SUMMER TIME!!!!

Ahhh schools out for the summer!! The kids are relieved they are getting a much needed break. I think I am just as, if not more excited than they are for them to be done. I am still having a few issues with the thought of having a child in high school but I guess I can't change it so I better suck it up!

I had a few minutes so I figured I would update again. When I don't update often enough I get an email from someone (Papa) telling me to update and add pictures. Conner is at the orthodontist getting brackets and wires changed so I thought I would update while waiting for his call.

I thought that with summer break arriving we would have some downtime and get to relax a little. HA HA was I wrong!! The boys came home from their dads house Sunday evening and we have been non stop since. Monday Chris was off from work so he took both boys and one of Avery's friends to Six Flags for the day. Conner and Chris have had a season pass for a few years and this year the Easter Bunny left one in Avery's basket also. They had a great day! Avery rode a roller coaster that he had never ridden before so that is always a plus. Avery is my cautious one (if you can believe that). He is not a big one for rides, especially if they loop. There is one roller coaster that he loves (that has 2 loops) but other coasters not so much. He really does anything he can to avoid riding them. I am still trying to figure out his roller coaster logic. Anyway, they had a great time. They said the lines were long and it was HOT but it is still always a great time at 6 flags. While they were gone Kennedi and I did the weekly grocery shopping and house cleaning and just hung out. Then we ended up losing a child for the night (to a friends house) and gaining another child.

Tuesday was another crazy day! Conner went to a friends house for the day and then Avery spent most of the day between his friends house and the pool. The kids really enjoy the pool, well one of the pools that is. We have the neighborhood pool but it is not deep and the boys do not really have a good time at it so we also go to the golf club. This is where the boys do most of their hanging out during the day. It is usually very crowded (too crowded for me) but they have a lot of fun. Thankfully they are both now old enough to be up there by themselves. I think that will make my day a lot easier since Kennedi will not want to be up there all day, everyday.

Speaking of Kennedi, Chris and I took her to the neighborhood pool last weekend. She LOVED the water!! I have a little fish on my hands and I am just wondering what she is going to be like at the beach in July. No summer reading for me this year (or for the next few years). Here are a few pictures from the pool this past weekend.











Well I guess that sums up the first half of the week. I forgot to add about baseball practice in the mix of things and then the week ends with late games on Thursday and Friday and then a morning game on Saturday. Whew!! The season ends next week (unfortunately Conner will be with his dad and will miss those games) but then we finish the month with 3 weekends in a row of tournaments. Cross your fingers for me that we do not have to push off our beach plans because of baseball continuing (although it would mean we were advancing so I guess it would not be all bad).

Conner's follow up...

Yesterday we went back to the dermatologist for Conner's follow up appointment. He had his stitches removed. Wow the doctor did a great job stitching! It looks great. Right now he has 4 steri-strips on the incision and when they fall off on their own he is good to go. Margins are clear so hopefully that scare is over. Dr. L checked his back since it got a few moles here and there. He said they all looked beneign but they are the type of moles that we will need to watch. Of course he told us what to look out for and we will be sure to keep a close eye on him. He is good to go for the next 6 months. Right now he is slated to return every 6 months, we will see how long it takes to get the clearnace for the yearly visit. He will have to have that for the rest of his life (fine with me!!).

Tomorrow is the last day of school for the kids here. The 8th graders are pretty much done. I think they have been for a few weeks but tomorrow is the 8th grade picnic. The kids will be able to have a lot of down time and hang out time. This is something they really do need since many will be split up next year with 2 different high schools. WOW tomorrow after noon I will have a high schooler!! I remember crying on the first day of pre-school when I took him and he cried and held me. Then on the second day I think it was that he walked right in (and I cried because he didn't hang on to me!). Time sure does fly!!

Avery survived 6th grade! I have to admit that I was worried to death about this! He was the reason that I went back to work and attempted to be a working mom. He did amaxingly well and did not need me there at all! I am so proud of him and the little man that he is becoming! He is such a great kid!!

Kennedi has a cute new shirt!!!

I have waited to post this for a while. I wanted to be sure that my family got the pictures first and I just sent them yesterday....





Oh help me!!!!

The boys are very excited!! Its was funny when we told them (I was very worried because they were so mad with Kennedi). I told them they would not have to fight over Kennedi anymore. Avery spoke up first and said, "yeah that's right... I get the new baby". Kids say the darndest things!!

We have until December. I have not been to the doctor yet and my appointment is not until June 11. I will be about 13-14 weeks by then. They did not seem worried about that or my age. When I asked if I needed to get in before that since I am over 35 they said no since I just had one and everything went fine.... He we go again!!

8th grade dance...sniff sniff...

Let me wipe the tear out of my eye.... Tonight I sent Conner off to his 8th grade dance. I have to say that I have dreaded this dance for the past 3 years. Not only because it meant he was done with middle school and really really close to high school but because it is such a big deal to these kids!! I had said for 3 years... NO he is not making a big deal out of this, NO we are not going to do the many pictures that come with dances and most of all NO he will NOT be going in a limo... GRRRRRR ok so out the window all that went!!!

Conner came home on day from school and said, "Mom, I am going to go to the dance". Now this was after he didn't think he wanted to go. I told him ok and asked him who he was going with. Was he going to have a date? A group of guys? What? Well, wrong again mom!! He told me, "I am going to go with a group of like 6 girls". Hmmmm ok. And then of course I ask the list of girls (the good part of having worked at the school almost his whole middle school life). He rattled of the names and I was impressed. He was going with 6 GREAT girls!! He then told me that there was another boy going with them too.... my 3rd son Andrew. You gotta know Andrew... he is a TRIP. Those girls were probably laughing the whole time. You get Conner and Andrew together and its non-stop laughter!!

Anyway, a few days later when I asked him if he knew any of the plans for the dance he went ahead and broke the news to me.... "We are going in a limo" and then told me the cost. Hmmm did I mention that we were not going to make a big deal and we were not going to get a limo??? Ok so I guess I was wrong!! How do I tell my child that he was not going to go in a limo with 6 girls??? Yeah so he is in the limo (oh and yes there was an adult in the limo also. One of the mom's was brave enough to keep the kids in check in the limo and then dinner). Oh yeah... I had not gotten to the dinner part yet!

So yes, not only were they dressing up, getting a limo, taking pictures at the house, taking pictures outside where it seems like everyone takes their dance pictures now, going to the dance, and then going to dinner after the dance. Thankfully the dance is over at 9:30!!

Right now it is 9:30... so far no call from Conner telling me he had a great time. I don't guess I will get one (but it sure would be nice since he is going to his dad's after it's all over). Ahhh the life of the mom of a teenager. I am not real sure I like it but I guess I need to get over that. Its going to happen whether I want it to or not!!

The girls looked beautiful!! Andrew and Conner clean up pretty good! Ahhh those poor girls!!

Well here are a few pictures....

Conner and Baseball!!

Wow what a night for baseball!!

Before the game started, well all day actually, it did not look good for last nights game. It rained most of the day, it was not heavy, just steady. It was raining pretty good when we got to the fields and I think we were all hoping that this would not be rained out. We have so many games to make up already, we do not need another. Next week we have 3 games, the week after 3 more (those are 3 days in a row) and the week after that we have 1. That will mark the end of regular season and then its practice for post season.

Anyway, last night a little before the game started it suddenly cleared. The sun came out and it was a wonderful night for baseball. I am sure you can already tell that we did win the game (YAY NATIONALS!) but it seemed like everyone on the team were on fire behind at the plate!! Conner went 3-3 with 4 RBI's. He hit in the winning (OK not winning but last) runs of the game. He had a single, and 2 doubles. The last double was actually a triple but the other coach came out on the field and said that the next run scored was the end of the game. Yeah I guess he basically quit. The score was only like 11-7 (or something like that) at the time and we had plenty of time left to play. So they intentionally walked the batter before Conner. So that left Conner up, runners on 1 and 2nd (which both stole to make it 2nd and 3rd) and two outs. I want to throw up every time Conner is in this position but it was not as bad last night because we were ahead. But anyway, I do not remember what the count was but Conner NAILED the ball. I mean NAILED. If you have watched Conner play he is a consistent on base hitter but not an extra base hitter (until recently). The ball went OVER the left fielders head (SWEET)!!

So Conner sits and watches the ball for a minute (I wont comment on that part) and runs to first (and I wont add that he got really cocky and pointed to the dugout on his way). He then took off towards second and then third where he slid into third and it was kinda a close play (but not really). He was called out. Not even close to being out. But after the game come to find out the game was over anyway so they called Conner out at 3rd anyway. Luckily it was scored as a double so he got the hit to go 3-3. Hmm maybe if they would have kept going and he got up again he would have gotten a home run and hit for the cycle (OK so maybe that is stretching it a little but I can hope).

Ahhh now to soak and wash those nasty, dirty baseball pants.... I really believe that whoever thought of the idea of white baseball pants never slid!!