I took pictures of the boys going into their dance lessons yesterday, and this morning after her lessons Elena was feeling especially posey, so I got a lot of her. Elise has dance this evening, but her costume isn’t all in stock so I promised her I’d take her picture when she can be all decked out in uniform. So I’ll share that when I get it. I haven’t cropped any of these yet.
I know many of you have already read this so you may not see this late edition to this post, but I’d meant to say that yes, Elena IS now taking dance lessons also. I was not originally willing to pay all the extra money for a three year old to take dance lessons, I mean, I’ve been to recitals, they’re awfully cute, but it never looks like they know what they’re doing, it’s always felt to me like an expensive way to parade around your child’s cuteness. (Of course, I’m cynical and cheap.) But after taking all the kids to their first week of dance lessons and having to drag Elena along with me because Josh was working in Missouri, well, let’s just say it was made obvious to me that SHE really wanted to do it, and it is cheaper than preschool, and will provide some fun and socialization (not to mention a short break for me once a week) since she is not in preschool yet, and yes, I will look forward to parading her around in an utterly adorable costume in the Spring–even if she doesn’t know which steps the dance instructor would like her to follow.
Archive for August, 2008
I feel like I’ve been run over by a freight train!
I know it seems as though I’ve been neglecting my blog, but the truth is I just haven’t done anything worth blogging about. Nothing that I need to put out there. The kids have started school again and they’re fine. Josh is busy as ever with work. Elena and I do laundry, watch movies (Sleeping Beauty lately–as in almost every day since the others have been back in school!), and run errands. I also check email and stuff at the computer, but that’s about it. Nothing interesting or blogworthy. I haven’t even had any clever thoughts to regale you with. I do hope to get some pictures of the kids at their dance lessons this week, so perhaps I will share those tomorrow. Anything new with any of you?
Ok, so I don’t think I’ve watched any of the olympics (do I need to capitalize that?) since the year that Mary-Lou Retton swept through the gymnastics and graced my cereal boxes, but when the show I was watching that I had previously recorded ended and I was not quite ready to head up to bed yet, it just so happened that the olympics were on–and nothing else of interest. Since I wasn’t really watching, I was supposed to be working on the planned menu and grocery list for the next two weeks, I left it on. When the gymnasts started on the uneven bars Josh said he didn’t understand HOW anyone did that, so I mentioned that I used to do that. It was a LONG time ago, and I certainly never did anything like what they can do at the olympics! But it got us hooked watching long enough for me to hear the name of the gym where US olympian Shawn Johnson practices in Des Moines–a name I recognized because I just saw it last week when I was looking for a place for Elise to take the gymnastics lessons she desperately wanted. Anyway, we watched long enough to watch Shawn win a Silver medal in gymnastics all-around. The US took both the Gold and Silver, while China ended up with the Bronze. So, I don’t watch the news, or the olympics, and I don’t keep up on current events, but I saw the local girl win the Silver medal and just hearing them talking about Des Moines and West Des Moines in China–it was special. So I just wanted to give my little shout out. Congratulations Shawn!
So you may or may not know that my battle with my weight has stale-mated, but Josh and I have started supporting and encouraging one another to get serious about it again. And I have a new favorite “heathier food” to share with you! BROWNIES!!! I haven’t tried to figure out all of the specific nutrient information for them yet, but I had Josh make me some brownies with egg substitute and milled flaxseed–a way tasty way to get both fiber and omega-3’s! Probably not the best for anyone low-carbing, but since I am focusing on calories and just eating right, these satisfy my needs for certain nutrients AND my sweet tooth!!!
I don’t really have anything to say, I was just going back through my old posts looking for something I knew I’d written here, and the archive goes WAY back! I didn’t realize I’d been blogging for so long! Anyway, I was just skimming all the titles looking for the one I wanted and it occurred to me, there are a lot of clever and entertaining titles to my blog posts. I’m not meaning to toot my own horn, simply saying that I was entertained running back through them, and so I truly hope that you have all been entertained by them as you’ve received them. As I was going through the lists, it amused me that often just reading the title was enough to remind me of the entire experience I’d written about, and it amused me further still when a title would catch my interest as something even I wasn’t sure what it had been about so I had to go back and reread the entire posting. I think one of the funnest things about having this blog, aside from how well it allows others to know whats going on with our family and see pictures etc (I know you’re out there! I appreciate your comments!!!), is that I can go back and not only remember the things that I’ve written about, but also what I thought about it at the time. I love photographs for keeping memories, but the words and expressions, sometimes slang that’s out of use now or a catch phrase that I’d forgotten about–it’s … well I just can’t find the right words for what I’m trying to exress, its just fun.
Well, here it is, the first day of school! It really has been a pretty short Summer. And although I felt pretty busy most of the time, it occurs to me that over the course of the Summer, we didn’t really do all that much–I mean, not compared to Summers past. I think the kids are ready though, excited to see all their friends again, and hopefully learn some stuff too! And I am hopefull for all the stuff I think I might get to with them out of the house all day. Still, there is always that brief moment as they’re crossing the yard to the school that just >AH!< gets you. Hundreds of thoughts and emotions all surging through you at once, enough to make some parents cry--not me of course. ;) So, here are my no-longer-babies waiting for me to let them out the door. 
The FOURTH Grader 
The SECOND Grader 
& The FIRST Grader 
Their first attempt to leave
The final goodbye and goodluck
And their inevitable departure
(sniff)
After YEARS of battling with Elise over her unruly hair which she can NOT seem to keep brushed, she finally conceeded this afternoon when I was trying to detangle her jungle-thick locks to get them trimmed up! And lucky for all of you I thought to pull out my camera phone which I almost NEVER use! 
I was too busy yesterday and too tired last night to get to the computer to post, but yesterday was Cameron’s 6th birthday!!! My little kiddies are getting SO big! I spent most of the day running errands getting stuff that I didn’t realize we didn’t have. I asked Cameron what he wanted for his birthday if he could have anything, what would make it perfect? He said Alfredo, Totinos pizza, Brownies, Legos, video games, and Pokemon! So on one trip I took him with me and he picked out two Mario and Luigi video games. We got back just in time for him to gobble up some Totinos pizza before his party guests started to arrive. We had a nice little group of some of his best friends from school and church. All such CUTIES! 
They spent the majority of the time just playing and jumping in the pool. 
But then Josh brought out the water balloons! 
Which turned into an all out water battle! 
With Josh as the eventual loser! 
So I rescued Josh by declaring it time for cake and presents. Cameron had helped me pick out his cake at the grocery store earlier that morning. I had been planing to get him an ice cream cake, but he informed me that he didn’t really like ice cream and so at the last minute we went to pick out a regular cake. Unfortunately, it was a very warm day and on the way home the frosting on the cake melted and slid completely off one side of the cake! We stuck it in the fridge and were able to salvage it for the most part, but it made it difficult to decorate as we’d have liked, so just before putting it out I wrote his name on it and Jacob found some pokemon toys to top it off with. 
Parents started to arrive to collect their kids as Cameron was opening his presents, then it was time to clean up the yard and take the toys inside. 
Cameron really wanted to open all his toys and play with them, but I told him he’d have to wait because we needed to get ready for the second party! He made THE Cameron face at me! 
But in practically no time at all, the family started arriving for the second wave of celebration! We had all the local Aunts and Uncles and Cousins over for a lovely alfredo dinner, and for dessert…Brownies! Jason’s family brought a gift for Cameron from his Grandma Thrap 
and they got him LEGOS!!! And Aunt Jenny had found some of his absolute favorite Pokemon toys that he had been begging me for just hours earlier at the store! 
When the Aunts and Uncles left, 
it was finally time for everyone to watch the SYTYCD Finale show! AWESOME!!! Of course Cameron crashed halfway through. He’d had a long day.
So You Think You Can Dance
My favorite television show of the Summer! Last night was the finale.