Sick Day

Well, it's our first official "sick day" of the year. Katie is home with me. It's so hard for me - even at her age of soon to be 7 - to know exactly when I should keep her home. She has an off and on cough which I attribute mostly to allergies - and this wonderful sinus thing that I have had for the past week. She seems happy - just kind of spaced out...I'm hoping to be able to send her back to school tomorrow.

Not too much else happening around here. Girl scouts starts this week. Mary is also going to be playing on a volleyball team -- she is excited about that. We are trying to "steer" her towards sports in which her height may be an advantage. I"ll keep you posted on that one.

I continue to read, read,read. Just finished "Catching Fire" - the sequel to "The Hunger Games" - if you are looking for good fiction, I highly recommend this series.

Well, I guess that's it for now. Back to hanging out with Katie and trying to get her well....

I Know...

I know...I haven't quite gotten back into the blogging routine yet. We are barely getting into the school routine, so hopefully the blog routine will follow soon after. The school schedule is basically kicking my butt - there is no other way to put it. Between my haphazard work schedule which has me working all kinds of assorted hours and having to get up at 6 am every day to get Katie ready for the bus, I am basically spent.
The girls are both doing well. Katie is loving school. She is so happy...it is a great thing to see. Bill and I went with her class to the fair last week and it was amazing to see her class as a whole and how the teacher and aides are so awesome with the kids. I can see why Katie loves it. We are so happy to have her there - and she really seems to be fitting in as well as she could anywhere. At this point I believe she is in the best, most ideal place for her - and that is such a great place for her to be.
Mary is loving 4th grade - although she did make me aware that 4th grade was a bit "too stressful" for her. (I think she is over that now). Homework is not something many 4th graders are fond of, but Miss Mary would much rather be riding her bike than learning how to spell marvelous or hazardous...so let's just say --- we're still working on the routine. Maybe we'll have it down by Halloween. :)
As I mentioned - I am back to work for the most part - but my hours are kind of all over the place. I am thankful for a good job, so no complaints - but I do find myself needing a nap here and there to get caught up....
I continue to be reading some amazing books. My most recent book club book was a mystery - which I don't usually read or like - but I really enjoyed it. "Whispers on the Bayou" by Mindy Starns Clark.
Hope this finds you all well - and I will try my hardest to get back into the blogging routine!

Back into a routine

Yes, I'm back. Hopefuly blogging will once again become a habit for me. It seems the summer was so crazy -- between Katie's new school schedule complete with summer classes and Mary's desire to always be going somewhere and doing something - I didn't find myself blogging too much. Well -- now both of the girls are back in school. Mary is in 4th grade - which is mind blowing to me ---she was so excited and nervous this morning. I'm praying for an excellent year for her. Here we are this morning in one of Bill's famous self-portraits ---

I am continuing to be a ravenous reader - it's almost like I just can't get enough of a good book. :) My book club keeps me in great Christian fiction and my "want to read" list of new releases continues to grow.

Here's to a great school year for all of our kiddo's out there....and hopefully to more regular blogging from me :)

Vacation Rocks

Yes, I'm back. Guess I'm not doing so well at blogging in August. We are finishing up a great week of vacation - complete with a trip to the Carfax 250 at Michigan International Speedway. If you are my facebook friend, you have possibly already seen this picture ----

It's no secret that I love NASCAR...so when the opportunity was given to Bill and I to once again go to the race and spend time on pit lane and in the garage - we definitely jumped at it. Thanks friend...you know who you are!

We also just got back from three days in the Wisconsin Dells at Great Wolf Lodge. This was our first visit to the Dells - and we loved it. I don't love the Chicago traffic (hard to believe I lived there for 6 years - and for all practical purposes that is really where I learned to drive!)...but now, Chicago traffic does nothing for me. We got home a little after midnight last night and let me just say we are all a little tired - and I may never get the laundry caught up - but oh well, that is what vacation is all about.

I hope all of you are enjoying your summer .....more blogging to start soon.....school is almost back in session!

August Already?

Sorry for the extended absence from the blogging world. Sometimes I get a little caught up in the girls being home (Katie's two weeks at school went very fast!!! She is now beginning her second week at home before heading back to school for two more weeks). I also have been tryinig to knock off some projects around the house. Bill and I drained the pool today - scrubbed it out and are in the process of re-filling it. What a lot of work! But it was definitely needed. Hopefully it will make it until school starts and then we will take it down and put it away.I have a feeling we are about at the end of the life of this pool anyway -- and a new purchase will need to be made when pools go on clearance here in the next few weeks.

Not a whole lot else going on. I've just been spending way too much time on facebook, reading (see the new additions to my reading list) going to movies and just having a good summer with the fam. More as it becomes available. Hope you are having a great summer, too.