On with the Show

Hubby left this morning to participate in his second body-building show of the season. He's going to Idaho and I'm very excited for him. He's been in such great shape this season and his new regime has really done wonders for his overall appearance. Interestingly enough, he's getting more criticism about whether he truly is natural or not. I think it's quite the compliment! He's actually showing that you can have nice muscle mass without the need for steroids. Rather than criticising, they should take the hint.

The weekend will be somewhat lonely without him but I'll have plenty to keep me busy. The girls and I will spend tomorrow cleaning house (sweeping, mopping, vacuuming and giving the bathrooms a good scrubbing). I'll also go back over areas of my carpet that I recently shampooed, since the dog decided to vomit in various places. Ugh! He would do it two days after I'd shampooed all the carpets and rugs in the house. Nice.

Saturday, the eldest has to take dance pictures. One of the sittings involves "casual wear" this year. Casual for my tween is a little too casual for the everyday observer, so I'm going to take her shopping for casual that doesn't make her look like a ragamuffin. Even some of the Bermuda shorts that are out now should work nicely. The thing to stress with her is lotion; some pictures have her looking oh, so lovely but ashy, ashy, ashy!

Sunday we'll go to church and then await hubby's return. He wants to go somewhere nice for dinner that night and mentioned one of the local Brazilian restaurants in town. I love them, but they don't differentiate pricing with age too much. The youngest would be free, but we'd still be looking at around $70 for dinner. That's a little too rich for my penny-pinching blood.

I'm really starting to look forward to our vacation this summer. We're going to the location pictured on the right. The eldest keeps asking things like, "How long is the drive to our vacation," and "What will we do when we get there?" Can't kids just be happy with surprises?

The youngest doesn't care, just so long as we get to stay in a hotel. That's the best thing about traveling for her; the hotel stay. When I was little, I loved staying in hotels, too. Our kids have had the opportunity to, not only stay in hotels, but resort locations. They are truly spoiled and don't know how good they've got it. My hubby tries to tell them but I'm not sure they comprehend the totality of what they have just yet.

The sad thing is that with the way the gas prices are rising, the driving will be the most expensive aspect of our trip. Will we really have gas at nearly $4.00 per gallon by summer? It makes my heart drop just to think about it. I'm trying to remain positive and look forward to the happy times (and memories) we'll create when we go. I'm also hopeful that I won't look scary in my two piece when the time finally arrives.

Having A Long Weekend with my Hubby

97°F | °C

Current: Mostly Cloudy Wind: SE at 8 mph Humidity: 22% Thu 104°F | 88°F Fri 107°F | 87°F Sat 105°F | 86°F Sun 100°F | 88°F

Wow! This is what we're preparing for. I plan to be hanging around the pool as much as possible, to avoid these crazy temperatures.We leave out tomorrow morning and my brother-in-law (not the lummox) is staying at our home to babysit the dogs. Despite it not being the lummox, I'm still nervous and I hope hubby is clear on the ground rules. I hated the violation I felt the last time we left a relative in our home. My girls, thankfully, are staying with their aunt and cousins so, they won't get bored and they'll probably not even miss us.

Hubby's motive is to travel to a professional bodybuilding show as a spectator and possibly gain some sponsorship. I hope that he can network and gain what he needs while we're away. I also hope he doesn't forget about me. So often, a business/pleasure trip can tilt too far in one direction. I can just imagine taking the car and returning hours later to him not even realizing I had left in the first place. He could get that involved with the people he's talking to.

August is nearly here! Were the heck did the summer go? I'm not complaining at all (the sooner my eldest gets back into the classroom the better). I am getting anxious now about our vacation plans, since not everything is in place yet. We've got to get on that. Perhaps hubby and I can make an appointment for ourselves, so that we can get all of that taken care of next week.

Also, the Babe's birthday is coming up. I've created her invites and have in mind what the girls will be doing. I've even made arrangements for her sister, so that Indy doesn't cramp her style while they're trying to be all "preteeny". The cake just needs to be ordered, the gift bags put together and the pajamas purchased (It's an "All Day All Night Pajama Party"). I'm even on the lookout for cute jammers.

So, here's to my Thursday/Friday and having a weekend with hubby. I'll be crossing my fingers that I don't melt from the heat and hubby remembers that I'm there.

Meetings and Returning to Normal

Last week, I was on lock-down for work. We were in the midst of marathon-long meetings. Talk about being exhausted! There just weren't enough breaks during the day and I will definitely sneak away more in February (when we do this all over again).

I would leave the house at 6:30am (which means I was up at 5:30am. Not that unusual for me, but still pretty early.) I would then drive the 35 minutes or so into town to the conference/hotel location. We would eat breakfast, then begin our meetings for the day at around 8:30am. By noon, we would eat lunch, then be right back into our sessions. At 5:00pm, dinner would be served then either back into sessions, a presentation or some sort of planned event (I did win one of the raffle prizes; an iPod shuffle...nice, but I already have two and a Nano...oh, well).

By Saturday, I was completely wiped out. When I finally got home Saturday afternoon, I took a much needed nap. Boy, was that nice! I actually looked forward to my regular (?) work week (still getting used to that schedule, too).

The family has invited a slew of friends over this weekend for a fish fry. Not only will we have fish, but hubby has requested my "famous" fried chicken and savory, summer pasta salad. I will also make my Kahlua cake and chocolate chip cookies for the kids. Since I'm still not eating sugar or starches, I'll have to fry up my fish without the batter. That should be interesting. I have to say, though, I don't mind...especially if it keeps me in this size 6 I'm currently wearing.

I will be one cooking fiend! It should be fun and we'll all be out on the deck, enjoying each other's company. There will be a bit of liquor on flow, so I hope nobody gets too crazy (my mother will be there, after all). Saturday also happens to be a Utah holiday. I'll say this; most people are not found "drinking it up" on this particular day.

The Small Adventures of Life

I have several coming up this summer and into the fall. It's important to have something to look forward to...to break the monotony of life and experience something fun, new, and adventurous. For July, we have the holiday (of course) but we're also planning a get together for friends and family during the middle part of the month. A southern-style fish-fry is on tap and I am too excited! My contributions will be the spaghetti (very southern to eat it with fried catfish nuggets) and fried chicken (by request of hubby, who has been hankering for some for months). There will, of course, be the sides and desserts a-plenty. Since we plan on a big group, a lot of food is a good idea anyway. This is a huge deal for us because we haven't entertained at our house in a very long time.

Part of the reason is because of our kitchen. It is, in a nutshell, prehistoric and I am now utterly embarrassed to have people look at it...which leads to another adventure (I hope!); The Reconstruction of the Crappy Kitchen. I'm talking new floors, new cabinets, built-ins, design touches the works! Then, I'll be one entertaining heifer! Meanwhile, we will have our guests cloistered on the deck and in the backyard, rather than milling around in the unappealing kitchen.

For the end of July, hubby and I are getting away together. I am sooooo looking forward to that trip. Any time we can run away from our children for a little while is great for me. We can relax, decharge, and enjoy each others company to the fullest. We use this time to remember why we're a couple and why we're still married.

August is birthday month for the eldest. She is set on having another sleepover but this time, she wants a "pajama party." How is this different from a sleepover, you might ask? Well, the girls will be in their pajamas the entire time. If I take them to the grocery store? Pajamas; To the mall? Pajamas; the skating rink? Pajamas. I'm still trying to determine how many girls can participate because my car is only so big and I have a booster seat still for the youngest (the law says until 80 pounds or 8 years old, in this state). That thing really takes up a lot more room than it should. I've told her that, because she is getting older, we may not have the "staples" for food items. I thought I might have a sandwich or food tray catered by Jason's Deli, Chik-fil-a or Target and, maybe, do an ice-cream bar instead of regular birthday cake. I've got some time to come up with something fun.

The end of August will bring a concert for the entire family (my immediate, along with my mother and sister). We are going up into the mountains for this concert, which should be a ton of fun. Outdoor venue listening is far superior to me than being trapped in an enclosed amphitheater. I would much rather enjoy the beautiful scenery around me while listening to great music than to deal with the foul smells of people sitting too close to me who need a reminder in hygiene. After the concert, well will stay at a rented condo for the night.

Then, of course, September is vacation month. That will be the grand finale to the summer and (hopefully) the best part. September is the month of change and I hope that the changes are positive and forward thinking. I do not want a repeat of some Septembers past. I am grateful that the year, up to this point, has been really fulfilling. Bring on the adventures!

Father's Day and Summer Solstice

Ah...the summer solstice. It's official! The kids are out of school, they're running around the neighborhoods and the ice cream is on flow. To be a kid again! They seem to be having the time of their lives (someone should tell them that they are).

My eldest is participating in drama camp this week. She been so excited to start and, even last night, she's still felt the jitters. This morning she asked me to run lines with her (but, she hadn't really read through the play properly in order to do this). She spent about forty-five minutes doing so then tested her lines on me. So passionate! Maybe there's an actress in the making... a triple-threat, even!

The youngest is still going to preschool two days per week. She begins swim lessons next Saturday and tells anyone who will listen to her. She loves and fears the water equally, so I hope this year's batch of lessons will get her past her fear. My sister keeps taking her to the pool and will bring her into the water so aggressively that I wonder about her success in her classes.

We took my hubby to Father's day dinner on Sunday but before that, he got to open presents. It should be a joyous thing to open gifts but he always acts as if he doesn't deserve them and shouldn't be allowed to open them. I know this comes from his upbringing but it still makes me sad. I want him to know how much we appreciate him and love him. I tell him and shower him with gifts (when I can), but he still seems so ambiguous about them. Oh well, I won't stop trying.

My sister emailed me this morning with the news that she's lost a total of 41lbs. GC mentioned losing a pound and I celebrate successes like these (no matter how big or small). It's so easy to put on weight but it takes major work to get it off. I'm still "working" towards my goal and, despite the stumbling blocks, I know that I'll see my reward. I hope we all do. :)

Summer and Recitals

The first recital was last night and my eldest performed. Awesome job! Truly! I've watched this dance all spring and I think last night's performance was the best yet. I wasn't thrilled about the makeup job I did, but who cares. It's all about the talent (she did love her falsies, though...batted her eyes to anyone who would look at her).

Tonight is the last night and both of my girls will be on stage. The youngest is currently taking a nap. She needs her stamina for the long night (and boy was it ever long last night). We got to the high school at around 5:15 because that is what the instructors requested of all the dancers. The show didn't start until 6:30pm. My daughter's routine? Number 37 out of forty-two. Sweet! We didn't get home till close to nine. My youngest nearly passed out eating her dinner, so I just put her to bed. Hopefully, with the good nap, it won't be as hard on either of them.

They have been extraordinarily good with each other during the break, so far. I'm surprised but won't look a gift horse in the mouth. Can't say how long it will last, but I am happy that the eldest is trying to show a bit of responsibility. I want that to just blossom this summer and I'm praying she'll be a more mature child by the time fifth grade starts. I need that to alleviate a lot of my stress.

Hubby and I are having a Saturday night away from the kids. We're so excited! I hope we can find something fun to do. I'm still on the strict part of my diet so, we were up one night looking at restaurants that offer items that I may be able to eat. I'll be so glad when this phase is over so that I can incorporate more goodies again. Broccoli sounds good at this point; however, my diminishing figure is great too.

It's Coming Together

We're planning our vacation and I'm really excited. We've given ourselves a 3K budget this year, which has me just a bit nervous (I really don't spend money well...then, there's my hubby...). On the other site, I'm documenting my work to get tone again. I'm realistic, and began my journey at the end of April. Hubby was telling me that there are people who actually say stuff to him like, "Hey, how can I lose forty pounds in two weeks, so I can be ready for my vacation?" Are they serious? They must be high. Even if you could do that, you'd probably pass out on the vacation. Not good.

The school year is nearly over and hubby, quite by my surprise, signed Indy up for swim lessons. Yeah! She's going to be thrilled. She loves the water (taking to it much faster than her sister did at her age) and I'm sure she'll be a fish in no time. I signed up the Babe for acting/swim camp this year. It's a week long and she has no idea. It's best that way with her, or she'll drive me nuts!

She asked me this morning, ironically, if I ever went to camp as a kid. I explained that my elementary school became a camp each summer. So, the thousands of dollars my parents shelled out during the school year, could continue throughout the summer, except the curriculum became "camp like" instead. This was how I went on all those field trips to Disney.land, Knott.s Berry Farm, Magic Mountain and Sea World. She was mighty impressed. If only there were something like that here. They should get smart because with the hordes of children, somebody could be getting rich, rich, rich.

It's oil change time. Blah! I guess I wouldn't mind so much if I weren't pressured, every time I went, to perform every known service under the sun. I know they're due and I'll take care of it when I'm ready. Leave me alone, why don't cha! If it's sunny in your neck of the woods, I hope you enjoy your weekend.