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8/10/2011	I am working on a new website so stay tuned . . . It will be more of a blog with pictures in the posts rather than a separate journal and photo album. Smelly Diapers will stay as is but I won't update it any longer and all new entries will soon be on the iveyweb site. I am hoping it will be live tonight!
8/8/2011	The girls had an 8:15 tee time this morning for the Junior Holes so I woke them up at 7. They were pretty excited and I read in in the clubhouse while they golfed. We didn't really have enough time to come home afterwards so we did some shopping at a nearby store until their 11am class. It was their last one so they had to take a test, play a game, and use their birdie bucks to buy something from the store. They spent the afternoon playing barbies while I attempted to unpack and declutter the house.
8/7/2011	We woke up before the girls today! They slept until 9 (Julia had slept until almost 10 yesterday)so it is going to be hard to get them switched around to a school schedule. We ate breakfast, visited Scott's grandma, and said good bye to my parents. Of course first the girls had to catch four more frogs! We fit in a snack at Twist Cone, packed up and left for home. It was almost 7 when we got home and Julia just HAD to look for frogs again so she and Scott headed to the park with a bucket but didn't have any luck. Callie and I found a cicada while they were gone so we put that in a bug house and then it was time for bed!
8/6/2011	Even though we didn't have kids waking us up, we still didn't sleep in that long - the downside of getting old - ha! We picked up coffee and headed to my parents to get the girls. They had picked corn at my uncles, ate supper, caught frogs, and played some games before bed so they had a great night. We took them back to Iveys, finished getting ready, and headed back to the motel for the dinner and dance. The second night never seems to be quite as fun so we ended up leaving about 9:30 and headed to a bar to see our friend's band play. The girls enjoyed going to Scott's aunts to catch more frogs and see their great-grandparents. They also had time to fit in a bike ride since we brought their bikes and ate fried noodles and watermelon for supper - which apparently they both really liked!
8/5/2011	Scott took today off so he was able to help pack and get ready to head out of town. We were finally ready by one and dropped the girls off at my parents as soon as we got to town. We ate a quick dinner with Scott's parents and headed to the social night for his 20th class reunion. It was fun to see some of his friends again, although unfortunately they had a very poor turnout. Nevertheless, it ended up being a very late night!
8/4/2011	Finally the girls had fun feathers put in their hair! Callie picked blue and a bright green while Julia picked blue and pink. It was the local Girl Scout Day at Wild Water West so I took the girls as well as two others from Julia's troop for the afternoon. We were home in time for an early supper and both girls went to bed early so will be rested for our weekend trip to Aberdeen.
8/3/2011	I woke the girls up for their appt. at Stewarts only to find out they also didn't have any fun colors of feathers. UGHH! I spent almost an hour on the phone calling places until I finally found a salon that promises she will have fun colors tomorrow. The girls also had an orthodontist appointment today. Callie is still in and wait and see mode but we found out Julia is ready for sometime of expander to help her crossbite. They made a mold today and we meet with the Dr. in two weeks to discuss which kind will best meet her needs. Either way it sounds like it will be costing quite a bit of money - yuck!!
8/2/2011	Callie went to crafts this morning while I took Julia to see Tara. The girls were very excited to get their hair cut today and to get feathers. However once we got their they realized they only had brown and black feathers left, no fun colors. Julia was SO disappointed that my hair stylist put a reddish brown one just to tide her over. She even called me tonight to let me know Stewarts School does them cheaper so made an appointment for the girls tomorrow.
8/1/2011	Oh my goodness - it is August!! I can't believe school is just around the corner. Julia is hoping her teacher assigment comes in the mail this week. They had golf today and it was another very hot day. However it went so much better afterwards - probably because we put Julia back on her medication. She is not ready to be off of it and life is too short to deal with that misery. I am glad we tried because now I feel more confident that she does need it so hopefully I won't start second guessing again. The girls and I headed to the pool after supper while Scott studied for a test he is taking soon.
7/31/2011	The girls slept in until 9:30 this morning so I was glad they caught up a little bit! Scott and Julia went to a movie after lunch so Callie and I went shopping. I forgot to tell you that Callie got a note in the mail yesterday telling us she had been placed in all advanced classes so we were excited to hear that. Of course she is more anxious to find out her real schedule, but we have to wait a few more weeks for that.
7/30/2011	It was a late night but we had to leave town by 10 so everyone was up and ready to eat breakfast by 9. We said our goodbyes and headed back to town. Unfortunately our coffee stop and construction made it so we were getting too close to 1pm to head home first so Scott dropped me off at school where I was meeting a teacher. I helped her set up her classroom library. Scott and the girls took a bike ride and Charlie dropped off Miley for us on his way to town. They picked me up at 5 and everyone was pretty exhausted so we all had early bedtimes.
7/29/2011	The girls woke up early just to decorate the kitchen with streamers and cards they had made for our 16th anniversary! Scott had taken the day off so we both watched their last day of swimming together and both girls passed their level so they were excited. We headed home to pack the car, dropped Miley off at Charlie & Gloria's and were on our way to NE for my cousin's wedding. After checking in the motel we found my parents and went swimming. The girls showered and got ready while I ordered pizza so we could eat a quick supper before the 7pm ceremony. The girls came with for that but then we dropped them off at my aunt's house with some other kids to play. She had a babysitter there for them and we were able to enjoy the reception.
7/28/2011	Julia had to tread water for three minutes today in swimming - she was tired out from that! They both finished up testing today since tomorrow is their last day. I dropped the girls off and went shopping by myself - it was fun and they had a good time playing. I picked Mary up from the mall when she got off work and we went out for supper and a few drinks so Scott took the girls for ice cream and put them to bed.
7/26/2011	Callie had to tread water for 10 minutes today! For three minutes they were only allowed to use their feet - no hands. Julia started to learn how to dive from the side of the pool while kneeling and she did a great job! This afternoon we met Kim and her girls at the pool. Last week we thought our new snail had died but now these last few days he is moving all over the place - it is crazy!
7/25/2011	The girls had swimming and golf this morning and of course, Julia was super crabby so I could tell the day was going to be a treat. My parents were getting ready for my mom's dr's appt so we said our good-byes and left. Callie had to dive to the bottom of the 11 foot section to get diving sticks today and they did surface dives as well. We rushed to golf with some tantrums from Julia but got there in time. We have been trying to decrease her medication the last two weeks and it doesn't appear to be going well so I feel like she is probably not ready yet. Julia had more issues at home for the rest of the day so I was really burned out by the time Scott came home. She and Callie were playing well by the time supper came around but when it was time to clean up we had issues all over again. She was in bed by 8 so I hoping some sleep will help tomorrow.
7/24/2011	We slept in until 8 and the morning was much cooler so we packed up the truck, enjoyed breakfast, and went on another bike ride before heading home. Meanwhile Scott and Julia went out for breakfast and she ate two huge pancakes in no time flat so Scott wondered if I had remembered to feed her while camping - ha! My parents came to town around 2 so we were showered and unpacked just in time for their arrival! Julia had just went to a friend's house but she came back in time for us to go eat at Granite City. We drove around and showed them Callie's new school and then had dessert at Cherry Berry.
7/23/2011	We woke up at 7:30 and it was already 85 outside and felt like 100 in the tent! Julia was crabby for the entire day so it was NOT fun. It was too hot for biking and too hot for playing so I wasn't sure how we were going to last. The zoomobile from Sioux Falls was at the campgrounds next to us at 9am so we drove over there after breakfast and it was in the shade so that was fun. They were able to pet a lizard, turtle, and ferret and even got a free t-shirt! We headed back to our site and ended up eating a picnic lunch early and went to the beach by 11. We were tired out by 2 so we headed to town to shop in the a/c and grab some ice cream. At 4 the campgrounds had a craft so the girls made nature ornaments and Scott and Miley joined us. He was about as thrilled as Julia with the heat so we grilled an early supper, visited, and he decided to head back home and took Julia with him. Callie and I really enjoyed our evening. We went on a bike ride and had our campfire with smores. We stayed up late and visited by the fire. We had a breeze for sleeping so it was a little better and Scott had brought me a second fan too so that helped as well.
7/22/2011	Julia jumped off the diving board - her first time without a life jacket! She was so happy she had to call Scott to tell him. Callie is diving off the diving board but she said she prefers the side of the pool. After lessons, we grabbed lunch from McDonalds, let the dog out and loaded the coolers and then took off for Yankton. It was hot when we got there so we were very sweaty by the time the tent was up but the girls were a great help. We headed to the beach and swam all afternoon and through supper. We went back to our site around 7 and I grilled pizzas while the girls played on the hammock. We ate and hung out until 9 which is when the movie started. We walked over and they had free popcorn and icees so that was really fun. The bugs weren't bad at all so besides the heat it was a fun evening. We decided to skip the fire and instead play games in the tent, something the girls really like to do. They went to bed around 10:30 and I only brought one fan so I let them have it which meant it was a hot, long night for me.
7/21/2011	I got us a camping reservation for the weekend so after swimming lessons today we packed and went shopping to get all of our things ready for the weekend. The girls went to bed early so they would be ready for our trip tomorrow.
7/20/2011	Callie had to do the survival float today for 10 minutes and she did great. Having only three girls in her class is really allowing her more one on one time and her diving is improving so I am excited! Julia is also starting to learn some new strokes and doing very well. We headed to the pool this afternoon with Dena and the kids.
7/19/2011	Swimming lessons again and then we came home so the girls could play while I went grocery shopping. We received some sad news that one of Callie's classmates had an older sister die yesterday from a boating accident. Quite a few moms called and texted me about it - it is something so very difficult to imagine. Callie's girl scout troop had a last get together planned this afternoon at Wild Water West so the girls all talked about it there. The heat index was 111 so it was a great day to be there! I let Julia bring a friend so she had fun too. We stayed until 8 and then took the girls home. It was late by the time the girls showered and got to bed so I am guessing tomorrow morning will not be fun at my house.
7/18/2011	Swimming lessons started this morning so the girls were up early and packed their things for golf as well since there is no time to come home in between. Callie and Gillian are in level five and there is only one other girl in their class so they should get lots of one on one instruction. Julia and Adam are in level three together so Dena and I are able to watch them all together. We hurried to golf afterwards and it was very hot so the girls had water with them at all times and they also had sprinklers running for them to run through to cool down occaisionally. They didn't allow anyone to stay after lessons to golf the juinor course because of the heat. We headed home for lunch and a short break and then it was time for Callie's library class. This week was an entry level computer programming so she was very excited. Julia and I went to a cookie shop for a snack and then we checked out books at the library while we waited.
7/17/2011	Today was a pretty lazy day for all of us. Scott ran a few errands but he couldn't talk any of us into joining him! The girls had no interest in going out for supper either so we ended up having a date night!
7/16/2011	We all slept in until after 11 and luckily had arranged to pick Callie up at noon otherwise one of us would have had to be an adult and get out of bed - ha! Alisha's mom let us use her Wild Water West season passes so we all headed out for some sun. It was HOT and busy but we still had fun. We didn't stay too long since we needed to shower and rest a bit before jazzfest again. The temps were high 90s so it was a bit hard to get out there but once we did the breeze made it bearable. We were all so tired though so we only stayed until about 10, so we missed the last band but we enjoyed the evening anyway.
7/15/2011	The last morning of VBS! Julia was really tired so it was hard to get her excited but she did finally get dressed and was ready to go when Alisha's mom picked them up. The rain finally went away today and it is supposed to start getting very hot. We were excited to head out to JazzFest as soon as Scott got off work. We ate a quick supper, met up with Charlie and Gloria and then we headed out there. We sat with a few other friends as well and enjoyed a night of music. Callie had made plans to meet up with a friend out there and then she went home with them to sleepover but thankfully they let Julia hang out with them at the misting ten and inflatables so we didn't see the kids all that often! Some friends came over afterwards too so it ended up being a late night for us!
7/13/2011	I took the kids to VBS today and picked up again. Alisha headed over to our house for the afternoon so she was quite busy playing which meant I entertained Callie. Having only one friend over at a time does not work for me because the one left out is totally bored and drives me crazy! Tonight was the program so Scott and I went to watch them sing and then we all had ice cream sundaes in the gym.
7/12/2011	The girls had VBS again this morning. They are having a good time making the crafts and playing the games. This is Callie's last year - next year she can be a helper though so she thinks she might like to do that. It was a rainy day today so I told the girls they could have someone over. Callie enjoyed using her own phone to call someone and had Morgan over. Unfortunately Julia couldn't find anyone home so she ended up playing with me all day. After supper we headed to the park for Kid's Night and the girls played games and won prizes.
7/11/2011	I had to wake the girls up for Vacation Bible School this morning but they were excited so got ready quickly. Julia's friend Alisha also signed up so her mom took them today giving me more time to work on my portfolio. The theme this year is Pandamania so I saw lots of pandas and bamboo when I went to pick them up at noon. I had packed their lunches in the car so they ate while I drove them to golf. Luckily golf allowed them to go to the 12:45 class instead of their usual 11am class today. Julia was surprised to see a friend in this class so she had a good time despite the 90 degree temps. Golf was finished at 2 and then we had to drive all the way downtown to the library for Callie's ductigami class. She made a recycled bag out of doritos bags and duct tape - it turned out really cute! We finally made it home after 4. Scott grilled and we enjoyed the evening at home.
7/10/2011	The girls were very excited to get lunch over with so we could head to the neigbors house to enjoy their pool. Scott came with and helped with the cover. We floated around for quite awhile and then Scott decided he needed to head home to study for a certification test he needs to take soon. The girls and I stayed for another hour or so and then their bickering began so I knew the heat was getting to us all (it was 92 with a heat index of 100!) so we headed home to cool off. I made a quick supper and then after some resting time we headed to a park for a play put on by USF students and then attempted to get to bed early so we would be ready for our very busy day tomorrow.
7/9/2011	Scott took the girls to a movie this morning and while they were gone our neighbor came over to invite us to use their pool tomorrow while they are out of town. How awesome is that?! We decided to go out for supper tonight and then headed over to Tom and Ambers for dessert. Jace was very excited to see the girls and he is just so cute to watch because he talks all the time and loves to tell the girls what to do. Lincoln is growing so fast and is doing a really good job sitting up already!
7/8/2011	The girls woke up in time for crafts but it would have been rushed so they decided to just stay home instead. I showed Julia a shower I made from the wood scraps for her motorhome (yes, I was very impressed with myself) and she painted a guitar on the side of it with glitter paint. It is looking pretty neat! We met Dena and her kids at the pool at 3 and then Scott and Brad came after work. Scott brought pizza so we had a picnic by the pool and then stayed until 8!
7/7/2011	Julia had an appointment with Tara this morning but Callie stayed home. We went shopping for a few things for her motorhome afterwards and then headed home. The girls decided to make a barbie house while I went to get groceries so they kept busy all day! Callie's phone came late this afternoon so she was very excited. Oh perhaps I forgot to tell you that Scott and I finally decided to let her pick one out on the condition she helps us pay for it each month. The one she and Scott picked out was offered for free over the fourth so they ordered it. It is pretty fancy looking so I think it was worth the wait. It is not a SMARTphone but it has a touch screen and can access her email when she is on WiFi but we don't have to pay for a dataplan. Of course it needed to be charged so she couldn't do much with it today. After supper we were going to take Scott with us to the pool and just as we were heading to the truck it started sprinkling and thundering. So we had ice cream and worked on the motorhome instead. Julia has decided a rock star and her daughter will live on the bus so it has a very pink and glittery feel to it!
7/6/2011	Scott went back to work today and the girls slept in until after 9 so that was good! They were still crabby but we got involved in a new project so that helped. A long time ago I picked up a dollhouse bus that can be converted into a motorhome so I took that out and we started working on it with the idea that will be Julia's. She picked out the colors and the layout but she doesn't have the interest Callie had in her house. She has painted a few things but then she asks if she can go play and leaves me to finish. Of course I love crafty things so I was in the garage most of the day and night working on this thing - ha!
7/5/2011	We took our truck in this morning and found out that there was something with the power steering that we just had fixed a few weeks ago so they were able to fix it free of charge due to warrenty (phew!). We picked the girls up and they had just gotten out of the hot tub because their time was cut short from the lightning last night. We went out for lunch, headed over to the music store where we rent Callie's violin from so she could upgrade to a bigger size, had twist cone for dessert and finally left town about 4. I really thought the girls would sleep on the way home but they did not so tomorrow shall be interesting. . .
7/4/2011	Happy Fourth of July! The girls slept in and then their great-grandparents headed over to Iveys for a late breakfast so we could visit. A friend picked me up for a late lunch since the truck was leaking something and I didn't want to drive it until it was checked out. After dinner we took the girls out to my parents for a sleepover and and then we came back to Iveys for a movie. It started storming so I was a bit worried about Julia since she generally doesn't sleep well during thunder but apparently she was so tired that she slept right through it.
7/3/2011	The girls went out for breakfast with Scott's parents and then we all met over at their Great-Grandma Ivey's to visit. After lunch we went to my parent's for fireworks, dinner, and more fireworks. Callie had a blast lighting them and she was sure to announce the title of each one beforehand. Julia couldn't handle the mosquitoes so she ended up going inside to watch TV after awhile. The weather was perfect and we ended up not quitting until midnight!
7/2/2011	We headed to Aberdeen this morning for a fabulous fourth of July weekend. We spent some time at each of our parents' houses today - the girls brought their golf clubs so they had to show what they have learned so far.
7/1/2011	It's July!! The girls woke up early enough to head to the park and they made fourth of July decorations so they were excited about that. Just as they got home, Alisha's mom called and invited both of them to Wild Water West. She had two extra passes so Callie really lucked out by being able to go with too. We ate a quick lunch and then she picked them up. They had a wonderful time and Callie even found some friends once she got there so I think Julia and Alisha were glad to ditch her - ha! I packed and enjoyed another day to myself - I must admit that I am feeling very spoiled. After supper we all went out to buy fireworks.
6/30/2011	Of course the girls were wiped out from staying up last night and all our pool time so they slept until almost 10! They were kind of bummed they missed crafts but they cheered up once they found out we would be meeting Dena and her kids at the pool. We enjoyed the very hot afternoon in the water and headed home to grill for supper. The girls went to bed early so they could make it to crafts tomorrow and I went out with Mary after she got off work.
6/29/2011	The girls had their dentist appointment this morning. I had them look at Callie's tooth that had started bleeding on her birthday because it just hadn't looked right after that. He ended up putting some numbing jelly on it and then wiggled it out because it had cracked and was fairly loose anyway. We headed to the pool again this afternoon - a different one this time. Scott and I had a double date tonight so he brought supper home for the girls and then we headed out about 6 to meet them at Mama's Ladas. The girls did great playing and watching TV and Julia was even asleep when we got home! As much as I hate that my girls are growing up so fast, there are also some great benefits!
6/28/2011	The girls slept in too late for crafts so we just had a lazy morning. There was a hot air balloon craft at the library this afternoon so we stopped there for the girls to make that while I found some books for the weekend. Afterwards we headed to the pool and since it wasn't too hot we decided it would be a good day to go to Drake (which is usually super busy!). I just enjoyed my book since I hadn't even brought my suit - it sure is nice now that the girls are a little older! After a quick supper, Scott mowed and I took the girls to the play at the park.
6/27/2011	The girls had golf today and they did some testing. They had to try and hit their ball to a marker. They had six tries and both girls made it once so they were excited about that. We came home for lunch and I made a salad and cookies for tonight and then it was time to take Callie to the library for an origami class she signed up for. This time Julia and I just dropped her off rather than wait becuase it is an hour and half class. Aaron, Alison, and their boys came over around 5:30. They were in town on a mini-vacation and so we had them over for supper. The boys had fun playing in the jeep and with the toys. We grilled and visited and then ended the night with a trip to PeachWave for ice cream. We hadn't seen them for a very long time so it was a fun night!
6/26/2011	Scott had to work today at 8 so he was gone by the time the girls woke up. They had a busy day playing while I worked on cleaning the house. Scott was still working at supper time so we made sandwiches and then was able to meet him at Cherry Berry, our new favorite place for ice cream.
6/25/2011	The girls both slept in today, which they desperately needed! Scott and I walked down to the cell phone store this afternoon to ask a few questions about adding another line. We haven't made any decisions but we are *thinking* about a phone for Callie. She has not exaggerated when she says she is the one of the last kids to not have a phone because I have checked with all the parents. Why 11 years olds need phones is baffling to me but I am feeling peer pressure - ha! We headed out to Erkonens tonight with subs for supper. The kids had a great time playing and we enjoyed adult coversation and beverages!
6/25/2011	The girls both slept in today, which they desperately needed! Scott and I walked down to the cell phone store this afternoon to ask a few questions about adding another line. We haven't made any decisions but we are *thinking* about a phone for Callie. She has not exaggerated when she says she is the one of the last kids to not have a phone because I have checked with all the parents. Why 11 years olds need phones is baffling to me but I am feeling peer pressure - ha! We headed out to Erkonens tonight with subs for supper. The kids had a great time playing and we enjoyed adult coversation and beverages!
6/24/2011	The sun was out finally for their last day of camp! They cooked hot dogs on the fire today for lunch and made dessert as well. Callie was able to spend a long time on the canoes today while Julia worked on a nature craft for her track. They also practiced for the talent show which all the parents were invited to at the end camp tonight. I met Scott out at the lake and Julia was in a skit with two other girls which was really cute and she was actually loud enough to hear! Callie changed her mind at the last minute and said she was in the canoe while her group practiced the dance so she let them go on without her. We stopped at a new (to us) restuarant on the way home for supper but we weren't overly impressed. The girls were both really tired so they showered and headed to bed while Scott had to go back to work for a late night.
6/23/2011	Day Three at camp and finally no rain but it was chilly! Today they spent a little time on the "tracks" they didn't choose so Callie planted a few flowers and Julia went on the canoes. They both went to archery for awhile. They made lunch today to cook on the fire. They had to create a foil bowl, added butter, precooked noodles, and shredded cheese, then closed the bowl and let it cook. Both girls said it was really good. They had taken dunk bags so after eating on their dishes, they put them in the bag, dunked it in a bucket of dishwater and then sat it out to dry. My days have been so strange. I think I work better with kids playing around me because I just keep walking around my house and thinking it is way too quiet. Plus if they were distracting me then I would have a reason why I am not getting my portfolio for school done - now i just have to admit to myself that I am a horrible procrastinator!
6/22/2011	The girls had to choose which "tracks" to follow during camp - they had three choices: Water (canoes, fishing) Land (flowers, nature, worms) and Air (archery, gliders, kites). Julia chose land and Callie chose water. Part of the day Julia planted flowers and played with worms while Callie practiced casting on land and learning about tackle. They also made banana boats for a snack on the fire - split bananas and inserted chocolate chips and marshmallows, wrap in foil (peel still on) and roast. Callie says they were delicious but Julia disagreed. They also had hoop dancing lessons from a Native American so I think they had a fun day, despite the rain (they even had to add tarps to their picnic shelters because the wind was blowing the rain in).
6/21/2011	The first day of Girl Scout Camp! I took them around 8 as the bus leaves the Girl Scout office at 8:30 to take them out to the lake/camp area. It was supposed to rain all day but they lucked out because it only sprinkled a few times. Callie and Julia were in the same "patrol" and Julia was with the rest of her troop -no one in Callie's troop signed up but she already made a friend so that is good! They had a Zumba instructor come out to dance with them, someone talked to them about nature and they made hummingbird feeders, they make clay pinch pots which they will paint later this week, and played lots of games. Today they had packed a lunch and the camp provided snacks. Scott picked them back up at the Girl Scout office after 5 - they had rode the bus back from the camp. At about 3 I was getting anxious for them to get home (can you say BORED - ha!) and so it seemed to take forever. Apparently they had also found a turtle crossing the street so they rescued him and Scott stopped at a nearby pond for them to drop it off at. It was a short evening after supper because they were worn out from their long day!
6/20/2011	The girls were very excited to take their clubs to golf today. They had organized all their pockets with all of their things including a water bottle since it was pretty humid out! I worked on my portfolio and read in the clubhouse today but peeked out once in awhile to see them. They cleaned up their rooms this afternoon and packed their bags for camp tomorrow! They have to take quite a few things each day, including a dunk bag (dishes in a mesh bag) for when they cook on Thursday and Friday.
6/19/2011	Happy Father's Day! The girls slept in late again today so we were very slow to get moving but did take Scott out to Qdoba for lunch (dads ate free there today!). The girls played with water balloons and ran through the sprinklers while Scott tested them all out. We grilled for supper and Julia surprised us all by trying AND liking steak!! The girls had been eating outside by themselves so apparently the no pressure atmosphere works best for her. Afterwards we headed to the driving range so the girls could practice again and I picked up a club at their rummage sale so I can start hitting some balls next time as well.
6/18/2011	Julia was asleep last night by 8pm and she didn't wake up until 9:30 this morning so I guess she really did need to catch up! We all went to Home Depot and met Tom and Jace to make mini toolboxes today. We gave Scott his Father's Day gift early - tickets to the Monster Trucks which were tonight. We went over to Tom and Ambers for cake and then headed home to change and get our things ready for the big night. You could go into the pit and meet the drivers and take pictures by the trucks before the race and Julia was super excited to see a pink truck with a girl driver! The very first thing they did were wheelies and the first truck out ended up flipping over backwards and landing upside down!! Talk about a show stopper - my heart was just racing as it was quite scary. He was fine but they had to work to get his truck flipped over and pulled off the track! All in all it was quite a fun night and the girls got all the drivers' autographs on their racing flags afterwards.
6/17/2011	Callie's last day of middle school camp. They have been racing with mock schedules all week to see if they can find their way to all the classrooms and today they had a scavenger hunt through the school. Julia went over to a friend's today so Callie and I did some shopping and planted some flowers - I am very behind this summer! We grilled for supper and then worked on getting to bed early because we have had a long week with early mornings and no so early bedtimes.
6/16/2011	Happy 11th Birthday Callie! She woke up and we had the kitchen decorated with bows on her bike, just like she was hoping for! We had a few small gifts for her to open and then it was time for her to leave for camp. Alex had a card for her when we picked him up too! Julia and I met Dena and the kids for the play in the park and then we picked Callie and Alex up. After lunch Callie went to a friends house and she had made cupcakes for her. Once Scott got home we enjoyed supper at the Brazilian restaurant and then came home for the cookie cake that Julia and I had made. We even had time for a short bike ride on her new bike.
6/15/2011	Dropped off Callie and Alex at camp again and then Julia and I had to do some last minute birthday shopping for Callie - it is hard to believe it is her birthday tomorrow already! After dropping off Alex and letting the dog out, we met everyone for lunch at Red Lobster and found out some BIG NEWS! Tom and Amber were married this morning. It had been a surprise to Kris as well - she just found out last night. We are very happy for them and the girls told me they were glad that Amber is now their "real" aunt! After everyone left for home, we headed to the driving range with their new clubs and they had some good hits in. After supper we went to pick up Julia's new glasses and Callie's new bike, only to find out her bike had been sold and they weren't getting any others in! It was very disappointing but luckily we thought of one store we hadn't checked (because we have already looked quite a few places and why we just didn't buy that one a few days ago is beyond me) and we found another one! It is a dark shade of pink so we weren't sure she would go for it, but we called it "blush" and she decided she liked it so we were able to end the night on a happy note!
6/14/2011	I took Callie and Alex to "school" today while Julia and I hung out at home. It started raining and then POURING when it was time to get them home. I could hardly see while driving and the streets were flooding - it was crazy. Tom, Amber, the boys, and Kris came over for dinner tonight because she had an appointment in the morning so she stayed over with us. The girls showed off their new golf clubs before heading to bed.
6/13/2011	Callie was so excited about Middle School Camp today! In fact she was sleepwalking and came into our room last night, something she hasn't done since probably kindergarten! I don't know if she was nervous and maybe over-tired but she started babbbling and making no sense and when I told her to go back to bed she laid down in my bed and started to fall back asleep! It was strange but she did finally go back to her room. A neighbor boy's mom picked her up at 8 and brought her home after 12 when it got out. She got to play some games and practice locker combinations among other things. I took Julia to see Tara and then she had golf. They putted today so she had fun. This afternoon Callie had signed up for a digital photography class at the library so we took her there and just stayed and read. She took lots of pictures after they learned different techniques - it sounded fun and it was free so you can't beat that! After supper we went back to Play It Again Sports to buy Julia's used golf club set she found and while we were there Callie found a set and decided she wanted one too. She wasn't sure she had enough money at home to pay us back like Julia did but she figures she will be getting some birthday money soon so we accepted an IOU from her. The funny thing was that Julia's were pink and Callie's were purple - it was like they were made for them! They spent all evening practicing in the yard - even the neighbor boy came down and played too!
6/12/2011	Scott and the girls went shopping today for golf clubs. Julia has really been wanting to buy some with her birthday money (that she has amazingly now spent yet). Even though they let you use clubs she stresses about forgetting to leave her things in the pockets and she just really wants her own. They found a few but he convinced her to think about it a little more. After supper we went to the driving range so they could practice and the course we went to (the one by our house) only had ONE set of junior clubs and it didn't even have a wood! That made us think a little more about getting our own because that is the most convenient place for them to practice - well that and the yard with whiffle balls of course.
6/11/2011	Today Scott took the girls to the XMen movie - they have been watching the other ones all week to prepare for this one so they were all excited. I have no interest in that so I stayed home and worked on photos and their school binders. We went shopping for Julia's new glasses finally - she had her eye appointment in April but we put it off until now - yikes! She found some right away that she loved but they have to order them so it will be a week before she gets them. The color will surprise you - it isn't pink or anything close to it! We headed to the Hot Air Balloon Rally after supper and met Tom and Amber there but after only a few balloons took off, they ended up calling it off because the wind picked up. That was disappointing because there must have been about 30 balloons out there so I had been really excited to see them all launch. South Dakota weather for you I guess. . .
6/10/2011	The girls went down to the craft this morning and made bumblebees out of clay pots. They called me on the way home because their heads kept falling off while trying to scooter back so I walked and met them to carry the bees for them! After supper, we met Tom, Amber, and the boys for ice cream at one of the new self serve yogurt bars and ended up running into Dena, Brad and the kids there.
6/9/2011	The girls all slept in until almost 8am so I was impressed! The pool didn't open until 9 and Julia's friend had to leave for swimming at 9 so Julia was bummed but Callie and Camille played with Julia. We left around 11:30 and I dropped Camille off and then we spent the rest of the day being lazy and resting.
6/8/2011	We went to the play this morning and met Dena and her kids there so that was fun! We headed home for lunch and then I had to leave for a doctor's appointment. The girls packed their bags while I was gone and once I got back we headed to pick up their friends and went to the motel. Earlier this year we had bought a coupon for a night at the waterpark motel in town for $55 but it had to be used during the week. It was for five wristbands so I had each girl invite a friend and we were there at 3pm to check in. Of course they informed me that the coupon was in Scott's name so he had to be the one to check in. They wouldn't take his word over the phone - he had leave work and drive all the way across town to sign the papers. I was so angry and at the same time it made me feel like I was in the 50s and my husband had to come approve my stay in the motel. UGHH! Once we got in the kids had a blast in the pool until supper. Scott met us for pizza and kept me company for awhile but then left for home. I swam with the girls for awhile but they really didn't need my company so mostly I read which was quite enjoyable!
6/7/2011	Another hot day today! We were going to head to the library for the puppet show this morning but the sun really wiped me out so the girls went to the crafts but after that we were pretty lazy until 3 when we decided to head to the pool again. We stayed until 6 so Scott could have time to mow the lawn when he got home and then we all headed to Wendy's for supper so Callie and I could try their new berry salad. The girls were excited to watch an Xmen movie with Scott when they got home and I headed out for an evening with a friend.
6/6/2011	The girls had golf again today and this time they worked on chipping. They both really enjoyed it, even though it was 90 degrees out already before lunch. By the time we hit the pool, it was 98! We bought our family patches and enjoyed a few hours in the water before heading home for supper. I had set the tent up this morning so I could reseal it and fix a seam that was ripped but now I found out a few poles are cracked too. Decision time - repair those as well or buy a new tent. . .
6/5/2011	We went to the zoo today and met Tom, Amber, and the boys there. They started selling cabbage so you can feed the giraffes now so we had to do that of course. It was fun seeing their very long tongues reach up to grab the leaves from your hands! We rode the train with Jace as well and then headed home.
6/4/2011	We took the girls to Home Depot for the building session this morning and met Tom and Jace there as well. We had the Hilscher family over about 4 so the kids could play and we could visit. We ordered pizza and they brought over ice cream treats so we even had dessert. It was a fun and relaxing evening!
6/3/2011	The girls rode their bikes to the crafts in the park this morning. I had dropped my truck off at the repair shop last night and since I didn't feel up to taking Scott to work this morning, we didn't have a car today. This didn't seem like a problem this morning but by afternoon we were thinking the pool sounded like fun but I guess that can wait until next week. The girls tried to find a friend to come over but everyone was busy by the time they called people so they ended up kind of bored by supper time.
6/2/2011	Scott had to go back to work and Julia had slept the last couple of hours home so she and I woke up with Scott but Callie slept in until 9! Julia told Scott that she likes coming home from vacation because the house smells so good when you come back! The girls had fun playing most of the day while I unpacked and sorted laundry. They unpacked their backpacks as well and even helped me clean a little bit. We grilled for supper and then Scott had to mow. Charlie and Gloria stopped over for awhile because they will be leaving for their long vacation on Saturday!
6/1/2011	Our last morning waking up in North Carolina. We packed the rest of our things and said our good-byes. Michelle dropped us off at the airport and we were on our way. Our flight landed about 15 minutes late in Milwaukee and our layover had been short already so we were rushed to grab lunch and board the next plane. Once we landed in Omaha we were all starved so decided to eat at 4 instead of stopping on the way home. We went to Old Market and ate at Spaghetti Works. Scott asked our waiter about how close the slides were and he told us only two blocks and then even brought us bread to feed the ducks and waxpaper to slide with! This park has two really long and steep slides that everyone uses paper to go faster with and they were almost scary but fun! We headed home after that and got to our house about 9, unloaded the car and visited the kittens before going to bed.
5/31/2011	The girls were exhausted but I finally woke them up at 9 so we could make it to breakfast in time and then we had to check out. We shopped at the Biltmore village so I could find a Christmas ornament and then we headed out of town, stopping at a scenic overlook of the mountains for pictures. We stopped for lunch at a local cafe where Michelle introduced us to chilled soup, which tasted more like a smoothie than soup! We were back at their house by 4:30. The girls had fun playing with Michelle's cat (the other one hid from us) and somehow the conversation ended up on cats chasing bugs and how Haley used to like to do this. Michelle mentioned that Haley was probably enjoying chasing bugs in cat heaven and Julia promptly told her that was impossible because we had turned Haley into "dust stuff!"
5/30/2011	We ate breakfast at the motel before heading to Biltmore. We knew it would be very hot again and there is no a/c there so we headed there around 10. The house is just amazing and since the girls had read my book from our last trip they were quite familiar with it which made them more excited and interested. Julia decided the sitting room between the parents bedrooms was for them to enjoy a beer together after putting their daughter to bed! We ate lunch and shopped in the stable area and had ice cream at the parlor as well. We finished our tour at the winery where the girls could tastetest the grape choice while we enjoyed wine samples. We headed back to our motel after this and walked over to the next door Fun Depot. We played mini golf and raced go-carts before heading to supper at a Mexican place. Swimming was next on the list and then we headed to bed.
5/29/2011	Today we headed to the mountains so we packed small bags again for our stay. We stopped for lunch along the way and arrived in Ashville around 3 so we checked in and then headed to a Nature Park. The girls checked out backpacks with activities they completed using a thermometer, tape measure, tree guide, and magnifying glass, in order to earn Wild Child Patches. We saw black bears, baby chicks, and a cougar and Julia also had to buy a stuffed cougar as well. We headed downtown after that and found a Mellow Mushroom pizza place that was delicious! We all enjoyed the pool back at the motel before bed.
5/28/2011	We decided to go to a children's museum called Marbles in Raleigh today. We started off with a 3D IMAX movie called Born to be Wild, which was super cute! The girls then explored all the different activities while we followed behind and watched. We headed to a nearby cupcake shop that was next to an ice cream parlor and Julia had the hardest time deciding but finally stayed with Michelle and I while the rest enjoyed the ice cream. She was immediately disappointed with her choice so was overjoyed when the same ice cream parlor showed up next door to the diner we ate supper at. She had her dessert there while the rest of us enjoyed the diner's dessert menu.
5/27/2011	Julia woke us up at 8:40 - I couldn't believe we all slept in that late! We had picked up Krispy Kreme the night before so we ate donuts for breakfast and then the girls swam for a bit before we checked out. Today we headed to the battleship which was also in Wilmington. It was huge and had so many different rooms to walk through! It was also very warm since there was no a/c and it was in the 90s again. We had a late lunch at a local brewery and then visited shops downtown. We found some fudge and the girls each bought an American Girl outfit at a cute new store that had just opened. We headed back to Chapel Hill around 4 and grabbed fast food for the girls since we knew we wouldn't get home and have supper until late. I put them to bed while the guys ran for dinner and we enjoyed a late supper, beverages, and games.
5/26/2011	This morning we packed smaller bags and headed to the ocean! Our motel allowed us to check in at noon and it was a really neat room with bunkbeds for the girls and a balcony overlooking the pool! The public beach was just a couple of blocks so we changed and walked over. It was over 90 degrees so the water was warm and the waves were really fun! We had hotdogs from a local stand for lunch and swam all afternoon. After headed back to the motel the girls swam more in the pool while the adults took turns showering and watching them. We ate seafood for dinner and had Baskin Robbins for dessert. The girls fell asleep while the rest of us sat out on the balcony and visited.
5/25/2011	We woke the girls at 5:30 so we could leave town by 6am. They were tired but way too excited to sleep! We parked in the long-term parking at the Omaha airport and then found our gate right away. Strangely enough, we ran into a Robert Frost teacher at the cafe in the airport - she was headed to Florida! The girls had our seats all figured out - I sat by Callie in the first plane and then by Julia in the second. We had over an hour in Milwaukee so we had time to grab lunch before heading to Raleigh. The girls loved flying so we had no problems there and we were all very excited to see Michelle at the airport! Jon picked us up with a rental van so we could all drive together for the week and we headed to their house. After a tour, we headed to a traincar for supper where Julia could hardly stay awake so we headed back right after eating and put the girls to bed.
5/24/2011	Julia went to see Tara this morning and then we stopped at the store to pick up some snacks for our trip. After lunch we went to Camille and Ella's house so I could help their mom with some Girl Scout paperwork and then the girls came home with us for a playdate. I finished packing and then they headed home right before supper. Everyone is pretty excited for tomorrow so it was hard to settle down and fall asleep - hopefully they will sleep on the way there.
5/23/2011	The girls started golf today! They were a bit distressed over the fact they had to tuck their shirts in. Callie said she has never tucked a shirt in, in her WHOLE life. They are both in the same small group but they each met someone new as well so that was nice. They were able to check out junior golf clubs but Julia has said she still really wants her own and since she hasn't spent much of her birthday money yet, she is debating about using it for those and will decide after our trip. She is getting so much better about not buying the first toy she sees so I guess she is growing up on me.
5/22/2011	Scott and I went out for a coffee date this morning while the girls played at home and then later we ran some errands. There was a parents meeting for FirstTee at 3:30 so we went to that and found out more about it. I am very excted for the girls to start tomorrow - it sounds like a great program. We picked up the girls from home after the meeting and headed to Tom's house for supper. He grilled and we brought an ice cream cake and Jace's gift to celebrate early since we will be missing his birthday.
5/21/2011	I went shopping today while Scott and the girls went to the movie Tron. Scott grilled for supper and afterwards we met Tom, Amber, and the boys at Cherry Berry for dessert.
5/20/2011	My last final was this morning so now my summer vacation begins - yippee! We are counting down until our vacation.
5/19/2011	The girls were very excited to just play all day today. I had a final and they were so busy that barely realized I was gone. If only the whole summer can go this smoothly!
5/18/2011	Woo Hoo - the girls' last day of school!! Scott dropped them off and then I met him at school for the awards ceremony at 8:30. Callie was awarded one of the presidential awards for fifth graders so we wanted to surprise her and not tell her he was coming (since she didn't know she was getting it). Both girls were able to stand a few times to be recognized for various things so it was a nice ceremony. I came back to school at 2 for a slideshow in Callie's room and then I took both girls home for the last time this year. Julia was very excited, Callie seemed a bit sad. We celebrated by checking out a new pizza restaurant (well new to us -it has been open for quite awhile).
5/17/2011	Julia had a fun day today! Her class walked to a nearby gymnastics center and afterwards walked to Hardees for ice cream!! Callie brought all of her things home today since tomorrow they are only going to be using computers in the small amount of learning time that they have - ha! We ran errands tonight and checked our our new frozen yogurt self-service bar called Cherry Berry. It was a lot of fun and delicious too!
5/16/2011	A big day for Callie today! It was her 5th grade retreat day which is basically a whole day where they get to celebrate the end of elementary school. They started off by bowling in the morning and then headed to a park for lunch, games, hiking, and more games. We came back to the school right before it let out and then it was time for the her troop's ceremony. The girls each gave their patches out that they had led the meetings with and then we watched a slide show I had put together from their last five years. It was somewhat emotional for the moms!
5/15/2011	We packed up this morning and said our good-byes to my parents before heading over to Scott's parents. The girls enjoyed the electric wheelchair of course and then Scott got an adjustment before we went to Twist Cone - yummy! We even got Miley a cone.
5/14/2011	We left for Aberdeen right away this morning and ate lunch with Scott's dad when we got to town before heading out to my parents house. It was a nice relaxing day! We ate supper and then the girls enjoyed a dip in the hot tub -they didn't have suits so they thought it was pretty fun to wear underwear and Grandma's t-shirts!
5/13/2011	I picked the girls up from school today so we could all head the library for books to kick off summer reading! Julia had a pizza party in art today and Callie had one yesterday so school sure has been filled with fun things. We headed to bed early (after packing) so we could head out early tomorrow.
5/12/2011	My last class of the semester was today so now I only have finals left! The girls are getting excited for their last day too - only four more days left. I had one last PTO meeting tonight so Scott put the girls to bed.
5/11/2011	Julia had a field trip today so Scott drove some of the kids there. They visited the Pioneer Village at the fairgrounds! We wanted to run errands after supper so we ate quickly and headed to our first store when a huge storm started heading towards town. There was a tornado warning about 30 miles away and so we decided to bag the rest of the errands and head home only to have all the storms miss us.
5/10/2011	Today was busy busy! I had a practicum in the morning but I was able to leave early to get to Julia's class program at 9. They sang a song, recited a poem and read a book they wrote. Each child came up and read their page and Julia did a great job! They also presented the Ronald McDonald House with the the money they had saved all year by donating pennies. It was over $800! It is amazing how all those pennies can add up! We were invited back to their classroom to look at their memory books and their state scrapbook they made and share cookies. Her teacher is truly amazing and very dedicated! I dropped off treats for Callie's art club party and picked up Julia for her appointment with Tara and then we went back to pick up Callie afterwards. It was almost 90 degrees out afterwards so the girls ran through the sprinkler until supper time!
5/9/2011	It was Julia's Brownies Awards Ceremony today so I got to school to set up for the parents. The troop earned seven patches throughout the year so we talked about those and handed them out. A few parents brought treats so we all ate a few snacks together before ending our year. I had my last night class tonight and I had a big presentation so I left a bit early and Scott grilled for the girls.
5/8/2011	HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! Julia woke up feeling a lot better and they were anxious to give me my gifts and cards. They gave me a few books and stuffed animals for my classroom I hope to have some day and book for me that I had wanted. Scott even helped me clean the house because the next week and half will be very very busy at our house with the girls' end of the year programs, field trips, and my projects and finals.
5/7/2011	WELL Julia woke up at 11pm and ran into our bedroom throwing up everywhere. She had eaten a RED gummy spider at the party so needless to say, it was RED and very difficult to clean up. The poor kid had to shower to clean up and then she laid down in my bed while Scott worked on laundry and her bedroom and I got out the carpet cleaner. Amazingly Callie slept through the whole thing. I hadn't even finished when Julia got sick again. That was pretty much the rest of the night - I think she woke up every hour or two at the most so we didn't get much sleep. Finally by 7 am she hit a deep sleep and we both slept until 11. Scott and Callie hung out during the day while Julia rested and watched TV and I worked on homework keeping Julia company. She ran a fever all day and had no desire to eat. She finally came downstairs to watch us eat supper and then we all watched a movie together before she went back to bed.
5/6/2011	We woke up a little early this morning because it was Pastries for Parents today. We had donuts and juice at the school and looked at all the fun posters each classroom made to thank the parents for volunteering in the classrooms. I picked the girls up from school today and then they played until it was time for Julia to head to Claire's birthday party. The rest of us decided to eat at HuHot. They dropped me off at home while they went to Tom's to work on his computer. I picked up Julia at 8 and heard all about the party before tucking her in. Apparently one of the guests got sick a few minutes after her mom dropped her off and threw up all over the living room - yuck!
5/5/2011	I met the girls at school with cupcakes (from Oh My Cupcakes) and their giftcards/thank-yous so they could deliver them to each of their teachers. It is Teacher Appreciation Week and of course they were both very excited. Callie went to Camille's to work on a homework project and then Julia stayed there too to play with her sister Ella! I picked them up at 5, dropped them off at home and headed to school for the PTO meeting. Scott brought Callie to school at 7 to meet me for the school talent show while Julia stayed home to play with our neighbor, Nolan. I dropped Callie back at home at 8 and then met a friend for drinks. What a busy afternoon and evening it was!
5/4/2011	Callie's last day of orchestra was yesterday and today was her last day of band. Things are really winding down! It is getting nice out again (finally) - we even went on a family bike ride last night so hopefully it stays that way this time!
5/3/2011	I don't think I ever you introduced you to our newest member of the family, Ocean! He is our new beta fish. Julia bought him with her birthday money because she said she missed our other one so much! Julia had an eye appointment after school and things look pretty good. The weak eye hasn't gotten any worse so that was good because we haven't done any patching or eye drops. Of course it hasn't gotten better but we expected that and I think we are ok with leaving it alone. Her prescription changed a little bit so we will most likely do some glasses shopping soon!
5/2/2011	I can't believe how close we are to summer vacation! Only two Mondays left after today. Callie's troop had Girl Scouts today so we worked on scrapbooks and thankfully I had enough time to quick print our pictures from our trip so they could add those as well. My kitchen sink has been leaking so the whole room is just a mess so I think I was almost glad I had night class so I didn't have to spend any time in there! Charlie stopped over to give Scott advice on what to do next since he didn't have much luck over the weekend. He attempted to put in a new sprayer and Charlie did something to help it and now I think it might be fixed - let's hope!
5/1/2011	Most of the girls were up by 7 so we headed to the breakfast room. Amazingly one room (not mine) slept in until 8! The pool was closed this morning although the motel did offer to shuttle us to their sister property to use that pool but the girls decided not to bother. We packed the cars while it was SNOWING out and then headed to the mall. Today was a shopping day so we started with Starbucks for the adults (and a few girls got frappachinos) and then we followed the girls from store to store. We ate a late lunch again and then were in the cars and getting gas by 3:30 and home by 7! I was very tired but it was well worth the memories. Julia and Scott went to the circus today so I heard all about that and then everyone went to bed.
4/30/2011	Julia and her troop woke up at 7 for breakfast and then went on another tour of the zoo before Scott picked her up at 9. Callie and I were up at 6 and met the troop at Walgreens at 7. We took three vehicles and were at the Mall of America by 11:30. The girls wanted to start on rides first and then we ate a late lunch at the food court followed by more rides. We decided to eat at the RainForest Cafe for supper and back to more riding afterwards! The girls usually divided into two groups - one that was more into the thrill rides and the other enjoyed the calmer rides (which Callie was part of). We were at our motel by 9 for time to swim. I think the girls were pretty tired because it was pretty calm in the rooms and they were all asleep by 11:30/12! Julia enjoyed a day with Scott and his parents who came in for a short day trip!
4/29/2011	Julia's Girl Scout troop slept over at the zoo today. I had a really hard time not being part of this but she was ok with me leaving. They all met at 7 for introductions and games, they had different animals come inside at 8 and then at 9pm they took their flashlights and went on a tour of the zoo. They turned on a movie at 10:30 and it sounded like most of them fell asleep while watching the movie. Callie and I packed and went to bed early for our big trip tomorrow!
4/28/2011	What a beautiful day!! The girls went to the Girl Scout office to pick up their cookie prizes and then we picked up Scott to take him to his car at the shop. We grabed a quick supper and then Callie and I went shopping for a few clothing items and snacks for our big trip. We are both getting pretty excited.
4/27/2011	I picked up Julia early from school today so she could get to her appoinment with Tara on time. I joined them today for awhile today and then we headed home to meet up with Callie. It was really nice out again so the girls played outside for a long time.
4/26/2011	Callie had Art Club so Julia and I picked her up at 4. She only has one time left - I can't believe school will be out in three more weeks!
4/25/2011	No school today so we all went to see Soul Surfer this morning. WOW it was really good. Julia loved it and decided immediately that she needed a barbie doll surfer so she could name her Bethany and play it. She even debated taking the arm off after she bought it with her birthday money but I convinced her to use her imagination instead (the movie is about a true story of a young teen surfer who lost her arm to a shark - very inspiring as today she is a professional surfer). Scott brought home subs after a shopping trip with Julia so we could eat early before I had to go to class.
4/24/2011	Happy Easter! The girls woke up at 7 to find the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny came. We watched them search the house for all the eggs and they found their baskets hidden as well. The eggs had jellybeans and coins in them and their baskets had chocolate bunnies, craft things, bubbles, and a DS game. We met Tom, Amber, and the boys for brunch at 9 before places got busy and then we were home for the rest of the day. It was SO BEAUTIFUL out so we decided to clean the garage. The girls played and rode bikes all day and after the garage was finished we grilled supper. Scott even suggested we eat outside and it was quite enjoyable!
4/23/2011	Scott and I went shopping this morning but the girls were having too much fun playing to want to join us. They didn't even want to come out for lunch so they had cereal at home while Scott and I had a lunch date. It was dreary all day again but didn't rain so we grilled steak for supper. We spent the evening going through a box of artwork and schoolwork my mom brought me that had been in the garage since I was in school! It was really fun to see some of the things and the girls enjoyed reading some of the stories I had written. They were getting the carrots out and letters to the Easter Bunny when Callie's tooth fell out! Her molar with the cap on it has been loose for awhile so it didn't really come as a surprise but we all laughed realizing that now the Easter Bunny AND the tooth fairy have to come tonight. Julia begged Callie to sleep with her (but to leave her tooth box in her own room) and they giggled for a little bit but actually fell asleep pretty fast.
4/22/2011	No School today but Scott had to work so I was very surprised when the girls still slept in until after 8am! I had to boil the eggs right away because they were very excited to start dying them, especially since we had a new tye dye kit to try out. They kept very busy. Callie had a hip hop dance birthday party at 3 so Julia and I dropped her off (at her own dance studio even) and then went shopping. We met Scott back at home after 5. The sun came out for awhile after supper so the girls and Scott went down to enjoy some basketball again while I walked Miley. We have to enjoy every moment of sun since it seems to be quite rare this spring!
4/21/2011	The last day of school this week so the girls were excited when they got home. They couldn't decide what to play so I told them Bridget and I used to play office once in awhile so they set up tables, chairs, notebooks, and phones and had a blast! They took a break for supper and then played until bedtime.
4/20/2011	Julia has been testing all week so she is getting tired of that. Callie had hers last week - this time of the school year is not much fun for kids. Add the horrible wet weather we have been having (which means inside recesses) and I am sure it is a nightmare for the teachers. Hmm and to think I want to be one soon - ha!
4/19/2011	Callie had band practice again today from 4-5 and then the concert was at 7 so we all went to watch the fifth graders. We have been at the middle school so many times already that we are all feeling more comfortable there already. We went to Culvers for dessert afterwards and enjoyed some ice cream treats.
4/18/2011	We had a short Girl Scout meeting today because most of the girls are in band and they had a band practice at the middle school at 4. The girls figured out what snacks to bring to our trip - it is getting closer! I picked Callie up at 5 and then had to hurry to drop the girls off and leave again for my class. Of course Scott forgot about my class and had left me a message that he was going to a meeting and would be late so I worried about how long they would be alone but it turned out he was home a little after 6.
4/17/2011	Scott and the girls met Tom, Amber, and the boys at the mall for lunch and to look at the trains (Jace's favorite thing to do) while I cleaned the house. Callie actually helped me do my homework today too! She had to do a SMARTboard presentation in class about a month ago and now I have to do one so she taught me some neat things to do - pretty amazing to have your child teach you something! Scott had to go back to work this afternoon and so we ate supper alone but he came back in time to say good night to Julia.
4/16/2011	The girls and Scott decided to meet Jason and Abby at Hop today and at the last minute I went too. It was a really cute movie so I am glad I went. Abby came over to play afterwards and she was in heaven with the foster kitties. After they left, we went to the mall to run a few errands and then our plan was to go to the RollerDollz since it was Girl Scout Night but Scott got called in to work so we went home instead. We watched a movie and I tucked them in and I even fell asleep before Scott got home.
4/15/2011	Julia ended up not dissecting the owl pellets today because a few new students joined ULE so the teacher decided to wait. However suprisingly Callie's science class had that planned for today so she came home telling us all about it. We had a big breakfast for supper tonight and then we played board games until bedtime.
4/14/2011	Its cold and rainy here now. Only in SD can we go from a beautiful 75 degree day to a cold, dreary 28 degree day. We ate a quick supper today becaue the girls had their Art Show at school. We found both their projects, had an ice cream cone, and shopped the book fair.
4/13/2011	I registered for my fall classes this morning - I am finally getting closer to being done so I am pretty excited! Julia had ULE today and found out she will be dissecting owl pellets in there on Friday. Julia had Alisha over after school today to play with the foster kittens while Calie worked on homework. She has had quite a bit of homework lately - I wonder if they are trying to prepare them for middle school. Scott had a meeting after work today so he got home just in time to help tuck Julia into bed.
4/12/2011	Callie started taking her Dakota Step Tests this week so she is not thrilled about that. We are providing snacks for the class tomorrow so she picked out string cheese. Julia's class is blended the the third graders take the step test but not the second so she has been spending an hour a day in a different second grade class so her teacher can adminsiter the test to the third graders. Callie had art club after school so Julia and I picked her up after her appointment with Tara. Tara surprised Julia with cupcakes for her birthday too so Julia was pretty excited about that! IT was 75 today so we all enjoyed playing basketball down at the church parking lot and then we took a bike ride.
4/11/2011	Julia is 8!! She took cookies to school today to share with her classmates and then we took ice cream and cones for her Brownies meeting. Julia was also reader to the class so she took a book to read and her angry bird for show-n-tell. I didn't have my night class tonight so I was able to enjoy the evening with them.
4/10/2011	It was dreary today so it made for a good lazy day. The girls mostly played although Julia started writing her thank-yous. She was very adament that I make a list during her party and she asked me several times if I was writing all the gifts down so I thought that was pretty cute! No one wanted to leave to shop so Scott and I decided we had earned a date night. After feeding the girls we headed to the nearby bar for wings and a beer which was quite enjoyable. We came back in time to tuck Julia in to bed one last time as a 7 year old.
4/9/2011	Julia was so excited in hopes that she could open an early gift that she woke up early so no sleeping in for me. I just knew she would never let up all weekend so I told her we would just open them all today and she was elated. That worked out great because she kept very busy playing all weekend long. We met Tom, Amber, and the boys at the Brandon Pizza Ranch so the kids could play in the arcade after supper. It made for a nice family birthday celebration and Julia won tons of tickets so she added more trinkets to her pile of gifts when we got home!
4/8/2011	Julia was quite excited so she was up and ready for school right away. I enjoyed Jace & Lincoln for a bit this morning while Amber was at the Dr. and then I picked the girls up at 1 since it was an early release day. Julia's guests arrived and boarded the airplane at 5:30 and we visited Ireland for Hot Potato and China for Chopstick lessons before landing in Italy for supper. Scott brought pizza & breadsticks home and then we had cupcakes and ice cream for dessert. Back to the plane for a trip to South Africa for a safari and then to Japan for origami. We stopped at Egypt for a mummy race, Mexico for the pinata, and ended at Hawaii for limbo. The girls had fun (and boy were they loud!) and Julia was a wonderful hostess. Callie helped me out a lot and Scott decided the noise level was more than he could handle so he kept the cats company in the bedroom! The parents picked up the girls at 8 and Julia had to play with her gifts and have one more cupcake before bed. I think we were all exhausted so I am looking forward to sleeping in!
4/7/2011	Julia was very excited because today her teacher took her out to lunch to celebrate her birthday. She took Julia and the two other students who celebrate April birthdays and they chose Culvers. They even got ice cream for dessert! The girls helped me turn our basement into Mexico when they got home and then we did a few other things to get ready for Julia's party tomorrow.
4/6/2011	The girls got ready very quickly so they had some time to visit before leaving for school. I had time to visit too because I don't have class until 11 on Wednesdays! My mom's appointment was at 2 so I went with them and hung out with my dad in the waiting room. It ended taking more time than anticiapted so I was glad I had left a note for the girls just in case. He dropped me off at home and said good-bye to the girls because they left right after the appointment. Callie had a short visit with her ballet teacher scheduled at 4:30 to go over the exam notes and then we met Scott at Mama's Ladas for dinner. It was a beautiful night but they didn't have the patio tables out yet so we ate inside.
4/5/2011	We didn't have any activities after school so the girls just anxiously awaited my parent's arrival. They got here around 4 so they had time to hang out before Scott got home and we ate supper. Callie showed off her ballet skills and let everyone know she PASSED her ballet exam - yippee!! Julia played a game and read her class book she helped write and illustrate and then it was time for bed.
4/4/2011	Callie had Girl Scouts today and we finished working on some patches for the year. We picked up subs on the way home because Callie's middle school orientation was at 6! The girls and I ate right away and then Scott ate his while I went to pick up our babysitter. Julia was pretty excitd to have her to herself! They played outside, danced to the Xbox, and then read before bed. Callie was excited and nervous as were we! Everyone met in the the auditorium and listened to many people talk about the different programs in middle school. Then the kids all went to a classroom to play games and ask 8th graders questions while the parents listened to the counselors talk. It was very informative and then we all went on a tour which was fun! We stopped for ice cream on the way home and Julia was fast asleep when we got in.
4/3/2011	Today we had to take the foster kittens back to the Humane Society for their set of shots and then we brought them right back home. The girls played outside for awhile although it was pretty windy so didn't feel nearly as nice as it did yesterday. Scott tried to grill but the wind didn't cooperate so we used our inside grill instead. We talked about summer activities and the girls are thinking about golf! They will also be in swimming lessons (although they both griped about this but I declared it as non-negotiable) as well as Girl Scout camp and Vacation Bible School.
4/2/2011	I worked on homework while the girls made a few decorations for Julia's birthday party. She is having an Around the World party like Callie did so we have quite a few countries to visit! We went to Olive Garden for supper and then headed home to play with the kittens and get to bed.
4/1/2011	We all had to get our fair share of April Fools jokes in this morning and then I headed to Callie's play again with a battery this time! Once Scott got home from work we all headed back to school for Pizza Bingo! We had supper there and then the bingo started. Scott won one of the first bingos of the night but then that ended up being the last thing we won. It was a $10 Scheels gift card, a Scheels t-shirt, and a coupon for a free blizzard from Dairy Queen! It was a fun night and the girls saw lots of their friends there.
3/31/2011	After my classes I went the dance store and the gal there was SOO helpful. She showed me a few different things they had to help with buns and she even showed me how to do it on some girl that was shopping in the store at the time! I was so thankful because I am just not a big hair person and I have been stressing about this. The girls played after school and then Callie ate supper early so we could get her outfit on and her hair up. I must say I was very impressed with her bun! She was a little nervous but I think I might have been more so - ha! She had to be there 30 minutes before the exam so we were there a little before 6 only to find out the judges were running late so it would be 7 before she tested. Waiting and nerves do not go well together so I felt really bad for those girls. The teacher kept them busy warming up in another room though so that helped. Finally at 7:10 they went in. The windows were all papered over so I couldn't watch though. The exam took about 45 minutes (there were five girls inside taking it together and two judges). Callie found out the judges flew in from Texas and Chicago! She felt like she did a great job and I reminded her it was just an honor to be asked to test because they only asked three out of her class of 15 or so. They don't give the teachers the results until all testing is completed, which won't be until Sunday evening, so we have to wait until they call on Monday to see if she passed. More waiting. . .
3/30/2011	I had to take Zelda in yesterday because she was scratching so much that she lost a huge hunk of hair on her head! They gave her an antibiotic and steroid shot and I think this will do the trick. Today was Callie's play so I went to it and of course left my video recorder battery at home on the charger. ughh! But it was really cute and she did a great job (and I did get pictures). She had ballet - one last practice before her big day tomorrow. Afterwards she told me the bun "holder" we have been using won't be allowed at the exam! Great, now I have tomorrow to figure out what to do with not much practice time.
3/29/2011	Julia had Brooke over after school and they played almost the entire time with the kittens! Callie got her last minute things ready for her play tomorrow. Her class is putting on a play for the first graders about responsibility. She is a young cat owner who goes on a talk show because her cat is mad at her for not remembering to clean the litter box. A dog is the host of this talk show and then there is a fish and hermit crab who come with their owners as well. It sounds really cute!
3/28/2011	I went to pick up a litter of foster kittens today so the girls were excited to play with them after Brownies. They are in the bathroom right now while they are getting used to us and so I can make sure they are good with the litter box and then tomorrow we will move them to the guest bedroom. We will be extra careful in keeping them separate since Zelda had ear mites and has the sores on her head (poor kitty).
3/27/2011	We all ate out for breakfast this morning and then said our good-byes. Callie and Julia played all day long and did not want to be interrupted for sillly things like lunch! I went to Amber's shower at 2 and when I came home they were still busy playing. I finally had to have them clean up for supper and we got everything ready for school tomorrow. My spring break is over now so I go back tomorrow too!
3/26/2011	Julia went out for breakfast with everyone so Scott and I picked up Callie and then went shopping for awhile. Eventually we all met up back at Red Lobster for supper - yummy! We headed home for visiting and playing and then Scott and Tom picked up an ice cream cake for dessert.
3/25/2011	I picked the girls up from school today and we headed home so Callie could pack up for her sleepover birthday party at Kathryn's. I dropped her off at 4 and they were all going to Spezia's for supper!! Julia was excited for Tom, Amber, and the boys to come over as well as her Grandma and Grandpa Ivey. They brought chicken so we all ate together and then hung out. Jace is a great big brother, always hugging and kissing Lincoln - it is pretty cute!!
3/24/2011	Tonight was Callie's big night! She was pretty excited and little nervous but I think felt better since she had been there last night. We dropped her off at the music room and found a seat in the gym. It was all the fourth and fifth graders from the 8 schools that will be going to Edison next year so it was a busy place. We also heard the special orchestra group called Brio, that performs around town but you have to be in 7th grade to try out for that. Callie did an excellent job and we spent a little time peeking at the cafeteria and other rooms before heading home.
3/23/2011	Callie had orchestra rehearsal today at the middle school! She was a little nervous about going there for her first time so I walked her in and I don't think she wanted me to leave at first. We found her teacher and saw some classmates so she felt better and had a good time when I picked her back up. I still have a hard time believing she will be going to middle school!
3/22/2011	It was Julia's big day! She had a dress rehearsal this morning and then this afternoon they performed for the whole school. I went to that perfomance so I could record it and then we all went again tonight. It was really cute! They sang songs and some of them had speaking parts and Julia did great!
3/21/2011	Julia had a rehearsal during school for her play tomorrow. She is getting pretty nervous and unfortunately her nervousness brings out her anger issues but we are trying to work through them. Callie enjoyed Girl Scouts today as they worked on a science patch and discussed their upcoming "celebration" trip to Minneapolis. I am probably insane for organizing this but the girls are quite excited!
3/20/2011	We all slept in today and then watched TV and read while getting ready for school to start again. Both girls finished some homework up and packed their bags and then spent the rest of the afternoon playing outside. It is so nice to see the grass again!
3/19/2011	Scott picked up Julia around 10am and then it was just a lazy day at home for the most part. He grilled for supper since it has been pretty nice outside! I was burned out by 9 so I packed up and was home a little before 10pm. I had tons of fun and finished quite a few pages!
3/18/2011	I left this morning after 8 for my two day scrapbooking adventure! Scott took the day off work and so he and the girls spent the morning bowling. They ate lunch there as well and then checked out Falls Park with all the spring melting. They came home to relax a few hours and then it was time to drop Julia off at her friend's for a sleepover and then Callie and Scott headed to Tom and Amber's to celebrate Tom's birthday with pizza and cake. I came home a little before midnight for a few hours of sleep before heading out again tomorrow morning.
3/17/2011	Spring Break for the girls! I still had classes and a dentist appointment so I was back and forth all day - probably gone more than I was there but they stayed entertained and had a good day. I had a project that was due at 11pm so I worked all evening on that and then my spring break started!
3/16/2011	WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY! The girls love this day every year and today was no exception. I can't imagine the planning that goes on for a day like this and am very glad I have never been recruited for doing more than showing up to drive! The whole school has a huge number of field trips and speakers they can pick from and they all go to different sessions (their choice). Callie's first session was at a taikwondo studio and it was arranged that I would pick them up from there (someone else took them because I was in class). Julia's first session was at a local college where she went swimming. They all went back to the school at the same time and had 15 minutes to find their new driver or spot to start the next session. Callie stayed at school for her next one where she learned French and made crepes with different toppings including strawberries, chocolate, and caramel. I drove Julia to her next session which was at a local pet groomer's salon. She gave them a tour and talked about how she gives dogs baths, trims nails, and hair. They washed a basset hound and trimmed an English Sheepdog so there was a ton of hair on the floor. There were also about 10 dogs in the doggy daycare so the kids had the most fun just playing with them. We headed back to school so all the kids could check back in with their teachers and pack their bags to go while all the parent volunteers enjoyed cupcakes as a yummy thank-you (and there were SOO many, all the drivers, parents who helped in the classroom activities and parents who could teach a session such as the mom who came in to teach French and make crepes with Callie's group!). It was WONDERFUL!
3/15/2011	It was Callie's teacher's 30th birthday today so she was pretty excited to help her celebrate. She loves Coke so she took her a bottle of coke wrapped in ribbon and apparently quite a few others did the same so she might be set with caffeine for awhile - ha! They shared cookies with her and one of the first grade classes came in and sang to her so it was a fun day. Callie also was excited and nervous because today was her big Science presentation she and her partner gave. It was a power point along with an experiment and a quiz they had to give the students. She got an A so was very happy and said the only thing she probably should have done was talk louder (surprise surprise).
3/14/2011	I took Julia early to school today so she could practice for her play from 7:30 until 8. They practiced speaking in a microphone. We are all getting excited to see it! And Callie finished up making the set decorations in art club last Tuesday. I started my practicum in a first grade class and I was able to watch them blog. It was quite amazing and I found out they answer their teacher's question on the blog every morning on their ipod touches! It was quite amazing and made me even more excited to start teaching. Julia had Brownies after school and my co-leader was in charge of the meeting so I was able to just show up and enjoy the girls so that was nice.
3/13/2011	I made caramel rolls and the girls enjoyed playing all morning while Scott and I worked around the house. After lunch he took the girls shopping while I headed to the campus library for some research on a paper I am writing. We all met back home and decided to eat at the Pizza Ranch for supper. I used the lure of Amazing Race to get the girls in and out of the shower quickly and it worked!
3/12/2011	The girls slept in until 8 and then we had to eat breakfast and get ready before taking Callie to ballet. She had a very small class (three girls) that practiced for the exam. After lunch we all headed to the zoo for the tiger cub's first birthday. They don't really look like cubs anymore but we enjoyed cupcakes and watching the tigers eat their "meat" cake and slide around on the ice.
3/11/2011	This morning was Muffins in the Morning so Scott took the girls to school early and, since I was subbing there, I met them for a quick muffin. Julia was accepted into ULE so she was pretty excited! She had Alisha over after school and then Scott came home to take Callie skiing for the last time this year. Julia and I hung out after supper and Scott and Callie suprised us by coming home early. The wind was really bad and the chairlifts were blowing crazily so they left around 8.
3/10/2011	Julia was tested for ULE today so she was pretty excited. Her troop went to the mall today for the Volunteer Festival that was going on. We signed up to make Easter cards for the Children's hospital and for a local nursing home. After they made cards we had to walk around to look at all the other booths and the girls collected pens, candy, and lots of other goodies so they thought it was the best time! We got home in time for a quick supper and then Callie had to be at school to tune her instruments for her concerts. She played in both orchestra and band and did a wonderful job of course.
3/8/2011	Callie had art club after school and Julia was invited over to a friend's house so she left once she had a snack. After a quick supper we headed to school for the science fair. They had 10 scientists walk around and at least two went to each person to ask questions and judge them. Julia told me she was nervous but I thought she did great. Callie was a pro since she has done this before. And finally they announced the results giving out four awards and Callie won FIRST PLACE! She was pretty excited and amazed since she won in the last time she was in the science fair (in third grade). Julia was pretty sad although she tried very hard to keep it together. They all got prizes and we headed home for bedtime.
3/6/2011	I picked Julia up at 9 and found out they were up to 11 and woke up at 6. I worried that working on her science project was going to be horrible but she kept it together so I was pretty impressed! She had started yesterday so today we just had to put it all together on the board. She tested three dish soaps and meausred their bubbles to see which one produced the most. Palmolive was the winner! Callie also worked on hers today and she was testing if temperature affected how fast or how much of the popcorn popped in our air popper. She found out it didn't affect it as much as we had anticiapted. We took a break in the late afternoon to take dog food out to the Humane Society because they have record numbers of dogs right now. We had to visit with all of them and Julia found a kitty we just had to play with for awhile too. We ate supper early so Julia could be in bed close to 6 and she was fast asleep by 20 after! Callie had more homework to do and practicing her instruments for her concert this week but we did sneak in some time to watch Amazing Race and eat some of her popcorn she popped today.
3/5/2011	We all slept in this morning and then the girls helped me count all the cookie money. Callie and Scott headed to Home Depot and met Jace and Tom there to build race cars. Julia didn't feel up to going so she hung out and played while I worked on Girl Scout paperwork. Callie had a mock exam for ballet today so we put her hair in a bun and off she went and really enjoyed it. Julia had a sleepover birthday party for her and her American Girl so we dropped her and her doll off at 5. Callie tried to find a friend to go to a movie with but finally gave up and went with Scott after supper.
3/4/2011	Callie had pajama day today so she got ready for school very fast! She also had RAP (read all period) in the afternoon so she took lots of books to keep her busy. I picked the girls up from school and Julia was quite happy to tell me she had gotten chosen for one of the speaking parts in their upcoming concert. She is a Brazilian Nut. We headed home so Callie could get ready for skiing and then we picked up her friend and I took them out the ski hill. After I got them in their skiis, I headed home so Julia could get ready for her friend's birthday party. Scott and I dropped her off and then we headed out for a date night! Scott picked her up at 8:30 and I headed out to meet a friend for drinks. Callie was dropped off around 10 and everyone was fast asleep when I came home.
3/3/2011	Crazy Sock Day was today so the girls were giggling this morning picking out their socks. Julia had Alisha over after school while Callie helped me clear some more ice from the driveway. That job is never-ending!
3/2/2011	Today was Hat Day so the girls picked out fun hats to wear to school. Julia was the class reader so she had a book picked out to read and her show and tell as well. Callie had ballet and Julia and I decided to stay so Scott had supper started when we got home. I debated going to AcuteCare because I can't seem to get over my sore throat and am wondering if it is strep but I decided to just go to bed early and home sleep finally takes care of it.
3/1/2011	The girls were supposed to dress like characters in the Dr. Seuss book their class was working on. Julia's class had 'Horton Hatches and Egg' so she dressed in gray like an elephant. Callie's class had 'To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street' so she dressed like a magician. The Grinch also visited their lunchroom! I observed a first grade math class this morning so that was fun and Scott started working at DakotaCare, where he will be for about three months.
2/28/2011	Today is the start of Read Across America week and the girls' school celebrates with lots of fun books and Dr. Seuss themed days. They each took their favorite Dr. Seuss book to share today. Julia had Brownies after school and they worked on a patch by making a kite and glider. Callie has been busy reading books for her Book Battles competition. They had their first battle last Thursday and the next one is this Thursday. The top four teams will move on to the finals.
2/27/2011	Julia was home around 10 and very tired since of course they all woke up this morning about 6! Callie was still tired from her sleepover as well so today was "fun" (note the sarcasm here). I had a lot of homework but finally took a break around 4 so we could head to Tom and Ambers. Lincoln is two weeks old and still quite cuddly and adorable. We all ate an early supper together and were back in time to get Julia in bed by 6:30 and she was instantly asleep.
2/26/2011	I picked up Callie at 11 and she had a wonderful time, of course. They had Chinese last night and then this morning waffles with some kind of Chinese symbols on them. Madeline was adopted from China so she wanted to share her culture with them. All four of us decided to head out shopping around 4 and then Julia headed to Color Me mine for Tori's birthday party/sleepover! They painted and had pizza and then all went to Tori's house for cake and gifts. Apparently around 10 they had facials complete with the cucumbers and finally went to bed at 11.
2/25/2011	The state dart tournament started this morning at 8am so Scott took a vacation day to play. I took the girls to school and then went to class. Scott was home about 3 and they did really well so he will be going back tomorrow. We all headed to Target to pick up birthday presents and then it was time to deliver Callie to Madeline's slumber party. We took Julia to Perkins for a pancake supper and she asked us (again) why it seems only old people eat there!
2/24/2011	We bought our airline tickets for our trip to North Carolina this summer! We went back and forth on whether we should drive or fly but finally decided on flying. Now we will be thinking about all the fun things we want to do when we get there!
2/23/2011	I had to pick Julia up from school this afternoon for a doctor's appointment and then returned when we finished. Callie had ballet so Julia and I dropped her off and then came home to make supper. We signed Callie up for a two session ballet course to help prepare her for the exam. We also have to practice putting her hair in a perfect bun - yikes!
2/22/2011	Julia was up bright and early, very excited to head back to school! My 8am class was meeting at an elementary school to observe a math lesson which was really interesting. They teach math totally different now so it will take some getting used to. Callie had Art Club so Julia rode the bus home alone and then we picked her up at 4.
2/21/2011	One last day of vacation for the girls. Scott worked and I had class though. They mostly played all day and then they helped Scott shovel and snowblow when he got home. We finally got a little snow but the ice will be staying for awhile. I had night class so he got them packed up for school tomorrow and put them to bed.
2/20/2011	The girls were all up by 7 and actually we all woke up around 4 when the ice storm hit. We could just hear it hitting the windows plus it came with some loud thunder and lightning! I made pancakes and bacon for everyone and then the parents came to pick up, braving the icy roads. It sleeted on and off all day so I don't think it will be a fun clean up. Charlie and Glora were able to make it back tonight to pick up Cayenne and of course she was quite happy to see them.
2/19/2011	I had a fun scrapbook day that was from 8am to 10pm so Scott had the girls to himself. They headed to the Pavillion in the morning and then went to Cheds for a late lunch. Julia freaked when she realized her salami and provolone sandwich was going to be GRILLED but she ended up really liking it so Scott had to text me a picture of her eating it. They then headed home to organize sleepovers. Julia had Kelly and Callie had a new friend Lauryn (as opposed to Lauren who she usually has). Scott ordered pizza and they played most of the night away. He had just made them malts when I got home at 9 (my brain was fried so I left a bit early) and I was able to get the younger ones tucked in by 10. Callie and Lauryn were watching a movie so they were up past 11. I think everyone had a really fun day!
2/18/2011	I finally got to hang out with my girls today! We went shopping and visited Amber and the boys. They joined us for lunch and then we went our separate ways so we could run a few more errands. It has just been beautiful the last few days and lots of our snow has melted! We headed home to walk the dogs and then had an early bedtime since it has been so crazy the last few days.
2/17/2011	I had an 8:00 class and since Scott had to work the girls were not able to sleep in (too much noise!). Callie's fifth grade class had been given a discount day at Great Bear today for graduating the I Can program so she and her friend, Madison, headed out as soon as I got home from class. I dropped Julia off at Alisha's before my next class and then she ended up staying there all day. I picked up Callie and Madison around 4 and they hung out at our house for awhile.
2/16/2011	No School - for the girls that is. I had one class today so they had fun playing and when I got home Julia and Callie were both invited to friend's houses. I picked Callie up before supper but Julia decided to stay until 8 for a 1/2 sleepover at Kellys. Scott took Callie to meet Tom and Jace for roller skating so again I was alone! Too bad I couldn't stay focused on homework. . . Charlie and Gloria stopped over to drop off Cayenne for the weekend - we are going to dog-sit. Miley was pretty excited but poor Cayenne spent most of the night looking out the window.
2/15/2011	I think we remembered everything today - phew! I had classes and then had to run over to school for Callie's "I Can" graduation ceremony. It was for all fifth graders and the police officer in charge of the classes they took spoke and then each student got up and said their "I Can" statement. I was in charge of cutting cake so I did that and had to quickly get Callie and Julia out to the car so we could be at Callie's orthodontist appointment on time. It has been crazy the last few days so I am looking forward to the girls being off school so I have less running to do. Of course, I still have classes, but it should be a little less chaotic . . . maybe?
2/14/2011	Happy Valentine's Day! The girls were ready very quickly so they could run downstairs and see if they had a valentine from us. Julia was super excited to see an extra large kiss along with some fun erasers! They both puzzled over pictures of birds for awhile that Scott had printed out and then it was time to head to school. For some reason we seemed very unorganized and I had to run out forgotten folders to them in the driveway. Turned out that Callie also forgot a notebook, I hadn't signed her journal, AND then I totally forgot to go to my 8am dentist appointment!! I am not sure how that happened since it was written on my calendar and in my phone but alas it did. Thankfully I did remember to show up at the Valentine's parties! I helped scoop ice cream for the root beer floats for Callie's, stopped in to say hi to Julia and then went to get everything ready for Brownies. My co-leader is in Hawaii so I was on my own today but Callie was a great help. We met Scott for a quick supper and then I had night class until 9.
2/13/2011	We enjoyed lunch at Famous Daves and then headed to Tom's to see the baby again (they checked out of the hospital this morning) before saying good-bye. Julia just loves holding Lincoln and both girls enjoyed helping Jace with his valentines. We came home to get our valentines ready and finished up homework for tomorrow.
2/12/2011	We headed to the hospital this morning and took our donuts and coffee with so we could eat and hang out. Lincoln is adorable and Jace seems very happy to be a big brother. The girls took turns holding him and then Callie had to go to ballet. After lunch, Callie went with her Grandma to go shopping and the rest of us headed home. Scott and I walked along with Julia while she sold Girl Scout cookies and then it was getting time for supper. Grandma Ivey took the girls and Jace back to the hospital for supper and then to Cold Stone for ice cream while Scott and I enjoyed an early Valentine's dinner.
2/11/2011	Welcome into the world Lincoln Wolf Ivey! Tom let us know he was born this morning and he sent a picture so the girls could see him before they headed off to school. Jace woke up just in time to say good bye to them and then we hung out and had breakfast. Tom picked him up at 9:30 to go meet his brother and I met Scott at the hospital over lunch so we could meet him too! Callie went skiing after school and Julia had a friend over to play so they were busy but are excited for tomorrrow when they get to meet the baby.
2/10/2011	Amber was induced today at 9 so I picked up Jace from his school and we headed home to play. He was excited to pet all the cats and play with some cars I had out until the girls got home. We watched for the bus and then he was very happy playing with them the rest of the day. After supper Scott left for darts and since Amber still hadn't had the baby we told Jace he could stay over night. We made a bed for him in my room and Julia read him a story. He fell asleep pretty quickly and then the girls went to bed after that. We are sure excited to hear news of a baby!
2/9/2011	Callie had dance tonight so I dropped her and then Julia and I came home to make "breakfast" for supper. We ate as soon as Scott and Callie got home so he could go to a concert tonight. Callie was extremely excited because she was asked to test in ballet. Only the top students are asked to test and usually it requires two years of this class. I am sure her other technique classes have helped her because she seems ready. They have examiners come in from out of state and this is the only testing place in a large area so some students will be traveling over 7 hours away to come take this test! If she passes, she will be allowed to move to the next level of this very formal Ceccheti ballet method. She is just thrilled and will be taking some extra classes between now and then (April 1st) to make sure she is ready.
2/8/2011	I forgot to tell you that Rainbow, our fish, died Sunday. We had known it was coming because he was starting to look pretty bad but I must admit he hung in there a lot longer than I had guessed! Callie had art club today so Julia and I picked her up at 4 although it was very hard to want to go out in this horribly cold weather. Tom, Amber, and Jace came over for supper - everyone is very excited for that baby to come!
2/7/2011	Callie had Girl Scouts today and they worked on a business patch so had a pretend ice cream store (but with real ice cream and toppings they had to buy!). We came home and I had to get things put away and get ready to go to my night class. Scott got home just as I was leaving and he made the girls corn dogs and then they went to Dairy Queen for dessert since we never made a cake for his birthday. Julia was asleep and Callie just getting into bed when I got home at 9.
2/6/2011	We decided to head to Chevys for brunch this morning and then did some shopping. The girls and I made Valentine's Day cookies and then Charlie and Gloria came over so we visited with them while the girls enjoyed playing outside. Then it was Superbowl time! Scott made chislic and cheeseballs so we snacked and watched TV. Julia went to bed before it was over so we had to promise to tell her who won but Callie stayed up until it was over since her class was going to discuss their favorite commercials!
2/5/2011	We were all pretty tired this morning so we slept in but then hurried to get ready to go to Home Depot. The girls made Heart Shelves and they had leftover projects from the January session so they made battery shelves too. We spent the afternoon at home making Valetine's Day cards.
2/4/2011	Callie had a Super Bowl party over the lunch hour so all the fifth graders brought a sack lunch to eat in the classroom and parents brought in cookies for dessert. They answered trivia questions and had a good time. Callie alos had to give her first Power Point presentation to class today so she was a bit nervous but it went fine! Julia had game day with her book buddy and they enjoyed a snack together as well. She reads to a kindergarten boy and he always waves to her excitedly when we see him. Scott took off work at 2:30 for his birthday, picked the girls up from school, and then we all headed to Great Bear for an afternoon/evening of skiing. It was a lot of fun! Julia was wiped by 9 so we headed home but Callie stayed and tubed with friends until 10 and another mom brought her home.
2/3/2011	The girls went back to school and my classes started today as well. My 8am class was cancelled however so I only had one class today. I am taking two math classes, a technology course, and a first aid course which won't start until later in the semester.
2/2/2011	No School due to the very cold temperatures! The girls were thrilled of course and played all day long. I got almost the whole house cleaned so it worked well for all of us to be home without any interruptions! No ballet for Callie either so we just stayed home all evening as well.
2/1/2011	We didn't get as much snow as anticipated so they had to go to school. It was conferences though so we met Scott at 5 for the PTO fundraiser supper. We met with Callie's teacher first and then Julia's and of course they are both doing wonderful! We hit the book fair last and they each picked out books before heading home for dessert and bedtime. It was 20 below windchill and predicted to drop to 35 or 40 below later tonight and tomorrow so finally at 9 we got the call that there would be no more school. Julia was already sleeping but Callie was excited to hear the news.
1/31/2011	I took the girls to school and headed for the paint store. I was able to finish up just in time to clean up and get ready for Julia's Brownies meeting. The girls worked on a new patch and then afterwards we headed to Scott's office so Julia could sell cookies. Callie went with to be her helper and I went shopping meeting up with them at Famous Daves. Scott has started getting his numerous birthday coupons so of course he wants to use them all! The wind and snow were picking up so the girls are hoping for a snow day tomorrow.
1/30/2011	I finished painting what I could before I ran out of paint and then of course the paint store was closed so I have to wait until tomorrow to finish up. Julia ended up going to church and out for lunch with Kelly and her family so we didn't see her until after 1! Scott and I ran a few errands and then we made a quick supper before baths, homework, and bed.
1/29/2011	Callie slept until 9 and then she went with me to the paint store while Julia went to sell Girl Scout cookies with Scott. I finally made a decision on paint and then we all went to Menards to buy a ladder since our bedroom has vaulted ceilings making our ladder way too short! Scott started taping and finally I was ready to paint. Julia went to a birthday party and Callie kept me company. The five minutes Julia was home after the party but before heading to a friend's house she asked me why I chose black. OOPS! It is a very dark brown that seemed a bit darker than I had anticipated once it covered my purple walls but I still like it. Julia ended up sleeping over at her friends so Callie and Scott hung out with me until I called it good for the night. And for a special treat, our friend, Eric, came over to deliver tiger meat his parents brought to town. YUMMY! I always look forward to this treat and Aberdeen is the only place one can find it anymore. Scott and I had to sleep in the guest room since our room is torn apart but I am excited to see what it will look like in the morning sun!
1/28/2011	Callie's grade had Colonial Days this morning so I headed to her school to take some pictures for our new PTO website. They learned how to play jacks, painted with potatoes and feathers, and "churned" butter by shaking cream in a jar with marbles. After school Callie headed out to snowboard with Lauren and Julia had Lauren's sister Avery over to play. We took them to Sonic for dinner and they played some more before her mom picked her up. Callie didn't get home until after 10 and she was wiped out but had a great time!
1/27/2011	I subbed at the girls' school again but today was much more challenging. I left exhausted and questioning my sanity for wanting to do this full-time! After supper I left for a PTO meeting and Scott had darts so the girls played and read until I got home to tuck them in.
1/26/2011	It was the 100th day of school! Callie had ballet so Julia and I dropped her off and then ran a few errands before heading home for supper. Scott picked Callie up and after eating she spent the night reading. She had been one of the chosen 10 or 12 students to read and review book fair books. Unfortunately they just assigned a book to her and it wasn't very good. She kept trying but really struggled and of course the review was due tomorrow. She read for a few hours and actually realized it got good half way through so she wanted to finish it and finally did about 10pm. She wrote the review and finally got to sleep around 10:30 - phew!
1/25/2011	I subbed for kindergarten today at the girls' school and that was really fun. They had outside recess so that helped immensely! The girls met me after school, helped me clean up the classroom and then we headed home for a quick supper. The school rollerskating party was at 6 so we headed out right away. I got them in their skates and then went to pick up the 650 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies that Julia's troop ordered. Althogh that sounds like a lot, one year I had to pick up 1500 so that was nothing. I went back to finish watching the girls and Julia was tired and done - she didn't even want to watch Callie so Lauren's dad said he would bring Callie home and I left with Julia. She was sleeping within seconds of putting her head on the pillow!
1/24/2011	Callie had Girl Scouts today and the girl who was supposed to lead was ill so I ended up spending the afternoon gathering things for some patch work. The girls still seemed to enjoy the meeting thankfully, even though it was all very last minute.
1/23/2011	We all went out for breakfast this morning even though it was well below zero and very, very cold! Everyone left the house before lunch and the girls spent the rest of the day playing house. Scott and Tom headed to an afternoon movie and then we had a low-key evening with leftovers and tv before bed.
1/22/2011	Another very cold day here!! The girls went out for their morning breakfast ritual so Scott and I had a Caribou Coffee date. Callie had an "I Hate Winter" party to attend in the afternoon so Julia hung out and watched movies at home. Tom, Amber, and Jace came back over for another wonderful dinner cooked by Scott's mom. I am so lucky to have family that actually likes to cook! We had cupcakes for dessert and the kids danced to the Xbox game until bedtime.
1/21/2011	I subbed at the girls' school today and was a bit worried since the kids have not had recess all week. The kindergartners had a great day though so it was fun. A few teachers invited me out to lunch with them so that was fun! Scott's parents were in town around 5 so Tom, Amber, and Jace came over as well. Callie left about the same time to go tubing with a friend. Tom was gracious enough to bring extra food he had from a catering job and he cooked us all a fabulous supper! We enjoyed a nice evening at the house and Callie came back right before bedtime.
1/20/2011	We didn't have Brownies on Monday since there wasn't school so I planned an outing today after school for Julia's troop. We went to Red Rossa and toured the kitchen and then each girl was able to roll out her own dough and make a pizza! They put them in the fire (it is wood roasted pizza) which we were told ranges from 600 to 800 degrees and then they were ready to eat. It was really fun and the girls had a good time. Scott had darts tonight but his team is just not having a good year.
1/19/2011	It was another cold day here (below zero) so the girls didn't have outside recess again. Callie had ballet and Julia had an appointment with Tara so I had to drop Callie off early and then drive Julia across town. Scott picked Callie up and we all met at Champs for dinner since kids eat free there on Wednesdays. Mr. Twister was even there so he made the girls fun balloon creatures and hats!
1/18/2011	Callie had art club today and and she asked if Julia and I would go in to look at her projects when we picked her up so we did. She made a neat fish out of a 2 liter bottle and is working on the Eiffel Tower so it was fun to take a peek at them. She really enjoys Art Club and I imagine Julia will be in it next year since you can start when you are a third grader.
1/17/2011	No school for the girls but Scott had to head to work. We ran some errands since everyone finally felt rested and healthy. Julia had some Christmas money and a coupon to use to buy more furniture for her critter house and Callie had a coupon and money for two more light fixtures for her dollhouse. I was just getting ready to make supper when their principal called me to ask if I would consider going to a meeting they were having about the upcoming proposed education cuts. Considering I do want a job in the school district soon, I decided it might be wise to attend so I put the fish in the fridge, called Scott to alert him that he was now on supper duty, and left. Scott took the girls to Burger King when he got home and they were in the shower when I got back. Apparently I even made the news!
1/16/2011	Scott didn't have to go back to play darts today since they lost so we were lazy again today. I had all my scrapbook stuff still out so Callie and Julia decided they wanted to work on their Florida scrapbooks and I kept working on mine. They watched a movie after lunch with Scott and I don't think Callie got dressed all day! Scott went to Tom's to work on his computer and I got the kids in bed.
1/15/2011	The girls slept in this morning but Scott had to head out for his darts tournament at 8. Julia ate a small breakfast but just didn't seem to have much energy until after lunch when she really perked up. I had invited Dena and Kim over for our scrapbooking day and Dena brought the kids over for a couple of hours until the darts tournament ended. Julia seemed great and was having fun playing and we got lots of scrapping done! Scott's team lost so he and Brad were back by 5 and took the kids for supper. They were home early so Julia could get a good nights rest and Callie actually needed to catch up on sleep too. We scrapped until midnight so it was a fun night for us too.
1/14/2011	Julia woke up at 3 this morning to tell me she was dizzy and then as I was walking her back to her bedroom she ran to the bathroom to throw up. Poor kid. We got her back to bed and I told her to just run to the bathroom next time because I would hear her and meet her there (hoping she would get there in time if she didn't come tell me first). So at 5 she woke me to tell me she just had to use the bathroom but not throw up so she didn't want me to get up. Gee - thanks! Scott got Callie up and let me and Julia sleep a bit and then he took her to school while we watched TV and had a quiet morning. She was pretty wiped out and of course didn't eat all day so she slept a lot. Scott came home at 3:30 so I could take Callie and her friend Lauren to Great Bear as planned. They have 5th Grade Fridays there where kids can ski or snowboard for $5! That includes rentals, a lift ticket, AND lessons! I got the girls there equipment - they decied to try snowboarding and got them out to the lesson just in time. I stayed inside to read and visit with other parents there. The girls met up with other kids and had a blast. They stopped in for supper and later a snack break but otherwise were out until 8:45! They turned in their boards and then went to tube from 9-10, also included in the $5! They were both very tired on the way home but decided they do want to head out again!
1/13/2011	I picked up the girls from school today so we could go shopping. Justice was having a sale and since they had gift cards from there they were very anxious to go find something. Julia wanted everything from the barbies, the stuffed animals, and the clothes so it was a battle to get her to pick only what she could pay for. She managed to find two really cute t-shirts and a play cell phone/calculator (because she doesn't have enough of those apparently). I was reminded that it was HER money so I needed to keep my advice to myself. Callie wanted to find just the perfect thing and she did find a really neat shirt as well as a new ear warmer/headband which she prefers over hats now. We enjoyed a snack at the mall and then made a few other stops on the way home for supper.
1/12/2011	I subbed today so we had to hurry once I got home for Callie to get ready for ballet and then leave again. She is very torn whether she wants to finish out the year at this studio. I don't think it is quite what she expected and she has decided for sure she will go back to Midwest next year. We may be done at the end of January.
1/11/2011	A very cold day here so no outside recess for the kids today. Since I was staying home, Scott took the truck to work. The girls didn't have anything after school for once so they had a good time playing when they came home. Callie was excited because her dollhouse purchases came in the mail and then after supper Scott helped finish up all the electrical work. I had the hardest time getting the outlets to connect to all that wire we had placed but thankfully he figured it out and now she has lights and it is super cute!
1/10/2011	Scott had to wake up early to snowblow all that snow and I had to sub so I left early. Callie had Girl Scouts after school and since those girls take turns leading the meeting, there isn't much prep work for me anymore. We met Scott, Tom, Amber, and Jace for supper afterwards. Eating out with a three year old is quite a challenge and I must admit I am glad those days are in the past for us! Jace is in love with his cousins though so it was quite adorable watching him keep coming back to entice the girls to go run with him. Scott got stuck about 1/2 block away from our house on the way home so I had to go help him and he determined I was not of any help at all because apparently I kept spinning his tires making it much worse - oops! We did get him out though, after he reminded many times that he really wanted (and apparently should have bought) new tires before winter.
1/9/2011	We all slept in a bit this morning and then the girls helped me make monkey bread for a late breakfast. We watched movies today and played games keeping warm while it snowed and snowed outside! We are supposed to have 6-8 inches by tomorrow afternoon.
1/8/2011	It was really cold so no one had much motivation to go anywhere today. After lunch the girls had friends over and then we ate a quick supper before picking up our new babysitter! We found out Julia's friend Brooke has an older sister that babysits and she was available tonight. The girls were very excited to hang out with her while we headed to Brandon for drinks with friends.
1/6/2011	The girls had a playdate after school so I was able to finish getting all the Christmas things put away finally. After supper I used playing a game as enticement for Julia to shower and get pjs on quickly because she can be so slow sometimes. That did seem to work, much better than nagging, so perhaps that will be our new routine. She is also super slow at moving in the morning too but I haven't figured out how to fix that yet.
1/5/2011	Tried to decide whether we should head to MO tomorrow but we finally decided against it, although I feel terrible and wish it wasn't so far away. My uncle died and it just all happened so fast, I think everyone is still trying to process it. He was diagnosed with cancer, admitted into the hospital two days later after having seizures, and then never came home. Even though we won't be there, we will be thinking of his sons and of course, my mom.
1/4/2011	Callie enjoyed a hot chocolate yesterday from winning a coupon that she had to present to her teacher. Today she had a blizzard from Dairy Queen, from another coupon she had purchased with "starbucks" a reward system their teacher uses. She had to give it to her teacher before lunch so she could go get it during lunch and then Callie ate it after that. FUN! Callie had art club after school where she is working with a partner on building the Eiffel Tower with broken up old CDs. Julia had an appointment with Tara and we decided to hold off on going once a month since she has been having a difficult time once again. I am hoping she just needs to get back in the school routine because holidays really throw her off but time will tell. I was successful with two of my resolutions today by actually remembering to bring in and use my reusable grocery bags AND I made supper: stromboli!
1/3/2011	No one was too happy about the alarm going off this morning but everyone made it to school and work. Julia had Brownies and we talked about cookies sales (which are coming up) and worked on a new patch called "Let's Pretend." The girls were able to play charades and dress up in costumes I brought which they enjoyed!
1/2/2011	We decided to spend our last afternoon of break ice skating! Julia remembered very quickly but Callie struggled - she claims it was due to the fact she had to use rentals instead of her old skates and I do agree the rentals are not nearly as nice to skate with. We went to Tom and Ambers so Scott could help set up a new TV and then they made us supper. The girls enjoyed playing with Jace and everyone was still able to get in bed early so we are all ready for tomorrow.
1/1/2011	HAPPY NEW YEAR! A new year brings changes and with that comes the time to pass the story on to someone else. I figured the girls are getting too old for me to pretend they are writing it so I will "take over" and try not to be too boring. I had to wake the girls so they had time to swim at the motel - they both LOVED the waterslide. We spent the afternoon resting and playing at home.

Check out the other years... (2000 thru 2005 told by Callie, 2006 thru 2010 told by Julia)
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