Weekly Preview and Review

Well, last week, a lot of the activities I had planned to do didn't happen. I missed the Pampered Chef party and the SOF meeting because my work wasn't done. I didn't go to the fair because the girls hadn't gotten their room cleaned up. James went with a friend, though. (David didn't care to go.) I missed the scrapbooking weekend because Bob was sick with a horrible migraine. He was laid out in bed for 2 full days and even called in to work, which he hasn't done in almost 2 years.

Sunday - Church, Relax
Monday - WORK 5, Karate, Soccer Practice (D)
Tuesday - WORK5, Soccer Practice (S), Science Museum (J,S)
Wednesday - WORK 5, Nature Center (S-AM, J-PM)
Thursday - WORK 5, Karate
Friday - WORK 5, Beach Day, Soccer Practice (D), Soccer Practice (S), Nature Center (J)
Saturday - Soccer Practice (D)?, Book Club
Sunday -

James and Suzy have a couple Nature Center classes this week. Suzy starts soccer practice and David continues with his practices 3 times a week. Haven't heard from James' coaches yet. Emily isn't playing soccer this fall.

Suzy and James will probably go on Tuesday to the Impression 5 Science Museum with a friend. That's in Lansing. 

We are working hard at karate in anticipation of testing at the end of the month. The karate school is organizing a mass testing with all 26 of their schools, most of which are located in Michigan. The mass testing is August 28 and we will be tested at 12:30 in case anyone wants to watch. It's at Ultimate Soccer in Pontiac, an indoor, air-conditioned facility. The black belt recertification will be at 9 am and this is NOT usually open for people to watch, so we may head down to see that.

I am hoping for a Mom's Night Out this week at a friend's house. Her husband is out of town for work. Also maybe I can sneak away Sunday and go see a movie? I thought about going during David's soccer practice Friday night but that didn't end up working out.

I'm kind of addicted to Friday Night Lights on Netflix Instant. Yeah, I know. A show about high school football in Texas? Who would've guessed that Lisa would find that intriguing? LOL I've watched all 22 episodes of the first season and am into the second season. Of course, I found it only AFTER it was cancelled on regular tv. At least I can watch it on demand with no commercials!

Sunday - Just relax
Monday - WORK 5, Karate, Soccer VBS (S,J), Soccer Camp (D)
Tuesday - WORK?,  Soccer VBS (S,J), Co-op Registration Day, Soccer Camp (D)
Wednesday - WORK 5, Soccer VBS (S,J), Massage (L)
Thursday - WORK 5, Karate,  Soccer VBS (S,J), Soccer Camp (D)
Friday - WORK 5,  Soccer VBS (S,J), Soccer Camp (D)
Saturday - Book Club (Shakespeare in the Park!)
Sunday -

James had a good time at his nature camp. He liked the canoes the best. The class was small and he knew several kids from co-op and soccer. He reconnected with a boy that was in Spanish class and they'd like to get together sometime.

James and Suzy wanted to go to VBS this week at the church we sometimes attend and it turned out to be a very nice VBS, although very small. So they were there 3 hours each night. Suzy missed the last night because she was invited to spend the night with a friend.

David and I went on Saturday afternoon with friends to see Captain America -a GREAT movie! We went out to dinner afterwards and had a nice time.

Karate on Monday was "ninja training" - kind of a fun day instead of training. But Thursday, headquarters canceled classes due to the Excessive Heat Warning. So we only had karate one time. We skipped the karate picnic in favor of getting some things done around the house. It's not often we have a Saturday free and so we completed some long overdue chores. We need to work hard through the next month to get ready for testing at the end of August.

This week brings more VBS for James and Suzy. It's the annual Soccer Camp/VBS that we have done for a few years now. David also has soccer camp 4 nights this week - it's soccer conditioning and not so much fun, really; so keep him in your prayers as it's going to be very hot and probably humid.

Our homeschool co-op registration is Tuesday - a full day for me as I will be there the whole time working. It's nice to see all our friends from co-op, many of whom we don't see during the summer. Plus we get to meet the new families and see what classes everyone is choosing.

And Wednesday - I get my first massage ever! There's a massage school in Lapeer and they charge just $10! Bob has been there twice.

I completed week 5 of my 10K training, though the heat meant I didn't do as much exercise as I intended. I did my first full 4 mile run though with a few bits of walking. I'm getting there! I picked a 10K the first weekend of October, so I am on track with training and I will probably give myself another week or two of repeats so I am ready at the right time.

We're considering a trip to Lake Michigan - will it be camping or a hotel? Or will we decide on Lake Huron instead? Or Mackinac? Gotta nail that down here soon. We have one free weekend before the end of summer. It actually wasn't free, but I un-committed myself from something I didn't really need to do and made it free. So we will travel SOMEPLACE that weekend!

July is the Busiest Month...

So, we're camping this weekend - first trip of the year for us and camping with friends! YaY!

And today is the end of June, so I am looking ahead to July and I am a teensy bit overwhelmed!

So, we will spend the first 4 days of July camping. Which meant I spent the last day of June preparing for it and I'll spend several days cleaning up from it! And then cap it off with a Beach Day.

What else do we have in store? Oh, you just wait.  Keep in mind, of course, that I work 4-5 hours every day. We have our regular twice-a-week commitment to karate. I am trying to work out 6 days a week. This is usually enough to fill my days.

But no! There's more!

The second weekend of July is more camping - Cousin Camp, which sounds SO FUN!

The second week of July brings soccer camp for the boys - 4 evenings that week. Suzy is doing Field School at the nature center that week Tues-Fri from 9-2. I am selling books in a used book sale that Thursday, which means I have to drive down to drop the books OFF on Wed. David is going to a martials arts tactics camp that weekend and I am going scrapbooking.

That throws us wildly into the third week of July. This week is James' turn at the Nature Center Tues-Fri from 9-3. He'll miss Beach Day that week. James and Suzy want to go to a VBS in the evenings this week. That weekend is blessedly FREE ... for now.

So I get a little breather before jumping into the fourth week of the month, which holds four more nights soccer camp for David and James, a soccer VBS at night for Suzy, CO-OP registration (which somewhere in there I have to help prepare for and spend a day working at). I get a $10 massage this week too, which I have a feeling I am going to really NEED!

The month ends pleasantly with a Book Club trip to see Shakespeare in the Park and go out for GELATO. And I already read the book!

By the end of July I will be running 5 miles easily, according to my training plan. 

Whew! Thankfully, August isn't so busy!

And did you notice? Emily has NOTHING TO DO! Anyone want to occupy Emily?

Weekly Preview and Review

Whew, that week blew past!
Mother's Day - didn't go to church. Suzy brought me "breakfast in recliner" since I got up before everyone else. LOL I got a Kindle!

Soccer - Registration was Monday night indoors for 2 hours and Saturday morning for 4 hours outdoors in the rain. Thankfully we had a tent. It went quite smoothly, I think. Numbers will come soon after the treasurer reconciles the monies.

Homeschool banquet - I got the kids' outfits all set, ordered the flowers last week, realized I had nothing to wear at all, but managed to get everyone to the banquet on time and looking fine! What a lovely evening - well-planned, lots of fun, and good friends! An icebreaker game got everything started around 6pm, then a buffet dinner of pasta, chicken, and salad. After that, the dance floor was open and the kids dove in full force - a mix of Christian music like dcTalk, popular music like Taylor Swift & Lady Gaga, classic music like Love Shack, and specialty music like Cotton-Eyed Joe and the Chicken Dance. Oh yeah, and Thriller. LOL Check my facebook videos. The dancing had to end by 11 but I think everyone had a wonderful time.

Soccer - Yeah, it keeps going! LOL SUZY SCORED A GOAL THIS WEEK! On Saturday in the rain. Did I see it? No, but David did.

Nature Center - James and Suzy had nature center classes Wednesday afternoon. The weather was warm and sunny, and they had a good time.

Karate - Going well. A couple intense workouts last week though! We are getting ready for testing the end of May.

Sunday - Headed up to Maryann's. The initial plan was to bring home a bed she is selling me, but I realized it wouldn't fit in the van with the kids in there too, so that plan was postponed. She and I watched a Viggo movie we'd both been wanting to see. Alatriste was a Spanish movie; yes, Viggo is fluent in Spanish (and 5 other languages apparently). Good movie. Emily went to youth group with Gabby and David played video games with Alex; Suzy and Kathleen hung out. Lovely relaxing day.

Sunday - Relax, Spend day at McDowells
Monday - WORK 5 hrs, Lessons, Karate, Soccer Meeting
Tuesday - WORK 5, Park Day, Soccer Game (S), Soccer Practice (E,J)
Wednesday - WORK 5, Lessons, Running Class
Thursday - WORK 5, Lessons, Karate, Soccer Practice (S,J), Essay Class, SUZY'S BIRTHDAY!
Friday - WORK 5, INCH CONFERENCE, Soccer Game (E, but I think she's missing it)
Saturday - Soccer Games??? (S,J), INCH CONFERENCE
Sunday - Relax!, Church

The state homeschool convention is this weekend and I am going with friends. We are going to have fun! And maybe even go see POTC4 while we are there. If not, then Sunday for sure!

I am also going with friends to a free running form class on Wednesday night. Gotta fit in 3 running sessions this week. Should have done one today. Bleh.

More soccer, karate, soccer, karate, soccer, essay class. And work work work - 5 hours a day.
CANNOT WAIT FOR SUMMER!

Weekly Preview and Review

This week was mostly about getting ready for the program on Friday night, which turned out GREAT! You can look at some photos and vids on facebook, but I'll give you a quick overview of what each of my kids did. (Not all the vids are up yet, but they will be.)
David - wrote a program in Visual Basic Script and it was displayed on the big screen. He also ran the computer for this part of the program
Emily - danced in a worship dance and played Charlotte Lucas in our Austentatious skit - Pride and Prejudice in 100 Seconds. She also received a special award for reading all 6 of Austen's novels.
James - demonstrated a Lego Robotics concept
Suzy - participated in a cheerleading performance and went on stage to receive a certificate from one of her teachers.

We went to karate twice and are enjoying it more and more. Our homeschool session is going to have some distinct advantages over the regular sessions, but we do have the option of going to the evening class if we need to miss our regular session.

I finished all my work hours by Thursday night, save for 45 minutes which I finished before co-op Friday morning. That took the pressure off on Friday!

The kids and Bob did one coat of paint on the girls' new room - half lilac and half spring green - their choices. Today will see the second coat of paint and maybe the trim?? The boys are deciding on their colors and how that long room will be divided.

David and Emily went home with friends after co-op Friday. (I had intended not to let them and in fact David said no to at least one request, but I'm a sucker for the right plea! lol) So, I just had James and Suzy. I took them out to Taco Bell, and while we were out, James got his hand slammed in the car door. He was pretty stoic about it and doesn't seem to have any lasting effects. I grabbed some snow and stuck it on there right away. (So, there's one advantage of having snow still in April!) THEN, we stopped home before the program to get something that was forgotten and the car keys got locked in the house. A few minutes of panic before I realized that keys to the FRONT door were in my purse which was in the van which was not locked. Whew!

Program went off without a single noticeable hitch! So great! The church sanctuary was packed! Lots of great comments. The table displays were lovely and creative!

Oh, and David was baptized in the Holy Spirit Wednesday night while visiting a friend's youth group! Praise God! He's wanted to go there regularly for a while, but it's kind of far from our house. But maybe I should make the effort, eh?

Sunday - Relax, church - where?
Monday - WORK 4 hrs, Karate, Support Meeting
Tuesday - WORK 4
Wednesday - WORK 4, Transcript workshop, Youth Group/Church?
Thursday - WORK 4, Karate
Friday - WORK 4
Saturday - NO PLANS!!!
Sunday - Relax!, Church

Because of the weather (still cold and we still have snow on the ground!), soccer practices have not started. I know Emily will begin the second week of April and I assume Suzy and James also will, because they have games on April 16. But that gives us a reprieve from the busy schedule that will entail.

So, we are entrenched in the bedroom redesign/changing around project and we need to get a move on!

Have a great week!

Weekly Preview and Review

Saturday - Book Club
Sunday - Visit a church, Write, Movie/Dinner with friends
Monday - WORK 4 hrs, Lessons, Write-in
Tuesday - WORK 4, Lessons, Write
Wednesday - Kickboxing, WORK 4, Lessons, Write
Thursday - WORK 4, Lessons, Write
Friday - WORK 4, Write-in, Co-op
Saturday - Scrapbooking Day
Sunday - Visit a church? Write

Visited our 4th church today. Kids went back tonight for youth group.

Writing is going ok, but this is one novel that will likely never see the light of day. Experimenting with a lot of new things like writing in 1st person.

The weather sure was nice, though I didn't enjoy the outdoors much.

Trying to imagine how to add exercising back into my routine. Afraid of re-injuring my ankle.

Going to an all day scrapbook fundraiser. Need to go through pix and decide what to scrap on Saturday. And then order my photos. Anyone want to join me?

Bob got a great deal on a non-working laptop and David has brought it back to life. So he now has a laptop of his own. He is GEEKED!!!

Had a wonderful time at book club last night. Discussed Gone with the Wind and watched the second part. Then we watched Went with the Wind from the Carol Burnett Show. OH so funny. Look it up on youtube.

David earned his second year varsity soccer pin this fall and received it at the awards banquet on Friday night. A REALLY long program (including a sermon!?) also included a dessert buffet and presentations to the 3 girls volleyball teams and the varsity boys soccer team. Now he wants a varsity jacket.

Suzy and James went to a field trip this week at Petco, a large pet store. They saw all kinds of interesting pets, as well as lots of pee and poop. LOL My friend Donna took them so I could work.

Weekly Preview and RECAP

Saturday - Dropped J off with my parents, headed to MM's for LOTR and fun!
Sunday - Yard Work
Monday - WORK 5 hrs, Peach Festival (Bob has to work)
Tuesday - WORK 5, Soccer practice (E,S), Soccer Game (D - away), Pick J up
Wednesday - WORK 5, Soccer Game (E - away)
Thursday - WORK 5, Soccer practice (E,J,S)
Friday - WORK 5?, Co-op, Soccer Game (D - home)
Saturday - Soccer Games (S,J,E - home), BOOK CLUB!

Trying to remember last week - can you say BLURRRR? Lots of soccer details and the ever-present work!

Let's go backwards, shall we? Saturday I woke up far earlier than I would have liked to pick David up from a friend's where he'd spent the night and go straight to meet my parents halfway between our homes to give them James for a few days. Then the other kids and I trekked north to Maryann's to spend the day. It's been far too long since we've had uninterrupted time together. We both did some lesson planning while we watched FOTR and half of TT (Lord of the Rings, in case you're part of the uninitiated). Then M's daughter downloaded (LEGALLY, mind you) a British movie with Robert Pattinson (The Bad Mother's Handbook) and we watched that too. We also made a trip to the discount grocery where I stocked up on goodies. Came home at midnight! Thoroughly satisfying day.

Friday - hmm.... Oh yeah, I had an eye doctor appointment. Guess what? I need bifocals! More on that once they come in. Also had to start a new procedure at work with not enough training. Very stressful. Training coming up on Tuesday!

Thursday - Several kids had practice and David had an away game. Bob took him to that and the team WON! First game they won!

Wednesday - I went to a friend's house to sort soccer uniforms. Suzy went along. This woman has the most ADORABLE detailed murals on her kids walls. The girl has princesses and the boy has Lego stuff. The kids' bathroom is all SpongeBob. She painted it all herself. Took Suzy out for lunch after.

Tuesday - Took David and 3 of his teammates to their away game. Soccer practice happened here while I was off on my adventure.

Monday - Our longtime friends, the Bowmans, are moving to Texas and today was their farewell picnic. Suzy and James are close friends with two of the Bowman children so this is toughest for them. We brought their friends home with us after the picnic and they played the rest of the day with us. David had soccer practice in the evening.

Loving my new phone except for two things. 1 - I talk on it more than I thought I would. Maybe that's because of the newness of it. I had to add minutes already. 2 - I can't use free ringtones!!

Working on planning my Jane Austen class. Northanger Abbey is up first.

Bought David a pair of soccer shoes at Play It Again Sports because his new shoes fell apart during Thursday night's soccer game. Those are the FIRST pair I ever bought new. @@ <--rolling eyes Usually I have been able to find good used cleats, but I couldn't find any for David before his season started. I highly recommend Play It Again Sports; David's shoes are nice quality, barely used (if at all) and were only $9.99. We went to the one on Miller Road in Flint.

Making some plans for fall - Renaissance Festival in Holly (moms only?), Renaissance Festival in Vassar (with kids), maybe the Wolcott Mill Civil War Skirmish, and of course lots of soccer!

Oh, my friend Pam's family welcomed their foreign exchange student this week. He's 15 and from Spain.

Weekly Preview and RECAP

Saturday - Spent the day at home (car-less), then went out to do a bit of shopping when Bob got home
Sunday - Church, then Lake Huron with some friends
Monday - WORK (5 hrs daily), Soccer (D), Homeschool Mtg (L)
Tuesday - WORK 5, Library program, Soccer conditioning (E,J,S), Coach Mtg (L)
Wednesday - WORK 5, AYSO Board Mtg (L)
Thursday - WORK 5, Youth Event (D,E), Soccer? (D)
Friday - WORK 5, Soccer (D)
Saturday - Soccer? (D)

Last week was a BREEZE compared to this coming week. We have commitments EVERY night of the week. Some nights there are two.

We have only one operable vehicle. Bob's van is having transmission issues. Once he evaluates it, we will know if it is fixable or if we are moving on. Seeing as how we bought that van for $900 a couple (three?) years ago, I think we've got our money's worth.

I have the soccer teams all organized and rosters printed for all the coaches, collated with their player registration forms. I have a coach list all nicely organized. I've processed a few late registrations and I am sure there will be more. AND I've ordered all 395 uniforms. I got to pick all the colors - that was the fun part. Now I get a little break, of sorts, at least until the uniforms arrive. Imagine my living room filled with boxes containing 400 jerseys, 331 shorts, and 662 socks.

I am caught up on both book club books - all the way through September - YAY! I've actually been reading for fun! LOVED the new Elizabeth Berg. (Mom - you might really like it!)

What haven't I been doing? Have NOT been exercising. Have NOT been counting calories. Have NOT been lesson planning. Have NOT been going to bed on time.

Next week, I will need to get up rather early each day in order to get more work done in the AM. I committed to an extra hour each day, so I need to fit in 5 hours of work. I also MUST go running three times.

David had his first soccer practice Friday night. He will practice Monday and Friday nights all through August, with optional practices on Saturday morning. His first game is August 27th. His team is a travel team.

Emily will also be on a travel team through AYSO and her practices begin August 17th. She will also practice twice a week until games begin, which is after Labor Day. Her practices are not in Dryden any more, since she is on a team that combines girls from three towns.

Have not heard from James and Suzy's coaches yet but their schedules will likely be similar to Emily's, except they are both on Dryden teams.

Trying to think of something to say that ISN'T soccer-related. Having no luck. LOL

Oh here's something - if we go to the Fair, it will be Tuesday. That's the only day Bob has off, thus the only day I will have a car. Wednesday is Kids Day, so that's the day most of my friends tend to go, so I don't know if we will go on our own or not.

Weekly Preview and RECAP

Saturday - Spent the morning working on at the soccer fields, the afternoon with the kids, and the late evening working on soccer registration
Sunday - Home
Monday - WORK (4 hrs daily)
Tuesday - WORK, Soccer conditioning (E,J,S)
Wednesday - WORK
Thursday - WORK, Beach Day
Friday - WORK, Soccer (D)
Saturday - Spend with friends?

Well, this last week seemed to get sucked into the vortex. July has come and gone now. I spent a LOT of time working on soccer teams and they are created now. I am processing a few late registrations and have the uniform order just about ready to go - just need to figure the quantities. (That sounds easier than it is. lol)

David went to a friend's house this afternoon and will spend the night. The others are supremely jealous. Well, kids - call a friend and make some plans!

I have the soccer teams all created & doublechecked for things like "fall only" players and siblings who need to be on the same teams. I am waiting for several important emails/callbacks. Don't people know I am on a schedule?? lol I have the uniform colors all chosen (one of the fun things) and just need to input the quantities of each size - for about 400 people. The teams obviously have to be set before that can happen, so I have waited until the last possible moment. I registered 3 late players today and am waiting on 2 more.

We skipped church today - slept in way too long. We didn't go last week either due to our spontaneous trip to Port Huron.

Thursday night, a friend hosted a Moms Night Out. She has a lovely backyard pool and hot tub, and a tiki bar. She made drinks for us and we chatted around the pool, in the pool, in the hot tub, and around the fire. It was lovely. Came home at about 1am! Wonderful night.

This week is a low-key week for us. I do plan to have the kids do some math and reading and probably some of their other subjects as well. Next week too, most likely. Then we'll take off the rest of the month - a week to get ready for camping, a week of camping, a week to recover from camping and get ready for lessons to begin. They'll begin the week after Labor Day probably.

Camping week is the last full week of August and that is our homeschool camping week. Our favorite week of the year, I think!

Soccer practices will start in there as well. David starts his this Friday and I imagine the other three will begin soon. Emily is playing again this year - with AYSO, on a travel team. James and Suzy are also playing AYSO - U12 and U10 respectively. David is playing for the same team he played for last year - FAITH Falcons, also a travel team, comprised solely of homeschooled boys. This year he will have several friends on his team - which also means *I* will have someone to watch games & practices with! LOL Or carpool with, which is even more important.

The little Easy Set pool in the yard has been great this summer. I think it's the one Mike and Michelle gave us a couple years ago. If we continue to enjoy it, I think we might consider upgrading to a larger pool next year. This one is not very deep. But it's so nice for them to be able to just go get wet for a while without it being a huge deal to drive somewhere and/or pay money. We have yet to go to the waterpark this summer. We should go, as it almost closed this year due to lack of patrons last year. The other county waterpark DID close.

Next week is the County Fair. We tend to go to that every other year, and this is our "on" year. So, need to budget for that - both time and money.

No summer reading program for us this year, though there has been plenty of reading. I just couldn't face the thought of keeping up with a program. The kids went to one of the very first library programs but we haven't made any of the others. And the one we really wanted to attend is this week and I forgot to call and make reservations, so all the spots have been taken and there is a long waiting list. Ah well. There's always next year.

I am blowing my way through Eat Pray Love. The writing is delicious! The woman has a beautiful way with a phrase and I can almost find myself in her life through her descriptions. However it's also deeply disturbing in some ways. Can't wait to discuss it with my book club, but also afraid of discussing it as I think the book may offend some people. It will be interesting, no doubt!

Inception is top of my "to see" movie list. I want to go see it this week! There are others I want to see as well, plus a slew of films that slipped away before I could. Added them to my Netflix Q.

Going to cut everyone's hair tonight. Except David, of course, since he is gone. I think he planned that rather sneakily! LOL

The hot dogs are ready, so I'm going to go eat!

Weekly Preview

Sunday - Relaxing Day (and catching up),
Monday - Memorial Day, I can WORK if I want to (4 hrs daily), Bob has to work 8 hrs
Tuesday - Lessons, WORK, Meeting
Wednesday - Lessons, WORK, Art Class (E,J,S?)
Thursday - Field Trip, WORK
Friday - Lessons (or field trip), WORK
Saturday - Nothing on the agenda! Lots to do!
Sunday - Tomboy Tools party - all are invited!

James and Suzy are both finished with soccer now. They had a great year!

My Getting Fit blog is here.

Had a very nice Friday night/Saturday at a friend's house. So relaxing. Totally needed it. Did not get much sleep, however. LOL

Hard to believe May is just about done. Where in the world did it slip off to? I realize that with my work, I need to be more intentional about how I spend my time. The important things (relationships) are getting overlooked in favor of the urgent things (errands, phone calls, lessons, the actual work hours, etc...). Going to work harder on this in June. Not quite sure how to go about it, but trusting God will show me. I'm not all that great at personal relationships in the first place, but I'm trying.

No garage sales this weekend. Drove past a BUNCH! The weekend's not over, I guess! Still time.

Bob found a bat in the house last night while we were gone. REALLY glad we were gone. HATE bats in my house. Love them out in the yard, doing their "thang" - you know, catching skeeters.

Can't find my favorite yellow jammies anywhere. Where in the world did I leave them? Did one of the kids put them someplace?

A/C in my car - not working.

Finished Little Women today (book club tonight). LOVED it. I think I must have read the abridged version years ago; I do know I read it, maybe even twice. Read the unabridged version this time and it was great. Watched the Winona Ryder film tonight at book club and dripped tears the whole time. Very good. And to think I didn't want to read/watch this. Would have totally missed out on something wonderful!

Another friend is moving away.

A Little Update - What Goes First

Sarah wrote: It would be nice to devote more time to blogging, but when life is crazy, it's the first to go.

Actually, when life is crazy, first exercise vanishes, then sleep. Reading comes next and blogging comes somewhere after that. So if I've made it all the way down to mostly not-blogging, then you can tell I'm crazy-busy.

I will devote 1 more minute to posting and then I need to work.

James and Suzy both had soccer games last night and James had one the night before. I love watching soccer in this weather. Soccer registration has morphed to mail-in at this point, but my work is just beginning. Paperwork! Entering player ratings from this year. Entering new players. Updating returning players. Matching coaches to teams. Ordering uniforms. Calling back people about late registration. Updating the phone message.

Enough about soccer. The weather has been gorgeous. Wish I could spend more time in it! Then again, who am I kidding? I've never been outdoor-sy!

I am reading Little Women for book club. Didn't really want to read it, but am enjoying every page. Emily read it for her lessons, so she will be attending book club with me this month. I don't think she'll be the only girl there either.

We went to a great field trip on Tuesday and Suzy had a nice birthday on Wednesday. Thursday was garage sales and getting David to his last dissection class (late! argh!).

OK, that was 2 minutes. I'm off to work. (Seeing as I don't actually GO anywhere, that's a figure of speech! lol)

Oh yeah, I'll have photos soon.

Weekly Preview

Sunday - Sister Weekend!!!
Monday - Spanish, WORK (4 hrs daily)
Tuesday - Lessons, WORK, Keepers?
Wednesday - Lessons, WORK, Easter Egg Hunt, James Soccer Practice
Thursday - Lessons, WORK
Friday - Lessons, WORK
Saturday -
Sunday - Easter

Soccer practice starts this week for James. Haven't heard from Suzy's coach, but I am sure she will start in the next couple weeks. Games begin April 15.

I need to accomplish a lot of soccer registrar tasks this week. I think there's a board meeting Monday night, but I won't be able to attend it.

On the Road Again

I've been in the car too much this week!

Tuesday - Drove to book sale and back - about 60 miles round trip
Wednesday - Drove to ANOTHER book sale and back - about 82 miles round trip
Thursday - Drove to David's game - 64 miles round trip
Friday - Drove to co-op and back, then to David's game and then to Maryann's - 120 miles
Saturday - Drove back from Maryann's and then to the kids' soccer games - 52 miles
Sunday - Heading to family reunion and back - about 316 miles round trip

More than 700 miles this week! ARGH! If it weren't for The Fiery Cross audiobook, I'd have been sorely bored during all that driving!

A Week of FIRSTS

I haven't done a weekly preview for a while now, but it's time again! This is a week full of FIRST DAYS!

Beside the scheduled events listed, I need to go through the fall clothes, finish my homeschool planning, get my sale books together,

Sunday - Church
Monday - LABOR DAY
Tuesday - Book Sale (as a seller), Suzy & James soccer practice
Wednesday - Book Sale (as a seller)
Thursday - FIRST DAY of lessons, David soccer game, James Soccer practice
Friday - FIRST DAY of co-op, FIRST DAY of James Science Club, David soccer game (yes, 2 in a row)
Saturday - FIRST DAY of soccer games for James and Suzy, maybe watching Robin Hood!
Sunday - Family Picnic/Reunion (FIRST DAY of Sunday School, but we'll miss it.)

Exercise plans are: S - Bike ride, M - Jogging, T - kickboxing (evening), W - kickboxing (AM), T - Jogging, Friday - OFF, S - Jogging

Home Again

We're home!!!

Packed up in the rain Friday morning and pulled our rig up to our house around 1:30 pm. After dragging the dirty laundry and coolers into the house, we all collapsed in a heap. Then we realized that David's first soccer game was in a town farther away than I had thought and he and I hopped into the van and headed out, stopping on the way for a part for the water heater, since we have NO HOT WATER now.

David enjoyed his first game (WHEW!) and said he wants to work on his sprinting, so he can play better. I am SO GLAD to hear him say that. I was afraid he'd dislike playing since he really hasn't enjoyed practice. He told me I guilted him into playing. lol

Their team of all homeschooled high schoolers played against a team from a Christian school. The score was a 1-1 tie. David played midfield and forward. It didn't rain!

I will upload pictures from the trip as soon as I can find the USB cord for the camera. It's gone missing.

Getting it DONE

I haven't been blogging but I've been doing quite a lot. And none of the things I actually HAD planned for the week happened, like Movie in the Park. lol But here's what DID keep me occupied....

Soccer

• Returned an AWFUL LOT of soccer phone calls and then returned even more
• Updated the soccer coach list and the website
• Registered several new soccer players, several of them in person
  
• Ordered a batch of soccer uniforms
• Downloaded Openoffice and Firefox onto the soccer laptop (yes, this job comes with a laptop!)
  

Homeschool Group

• Arranged a field trip (free!) to see the King Tut exhibit at the Indianapolis Children's Museum
• Dropped off a couple books to co-op teachers
• Organized the homeschool group's storage area at church (along with two friends)
• Updated the homeschool group's policy statement (with one of my co-leaders)
• Called several people on the co-op waiting list to confirm their interest
  

Exercise

• Went to kickboxing class two mornings (one hour each) - Anyone want to come along?
  
• Jogged/Walked two mornings (2.5 miles each time, can now run ONE MILE without stopping - Can you believe it?)
• Went for a four-mile bike ride with some of the kids (all good except for that last hill - eeeeeek)
• Bought an exercise ball at a yard sale for FIFTY CENTS! Whee!
  

Errands and more!

• Bought David a pair of running shoes and a pair of soccer cleats
  
• Ordered a wireless router and then set it up (now we have a wireless network! Whee!)
• Called David's soccer coach to let him know he'll be missing practices next week
  
• Called Verizon Wireless to arrange a back-dated text messaging plan (now you can text me!)
  
• Went grocery shopping at Meijer and Walmart
• Did a MILLION loads of laundry, all of it hung on the clothesline except one load
• Sent a resume for a teaching job
• Stopped at Arby's Thursday (TWO times) for FREE sandwiches because the Tigers hit three home runs in their last game (Thanks to Maryann for the tip! You have to print out the box scores.)
• Went to a lot of garage sales
• Got David all packed for his missions trip
  

FUN!

• Watched Slumdog Millionaire and King Arthur and Knowing and one episode of John Adams (The only one I really liked was John Adams.)
  
• Listened to several disks of The Fiery Cross (a couple of them while grocery shopping). LOVE IT!
  
• Went to two libraries
• Spent Tuesday afternoon visiting with two friends (and our 12 kids)
• Visited another friend overnight on Wednesday and spent all day Thursday with her and another friend (and our 11 kids)
• Saw a movie at the theater Thursday night with a bunch of girlfriends (WITHOUT our kids, except for one aged 20 lol)
• Spent Friday afternoon at the beach with a couple friends (and our 12 kids - Notice a trend?)

Notice there is NO writing or querying on this list of completed tasks. NEXT WEEK FOR SURE! (Someone hold me accountable instead of inviting me to do fun stuff! lol)

Thursday Notes

Suzy was "playing" the piano earlier today, not something I let her do often. She was plinking away at the high notes and James said, "That sounds like someone pounding icicles into your brain!" lol

I'm finally at 25 pounds LOST since January 1. And I've lost two pants sizes. YAY! Go me! I've journaled a lot of calories and exercised a lot of hours to hit that goal. I'm not done yet. I have 13 more pounds until I've hit my goal weight. And then I'll set a new goal. And I hope to run a 5K this fall. Actually RUN it, not walk/jog. So, there you have it.

The little kids have been going to a soccer camp/VBS this week every night. They seem to be having fun and they know a few people there. The first couple nights David rode along with me, just to get out of the house he said.

Last night, I took Emily instead and we had a little girls' night. She and I went to the thrift store and tried on pants - she got a couple pair and I got a pair of capris (a size SMALLER!) and a shirt. Then we grabbed some slushies and some McDonald's and went for a walk at a nearby park. Then we headed back to the church and still had a few minutes to wait and we sat together - I finished my book club book and she wrote for a while. A nice night together - we don't get that often enough.

Bob had an interview yesterday afternoon and it went pretty well, I guess. All we can do now is wait and pray. A lady from our church was in the waiting area when Bob came out from his interview.

I hear the ice cream truck!

Weekly Preview

Well, this week looks to be busier. James and Suzy are going to an evening VBS/Soccer Camp every night. I have two soccer meetings at night, getting coaches ready for the new season. There's a library program and a movie in the park and if the weather is nice that night, maybe we'll swim beforehand. The girls' Keepers at Home group is having a campout on Saturday night - no running water, no electricity. I am camping along with them - roughing it!

I need to get some work done this week - noveling, querying, job applications, etc... And I'll take Emily to order new glasses. What else? Four workouts, grocery shopping, the normal stuff and I'm sure there is more I'm leaving out!

Sunday - Church, Relax
Monday - Work, Soccer VBS (J,S)
Tuesday - Work, Science Alive @ library (E,J,S), Soccer VBS, Soccer meeting (L)
Wednesday - Work, Soccer VBS, Youth Pool Party (D)
Thursday - Work, Soccer VBS, Soccer meeting (L), Movie in the Park: Horton Hears a Who.
Friday - Work, Soccer VBS
Saturday - Keepers Campout (L,E,S)

Weekend is over again.....

So, after Suzy's party Friday, I just kicked back and relaxed. David went up to the church and helped the Best Years Fellowship (senior citizens) pack up their garage sale. I got a nice email later saying what a great job he did. That's always nice to hear!

The kids watched something on TV and I stuck in some frozen pizzas. James had been visiting a friend and he didn't come home until bedtime. I showed my friend (who had been hosting James) what facebook is all about.

Saturday, David rode his bike up to the church again to see if they needed more help loading up the garage sale leftovers but they were done.

Then we headed up to town to the library and then to the soccer fields. It was Field Maintenance Day. Oh yeah, my favorite thing - GARDENING. NOT. Anyway, you'd be proud of me - I slung mulch and pushed a wheelbarrow. So did my kids! Even Suzy. She actually loved pulling weeds. James and David worked very hard. (Emily? Not her favorite thing either. She's going to need some practice on enjoying it.) Bob helped too. He can shovel more than I can, and he does it sitting down! He has some upper body strength! We worked there about an hour or so and then headed home.

The kids did their chores and I took a much needed shower, before heading off to the one-year anniversary of my book club! We gathered at an Italian restaurant for dinner and conversation before heading to the new apartment of one of our faithful members. Once there, we discussed our book (the play by Oscar Wilde - The Importance of Being Earnest) and then watched the movie. It's one of my all-time favorites -so witty and enjoyable! I highly recommend it!

Today David got up and rode his bike (again!) over to the church for Sunday School. The rest of us didn't aim for SS, but David really likes his class. Anyway, I was upset with him for not telling me that he was leaving, although I sort of figured he would. But he told me later on that he DID tell me; I just apparently wasn't alert enough to process it. Oops! LOL Next time, he better write me a note too. The sermon today was really inspiring to me. I hope it was to many.

This afternoon, my neighbor had to move out. She lost her house to the bank. They're coming tomorrow to take possession. That's sad. She's lived behind us for a long time - twice actually. She grew up there and lived there when we first moved here, but sold it and moved away for a time. Then she bought the same house again and has lived there for several more years. She has three teenage children. She passed on a lot of stuff to us that she couldn't take along - mostly clothes, but also a few other things.

So, that took up some time this afternoon, as well as getting David ready for camp. He leaves Monday right after lunch. He is so excited that I'll be surprised if he sleeps at all! He has the busiest summer of all of us!

I think I'm going to go finish my book and eat some popcorn with cheese sprinkles.

Randomness

Randomness....

There's a redbox in the Kroger store in Imlay City now! YAY! I may just cancel Netflix, although when David heard me say that, he reacted with horror.

Suzy is playing across the street with her friends.
James is trying to figure out a way to fix the hanging basket he broke. (Anyone have an empty hanging basket pot?)
Emily is mowing the yard.
David is upstairs in his room playing with Legos and listening to Black by Ted Dekker. (At least I think that's what he's doing.)
Bob is working on the back porch. He's replacing the floor.
Lisa is procrastinating starting dinner. I think we'll be eating late tonight. lol

I took David to the thrift store to see if I could find him some more shorts. Ended up with another pair of shorts (white! ack!) and a pair of jeans. Got myself a long dress coat, which I have needed for YEARS. YAY! Also a fall coat on half price, 2 church shirts for James, and a smattering of clothes for the girls.

Suzy has been trying very hard lately to be sweeter and obey right away. It's very nice to see. I've been trying to reinforce it as much as possible.

I learned how to enter the soccer players into the online system. I am going to put some in tonight and see how I do. By the way, I am taking over for the current soccer registrar for the region. Right now I am Assistant Registrar and I am on the board, I guess.

Deb and Dar and I met last night and got the co-op schedule into some semblance of order. I've been emailing back and forth with teachers all day, getting their assignments straight. I have a phone call or two to make and I am waiting on several to get back with me. Then the schedule will hopefully be all set.

Suzy is going to have a fancy tea party to celebrate her birthday. I am looking for a place to have it since I don't like having parties at home. I am pretty happy she decided on this instead of a sleepover. Twelve little girls for two hours vs. five or six little girls ALL NIGHT on the living room floor? Yeah. lol

So, I have lots to do instead of blog, so I should get at it! lol