can I get fries with that?

So much news to catch up on...

Caleb got the Presidential Award for Academic Excellence at the awards ceremony at school at the end of May. That was really exciting. Then we spent part of that weekend in Jeff City for my nephew's birthday. The last day of school was June 2, which was a field day. It was warm, but the kids had a great time.

Now we are officially in summer mode. Kids running in and out all day long - me trying to work. (actually, they have been really good so far) I set some ground rules and everyone is working within those for now. I'm sure by the end of summer they will be pushing the limits, but I try to bend enough that they don't feel too restricted.

Caleb has been in football camp this week in the afternoons. He also started working out in the mornings with weightlifting. He's decided to become more active and get fit - which has in turn inspired me to start walking again. Conner is in a longer gymnastics class one day a week, but she is so active the rest of the time that she never gains weight. Alicia is active too - so between the three kids - they should help keep me motivated.

They've been swimming at Jim's sister's quite a bit and playing with her new puppy dog. Conner has been begging to get a dog here, but we just aren't quite ready for it. We did some dog-sitting for a girl-scout friend over this past weekend. She has two big German Shepards and a smaller mixed breed. Her dogs were so much fun and very well behaved. Hopefully she will ask us to dog-sit again because we had fun playing with them. Amazingly - she gave us a sno-cone maker as a thank you - so of course the kids are thrilled with that.

We have a pair of doves living in one of the plants on the front porch. I love to listen to them coo at each other. The cat likes to watch them. He makes weird chirping noises and his tail twitches like crazy. If I don't raise the blinds so he can watch them, he gets mad and bats at them. Then smacks my leg with his paw. Not that he is spoiled or demanding.

I know I haven't mentioned everything, but it seems like summer is flying by already and I need to find more time to post. We're off to football and gymnastics this afternoon/evening - and a soccer game too. Don't even ask me how I'm going to work dinner in around all this stuff. I'm thinking it might have to be a fast food night. We haven't done that in awhile, so I won't even pretend to feel guilty. If I walk while Caleb is at football practice - then it won't matter if I have fries. Right?????