What We Did This Summer

Summer is winding down. The boys just completed their second full week of school today, so their summer has been over for 2 weeks. While the calendar says otherwise, summer "officially" ends this weekend with Labor Day. The boys (well, more accurately, Nolan) whined that we didn't go on a vacation this summer. True, but I thought that a trip to China in April covered for a summer vacation. While we didn't go anywhere exotic, unless you count "the middle of nowhere Wyoming", we stayed really busy.

Jonathan had summer band daily through the month of June. His rehearsals lasted 1 or 3 hours, depending on the day. He got a summer job mowing his Grandpa and Grandma Belnap's lawn. He went to scout camp. He hiked the Narrows in Zion National Park. He also did his Eagle project which was painting the curbs at the UTA Bus Hub in Orem. All Jonathan has left to do to get his Eagle is complete the paperwork and wait until December 16th when he will be eligible for the rank advancement.

Nolan took piano lessons, wrapped up his first Little League season, went to Basketball Camp, went to Cub Scout Day Camp, and swam on the swim team. This year he took first in the 9-10 boys I.M. at the county meet. He also climbed Mt. Nebo. He experienced "job envy" with regards to Jonathan's mowing job. We hired him to edge our lawn. He thought that was a great job, until he did it once... he hasn't done it since.

Dan stayed busy with work, scout stuff, obsessive exercising, and sprinkler repairs. Maybe he'll get the last one finished this weekend (replacing 2 sick sprinkler heads).

As for me, I played chauffer and spent countless hours working on Skelly's x-stitched baby blanket that I will not let him use.

We did go on a ward trek to Wyoming which was oddly satisfying and a good experience for all of us. Dan and the boys walked the trail to the top of Rocky Ridge. I stayed in camp, under a shade canopy and worked on the Skelly blanket.

Anyway, I am looking forward to the return of cooler temperatures (but not cold temperatures) and the changing colors of the leaves.

Beijing loves Nolan

Beijing loves Nolan irrationally. It's a good thing or else I would have gotten rid of her already. She loves anything and everything associated with Nolan. Check out the picture. Nolan was in the bathtub and left his dirty clothes on the bathmat. Beijing went to check on her Nolan and found his clothes. She crawled through the waist of his underwear and poked her head out through the leg of his shorts and stayed there until he was done bathing. On the first day of school, Nolan walked home. He stood at the front door and announced "I'm home". Beijing went and charged the door... she knew her BFF was home. Beijing has already figured out the school schedule. Every morning Beijing knows when Nolan has to leave. She jumps into the front windowsill and watches Nolan leaving for school (she actually does this for Jonathan and Dan as well). She is so excited when he returns home. But, of course, all her affection is on her terms. She can turn into a psychotic wild cat on a dime and bite/scratch you at will. But, she does love her Nolan.

High Tech Skelly

Here is Skelly... about -8 weeks old, but who is counting? We got 3D ultrasound pictures done at the mall (ugh... I hate the mall). Our original ultrasound was scheduled for last Saturday. Dan, me and the boys excitedly went to the mall. We went in to peek at Skelly. He decided to hide from us. Skelly had one hand directly in front of his face so we couldn't get pictures of his face (but we did verify that Skelly is still a boy). They had us reschedule try #2 for Monday. Well, the four of us went back to the mall on Monday to peek at Skelly again. This time the little stinker had one hand in front of his face, the other hand was holding onto his umbilical cord and was pulling the cord in front of his face, AND he had one foot on his forehead. Obviously we didn't get any pictures and had to reschedule again for today. This time only Dan and I went to spy and Aly and Cole met us at the mall. Once again Skelly was being less than cooperative, as one hand was partially obscuring his face, but we did get an idea that Skelly looks like a human. Isn't he cute? I guess I won't be posting any new pictures of him for a few more weeks, but next time they can be in color!

Our Automatic Sprinkler System

I think I've previously whined about our sprinkler system this year, but to recap... we have had broken pipe issues this year. The secondary water system pressure is so high this year that it was blowing our pipes apart. Usually our only spring repair to the sprinkler system is to replace the sprinkler head that I run over with the car. This year has been unreal. The pipes have stopped bursting (finally), but that just leads to a new problem. Our sprinkler valves have gone bad. Sunday morning the sprinkler system was systematically running. Dan came home from choir and asked me how long I planned to run "line 2". I told him that "line 2" was not scheduled to be on. He said it had been on since early Sunday morning and was still running... now it was 12:15 p.m. Well, the valve had somehow broken and decided to randomly be on. Dan got the value shut off. Today the system was running again (bypassing "line 2"). Line 1 turned on and ran, I heard line 3 turn on without issue, however I looked in the backyard and realized that line 1 was still running. It ran the entire time line 3 was on. Line 3 turned off, line 4 started; line 1 was still on... I went and investigated the valve for line 1- according to the manual turn on/off switch the valve was off, but I know for a fact that water was running through line 1. Anyway, line 1 ran for 270 minutes before I shut off the secondary system at the water main. Thank goodness for unmetered secondary water!

My Fingernails & Beijing's Shots

No, the two above items are not related. My fingernails are out of control. They are so long that I can't type (not that I'm an especially talented typist, but now I am even worse). I don't know how women pay people to make their nails as long as mine are. In the past, my nails have always reached a certain length and then they break. My nails are significantly longer now and as strong as can be. I am actually going to cut and shape them tonight because they are driving me nuts.

Okay- now for Beijing's shots. Yesterday Nolan and I took Beijing to the "Utah County Spay and Neuter Clinic" for her booster shots. We took her in a cat carrier. She doesn't particularly care for the carrier because she cried from the minute we put her in there (at least she didn't have "issues" like another cat I know). We got to the clinic and it reeked. It smelled like animals- nasty yucky animals. There was a chocolate lab pappy there with a 4 year old trying to control it on its leash. The puppy was winning and the little boy was practically falling on his face. Finally it was our turn and I filled out the paperwork and told the lady that Beijing needed her booster shots. She asks me "which boosters"... like I had any idea. She tells me it's rabies and distemper. I say fine and pay the $25. She enters all the info in the computer. Meanwhile some dumb lady comes in with 2 unleased dogs. One dog, upon entering the clinic, pooped on the floor which just enhanced the clinic smell. The receptionist had to go looking for something for the lady to use to clean up her dog's gift to the clinic. The receptionist comes to get Beijing, takes one look at her and says "how old is this cat?" I say "10 weeks", that's what she entered on the forms. She goes on to lecture me telling me that cats can't have a rabies vaccine until they are 3 months old- whatever... she told me what shots the cat needed and I just agreed. Anyway, after 2 new forms were printed and $10 was refunded, Beijing got her shot and we went home.

In the car, Nolan asked if he could get Beijing out of the cage and hold her on his lap. I said sure, as long as he held the cat. That lasted for about 3 seconds before he let the cat go and she started roaming the car. Luckily she stayed away from my feet and we got home safe. We get to go back to the clinic in 2 weeks for the rabies shot. Maybe I'll bring the clinic a gift- a Glade Plug-in.

Moms Can't Save Gas

Have two busy, involved boys means that I can't save gas. They have to be too many places at too many different times of the day. I'm doing my best to consolidate my trips, but it's not working. I'm on the go all day long. Tuesday looked like this...
7:40 a.m.- Jonathan Golf
8:15 a.m.- Nolan Swim Team
9:00 a.m.- Jonathan done with golf
9:15 a.m.- Nolan done with swim team
11 a.m.- UPS/Scout Shop/Smiths/Gas Station
noon- Jonathan Band
1 p.m.- Jonathan done with band
5:00 p.m.- Nolan Baseball Game
6:00 p.m.- My Golf Lesson
6:05 p.m.- Golf Lesson Canceled
6:15 p.m.- Return to Nolan's Baseball Game
7:30 p.m.- Home

Yesterday was just as nuts...
8:05 a.m.- Nolan swim team
9:00 a.m.- Jonathan Band #1
9:15 a.m.- Nolan done with swim team
11 a.m.- Jonathan done with band #1/run to UTA hub to get pictures for Eagle Project approval/Big 5
noon- Jonathan band #2
1 p.m.- Jonathan done with band #2
4:15 p.m.- Nolan baseball
6:30 p.m.- Nolan done with baseball/HOME!

Why can't my boys schedule be consolidated so I'm not running all over Utah County all day long. At least I don't drive a monster SUV!

I Did NOTHING Today!

The title says it all. I accomplished nothing today! I got up at 7 a.m. and made the boys their daily pancakes. At 8 a.m. we went to the church to do our cleaning assignment. I vacuumed classrooms. We came home at 9:30 a.m. I have no idea what I did until 11 a.m. At 11 a.m. Nolan helped me deliver some trek stuff then we went and bought hemp at Roberts. Came home, made waffles for Nolan for lunch. Cleaned up. I decided to cross-stitch a little, but was too tired. I went and lay down at 1:30 pm. and woke up at 3:30 p.m. (with Beijing next to me asleep). I watched the Belmont Stakes and saw Big Brown lose bad. I got up, strung some trek buffalo necklaces. I prepped the Laurel's YW lesson for tomorrow (I'm their sub tomorrow). Cut up pineapple for Dan Pizza night. I returned a movie, ran into a friend at the store. Came home. Had computer time. And that is it. I got nothing done that I planned... the bathroom is still dirty and the downstairs small room is still scary, but oh well, I sure enjoyed my nap!