Last fall my life entered a new phase--all the kids started school full-time. For the first time in 17 years I had no preschoolers at home.
This year brings a bigger change--my first born is off to college in another state. Our little family (or big depending on your perspective) will never be quite the same again. It is a good change I know. but it will be different around here for sure. For one thing I lost my helpful driver. Now I will have to drive the kids around myself and can't ask Dustin to stop by the grocery store for milk on his way home from work, or take the Redbox movie back that I keep forgetting about. I also lost my best dishwasher unloader--the job I like least in the house. And I won't get to hear him bless the sacrament in church anymore. Or have his humor at the dinner table. Or get to watch him interact with his 6 year-old brother when asked to play action figures.
The other big change that effected our family this summer was The Business. The business that we bought just over 4 years ago is gone, which Scott worked and I helped with now and then is gone. He sold it this summer. No more filing documents to the SEC for other companies. No more deadline days, preceded by a week or so of long hours and little sleep for Scott. It was good to us. Or rather Scott made it good to us. He was an awesome business owner and kept clients happy with his attention to detail and hard work ethic. But he felt it was time for a change, found a buyer, and sold it.
He is now "semi-retired". For a few months anyway while he decides what comes next. He hasn't had a whole lot of down time since he stopped working--Scout camp, youth conference, family reunion, and some yard work, taking the kids swimming and biking and motorcycling, Eagle project help. He did buy a mountain bike and is enjoying this new found hobby, and enjoying more time for running. He running in the Ragnar next summer in Utah.
And I am thinking maybe it is time for me to get a job. But part-time. Because I don't think I could ever handle full-time. I am too spoiled. But maybe full-time could be an option I suppose if there were to someone else to do the laundry, and the cleaning and cooking, and the chauffeuring, the grocery shopping, and . . . hmmm, I wonder if there is such a person available...
August 20, 2012
August 7, 2012
Last Week of Summer Vacation
Oh what do you do in the summertime if your trampoline broke?
Yes, sadly the trampoline got a rip in it so it is dead. Thank goodness it happened the last week of summer because I don't know what the kids would do if they couldn't jump with the sprinkler under the tramp at least 3 or 4 times per week multiple times a day it seems. This does result in a mess of wet clothes but a small price to pay for happy busy kids. I tried to make the rule they had to change into their swimming suit before getting wet so we didn't go through so many clothes, but sometimes it happens (the swimming suit) and sometimes it doesn't. (Sometimes I am too lax on rules I know).
And what are the neighbor kids going to do? maybe find another house to visit that has a trampoline. Ironically it was the teenagers that were on it when it broke. Funny cuz they rarely come over and even less rarely jump.
Janessa is so excited for the first day of school. The boys haven't said much. I was actually on top of things this year and shopped for school supplies before the last minute when the supply is limited. Yay for me! however, I found out later that if I had waited one more day I wouldn't have had to pay sales tax because New Mexico had 3 days of no sales tax for school supplies and clothes, etc. But that's okay. I would have saved about $5 but at least I got it done without fighting crowds. Janessa has her backpack packed and ready to go. I don't think the boys have even looked at the school supplies. The difference between boys and girls.
Yesterday we went to the elemantary school to find out teachers. Andy and Janessa both have new teachers to the school and they are both men. I think that is very cool. This is the last year the 3 little ones will all be in elementary. Brennen gets to pick up his schedule today. He is half-way through the book "The Count of Monte Cristo" he is supposed to have read and assignments done by the 1st day of school for his AP English Class.
This week Brennen is doing his Scout Eagle Project. Hooray! Two Eagle projects in the family in a little over 3 months. He is replanting the flower beds in front of the local aquatic center and putting a split rail fence around it.
And after that I guess we are ready for school to start next Tuesday!
Yes, sadly the trampoline got a rip in it so it is dead. Thank goodness it happened the last week of summer because I don't know what the kids would do if they couldn't jump with the sprinkler under the tramp at least 3 or 4 times per week multiple times a day it seems. This does result in a mess of wet clothes but a small price to pay for happy busy kids. I tried to make the rule they had to change into their swimming suit before getting wet so we didn't go through so many clothes, but sometimes it happens (the swimming suit) and sometimes it doesn't. (Sometimes I am too lax on rules I know).
And what are the neighbor kids going to do? maybe find another house to visit that has a trampoline. Ironically it was the teenagers that were on it when it broke. Funny cuz they rarely come over and even less rarely jump.
Janessa is so excited for the first day of school. The boys haven't said much. I was actually on top of things this year and shopped for school supplies before the last minute when the supply is limited. Yay for me! however, I found out later that if I had waited one more day I wouldn't have had to pay sales tax because New Mexico had 3 days of no sales tax for school supplies and clothes, etc. But that's okay. I would have saved about $5 but at least I got it done without fighting crowds. Janessa has her backpack packed and ready to go. I don't think the boys have even looked at the school supplies. The difference between boys and girls.
Yesterday we went to the elemantary school to find out teachers. Andy and Janessa both have new teachers to the school and they are both men. I think that is very cool. This is the last year the 3 little ones will all be in elementary. Brennen gets to pick up his schedule today. He is half-way through the book "The Count of Monte Cristo" he is supposed to have read and assignments done by the 1st day of school for his AP English Class.
This week Brennen is doing his Scout Eagle Project. Hooray! Two Eagle projects in the family in a little over 3 months. He is replanting the flower beds in front of the local aquatic center and putting a split rail fence around it.
And after that I guess we are ready for school to start next Tuesday!
August 5, 2012
Essentials
Dustin received among other things a list in the mail from his college with the title "WHAT TO BRING".
"Here is a recommended checklist for incoming students. Of course every student may have different needs, but this gives you a good start. Items we consider essential are starred (*)."
on the list are things like laundry supplies, Hygiene supplies, specific bedding, etc.
I found it interesting that these items were starred (*), therefore considered ESSENTIAL:
Music player (CD, MP3, iPOD)*
DVD player* (w/remote and user manual)
While these items were not starred thus not essential to a college education:
Pens
Pencils
Spiral Notebooks
Backpack
Alarm clock (of course if you have your iPOD it can be used as your alarm clock I suppose)
"Here is a recommended checklist for incoming students. Of course every student may have different needs, but this gives you a good start. Items we consider essential are starred (*)."
on the list are things like laundry supplies, Hygiene supplies, specific bedding, etc.
I found it interesting that these items were starred (*), therefore considered ESSENTIAL:
Music player (CD, MP3, iPOD)*
DVD player* (w/remote and user manual)
While these items were not starred thus not essential to a college education:
Pens
Pencils
Spiral Notebooks
Backpack
Alarm clock (of course if you have your iPOD it can be used as your alarm clock I suppose)
August 3, 2012
Bet you didn't know...
That you can buy freeze dried crickets at Walmart. (see previous post)
so now you know. Even though Andy is boy #3 this is my first experience with lizards
Today we had a parade in town. I had a doc appt at the same time as the parade and it was only a street and a half away from the parade. So I drove by the doctor's office and showed A & J where it was, then took them to a parking lot to watch the parade and we agreed that if I got done before it was over, I would walk to them. Otherwise they were to walk to the doctor's office. It was a cute sight when I was done with the doctor (which of course took way too long) and I saw two kids sitting on the steps surrounded by candy. And guess what Andy caught while walking away from the parade--yep, another lizard.
Happy kids. Amazing to think we only have two more weekends til summer is over and school starts.
so now you know. Even though Andy is boy #3 this is my first experience with lizards
Today we had a parade in town. I had a doc appt at the same time as the parade and it was only a street and a half away from the parade. So I drove by the doctor's office and showed A & J where it was, then took them to a parking lot to watch the parade and we agreed that if I got done before it was over, I would walk to them. Otherwise they were to walk to the doctor's office. It was a cute sight when I was done with the doctor (which of course took way too long) and I saw two kids sitting on the steps surrounded by candy. And guess what Andy caught while walking away from the parade--yep, another lizard.
Happy kids. Amazing to think we only have two more weekends til summer is over and school starts.
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