Cross country meet

Today after school is Sara's first cross country meet. She made the A team-the top 7 of her grade. I knew she would make it-she runs like the wind. They had team pictures before school. My only concern is the uniform-obviously an adult small is way too large on her. Since this uniform is borrowed from the school, I can not alter this...I hope she does not run out of her shorts :)

WE JUST GOT BACK AND SARA CAME IN 7th out of @150 girls! Sara has the red penny on because she is on the "A" team-the top 7 of the girls. Note the photo just after the race-dead tired. WAY TO GO SARA!

school activities

Today Sara's school band played for their football team. This was all new to us and it was fun for the kids. For us parents who attended, we sat behind the band and networked. I am not sure how many games they will be playing for, but I hope not too many~~it interferes with the homework time...game over at 8:00 making for a very long day.

Silly girl

Dear sweet Ruth decided that she could fit through the little doggie door and she did, but barely! She is such a funny girl and keeps us laughing all the time.

flowers everywhere

This is our yard. The rain has helped much.

Lazy days of summer

The aminals in this house rule the roost. Notice that Jessie(brown) and Cooper (black) love to sleep in the chairs in the front room. This allows them lazy access to the windows so they can bark at any living thing that crosses the front of the house--sterio doggie alarms.

Our old cat Puff selects from week to week her favorite spot. This week it is a serving tray on top of the ottoman in the family room. She just curls up and fits perfectly. It also helps that it is directly under the ceiling fan-notice the year round fur coat that she has.

While we were cleaning out our closets, I found a pair of pants I used to wear-size 2. Sara tried them on. I can not believe that I used to wear those pants~~back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth :)

soccer begins

Today was Sara's first soccer game of the season. She was so excited and nervous-this is a new team she is playing with and most of the girls are 8th graders. About the second play, she got slammed in the stomach with a kicked ball and took her down for a little bit, but then she was up and going again. She is either really tough or stubborn, I am still not sure, but I think it is 75% of each-yea I know that is more than 100%, but you would have to know her :)

It was a really hot day and the girls got two extra water breaks. Then home and resting. Her fever is still with us for the 5th day and not sure what the problem is. She did take an hour nap which helped.

multitasking-HELP

Well, we are into the 5th week of school, and already we have completed our first fund-raiser for Sara's band. Ruth is into the Volleyball camp-late Mon pick-up. Sara has her first cross country meet on Wed-until 9pm. Sara is running for librarian for her band-making posters.

Today is first soccer game-the rain FINALLY stopped, of course she has been running fever for 5 days and am not sure why-keeping track of fever and what she takes and when and how much fluid she is taking in. Doing laundry, cutting the yard, playing with the OCD dog who wants to chase his ball all day, waiting in carpool pickup lines-thank goodness for good books to read. Weeding the huge flower bed, trimming back bushes, cleaning mud off of everything. Getting ready for fall, changing wardrobe for the season-Erin, another box will come soon.....and yes, the list goes on.

The girls think it is funny when I can not remember what I was about to do . . . I call it mommy brain and assure them that some time in the distant future, they also will have it so laugh away. In the meantime I am grateful that they help me remember what direction I am heading, or supposed to be heading.

FINALLY RAIN, BUT WHEN WILL IT STOP

It began raining on Friday, and as of today, 2 days later, we have 10 inches of rain! I am thinking that the lakes are all full now. I have learned to not complain about the rain, at least not too much. We put out all of our buckets to catch the rain and they were full on Friday.

So today we have peaked out at boared and so I watched a BRATZ movie with the girls, we played Phase 10, and snacked, and the girls actually decided to make their names out of pretzel pieces! That is very creative.


Even our little toad is seeking higher ground, poor fella. He is standing on top of a part of a downspout. His toad hole is full of rain for a while, but I think once this is all over, he will have plenty of mosquitoes to eat!

cross country running

Sara has completed her first week of cross country-BEFORE school! When my sisters had kids and complained about the very pre-dawn drives to practice, I had no sympathy, having no kids. But now, when all of then nieces and nephews are finished with college, I finally get it!

Now I am doing two carpools, Ruth's I do every morning and Friday afternoon. Sara's I take her to track at 6:30 and pick up her and 3 friends and take them all home.....I am the stay at home mom aka she has nothing to do but help take care of everyone else's kids....but I am glad that I can help as long as I feel appreciated. Once Sara is done with Cross country, I hope she is back on her bike.

Now, the first day of running, Sara ate a banana and off she went....not a good idea and I got to hear what happens when you do this. Next I got to hear how one of her friends had a huge bowl of cereal and milk before running....twice not a good idea! The funniest story is on Thursday when they had to run 10 laps and the coach said that you could not walk. Now Sara is the rules enforcer and passed a girl that was walking, and she quickly reminded her to pick up the pace, keep going....and the girl said "I can't...I'm black" Now, none of us are sure what that meant, but I got a good laugh out of it. All I could think of was that movie "White men can't jump"

9-11

. . . . and still I weep, along with the country. My flag is out and I discussed the day with the girls. Wouldn't it be nice if we practiced overcoming each other's differences and look for understanding.

FULL MOON

This is through out telescope with my camera. Not too clear, but we had fun looking at the moon.

We survived the first two weeks of school.

FUNDRAISERS: for those with children in school, you will understand this fully~~~~I HATE FUNDRAISERS!!!! We are completing the first one-for Sara's band. Some very overpriced cookie dough. I really hate having Sara asking neighbors to buy this stuff. First~they brainwash the kids-having them focus on the cheap little prises they get for selling this stuff. Then, they make them set a high goal of what they need to sell-peer guilt if they don't. Then they go on heavy about what a great deal it is for the consumer.....basically they are asking kids to sell their products for them at incredibly inflated prices so the school gets a small portion to go towards a goal-in this case the band field trip. I refused to buy the stuff!

This is the one and only fundraiser that I will do because if you know Sara at all, she does not know how to take no for an answer and she does the selling herself, while dragging her sister with her to the neighbors, don't worry, I know all of them very well and they take my cell phone with them.

On the way home today they noticed a mouse, or at least the back end of a mouse, in my neighbor's yard. We helped her bag it since she is a single mom who freaks at these little partial gifts her cats keep bringing her....we are going to buy her a shovel with a very long handle tomorrow :)

FINALLY~~SCHOOL

I don't think that either girls slept too well. I was shocked out of sleep when my alarm went off...no more sleeping in. We had been getting up at 7 for a week, even this weekend, to help the girls, and I guess me to, to be able to function before the sun.

This year the girls are going to two different school. Ruth-6th grade- is going to a new school that is directly behind Sara's school-7th grade. Ruth's begins at 8:00 still, and Sara's is 8:45. So, Ruth and I got up, got ready and I did the carpool thing...the same girls I was carpooling since K-see the photo from this year vs. 2 years ago...oh my! I did enjoy last year when they rode the bus, though I did miss them a little.

Then it was Sara' s turn. When I returned with the carpool, she was already up, dressed, and had done her hair and had breakfast, and made her lunch....I guess I taught her better than I thought since I did not discuss her morning routine...I am impressed. Her best friend K'Asha met at our house to ride the bike to school and they will meet up with their friend Keanna half way there. I guess I need to get a basket for Sara's bike since she will be carrying so much stuff.

Summer vacation ends

Today it was the trimming of Sara's hair, they both had to have their nails painted, and the checking of the backpacks....again. Don't worry, I got Ruth's hair trimmed last week. I don't dare trim hers because it is so VERY think.

Lunches were discussed, and Jeff took the girls swimming to help wear them out to help them sleep, and they played 4-squares into the evening...also to help them sleep better.

Wardrobes were approved....Sara had to go with her second choice so she would not be sent home for inappropriate length.

The last day of "mom...mom...mom...mom...mom...mom...mom...mom...mom...mom........." and you KNOW what I am talking about!!!!

BUT....also the last day of free hugs and kisses all day long and smiles and wanting to spend time with mom....maybe I will miss them more than I thought :(

New dresses

Today we picked up the dresses that the girls will wear at their cousin's wedding in November. I will need to hem Sara's dress unless I can find some good heels. Ruth~~~I do not think I can really ask her to put on about 10 pounds and get 2 inches shorter. I had to order a larger dress so maybe it would be long enough. We will be looking for some really flat flats and I will take in the dress in the bodice.

VACATION IS OVER

We arrived home yesterday evening after our two day drive home. Colorodo was wonderful as usual, except this is the first time since the 60's when we were doing this that is was COLD and for those silly people, NO! we did not mind the cold after 105+ for so long here at home. We actually slept with the windows open, the fan pulling the cold air in, and many blankets on us....we wanted to feel the chill.

We left Saturday and drove most of the way.

the rest of the week . . .

Well, it will take too long to tell you day by day, so here is the rest of the week.


On Wednesday the girls and 19 of their cousins went white water rafting. It was an all day thing and they came home exhausted yet pleased.



On Thursday, much to the pleasure of the girls, we spent in town shopping. Yes, you will see many bags in their hands, none in mine.....such a mom. After dinner we had a "happy birthday to everyone" which included a cake. Then in the evening we had a very long talent show which even included my dad telling a dumb blonde joke....no offence to all of the blondes in our family.


On Friday the entire extended family got into our cars and drove the long ride to the top of the mountain, had lunch, then returned. The girls were exhausted and fell asleep on each other in the back of the car and being the mother always looking for future blackmail items....aren't they so very cute...I had to take a photo, of course Jeff took the photo since I was doing the downgear shifting dance heading down the mountain.


The afternoon the family went to a presentation on bird banding. They had feeders in the woods and as the birds flew away, they were caught in the pockets of the very fine nets. They were immideately removed. They identified the species, usually a humming bird, measured it, weighed it, then put the band on its leg. Did you know that a bird's leg does not get any larger around after it hatches....thus they will not outgrow the bank and injure themselves. After the humming birds were removed from their restraint, they placed them in a volunteer's hand, and it just layed there he said because the bird did not know that it was free until he gently bumped the hand and the bird flew off.


That evening we had a kickball game-Sara was the "pitcher", followed by volleyball. After dinner was dancing---square, line, chicken dance, what ever.






On Saturday it was laundry, the first to the craft shop, where Ruth finished her dog, Sara made 5 pairs of earrings...for her future pierced ears, and I made a mosaic picture frame for one of our 500 photos that I have taken. In the afternoon the girls did archery again. In the evening the extended family gathered in the cabin in front of the fireplace and told what we made, bought, or what was our favorite thing that week.

whoa horsie!!!

After family photos this morning, we went horse back riding....yes...I went too. I asked for a ladder to help me up...bad leg...but instead I just got a huge shove from a girl. I could not say that this was the most graceful thing I would have liked to have shown off!!

After horse riding, and once I could walk again, I took the girls for archery lessons. I was amazed at how good they were-no one was wounded-and they actually hit the target a number of times. We may need to look for someplace CLOSER to do this.

G0-Carts

It is the tradition that we go go-carting one evening after dinner. Today we we were not sure if this would happen because of the daily rain, followed by a beautiful double rainbow, but we were lucky and we made it. Ruth, Sara and I had a blast. Then the 20's-AKA generation 3-did some batting cage fun....only 1 injury resulted.

Settled in and ready

MONDAY MORNING

We settled in well and got some sleep. We decided to go to the craft shop and begin some projects in case we needed an entire week. Ruth began painting a ceramic dog, and Sara began a mosaic jewelry box.

Traveling time

We are heading out tomorrow at 5am for our family reunion. This first day will be about 12 hours, the second day about 7. We have packed a ton of DVD's for the girls to watch, and got a new batch of motion sick pills for Sara~~hopefully it will make her sleep too. My parents are coming into town this afternoon and staying at a nearby hotel, where I will take the kids to swim for a while and hopefully wear them out. Tonight is the ritual of the packing of the car, AKA mom's stress point will be broken-----look out world. It would be better if it wasn't so VERY hot outside. I now pay the girls to do most of the packing and thank GOD they are now old enough to really help and young enough to not know how to get out of it.....


I can not wait to sit out on the porch with a good book, stare at the mountains, and read....a little piece of heaven on earth.

Back in August.....