The End of A Long Summer

This morning, all of my children climbed on a school bus and for eight hours I will have total peace and quiet. I crave quiet and structure. I crave the lack of chaos.
Although, summer wasn’t as hard as I expected, I’m glad it is over. During the last couple of months we have moved…twice…and are ready to get settled and begin a great year.
We all had a fun, busy summer and survived it. So, I don’t plan on doing much today just drinking coffee, writing a little, reading a lot, and listening to the sounds of silence. I may use some time today to schedule volunteer hours at the school. Or maybe sign up for the Fall festival. I do enjoy helping the teachers, decorating the bulletin boards, stuffing folders, and making copies. Dang, there I go scheduling my free time already…and it’s barely just started…….
With all that said, I am going to enjoy my day. I don’t imagine I will get out of my pajamas. I’ll think about volunteering later….you know, when I am a little rested.

Back To School

I must admit I get excited about the notion of shopping for school supplies. It takes me back to the days when my mom would take us shopping in my small hometown. We’d stroll through aisles of neatly stacked workbooks and the whole place smelled of paper and pencil shavings and pristine erasers and held the promise of new beginnings, new friends to make, new things to learn, and new ways to avoid eating cafeteria food.

There was only one store we would go to but back to school shopping is just not that simple any more. Last year I hit three super stores, two pharmacies, and four office supply stores in search of every last item on the list. By the time we made it to the checkout line at each store I found myself flustered at the shortage of Fiskars scissors or 10 cent glue sticks. After getting completely burned out on shopping for school supplies last year, somehow I managed to miss the end-of-the year sign up for pre-packaged school supply packs. Seriously, is there a worse time to send out announcements than May when you’ve already OD’d on field trip forms, permission slips, and other announcements related to end of school year festivities? Besides, I really think that back to school shopping is a tradition, one that marks the end of summer and the start of new beginnings.

Take it from me, shopping for school supplies is not as memorable as you recall from your own childhood but, I still can't bring myself to buy the pre-paid packages. That takes all the fun out of this frustrating but fun shopping experience.

Summer Nights

It is hard to believe that school is but a memory. The temperatures have quickly elevated such that I lie on top of the bedspread instead of snuggled beneath the covers. My nightly ritual of hanging out with the kids consists of cold dinners (i don't want to turn the oven on), ice cream for dessert, and swimming in the evening....it's great!
I enjoy summer, gotta love those free Cinemark movies, $5 bowling days, the community pool, and the beach but, mostly getting to sleep in. In fact, my husband will tell you that I sleep waaaaay in, now that I don't have to drive the kids to school at 7:30am, it's a wonderful thing. As long as we get up in time for lunch, my errands are done, and the kids are having fun...sleeping in is allowed, right?
As much as I am enjoying sleeping in and not having to "assist" with homework, I expect that I'll be eager to get rid of the kids come August when I'll want more time alone to get work done or have my own appointments.
But, so far this summer is terrific, we are spending it with great friends, taking naps, and visiting family. I'm enjoying every hot sticky moment of it.

Missing Those Summer Days...already

It’s only August 2nd but, it seems like summer is over. The lazy stretched out weeks of summer are gone (snif snif) and I’ve got nothing to show for it. Not even a decent tan.
Our trip home to Florida was great and the weather was perfect. It was so nice to see family and have rainy summer days. Aside from the humiduty, the warm mosit air and 75 degree weather was anice break from the Texas heat!! By the time I got home, three glasses of wine wasn’t enough to manage my stress.
Clearly, the problem lies with me. Call me crotchity, but I find that I require a certain amount of quiet and sleeping hours to maintain my sanity. Some days there’s no such thing as quiet or sleep in my family.
I wish I could have stayed in Florida longer, but vacations can’t last forever. I'm just grateful that I was able to make two trips home this summer.
Moving on.
We’re home now and I am trying to finish my spring cleaning! Why do they call it that, heck I 'spring clean' all year long!!! Going through outgrown clothing and unmatched tupperware is an ongoing project. I'm trying to get my pantry stocked with lunch box items and get school clothes and supplies in order.....See? Summer really is over.
Maybe once the kids are in school, I’ll get something done.

At The Car Wash....Yeah!

I drive what I call a Dodge Mommy-Van, I am always in it as are several children. I can never keep it clean, every time it is cleaned 10 minutes later I hear "Mommy, someone’s throwing food at me" or "oops mommy, I accidentally spilled my drink". (ughhh)

Okay, so we just came home from our beach vacation and since we drove, my mommy-van was filthy and had bugs stuck all over the windshield. It’s bad enough to drive the ‘mommy-van’ but a dirty one, oh no! The drive thru carwash was not going to cut it this time, Florida bugs are hard to get off and my van hasn't had a good scrubbing in a long time.

It is so hot outside....

and I can’t do another hot pool day with the kids. So I grabbed some sponges and some sunscreen and we headed outside for a ‘fun’ car wash day (yeah, the kids fell for that) and we all had a blast! The kids worked hard scrubbing and squirting each other with the water hose and they did an amazing job; I wasn't worried about the time it took because they were having fun and were so thorough.

The kids had a great water day and my van is clean, what could be better than that?

I've got that summer feelin'

Several times recently I've said, "This summer, we need to..." and, it's already well into summer. Our summer got off to a slow start, and sometimes I feel like I'm waiting for it to get underway, but actually it is flying by….real fast. Once again…I sit here and wonder where the week went?
Our family went on vacation to Destin Beach, Florida and it was a lot of fun. I met a lot of nice folks, some from my neck of the woods here in Texas. I completely understand why people from Texas travel all the way to Florida for the beach, (sigh) and the weather….perfect. The tide was high and the waves were strong, it was funny to see the kids start out swimming in front of us and five minutes later they were twenty feet to the left. It wasn’t hard to spot us though, our big bright striped umbrella stuck out like a sore thumb next to those perfectly lined rented green ones. But as the week progressed, people wised up and we saw a mish mash of rented umbrellas and other types along the water's edge. Anyway it worked out because the kids knew exactly where we were at all times.

I have made it back from vacation, tropical-depression free. Well, I suppose the only depression I’m feeling now is the one that knows I have loads of laundry to do and a stack of mail to go through. So while I go tend to my life again, I will try to get unpacked (as it may sit here for a few more days) and get back to the reality of housework, busy kids activities, getting ready for school, and trying to stay active but cool on these hot Texas summer days. Before you know it, we will be packing again for another trip back to Florida, then it'll be time for school again.....well, let’s not go there.
Today it is 103 degrees so I will pour myself a glass of tea and attempt to start summer projects that I want to be doing, try not to think about what I should be doing and, make myself feel better about what I am actually doing. haha!

Naval Aviation Museum

This was the COOLEST museum! The walking tour was long, but VERY interesting. Everyone there was so friendly and helpful. We learned a lot! The museum has a Top Gun school where you fly simulator jets. They have planes from every period of history: the first navy commissioned airplane, the British "camel" planes (snoopy's airplane), the first plane to cross the Atlantic (love the story), helicopters, fighter jets, YOU NAME IT. They had WWII warfront and home front areas---very cool. Another fun area was the completely rebuilt deck of a naval carrier--guns and tower intact. I really loved this museum. I would go again, every time I visit Pensacola. I only wish the Blue Angels were home so we could have seen them practice.

My favorite part was walking through the replication of living in the 1940’s.
Life seemed so simple then: prices were small, markets carried only necessities, homes were small and cozy. Just walking through this exhibit, I could only imagine what living on a ship for months at a time would be like, it really makes you appreciate the good things in life......

Where there's a will...

My family is well known for their fishing capabilities and it skipped no generation here, let me tell you. I remember a time when I took my little brother to Okeechobee for a visit, this was way before pocket video games, and the nine-year old boy that he was, got easily bored when he was surrounded by adults and no entertainment. I didn't think there was any reason to bring a fishing pole, and he was not having a good time. Having the family fishing bone in him, my little brother made a pole with some string and a stick, used a paper clip as a hook and darn it if he didn't catch himself a fish!!!!

Fishing comes naturally and was a convenient hobby, there was always a lake, beach, or canal within walking distance of someone's house. But now that we are Texans, fishing has become a rare pastime. Fishing is one of Ethan's favorite things to do....he just loves our trips back home so he and grandpa can go fishing. all. day. long.

So, today, Aunt Stacy took him and the girls down to the neighborhood creek to cool off. Ethan took with him a jar and a little fish net, the one's you use for a fish tank. And believe me, I have probably the smallest fishing net there is. But he was determined to catch himself a fish.

And guess what???

He did! I can't imagine how he did it with such a small net.

Hello Summer

Yes, it's that time of the year again, when thoughts turn to sunshine, vacations and lazy afternoons spent outdoors with good friends, kids with popsicles, riding bikes, and neighborhood bbq's. That's right - summer is almost upon us and I can't wait!

Ice Cream Man...bring it!

I suppose I should have more sympathy for the poor guy...I'm know he means well and the poor guy has to work in this awful Texas heat but he always has new ways of pissing me off. The last couple of weeks were like clockwork that stupid truck has come around the street blaring it's clown music, enticing the kids. In come the kids running, turning my wallet inside out, and screaming for money to go buy some ice cream (did I mention my freezer is always full of ice cream during the summer?). I spent $10 (on 3 kids) the last time he came around!!! The $2 frozen juice can't be much better than the ice cream that I bought, I buy Breyers and bomb pops for crying out loud. I do realize this is a passage of childhood, and that I'm potentially depriving my kids by NOT handing them money and letting them run in the street after the ice cream truck. It drives me crazy when I am outside trying to enjoy the nice weather and jump at the very sound of music I hear in a distance, hoping my kids won't hear it.
Okay, I am not sooo bad, I do let my kids ice cream from him....sometimes but what bothers me is when he creeps around the corner and I shake my head NO!, and he still comes down our street! Very Irritating!!!!

Beach Bum at Heart

I find myself overly excited over our next trip back home to Florida. I will be very happy to see the family, go fishing, and be back in the land of the beach bums and luau's, where the people are friendly, flip-flops are acceptable anywhere at anytime, and at night you can actually see shooting stars.
I love the memories from home, where I lived five minutes from the ocean and cruises were a spur of the moment outing. Okay, I've gone on 3 cruises but I loved it, and I can't wait to take the kids on thier first cruise.

here are some of the things I love the most.
~ If I'm at or on the ocean, I have no reason to worry about getting that laundry done or those dishes washed and there is nothing better than that feeling! I just relax.
~The food. I love to try different restaurants along the beach and fresh seafood is delicious!
~The beach at night. Michael & I loved taking walks on the beach at night, we went there on our first date and it is also where he proposed!
~The ocean is completely calming. It reminds me that I am just a small piece of this huge puzzle called life. I walk a little slower and I take a little more time to enjoy the small things, and I have a complete attitude change after being around the ocean. I feel rejuvenated and I have a spring to my step.

I could go on and on but I will stop here and get packing!!!

Is Summer Here Yet???

Let's Go Swimin' NOW!
Yes, it's that time of the month year again, when thoughts turn to sunshine, vacations and lazy afternoons spent outside by the pool with a good book and some lemonade. Where the best part of the day is when the kiddos are laughing and running and have pink sun kissed noses! I just love that!
Ahhh, that's right - summer is almost upon us and I can't wait!
As many of you know, 2009 has gone down around here about as smoothly as pea gravel pancakes and we're ready to say goodbye to Spring, no matter how many flushes it takes.