Treadmill Update!!

On my treadmill, my goal is to walk to Utah. 1500 miles! I’ve gone 5 miles so far–I know–not great–but I’m working on setting up a routine–I walk for 10 minutes on one speed, bump it up to the next one for 10 minutes, bump it up to the next one for 5 minutes of “heart” work and then I drop it down to the second setting for a 5 minute cool down. It’s a 30 minute power walk–and although I would love to be able to walk longer–at the moment–it’s all I can do! In that 30 minutes it burns over 200 calories, and I get 1.5 miles under my belt. After the routine, comes the habit. Setting the goal is one thing, but to actually work on it until the habit is formed–is quite another. Two mornings ago I walked my routine as soon as I got home from taking the kids to school. Then yesterday was the $700 day at PPP, and I sat in front of the computer until I had to go pick the kids up. We went straight out for errands, and I got home just before 9 pm. So I put the kids to bed, turned on my new movie–and I walked. It may not have been at the same time of the day–but I was happy to get it in! I’m never the ‘follow through’ gal–and I hate that!

Cheering Up Dad!!

It’s a crazy day here. It usually is on my husbands day off! We were supposed to do Father’s Day today–because we didn’t get to do anything for him yesterday. But I’m afraid the stress of being home with the family and the day to day life of our crazy house is dampening his spirits! That–and he’s still really sore from the last couple of days at work.

I don’t know what to do to make it better! Maybe I should just go–clean something! Who knows–it could help! There really is a lot to do! Jake is working on the laundry–and I have the dishwasher running–so when that is done–I’ll head in and finish up the rest of the kitchen! Then–there’s dinnner! I never quite know what to make for dinner-and being married to a chef–I can tell you my cooking isn’t up to his cooking–but there are some favorites that he has–I think I will have to find one of those!!

Father’s Day!!

We stayed out really late last night. We went to my husbands restaurant for Father’s Day-it was amazingly YUMMY! There was a pig roast on the patio, with a mini buffet of kids favorites–and then in the private room there was a big banquet-one side had breakfast favorites–bacon, sausage, french toast, biscuits and gravy, fruit and muffins. The other side was ‘da meat!! There were ribs (of course), chicken, mahi and roast. My husband had made cucumber salmon–it was on a table with shrimp, cheese and skewers with sausage and smoked shrimp. Then–there was the dessert table! Everything you could imagine was right there! All for the bargain price of $26! It was so nice–and I have a ton of pictures to put up later this evening–it really was amazing!

STYX!!

This weekend we had the opportunity to go to the Elk Grove Festival. They were having fireworks Saturday night and I promised my kids if they little ones would take a nap–and the older two would give us some quiet time to get the nap in-we would go to the carnival-see Uncle Bob-and watch the fireworks.

So we get there only to find out that the band after the fireworks is a STYX cover band! Well, you have me there!! I love STYX, first heard them with the ever popular “American” Mr. Roboto! But then didn’t hear them again until my mission to Japan. It became one of my favorites–that story later!! But by the end of the fireworks–I was at the end of my energy, so we headed home with the CD of STYX booming through the mini van. Mr. Roboto was played over and over and over!

Top Camper Award!!

I was pulled aside by Jake’s counselor at camp today! You know that is never going to be a good thing!! She asked if she could talk to me, and my stomach clamped shut! You know the feeling! She then called Jake over, “cause he should hear this too”. Then she proceeded to tell me that every Friday there is a newsletter that comes out. During the week the counselors get to nominate campers that they see exhibiting the behaviors that the camp is striving to teach. Well, Jake was nominated for being so polite, helpful and friendly–and he was chosen!

His picture will be featured on the newsletter with a write up from his counselor and some quotes from him! Isn’t that great?? Maybe the lessons are getting in that thick little head of his! I’m so proud of him, he really is a handful as a son–but truly a sweet heart that I love and enjoy immensely! Now how do I get him to emulate this behavior at home???

Brilliant Jake!!

I don’t know why I haven’t remembered to blog about this in the last few days. When Jake got his report card last Friday, we got the IOWA results back for his testing earlier this year. Now–I have to say–I do need a moment to brag just a little bit!

Jake scored in the TOP 99% for the entire country in Math and Science. In Reading and Spelling he scored in the top 91% in the country!

Isn’t that amazing?? I should mention that he has always been so smart. He taught himself the alphabet by sight before he turned 2! I say he taught himself because he would find a letter–ask me what it was–and he never forgot it. It was amazing!

He was an early reader-reading chapter books in Kindergarten. He has gotten straight A’s and A+’s ever quarter thus far–he’s going into the 4th grade. The only problem that I’m having with him—I can’t get him to do his homework for anything!! Pretty hard to tell him how important getting his homework done is in order to get good grades–when he consistently gets good grades, without doing his homework! He’s had weekly spelling tests since the 1st grade–and honestly–I don’t think he’s ever missed a word! Truly–he’s amazing!! Wow–at this rate–I won’t need to worry about paying for his college!

Sun Burn!!

My kids are crispy critters! Today was the third day of Summer Camp and the third day that my kids went to the local swimming pool. The schedule of the camp is pretty nice–the kids are separated by age–and for the older ages they are separated into boys and girls. In the mornings they are in their groups playing either kick ball, basketball, going to the park equipment, going to the lounge area or playing lawn games. They have lunch around 11:00am, and after lunch they get changed and walk the 1/2 mile to the swimming pool. They are there for 2 hours, and then walk the 1/2 mile back to the community center where I pick them up.

Each of my kids have their own sunscreen bottle to make sure that they can get themselves as protected as possible. Let me just say–that for the third day in a row–the boys have FAILED the self-protection aspect! They are toasted!! Their poor backs, arms, necks–I’m going to need more Aloe at this point. Tomorrow they have both been instructed to wear their t-shirts over their sunscreen coated backs! They will be either contracting sun stroke–or skin cancer in the next few days—they are 9 and 7–untimely health problems on both accounts!!

Transferring Records!!

Wow, second to last day of school! I can’t believe it’s here! I can’t believe my kids will most likely be the “new kids” come next school year! That’s amazing to my brain!

I have to go into the office and find out what I need to do to facilitate the transfer from this school to the next one. I know the office closes for the month of July–so it will most likely mean me coming back in around August 1st to fill out the transfer forms.

I hope to know before that, because that is only a couple of weeks before the school year starts–and if the new school needs doctor or dental appointments–I’ll need more time than that! But even so, I can’t imagine there is too much to do, but just my luck–I will be moving mountains to get them into a new school!

Blake’s Schedule!!

I mentioned on another blog–that my kids are in all day summer school. A couple of weeks back, I signed Blake up for a summer school program in our village (sound very third world, huh!!) and it starts next Monday. She goes Monday and Wednesday for 3 hours. Then yesterday–I signed her up for M-F camp with the boys from 9-3! So she’ll either drop out of the one - if they’ll refund my money–or she will go to both and just miss three hours of the new camp!

We’ll have to see. She is excited about the M/W camp because the little boy she likes is in her group–but we’ll see if she makes it! Art class starts tonight too–I was excited about that, but with a full day of camp–and a trip to the swimming pool-I think she will be too worn out for it! We’ll have to wait and see!

Catering Kitchen!!

My husbands restaurant company now appears to be putting the brakes on restaurant number 3 for right now-to concentrate on getting a catering kitchen up and running. I think this is BRILLIANT! They do so much catering out of both restaurants, that it can get confusing. This way it all goes to one central place and they can concentrate on making these catering evens perfect! I think it will be a great move in the right direction for them. After that is up and going-they will move ahead with number 3.