Busy Day

Busy

Today will be a busy one. At least I'm hoping for that because I have so much that needs to be done. I'm posting my to do list here today.

*Morning Walk
*Get Tyler Dressed
*Get all the kids up and fed breakfast.
*Wipe down kitchen counters
*Sweep Kitchen
*Get kids to clean rooms, make beds and unload dishwasher (in morning).
*Take kids to school.
*Get bloodwork done.
*Pick up Tyler's toys and Misc. papers in the house.
*Laura coming over to make the Tissue Paper Plates for Enrichment Table.
*Get Vinyl to Kay for Glass Block Enrichment project.
*Make some Enrichment phone calls.
*Look over Primary lesson for Sunday.
*Get Rilyn from school.
*Feed Rilyn and Tyler lunch.
*Go back to school and get Kayla, Alyssa, and Kyle.
*Look over school papers, get backpacks and lunchboxes put away.
*Mop kitchen, entryway, dining room and walkway through Family Room.
*Fold laundry and put away with kids.
*Read Twilight
*Make Dinner
*Hopefully a date with Laren

So...let's hope I'm able to accomplish all of that today. Sometimes making a list makes all the difference in me being able to get done what I need to or not. Sometimes it doesn't matter what I plan on doing, my day takes a life of it's own.

Sick Day

Sick

I have been sick lately with kidney stones. Actually, I've been having trouble for several months. But today they are especially bad. I'm supposed to have Lithotripsy (where the doctor blasts them into tiny pieces) next week. I hope the stones stay put and don't try to pass sooner because the pain is seriously killer pain! It makes me feel like I'm gonna die.

I don't know why my body is such a stone producer, but I don't feel too alone in this since I know some of you who also blog have kidney stones too. I'm not looking forward to going under general anesthesia either. It always scares me.

But despite being sick, I was able to manage visiting teaching this morning. It's a good thing I could just sit really still and not have to chase after kids because I doubt I could have handled it otherwise.

Maybe I can find the energy to do a little something else productive today if my body allows me.

It's finished!

Finished!

Remember this?

and then this in our driveway...



It has been turned into this!





This retaining wall has taken nearly ALL summer! So it is such a relief to have it finished! Well, it is almost finished. We ran out of block so we will have to buy a half a pallet more or something like that to finish it off where it wraps around behind our swingset (not pictured).
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Today I spent the morning doing something I dread. In fact, I don't know a woman alive who enjoys this but it is a necessity! My Annual Exam was today and I just had to tell myself I was doing it because I love myself and that it is taking good care of my body. (What would I do without that inner self-talk?)

I always rush to get my clothes off and the gown on, I don't know why because then I end up sitting there foreeeever waiting with that darned paper covering my nether regions while I wait for the doctor to come in. After a 30 minute wait in the waiting room, then a 30 minute wait in the gown the doctor finally arrived! At least I'm smart enough now to just get out the stirrups and "put my feet up" while I wait!!

The good thing is my doctor is really great! He is especially good on "patient education." I have a Mirena IUD and I got a little worried because I have a friend who's IUD (copper) disappeared and she turned up pregnant. I mean, how does an IUD disappear? Anyway, he said he had one patient who must have had it fall out and she didn't know it. After her baby was born they x-rayed her pelvis and abdomen and couldn't find it, so that is why they concluded it must have fallen out.

After going to the doctor I had to wait for some pictures to get processed at Costco so I went to Hobby Lobby. I needed a mat for a frame I have (trying to frame our family pictures we recently had taken and a new Temple Picture we are doing for Super Saturday). While I was there, I meandered over to the card-making/scrapbooking stuff and had to pick a few things up.

Afterall, one of my goals for this year was to acquire a hobby. I've recently realized I've let all of my hobbies slide and child bearing and rearing has overtaken my life. Though I love being a Mom, I also like to do other things too - but I just have to find out what I like to do again. That seems so weird to say, but it's true.

So my girls and I spent the evening (after Family Night) making cards and scrapbooking.




While we did that, the Boys did this



While I was driving around today in Laren's car, since he was working from home and he needed the van to pick up Rilyn from Kindergarten, I noticed the brakes were VERY bad. They feel like they are rubbing the rotors when I press them and I feared they would go all the way to the floor causing an accident.

I knew the brakes weren't good for sometime but after driving it today, I knew they couldn't wait any longer. Laren was anxious to get to planting the trees we bought over the weekend but this took priority! And as many projects seem to go, it seems it is taking much longer than anticipated and he is still out there. To his credit, he had to run and get an additional part he needed and in the process he realized the CV Boot needs replaced as well. Plus, he had a couple of young helpers too!

Her first day!

First Day

Rilyn, first day of Kindergarten.


As I look back through my years of school, I don't think I can recall a specific first day but I do have "blanket" type memories of the beginning of the new school year. The new clothes were always one of my favorite things.

Of course we were poor and so many years it meant a new pair of shoes and me wearing whatever clothes my Mom sewed for us. I will never forget the dark green corderoy jumper dress my Mom made for me in Second Grade. It had "I Love School" painted on the front.

Me in first grade. This outfit was not homemade.


Part of why I loved that dress was because of what it said on it. I truly did love school. I always looked forward to not only the new clothes, but the new school supplies, a regular routine again, and the crisp air of Autumn.

I liked learning new things and thrived at being a student. I looked forward to football season in the Fall and that sort of thing.

With all of my firsts, I now look upon my very own daughter, Rilyn, she's my 4th child and I still keep looking at her amazed that she is already old enough for school. But she is and yesterday was her first day.

Mom and Rilyn.

Rilyn, first day of School 2007.

She is so excited to be a "Big" Kid now!! I'm so happy for her. I think it's because I know so many good things and experiences are in her future and because I've been down the road 3 times before that I didn't get sad or teary yesterday. While standing there with all the other Kindergarten Mom's and Dad's my eyes scanned acrossed the crowd and I noticed one Mom who was quite teary. My first thought was, "What is she crying for?" And then it dawned on me that this is probably new territory for her and she is sad to see the previous season of her child's life pass.

It reminded me that everyone has a first time for everything and for my daughter this is her FIRST experience (aside from preschool) at school.

Rilyn, just before the big day began!


And though everyone experiences school in their own way, I look forward to it for her because it was always such a positive thing for me and I'm hoping it is for her too!

Rilyn and Mrs. F, her Kindergarten teacher.

Freegan

I like shopping, but I quickly tire of spending money. I consider myself to be Frugal. I buy the store brand whenever it doesn't drastically effect quality. I shop at the dreaded Walmart because that is where I can get good food prices.

I try to employ self-control and not impulse shop. I make a lot of things from scratch. I limit the amount of school clothes and other items I buy for my children, though we could probably afford more I feel it is wise to get less and save more money.

I am not a person of excesses. I am frugal when it comes to getting gifts for birthday parties, I don't like to spend over $10-$15 but if I get a killer deal I will spend less if I can. I buy as much as I can in the "off-season" so I can buy on clearance.

In all of my frugality, I've realized that I'm not as frugal as perhaps I could be. We throw out a lot of food leftovers. My husband hates leftovers and my kids let a lot of food go to waste. I do reuse shopping bags as trash can liners in the bathrooms and study.

But I don't pay the $48 per year to recycle my milk cartons, pop cans, etc... Here in Colorado you have to pay a fairly steep amount to be given a couple of very small yellow bins to put your recycle contents into.

I cannot stand clutter and so I'm one to throw a lot away, and give a lot away. I am not big into having my own yardsales because it makes me sick to have to sell for so much less something that I paid so much more for. I have only ever had one single, solitary yard sale. So I give most of our stuff we are done with away to Goodwill, mainly clothes and household items and home decor. My kids are expected to wear hand me downs because that is part of being wise financially in my opinion.

Anyway, all of this to say I read this article about being a Freegan. Now, call me crazy but there is a lot about this that appeals to me. This gal is going to go an entire month without buying anything except for food, medical supplies and emergency essentials.

I often times feel as though I spend way too much on non-essentials that simply do not matter. I usually buy home decor things, a cute item of clothing or a toy for my kids or a tool for my husband with our discretionary money.

If I did the same experiment as the gal in the article, I would not however become a vegan. I think I could become vegetarian without too much effort because I'm not a big meat person, but I don't want to go without eggs and cheese (though I try to eat very little cheese anyway) and things like that that vegans go without.

But I would like to try out not spending and see how much money I could accumulate in savings. It is an intriguing thought that I will probably never do, but it does occupy quite a bit of time in my mind.

**Could you become a Freegan?
**Could you go a month without buying anything but food and medical supplies?

Temptation!

I gave into Temptation...

I have really been kicking it in high gear to work off the few extra pounds I gained back in April/May these past few weeks. I've been counting my points (Weight Watchers style - but not formally on the program), I've been exercising at least 5 days a week walking for nearly an hour every morning a very fast-paced walk with a friend. I've been somewhat successful about not eating past 7pm (I've done pretty good there, but had a few slip-ups). And I've been weighing myself everyday. I know the weighing everyday has mixed reviews but for me, that is part of what made me successful at my weight loss before. And it's a daily reminder of what my goals are.



So I step on the scale yesterday and I'm up a little. What? Yep, my weight was higher. So I try to brush it off knowing that I'm staying on my program and it HAS to get better because I'm not budging. So this morning I step on the scale, knowing for sure it has gone down because I've done everything right. And the scale defies me, instead of going down it goes up again!! I told Laren all about this this morning and how it makes me feel like giving up. But I promised to give myself one month at trying super hard.



So, somehow my best efforts were not my best today when I went to visit my Sister and she suggested we go out to lunch. In my mind I was thinking Subway, but nope she was thinking Cici's Pizza Buffet. They were having a benefit fundraiser for a local schoolteacher whose wife finally succombed to cancer yesterday. I thought that was a noble cause and agreed. So, I went and indulged. I didn't PIG out but I "pigged out" for me, eating 2 pieces of pizza (it was delicious), one piece of dessert pizza (which wasn't so good) and some cinnamon roll (very tasty). Blech! WHY did I sabotage myself?



This sort of thing makes me so upset at myself. But I did come home and had only steamed vegetables with some garlic powder sprinkled on top for dinner to help myself recover the calorie difference. It was very filling and nutritious.And I had done good all morning by having oatmeal with a bit of skim milk for breakfast and no snacking.



I know we all need an indugence sometimes but this was at a time when I was intentionally trying to stay indulgent free as much as possible!! I guess I wasn't as committed as I thought. Here's hoping for a better tomorrow!!

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary

How does your Garden Grow?

This year with having moved into a new house in January and not having our backyard done has made things different than usual around here. We knew it would take us some time to get our yard in and do everything we need to do to get this place fixed up. But I still really wanted to plant some things this Spring. Laren did not want me too, but relented a little.

So, Rilyn, Tyler and I planted these Zinnia's along our back fence they have made the most beautiful wallflowers. Usually I plant Zinnia's around the border in my garden, but this year since my yard has a different layout and I haven't got a "garden" per say, so I planted them here instead. They turned out so well I will for sure keep planting them!

Zinnias. This is just a small piece of them, they extend for about 16 feet along the fence. And to think all this beauty only cost $1 for the packet of seeds!


Also, I had to plant some yellow summer squash and zuchinni because we love to eat it and if we couldn't have a full-fledged garden at least we could have something. So against Laren's initial resistance I planted it anyway.

Yellow Squash and Zuchinni. Laren is now SO glad I did it anyway ;)

I Love flowers. And I love color. And since my yard was all dug up, in both the back and the front this year when I planted, I had decided I would for sure plant flowers in my pots. Petunias are my old faithful's. They give such a great splash of color and are so hardy and resilient that I plant them every year.

My Petunias along with some Snap Dragons. They are starting to get stalky as the warmth of the summer sun has given them a beating. But they are still beautiful.

I love Sunflowers, they are one of my most favorite flowers. And so this year I planted these smaller ones along with some bigger ones. They just make me happy everytime I look at them. And I had to nestle them along the edges in my yard so they didn't get ruined in trying to put up the block retaining wall and sprinkler system in.

My "small" sunflowers.

And since I was planting small ones, I decided to also plant some giant ones just for fun. Here are our giant sunflowers (last week before they bloomed). They are taller than our 6 foot high privacy fence by a long shot!

They've even grown higher since I took this picture last week and now they have finally opened up! They are beautiful substitutes for tree's in my treeless backyard!!

First Day of School

First Day of School

Yesterday was the first day of school for Kayla, Alyssa and Kyle. Kindergarten starts later next week and then Rilyn will start. We were all a little nervous the first day, new teachers, new routine, new classmates but it seemed to have turned out really well.

Kyle, who is a boy of few words, said after school that, "I have the best teacher I've ever had!" Very nice. We need that. After a few less than stellar teachers for him, we really needed this I just hope it keeps being good.

Alyssa, my social one, was a little bugged by the fact that one of her dearest friends was not in her class and that there are only 8 girls (including her) in her class.
But she has a great teacher and so we are excited about that!

Kayla's year will be an interesting one, I think.
Many of the kids she went to school with last year opted to attend the Middle School instead of the Elementary and this year will be the last year 6th grade can be in the Elementary here, after that it will always be in the Middle School. So she is having to go about making new friends and is having a completely new experience.

We opted to keep her in Elementary because well, Middle School can be just scary! And also I needed things to be a little easier on me since I take them all and drop them off and pick them up and with Rilyn being in Kindergarten this year, it amounts to a lot of running around for me. And I'm not too sure I want my Middle Schooler on a bus with no supervision. I've heard horror stories about that.

Anyway, here's hoping for a great school year! We are excited and I actually felt productive yesterday. That is hard to accomplish when I have all 5 kids at home underfoot because just after we get the house clean it somehow manages to get messed up again. I don't deal well with a messy house, it makes me feel paralyzed and I seem to get nothing else accomplished!

Summer's Last Hurrah!

Summer's Last Hurrah!

Monday, I had to run to Costco and pick up a few things and my kids had some money from Grandma that they wanted to spend at the dollar store. So we went to the Costco that was nearer to the dollar store and further away from where we usually go. The kids had a great time spending their loot and it was quick in and out of Costco so everyone was happy!

Yesterday we met up with some friends and went to the pool to keep cool and have fun in the heat. It was fun, my kids had a great time! Kayla ended up staying for over 5 hours and the rest of us left earlier because I needed to come home and nap Tyler.

It was a little difficult for me because Tyler, being the 2.5 year old that he is, kept going out deeper and deeper in the water. I would have to cut off my conversation with my friend constantly to chase after him. Meanwhile the older kids were around the other side of the pool where I couldn't see them, the pool is horshoe shaped. All I could do was pray they were okay and check on them periodically. I forgot my camera, but I probably wouldn't have been able to get any pictures anyway.

Tomorrow is the first day of school and my kids are fairly excited. They are looking forward to seeing their friends, but not looking forward to the homework. (I'm not looking forward to trying to get them to do their homework either!) Tonight is meet the teacher night and so we will bring all their school supplies then, and I'm looking forward to getting these bags of stuff out of my house!

I'm looking forward to getting back to a more structured schedule, my house staying clean for more than 5 minutes (though Tyler will still be at home, so maybe not?), and having some peace and quiet to make some phone calls that I need to make, etc...

I've been working a lot on this upcoming Super Saturday for Enrichment. We are doing these projects

Tissue Paper Plate - We are buying clear glass platters at Walmart and will modge podge cute tissue paper to the backside for a festive look.
Sunday Bag- We are going to get smaller ones that the kids can use for their scriptures/Sunday stuff and decorate them.
Glass Blocks - These are the blocks you see in bathrooms instead of windows to let light in, but that you can't see out of. We will put Christmas lights inside and one will be wrapped with ribbon like a gift (they turn out so beautiful) and the other's will have a vinyl picture of Shepherd's and Sheep (Christmasy) and word's to the effect of 'Wisemen still seek him'
FHE board - done with vinyl lettering
Quote Board - Love is Spoken Here
Welcome Sign - Either with Wood letters going vertically or vinyl letters
"Be" Tile - Pres. Hinckley's 6 Be's done with a cute font in vinyl letters around the 4 sides of the tile.
Quiet Book - done scrapbook style for older kids with pictures of the Prophet's and/or the Mormonad poster post cards.
Card Making Class - We will have 4 cards people can make that are just an assortment like Happy Birthday, Thinking of You, Thank you and a blank generic one
Christmas Treats Class - quick and easy things to make and take to neighbors or that even your kids could make.

...and I'm supposed to come up with one more, something Christ-centered and in the price range of $12-$15, any ideas?

Oh, and just a vent - I have not been able to comment on blogs or post on my blog for quite a few days now. It is SO frustrating. So, I'm glad it worked today we will see if it get's better in the coming days or not!

Family Pictures and Walking

Family Pictures and Walking


Rilyn, age 5

Tyler, age 2

Kyle, age 7


Alyssa, age 9


Kayla, age 11

We got our Family Pictures back and some of them turned out really really cute and other's not so great (especially the one's with me in them). But the precious, timeless ones we got of the kids make up for the bad ones.

The one we got of Tyler (with us in the background) is pretty much the best "individual" shot we got of him. Being 2.5, he is too busy for pictures! He was only interested in throwing sticks, rocks and pinecones into the lake. He had no interest in picture taking whatsoever!

But, I'm glad we did it. Family pictures are always so much work and stress for me. But capturing the best in these great kids always makes me smile, and get a little teary too! I can't help but feel like the most priveleged Mother when I look at the pictures of these precious faces.

In other news, walking is going good. It's exercise and girlfriend conversation both at the same time. So it is time well spent. It feels so great to come back home from walking and feeling so good and ready for the day! But I do have to say, we walk so fast that it would probably just be easier on my shins to run. But then it would be harder to visit as we run. I hope somehow we can still do this when the kids go back to school next week, but I don't know if it will work with our schedules and getting kids ready for school or not.

Last night Laren and I finally got our night at the Ballgame! As I mentioned previously we tried to go about a week and a half ago and got rained out.


Laren and I getting a self portrait at the ballgame.

We had gotten new tickets for yesterday. The weather seemed bleak, rainy and overcast all day and so we were uncertain whether the it would turn out or not.

But the weather turned out being perfect, in the 70's, it was overcast with just a tad bit of annoying sun in our eyes, and it all turned out spectacular. If you've never been to a Major League Game before, you should go.

I especially love baseball, because it is a slow enough game you can watch and have good conversation all at the same time. Plus it is played in nicer weather, than say football. It is fun to learn about the players.


The beautiful Coors Field

This time though he was on the opposing team, we got to see Prince Fielder powerfully swing the bat. He is number one for hitting home runs this season in the National League. (Even better than Barry Bonds for the season, even though Barry Bonds is getting all the press for tying Hank Aaron's record.) Of course it was fun to see Todd Helton, Matt Holiday and other Colorado Fan favorites as well. Laren and I always get a kick out of the fact that the pitcher is always so terrible at batting. It is just a given that he will get out.

We got a great laugh out of some fans behind us who were disgusted at the fact that guys like the guy playing right field on the Rockies (Hawpe) get's paid so much$ a year to stand there and scratch his behind, though they did no put it like that. The fact of the matter is, that right field gets the fewest balls but we were actually surprised at just how many lefties there were playing last night.

As it happened we ended up sitting next to a section with mainly fans of the opposing team, the Milwaukee Brewers! They were all good sports despite their #1 team losing to the Rockies! Of course, we were happy that the home team won. This morning Alyssa asked me who won, I told her the Rockies won because we were there to cheer them on.

Few might know this about me, but I really am a sports fan. There are few sports I don't like to watch. I get seriously giddy about going to the game.


The great sunset behind the scoreboard.

Yesterday made me realize I need to do it more often. I don't particularly know why this is, but maybe it's because of my cheerleading years in high school? I embarass Laren because I cannot stand to sit in my seat, I have to be up and cheering my team on! Of course he sits there watching with a clearly neutral look on his face as to who he wants to win.

Anyway it was good times!

Roundup

Rounding 'em up!

So I don't have any major updates, really. But I decided to round up a few tidbits to share. First being that we lost the memory card to our camera so I can't share pictures until we either find that or buy a new one.

Because we just ordered the cabinets for our kitchen (YAY!) a couple of days ago, we may go awhile without the memory card if we end up having to buy a new one. We're trying to squeeze a lot out of our budget with the cabinets, and replacing a window that gotten broken during a wind storm in our family room, and the concrete sidewalk we recently had poured.

Laren and I spent much of Saturday working in the backyard. My arms and back still feel bruised and apparently the pain is telling me I exercised muscles I never knew I had. Wielding a pick-ax is no easy task, especially when done over and over again for a couple of hours! We are working on digging the trench for our block retaining wall in the back. Laren, because of his bunged up knee, is working on setting the stone instead of digging.

I did get Kayla and Alyssa to help shovel the dirt out after I got it loosened up. They were big helps! And then I took a break to come in and bathe Tyler. We all got so dirty from working/being out in the backyard because of the dirt and the rain that came down while we were working.

Speaking of rain, I don't know what it is--the Monsoon, I guess--but we've been getting rain every single day in the evening. Last night was no exception! We got DUMPED on with rain! It was coming down in sheets. The kids went out and played in it in the gutter and it was nearly up to their knees!

The rain is good, but it just makes for a very muddy backyard and it makes it difficult to get outside stuff done. We are starting to run out of summer and I'm worried about us getting all of our projects in before cold weather hits. My goal is for us to get grass planted in our backyard by Labor Day. We still have weeks worth of work on the retaining wall at this rate! I wonder if we'll get it all done?!

The Teacup Parable

Not Yet - The Parable of the Teacup

Author Unknown

There was this couple who used to go to shop in the beautiful stores. This was their 25th Wedding Anniversary. They both liked antiques and pottery, especially teacups.One day in a beautiful fine shop, they saw this beautiful teacup.

One said,"May I see that? I never have seen one quite so beautiful," and the lady handed it to him. As she handed it to him, suddenly the teacup spoke."You don't understand," it said, "I haven't always been a teacup. There was a time when I was red and I was clay. My master took me and rolled me and patted me over and over and I yelled out, 'Let me alone.' But he only smiled, 'Not yet.'

"Then I was placed on a spinning wheel," the teacup said, "and suddenly I was spun around and around and around and around. 'Stop it! I'm getting dizzy' I screamed. But the master only nodded and said, 'Not yet.'"Then he put me in the oven. I'd never felt such heat! I wondered why he wanted to burn me. I yelled! I knocked at the door. I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as he shook his head, 'Not yet.'

"Finally the door opened, he put me on the shelf and I began to cool. 'There that's better,' I said. Then he brushed me and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. 'Stop it! Stop it!' I cried. He only nodded, 'Not yet.'"Then suddenly he put me back into the oven, not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. All the time I could see him through the opening nodding his head, saying, ' Not Yet.'"

"Then I knew there wasn't any hope. I would never make it. I was ready to give up. But the door opened and he took me out and placed me on the shelf. One hour later, he handed me a mirror and said, 'Look at yourself,' and I did, and I said, 'That's not me, that couldn't be me, it's beautiful. I'm beautiful!'"'I want you to remember then,' he said, 'I know it hurt to be rolled and patted, but if I just left you, you'd have dried up."

"I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled.""I know it hurt and it was hot and disagreeable in the oven,but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked.""I know the fumes were bad and when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened. You would not have had any color in your life, and if I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't survive for very long because the hardness would not have held."

"Now you are a finished product. You are what I had in mind when I first began with you."That's life, friends. That's my life and it is your life. Some of you are in the oven, screaming, hollering, "Let me out of here!" Some of you are getting painted and the fumes are bothering you and driving you crazy. Some of you are spinning around and you don't know where you are. You're saying "What's going on? It's a mess here," and the Master keeps looking and saying, "Not yet, not yet." You see, you've got to trust Him.

----

I thought this was such a great parallel to the trials of life that it would be good to share. A friend got this in her Relief Society lesson at Church and shared it with me. I know I can relate to a lot of "spinning" and "heat" in my life.

Summer is winding down

Summer

Winding

D

O

W

N

My kids did the Summer Reading Program at the Library and now we need to go and use our tickets that they earned to do miniature golf, bowling and eating out. I am bummed that 2 of them got free meals to Lonestar Steakhouse and 3 of them got meals to IHOP. I wish they could have all been at the same place. But they all finished their reading on different schedules/weeks and so the prizes were different.

We went out and got most of their school clothes this past week. Of course I love this store, but we also went here and here. It is so hard to find pants that work for my oldest son, Kyle, because he is tall and thin. And so many clothes are made this days for thicker kids. But my kids are so skinny (from Laren's genes) that we have a hard time getting the pants to stay up on them. It makes shopping for them tricky. Today I hope to get their school supplies.

Most of my friends have already done all this shopping, but because of our traveling escapades and having out of town company we are coming in late on it this year. Plus it doesn't help that school starts the middle of August. I am really wishing that school wouldn't start until the end of August so I could go to this.

I've started walking in the early mornings with a friend. It has been several years since I last did this and it such great fun. It makes me more committed to my exercise and I get it out of the way first thing and we get a great chat in at the same time.