Tonight we are heading out to the neighbors for a community pot luck. The kids are very excited cause they get to see their friends. I have made a huge amount of corn bread. We may have corn bread with supper for a week. LOL I am ever so glad that it’s Friday, I miss Cassidy and Jacob and Rachel so much during the week. By the time they get home from school and horse back lessons, it’s time to eat and go to bed. The weekends are my favorite part of the week!

School has started, as has the week of transition. It’s amazing how schedules have changed! With Cassidy going to one school and Jacob to another and Rachel to another, we have to start early for everyone to get where they need to go! Needless to say it has been a stressful week thus far. This weekend is going to be for relaxation only. I dare anyone to tell me differently! LOL

It is finally silent in my home now, the girls are all asleep. Jacob and Rachel are outside and all I want to do is take a nappy! LOL The last slumber party was so much tamer in comparison to this one. I don’t know if it’s because they haven’t seen each other as much or if it’s because they are excited about school starting soon, but they were rocking the house till all hours. I’m letting them sleep another hour or so then they are getting up and going outside to enjoy this beautiful day!

Since we have had such success with our “parties”, Cassidy has planned a slumber party! The girls will be arriving around 3 today and it will be off to the pool. Then we will cook out and move the festivities inside. My job, I have been told, is to keep Jacob and Rachel away from Cassidy and her friends. I think my darling little teenager is growing up to fast! I am proud that she has planned this herself, but when she starts telling me what to do…I think not! We had a lengthy discussion on how to speak to me and ask for me to do things, not tell me to and I think she will be more careful in the future.

Our little bash went off really well! I don’t think anyone had a less than wonderful time! Since then everything has been busy, busy, busy. This is the last full week before school starts back and everyone is getting ready for their return. We now have our official school supply list, so I will be finishing the shopping and making sure we haven’t forgotten anything. I wonder if I can make squeeze in a little mini-vacation before school starts?

Since summer is nearing an end, we are having a little backyard bash tonight. Cassidy has invited all her friends and we invited most of the neighbors. We are having a cookout and pool party to celebrate as well as just let the kids have some fun. I am heading to the store to buy food and ice and anything else that may come to mind. Wonder how much it would be to have a bunch of sand brought in so it could be a beach party????

We spent Sunday and most of Monday outside playing in the pool. Admittedly, I spent more time lying on a towel beside the pool. I am paying for it now. Did anyone ever tell you to put sun block on the bottom of your feet? Well, they didn’t tell me! The bottoms of my feet got sunburned, it hurts to even stand! Maybe I should have spent more time in the pool instead of outside the pool reading. Another lesson learned.

Yesterday we went shopping and got a little above ground pool on clearance. Its 4 foot deep and about 15 feet wide. The children are beyond happy! They checked every hour on the hour to see how full the pool was getting and wanted to get in at 8:30 last night when they deemed it full enough. LOL So today we are going to spend the day “pool side” and enjoy a very lazy day!

I mentioned in my last blog about the state parks nearby. These are “goldmines” as many of them are free to visit. (I have come across a few that require a small parking fee.) The wonderful thing is the state parks are more than just historical site, its forests, lakes, ocean side beaches. These are great for day outings to go fishing or hiking, or even weekend camping trips. You don’t always have to spend a lot of money for a fun day or a long weekend mini-vacation. So look around you, somewhere nearby is a beautiful place that can help you feel as if you have escaped from the everyday!

As the time gets closer, I keep thinking about how very fast the summer has flown by. There are still so many things I would like us to do. One of which is going to some of the state parks that are close by. Many of which have historical value as well. As a matter of fact, maybe we will go to one or two today. I have also found that sometimes the spur of the moment outings, are the best.

Rachel meets her teacher today. She seems to be fairly excited. She is helping me get all her things together to take. I am nervous, to be honest. I do not think I am ready for her to be in school! After we do that I am taking Rachel and Jacob to get hair cuts. Rachel wants to have hers cut short and I don’t so I guess it will be a lesson in compromise!

Yesterday went really well. We were gone all day long on our little shopping adventure. Cassidy got almost everything on her list, we still have to find those perfect little flats, but that can wait. Jacob seems to be happy, although I admit; he is very easy to please at this age. Rachel took me completely by surprise with her obvious dislike for the whole shopping for everyone trip. By the time it was her turn to shop she was ready to go home. So, we took a break and ate and let her rest for a while. This temporarily improved her attitude. We got her clothes so quickly that I have to exchange about 5 items. When I do, she and I will go alone and definitely NOT all day! I am still worn out. Who knew shopping was a sport?

It’s that time of year again. While shopping for school supplies is a bore, clothes shopping holds a certain magical appeal. The chance to start the school year off in new outfits, new shoes, new accessories. Cassidy spent every possible moment since we returned home on the phone to her friends. I could hear parts of the conversation from my room. “How many pair of capri’s are you going to get?” “Short’s? Walking? You know the rules on that!” ” I want some ballerina flats for first day.” On and on they talked for hours,off the phone with one to talk to the next. Did we ever spend so much time talking about clothes? I think just maybe I did. We venture out today to find the needed attire for my teenage daughter. Please keep your fingers crossed for me! LOL I hope she remembers that Jacob and Rachel also need clothes!

After finishing the unpacking last night I thought of some more tips to share. I think I may have shared some of these before, but it never hurts to be reminded.

1. When packing for vacation, always pack an extra bag or duffel for the items that will be purchased while you are there. We always have more when we come back from vacation, then we did when we went. On this trip I should have taken a couple of empty boxes! Ha, ha, ha!

2. If you are going someplace and are at liberty to stay as long as you want. Plan ahead, just in case you do. This is where the extras in the car come in handy!

3. Prepaid Debit Cards! These are the handiest little inventions, much easier to keep up with than Travelers Checks and less hassle as well. I had purchased one for Cassidy to take on her day trip with her cousins so she had money as well. She felt the big shot and I didn’t have to worry about her spending more than she should. I am definitely going to use these on our next vacation.

4. Remember you are on vacation. When visiting family especially, we sometimes forget to relax. It’s still a vacation! Treat everyone to dinner or a movie. Have fun!

I am off to restock the car and start breakfast!

We stayed much longer than planned with my parents. It had been so long since we had spent more than two nights that I the children and I stayed until yesterday! Of course my husband had to come back home for work, but I think he enjoyed the break. (He admits he did get a little lonely. Ha-ha.) We took in several historical sites in the area and we to a water park and went on some lovely hikes. The children are all terribly spoiled now, thinking they can have candy for breakfast, lunch and dinner. At least they seem to think that’s the way it works. Not on my watch! I think I feel some tips in the making as I look at all the things that came home with us, that we didn’t have when we left. Let’s go unpack!

The horse show was fantastic. They had all the children showing their accomplishments and talents. Jacob received an award for greatest improvement, a very BIG blue ribbon and Cassidy received and award for being an inspiration to all! It seems that several students were on the verge of quitting. Three of the students stayed after seeing Cassdy out there every day and seeing her work so hard to learn and compete. It’s a beautiful plaque and she couldn’t wait to get home and have her father put it on her wall. Now it’s off to my parents. I just had to take the time to brag a little.

Tomorrow the center where Cassidy and Jacob are learning to ride is having a special show to highlight everyone’s progress. We are all excited! We have that tomorrow and then Sunday we are going to visit my parents for a few days. I am not sure if the excitement is the show or the “spoiling” the kids will receive from my parents. At any rate, a fun time will be had by all! I will let you know how well Cassidy and Jacob do tomorrow!

Due to the excessive heat, we have moved our camping trip indoors to a hotel. It was horrible, no one slept last night at all. The newest tip I have, when camping in the summer, bring a fan!

It amazes me how very fast time can go by. Here it is July already. Before we know it, it will be time to go back to school. We have been so busy thus far with ridding lessons and the daily routine. Tomorrow we are going camping to a near by state park for the weekend. Everyone but Rachel is thrilled! While she absolutely loves staying anywhere with a bed, she does not like camping at all. We have a cot for her and she just can not seem to sleep well without an actual bed. I hope that someday will she will love camping as much as everyone else!

It has rained and rained and rained. There seems to be no end in sight. Jacob and Rachel are going “crazy” because they have to be inside more than they would like. Cassidy of course likes having the time to spend chatting with her friends. The garden is a mud trap, but the rain is much needed. I am happy to report that I have been able to catch up on some reading and now begun ‘Pride and Prejudice’.