I think I am just getting old...

School is still going well for everyone and that is great. K has a cold already, but so far no one else has gotten it. E has no complaints, but he doesn't say much about school at all. He usually goes straight to play with the dog and then the video games, then he remembers the 4-wheeler.

B was talking last week about science and how they are going to get to do a lot of experiments this year. She said the teacher said they will not dissect anything yet, but they will learn about animals. K was very interested in dissecting. She said she wants to see inside of a frog and then pop it's lungs. !!!! I do not know where she came up with that or why on earth she would want to do such a thing. She thinks it would be cool. I think she cannot be MY child...

B is doing very well with middle school. She said she likes the independence. That figures. Classes are okay so far. They have some kind of videos online to help with whatever math you did that day and we are going to have to check that out. That sounds very neat to me!

B was having problems with the flute. She could not get a good sound out of it and the teacher was suggesting she may need to switch to clarinet. I looked up videos online of how to do it and she practiced this weekend and now she is doing much better. I talked to the teacher today and he said she is doing better, we will see this week how it goes. She still may do better on clarinet, but we are not giving up on flute yet. It doesn't help to think of having to rent a new clarinet and then pay for it when I have an almost free flute! We will see though, we want her to do whatever she is most happy and comfortable with. She is enjoying the flute now though, she is in there practicing and making some wild sounds!

I am exhausted. I have not gotten in routine yet. I still don't go to bed early enough and even if I got in bed at 9pm, I would still hate getting up at 6! By the time I take the kids to school and get home, it is close to 8:30 and I have been walking 1.5 miles on the treadmill. I am really pushing myself to do it and I do not like it. I hope I get use to it soon! One day last week I was so hot and dying on it and I forced myself to keep going--but the only reason I did it was because I knew as soon as I got off I was planning to have pineapple upside down birthday cake for breakfast! I am so awful!

Someday I will be able to walk with no problem, get all my work done, have all the extra junk done (like those nasty windows), and actually have time to sit down for a while BEFORE the kids get home. I don't know when that will be, but I am looking forward to it....

Sunday morning

Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.

Exodus 14:13-14

Quick update

Everyone had a good day at school yesterday! B only got lost once and everything was much better than she thought it would be. E really likes his teacher--she likes Spongebob he said! And K made new friends. A good day for all!

I am feeling very old this morning. I wonder why....

First day of school

Our first morning of school went well. B has to get up at 6 am. E and K can sleep until B leaves at about 6:45. Their bus actually comes about 15 minutes before B's does, but I am going to drive them to school most days. The new school is closer and it is worth it to me for K to sleep at least 50 minutes extra! Everyone got up okay today and got ready quickly, even though B had a hard time going to sleep last night.

E wanted a spiky hairdo. It is a bit long, but he was happy.


K was very excited.





B was not excited. She was scared and nervous!

Well, the morning went well. We will see in a little while how the first day actually went.

As for my day, well I am exhausted already. I have tried to do everything today and I really should have just taken a nap! It took me forever to fall asleep last night. But I walked 1.5 miles on the treadmill this morning and I have been cleaning like crazy. I made some ham and cheese muffins for lunches. I went to B's school to drop off medicine and shot records. Now I need to get back to work. I may even make cookies before they get home! I really should take that nap instead...

Sunday

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.

I do not give to you as the world gives.

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 14:27

A decent afternoon

Well, yesterday afternoon was not nearly as bad as I expected it to be. We made it to the doctor's appointment on time, which is unusual. Everyone is healthy. Everyone grew 3 inches since last June, and gained 4-6 pounds. K's ear tube is coming out (I can see it) and E may need to have his hearing rechecked, but everything else is fine. And the best part was that B had to have 2 shots and she did not pass out.

We also made it through Walmart without me wanting to sell any of the kids to strangers. B found a new binder and everyone got a couple of new shirts. B tried on some capri pants that I thought were adorable, but she said they made her look fat. No, I don't think she is headed for some eating disorder, she is just crazy. At least she thought the new Miley Cyrus clothes were ugly and horrible looking.

The next school open house is tonight and we are excited to see the new school. I even heard yesterday that K got the teacher that we wanted. I am so thrilled! It is the same teacher she had for kindergarten and she is absolutely wonderful. We just hope that she doesn't get moved out because they had to add another first grade class because there are so many kids.

We don't know yet who E's teacher is. He does not recognize any of the teachers' names, so he asked to be homeschooled. B agrees with him, she wants to be homeschooled too so she does not have to get lost. They are crazy. No way! I respect people who homeschool, and have even kind of wished I had the personality and ability to do it, but I know myself and I could not do it! They will just have to suffer. I am sure that after a week or so, they will be happy and glad to be back in school with friends and away from each other all day. They are driving me crazy fighting this summer!

Three and a half more days....three and a half more days....

Four and a half more days til school

Yesterday was open house at B's school. E and K have open house tomorrow. Our school system has made a lot of changes this summer. Last year there was one elementary school (PK-2), one intermediate school(3-6), one junior high, and one high school. Now there are 3 elementary schools (PK-5), one middle school (6-8), and one brand new high school. E and K get to go to the brand new grade school. B has to to go middle school which also moved into the old high school building.

B gets to take flute this year,but she has a long walk from her Soc Studies class to the band room. She will never make it in five minutes. She also has gym every day this year. She will be worn out every day when she gets home! They do not have lockers and are not allowed to carry backpacks. They have to get off the bus, go to the band room to leave instruments, go to the cafeteria to leave their lunches from home, then go to class. Then pick those things up before they get on the bus to come home. It is crazy.

B is not as worried about it as I expected her to be. I have been telling her how it will all work out and be fine--and I am sure it will be. But I am glad it is not me!! I am very thankful that the teachers all seem good, and nice. It will be very hard for her though with all the changes and how much harder 6th grade gets. I just hope that knowing about her learning disabilities now and the extra help she is supposed to get will help her in time for her not too feel too overwhelmed.

We need to go today to get the last of her school supplies and new binder. This weekend is tax free weekend and there is no way I am going shopping this weekend. It is a very good idea, but it is crazy and not worth the trouble for just a few things! So today we are off to get physicals for everyone (including some shots!) and then shopping. I have a feeling my afternoon will not be pleasant!

Good Sunday morning

You are my hiding place;

you will protect me from trouble

and surround me with songs of deliverance.

Psalm 32:7

Cousins

Well facebook won't let me put up any of my pictures. I don't know if it is my computer's problem or facebook itself. But, while looking at pictures I found these ones of K and cousin O last month. They were just so cute.

I miss those babies of yours W!!!

Introducing Zeke

E loves dogs. Last weekend we got a new one. We sold our puppy back to the breeder when Luke went to Iraq because he was too young for E to deal with and train alone. Now that Daddy is home, E has a puppy again. Even K is happy, at least for now--he isn't big enough to knock her over yet when she plays with him.

Puppy sleeps a lot. E is trying to entice him to play so I can get pictures...
Okay this is him all alone, but such a good shot I had to share...

He playfully bites right now. E is trying to get away from the biting here, I thought it was funny.

I am sure I will be able to take more pictures soon. E goes to the window every few minutes to see if he is awake and ready to play. He is very bored when the puppy is sleeping. He does not think it is funny when I tell him school starts soon and he won't be bored anymore.

Zucchini recipes--and I thought I did not like zucchini

We had this recipe for zucchini last week and it was so good I could not believe it. I do not like zucchini and I loved this. Actually I made it two days in a row because we all loved it so much--even the kids. Luke says it is better than fried. The second time I used both zucchini and squash.

Zucchini Parmesan Crisps (from Ellie Krieger)

-2 medium zucchini (about 1 lb)
-2 TSP olive oil
-1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (freshly grated is best)
-1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
-1/8 tsp salt
-pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Slice zucchini into 1/4 inch rounds. In a bowl, toss zucchini with oil. In a small bowl, combine Parmesan, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. Dip each round into the Parmesan mixture, coating evenly on both sides and place in single layer on baking sheet.

Bake 25-30 minutes, until browned and crisp. *Turn over after 15 minutes* Remove with spatula. Serve immediately.


I also thought I would share the Cream of Zucchini Soup recipe. It is from BooMama. We love this also, as I have mentioned before.

2 medium zucchini, grated
2 medium carrots, grated
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup butter
4 TSP flour
2 13 1/2 oz cans chicken broth
4 ounces grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Place grated zucchini in a colander; sprinkle with salt and let sit for 30 minutes. Drain well. Saute grated and chopped vegetables in butter, until slightly limp. Stir in flour and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add chicken broth and stir until smooth. Add grated cheese and stir until melted. Add milk, salt and pepper. Serves 6.

The bunny

Well here are the celebrity pics. We really get good ones, huh? At least these are better than the ones we took of the last guy. So do you know her?

Holly Madison. From the Girls Next Door. No, I have never watched the show but I do have E! so I knew who she was. Luke didn't. He did not mind following her to take the pictures though. LOL. She really is beautiful, even if she isn't all real. I am kind of glad the pictures are so bad!

Vegas. How many times can I say "fancy"?

Well finally. Here are the Vegas pictures. Someone asked my sister if we drink or gamble, when she said no they wanted to know why in the world would we go to Vegas. Good question, but I LOVED it! I loved seeing everything. I think the hotel has to be one of the nicest in Vegas--maybe the nicest! I felt like Ellie Mae so many times.

Here is the hotel. The Palazzo. It is brand new.

Blogger won't let me move my pictures and they are out of order. But here is the Vegas picture everyone HAS to take.

This is shopping. Inside. The ceiling looks like the sky and it freaks you out. It is beautiful.

Here is our hotel room. There were three TVs--one in that cabinet across from the couch, one across from the bed (and you could see both from the bed) and one in the bathroom. I do not have any pictures of the bathroom on here, but it was NICE. It had a marble vanity, a phone in the toilet room, and fancy bathrobes like on TV. (Notice my Ellie coming out there?)

Luke was allergic to the down comforter and pillows.

I took this picture from our window. Nice view even though it was not "the strip". We were on the 30th floor.

This is inside the hotel. It is like a fancy mall and it is part of the hotel. They only have stores that I can't afford. Barney's New York, Dolce, Dior, Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik, and Prada--places like that. Nice to look at anyway.

This is part of the mall where they have some restaurants. It is called St. Mark's Square. They have performances and even weddings here. We saw one wedding going on here right before we saw our only celebrity sighting. The Mario Batali restaurant we ate at was here too.


We walked up to see the famous fountains at the Bellagio. I loved it. I could have stayed there for hours. Except it was almost midnight. And it was still over 100 degrees and I had sweat running all over me.


See I look sweaty. It was 112 that day and I do not believe it cooled off ANY after dark.

We took one day to go to Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam. It was amazing. The lake is beautiful.

The dam is huge.

The mountains are ugly.



See. No trees. No grass. Dessert mountains. Ugly but awesome. God is something else isn't he? To make this and the the mountains in Virginia. So different from each other. I really need to see the snow capped mountains-like Colorado maybe. Talk about amazing--I have no pictures, but flying over the Grand Canyon on the way home was something I will never forget.

I really loved this whole trip. Vegas is pretty and strange and fancy and wild. The lake and the dam were awesome to see, along with some dessert. We stopped in Boulder City and I bought turquoise Indian jewelry. We drove across the dam into Arizona so I could say I have been there (Ellie again). We ate the best food I have ever eaten in my life (thank you Emeril!!), and spent more money on food that I ever imagined we would. I ate in an Asian restaurant that was the fanciest place I have ever been, complete with several waiters who would not let anything sit on the table empty for 5 seconds and refilled the water glasses so much we wanted to smack them--and with a lady in the bathroom to hand me a paper towel after I washed my hands (my very biggest Ellie moment). We watched one show but it was not that thrilling so we did not see any more even though we planned to. I got a manicure and a pedicure at the Canyon Ranch spa in the hotel.

We saw and did things I never thought I would see or experience. I realized how quickly you can get use to luxury and fancy living!! I had a rude awakening to that once I went to the bathroom in the airport after all the fancy bathrooms in the hotel and shopping.

Best of all was the fact that Luke and I got to spend time together alone. We have not taken a trip like this ever and the only time we have left the kids like this was when we came to Texas to find our house. It was nice and I am so thankful to my sister and both grandmas for watching our kids!!!!

As for that celebrity sighting, it was someone that Luke did not even recognize. I am not sure what it says that he did not know who she was but I did immediately. We started following her and Luke was taking pictures. Amy probably does not know who she is either. She has a show on the Vegas strip and she use to live in the playboy mansion. Any guesses?? Guess and I will show you a picture next time!

Mountains, caves and bears

After our canoe trip we drove up on Skyline drive. We took Mom with us while everyone else went home. We walked a mile up the mountain to get this picture.

This one is in the caves later. They are out of order but if I move them you can't click to make them bigger.

I love it up there. The views are amazing.

Walking up the mountain.

Daddy took pictures with everyone on this edge. Mommy tried to take the pictures while not looking at how scary it was. It did not work. I kept freaking out and telling them all to be careful, and not get so close, and hurry up, and get off that rock, and hold on. They all thought I was insane. I am terrified of heights. I stood far away to take these pictures.

Climbing up the mountain was not enough, they had to climb trees too.

We saw two bears. One is behind them someplace in this picture. They don't look very impressed, but they were. K wanted to take it home.

Here he is.

This day was one of my favorite parts of the whole trip. I love it up in those mountains. I also loved seeing it with mom and spending the day with her.

B missed the caves though. She was inside for maybe two minutes when she started getting sick. Daddy went out with her. She had some stomach virus and threw up all the way home. That was the worse part of the trip!!

Maybe tomorrow I will share the Las Vegas pictures. Check back soon!

The canoe trip

**click on any pic to make it bigger**

One of the things we did on our vacation was take a canoe trip on the Shenandoah River with some of our family. It was good even though a severe rainstorm and two broken canoes ended the trip early.

Here we are trying to fit everything into four boats. We had to have a towboat we had so much stuff.

No we did not fall out. This is the best place to play. We were going out to the middle to float down in our life jackets through the rapid.

Swimming with my mom.

B's float down the rapid.

No E wasn't scared a bit. (I am being sarcastic!! He almost tore off my BIL's arm.)

K just sat and watched it all.

I watched for a long time too. I am a chicken.

This was K's first fish.

We got a lot of good pictures but I think my family would come and kill me if I put them on the internet. We had a good time and it is beautiful there. I will share pictures of Skyline drive next time!