Well Allard has been pardoned today. We have been having someone come to tutor him with his violin for the summer, and he really acted up on Monday. So he got grounded and lost all privileges for the week. Yesterday's lesson was better and so he got back one privilege for the weekend until his next lesson.

He will be getting ready to go to camp at the end of this week. Quite time for us. Lizzy starts swim team for two weeks and Evie will be starting the bowling team. The kids will be busy for the rest of the summer until school starts.

We have been in the new house for three months now and I am finally getting the kids rooms set up. You know how it is at first, you set up their beds and things enough to get by for a while and then you unpack the rest of their stuff after the other rooms are done. Well, we unpacked enough to get by on the day to day things but that is where I stopped. I also had to work on most of these days and with my schedule being so weird I didn't always have the time or energy after a long day on my feet to unpack anything. So I have Evie and Allard's rooms completely done this week and Lizzy's room is the project to work on Monday after I do the yard work.

Of course that leaves the rest of the unpacking for other days off. And then there is always the garage to set up. It is a never ending job just to get done. I know I will be glad when it is all done, plus as I am going through things I am making the garage sale pile bigger, but the way I am going it will be next spring before I will have everything done so to have a garage sale.

Lizzy and I have been taking mile walks three and four days a week, this is to help me lose a few pounds and also to help her. None of the teachers could set aside the time to use the whole summer this year for swim practice. I suggested that she join me to keep her legs in shape. We couldn't afford to let her join her friends at the local club swim practices, but I also want her to be able to make the team in August.

Schools Out

Well the first day off and of course the weather was yucky for the kids. But it gave them time to clean their rooms. And of course you know that the rooms really don't get cleaned right unless you are standing over them.

Lizzy and I have been doing a lot of walking in the neighborhood lately, her because I can't afford to send her to the swim club here. She was suppose to have swim practice during the summer but the teachers had other commitments so those that could afford it were going to join a club for the summer. I just need to start losing the weight and this seems to give us some time together just the two of us. But tonight Allard and Evie are going with us. They have been bugging me to let them go with us so tonight I told them they could come as long as they didn't whine when we walked to far.

The kids got to have the whole day to themselves today but of course I had to go to work. I will get to spend the whole day with them on Monday. Oh well, what can you do.

Of course it is also tea time around here, to bad I am the only one that likes ice tea. I can get Evie to drink it when she is thirsty, but that is it. The other kids won't try it.

Jeff still hasn't found a job yet, but we hope it won't be too much longer.

Have a Nice Memorial Day

Here's hoping you are having a nice Memorial Day.

Lizzy' Girl Scout troop had planned a camping trip for this weekend and Evie and I got to tag along. We went to Ohio were we got the ferry to Put-in-Bay. It is the site of a famous turning point in the battle of 1812. We did the tour of the island with a stop off at Perry's Caveto see the cave and were we visited the butterfly house and played a round of putt putt golf at the War of 18 Holes golf course. We then went across the street and visited one of the islands winery which has one of the biggest Geo caves in the world. Our last stop on the tour of course was Perry's Monument only beat out in size by the Washington Monument and the St Louis Arch. The girls liked the view and we couldn't have asked for a nicer day. Of course we couldn't end the day without some shopping and then back on the ferry to our troop house for the night. Evie had a great time and I think Lizzy was glad that we could have this girls only trip.

We got home after four yesterday and Jeff made the comment later that the whole weekend it was quiet and it only took half an hour back before the Allard got yelled at for fighting with his sisters. I had mentioned to the girls before we came back that I could have stayed one more day, but I guess it was good that we didn't because when I got home I checked my work schedule online and turns out I have to work today from 3-8pm. I think I will get to go home early, but just having to go in for so short a time is really a pain. I could think of lots of other things to do today instead, like cutting the lawn or getting ready for next weeks brownie meeting ( our last one for this year) plus we have a field trip on next Saturday. Lizzy is leading an event for the Daisy and Brownie groups in our area.

Allard is now an official Boy Scout, he came home with his patch this week. He was very excited as he is only two of his group to reach this rank out of eight. He is ready for school to end and go to camp this year to get started on his road to his Eagle.

Jeff has an interview this week so we can only hope that it will go better then the last three he has had. I know this is hard on him, he gets so down on himself when the interviews don't pan out to be a job offer for him. I will be glad when he can get out of the house again. He doesn't do as good a job at being the mommy as I do.

Lizzy Did It Again

I swear, everytime I turn around I am having to go to one ceremony or another for Lizzy lately. Today Jeff and I went to the school as they were having an honors ceremoney and Lizzy was getting an award. I don't remember getting an award like Lizzy's when I was in school. Anyway she got an award for her GPA for the first semester of 3.2-3.49 they call it the Cum Laude. And this was when she was doing swim team and cheerleading. Not bad, if they counted until the first of this month thought she would have been Magna Cum Laude with a 3.5-3.8.

I guess I could have it worse. She could be getting bad grades, be a problem child. But noooo, she keeps getting awards and needs new outfits for all the ceremonies and activities that she has to attend for the end of the year.

Allard has become disillusioned about playing the violin and wants to change to the trumpet. I told him not yet, he can play trumpet next year if he buckles down and starts working harder on school work and music. I know that when he gets to 7th and 8th grade he can start playing two instruments. I need to find him a tutor for the summer or he will not keep practicing his instrument.

Evie is just having fun at school. She loves learning and being with her friends. However she is really turning out to be hard on herself when it comes to her work. She has made a few new friends here in the neighborhood. Her little gang of girls, they play dress up here a lot.

He's Back

OK, so we missed him, but he wasn't home for six hours and the noise level has increased again. I do not know why they can't get along better. Oh well.

On Sunday, Lizzy and I went to her award ceremony. She is really turning out to be a great kid when she is not aggravating her siblings.

Here she is after receiving her award. So now she gets to start all over again for her Gold. She will have this year to do all her prep work and then next year to work on the actual project. Of course she needs to start thinking about what her project will be about.

I have two classes to take this week for Girl Scouts one is a Diversity Awareness and the other is for camping. I have to make a mess kit drying bag and a fire starter. I will get to make this on Wednesday after my Diversity course.

The House is Sooooo Quite

This title is sooooooo true. Allard went to fifth grade camp this week. He is due back tomorrow afternoon and the house is really quite without him. It's hard to say, but there is no arguing, yelling, or slamming of doors because the one doing all this is not in the house (hahaha). OK, but we still miss him and I am sure he will have tons of things to tell us when he gets home. I had to send him three letters the week before, so he could get them at camp for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I however did not make them funny letters, when he went to Star of India in third grade, we were told to send a letter to match the times they would have been living had they really been crew of the ship. Allard didn't get the memo on that so he thought our letter was weird, so this time I just wrote normal things. He had to write to us too, so I can't wait to see his letters when they come in the mail.

Jeff is feeling down, he had an interview this week for what he thought was an office manager job, but when he gets there it's another one of those weird interviews where the company has a know name in the ad, another name on the door, and a third name on the application they ask him to fill out while there. Then they explain that the job entails him walking the neighborhoods and asking people to change their phone service. He says as he is walking out of the interview he hears the secretary at the elevators talking to someone on her cell saying this is her last day at this job, as she doesn't like the weird feel of the company. So keep us in your prayers, there has to be a job out there somewhere in the country for him. Until them we just have to keep going on with the day to day living.