When does school start back up?

Not soon enough. Keeping all 3 of the kids from killing each other has taken up most of my energy. Every two seconds someone is screaming that Emmy took their toy or Emmy is screaming because they won't share. It is so friggin hot out that I don't want to take them to a park but it is obvious that they NEED to get out. They do go swimming but it is hard because I have to sit there and watch them when I could be doing other things.

This whole thing has me uninspired and makes Charles mad at me. He says he is tired of seeing me mope around. I am just giving up on this week. Tomorrow is the 4th and we don't have much planned. We may go to my BILs and hang but it is really difficult cuz they have an ungated pool so it really isn't relaxing for me. After being at my brothers (Emmy tried to jump in the jacuzzi without her floaties on) I just don't feel like chasing her around for hours. Plus their pool has different levels and you can't see the surface of the water very well. Stressfull.

Things to look forward to. I am getting a cut and color that is lonnnnnng over due on thursday night. Maybe that will lift my spirits. Plus Charles is taking the boys with him to Fresno Friday morning to visit his best friend for the weekend. So a little less fighting for a couple of days. I also have Friday to look forward to kinda. I have book club and since Charles will be gone Emmy is going to spend the night at my MILs. But I do have to make a pasta salad that they will all like which is hard because a couple of them only eat organic and one is a vegetarian so I am really struggling with finding a recipe that they will all find suitable.

So in conclusion I am feeling blahhhh but am hoping that next week will be a new beginning and I will get out of this funk. And I also hate this friggin heat. The end.

Down by the sea

Camping pics

We took the boys camping and they had a blast. So did I. I had a lot of peaceful quiet moments by the lake, stream and in the trailer. It was heaven and have now become my "happy place" that I go to when the kids are driving me bonkers. In the last photo of Michael by Mack lake it looks just like one in the previous post. Must be a popular place to stop and take a photo.

Emmy did very well with her grandma. In fact she was so well behaved that my MIL says she doesn't believe any of my monster stories. She thinks I am nuts. I told her she was so well behaved because she was getting everything she wanted but my MIL doesn't buy it. Oh well.

We are scheduled to go back at the end of August and take Emmy with us. Maybe grandma will want her again. We'll see.

Gone Campin!

This is where I will be for the next 4 days. The Eastern Sierra Nevada, specifically Rock Creek Lake. I have my book, Elephants for Water, and I am going to sit by the lake while the boys fish. I also have a nice bottle of petite sirah in the trailer along with a bottle of Tequila. Oh and baileys to go with the hot chocolate. Emmy is staying behind and I am sad cuz I know I will miss her. But it will be better for the boys and me. She is a lot to handle and we really want to get in some good hikes. So so long for now and hopefully I get some nice pics.

Fathers day.

The kids had a blast at my brothers. I'll let the pics speak for themselves.

Bitter sweet.

Well the boys graduated this week and are now first graders. It was bitter sweet. Kindergarten had become so familiar and it was really hard, especially for Michael, to leave. At their school the kindergarten is kind of separate from the rest of the school, with its own playground and lunch tables. Michael is quite sad that he won't be able to play there next year. He is also going to miss his teacher but is comforted by the fact that we will walk by her class every morning and he can say hi. Poor Anthony doesn't have that luxury because his teacher is moving to Loveland, Colorado. So he is sad too but not as emotional as Michael. We were very fortunate to have such great and caring teachers. So I am gonna miss them too and hopefully we are as lucky for first grade.

Michael

Anthony

Michael and his teacher

Anthony and his teacher

Book Club

I was invited into a book club about 5 months ago by my old neighbor Jill. I have really enjoyed it because it has made me start reading again. I love the way a good book can take you to far away places and introduce you to new cultures and people. Anyway this last book was my choice. I chose Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. It was terrific. I loved it.

























Since I chose the book I hosted the meeting. I did a chinese theme. Here is how my dining room looked. I even found a paper lantern.























Here are the place settings. I gave
each member a chinese book mark, chop sticks and a chinese wine charm.



















The evening went really well. Everyone brought a chinese appetizer or dish. We drank this wonderful petite sirah by Oak Grove and also some cranberry lemondade and vodka. A very relaxing and enjoyable evening.