Time Constraints and Conundrums

So I don't know if I've mentioned that Elaine is playing softball at the middle school. We are so proud of her for going outside her comfort zone. She gets up at 5:40 am, heads out the door at 6:20 am, and arrives home at 5:20 pm. Long days. Every so often and on Fridays she has a day off from practice and gets home a few hours earlier. She usually has an hour at least of homework.

Anyway, she has only made it to swim practice about 5 times all month, as opposed to the ideal 5 times a week. The boys have made it often enough, but now soccer has started. So, we have decided to take a break from swimming during September, and reevaluate at the end of the month. With the new September schedule, I would be driving for about 3 hours twice a week, and 2 hours thrice a week to get everywhere where they needed to be if they kept swimming. I am a little sad, since they are all really good swimmers, but Elaine may decide to pick it up again, or she may just wait til high school and swim then. In the meantime, our weekends will be a lot simpler, not to mention our weeknights!

The boys are all going through an illness. I was scheduled to give a presentation at a Buffelgrass Training Workshop this morning, so I took the youngest two to a friend's, left recouperating Jeremy at home, then drove to the training and gave my presentation to grand accolades, then got a call from the nurse that Alex needed to be picked up. So I left early (after arriving late -- I warned them beforehand) and spent another hour rounding everyone up. Now I am debating taking a nap to build up some energy reserve to avoid getting sick myself. Thank goodness I'm not driving to swim practice! Although it is the Middle School Meet the Teacher(s) Night.

Sigh. Anyway. Here are some pictures of our vacation to Sedona last month. Great Fun. I need another vacation already.

I just know you are all checking my blog everyday wondering when I will ever get around to posting. Wait no longer. Dave and Elaine got our fall birthdays off to a great start. Dave has yet to wear any of his presents, but I won't consider it a failure until next summer. Elaine got her ears pierced (thanks, Maria Elena) and looks so grown up. She gets on the bus at 6:30 am about 7 min. away from our house. It has been nice to get up early, but we are all very tired.

Last week we were eating breakfast, looking out the window and Dave says excitedly, "great horned owl!" So I grabbed the camera and carefully walked toward it. It wasn't scared of me at all until I got within about 5 feet. It was eating a lizard. It hung out in our trees all day long. Haven't seen it since. We wonder if it is the same one that hung out on our porch as a baby.

I haven't uploaded birthday photos to my computer yet, but I will post again when I do. In the meantime, let me tell you how I much I love The Children's Place Monster Sale. I got matching shirts for 17 boys, and Melissa got matching shirts for 7 girls for a fun family photo at the beach in October. The boys are a blue button down mix of madras plaid and Hawaiian print, and the girls are a mix of pink jersey knit and Hawaiian print. It's ridiculous, I know, but less expensive than t-shirts thanks to the sale!

Summer

Targhee Trail Hike
Alex and Bryce on the River.
Jeremy and Brittny at Mesa FallsBaking in the Easy-Bake with Georgia
This is the life.
Wacky costume day at soccer camp.
Hiking in Yellowstone National Park (Mystic Falls).
Floating Henry's Fork from Big Springs.

Memory of Chelsea

On Chelsea's blog she asked for us to comment leaving a memory of her. Here is the picture to go along with the memory. Unfortunately, the negative was damaged, and this is the best adjusting I could do but I think you can see plain enough what is going on with 4 year old Chels just out of her bath. I cropped for decency's sake.

Buffelgrass Invasion

This is a quick post to refer everyone to watch a youtube video called Buffelgrass Invasion. It shows you about what I am volunteering to inform the public. It is really scary. Please look it up or link from my youtube links list.

Swimming Jeremy

Here is a vid of Jeremy swimming butterfly. He forgot to breathe every other stroke until his second 25. He had a good season. Unfortunately for him, his birthday is on the age deciding day, so if he had been born one day later, he would have been swimming with the 8 and Unders all season. But as it was, he had to swim with the 9-10's, even when he was still 8. He weathered the competition well.

Mom is Getting Old

So I had another birthday. No pictures, sorry. But it was quite the day. It was the first day of Soccer Camp for Jer, Alex, and Ben at 5 pm, so we tried to have a big meal for lunch. It worked for us older than Alex. Anyway, I spent some leisure time reading (ignoring laundry . . . it was my birthday, after all), and the kids were pleasant during the day, then we got all the soccer stuff ready and on feet and in backpacks, then drove the 15 minutes (hooray! it is close!) to soccer camp, leaving Elaine and Liam behind. Ben looked adorable in his shin guards and cleats. (All the boys were in hand-me-downs . . . I love this stage.)

Dave met me at the soccer fields, and took me to TMC with him to scope a baby with breathing problems, then we went to Outback to eat before rushing back to pick up the boys. They had fun. In the meantime, Elaine made my birthday cake and cooked up a little something for the boys for when they got home. Then I opened my presents.

I got a new rice cooker to replace the 8.88$ one we've been using for 5 years. I got a pair of sunglasses, and I got a Coach purse. That's right . . . a nice, leather, beautiful purse. I am still in shock. I just started taking it with me today and it feels like it has a life of its own. I'm constantly checking to make sure it doesn't wander off. Who needs a baby when you could have a Coach purse? Oh . . . and Dave is getting me TiVo or a version thereof.

So, it was a fun birthday. Thanks for all the calls and emails.

Yesterday Ben and Alex had almost private swim lessons with Elaine and Jeremy's coach. Alex loved it. He wants to be a swimmer now. Ben was less enthusiastic, but he did well. He hates being on his back . . . hence the lessons rather than me teaching him.