the fun and the not so fun

Whoa boy. Did I tell you the Air conditioner did die? I forget you see because I tend to update on facebook more lately. It seems to fit my attention span better. Well anyway remember that post about our dying air conditioner and my plan to never use it. Well texas weather killed that plan and we used the air conditioner until one night it just quit.

Turned out the previous owners owned a german shephard and considered A/C filters optional and the unit was full of hair - so besides the broken cooling coil our entire unit was only functioning at about 20% - hence the $350 electric bill last month even though the A/C was never set below 80!

This has plunged me in a depression - that I am fighting. I am fighting it in a somewhat cooler home but to pay for the A/C unit we are still doing our best to not use it. So frustrating to pay for something that you work hard to not use.

A silver lining is that Kyle's company starting this month will pay 100% of our health insurance premium. So we are doing what we have needed to do for a long time and we are shopping for Life insurance that is not connected to a job. Yuck, yuck, and more yuck - new air conditioner and shopping for life insurance....

Now for the fun part:

My mom got me this book:

It has really motivated me and I have tried more ideas than I even thought I would.
I got this book that CJane recommended. And so far its a little too wordy but I am looking forward to the second half of the book - yes I sneaked and read ahead a little.
And my mom saw the swordplay game on the Wii Resort on the morning news and thought the kids would enjoy it so much she pre-ordered it on Amazon in the midst of her vacation. Amazon is so cool, it was ordered on Saturday and was here before lunch yesterday. We were all up until 10 playing it last night - its very, very cool. We personally LOVE the Ping-Pong and Archery.

And if you were wondering, even though you probably weren't - I am loving my google calender - its SO organized and Kyle is still updating it from work - its like we are on the same page. LOVE IT

More Picture Pages

this is awesome - I like having a party

Yummy

I don't think I can eat all of this

A girl and her toys:



She LOVES this truck Nana sent. It was her Daddy's when he was a boy. - Every girl should have a tonka truck!

Picture pages...

Happy Birthday Maiya

Boo-Boo came to visit for her birthday too!

How thrilled does Benjamin look?

the boys chillin

our cabin

Benjamin and Ella doing some Karaoke at the Family Reunion

Anxiously awaiting his turn to belt out another Taylor Swift song

Twilight Camp

HE GOT ONE IN!!

hey mom did you get a picture of that?

Sorry blog.

Its the blog days of summer.

I try, big emphasis on try, to have a schedule with the kids. That leaves little time for blogging.

I am also getting organized and trying hard to go paper free. So I have been spending computer time at the computer getting our calendar on this: http://www.google.com/calendar - I love google, even though I fear it could really take over my life - it runs my blog, my email, and now my calendar - it could start telling me where to go and who to talk too, scary. But despite my big brother fears. Kyle updated the calendar from work today and I was overcome with emotion - he has a calendar phobia so that was awesome. If I had an iphone my calendar would sync up with that too - oh the day...

I am now sitting here to play with Springpadit.com - to organize all my info - like to- do lists, fav restaurants, and more I'll tell you more once I know I like it. I think I will because now Kyle can see my honey-do list from work. (wait he may decided not to come home from work after all)

I am also going to throw away old manuals because of this site : ManualsMania.com

and I may try this one too - bugmenot.com, a website that shares log-ins to websites that force you to register.

found all these ideas in this issue of Woman's Day - a magazine I enjoyed in a hot, hot bath.

PS. I think facebook may be winning in the blog vs. social networking war.

oh Jon, Jon, Jon...

you look steeewwwpid.

Oh my sweet Cora

you came just when we needed you. You bring complete joy to this family. Holding you relieved the stress in a difficult year.

Your brother adores you. You turned your sisters into two little mommies. You make your Daddy swoon. And you make my heart ache the good ache.

tomorrow you turn one.

Happy Birthday angel.

Glad I know how to kiss...

because Kyle deserves lots of kisses. Friday I had a fit - I have been frustrated with the state of affairs in the house: layout, paint color, decorating, etc . Budget be damned --I wanted to paint!!and I said "hey we could build a desk over in that spot and get rid of this big desk. So with an $18 dollar sheet of MDF -- LOOK WHAT KYLE MADE ME!!!!!!! I love it already even though its still not quite done!!!!!!

The first pic is a very old school before picture to compare!

Before

After!

How to Kiss

Many people have been kissed but only 9 out of 11 have been kissed the right way!

Subject: One boy and one girl

Recipe: Put your arms around her shoulders and waist until she relaxes. Then kiss in the following way:

a. A peck (little kiss)

b. Library kiss (a lot of volume)

c. Fish kiss (don't come up for air)

Process: The girls hands should be tight on his chest, he tightens his arms around her waist. If she doesn't raise her chin, raise it for her, until she will put her arms around his neck. ..........

A kiss should be silent.

Don't be bashful

Don't hold the girl too tightly

Laws:

A. Always respect the girl you kiss

B. If you can't kiss right, don't kiss at all

C. Remember, "Practice makes Perfect"

D. This sport is best done in the dark, especially if she is ugly

E. Motto: Kiss when you please, buy please when you kiss.

Are you dying laughing? I was when I found this in Aunt Beth's school days memorbilia from the 40's - I have all of Aunt Beths photos and keepsakes as well as My grandmother's and great-grandmothers. Its a lot of cool stuff. All of it was spread across my dining room table recently and I had piles reserved for blogging - awesome pictures especially - my great-grandfather and Aunt beths husband were both avid photographers, and there is something about old pictures that make me melt in awe. BUT............ Life got in the way and I boxed it all lest the kids spread them all over the house again.

And now we are painting and building our own built in desk and the house is in such mess its not even funny. I mean its REALLY. REALLY. BAD.

So I just thought I would blog about the kissing thing before I box it up too. Wish me luck in the futher cleaning and purging and organizing.

here is the actual directions on how to kiss -

Free Range kids

After an afternoon of swimming I had, had, had to return some books to the library. I pulled up in front of Frisco Library with Cora sleeping soundly and Maiya sleeping in a funny position but also sleeping soundly. I only had one stroller with me so I faced a dilemma. I also had DVD's which you have to return inside.

I asked Benjamin if he thought he could quickly take the books back inside for me. But he and Ella both started protesting saying they really, really, really wanted to check out one more book. so I debated and decided they could go in with each other old school buddy system style, return the books, go upstairs pick out ONE more, do self check-out and come back out to the van. THEY WERE THRILLED!!! I gave Ella my watch, and then re-preached the stranger danger schpeal and said be back in 15 minutes.

I sat there with the two sleeping ones see-sawing between being really proud of myself and being scared to death. Then.....

Maiya woke up screaming I have to PEE NOWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!! - so I scooped up a sleeping baby and put her in the single stroller and ran into the building with Maiya in hand. I had to find the kids before they went to the parking lot looking for me. So I scanned downstairs then headed to the elevator and pushed the button. The doors opened and Benjamin and Ella were standing there - Ella holding the watch very seriously. As soon as they laid eyes on me I got the "OHHHH MOM - WHY DID YOU COME IN??????? We are FINE!!!!!!!!!!!!"

So I have more to say but Cora is upstairs calling for me - the interrupted afternoon nap means she is back up at 11.

If you want to read more about Free- Range Kids check this site out: http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/

I especially like the For or Against page. I am officially struggling to give my kids freedom - they deserve it.