reviews of psych patient records with the companies and doctors authorizing payment, some days back in the ER

- taking a quick weekend at Universal Studios, hoping the weather cooperates

Summer Cold

My head feels like its going to explode and my throat is similiar to something scratched to death with sandpaper.

But I have to work and this weekend is our Universal trip...and here I was worried about rain. I guess I picked the wrong thing to be concerned about.

So I am staying as far as possible from the kids and Todd. As far as one can as a wife and mother anyway.

Only child...

I am often heard to say, even more so after having multiple other children over at my house, that God only gave me two children because I could not handle more. Can I tell you that in the last two days I have also learned the reverse is true too? God gave me two because I cannot handle only one! I had no idea how many times the kids entertained each other until one of them leaves for an extended period.

We spent the weekend with friends over Saturday - playing in the pool, going out to eat, etc. Yesterday we took Tristan out to the Pinellas Trail for a bike/rollerblade trip. We went to the dog park, got ice cream, etc. Today we spent hours at the pool, had a Mario Kart tournament, etc...and he acts like without Tori he is bored out of his mind!

I do love that he misses her so much! Looks like the campers are having a blast though. If you want to see what the camp kids have been up to check it out on Twitter.

Saturday morning...

and the ironing/laundry/bathroom cleaning awaits. Especially considering that we have a bunch of friends coming over around 11:00! Eek!

Instead I am enjoying my cup of coffee, waiting for my egg bake to be done, and helping pack Tori for camp (she's going for 4 days - double eek!).

Gotta love procrastination.

Sunday at the Beach

Yesterday we went to the beach with some friends we met through Tristan. Their son Charles was in Tristan's preschool class as well as on his spring soccer team. We have had multiple play dates and mini golfed with them on Tristan's bday last year BUT this is the first time we have set out to do an activity just our family and their family. It was a blast! The kids played awesome and it was so relaxing. And they bring a tent and umbrella to the beach so Todd was happy because their was shade for at least part of it. It was so nice. Below are a few pics...Tori and Justine, Tristan and Charles, and them building their "dam". This was actually pretty amazing. In the water that came up during high tide but was no longer being touched by the large body there were little fish, so they built a damn and corraled them in their and blocked off the other side so they could watch them swim around. We told them they were not allowed to touch them and had to scoop them back in the ocean when they were done with their buckets! But cute.

Weekend Craziness

Yesterday morning I had breakfast with a friend at a great little outdoor cafe in Dunedin. The food was awesome. Swiss tomato ham quiche - yum! Then it was off to a baby shower for my friend Brenna who is due the day after Tristans birthday in September. Then it was off to date time...Todd and I met Jonathan and Taylor and went to a Rays game (vs. KC Royals, we won!) followed by the concert series presentation of Chris Daughtry. Honestly it was fun but terribly disappointing as the stage was set up in centerfield and they brough speakers on the field but did not use the stadiums sound system so he was far away and did not sound very good from our seats!

Today we spent the day on the beach with some friends. It was so nice out, the kids played awesome and we relaxed for four hours without complaints from Todd or the kids - woohoo! A successful day.

Unfortunately I am now home and procrastinating on a sewing project for work, grocery shopping, AND laundry/ironing! I think I will take a quick nap to stall as much as possible.