Art

This is the "surprise" that my children made for me. At least it is on the dry erase board and not the wall.

Don't Tell Me

Today I had my second ultrasound. I am 21 weeks which means that one can possibly tell what the gender of the baby is going to be. Well, I informed the technichian that I did not want to know. However my husband has since changed his mind on the whole "waiting to find out" issue. So, he wanted to know. I watched the entire ultrasound and didn't even notice any viewing of the lower region of the baby. When the ultrasound was done the tech told us that she did know the gender and said that we could fight out whether we wanted to be told our not. I said that Justin could be told while I went to the bathroom. So I don't know what the baby is but Justin does. Unfortunately, since the tech seemed quite certain about the gender, I am led to believe that we better work harder on finding a boy name.

Library

The kids have joined in the summer reading program at our library. We have to read 20 minutes a day for eight weeks. Each week they turn in their little time card and get a different prize. Last week it was a door hanger that tore the same day we got it. This weeek's prize is a little sturdier, a plastic book bag. If we are able to keep up with this reading schedule, the kids will each get a t-shirt at the end.

Gas and Steam

Yesterday we went with my parents to the Antique Gas and Steam Engine show down in Vista. Thankfully we were able to enjoy some cooler weather since we were closer to the ocean. The kids seem to have fun. Jericho especially enjoyed the N-scale trains. The only way we could get him to leave was to tell him that we were going to the playground.

Lost and Found

Today we took a fun filled shopping trip with my mom to Sam's Club. Of course, due to the exciting adventure and the sugar filled samples that we partook of, Jericho was in a splendid mood by the time we were done. In my haste to get into an air-conditioned vehicle and get home with the cranky kid in the back seat, I managed to overlook something very important. As I was pushing the carts to the corral my purse opened up. Having not noticed anything fall out, I simply closed it up and put the carts away. Of course, by the time we got home and I reached in my purse for my house key I realized that my wallet was gone. Thankfully we were able to call the store and find out that someone had turned it in. Unfortunately this meant a 45 min trip back to Moreno Valley. (We dropped off the kids at Great Grandma's house so they wouldn't have to suffer.) So, I got my wallet back with all the cards and pictures inside it. However, I was missing the cash. Whoever turned it in must have thought they deserved a reward. Who knows? At least my children got a good lesson on prayer.

Bagels

Today the kids and I made bagels. I have always been fearful to attempt this, but my sister in law said that it was easy. So, not to be out done, I decided to give it a try. Other than heating up my kitchen it really was quite painless. Hero and Jericho enjoyed rolling the dough into balls and making "O's". They even found it fascinating to watch as I plopped their creations into the boiling water. I think that making your own bagels is the best way to go if your children are carb addicts like mine. It really is cost effective and the bagels taste better. The only thing you have to give is a little time.

Comfy Cozy

Well, the dog is back. Apparently she was so bad for my Grandma that she has changed her mind about having a dog for quite a while. Needless to say, Justin was thrilled to see her.

Dog Gone Day

Today I gave my dog to my Grandma. It is so weird. I keep looking for her under my feet. If you are wondering as to the reason why I had to give up the dog, you can read Justin's blog. Hopefully, if we do get another dog, the whole family will be able to enjoy it.

Ratings

Well, it turns out that our house is marked for the Nielsen (sp?) ratings system. The problem, we don't have tv. That is, we have a tv we just don't get any reception whatsoever. The Nielsen lady informed me that it had been 6 months since she last came by and she wanted to know if anything had changed. I did mention to her that we do purchase some shows to watch via Itunes but I think this just confused her. Apparently you are only eligible for the ratings system if you have dish or cable. I think that it says more about a show if you are willing to pay for it per episode. (Yes, I know that you can watch "Lost" for free on the website, but it is really much better to see it on the entire screen without interruptions.)

Brag Time

Okay, so bear with me as I gush a little bit about my kids. Today I took Hero to Alpha Omega (the homeschool program we will be using) to get tested. The test that they gave her was the same that they give for those students leaving kindergarten. The lady was extremely impressed with what Hero knew. She said that if she was going to a public school, she would be at the top of her class. (Of course, I know that this is not saying much considering the public schools here in California.) Anyway, she told me that Hero should be reading within a few months. I am excited for her to start reading because she already loves books so much.
Well, on a side note, they lady was also impressed with how much Jericho knew (he tried to help his sister a couple of times.) She encouraged me to photocopy the Kindergarten worksheets and let him work on them also. Obviously he gets his brains from his Daddy.

School's Out

On Friday we had our last day of preschool. I think that the moms were more excited than the kids that it was over. This will give me a break for a couple of months until we start homeschooling Hero in August.



Most of the kids were able to make it to our water party.



Stacy, the mom who's house we had preschool at, made a cake with a water slide theme.



Hero enjoyed playing in "the cube."



Jericho, of course, was thrilled to be splashed in the pool.

Spiders

Okay, so in general I really do not like spiders. Most of them, however, I can leave alone as long as they are outside and not bothering me. This is not the case with Black Widows. These are the type of spiders that I despise above all else. So far we have been very fortunate down here. We only see a few every once in a while.
This record has drastically changed in the past week. I now believe that these spider are out to get me. I think that there is a secret society of Black Widow spiders out there stalking me. Well, on my own I deal with them quite well. Spray them with poison till they convulse and then whack at them with a fly swatter.
The problem comes when you have a daughter who is a bug lover and a husband who is more than willing to indulge her in this hobby. So, instead of promptly killing these deadly spiders, it seems to be more fun to catch one in a little plastic bug catcher and stare at it through a magnified lid. After examining the creature we then kill it by putting it in the freezer. Thus providing a fairly painless death. Personally I prefer to watch them suffer.

Fourth Month Checkup

Gone is the pound that I had gained at last month's checkup. I don't know what happened to it but I am sure that I will see it again shortly. Other than the missing pound not too much excitement at this checkup. Everything is fine and baby is moving around alot. The best part of my day was waiting two hours at the lab to have blood drawn. There are just too many people in Southern California.

Hot

Today it is 106. That has to be pretty accurate because our thermometer is in the shade. Anyone want to visit Southern California?!

Oranges

Today we went to pick oranges with my Mom and sister. We finished the our time in the heat (it was 103) with some ice cream cones.

Mom's Day Off

Well, I mowed the front lawn today and that pretty much wiped me out. Thankfully my Mom and my sister watched the kids for me this afternoon so that I could get some rest. It was rather strange though; every time that I came close to falling asleep I would hear a noise and think that one of the kids was getting into something. Anyway, not much got done around here today other than the lawn getting mowed. These days are few and far between, so I think it is best to enjoy them when they are given to me.