4th of July...

This picture was from last years fourth of July, looking back on old pictures makes me so sad to see how big my boys are growing, I wish I could keep them little forever, I really do.  Caillou is 4, Jasper is soon to be 3, and Ollie is 14 months now.  Tomorrow will be another holiday without daddy, he is on the road again, trucking.  Tomorrow we are going to attempt going to our church's big pancake breakfast.  I do this fullly aware, that catastrophe will be upon us, or upon those around us.  3 less than wonderfully behaved boys, a large crowd, pancakes and a vast quanitites of syrup... THERE IS BOUND TO BE TROUBLE.  Other parents allow their kids to run free and have fun, I AM NOT ONE OF THOSE PARENTS, running free means my children might be found HANGING FROM THE FLAG POLE, or ON TOP OF THE ROOF, or perhaps COVERED IN MAPLE SYRUP AND PANCAKE BATTER.  So I will do my best to say in my gruffest voice, SIT DOWN AND STAY SEATED, and pray, and hope, and cross my fingers, that they might actually listen. HUH, WHO AM I KIDDING.  Perhaps I shall bring along a roll of duct tape as my breakfast guest, that might keep them in their chairs.  And after that, if I am not dead, or in some sort of WHY DID I BRING MY NAUGHTY BOYS TO THIS sort of stupor, I am going to take them to Old Poway Park for an old fashioned 4th of July event.  Crafts, cotton candy, hot dogs, and old fashioned festivities, once again ANOTHER LARGE CROWD, this time with red white and blue glitter, glue, cotton candy, and a train.... OH DEAR ME.  If we all survive the morning events, we will come home to the roast beef in my crockpot and have barbecue beef sandwhiches that we will share with our neighbors.  Hopefully they will enjoy it,  because my kids never eat what I cook,  while I blog, they are doing all they can to get out of eating their spaghetti, well... Jasper is eating a meat ball! YaY for Jasper!!!  Where we will watch fireworks I am not sure, I do  not know I want to brave another crowd, so we may just cross our fingers and hope we have a good view from our house.  HAVE A HAPPY 4TH EVERYONE!

a very busy two days...

A trip to the mall

playing on the playground and enjoying candies

having a train ride

and cotton candy

running at the track with our good friends on a before

bedtime sprint...

a wagon trip through town with 5 kiddos

a happy meal party

 a trip to the library

making cupcakes

eating cupcakes

we have been very busy the past two days, we went to the track two nights in a row, the boys ride their bikes and run round and round, while me and a friend get to walk a mile or two.  We have journeyed through town on foot with wagons and strollers, we have had lots of play in the water and many treats.  Today is a slower moving day and I feel myself going stir crazy.  Caillou is in summer school. and wont be home for another hour.  I am counting the minutes, when he gets home we have a playdate and then are making a trip down the hill for more adventures.

A day in pictures....

Breakfast at burger king and a quick trip to the grocery store

Playtime at the park...

playing on the slip and slide with good friends

enjoying watermelon on a warm summer evening

back on the road...

After 10 weeks of my hubby being home, Sunday we had to send him back out on the road.  Being a truck drivers wife really stinks!  I got so used to him being home, and helping me out during my difficult times, it really was a strengthening time for our marriage.  I honestly was not ready emotionally for him to go back on the road, my depression is getting a little better, I think we are finally getting close to finding the right balance of meds, but I still am not quite back to me yet, but we were completely penniless, and no local jobs could be found, so back on the road he went.  He will hopefully get to be home 1 in every 7 days or 2 in every 14 days, which is much better than last time, being out for weeks at a time.  I am grateful he has work, but boy oh boy being a truckers wife stinks! 

In other news, Caillou is in summer school two days a week, Caillou and Jasper will both be in preschool together in September, Ollie is learning to say new words, uh-oh, wow, and tries to say peek-a-boo.  I got the boys a wading pool, they are having so much fun with it, and my neighbor found a turtle sand box for Ollie which we fill with water and bath toys for him.  I am spending lots of time with my mama, we went to target yesterday and she got us some super cute lemonade stand supplies, we are going to have a lemonade stand with our good friends next door.  Tomorrow night we may go to the drive in with them too!  The dance studio I teach for is having it's dance recital on saturday, that will be a very long day. 

We went to the library today, and there was a wild animal show there, the boys pet a very large snake, saw a sloth, a prairie dog, a centipede, a european legless lizard, and a hissing cockroach. We joined the summer reading program, when the boys complete a certain amount of reading, the go in a get a prize.  This will give this mama some oomph and motivation to do more reading with them.  I used to be so good about reading to them, and lately I have been too tired at the end of the day for it.  We checked out quite a few books today, and are also reading from our vintage childrens dictionary, trying to do a letter each night.  The pictures are so sweet and the colors so charming.  I  love old books.

Well that is about it for now, my goal is to start bringing my camera with me everyday, and document our days in pictures and have somewhat of a picture diary for the summertime.  Now if only I can remember to bring the camera.  Well to anybody out there who still reads this deserted blog, I hope you all are having a good summer!