June Memories

Scout's week of serving on the island with the MISST troop (Scout Service Troop). This year he even met the governor and shook her hand. (While we aren't that happy with the job she's done for our state, he thought it was cool to meet her.) And he was polite. Gotta love that Scout oath!

Emma's first trip. She rode in the van, slept overnight in a hotel, rode on a ferry boat--twice--and spent the (rainy--it really was NOT nice) day in a crowded town with very little options. But she got to see her boy after a week of being apart. I guess that made it all worthwhile.

Recitals--need I say more? PinkOne was in 4 out of 5 shows this year--sheesh!

First Dog Match. It was HOT! But Scout and Emma did well and learned a lot. Emma loves her agility! Scout actually learned that he needs to slow Emma down for the Novice class this year.

The Mother of All Estate Sales. I worked a lot of days to help wrap up this sale. Three houses emptied out and the family is pleased. Learned it is a LOT of hard, nasty, work; but I got paid well.

Cedar Point. Scout's first trip. He had a blast with all his Youth Group buddies.

Backpacking Prep weekend. DH did awesome! He was worried, but I wasn't. He bounced back from his hernia (double) surgery really well. Scout did well too.

Emma's first swim. We spent the day with Mom & Dad at the boat. Everyone--except my Dad--got in the canal and swam around. Emma loved it once she got in. She also took a dinghy ride with her boy. Scout did a great job driving!

Yeah, yeah, yeah...

Sheesh! Where does the time go?!?! This mothering gig is tough work! I am always on the go/doing something and the time is just flying by. But the kids are happy and healthy. Some days we even see glimpses of what awesome adults they will be. : )

I haven't posted since May?! I can't believe it, but see above. Maybe I'll try a monthly update. (Yeah, I know I totally missed June and it is almost August. But I'll see what I remember.)

My NEW Favorite Thing

The Magic Eraser!

Why didn't anyone tell me about this cool thing? Well to be fair, I was told to use it to clean PinkOne's jazz shoes--and it does that beautifully! I don't know why I didn't try it on other things until this past weekend. But those scuffed (awful) counter tops--magically clean! The floor--oh my! My nasty-looking floor--(it NEVER looks clean after all the sand, etc. that has been tracked through there forever)--so much better! Still scuffed up, but not nearly as nasty-looking. Scout crated the puppy for a bit on Sunday and Magic Eraser-ed the whole floor. I love that boy!

One warning though, don't use it on wood surfaces. I tried a spot on one of my kitchen cabinets and it left a cloudy spot. But everything else so far--I love it!

Harry Potter or Sleep?

Apparently PinkOne thought it was a good idea to read Harry Potter rather than sleep Sunday night. (I handed her book 2 half an hour before bedtime and she only had 4 pages to go at breakfast. Busted!) Hhmm.

No, it was not a good choice. We've rectified the situation by instituting a wake-up time every morning. (Yes, I know most people have this. But as homeschoolers, and dance keeping her out until late several nights a week, I've been lax on this issue.)

This morning I let Emma wake her up. (HA!)

Spring Cleaning

I just copied all my old posts at my old blog place. I've preserved them in a word document so I don't loose them. (Don't un-used blogs get deleted eventually?) I've been meaning to do that for months! It feels good to get that done.

And yes, I am now ready to tackle the house spring cleaning! (No new projects at church for me for a long while.) I started on the outside gardens earlier this week; we've had some beautiful weather. But it is currently raining, so that's done for now. Scout and Emma are settled with a book. PinkOne has a girlfriend here that spent the night. They are deciding which movie that want to watch while they knit. I've been battling laryngitis and it has really wiped me out. Think I'll go take a nap!

Dance Competition--3/28

With makeup on and everything loaded into the car, PinkOne and I headed about an hour away on Sunday morning, early. (According to PinkOne WAY. TOO. EARLY. That's how much this one loves to dance!) We were there right on schedule--8am. She had 3 dances this time around and each of them did well. Not as well as she would have liked, but I can see such growth in PinkOne. The next competition is the first of May. Lots of time for improvement.

We were home by 5:30pm--just in time for my birthday dinner. Happy Birthday, to Me.

Easter Wrap Up

The Family Easter Experience was a blast! The kids sang beautifully and then all the families really participated in the Walk through Jesus' Life. Most of them even did the activities in order! That is amazing to me. The families were really into it; so cool to see.

I was so blessed by two awesome friends that came by and spent the day helping set up the scenes and activities. The teens were amazing. They all really got int their roles and interacted with the families. We heard more compliments for them and their behavior. That was great. But I admit that the best part for me was hearing them all laughing together and playing along. They all knew their parts and were able to discuss it. They had a good time while serving--PRICELESS.

The Carpenter's Shop was a big hit. So was the opportunity to try and carry the crossbar like Jesus.

Jesus and his disciples at the Last Supper and the Empty Tomb:

The kids all enjoyed the crafts and games and we ran out of food just on time. All in all a great time. The Youth Minister bribed/rewarded the teens with pizza and many of them stayed to help tear everything down and put stuff away. We were home by 4pm--amazing! And much appreciated since PinkOne had Dance Competition the next day.