TGIF

We had produce co-op today.

We had company over for dinner. I think I thawed about twice the steaks we needed and after THAT experience decided that I may want to be vegetarian afterall. We had the Worship Team over from chapel contemporary service. What fun.

Mike came home for dinner and is back out in his cave studying for, are you ready? I think I have it ::drum roll:: Air Command Staff College.

If you don't live my life you would not begin to understand why I'm up at 2 a.m.

I'm not sure what else we did today. We were busy.....but once again I can't remember what kept us so busy.

Some Pool Shots from the Day....

I finished 3 pages for the scrapbook from yesterday and today - all pool shots. ::snort::

The first page talks about Stacia's experience at the end of last swimming season. I share how yesterday she was very timid in the pool. Today she was still timid but would paddle around the pool, as long as someone was nearby.


Page 2

Page 3 - has 9 photos....they don't show real big on the screen. I keep wondering if they'll be bigger on a 12x12 page. I really need to print some of these pages out. I do have two more local leads for printing....anyway.....here are a few of my favorite photos from the third page:

I'm so thankful for Mike's allowing me to stay home and have time to PLAY with the children while they are young. It truly is a precious time of their life...and I cringe when I think of how I wished it away as a much younger mom. ::sigh:: I play more these days.

Nolan and Zander with their new swim noodles....

It didn't take long for them to discover that you can shoot water at each other with them....I made them shoot out the back for the photo.

A man has his priorities!


Now, I must decide if I want to read or do a couple of traditional naked album pages....hmmm....tough call....not sure.....I do have to get up early and make it to the gym before produce......hmmm.....

Surprise!

My routine got thrown off today in a rather delightful way. I knew that Central Region of PWOC was having Leadership Weekend in July. This is an event for all the "exec board" positions - a retreat/workshop/seminar if you will. I knew that as a President/Financial/Spirital Life chair I was welcome to attend. I have never attended one, but I have no new baby this year, I'm not pregant, Mike's not deployed and can stay home with the children...it seemed like a good year to go ahead and do some of these PWOC things. I decided to attend when I heard of it.
A few months back, I volunteered to help get info for local installations on to the national website. I did not realize (because I was not paying close attention?) that this was a board position. I thought I was simply "helping out". At Traveling Training, I was told that I could attend Fall Focus and the region would pay. What a thoughtful region - then I asked why and discovered I was on the board.

STILL I didn't make the connection and began to budget a trip to Leadership Weekend in July. Today I got a call from a new phone/internet friend, who will become a real life friend in July, asking if we could arrange our flights so that we could meet in Dallas and fly the rest of the way together. Imagine my surprise when I found out the region will buy my air ticket to ::drum roll:: Kansas City, MO. It will be a full weekend. I'm excited.

THEN Mike has a sort of strange schedule going the next few days. He was given today and tomorrow off (except he has chapel things to do both days) to go off in the trailer and continue to study for ACSC (I honestly don't know what this means as I shared previously - Air College - Staff College maybe?). He also has the weekend to study - but has a dinner on Saturday night and service on Sunday. Then he'll work Monday and go out again Tues and Wed to study. I hope it works. The kids were excited to see the trailer and not so excited to see that Dad was going off alone again. ::snort::

Another out-of-the-ordinary-routine event today involved two - well - delightful women, Rosie and Hollie. They came over to the house and I showed them how to compile their United orders. I am enjoying the opportunity to visit with others through co-op "stuff".

Doug (Deja's husband) dropped by. Since he and Mike were both here, and since DEJA started this whole pool thing ::snort::, the men went out and inspected our leaning pool. The general consensus is we'll keep enjoying it and see what happens.

This photo is solely for the purpose of showing Doug and Deja that "WE have astro turf!" ::snort::

This is my latest attempt to deal with the muddy back yard we have....I considered sand, Mike suggested astro turf...much nicer than mud.

THIS photo is to illustrate when I say we have a small yard and that this bigger-than-expected pool takes up our whole yard....

it does. This is the edge of our patio....the near fence is our back fence. ::snort::

Now, I'm going to do a quick couple of scrapbook pages from the past two days. Since the older boys are at work, Jared is at CAP, the youngers are in bed, Mike isn't home tonight.....I think I'll pull out the traditional scrapbooks and work on those naked albums a bit more.

PRECIOUS MOMENTS


Every morning, Stacia, runs out and finds me and says, "Good Morning Mommy, I'm AWAKE!" I strive to face each day with HER zeal for the day.

This a.m. she told me, "Arielle keeps breathing at me like this .." {snoring}. ::snort::

Summer Schedule?

I headed to the gym.

The minute I walked into the house Zander wanted in the pool. I had decided we'd do school and I'd leave at lunch for my appointment, then they'd swim this afternoon when I got home. I quickly realized that if they swam in the a.m., they could do school while I was gone, which would help the older boys. We shifted to summer schedule.

I let them in the pool. I discovered that I can do many things sitting on the patio with my laptop: put together a produce order, call the produce order in, email produce co-op members, package paperback swap books (link in sidebar), search ingredients for United products, return several phone calls....

Then it was lunch time and I was off.

It was my every 6 week appointment with Heather. She has promised to tell me when I am 60% gray and then I'll let it go......but today she covered the gray again.

I stopped by a local scrapbook store, but it is closed until tomorrow.

Back at home we did school.

I had to make yet another trip to Walmart. Stacia needed swimsuits that would fit. I'm not sure I got a photo that shows it, but she's been INSISTING in swimming in her dress. Mom, she reminds me of the students and our swim parties in Mangagoy. I also needed to buy pool chemicals. I didn't need, but bought anyway, some swim noodles and a little chair thing so when everyone is tired of holding Stacia she can float. She was such a daredevil before her scary jump into the pool at the end of last pool season. I'm sure she'll be daring again, but for now she's timid - and that's fine with me.

We all went to Mr. G's. - Wed night - children eat free with an adult. Josiah and friends met us there. We all came home for a bit of visiting. Steve and Debbie arrived to pick up Steven and Michael.

The older 3 young men went to the gym to play basketball. Mike got home a few minutes after they left and we all jumped in the pool (little ones, he and I).

You can almost see Stacia's dress in this shot





This is the little chair I got for Stacia but I think she feels insecure in it.

"Mom, I'm Bored"

This week we are asked to share what works when our children say, "Mom, I'm bored."

It may be surprising given the number of children in our home, but we dont' hear this phrase often at our home. Several things work for me - planning a few special summer outings, planning special summer school projects, playing with the kids more, including them in my outings and projects.....but mostly...years ago....I realized how to handle the phrase.

Any summer you will find two lists on my fridge. The children know that they can chose anything on the list if they are bored. Our Summer Fun list (click words) is pretty much, well, FUN. I believe this list was sent to SHS (link in sidebar) years ago. I would give credit, but there is no author listed. It's generic enough that I can think of subsitutes as we move around the country.

If that doesn't provide enough guidance there is another list. This list is ever-evolving and contains chores that they may help me with if they cannot find anything else to occupy them.

For more of my WFMW posts click here . To view hundreds of this week's tips from others go here.

Tuesday?

I made it to the gym. 60 minutes on the Bike as I finsihed reading Fatal Deduction. Yes, I was pleased with the twists and ending of the book.

I came home, picked up Jared and we went to Lowe's to get sand.

Josiah and Jamin were leveling the spot for the pool when we got home. Jared joined them.

Josiah and I made another trip to Walmart for stepping stones.

They worked all morning and most the afternoon - then the wait began as we filled the pool.

Julie, a youner than me homeschool Mom, and her children come over this afternoon. I showed her how I use Tapestry of Grace (link in the sidebar). They have a 4 month old Nolan, what fun it was to watch our Nolan and Stacia with him. I have baby envy again tonight....but I'm learning to release that.

We finally got in the pool when we could wait no longer. Unfortunately, the ground is settling and it's not perfectly level - but we sure tried......Mike says we'll see what happens for a bit of time. We had a blast in the pool. It is going to be so nice; it was 101* today.

I already "scrapped" the photos from yesterday and today (brings my total to 21 pages today). I used the same design I used for our Pool Date at Deja's. LOL And these ARE fussier. LOL I'm not sure you can read the journaling....basically I told the story from Zander's viewpoint as he shows up in many of the photos; he faithfully hounded us through the whole process....

In the photo of Nolan above, and the younger 3 in the one below you see the longing anticipation....as they WATCHED THE HOSE FILL THE POOL! ::snort::

Finally! We'll finish filling it tomorrow...but it was full enough to swim.