June 12, 2005-Its a long one

June 12, 2005
Yesterday was "one of those days" where you feel like everything goes wrong and wonder how it happened. It actually started about a week ago. It was slightly breezy outside and I didn’t take down the umbrella on our deck table. So, the umbrella flew out shattering the glass table into millions of pieces. It took us quite a while to clean all that glass up. A lot slipped through the deck into the rocks below. We will have to clean that at another time. Anyway, we have been trying to work with Walmart on getting a new table and were having a terrible time. Corey and Hal came up Friday and Corey and I were finally able to go to Walmart to get it replaced! While there, we saw this really cool canopy that we thought would go great on the deck and would keep out the heat of the sun from our kitchen- if we had only known what would happen ...

Fast forward to Saturday. Corey and Tyler spent hours in the morning putting together the canopy and the table. It looked so awesome. We were having a tough time deciding how to arrange it all so it would be perfect out there. So, we decided to wait until Hal and Bob came home from playing in the Stake golf tournament. In the meantime, the wind started to blow. I didn’t worry because the umbrella was down. (I’m not that stupid! Plus I bought an umbrella stand- this really adorable frog....anyway..) I spent the morning cleaning the house in a frenzy while people were there to entertain Alayna. I heard a horrendous scraping noise and was just about to yell at one of the kids for it when I realized the canopy was gone. I ran outside to find the canopy had not only blown off the deck, but had propelled itself onto the roof!!! I hollered at Corey to come quick. I ended up laughing hard, she didn’t think it was so funny. We tried to get it down and succeeded in knocking the dish network which knocked out all the TV channels! So, while we waited for the men, we did many loads of laundry and mopped the floors.

It ended up taking Hal and Bob some time to fix the dish network. We even had to borrow a ladder from the mayor. Oh, how embarrassing! Then they set to fixing the canopy which was a mess. A pole had broken and many were bent. So, they went to the store to get something to fix the broken pole. While they did that, Tyler and I went to do the two week shopping trip. It took a long time, but we had so much fun. He is quite a character with a lot of things to say. We decided to do drive up where they load your groceries in the car. So we went out to the car and when we got home, I told the kids to come help me unload and they said " Mom, there aren’t any groceries back here!!". I had left them at the store!!! What a dork! I raced back and the young men was kind enough not to make fun of my stupidity! We came home and had a fun barbeque. However, Bob and Hal weren’t able to find 2 of the poles to the canopy. We searched EVERYWHERE! We even offered the kids money if they could find it.

So, Bob, Hal and the kids went to Hawkeye downs (the local race track). They were racing school buses and mini vans, etc. (The people at the track did, not our kids) They even got to go on carnival rides and they had a blast!! Meanwhile, Corey, Alayna and I stayed home since Alayna doesn’t do well in public right now (will explain incidents later) and the heat was almost unbearable. Later that evening. I even searched everything I could possibly think of and still no poles. Alayna went on our search as well and was very upset that we didn’t find any polar bears. I guess I wasn’t specific enough as to what we were looking for!!

Last night as I slept, I kept thinking the only place it could be was the gutters on the house. People said they checked there, but there was no other logical place. So, early this morning we checked the gutters and guess what?? We found the poles in the gutters! So, we hiked up Kayla in her dress and she got them. Now we finally have our canopy and all is well. I tell ya, if you are ever looking for adventure, this is the place you want to come visit. Our home is non stop fun!!
Well, we had an extremely busy week. Our summer seems to be 10 times busier than the school year was. I am sure that has to do with the kids all being home and I feel like I must clean every second of the day. So not cool!

The weather here has been awful. It has been in the lower 90's and packed full of humidity. Thank heavens we have air conditioning and a de-humidifier (I didn’t even know there was such a thing!). I am not sure which is worse, this or the below 0 temperatures! Look a me complaining-sheesh! It’s just that you take a shower, walk outside and within minutes are dripping and feel like you took another, but it isn’t refreshing. We heard Logan got snow last week. What is up with that?? Anyway...

Kayla did jump rope camp this week. It is with the jump rope team that travels here and performs called the "Iowa Skippers". She and her friend Olivia went Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:00-11:30! Hal and Corey were able to come up for the performance on Friday. First, she learned so many new cool tricks. I was truly amazed and she loved every minute of the camp. Then they had the actual Skippers perform and I was in awe! I couldn’t believe all the cool stuff they could do. It was a great performance. They taught the kids the main routine and told them if they really practiced hard and learned all the tricks and the routine, that they could audition for the team next summer. They take kids as young as second grade. So, Kayla is really motivated and Tyler and Marisa love doing it as well. So, we have been outside several times this week (even with the double dutch ropes) all jumping and having fun. Yes, even Bob and I were jumping. I am proud to say I can still do some tricks from my old days. So, now we are adding that to our bike riding.

This week, Marisa starts orchestra camp and she takes 3 days a week with the high school conductor and all kids going into 6,7, and 8th grade that signed up. I think it will be really good for her since she loves it so much. Plus, it will get her off the stinkin’ couch. I swear she is acting like a teenager already!

Tyler and Kayla started Taekwondo at the YMCA this week. I was concerned at first since it was the Y, that the class might not be all that great. I was so wrong. They are actually a satellite of Kim’s Taekwondo studio. They have an amazing teacher who is a 4th degree black belt. He can try for the next degree every 5 years and is going next week to San Antonio to try for the next one. So, that is exciting. He is about 25. He had about 5 other black belt adults there to help teach the kids. His class was so disciplined, very much like ballet. He commanded respect and got it, but did it with love. I was very impressed with him. The kids LOVE the class. The last 15 minutes, about 15 kids that are black belts come in and pair up with the new kids to do blocking techniques. What a cool learning opportunity! Anyway, they are excited about it. In July, if the pass the orientation, they can move to the beginners class and get a uniform.

I started my pilates class at the YMCA this week. I am always nervous about starting a new class. Especially when I don’t look the way I used to. I am sure when I tell people here that I used to be a dancer, they go home and laugh hard. Anyway, I loved the class, but hated the fact that it was full of older teens and young college students who looked like I used to. I was in the back, surrounded my mirrors, and looked like an ameba as I moved on the mat, praying no one would look back and notice me. I hate feeling and looking like a blob despite the work I put into changing it (makes me livid but that is a whole different story). After class I tried to sneak away without being noticed, when the teacher asked me in front of everyone if I had taken pilates before, to which I replied yes. Then mentioned I used to be a dancer and she asked where. I drew a blank and my face was bright red. Am I a dork or what? I did mention in Texas- what a dumb answer that was. I am sure those girls were wondering just what kind of dancing I did. "Could she have been one of those dancing hippos on Fantasia?" Yep, people, that was me...

The newsletter is never complete without some Alayna stories, huh? We have been desperately trying to potty train her this week. It is a total nightmare. Have I ever mentioned how much I detest potty training? We try stickers, fun privileges, even just bought new Dora underwear. The more we try, the more she seems to resist. One day, when I was downstairs cleaning out Marisa’s closet, she pooped upstairs. She pooped in the hall, then stepped in it and walked through the carpet and pooped some more. Then she went and got the toilet scrubber and proceeded to smash the poop into the carpet. Can’t tell you how hard that was to clean up! Some of you may say she is not ready, well, she is almost 3 and she has to be potty trained to go to preschool in August - so it is gonna happen whether she likes it or not!! She also went out one day to play and discovered that if you add water to sand it will make mud. And oh, what a discovery that was! She covered herself and her hair. Twice! What a mess that was to clean up. She has also started throwing temper tantrums in public, one of my worst nightmares. We actually went out to dinner this week and she was awful. She ended up being so bad, that I had to take her to the car and sit there while she screamed her head off and kicked the chair in front. It infuriates me. We put her in time out here at home when she throws one. Why don’t these kids each come with their own manual? Well, we love her anyway.

Well, is that one crazy week or what? We even fit in a fun trip to Chuck E Cheese with my friend, Beth Hill, from Iowa City. We also watched "The Gods Must be Crazy" with the kids. We laughed so hard. I haven’t seen that movie in such a long time. Anyway, I guess that sums us up for the week. Our love to you all!