Updates....

Further to my earlier post: We went to Augusta to visit my in-laws last weekend. It was hot and I couldn't find a cheap blow up pool at Target, so in the spirit of being 'frugal' (which I am not as good at these days), I picked up this tub on clearance ($4.96). I figured it would have multiple uses....toy storage, beer cooler (can you guess how many beers this thing could hold?), and swimming pool / water fun for this past weekend. It worked! We had a great visit with the in-laws just relaxing around the house and playing with the kids.

Work is keeping me very busy these days, John, too. He has been dealing with an issue with an employee that hopefully is over, but has been draining him for almost two weeks. We've decided to try to go visit family soon so if you are in MD-be on the lookout for us around July 4.

Other than that, everyone is healthy. J has FINALLY started to go on the potty, so he goes to school in underpants....that is the only way he is going to learn. He has only had one accident each day so far this week, which is pretty good for a kid that seemed like he would never go on the potty. He is still very nervous about it-not sure why, but all we can do is reassure him and give lots of CANDY. Whatever works!

Redneck swimming pool

'Nuf said....

Its Summertime...

and in HOTlanta that means its hot. I am actually glad that I don't have to slug the kids around in this heat this summer-we're already having a whopping 97 degree day as of 1:30. They say we may hit 100 today. If this is what June looks like, I cannot imagine August.

School is out-I think this was the second week (last day was Friday before Memorial Day). We've been enjoying the pool, Vacation Bible School, and the normal Summer stuff. T and J are finally at the same place for 'daycare' (for T they call it camp), which is nice when it comes time to pick them up, only one stop. I am working 'summer hours' at Coke, which means an extra hour M-Th and 'off' by noon Friday. Love it. Last week, John and I saw Jimmy Buffet Thursday night, and I spent my Friday afternoon at the movies-Sex and the City was great. I still got to pick the kids up early Friday, but convinced them that we didn't need to go to the pool that evening because we were all exhausted, so we enjoyed the evening with some munchies, beers (no, not for the kids!) and an early bedtime. I thought it wouldn't feel like summer since I am working, but I'm just fine with it. I think it would be great to only work 4 days/week, but the summer hours thing is working great for me. John has had a successful few months at work, being named District Sales Manager of the month two months in a row. He would have won again this month, however, he missed it by just a bit.

For those that are curious, we did list our house on the market 3 weeks ago. Not much activity at all. The $400K range isn't exactly common 'round these parts. We do have a beautiful home and we are not anxious to leave it, but if we're going to make a move, we had hoped it would be before school starts (Aug 6). It hasn't left us too pressured to keep the house clean all the time, because we rarely get lookers, but that, too is OK. As John put it, "I'd be more unhappy if we had lots of lookers and no offers". Good point, John. We'll just let fate take over here. We have seen price declines in the area that leave us a little concerned, but not too much, as we still see this as a very nice place to live....just far from our work. Since I work from home two days a week, and John is somewhat flexible with his hours, though, it is tolerable.

The kids are adorable. Well, T is toughening up, but she needed to...a little. She is still a great kid, I think a lot of her problem is not enough sleep. She is a total fish in the water--wants to swim for hours--reminds me of myself in the pool at that age. Sometimes, the sassiness wears at us-she says things like "I want a step Mom" and "You are horrible parents" (things I think she must have heard at school or 'camp'), but I don't feel guilty. I just try to tell her we are working hard to provide for her and we are parenting her the best way we know how. I hope she knows that-I think she'll look back, just as John and I do and think that our parents did a good job. Heck, parenting isn't easy.

J has surprised me-the structure of daycare has been good for him. We give him the countdown to 'family day' and he looks forward to our weekends filled with family activities. These days that includes cookouts with friends, and casual meetings at the pool for the most part. Today, J decided he liked swimming and had a blast in the pool. He is really talking up a storm, and cracks us up with the things he says. He is a very particular kid-example: yesterday at a birthday party, he waited for 15 minutes at the table for the cake. when it came out, it was hard as a rock ice cream cake. I tried to cut it into pieces and the kid threw an unexpected fit. He wanted the cake back in one piece! I finally had to shove some in his mouth and only once he tasted it did he decided that it was too good to miss. Another mistake this 'horrible' parent will never make again-I should NEVER have tried to help him. "I do it myself" is big with him these days.

Here are a few pics from the last few weeks:

Taylor Nicole's birthday party--can't believe she is 7! The party was a luau theme at the neighborhood pool . That is the party where I created the ice cream cake disastaer.

The kids in the bath last night--this brought forth those awesome belly laughs for hours! The kids at the pool-no, neither kid is looking at me. I tried, but it is impossible, and the bright sunshine didn't help these blue-eyed kids.

J in his froggie towel. Too cute.

I'll try to blog more....I don't know where the month of May went.