Day 4 sans Rob

What a great day! Work, went well... I got a lot done with and without the kids. Dr's appointment went well. But the best part of the day was this evening!

Since my parents are away on vacation for two weeks... gallivanting through the west and far Midwest... my grandparents (affectionately known as Nana and Papaw) came to town to watch the house and my great grandmother. Usually on Tuesdays Rob is at class and the kids and I hang out with my parents and my Nana said that while Mom and Dad were away they would like to have us over for dinner both of the Tuesdays. Last Tuesday we went and it was nice and I told them that I would like to fix dinner this week. So, that is exactly what I did. I even experimented! For dinner I made lemon-pepper chicken on the grill (of course!) and corn-on-the-cob... As for my experiment, I felt like having some potatoes, but mashed potatoes are like the furthest thing from healthy for me. So, I thought that I would maybe roast some potatoes and even try grilling them. Well, let me tell you, they were AMAZING!! Even the ones that were black because they stayed on the bottom too long were delicious!! My Nana and Papaw loved the dinner, the kids loved the dinner! I was so happy!

Something else crazy happened today. My parents' dog bit me! And I think it may have caused a break in our relationship (the dog and me). I mean, I was really pissed off that he did it and then later on in the evening he proceeded to steal a cob off the table and that did not help the situation. I don't know... we will see. Now, for those of you who might be worried, it was nothing serious, he did break the skin, it was on my wrist, but there wasn't a lot of blood or anything. Now I just have a band-aid on and it looks like I tried to slit my wrist.

Because I of the rain I decided not to go to the drive-in (and we had already seen the movie) but the kids and I did cuddle on the couch and watch The Tale of Despereaux. It was a cute movie. And it totally completed the GREAT evening!

On another note: A friend of mine, her husband left this week for Iraq and it totally has put this whole week into perspective for me. In fact, just thinking about it makes these past few blogs feel very selfish. I mean, yeah, my husband is gone for 7 days, but her husband is gone for 188 days TO IRAQ. I don't think I could survive something like that. So, my prayers are with her and her husband and his safety.

Well, Wednesday is on its way! It means 1 day until Syd leaves for Girl Scout Camp (her first official over-night camp and she is REALLY nervous) and more days without Rob has gone past than how many remain until he returns!

One other note... I am really enjoying this blogging everyday thing. And I was thinking about continuing it... even if it is about trite stuff like what I did today. In fact, I really need to begin working on loosing weight... most of what I lost in '07 is returning... so I was thinking about doing a Bridget Jones thing... to give myself some accountability and stuff... Maybe.

Ok, that's all for tonight!

Day 3 sans Rob

Well, I think it is safe to say that today went great! We had a rough start to the morning... including me yelling at the kids because they brought a book into the car a few days ago, left it there, then a half empty cup of coffee fell into the mix and got all over the book. I made them clean out the entire back of the car.

But work with the kids went well. I actually got a lot finished and started and they were so good when I had to go to the T-shirt place and give them my files. With VBS less than 13 days away, I am beginning to feel the crunch and with Rob gone this week I think it is weighing on me a bit more.

After work I took the kids to the library to get their first prize for the summer reading program, they were so excited! A funny consequence occurred because of the trip. For Syd to get her prize today she chose to get a CD of music to dance to (it was either that or read a book), so I let them each get a CD. Well, then we got home and I realized that we don't actually have a working CD player besides our computers... ha ha. So, we have yet to listen to the music and dance; which Syd pointed out is kind of cheating, but I don't really think so because we listen to music and dance all the time, just not to Cd's... from the library or anywhere else. The whole thing yet again reminded me that I need to get the kids a working CD player... maybe we will look for one this week. (Side note: Do any of my readers have one they don't use anymore? I would really like to not buy one)

After day activities we got to home activities. Tonight I had Bible Study with the ladies from Echo! It was the first one that I have gotten to attend and even though I was mildly distracted with the kids being with a new babysitter (more on that in a minute) and not being prepared AT ALL I loved it! It is so nice to be able to go to a Bible Study, where not only do we study the Bible, but I am with a group of ladies are all similar in age/lifestyle/church beliefs as myself. I actually do not think that I have ever been to Bible Study like this before... and sad to admit, but the last serious group I was in was over 5 years ago and I was the youngest one there. So, thank you ladies for being there and having this Bible Study!

Babysitter: It has been a really long time since we have actually gotten a babysitter, usually we get our parents to watch the kids and we are out till wee hours of the morn...not being parents. But this week is special and so I got us a babysitter. And I think she is great! She even made the kids brush their teeth before bed!! She is a high schooler and she goes to our church. The best thing is that when I was subbing I "overheard" her talk about how she had just taken babysitting courses, so she is all prepared in the babysitting department, including CPR/rescue breathing! I haven't gotten to talk to the kids about her (Since they were asleep when I got home, but I think they had a good time too), but I think it is safe to say she will be back other times during the summer!

So that was Day 3. And I have a strawberry update! I discovered that Rob took the camera, so the first picture (from yesterday) is from my phone and then I videoed the one from today.

As my parenthesis says this was from yesterday

This is how both of them look today! I am so excited!

I have a feeling that I need to move them to the ground, because my other set seems to be sending out runners, but I don't know where to put them. I hope that they will be ok. Also, don't you love the Tinker Toy/curling ribbon support device I have made for them! I am thinking in the fall or next spring that I will make a raised garden and plant more edible things. In addition to my strawberries I have 4 tomato plants, but they aren't doing anything yet. I'll keep you posted on them too.

And so completes Day 3. Tomorrow, another day of work, including a Dr.s Appt, dinner with my Nana and Papaw, and maybe the Drive-In!!! WOW!

Day 2 sans Rob

Well, Day 2 went well'ish (I love modifying words with "'ish" it just embodies every meaning I mean it to mean)

Since today is Sunday and the one day of the week I have to work, it is always pretty stressful. But we got out of the house and to church fairly on time, with NO hassles!! Which is extraordinary. Even church went well. I did have to sit down and talk with a boy... who just happened to be attending for the first time... because of his behavior, but even that went well. And the lessons went great and almost all of my teachers were there... so the first third went a definite Well.

Second third: I got to take a nap! This is a rarity because usually we are at Rob's parents and I don't feel like I can take a nap or really even leave until it is necessary. But, since everyone is out of town, lunch was at my house with my food and on my time. Which means we were finished and laying down to do nothing the rest of the afternoon by 1:30!!

Last third: Went to Echo. For those of you who don't know Echo is the church we go to in Walnut Hills. It is great and I LOVE it!! This week we were finishing up talking about women and what 1 Corinthians and Paul says about us.... I'm sorry Steve, but I feel like the thesis of your "sermon" didn't really come to fruition. But, I enjoyed it anyway and I mixed it up and sat on the opposite side of the room with Melissa and the other "single ladies." However, on the way home the kids got the best of me... I yelled at them twice. And it wasn't because they were being "bad" it was because they just kept finding ways to blatantly ignore what I was asking them to do. By the time we got home I wanted nothing more than to lock them in their room and have myself a glass of wine. (Only the latter half of this I did) Instead, we finished chapter 3 of The Swiss Family Robinson... which is a great book!! (Maybe I will talk about it more in another edition of this blog) And went to bed, without any problems!

The plan for tomorrow is work (with the kids in tow) and Bible study!
See you then

P.S. Also, I'm trying my hand at growing strawberries and my first two started getting some red on them today!!! I'll have pictures tomorrow.

Day 1 sans Rob

Rob left this morning for a mission trip to Memphis, Tennessee and he will be gone all week until Saturday ( at some unknown time). He hasn't been gone for a whole week for two years and not only is he gone, but his parents are gone (we live right next to them), AND my parents. So, needless to say I am feeling a little abandoned today and lonely. (The lonely part I think is due to the time of the month and not necessarily my lack of friends and support people to talk to)

I thought to maybe pass the time I would blog each day this week about what we did... Not necessarily to keep Rob up-to-date, because he didn't take his laptop, but to just do something that will fill the void and try my hand at blogging everyday.

So, to start off with the kids and I rolled out of bed at about 10ish this morning. (I would just say the lateness was because it was Saturday, but with school being out, I have been getting up about this time everyday... I need to stop it) Then I was feeling all sad and depressed and I didn't really feel like doing anything, so we argued about what we wanted to do for "breakfast" until about 11:30. At which time we just went over to the in-laws and watched TV and ate bad, bad food, Until we left for my nephews birthday party... at 2. At the party, which was super fun, we played The Price is Right games (my nephew LOVES The Price is Right) and had cake and ice cream. Then we went to Red Robin for dinner. Finally we went grocery shopping for the week and came home.

I know, You are thinking "What an interesting life Alicia leads!" But, alas, it has only been one day... wait until you hear what the rest of the week holds in store for us!!

Today is the 65th anniversary of D-Day

I found this article while reading some news stories this morning and I wanted to share it with you too. Even though I have a huge interest in History and am working on being a History teacher, it did not dawn on me this morning when I woke up that it was the anniversary of D-Day. (as I'm sure many of you did not think about either) But I found this story and it made me stop and think about the day and all the lives that were lost. A lot of times when people talk about going into the service or about the people in military service they say they are "sacrificing" their lives so that we can be free. To be honest, sometimes I takes a lot for me to think about how the men and women currently serving are protecting our freedom... especially since I don't see how the "wars" currently being fought were started because our "freedom" was at stake. (Please recognize that this is my own PERSONAL opinion and they don't necessarily have to be the same as yours') (NOTE: I want to make it clear that I don't disrespect people who are in military service, they join for their own reasons and ARE doing a lot of good in the world) But when I think about the people who fought in World War 2, and especially those who were a part of D-Day, I feel that they truly were serving to protect our freedom and the freedom of thousands and millions of others. And it makes me glad and helps me think more about why people today serve in the military.

So, a quick background on what D-Day was for those of you who don't remember from some past high school/college history class (or sadly enough, Saving Private Ryan). D-Day was an Ally (that means the good guys and included the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain) invasion that took place on a 50 mile stretch of beaches in Normandy, France beginning around 6:30 in the morning of June 6, 1944. 160,000 troops landed on the beach making the invasion the largest, single-day amphibious invasion, EVER. When everything was said and done over 10,000 of the Allied troops were dead. But we won and it put the Allies ahead and a dent in the Nazi's stronghold.

Anyways, here is the article: "There aren't many of us left standing"

My week in photos

This week has been extraordinarily eventful in the G house AND extraordinarily full of picture taking. So, I thought that I would give you a run down of my week through the photos I took.

Last Saturday my mom and the kids went to the Butterfly Show at Krohn Conservatory. This is a
picture of one of the butterflies we saw while on our visit.


Henry turned 6!


The last day of school! (This caption is for the next two as well)
This picture is from Sydney's first grade awards assembly. She received Honor Roll (all year) and Tiger Cub (all year). (Tiger Cub means that she was well-behaved)


It is a little blurry, but this is Henry shaking the principal's hand at Kindergarten "Graduation"


Henry leaving school, never to return as a kindergartner AGAIN!


Henry bridged this Saturday to become a Tiger Cub Cub Scout (not to be confused with Tiger Cub at School). This is a picture of him getting his Tiger Cub neckerchief tied on.

And finally, but not least, my very own grill!! I love grilling and here is a picture of Saturday night's dinner on my new grill. It was DELICIOUS!

Well, as you can see it was a very exciting week here.
(Not to mention the almost tornado Saturday night)

Thanks for reading!

Nothing

It has only been like 4 weeks since I said that I would try and blog at least once every week... I think the operative word there is "TRY." Especially, because I have tried, I swear!

For the life of me I can't think of anything to type, that would not take a lot of time and not be really boring.
For instance, I could maybe start writing some of "Max and the 11th Dinosaur" on here, but that would take a lot of time, especially since it has been a REALLY long time since I wrote anything fictional and not for a college class.
Or, I could write a little about what I'm doing these days, but I don't think people want to read about how I am writing VBS curriculum for my job/church and I am very far behind and a little stressed about it... because that is all I am doing these days. I would just say the same thing every post.

I was talking to a friend the other day and she has started a blog of pictures of things that she thinks looks really neat (actually she told me that my sunglasses are on it... I need to find the blog) and another friend of mine finished a year long thing where she did "self" portraits...
I don't have anything interesting like that to do, and I definitely don't want to have about 365 pictures of myself on the interweb... YUCK! (Chris, which is only to say that pictures of myself would be yuck, I really enjoyed yours)

Well, either way, I am going to keep blogging away. I think it is a habit I need to strengthen (unlike my terrible habit of eating food ALL the time... that one needs to END). And maybe after VBS is through, I WILL start on some "Max and the 11th Dinosaur"... that would be fun.