Tim’s working on putting up the new siding. Right now, the front of the house is pink with the Pink Panther plastered everywhere, as he’s gotten as far as the insulation.

Matthew’s outside riding his bike and the girls are enjoying some ice cream. I’ve been sitting here patiently DYING to assemble Tim’s father’s day gift (it’s used, but new to him) but can’t. I offered to give it to him today, but he said he wanted it tomorrow. So, I guess I’ll wait until tonight to assemble it so that he can be suprised in the morning.

The girls had issues with cleaning this morning. They were in there for 45 minutes cleaning and nothing and so I finally asked Tim what I should do. He told me to put one on the couch and one on the chair for 15 minutes then send them in there again.

I did that, and they still weren’t cleaning so I went in there and said they had 45 minutes and then I was coming in with a trash bag. When the buzzer rang I went in there and started cleaning. I was so upset that I had to get rid of things they didn’t have very long and weren’t cheap, but it’s all on the front porch now. Of course, they don’t care that it’s gone. I can’t blame them, I didn’t care when it was done to me. I guess the old “what goes around comes around” is true and if that’s the case I’m in BIG trouble…

However, it wasn’t an idle threat. One I wish I didn’t make, but I did…and followed through. Maybe I’ll put the stuff up in the shed and give it back to them eventaully. Tim isn’t thrilled with this idea as he wants it to go to the trash now. Maybe I’ll take it to the Goodwill. I wanted to run by there today anyway…

Sigh…

Until next time…

Heather

What a whirlwind of a few days!

There was the yardsale on Saturday, and I worked getting the office done on Sunday. It’s still not done but getting there. Monday and Tuesday are a blur! I do know that Tim took my car to get inspected and my county sticker on Monday (thank goodness…i didn’t have time to get over there!) and then we went to lunch…it was sooooooooooooooooooo nice! Since he’s started his new job, we’ve not been able to have lunch.

Yesterday, I had to take a proposal to Richmond, so I dropped it off, had lunch with Marie and came home. Then Tim and I went to the driving range. I have blisters on my hands now! Ouch!

Kids are leaving next Friday to go with their dad for a week. Don’t know what I’ll do with myself. Yes, I do…work on this house! It’s gotten to the point that there’s so much to do, I don’t know where to start!

Tomorrow is Friday…no big plans for the weekend. Regan has the chicken pox so we don’t know if she’ll be here or not, but there’s a festival in Franklin County that we talked about going to. Tim and I also talked about cleaning out the shed. It’s just a mess. At least it’s supposed to cool off…

I can’t believe it’s mid-June already. We’ve been here a year now…where does the time go?

Until next time…

Heather

Here are some pictures of the new room…moved in…almost…few things

need to leave and new things are on the list…and had a yard sale

today and made almost $150…rest went to the Goodwill…and that was

just a quick sweep through the house…I know there is SOOOO much more

that needs to go…

I’m so greatful that Tim’s so handy…

Until next time…

Heather

I was on my way home for lunch and Tim calls…just to say hi…talk about a HUGE smile on my face. =) Since he got his new job, he doesn’t have a cell phone signal and so talking to him during the day has kind of stopped. So that was nice.

Then when I got home, the kids had the laundry going, and the strawberries were cleaned and sugared, their rooms clean, and the bathroom was clean, including the floor…there was a tad too much water on the floor, however I over looked that. They tried!

I hope the rest of the day continues like this!!

Until next time…

Heather

I don’t know why I say that as this weekend will prove to be very busy for all of us. Yes, the kids are going to their dad’s, however, there’s just so much to do.

We have all the furniture where it’s supposed to be (I think…) but there’s still stuff EVERYWHERE and it’s really getting on my nerves at this point in time. There’s the yard sale tomorrow and tonight much of our time will be finishing getting all the stuff together and then pricing it and hauling it over to Sondra’s. I told Tim what didn’t sell was going to the Goodwill when we left Sondra’s. I’m not bringing it home with me.

I did get my clothes in some sense of order last night. I put all the winter stuff away and got all the summer stuff out. At least my stuff. I’m chucking (or selling) some of those things I haven’t worn in eons.

The new office is set up, however, there’s still that huge pile in the corner that needs to be gone through and put away (or thrown away).

I left the kids a list of things to do today, things they HAD to do, and then things they could do to earn extra money for their field trips at Planet Kids. I’m hoping that they do them, but I’m not betting on it. They are enjoying their first few days of their summer vacation. Last night, I told them they could stay up, but they had to stay in their beds and read, and so they did…until at least 11. Of course, they were up at 7 this morning before I went to work. I don’t know how they do it…

Maybe on Sunday I can take some time and just relax a bit…I doubt it but one can dream…

Until next time…

Heather

Yesterday was the last day of school. This morning it’s been peaceful not having to rush around and get 2 kids on the bus. It won’t last. They are home today and tomorrow with a sitter coming in. Monday they will return to the morning routine and head to the day care center for the day. Of course, Matthew was up at 6:30…Samara is still dead to the world.

I felt bad as when they got home from their dad’s last night, we were moving all the furniture around (yes, the bedroom is done and we’re moving) and I didn’t get a chance to look at their folders then. I looked briefly at Sam’s report card, but not at Matthew’s and nothing else. I was tired, hungry, and cranky last night. No excuse, but we will look at everything tonight, together.

Samara and Matthew both got perfect attendance, something that not only should they be proud of, but something that I’m proud of too. I got my kids to school every day, all year. They weren’t tardy once either. Pat on the back Heather. Matthew missed many days last year because we would have to come home for one reason or another. This year, he was there on time, every day. Yay!

For perfect attendance they got a $3 gift certificate to Ram’s Head Book Shop and 3 free skating passes…not bad for showing up every day!

Their grades were good as well. Matthew kept an A in Math all year…his reading and writing grades were As up until this last report period and both of them dropped to a B. Suprisingly, he brought his spelling grade up to an A. Miracles do happen. He got all As and a B for the year.

Samara is still on the P (making progress/developing), S (satisfactory progress), and N (not meeting expectations) system. I have to laugh, although I shouldn’t…her report card is filled with S…no Ns…but there are a few Ps there. She brought her P in “I give my best effort on my work” up to an S by the end of the year…however…it’s straight Ps on the line that says “I listen and pay attention during instruction”…NO! Not my daughter!!

Her only other Ps were writing her last name (although she’s pretty good at spelling it, she gets her bs and ds mixed up and it IS a long name!) and reciting her address. We’ll need to work on that this summer.

So that’s it…school’s out and I now live with a 1st and 3rd grader. I don’t know if I can stand it. We need to go to the library and get the books off the summer reading list and join the summer reading program and I guess I need to take these guys skating and to the book store to use their gift certificates!

Until next time…

Heather

My goodness! I’m so tired! I’m sore…I’m ready for a nap…and the kids are still going strong…I don’t know how they do it. My station was the jump ropes, but my kids didn’t come through there. Luckily for me, not many classes signed up for the jump ropes so I had LOTS of free time to go and hang out with the kids and their friends. I even got to have lunch with both of them! (I had grilled cheese, chocolate milk, goldfish, an apple, and a pudding.)

So here are the pictures!

Matthew in the relay race, running backwards!

Matthew in line for the race.

Samara after the sponge relay!

Samara waiting patiently for her turn in the sponge relay

Samara squeezing the winning sponge into their cup!

Matthew, Nicole, and Nick at lunch

Matthew at the batting station

He knocks it pretty far!

Samara’s class

Jared, Samara and Hanna S. (I think Jared is one of her boyfriends, but I’m not sure)

Samara waiting her turn to get more water.

I’ll go back next year…I just need plenty of rest before and after!

Until next time…

Today is Field Day at Green Valley and this year I was able to take off to participate. The kids got on the bus at 7 and I will join them at 8:15 for a day of fun in the sun.

It appears to be a nice day, 87 with the chance of T-Storms later, so hopefully they will hold off until school ends. Of course, I had water bottles for them and lunch for them, and forgot it for me, so I guess I’ll be stopping at the store before I go.

I’ll post pictures when I get home…I’m very excited!

Until next time…

Mark (my old boss at Newschannel 10) and his family were in town this weekend and we met up for dinner with Mike (the former GM) and his wife and Carol and Bob (still at the station)…it was so nice to see everyone.

Of course, I took pictures!

Carol and Sam. I have a picture of Carol holding Sam in the hospital when she was born…just like this!

Regan, Sam, and Josh (I can’t believe he’s going to be 2!)

Josh shoveling his spaghetti in his mouth…

Josh opening his birthday present…

It was so nice to see everyone and catch up…

Until next time…

The James H. Drew Expo rolls into Roanoke the Tuesday after Memorial Day every year. You can bank on it. They set up in the Civic Center parking lot, draw tons of people, and some other creatures that I’m not sure how to describe…and take all your money.

This year was no different…

On Monday, I told the kids that if they could be good all week, that we would have a suprise…well they were good and so we all got to go to the Expo.

Here are a few pictures of our night…

The girls on the flyer…this is one ride that I didn’t think they would get on…

The ferris wheel…my favorite part of any fair…but we didn’t get on it this time around…

Matthew on the flyer

Samara has no fear…her arms were up on every ride

I asked Matthew if he wanted to go on the Moon Rocket. It goes in a circle and stops when you’re upside down. He said no, so I told him I’d pay him a dollar…he decided to do it…

There he is all strapped in…and as they are starting the ride, he’s yelling at me “you owe me a dollar”…

Poor thing…this is him when he got off the Moon Rocket…I think I’ll keep this one to show future girlfriends…hee hee

The only ride I went on. It cost me $2, but I couldn’t pass it up…

I can’t remember this guy’s name…Tim told me…Tim ran into him at the Country Club when he was playing golf…Yes, Tim plays golf at the country club…so Matt’s on this ridge with former Virginia State Senator What’s His Face…

The next big event will be the Salem Fair…look for pictures in about a month…

Until next time…

A first last night…I was at work until 11:30…that’s PM. Big deadline, and so there my boss and I were plugging away. I didn’t think I would ever get out of there.

Sondra was able to get the kids from school and then Tim picked them up when he was done at 8 and here he sat on the computer when I finally got home. He left at midnight, and I feel so bad that he had to be up at 5:30 this morning.

So this morning, I’ll go in a little late…and I’ll leave a little early…I really just wanted to sleep in, but had to get the kids off to school anyway.

Oh well…despite what happened yesterday, I got it done. I didn’t give up, although I tried, but I hung in there and got it done.

I don’t need another 16 hour day anytime soon…

Until next time…

The Tooth Fairy paid a visit to our home night before last. Samara, after just getting her first adult tooth in all the way, lost the one right next to it. What a toothless grin she has! I shutter…she pulled it herself!

The Tooth Fairy left her normal $1 under her pillow, however this time it was in quarters. This was GREAT for Samara as she needs quarters for ice cream money.

And Matthew announced last night that he has a loose tooth…so the Tooth Fairy may be coming back again here shortly.