The Newly Employed

Paige has a job! She is so excited! She has been helping our neighbor for the last couple of months deliver the neighborhood newspaper and she loves doing it. When a route in our neighborhood opened up and she found out, she was all about getting hired. It took a couple of weeks with some phone tag and at one point when the manager didn't call back I thought they had found someone else. As much as I hated for her to be disappointed, such is life and it can be good to learn things like this when you are young. Well, the following week they called and she did get the route. She was so excited to be "hired".

Last week the manager came over and met with us to go over all the information. She told Paige that this is her own business and she is an independent contractor She had to sign her own contract and she has to give two weeks notice when she is ready to give up her route. She has to make a flyer insert to introduce herself to her customers. She is in charge of bagging and delivering 120 papers each Tuesday. Today was our first day delivering and she was beaming. She also had help from some of her friends which made it go alot faster. She is excited about the paycheck as well but I think she is more excited about the actual work. She is feeling very grown up right now!

Cute As a Cupcake

Erin has been ready to change her earrings for weeks. So finally today we had some time to choose her first pair of earrings and learn how to clean them and put them in. She has been waiting to wear her little cupcakes that she bought on her birthday so that is what she picked. She did a great job and is very proud.

Lindy's Big Sis

Lindy has dance this summer, two hours every Tuesday evening. She practices with her competition team, ballet, technique, gymnastics. She loves it. Tonight when I picked her up she had this adorable t-shirt on. All the girls are assigned a big sis from the Junior team and Lindy and Lexi really hit it off this year. Lindy thinks Lexi is an awesome dancer (she is!) and she aspires to be a "dancer like Lexi." Lexi made this cute shirt for Lindy, the back says Lexi's little sis and Lexi has a matching one that says Lindy's big sis on the back.

So very cute! I have to get a picture of them together, they even look alike! I love that Lindy has someone to look up to and I know she will make a great big sis someday.

Heavy Metal

There is some serious metal going on here. Both Lindy and Paige have had their top and bottom expanders since last fall. Paige got her top braces in April. Due to an appliance breakage, Lindy got off schedule and didn't get her braces until today and then got both the top and bottom. This is in addition to still having her expanders. To say she was miserable tonight was an understatement. She was in tears and that was on Motrin. Poor little girl, she was such a trooper with getting them on and then some other adjustments but she hit a serious wall tonight.
Paige although a little sore from some changes they made to her braces left with great news. She will not be getting bottom braces at all! She was SO excited. Her teeth have moved so much she will be getting her bottom expander out in August and replacing it with a retainer. Lindy took that in stride, she knew her mouth was tighter than Paige's and at this point she may even have to have some teeth extracted even with doing all of this metal work.
In the mean time we continue to spend 45 minutes in the bathroom each evening, combined, to get through all the appliance and braces cleaning! I'm hoping to get them out of their's before Ethan gets his or I will be in there all night! But they do look cute!

The Journey Begins

Kyle and Bill safely returned from Germany last Sunday and they left again this morning for Boy Scout camp. Before Kyle left we got the first Germany post together which consists of travel and sleep, or lack of sleep. The first email I received from Bill while they were gone was that out of 50 hours Kyle had slept about six! He has never been one to sleep on planes or in cars and I guess no matter how tired he is he still can't do it! They missed their connecting flight from Frankfurt to Berlin giving them a six hour layover at the end of a nine hour flight. Kyle was able to sleep in the Frankfort airport, the picture above is before he got himself settled and dozed off. The hotel they stayed in was really more like mini apartments. They had a small kitchen, living and dining areas. It was perfect for the three of them. More posts to follow when Kyle returns

from camp. All I can say is that the boy is having an awesome summer. He is a fantastic kid and so deserves to have these adventures. I am so glad that he is having this time with his Dad. I know how important it is to Bill to spend time with his boys. He missed doing these types of activities and trips with his dad and I know how much it means to both Kyle and Bill to be able to share this summer together. 

So tired he slept in his clothes! Bill said he woke up Wednesday and said he slept great and felt like his normal self. On Tuesday they went on a six hour walking tour of Berlin. Bill said Kyle was like a zombie he was so tired but he absorbed all the information! The kid can literally learn history in his sleep!

The mini apartment, hotel. Great location to the subway and very close to Brandenberg Gate and the American Embassy.

The subway system I have read is one of the best. They became experts quickly since this was their main form of transportation. Kyle has a great subway story to share and I promised him I would not tell it until he could write about it.

More posts to follow when Kyle returns from camp. He is having such a great summer and learning so much from all he is doing. I'm so excited for him!

Girl Scout Camp

It's that time of year again, camp! We are a very lucky Girl Scout group. Our service unit sponsors it's own day camp right here in Pickerington. Each year for a week in June, the Pickerington Girl Scouts have run of the local park and it is transformed into a day camp. We have fun filled days with crafts, camp songs, games, cooking, creeking, hiking, and so much fun. The days are long, we leave at 8:15 and don't get home until 3:45 , and the days are hot and very humid. But any other way would not be camp!

This year was Erin's first year. She is not an official Girl Scout since she doesn't start Daisies until this fall but we were able to bump her up to the first unit so she can have full participation. To say she was excited would be an understatement. The picture above is her backpack, hat, and shoes waiting by the door. After the first day when she went to bed she said she could hardly wait to go back. What an awesome way to spend your summer when you are five. She feels so grown up!

Lindy and Paige are in my unit along with some of the girls from our troop. They were excited to see many of the girls they met last year who returned along with our helpers. Our theme this year is the Olympics, Silver and Gold Games, each day at the end of camp we have the entire camp of girls compete in a fun game. Yesterday was a spoon/egg race and today was a sponge contest to see which team could fill a sponge with water and squeeze the most water into a bucket. For an added treat today the Fire Department stopped by with their hose and soaked all the girls. Erin and Paige were drenched and Lindy was a bit more timid. Erin came and pulled her into the water and got her soaked as well.

We are tired when we get home but what a great summer, they are making so many memories! Tomorrow is cooking day which is always a high light of the week. More fun pictures to follow....

Relay For Life

Ethan wanted to participate in Relay for Life. He loves to run and had so much fun doing the 5K for Jonah last month that he wanted to do Relay for Life. His Mimi is a cancer survivor so he wanted to walk in her honor. He raised $240 and was so excited to get on the track. He said to me the other day "I know this is for cancer but can I walk for Jonah too?" I told him he could walk for anyone he wanted. What a sweet soul he has!

 Whitney and BJ went with him and the girls and I cheered them all on. They did four miles in their hour, not too bad when you are only eleven. The three of them are planning to do the Bexley 5K on July 4th. I am so glad to see Ethan enjoying himself! He is a pretty athletic child and prefers independent sports over teams so all this running is fitting a nice niche with him.

Ethan - I am really proud of you taking the initiative and joining the cause. You did a fabulous job raising money and what a great night with your aunt and uncle. What a special week you have had while Kyle has

been gone. You will have as much to share with him as he does with you!

There was some sprinting going on, Ethan was in the lead and then BJ, not sure what Whitney was doing. She must be getting...old!

The girls were so patient watching. Of course it probably helped that they were so tired from swimming all afternoon!

Ethan Day

Today was officially known as Ethan Day. For Ethan's birthday in May, Nancy (our extra grandma!) told him she was taking him out for a day of whatever he would like to do. So today was the day to cash in and what a day they had! I dropped him off to Nancy at 9:45 and they hopped into her adorable red Mini Cooper (one of the highlights of hanging out with Nancy is riding in her car) and headed to Chestnut Ridge Park. They hiked a couple of miles and then stopped off at Sycamore Creek to look aound. For lunch he chose Arby's and then they headed to Graeters for ice cream. Next stop was Barnes and Noble where he was treated to a couple of new books before finishing off with seeing Toy Story 3.

They were both beaming when he returned home at 4:30. Nancy is one special lady and my children are so very lucky to have her in their lives. Thank you so much Nancy for giving Ethan a special day. He had a wonderful time, I have heard all about it tonight. I know that he had fun with everything that you did but what he really treasured was being with you.

American Girl Doll Drinks!

These are adorable! We made these at our Brownie meeting last week to help finish our Doll Try it. I also ordered extra supplies so that the girls could make more with their friends who all have American Girl Dolls. They were a huge hit! Lindy created many different versions of the "lemonade" drink and also different types of sundaes and shakes.

They are so simple, small plastic glass, cute fruit erasers, clear glass beads to look like ice cubes, and coffee stirrers for the straws, and clear tacky glue poured over the top to hold it all together and look like liquid. They all took it to the next level. Paige created some that looked like they had spilled by pouring some glue down on a piece of plastic and letting it dry. Lindy put glitter glue into the straws to match the "ice cream color" so her dolls will look like they are drinking. We also have plain ice water for these hot summer days! We have more foods to create for the dolls this summer and I am as excited as the girls! We had a ball with this one!

Sleepover Extravaganza

To Kyle - Rachel says "hi big bro!"

There won't be an update from Germany beacause Bill can't get his laptop to work in the hotel room. It's too much of a hassle to go somewhere else to upload pictures. So until then we are relying on email and Kyle is having a ball!

At home we are having a relaxing but fun week. Monday night was sleepover night, the girls had a group of four girls over and Ethan had two of his best friends over. It was a giggling night filled with nail polish, pizza, ice cream, and video games.  Not quite the same as Eurpoe but not too bad!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

With Kyle gone this week Ethan does not have his best friend. Thankfully invites are rolling in and he has some fun stuff planned. Today Grandpa called and invited him to a Clippers game. I don't think Ethan has been to a baseball game since he was five! They had a great time despite the heat. They are planning on going to the park for a walk on the trails later this week. Friday is officially "Ethan Miller" day, proclaimed by our friend Nancy who is taking Ethan for the day and he is getting to do whatever he wants! If you know Nancy you know that will be a blast! There is talk of a movie, lunch, and something else. I am so glad that he is getting a little spoiled this week, he so deserves it.
Kyle - Hope you are having fun. It's not the same here without you. Ethan

Bon Voyage!

Kyle, Bill and Mimi are getting ready to board their plane and begin the first leg of their journey to Germany. A quick flight to Chicago and then 10 hours on the next flight to Berlin. When you ask Kyle if he is excited he tells me, " he can't believe it is happening." I got him a beautiful journal to record the highlights of the trip. I can't wait to see what he writes!
I admit last night when reading through the travel guide books, I am jealous of all the fun they will have. I was invited to go but I am not ready to leave all the kids and have Bill and I overseas. Couple more years and I will be better with that idea. By then hopefully Ethan will be ready to tackle another long plane ride, Hawaii is still fresh in his mind (mine too for that matter!), and we will all go.
Having grown up spending the summers in California with my Grandma I am so excited for Kyle to have a trip with his Mimi and Dad. I know the trip itself will be beyond memorable but having it just be the three of them will make it all the more special.
Time permitting Kyle may post some pictures here to share otherwise I am sure there will be much to share when he returns.
Have a very safe tip my beloved boys! Good luck on your presentation Bill, I know you will do great!

There She Goes!

Last weekend Bill and I were working in the backyard, when all the girls including the neighborhood clan came running back to announce Erin was riding Emma's two wheeler. All the girls were so excited since Emma and Erin both learned to ride that morning. She is so proud! Bill took off the training wheels and she has been off and riding ever since. Another milestone passed!