nothing important!

-summer time is here!

- yesterday the junior high had an awards ceremony- I went not knowing if my boys were getting anything, but they both got honors, and Ben got top mark in Social Studies! Jack also got second place in the science fair and got a back pack with some goodies in it- like a family pass for 4 to our local museum. I guess we have to pick which kids to bring! haha

-I love when a family pass really means a family pass- no matter how many kids you have! not everyone has only 2 kids. there are some crazy parents out there who have more- like maybe 5!

I know, crazy!

-the picture I selected (with your help) of the girls is waiting to be picked up- hopefully today I can get it and put it in the frame! so exciting!

-I started a button reward thingy for the summer- the kids earn buttons by doing jobs, and even brushing their teeth-- (because I know in the summer some things just get forgotten) then they can cash them in for candy and other such stuff.

some kids went gung ho, like for instance, Jed, who kept asking me what he could do for more buttons. and others not so much. like ben. who brushed his teeth. thank goodness for that!

could be interesting!

- we will see how excited they are about it today. I think it might fizzle out soon, so I am trying to come up with all the things I have put off and not done in a long time- like Jed scrubbed down the table and chairs good, and Jack filled in nail holes in the window casings, (and will hopefully paint them today!) I need to start thinking of some good jobs for today.

the last day

This is how Jack feels today.

(he is just suppressing the joy!)

-actually this is more how I feel today.

5 kids home all day, every day. yikes!

this is how Jack really feels-
and how I feel about sleeping in- and not having to wake up kids every day!

it will be good.

(and Jack is such a good sport!)

drab to fab!

I was a little excited when I saw this picture and frame at a garage sale!

but it wasn't priced.

(why can't people price their stuff? I hate having to ask how much stuff is, so I generally just don't buy anything! -am I the only one?)

but for this item I asked. the lady said $5.

sold.

is it not lovely?

no, not really.

the frame is actually a plastic. it is so light!

so, I grabbed some red spray paint I already had-

(plus I just couldn't decide on another color- I wanted to paint it something fun.

I can always repaint later. when I decide on a super fun color.)

and I sprayed that frame.

then I painted over the picture-

with some chalkboard paint.

and now the girls have a gorgeous chalkboard hanging in their room.

(I love Maggie's butterflies. whenever she asks me what she should draw, I always say butterflies! love.)

someday I want to hang it somewhere more central, and put different quotes,

or birthday messages,

or menus,

or other such fun stuff,

but for now,

it will hang in the girls room!

fun stuff indeed.

a poll

so, I want to get an enlargement made for the girls room, and was considering one of these 2 pictures, but I am not sure which one I like more.

I would love some more opinions, so please, let me know which one you like the most, by telling me

1. (which is this one)
or 2.

(which would be this one!)
thanks for helping an indecisive girl out!

oh, the gall

(picture from prettysmartblog.wordpress.net)

so, our city has decided to help "revitalize the down town core" and have a big old city wide garage sale on Saturday.

of course this saturday.

when we need to be gone - two different places most of the day,

a cousins baptism, chief scout award ceremony, both in the morning,

the kids piano recital in the afternoon.

sheesh. all good things, to be sure, but lots of garage sales, and even tables lining the streets! you never know what you might find.

I will console myself by thinking it is all worthless junk.

(and maybe I will go out this afternoon, and see if I can find any that are starting early!)

lesson learned

well, I learned a lesson this weekend-

(and I think my kids did too)

that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

even though looking back, yes, it was silly, I did it, and will share, just so you all don't make the same mistake- even though I know you are all smarter than me, and never would in the first place, but just don't make fun of me, okay?

so, on the radio I heard and ad-

something about your kid starring in the latest movie, or tv show, and call this 1-800 number, and get a slot to come and try out- etc, etc.

well, as a kid, I think I might have loved that chance (or not, I was kind of shy) but I thought it would be so fun to try..

so I called, and got a slot,

so on Saturday, Jed and Sadie and Maggie and I dressed up nice- just like they told us,

and headed out.

the line was big, the room was full.

it seemed pretty professional.

the kids had to read a little 'commercial' thing while they taped it, to see how they were in front of a camera.

Sadie was not so good. read the paper- didn't look up,

but Jed rocked it. he has some talent!

they said they would call everyone the next day to see if you made the cut, and they wanted some to come back and do another try the next day.

Jed was stoked.

I got home, really read the pamphlet they handed out, checked the website, did some googling,

and yep- I think it was all a scam. they said it was for an acting school- you pay some money, and they will teach you how to become an actor, then you may get some great parts.

but the funny thing was, nowhere was there any info about where this school, or classes were. when? no clue. who is teaching? nothing. suspicious.

so anyways,

I was not surprised to receive no call the next day.

I hope they were found out, and run out of town.

but- you were supposed to take 2 pictures of your kids there- so I did get a nice shot of Jed.

so there you go. if you ever hear that ad, just ignore it.

and maybe Jed will be discovered by a real agency some day.

you never know.

and there you go.

to good to be true.

sunny day

the sun is shining today!

(it has been far too long)

I think I am going to hang out outside for most of the day-

to soak up some fantastic vitamin D!

and play with this sweet little girl
we went to a little kindergarten open house thing yesterday, so the kids could look around-

man, she is so ready.

I thought I was, but it might be harder than I thought.

at least I have all summer to get tired of her!

haha.

wants

I want my kids to be kinder to one another.

not sure how to get that to come about- I feel like I am constantly telling them to stop, or to be nice, or to treat others like you want to be treated. it's just not sinking in too far.

I want my kids to be good kids,

but this is what I am stuck with-

hoodlums.

yikes.

(jk- he picked up the paint can from the ground, and was just pretending. they are actually pretty good kids!)

mess

The weather is so messed up lately,

-very much like my house.

I can't do anything about the weather,

but I can do something about my house.

so-today my sticky floors will be mopped,

my laundry mountain will be tackled,

and my vacuum will get a nice work out.

and by the time Cory gets home from work, I am pretty sure my house will look like I didn't do a thing to it.

yuck.

but at least I will not stick to the floor for a little while.

that will be nice.

I had better get on it.

busy

I feel like I have been so busy lately.

busy knitting, and crocheting, getting things ready for a special event,

-my craft room is a serious disaster, I can hardly get in it without tripping over something, but once this thing is done with, I can focus on cleaning.

okay, not totally, but enough that it is safe to walk in! yikes.

-today the sun actually shone, so I went out and planted some tomatoes!- I bought them last week, but it has been raining- (and snowing) and frosting, so I hadn't planted them yet. I am hoping for warm weather from here on out!

I can hardly wait for them to grow!
(these are obviously not mine- but hopefully mine will be just like them in a couple of months)

and last week my neighbor came over and helped with our garden- cleaning out the old stuff- she is such a great lady. she kept raving about our dirt. apparently it is pretty nice.

so today I also planted some carrots, radishes, onions, zucchini, cucumbers- and a pot of herbs.

I really hope they all grow. In the past stuff in our back garden hasn't really grown well- I don't think it gets enough sun- but it could have just been all those weeds choking them out!

my fingers are crossed.

seminary is over- yay!

so I am up later reading! and sleeping in later. so nice.

the calendar is getting filled up with end of the year school stuff. so fun. and busy.

good times around here!