Is it really almost October???

Is it really almost October? Did summer really fly by that fast? I just can not believe that this year has gone as fast as it has. Last year at this time we were just learning how to live in a house with a single parent...had a child catch on fire and a hot pad...a window on the house replaced and a basement wall shored up. Patrick was just starting school and we were busy with picking grapes in the old backyard.

This year....Two kids in school, business growth charts flying out the door weekly, Tom busy with work, building a guest room and office in the basement, all the outside work to get done before the snow flies. Oh and trying to find time for me and seeing and talking to friends that I greatly miss.

We spent last weekend in Wisconsin and had an awesome time seeing everyone that we fit in. I wish I could have fit in even more. We are hoping for another weekend in October that I can get over there, but not sure when that will happen yet. In the future months we have family soccer games, parades, school fundraisers, a wedding in South Carolina, and all the holidays and then we start all over again.

The first day of school. Pictures

The boys on the first day of school

After a slow start the boys were excited...to put it mildly... to get on the bus and go to school.
Everyone made it through the day with just minor problems. Patrick was biten by another student and also got on the wrong bus. Sean's lunch got thrown away before he finished it all. Today they had a good day with gym and art as specials.

A new school year.... and another year of running

Today was the first day of school for Patrick and Sean. Both will be going to school on Mon, Wed and Friday. Patrick in regular 5k and Sean in Dev-5. They were up and running this morning and couldn't wait to get onto the bus. Veronica waved goodbye. Pictures to be posted later.

Me...this marks the start of year 2 of running for me. My goal is to lose another 30 lbs by Thanksgiving. I have added weight training and a lot of walking into my routine and really hope that I can continue it through winter. The treadmill is my friend..the treadmill is my friend....I might just have to go buy some new music for the mp3 player.

Also the growth charts have been flying out of the house. I have made and sent out a dozen in the last 3 weeks. I am loving the quiet time and
art therapy" it is bringing.

Well two kids are down for a nap so I am going to to go fit in an hr of running while I can and 30 mins of weights.

Into August we go....

We are heading into August and are just getting the hang of getting to and from different places in Rockford. Yesterday night we spent a great night downtown listening to some folk music, eating ice cream, and walking around the beautiful gardens.

Tonight we spent the night cleaning out the van as we are hoping to trade it in and get something a little more reliable. I can't believe that the Kia is just over 5 years old and already falling apart. Then again we also put on 100k in the five years that we've owned it. Just don't think it is worth putting that many more dollars into it. Crazy isnt it?

Life ....

So we just got back from a weekend in northern Wisconsin with my family over 4th of July. Crazy crazy crazy. Mom and Dad are in the process of building a log cabin up there. For those that don't know, last year their cabin burned down with a lightening strike. Well their new home is gorgeous, but still needs to have the finishing work done on it. We laid nearly 1500 sq feet of flooring and the boys build a new dock.

So life here in Michigan...

Not sure where I fit in yet. I don't know many people and I truly miss my family and friends back in Wisconsin. My cell phone bill really shows it. I've even added 5000 txt msgs to my cell just so I can stay in touch without a million phone calls.

Life ending in Wisconsin

My life as I know it will be ending soon as I move out of my house of 4 years. Here I am at 30 years old and starting over again. We have had our house on the market for 6 1/2 months and an offer came in on Saturday. We grabbed it and ran with it, just to find out today that the buyers financing wasn't what he made it out to be, so we are working with them to try and make the offer still work. We will be losing out on money, but in the end we need to decide if it is more important to get the family together or lose a little bit of money. I choose family. In the end that is what I always decide.

About us...we've been married for 8 1/2 years and have renovated 2 homes now in that timeframe. We've also had 4 beautiful children ages 6, 4 1/2, 2 1/2 and 7 1/2 months old. They keep us busy night and day. Even when they are sleeping I am keeping busy. Like right now I am blogging, checking email, paying bills and a few other things.

Life around here starts about 5 or 6 am when the sun comes up and first potty stops are made and ends around 11 or midnight. Patrick is in school, kindergarten, and loving it. We are having some testing done to help him in school. We are trying to complete it before the end of the school year so that we have something to work with next year. I can't tell you how much of a failure I feel as both a mother and an educator knowing that I can't even help my own child learn and that he is so far behind.

Anyways Patrick goes to school at 8. I have my nephew dropped off here nearly every day around 730am to play with the kids. By 8 am everyone else is up for the day, in fact most days breakfast is done by 715 and we are moving onto morning snack by 830-9am. between 11 and 3 it is naptime around here. No they dont sleep that long. The kids are up and down the whole time, but we attempt at least 1 hr of sleep. By 430-6pm my nephew gets picked up and we start dinner, homework, baths and getting ready for the next day. At 7pm the kids all head to bed. And I finally get a few hrs of quiet to myself.

Well I need to get back to some things around here....more on life and the house later