THIS STUPID COMPUTER JUST DUMPED TWO POSTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another Week Has Passed

Hey Ladies!!

Thanks for the updates (minus Cari, of course).  She is still reading though.  I did actually spend the afternoon with Cari last week. It was good catching up.  The boys will get together one day this week as well.  We had planned on seeing a lot of each other this summer but last week was the first.  Once we got our calendars together we realized June was out of the question!!  School will be upon us shortly so July seems to be it for this year!  My boys don't start back until 8/16 which seems kind of late but I'm not going to argue about it.

Emerson did well in his first week of swim lessons.  There are only four boys and the other three are almost always late, so he gets individual attention for about 5 minutes or so each day.  Why you would spend $80 on lessons and show up late is beyond me.  I heard one mother say it is just hard to get up (the lessons are at 9:45)!!  The lessons continue this week as well and I have Carter signed up for a jazz/rock band camp at St. Benedict.  We will be spending the mornings in Cordova then go home after dropping Carter off just to go back three hours later.  Oh well, the life of living in the boonies!!

I had forgotten Carole was headed for Charleston and texted her to meet us at the drive in on Friday night.  She was already headed out of town.  We didn't end up going, but did go on Saturday night to see Ice Age.  It was actually chilly.  Hard to believe after over 100 degree weather previously.  I would like the heat wave again myself.  Let us know how it went, Carole.

Julie,  sorry to hear motherhood is being so hard on you lately.  Hope it all works out with Parrish.  Where are you considering boarding school?  I'm assuming Thane changed jobs or at least territories.  Wasn't he in the Atlanta area previously?  I had it in my mind you were considering moving back there but that may just be my old mind showing its age.  It is refreshing to take vacations away from hometowns.  I do not think we will be going to Virginia to visit Jim's family this year.  I invited them down here instead and his Mom, Sister, and her two boys came.  We had a blast.  His sister hadn't been here for 11 years.  His Mom came with her husband fall 2009.  I just got tired of going there at least once if not twice a year for the last 27 years.  Besides, the vacation budget is just about at zero!  I am sorry to hear about Todd.  Obviously your trips to Atlanta were not vacations.  I know what you mean about the death thing.  I think it comes with our age (although you are a lot younger than I am).  I have just one uncle left plus my Mom to represent my parent's generation and obviously no grandparents, great aunts, uncles etc.  Then when you throw in someone as young as Todd it just makes it worse.  I think we just have to look at our kids to help us out.  I told my boys to live close to each other and have as many kids as they could (perhaps the Catholic school exposure will help on that front) :)    I only have two cousins and we are not close.  I hope that is not the case for their children.  They have quite a few cousins but they are spread out between Texas and Virginia so they aren't close either.  Jim's sister's kids are the closest in age and we do see them the most so hopefully they will keep in touch as they get older.  Jim and I were discussing how families used to stay in close proximity to each other years ago but that is no longer the case.  We blame college.  You meet people from different areas and obviously receive opportunities to move other places to be successful so that is what you do.  So we're back to spending vacations visiting family instead of finally making it to see the Giant Redwoods in CA.  (Oh well, maybe next year).

Keep on Keepin' On!!

Brenda

And Summer Continues

So, motherhood is pretty much kicking my ass.

Parrish spends the week with his dad in Massachusetts and works.  He is going to go to the alternative high school this fall if he doesn't either go to school in Mass or boarding school.  I wish they would make him re-do freshman year, but since he only failed one class they won't.  And he failed that class on purpose.  Belle is recovering from her tonsillectomy quite nicely and I spend my time driving her to piano lessons, horseback riding, summer tutoring and doctor's appointments.  Super fun for me, but she is doing great.  She has her best friend Jaden over today (she usually comes over once a week) and they spend time figuring out what their apartment is going to be like when they move out.

So, I am going for the night with a friend of mine to NYC at the end of the month.  She wants to see the bodies exhibit (me, I'm kinda meh about it) and I want to eat at this restaurant a kid I used to work with is now cooking at (Empellon Cocina).  So, that will be a little mini get away, it's about a four and a half hour drive from here.  The family is going to go to Maine to camp for a few days in August.  We have lived here almost seven years and I have never been to Maine.  I seem to spend all my time in Atlanta.  I am going to stop doing that.  Todd died at the end of March at home, I was there for two weeks then (before/during/after) and am still kinda in shock from that.  I am not sure why I have been around so many deaths at this point, but I am kinda sick of it.  Belle and I went in June to stay with Erin for the week and she and she and the boys are doing well.

Brenda, glad you are free from your job.  If I may say so, they always seemed to over-work you.  I like that you are getting to kick-back and have a more relaxed summer.  Carole, saw Corrine's pics!  Coolio.  Cari, I have no idea what is going on with you, but hope all is well.

Oh, I am editing to add Parrish finally got Thane to watch "Forks over Knives" a few months ago (if you haven't seen it, you can stream it on Netflix) and he has embraced the green smoothie also.  As I have started to limit the animal products I eat (I refuse to go vegan...I never want to be that person) I am starting to think I am lactose intolerant because when I do have milk (making lots of ice cream in the Vitamix for Belle right now) I get a stomach ache which I have never noticed before.  I do have more energy and feel better eating this way.

Hi
Yes , brenda, I will try to keep posting.
We are headed out for a vacation...the first true vacation in a while.

Last yr we made some trips to N.O.,la.  did not make any farther.

We are headed to Charleston.  Anyone been there? Any good seafood places you know of?
After charleston we are headed to the red neck riviera...(ft. walton, Florida area).

Kevin loved camp and still talks about what they did.  ah the life of walking out side your cabin to a pick up game of frisbee.

Corinne like camp too.  she seems to really feel comfortable with handling a horse.
the trek to hopkinsville, kentucky ( the land between the lakes area) was RUSTIC!!
old barn barely standing, rows and rows of cornfields.  Reminescent of Field of Dreams...if you build it they will come.really nice people.  AND she wore her cowboy boots!!
HOT HOT HOT too.  we drove up on a sunday...ran across some mennonites whic kinda slowed us a bit.  we got to a fork in the road...gravel road vs paved!!

Need to go get ready for work...i open up at 6:30

c

Hey Y'all

Wow!  It has been forever since I have blogged.  Thanks for keeping it going, Carole.  Life is good.  I LOVE not working.  I now regret saying I would check back with them in the fall but then again, the kids will be in school so I would probably run out of stuff to do anyway.  June was crazy with traveling and having company.  July looks to be pretty laid back so I'm planning on doing a lot of swimming with the kids and fun stuff.  Everyone is welcome to come out anytime.  Emerson starts swim lessons tomorrow.  He can swim underwater, but knows no strokes so that is the plan this year.  He is pretty competitive and loves water so we're thinking we will try a swim club for him next year.  Once he can swim 25 yards with the designated strokes he can join summer swim club at the YMCA.

Congrats to Corinne on the volleyball.  That is great.  Jim made Carter do cross country conditioning but after a week and a 1/2 he let him quit.  He really hated it but felt obligated to keep going.  I didn't realize he was so worried about it.  He is a lot happier now.  Hard to believe he will be 15 tomorrow.  The birthday season is upon us!

Got Carter's classes via email last week.  Checked out the book prices since we now have to buy books.  $667!!   and that is USED books where available.  He has a biology book that costs over $200!!  I am getting the ISBN numbers tomorrow and checking Amazon and Ebay.  The woman down the street will sell me her daughter's books from last year (another reason for the ISBN numbers to make sure they haven't changed).  She didn't take honors classes though so it will be limited what she has.

Keep in Touch!!

Brenda

hello,
Corinne is the newest member of the White Station High School volleyball team.
Freshman team to be exact. 
That comes at a price...she will not be able to attend Kiwani horse camp.
who knew that may 29th to June 22 is conditioning?
She is very sad.
However i did find a horse camp for one of the 2 weeks she is off.
it is in the Kentucky lakes region, seems low key and they mention calf roping??

Cannot miss 'conditioning' as this determines who plays....probably taking this a bit too seriously as
there are 6 freshmen on the team and u need 6 to play.
I think it is likely there will be a few added come start of school.

Any wany one need cookie dough?...the box kind...need to unload 30 boxes
$13.  box (was 16 but i am absorbing some of the cost b/c that price  is obnoxious)

Kevin is holed up reading and playing mind craft...nothing more except he did take out the trash and wash dishes one night....both in the same day!!


Signing off to go read myself back to sleep.......zzzzzzzzzzzz
c

hello,
I now have a 9th grader!!
this spring the choir went to Orlando...Disney in specific, by bus from memphis to perform.
they did well, too.
They also had marathon days at the theme parks.
My job has its up side...I get to go to school performances and get off early enough to see both children in their baseball/softball game.

Corinne's team won their division !!
3yrs in a row.

Kevin's team had 2 wins by forfit and one tie...they are a bad news bears type team with a lot of heart.

This weekend there were 4 parties
3 for the 8th graders and one team party for kevin.

It is swimming time here Julie!!
  i am doing loads of laundry
g'night

carole