Monday

Yep it's another Monday. The weekend went well.
Brendan played really well in his soccer game--he's fun to watch. His team won 1-0. A really evenly matched game.
Our CWOC booth did some good business selling hotdogs. Brendan really enjoyed cleaning up at the bazaar as well. He mostly gets to run around with his buddies--oh and pick up some trash or wipe a table here and there along the way.
We made it to the football game--that was fun. Living in such a small community we know a few of the players and so it was a nice family/friends time.

All in all it was just a nice family weekend. When we were home we didn't do much--just kicked back and enjoyed. I love times like that. We are finally back into "being a family" after Shane being gone for so long. I think we are mostly adjusted.

Oh and in case anyone wondered... The Meatball soup was great. It was a hit with our whole family! Of course, I think it helped to tell Meghan that it was a favorite of Liam:) If you are interested in checking it out, or any other yummy recipes, go visit Angela at Cooking With One Arm
On to today... it shouldn't be too bad. Homeschool, some cleaning, playing with Dillan, soccer practice this afternoon....

Upcoming Weekend

I'm not going to be around much over the weekend. We have the evening off tonight so we will have some family time--probably a movie and sleeping on the living room floor if I know my kids:) Tomorrow Brendan has a soccer game and then he and I are both volunteering at the Italian Bazaar on post. That's where vendors from all over Europe come and sell their wares in one place--it's a big event here. I will be working in a food booth with the Catholic Women of the Chapel (great fund raiser) and Brendan will be doing a service project for the Cub Scouts--picking up trash and being a runner for the food booths. It's a fun, but really busy day. Sunday we will, of course, attend mass and then the kids have their first CCD class of the year. Brendan and I may also fill in some holes in the bazaar volunteering if it's needed. It will be a long weekend, but a fun one.

We might squeeze in the high school football game too....
Well, I'm off to make dinner--Angela if you are reading, we are going to try your meatball soup tonight--I'll let you know how it goes:)
Have a great weekend!

A Day in the Life

It is a really crazy day around here today so I thought I'd just do a quick post of how our days go...

5:30 Alarm goes off--Shane and I get up--he heads out the door for PT and I get my kid free computer time

6:15 I get the kids up--we then have 1 hour to get everyone dressed, breakfasted, hair brushed, teeth brushed, snacks and backpacks backed (supposed to be done the night before, but doesn't always happen), shoes on and girls on the bus

7:15 Shane is usually back to put the girls on the bus--Dillan loves to go with him
Then we have an hour of getting Shane ready--the boys have Daddy time--Brendan throws fits that he's awake...

8:15 or 8:30 Shane leaves for work and Dillan usually wants TV time--Brendan and I get started on Homeschool--I help Brendan with whatever needs instruction or clarification, read to him, etc. in between helping Dillan draw or play or read or whatever he wants to do. I also head upstairs to do a weights workout during this time and fit in cleaning and laundry where I can.

11:00 we have lunch and get the kitchen cleaned back up

11:30 Brendan attends Music or PE at the school 2 days a week--Dillan and I go run on the track--on the days Brendan doesn't have Music or PE he comes with us

1:15ish we head home and get Dillan down for a nap
Brendan and I finish up what we need to finish--I shower--finish chores for the day and prep for the evening.

3:30 the girls get off the bus and we do homework and prep for evening activities.

6:30ish we have dinner and cleanup

7:00 Kids all get ready for bed--showers/baths, PJs, teeth, stories

8:00 Lights out for Dillan, Meghan and Kathryn

8:30 Lights out for Brendan
Then I finish up where needed and spend time with Shane

about 10:00 I collapse.

This is just kind of a rough outline--for instance today after school I am picking up the girls because Brendan has Webelos 3- 4:45-- The rest of us are headed to buy a birthday present for one of Meghan's friends who has a party today at 4. Brendan has soccer practice 5-6 and the girls have a game at 6:10--No I have not figured out the logistics of all this yet....

Well have a great day!!! We will have another busy one....

Busy Busy Busy

What's new right?? Things have been really chaotic lately--school started, Shane went back to work, the kids are playing soccer, we have scouts going again...

So the actual updates with all that--Meghan is loving Kindergarten!! Boy is she tired by the time she gets home though!! I hope she adjusts to that soon. Katie is in 2nd grade an adores her teacher--yay!!! Brendan is working at home again this year. I couldn't in good conscience send him into the 5th grade program this year. There are too many issues with the 5th grade teachers. We are getting into a routine though and I think the year will be good. Brendan is attending Music, PE, and TAG (talented and gifted) classes at the school so he gets quite a bit of time to see his friends--of course he sees them at soccer and scouts and everything else too.

We finally are able to have a good set schedule now that Shane is back at work and we are back to 2 cars. I hope I have lost the name "Car Killer" now.

We only have 2 soccer teams this year (the girls are on the same team), but it's amazing how much we are still on the soccer field. The girls are having a great time--theirs is just a recreational league. Brendan is loving soccer, of course, but he is more serious now since they actually keep score and have a record. They are 1-1 if anyone wants to keep track:)

Scouts: Well, Brendan is a Webelo II this year, which means it is his final year of cub scouting and then in Feb. he will cross over to the Boy Scouts--I can't believe it! I'm still on the pack committee so I spend a bit of time working for them. Meghan is signed up to be a Daisy this year--she is thrilled!! They have changed the program and she will be a Daisy for 2 years. Kathryn finally got her wish and I have joined the ranks of Brownie Leaders. They have started a new program that they are using in addition to what they have been doing so I spent this weekend trying to plan some things out. I have a really rough skeleton plan for the year worked up though. I go to actual training in 2 weeks though so that should help solidify things. We don't start Girl Scouts until mid-Oct.

What else?? Just normal day to day life I guess. At least the computer is functional now. I'll try to post again soon.

sorry for the disappearing act

My Internet has been down for the last week. I now have a full box of emails and all kinds of things to catch up on that I was unable to do without internet (cub scouts, brownies, homeschool, etc)
I'll try to get in a longer post about what's going on with us later.

1st day of school pictures

Here are the pictures of the kids' first days of school. As you can see Meghan was VERY excited about starting Kindergarten. She had a great day and was talking about it all night!! I just hope the excitement continues for her.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Shane went back to work today too. Now we are going to be able to really get back into a routine. It was wonderful having so much family time, but now we are ready to get "life back to normal"--as if there is such a thing:)

Sicily

I got the pictures all into an album which I have posted below. I know there are a lot of pictures, but we were there a week and we saw some really amazing things. I hope you enjoy them--even if it takes some time to watch.
(Oh and as you will see Brendan didn't hate the entire trip:))

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The Many Faces of Brendan

I will post some more pictures of our trip when I get a chance, but first I just thought I would share the trip to Sicily from Brendan's perspective.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

He was a lot of fun!!!

Home Again

We had a great trip. We are home and recovering:) I will post pictures and stuff later this week. Right now I have laundry to do and a car seat to wash (yep Dillan joined the rest of them in car sickness) Not to mention errands to run--no food in the house--etc. etc. etc.

Glad to be home, but need a couple of days to get things back in order.