The Royal Blog

Gratitude

What I am especially grateful for this week:

1. The big kids had fun Sunday at the Crew outing at Magic Mountain, and then Z spent the night with a teammate. 

2. E1 got her backhandspring on beam! 

3. Z's team is getting annihilated at a 3 v 3 tournament today but I am SO proud of him.  He was (for some unknown reason) ridiculously nervous about this tournament but he faced his fears AND his coach called him Man of the Match for the first game.

4. E2's knees have mostly healed.  She got massive rug burns on her knees last week at gymnastics camp and kept re-injuring them.  It has been a week of caterwauling about "MY BLOODY KNEE" and boy am I glad it's over.

5. Krispy Kreme Kaffe Kreme. Sigh.

6. E1 spends most of her free time reading. Love it! She started on the Harry Potter series mid-week and is already on page 100 of the second book!

 

Gratitude

What am I especially grateful for this week:

1. E1 and I went to see Harry Potter - loved it!!!  AND there was a trailer for  The Lightning Thief!!! 

2. Gymbucks!  I think E2 is now set for clothes until fall of next year.

3. We had some delightfully cool mornings this week, and overall, this summer hasn't been totally miserable.

4. Except for one or two days, the kids have mostly gotten along during summer break. Mostly.

5. E1's gym got new lights - they are so much brighter. Even better, I got extra hours this week cleaning up after the electricians.

6. E2 had a wonderful week at camp and they offered late pick-up which was a huge help.

7. The big kids rocked their OATs (Ohio Achievement Tests) as usual. 

8. This week is over!  Preschool camp, gymnastics camp, soccer camp, gymnastics practice - aye carumba!

9. E1 nailed her back tuck this week and made her connected cartwheel back-tuck beam dismount.

10. E2's gymnastics camp teacher said that E2 was *very* polite.

:)

E2 is very into 'marrying' lately.  Usually she insists that she is going to marry me or E1 and she insists that kissing someone means you're married.  Sometimes she gets very agitated and asks "Who am I going to marry?!?".  Last night I told her she needed to get through college first and then she could worry about marriage.  A few minutes later.....

"Mommy! When I was in your tummy, I sneaked out and went to college.  I droved there *eyeroll* Yes, I knew how to get there.  So now I can get married!!!"

Summer Camp!

 

 

 

E2 is having a great week at gymnastics camp!  Snacks and crafts and new friends, oh my!   Today was fiiiiiiiiiiiiinally 'water day' - she has been waiting for this day for what seems like months!

No matter what, she is TOPs with me!

 

 

Hmmm, maybe if was from Nigeria. But Turkey? I don't know, I'm suspicious.

Attn:
        I just have to intimate you with the business arrangement i have with Mr Hakan Uzan of Turkey. Mr Hakan Has been a very good friend of mine for close to 10 years now and he is into oil business.

Mr Hakan wants me to get somebody from either America or Canada or Asia continent to receive some amount of money for him over there. and he wants somebody that his or her account can accommodate the amount in question, to be exact the amount is $6Million USD.And the account must be a co-operate account to be able to accommodate the amount and who ever receive the fund for him will have 25% of the money and this transaction is 100% risk free and be assured that you are not going to spend any money.

Why Mr Hakan briefed me about this transaction is because of the nature of my business as i am a finance broker and i suggested to him that we need someone in Usa ,Canada or  Asia continent  that could be of assistance.

Pls if this proposal is accepted by you i will link you up with Mr Hakan Uzan for more explanation.

Yours Sincerely,
Edward Smith.
Prudential Finance UK.

Gratitude

What I am especially grateful for this week:

1. The boys are off to BW's to watch the Crew game and have dinner; the girls are going to watch movies on the Disney Channel. Mom is getting some peace and quiet.

2. Z had fun at his pick-up game this morning, even though it was cut short due to rain.

3. It rained and thundered most of the day - love it.  The grass needed it and I didn't have to go out in it.  Plus I love lightening and thunder.

4. TOPs testing is over for the year (and maybe forever if they don't start actually preparing E1's group for it.).  E1 and I rode down with one of her teammates and the girls watched movies and giggled together.  Several of us had a nice lunch and gripe session afterwards at Olive Garden.  B and the other two had a fun day playing mini-golf.  

5. E2 really enjoyed her end-of-session party at summer camp.  She was sooo dejected that camp was over, and sooo thrilled when I told her I signed her up for the next session.

6. I got some extra hours at the gym this week.  Thank goodness, meet fees are due soon!

7. B and E1 had a fun evening at Mamma Mia!

8. B and Z had a fun night watching two CONCACAF Gold Cup games at Crew stadium.

TOPs Testing 9 years old

(won't know national best/averages until after all testing is complete.)

This year:

Bridge (Shoulder Flexibility)

E1: 5

Right Leg Split:

E1 -  11.00

Left Leg Split:

E1 -  5.00

Leg Lifts:

E1 -  8.00

Cast Handstand:

E1 - 0.00

Vertical Jump:

E1 - 15.25

Press Handstand:

E1 - 1/10

Handstand Hold:

E1 -  0.00

20 Meter Sprint:

E1 - 3.28

Rope Climb 12 feet:

E1 - 9.47

Last year:

Shoulder Flexibility:

National Average - 4.64

     National Best - 5.00

                   E1 - 4.00

E1 points awarded: 4/5

Right Leg Split:

National Average - 11.06    

     National Best - 15.00

                   E1 -  6.00

E1 points awarded: 6/15

Left Leg Split:

National Average - 10.48

     National Best - 15.00

                   E1 -  5.00

E1 points awarded: 5/15

Leg Lifts:

National Average - 13.88

     National Best - 20.00

                   E1 -  6.00

E1 points awarded: 3/10

Cast Handstand:

National Average - 1.27

     National Best - 5.00

                   E1 - 0.00

E1 points awarded: 0/10

Vertical Jump:

National Average - 13.62

     National Best - 20.00

                   E1 - 11.50

E1 points awarded: 3.5/10

Press Handstand:

National Average - 2.09

     National Best - 5.00

                   E1 - 0.50/10

E1 points awarded: 1

Handstand Hold:

National Average - 12.57

     National Best - 30.00

                   E1 -  3.90

E1 points awarded: 0/10

20 Meter Sprint:

National Average - 3.59

     National Best - 2.91

                   E1 - 3.61

E1 points awarded: 5.5/10

Rope Climb 6ft:

National Average - 5.36

     National Best - 1.59

                   E1 - 4.40

E1 points awarded: 7.5/10

Total Points Awarded:

National Average - 50.41

     National Best - 86.50

                   E1 - 35.50

Our Afternoon

After dropping E1 off at practice, we had a few minutes to kill before Z's ortho appt. So we swung by a park for a bit:

 

Then it was off to Z's appt.  He is doing great; the top brackets/palate expander should come off in September and phase I will be done.  Hopefully phase II won't be for a few years!

 

This was Z the week after he got his palate expander. I was hoping the results would be more dramatic, but I can definitely see some improvement.

 

Gratitude

What I am especially grateful for this week:

1. B did a ton of laundry yesterday and let me sleep in.

2. Read Sandstorm and Map of Bones; working on Black Order. LOVE them. 

3. Usually E2 is one of the first ones at summer camp; today we were a couple minutes late and there were a bunch of kids already there.  The second they saw her, there were four or five kids yelling "E2! E2!!"   It was sooooo cute!

4. The kids and I watched several of the Clean House: Messiest House in America episodes this weekend.  Besides being good tv (lots of mayhem and foolishness!) and inspiration to keep decluttering, the kids got a good dose of how not to live.

5. E1 had lots of fun being in the 4th of July parade and the other kids had fun watching the parade and grabbing candy.  The kids enjoyed the inflatables at the community festival and the fireworks were fabulous as usual - glad that the recession didn't cause the community to cancel everything. 

6. Dessert Essence Thoroughly Clean Face Wash - I use it as a body wash and just love it.  So do the girls!

7. We have made it through three weeks of summer vacation!  There has been some bickering but it seems better than last year. (E1 being at gymnastics 15 hours a week and Z playing computer/ds/wii games probably helps.)

8. The girls and I went to Bob Evans between E1's practice and E2's class and had a nice meal.

9. I took 8 bags of stuff to Amvets.

10. B and the big kids enjoyed dinner and a movie (Ice Age 3) Friday night.

11. B was off work on Friday!!

Someday

I want to go to a parade where there are no people on the other side of the street.... :P