Little random life update....

That's me.

We went to the pool again today and stayed from 2:00 until 6:30. Why is it the sunburn doesn't start to show until like 15 minutes before you are ready to leave?

The kids were hoping to stay until the pool closed at 8, and at first it seemed like a very good idea since they were all happy and I knew it was good for making them tired to sleep well tonight. I was lying on my little deck chair with my eyes closed at one point thinking about how wonderful this was. This is one of the first times I could remember that my kids were old enough that I didn't have to watch every minute of them at the pool. They can all swim now, and I let the lifeguards do the watching. I did get in and play with Matthew a lot, but the few moments that I was relaxing I knew we'd end up at the pool many more times this summer.

All three kids found people their age that they played with too. It was nice.

Until we got home. Then realized how badly burnt we all were. I used a ton of sunblock on all of us but man we are all red and moving very slow. I don't know if sunblock goes bad, but I wonder since this was packed and melting in a moving box last summer if it broke down or what. So after needing to go to walgreens tonight to get some aloe spray I also stocked up on brand new sunblock, face stick stuff for noses and ears and aloe spray. We're good to go.

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I got this email from Mike tonight:

I walked at least 15 miles today and have blisters on my feet and very sore ankles. I saw the Eiffel Tower, the River Seine, Champs Elysees, went to the Louvre, saw Notre Dame and a concert in the park, The Sorbonne, The Pantheon and ate a Royale with cheese. I took about 200 photos and will share with you.

He's in Paris for a couple of days before going back to work. It's how the flights ended up to make sure he could get back to work in time. Sometimes the flights just work out this way since he takes two different airlines to get back. Now, under normal circumstances I'd be somewhat jealous about having a couple of days in Paris without me, but remember that he's on his way to work - in Yemen. - Yeah... it's not necessarily a Paris vacay. Plus he's doing it like Globe Trekker.... on the cheap, hence the walking, cheap hotel and no food budget to speak of. LOL! I can't wait to see pictures!

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One more random thingie for the night.... after 9:00 at night the fireflies come out like crazy. They only seem to stay out for about an hour after that. So tonight on my way home from walgreens the fields near my house and along Frogtown were literally twinkling with thousands of fireflies. It has to be one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. Next month when the fireflies are gone it is time for the frogs! You can't see them, but you can hear them. Which to me... makes me happy too. Because FROGS RULE!

random....

Sometimes going to the airport plain old sucks. That was a fast two weeks. - Yesterday was Mike's birthday, so we at least got to celebrate that together. We went to Bruesters for ice cream after dinner.

I was thinking a little bit earlier today how weird I feel. For awhile I was anxiously anticipating my mom coming out for a visit, and knowing Mike would be home during that too. I counted down the days on my calendar. While they were here it felt good to have some company. I don't really feel lonely..... I have people I see everyday, I'm happy, healthy, well adjusted.... but tonight I was just feeling kind of let down that it's over. Kind of like a kid when you go to bed on Christmas night. You know you have to wait for it to come again next year, and you don't know what to do with those remnants of feelings that you still have. I had put so much thought into what we'd do, and just the pure excitement of it. Both visits were fun but still didn't accomplish all that I wanted to. Which is OK, but I guess that just proves that there isn't enough time... and what little you have goes by so quickly. So for some reason tonight I went out and sat on my front steps and watched the fireflies... and felt kind of alone for the first time in awhile. Man, sometimes life just gets so crazy.
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While Mike was home, Trevor had talked him into buying a package of water balloons. Coming home from the airport with a quiet and somber car made me think today was the perfect day to fill some of them up.

Megan was sneaky and stood behind me most of the time. She was one of the first ones to get hit and I had made a rule that no balloons were to be thrown too close to the balloon filler (me!). If you want balloons filled, throw them away from me! I still managed to get pretty wet from filling. I had planned on getting in on the balloon fight, but the kids went through the balloons as fast as I could fill them. It was the knot tying that slowed me down. Next time I think I'll fill some without them knowing it and then have about 200 of them already filled in the garage.




(below) right before Matthew got nailed in the head. I love the "in flight" balloon.

Poor Trevor never catches much of a break. I was trying to get him to get more balloons and keep them in his shirt. Megan came up right beside him and got him. (And the balloon filler and her camera. Bad Megan.)