Where Did He Get This From??

She's Back! My sister has been gone all weekend, up in Wisconsin with her husbands family. It makes for a very quiet weekend at home when her family isn't around. Kind of pathetic how dependent you can become on someone else and their kids in order to have a social life!

We didn't do much this weekend--just some cleaning and some school supply shopping. Have you ever taken a 10 year old boy shopping? Last year I could dress him in whatever I purchased-he didn't care. Not this year! It has to be perfect--right down to his shoes. I fully expected this from my DIVA daughter--but not my fashionably inept son! Well, he's turned into a "Fashion Plate"--watch out all you 5th grade girls!!

Old Movies

We were watching an old movie last night with the kids. It was one where the family heads out to a fabulous beach rental for the summer. Their days are filled with family fun, their nights with cookouts and toasted marshmallows next to the surf. Everything was perfect, there were no kids fighting, no bugs...just pure family fun. I would love to find something like that for my family. Somewhere like the Outer Banks offers properties in North Carolina, which sounds like a charming place to visit. It's always more work for the mom though. Laundry and packing for everyone. Cooking and cleaning, and you know my kids will kill each other and there will be a ton of bugs!! Ok, maybe not the bugs, I'm not sure I'm up for too much family time with MY family! Isn't that so sad! They are good kids, and I'm sure they would have a great time--as long as they stay 3 feet away from each other!!

New York City

I have a ton of pictures to put up from our trip to New York. It was such a fun family time, and a little hectic with four little kids and a husband working nearly the entire time we were there, but it was a lot of fun. We did a ton of walking, a ton of eating and a ton of swimming! Really, is there anything more important than swimming when on vacation?

We got to see a lot of the sights and it was really amazing for the older kids. I hope they are able to retain some of the memories from this trip because it probably won't be happening again anytime soon!

Pictures to come!!

The Piano Man

Ever since my son was little he wanted to learn to play piano. I was taught the very basics by my very talented grandma, but I HATED it. So I gave it up until I was about 16, when I wanted to learn again---so I taught myself. I can read music (not very fast) and I can crank out many beautiful numbers (after hours of practicing them) and honestly, I'm just not going to be that great of a piano teacher.

So I've asked a girl in our area if she would teach him. I warned her that he may not practice very much. He may get bored with it pretty quickly. But on the whole--he should be a pretty good student. Let's hope he behaves, eh!

T.G.I.F.

It has been a crazy week. I'm thrilled that it is Friday. We have nothing planned for the weekend, and I think I'm going to keep it that way. There has been something going every single day. Not even many things, just one or two things strategically placed right in the middle of the day, so as to throw off my entire schedule. Between summer camp and baseball, ballet and piano lessons, I feel like I get to be home about 2 hours at a time and then we are on the run again. The surprising thing is that it really messes up dinner. Since the dinner prep time is cut into, it always turns into a fast food night. And that isn't god for anyone!