Stone Mountain

Jason has been in Atlanta all week for some training courses. I would have loved for the kids and I to spend the whole week here visiting with friends and family, but I committed to watching my niece and nephew Tuesday through Thursday. I had to do the best I could to work around that, so the kids and I drove down last night. Grace and I were talking about how much we wished we could live here. I don't know if it's just my genes or what. My mother and father met and married here. My two sisters and I were born here. Maybe it's that. I don't know. We just love this area and always wish we could be here closer family. My father has a sister here who has five grown kids and I miss them all dearly. I digress. 

The kids and I ate at a cool little hole in the wall pizza place today. It was yummy, but not the best I've ever had. The kids loved theirs.

  Tonight we are going to Stone Mountain. The kids and I took Maite a couple of years ago, but Jason has never been. I have so many childhood memories here. It also happens to be the place where my father proposed to my mother! It's one of those places that I think everyone should go. It's a National Park, and parking is the only $10, so that's cheap entertainment for an evening. There are other things that do cost money, like the skyline, several different rides and tours they have. 

The big rock, er, stone, is more than five miles in circumference at its base. So it's kind of BIG!  It is engraved with three leaders of the Civil War: Generals Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, Robert E. Lee, and President Jefferson Davis. The carving alone spans three acres. 

The park puts on this 45 minute laser show at night and it's amazing. The show is full of patriotic music that always brings me to tears and is rounded off at the end with a big fireworks show. 

There is also so much to do for the outdoorsy people! I wish my family were more like that. We do plan to try camping this summer! At this park you can hike and they also have campgrounds. It is near a big lake too. 

If you are going to be in this area I would definitely look Stone Mountain Park up. 

Family

My brother and sister in law came in for a short visit.

They handed me $50 and told me to go get a pedicure, manicure, or massage or whatever.

I love them!

Terry and Aunna took the kids to Taco Bell, picked up three of Grace's teammates and dropped them off at basketball practice. That is my world lately, being a taxi for the kids in our neighborhood who's parents work and can't get their child to a 1:00 basketball practice. Who the heck has has sports practice at 1:00 in the afternoon, six days a week, during the summer? Oh, our school. Ugh.

Terry made the comment to Aunna (about me being a taxi service) that that's what happens when you are a stay at home mom! HA!

Touche, Touche.

Dieting...

I started a diet yesterday. 

I absolutely hate saying that. 

Diet in my vocabulary means restrictions restrictions restrictions. I knew I had to put a different idea in my mind about eating better or dieting. I'm trying not to think that I can't have a certain food, but how much more does my body need this versus that? You catch my drift.

 We have a friend in our small group at church who is the Athletic Trainer at a local University. I heard about a plan that he and his wife have been following, they are both thin, attractive, and fit. Kind of in a disgusting sort of way. Several of us girls joked around last night about de-friending Emily on facebook because of the pictures she has from the beach, in a bikini. It was all just fun joking of course, but there is always that little bit of envy; I wish I looked that good in a swimsuit! 

I digress. Back to the point.

I started following Jared's plan yesterday. I looked it over and knew I could do it when I saw PB&J sandwiches for a protein choice! Score! 

It is going well but of course it's only been a day and a half. I made a smoothie for meal 4 that I found on Jared's blog. The picture below is before the blending. I have never made a smoothie with oatmeal or spinach. I was shocked at how good it was. I had to keep adding a little water and milk because it was too thick to even blend, so it ended up making quite a bit. I put the other half glass in the fridge knowing it will probably just go bad. I don't think I can get anyone in my family to drink it, unfortunately. 

If you are interested in seeing more about what I am doing, you can go here and here is the smoothie recipe. I can't wait to try the chocolate and peanut butter smoothie, but I only have vanilla whey protein, and a butt load of it so I'm not buying any chocolate!

                                                     

My daughter the Great!

   The other day Grace heard us arguing talking about finances. Jason wants to get our debt paid off as quick as possible. I will try to keep this vague...

We do not have a lot of debt, compared to your average american family. We do, however, have some credit card debt that needs to get paid off. No car payments or other loans, just credit card. We discussed how we could have it all paid off by the end of the year. It would not be fun, but fortunately, it is possible. While it probably won't happen because we are taking a trip in July that has some hefty airfares attached, it will happen, eventually! HA. I don't think I have to explain myself. I think you all know what I'm talking about, even if you dont agree! But, the point of this post is how dang great my daughter is. What a team player she is! I went to wake her yesterday morning and saw this written on some poster paper on her wall. 

I'm also aware that I don't want stuff like this to make her worry, or think anything is wrong. We talked about this later. I did think this was pretty cute though. I should've mentioned it when she just had to have some candy from the mall too!

Today

I spent just shy of four hours at the middle school gym today. Grace had three "play" games, in which different schools just get together and play each other to basically get practice in. The actual season doesn't start till November and let's just say, that is a darn good thing.
They have a new coach this year and praise God for that. I get about two emails a week that he sends with updates, announcements, and anything new. The only problem with Grace practicing every day, excluding Sundays, is that she is already tired of basketball. She is ready for soccer to start, and then she will be tired of that and ready for basketball again! This is the reason she is not on any type of competitive, travel team. She thought she wanted to be, we thought she should be too until we realized the lives that so many other family's live with kids that play travel/select teams. That's just not the life we want to live. Personally I'd rather invest the time in an instrument or art lessons, something that she can do till she's 80 years old, Lord willing. But, again, this is my blog and my opinions!

So while we are on that…

what would you do if you were watching the game (basketball) with the other parents and a group of moms were yelling so loud and making fools of themselves? Do you give them the attention they want, scoot down a few rows, or just ignore them?

Ugh…now you know what I deal with at all her games.

Marcus did great. He does not like sitting at her games unless he is eating nachos and pizza. The kid weighs ten lbs more than Grace, so he is not allowed to eat that at every game! I brought snacks today in a cooler.  Plus, I told him we are going bowling after VBS on Thursday, so all he says is "go bowling on June 9th."
He's anxiously awaiting that day!

Easy, cheap, inside fun on a hot day!

End and beginning.

I can truly say this year that Marcus had wonderful teachers. I know learning is important, but people and communication skills are just as valuable in my opinion. His teachers this year loved him AND liked him!

This is Marcus and his teacher and two aids. Marcus has been in sped classes since we have lived in TN and he got lucky with a great class this year. I would say all of the kids are pretty much higher functioning than he is, with a few at about his level. The stories I hear when he gets home are hilarious. I often bragged to his teachers how good they had it with their class this year. They talked about how much the kids tattled on each other and just barked at each other all day long. I said, "well, you could be changing diapers," to which they replied with a sigh of relief. This was not like other sped classes Marcus has been in. Every student in this class is potty trained and communicates effectively, in one way or another. 

I am grateful for teachers that loved him so much and figured out that sometimes, bribing works with him. I'm thankful that when he would sneak a dollar to school they would get him a sprite out of the teacher's lounge. At the times they would tell me he did something defiant or was being ornery, but they couldn't help but laugh and say, "we just can't be mad at Marcus though." It did cause me to chuckle and be grateful because I have subbed enough to know that many teachers can't stand half of their students. I think teaching is one of the hardest jobs to have, and they are certainly under paid and under-appreciated. We all know that. But, I am so thankful for the great guidance he received this last year and will receive for one more year at this school.

Marcus with his teachers.

I do not have a green thumb. 

While I love what green thumbs can produce…I just have never mastered it. These plants were not planted far enough in the dirt (in my opinion, that is different from my hubby's). I attempted to shift them and when that didn't work, I just pulled them up and re-dug a bigger hole for them. I guess they are dead now. Because they look like this. 

It is also going to be a very long summer! Need I say more. He is playing on my phone in this picture. I took them to the pool for three hours today. In which I realized my tanning oil with spf 8 is not enough for that long in the sun. I burned. Ugh. 

 We were home not more than an hour after the pool and Marcus was in the chair like this, "ready go bye bye." I of course said, "we are not going anywhere else today." Then he replied with, "friends come over?" 

Goodness. 

A smart purchase.

It's early, got Jason off to work, and I want to sleep another hour. It's bright! This mask does wonders!