Running around like crazy!

I feel like I'm constantly running in a circle. But things are falling into place. I got Emily into viola lessons with a retired orchestra teacher in Fargo. Her 5-6th grade orchestra teacher gave her rave reviews and a great recommendation, so this new teacher was happy to take her on as a student.

Last night was the sports night at Sullivan. But we also had to stop at the dance studio to get Emily measured for costumes and order new shoes (because we forgot to do it on Sunday). So I left work early, rushed home to get Emily and ran her back to the dance studio - which is 1 block from work. After 30 minutes there, we headed to Sullivan. Sat in the auditorium for 15 minutes; listened to the athletic director for 15 minutes, and then were told to go to the band room for the swimming session of the evening. The band room was empty and dark. We waited another 15 minutes and then left. So, I have a call in to the swimming coach.

Tonight is back to school night at Clara Barton and Hawthorne from 5-7:30 - each school is 1-1/2 hours, overlapping. As the PTA president, I'm responsible for the setup of the PTA tables at each school, printing out volunteer sheets for our numerous activities, staffing the tables, and helping the secretaries with lunch money, bus tickets, and PTA registration. PLUS, Sam gets to meet his teacher, put his school supplies away, and look around the kindergarten room. We're supposed to bring a picture of him doing something fun this summer, so I frantically called my dad this morning to see if he had any of Sam at the ocean when we were in NJ. Thank goodness he did and e-mailed me some great ones.

Tomorrow Emily has orientation from 9-10. Then we have parents' night at the school - Emily's not supposed to come. We meet her teachers and run through her schedule. She's got 8 classes and 4 minutes between each class. Whew!

I'll be glad when this week is over!

So quiet at home

Emily came back from camp and left 2 days later to spent time in SD with family. It's very odd only having one child running around. I've been spending the "extra" time cleaning Emily's room. Boy is that girl a packrat! Her room is beautiful now. I plan to put some shelves up tonight and launder all her bedding (bed skirt, comforter, pillow shams), so it's fresh when she comes home on Saturday.

Sam wanted to know why Emily had more stuff than he does. I told him that's not always a good thing. He has his first loose tooth and is so excited about it! He's anxious for the tooth fair to visit him and leave him something under his pillow!

Emily's off to Camp Cormorant

We took Emily to camp on Sunday afternoon. She was really looking forward to going and quite excited once she got there. On the way, Sam and Rob noticed a racing track and talked about going. We stopped on the way back and decided to watch. Sam had a blast and thought it was great fun. He loved learning about all the different colored flags and we bought him a checkered flag. During the last lap, he'd run down and wave that flag for every car that crossed the finish line! It was so cute!

Whew! Made it home!

Emily, Samuel, and I took a trip to New Jersey to visit my grandma who will be 90 years old in September. She still lives in her house and drives to do errands and is quite independent! Once we got there we had a great time meeting my cousin's new little boy, Owen, and playing with her 2-year old, Nicholas. Dad and Melissa, were also visiting at the same time, so we went to the ocean with them and then walked the boardwalk at Pt. Pleasant.

Sam's favorite part was sitting on the beach right at the point where the waves crashed the beach. He like tumbling up and then back into the water with the waves. Emily just floated on the wave swells for hours until we had to beg her to come in because we were tired. (My dad and I took turns floating with her!)

Our trip there wasn't as fun, though. We had a layover in Detroit and due to bad weather, lightening, and crews hitting their 13-hour flight time limit, we ended up stranded in Detroit for the evening. Just Emily, Sam, and me. With no luggage, because it was still on the plane. It was pouring rain outside and we were stuck. But, we made many new friends on our adventure - Lloyd, the Wal-Mart greeter who cut holes in large plastic bags so we could use them as rain coats; Claire, the Hampton Inn worker who called around to find a hotel that did have vacancy and then called the Hampton Inn shuttle to take us to the Red Roof Inn; and Mary, who gave us a $69 room for $47 after she heard my story.

It's so good to be home! Now if we could just get some rain here like we had in Detroit!