Purchasing for Next School Year

I placed some orders yesterday afternoon. I ordered from CHC and Seton. Today, I ordered the student kits that we'll need from Math U See and my lovely new bookcase (yay!).

Now, I need to look at all these wonderful books surrounding me, the ones falling off shelves, stacked high on the top of my desk, piled in corners, and sitting in baskets. And I have to take a hard look at them to see what I really do need for next year in the way of chapter books and picture books. I get so tempted to order book after beautiful book. But the truth is, we just might have a book that meets a certain need for next year right here in our "all over the place home library" already. And there were a lot of books we read this past school year, that I borrowed from our local library, too. That worked well, too.

It's very tricky for me to try to discern what to buy in the way of literature. It's a weakness. So, I will take my time with this. I will be cleaning out my schoolroom and our quiet/reading room over the next couple of weeks. And as I do, I will hopefully find treasures I forgot about that will work well to enhance our next school year. I'm hoping, too, that with the purchase of my prized bookcase, that I can keep the books more organized, so I have more of a grasp on what we actually own and where it is.

One thing I plan on ordering for sure is Catholic Mosaic and many of the lovely books to go with it. That's a must.

TTFN
~Tina

Unproductive Monday Morning

If anyone wants to know how to piddle away a morning, you should have been here with us today. I don't know if it was just the Monday morning thing, or what, but it was just not productive. (sigh). OK, now I will try looking at the positives......hmmm.....

1. We did pray the Rosary together.
2. I responded to a couple of emails that deal with the rest of the week's plans.
3. Everyone had breakfast and lunch.....children fed~that counts for something, right?
4. I am working on my second load of laundry.
5. After lunch, I put Evan down, then went out back with Sky and Alexa to fill the bird feeders (suet and seed), put up the hummingbird feeder, and started to dig a place for Skylar's 2 pumpkin plants which have outgrown their pots.....but then it started raining and now that is on hold.
6. I read a story about pumpkins to Skylar and Alexa.
7. Ordered my bookcase. Yay!!

Now for what I still need to do.

1. Clean bathrooms (with my team T, S, and A)
2. Continue laundry.
3. Answer one more email.
4. And oh yeah, what did I say was for dinner? Hmmm. Good question. I better start thinking of that one, too.

Hope your day is more productive than mine.

TTFN

~Tina

Sunday Plans

We went to Mass at 12pm today. Not my original plan, because Evan starts to get sleepy by then, and therefore is not so pleasant during Mass. But I overslept, so I had no choice. Now don't get this, "cozy-in-my-own-bed,-getting-some-extra-sleep" image in your head. That is not what I mean at all. When I say "overslept", I mean "in-Evan's-chair-because-he-got-up-around-4a.m.-and-wouldn't-stay-asleep-when-I-tried-to-put-him-back-down". Although I love having Evan in my arms, it's just not fun when your arm goes numb and you wake up feeling like you've been run over by a truck......a rather large truck.

I'm not complaining, though (ok, maybe just a little). But I am going to give the cleaning a rest for the rest of the day. It is Sunday after all. We will clean tomorrow. The dirty bathrooms will still be there. Yay! (sarcasm). So since Evan is napping (lucky kid), I plan to go start dinner, and sit down with my homeschooling catalogs and order my curriculum. Then I'll go online and order some wonderful stories for this coming school year and then order my bookcase. Sounds like a lovely afternoon. But first I MUST get some caffeine. Ice cold Cherry Coke should do the trick. Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday! Try to keep cool!
TTFN
~Tina

Summer Cleanup Part 1 (continued)

We got back to work in the girls room today. Not as intense as yesterday, but we finished up the problem areas I pointed out in the previous post. The first thing I did was sort the clothes in their drawers (what fits? what needs given away or handed down? etc.). The girls share one dresser~2 drawers each, so it's important I keep up with this, or it can easily get out of hand.

The next thing to tackle was this. It holds misc. toys and activity sets. This is the before picture....

And this is the after....The girls' closet holds clothes that need to be hung up or simply don't fit in their dresser. The top shelf holds some memory boxes and baby books, along with each girls suitcase. Their shoes are on the bottom of the closet on the right and their backpacks are kept there too (tucked around the corner). Then we also have dressup clothes in the round, green bin including these playsilks that the girls got for Christmas (LOVE them). And then, of course is the dollhouse. They just open the doors of the closet to play with it.

So here is the before picture of the closet....

And this is the after ....

I basically just packed clothes away for winter or to pass down to a sibling or cousin. Then arranged the clothes by item (Sky's clothes on the left, Alexa's on the right). And I reorganized the shoes and took everything on the floor out and vaccuumed the inside.
Here's a closeup of the shelves before....

And after....

And one little handy dandy tip~I put this large gift bag on the door of their room during the whole cleaning process. It was for things we wanted to keep but belong somewhere else in the house. Every time I came across an item that did not belong in their room, I dropped it in the bag. I think it was a real time-saver. The items can be delivered to their proper spot later.

Well, that wraps it up for today's Simple Summer Fling cleanup. I hope you are enjoying your summer. I plan on continuing this major house cleanup next week. I'll be happy if I work on these purging and cleaning projects 2 days a week. I'll let you know how it goes.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

TTFN

~Tina

Summer Clean Up Part 1 (Sky and Alexa's Room)

Here and some before and after shots, but keep in mind we changed the room around, so figuring these out might be a bit confusing.

This is Skylar's bed before cleanup (with Alexa on the floor smiling~what a ham). Skylar does usually make her bed, and so does Alexa, but today I told them not to worry about it because I was washing their sheets anyway, and putting on fresh ones.

And this is Skylar's bed after cleanup (with both girls coloring on it). We turned both beds a different direction. This is not the most practical way to arrange this room, but we have limited space and limited choices in there. The girls just needed a fresh look to their room to give them another reason to want to keep it clean.
These are the toy shelves before. .......eek! And these are the toy shelves after cleanup. I also changed their location in the room.
Alexa's bed before.
And Alexa's bed after cleanup (again, we moved the room around and I took the picture from a different angle). Oh, and I should mention. She has declared today that she is done with the bedrail. (Just in time, too, as it will be needed for little "monkey boy Evan" sooner than we think. He will be scaling his crib in no time.)
Dresser top before.
Dresser top after cleanup.
We did well today. The girls were pretty tired of it all by the end, but loved the way the room looks and seem to be willing to keep it clean (at least for the time being). But I'm not done. The clothes in the dresser need sorted out.

And there is still this waiting for me tomorrow....
and this....(sigh).

I'll keep you posted. Have a great night!

TTFN

~Tina

Daily To-Do List for 6/27

I've decided to try listing my daily to-do list here in the mornings on the weekdays as a way to hold myself accountable. Today, being the first day for this, we'll just see how it goes.

Everything in purple was updated at 2:15pm.
Everything in orange was updated at 5pm.
Everything in yellow updated at 10:20 pm.
On the agenda for today:

1. Pray Rosary together (started our day with this)
2. Continue neverending laundry (still continuing)
3. Sweep HW floors (Skylar did this right after lunch)
4. Start Toddler Bags mentioned here
5. Look online for bookcase (I think I found one, but haven't ordered it yet.)
6. Evan bath/Alexa shower (tonight) (No time for shower for Alexa, but did bathe Evan AND gave him a haircut)
7. Lunch: Grilled cheese and grapes and pudding for dessert (We ate this at lunch and it was yummy!)
8. Dinner: Spring Noodles (high protein ones) with sauce with rolls; carrots dipped in ranch dressing; Dessert~peanut butter cup icecream (Done and was delicious.)
9. Added: Washed large dishes by hand.
10. The Big Job of the Day: Clean out Sky and Alexa's Room (2 days or maybe 3)

• Closet (top and bottom)
• under beds (Sky's and Alexa's) (Did under Alexa's, next comes Skylar's)
• dresser top (done)
• shelves of toys (done)
• Alexa's nightstand (middle drawer still needs cleaned out)
• Sky's nightstand (top drawer still needs cleaned out)
• dust (top of dresser)
• vaccuum (half the room, still have under Sky's bed to do) (whole room done)
• wash curtains
• wipe blinds
• go through and get rid of clothes
• wipe windows
• get rid of as many toys as possible (really didn't need to get rid of too much, because we just went through and purged their room a month or so ago)
• Also ended up moving the whole room around!

I hope to take before and after pictures if for no other reason than me seeing all the hard work paying off.

Now, what do I do to entertain a toddler during all this cleaning? Hmmm............

........"Oh, Taylor Dear......."

TTFN

~Tina

I'm hoping to post pics of our progress shortly. My back is sore (I'm getting too old to move furniture) and I'm tired, but I feel good that we got a lot done today. I'll try to keep working on this tomorrow morning .......after lots of coffee.

Western Pennsylvania Nature

Wildflowers near my in-laws' home.

Rainbows spotted from my brother's driveway. You can see the second one if you look closely.

More nature at my in-laws' home.


Just felt like sharing these with you. Have a beautiful, nature-filled day!

TTFN

~Tina

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today: Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Outside My Window...

It's hot and humid. The sun is beginning to go down.

I am thinking...

About my summer plans. Now that we are back from PA, I need to focus and do some major purging of stuff we've accumulated.
I am thankful for...

Good news from my dad about his health!
From the kitchen...

Lots of snacking food. Taylor has some friends over for movies, games and snacks.
I am wearing...

Denim shorts, a green T shirt and ankle socks.
I am creating...

Plans (as usual). Lesson plans for next year and purging plans for the summer.
I am going...

To head over to the library tomorrow to get the girls signed up for the summer reading program. Also have to stop at the post office to mail their tests to be graded.
I am reading...

All of my school planning books and a daily devotional called 365 Mary.
I am hoping...

To start purging this week. Not sure if I'll continue the girls' room or start the school room. I usually save the school room for last because it is such a large task.
I am hearing...

Giggles and laughter from Taylor and her friends.

Around the house...

We cleaned up a bit today since we were hosting this get-together tonight. But it was just a quick fix. I have so much trouble trying to discern what to get rid of and what to keep.
One of my favorite things...

Good quality bookcases. I really need one for all the books we've acquired in the last year, and all the ones I will be purchasing soon.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:

Library trip, continue laundry, order a bookcase, make a haircut appt., fill the bird feeders, plan meals for the next week or so, buy a little pool for Evan to play with on the deck. And if there is any time (or energy) left after all that, I'll start purging an area of the house.
Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Alexa and Skylar with their little cousin, Kyra.

Happy 6th Birthday, Alexa!

Happy Birthday to my sweet and spunky "Lexiloo"! You have such a big personality in your little 6 year old body! When you are around your friends, you tend to be quiet. But when surrounded by family, you let your presence be known. You are so smart and make us laugh with the funny things you say. You are my little girlie-girl princess.You are a loving big sister and playmate for Evan, a friend and roommate for Sky and a little "Minnie Me" for Taylor. You are beautiful inside and out and we love you so very much!

God bless you, sweet girl, on your special day.

We love you!

~Mommy, Daddy, Taylor, Sky and Evan

Home Sweet Home

We are back in Virginia, back to our home. It is comfortable and everything is familiar. But, at the same time it feels like I left "home" to come home. What I mean is that going to Pennsylvania, to the area where I grew up, is going "home" for me too. We went to Mass at the church where I made my FHC, was Confirmed and was married. I drove by many stores that I used to shop in, a playground where I played as a child and my old elementary school. And most importantly is the family. My brother and his family are there and they so kindly let the girls, Evan and I stay with them. The kids had a blast playing with their little cousin, Kyra. My sister and her family are there, too, along with my mom who lives with them. And my husband's family is in the area also. So it is definitely home, .....familiar and comfortable.

Not for my children, though, they've never lived there. I'm sure it's comfortable to them. But not familiar in the way it is to John and I. They have no history there. To them it's a great place to visit. But for me, it's where part of my heart is and always will be. So being back here in Virginia is "Home Sweet Home", but it's also true that "Home is where the heart is". And part of my heart will always be in Pennsylvania.

Miss you all, already!
TTFN
~Tina

My Plans are not my own.

Our summer break has been underway for a week or so now and some of my plans are working just as I,....well,....planned. We made it to the Train Festival (although that doesn't really count because I made the list of summer plans after we had already been there). We also had our homeschool groups' planning meeting and the girls finished school and testing. The girls also made Father's Day gifts for John, and I made one from Evan (I'll try to show pics of them sometime). I purchased and mailed my dad's Father's Day card and gift, too. We will bring John's dad's card and gift with us this week, because we are also heading to PA to stay with family and celebrate Alexa's 6th birthday. So, all of these things are going as I planned. Lovely.

Now, for what did not work out as planned. We did not have a St. Anthony of Padua Teatime. That really bums me out, because the liturgical year is so special. I so want to pass on the importance of it all to my children. I'm determined to get back on track with that once we get back in town.

Other things that are not on my summer plans list have just not worked out as I intended. Monday was supposed to be my "run errands, do laundry and start packing for the trip to PA" day. Didn't happen. It ended up being my "my head is spinning due to viral vertigo, get to the doctor, John take off work, me barely functioning" day. Not what I had planned at all. But what could I do? I have to remember that I am not in control here. I think that God sometimes sends these "Slow Down" messages and I have no choice but to listen.

So I did. And I began to count my blessings (once my head stopped spinning). I had to realize that I was blessed that my husband was willing and able to take off work at a moments notice so I could go back to sleep and attempt to get the spinning to stop (it was even his idea). And I was blessed that I was able to be seen at the doctor's office that same day. And I am blessed still that the spinning has stopped sooner than the NP thought it would (especially since everything she prescribed is unsafe to take while nursing). And I am also blessed that we will be able to leave tomorrow as originally planned.......at least that is how it stands for now. We'll have to see what God thinks about that one.

So, I'll be back to post again next week sometime. Have a wonderful week!
TTFN
~Tina

Lovin' from Evan

Yesterday we took Evan to Mass with us. He sat and looked at his books, he climbed on the seat, then on the kneeler, then on me,..... standing, sitting, climbing....standing, sitting, climbing, etc. But he did ok. I didn't have to take him out, though I did quietly slip him some fruit snacks at one point, when he started to fuss. It was a good day! And to top it off, that sweet little boy was so huggy and kissy I thought he was going to smooch my cheek off! I was holding him at the end of Mass, as Father made the announcements and Evan just hugged and squeezed my neck repeatedly. He would kiss my lips and cheeks over and over with that sweet grin. And he would say ,"mmmmAAA!" (his kissy noise). And, "kissy, Momma!" and, "hugs!, hugs!".

I have to say, I totally missed the announcements. I was lost in the love of my sweet little man.

TTFN

~Tina

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today, Saturday, June 14, 2008

Outside My Window...

It is dark, and wet, though I'm pretty sure all the storms have passed.
I am thinking...

About our trip to Pennsylvania this week for Alexa's 6th Birthday Party with our family. She has had parties with friends in the past, but after enjoying her little brother's 1st birthday party in PA with family last year, she decided that's what she wants this year. We will have it at my brother's house. He, his wife (who is expecting a boy at the end of July) and their 3 yr. old daughter are looking forward to our visit (and so are we!). These cousins play so well together. And Alexa is counting down the days!
I am thankful for...

Family....in this house, of course, and far away. Most of our family is near Pittsburgh, but my dad and his wife are in the central mountains of PA and John's brother and family are in Florida. We miss them all so much and can't wait to see them!
From the kitchen...

It's pretty quiet in there. We had dinner out tonight, so it's pretty tidy in there, too.
I am wearing...

Coral and white floral print capri jammie pants with a matching coral tank top. I also have on ankle socks and my cardigan sweater because I was feeling chilly. I'm wearing my glasses and I have a hair scrunchy around my wrist because I never know when I'll need it.
I am creating...

A birthday party for Alexa. The colors will be yellow and dark pink. We will have a couple of crafts for Alexa, Sky and Kyra to do (and maybe even Evan). The theme is flowers, and horses and summer....kind of a hodgepodge. I'm sure it will be just fine, though, because it's what she chose. And we've purchased everything that will travel well. But I need to remember to order the cake. I forgot to do it this past week. Eeek!

I am going...

To try to make tomorrow a enjoyable day for John. And I'm going to call my own dad, too, and wish him a happy Father's Day.

I am reading...

The American Girl books about Kit with Alexa and Skylar. We just finished book 2!
I am hoping...

That the van is fixable for a reasonable price. I couldn't get an appt. until Wed. and we are supposed to leave Thursday! It kind of hesitates over and over again when I accelerate. I want to get a new van eventually, but not now. It's so nice not having a van payment.
I am hearing...

John shuffling around in the kitchen. He just came down to have a bite to eat.

Around the house...

So much to do....purging, organizing, planning, cleaning and with this impending trip, that is all put on hold for...... packing.
One of my favorite things...

Family Parties!
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:

Monday will be washing clothes, a little shopping and mailing the tests that Taylor and Sky completed, back to Seton. Tuesday, will be more laundry, packing, and Sky has a friend coming over. Wednesday's main purpose is getting the van fixed....and maybe going through the car wash and filling the gas tank (I'm sure that will be $70....yoy!). Thursday, we leave for PA.
Here is picture thought I am sharing:

Skylar was watching Evan for me, while I was in the next room making dinner yesterday, and together they made a sticker collage! Do these two kiddos look alike or what?!

TTFN

~Tina

Beaded Gifts

Alexa made this simple craft as little gifts for her speech teacher. We found it here at Family Fun . They are cute little bookmarks that won't fall out.

We took it one step further and made this keychain for the receptionist at the school.

Very simple, very cute crafts made from stuff we had on hand.

TTFN

~Tina

Our Last Day of School (the formal stuff, anyway)

Yesterday, we officially finished testing and Alexa completed her last math lesson of her Kindergarten year (Math-U-See Primer). She is one happy camper! Can you tell?TTFN

~Tina

Thursday Picture Share

These pictures show a favorite activity around here.....empty the toy box and climb into the fun little hideaway where the toys used to be! I love this toybox, because it holds so many toys! (Also works as a doorway blocker, too!)
These are some lovely lemon/strawberry cupcakes Taylor made to share with the family this past Sunday evening.
Here is a rare, but wonderful moment with all 4 children in one spot at the same time! (and all smiling, too!)

Well, today we plan to continue testing, do a little cleaning, make a trip to the grocery store and I have a planning meeting tonight for our homeschool group for 2008/2009. So guess I better run! Hope your day is filled with all the things you enjoy!

TTFN

~Tina

Our Summer Plans 2008

The thought of summer always makes me think of free time and relaxing days. But as summer approaches, the days seem to fill so quickly. In addition to vacations, celebrations and all the fun of just getting outdoors, summertime provides a chance to get some extra projects done. I try not to plan too much, because I want it to be an enjoyable time for everyone. But I do hope to get some extra tasks accomplished, with enough "down time" to rejuvenate us.

So here goes. These are my plans for our summer 2008.

June:

• Train Festival in Old Town (6/7) (We went there.)
• Our homeschool group's planning meeting for 2008/09 school year (6/12) (attended)
• Finish school/testing (6/13) (Done)
• St. Anthony of Padua Teatime (6/13) (Didn't do this one.)
• Girls make Father's Day gifts. (Done)
• Purchase Father's Day cards to mail ASAP. (Done~although John's dad is still waiting on his~we forgot to take it to PA~Ugh.)
• Go to PA for Alexa's 6th birthday party (6/19) (Done~Post on this will be coming.)
• Alexa's birthday party (6/21) (Done~Wonderful Time)
• Return home from PA (6/23) (Done)
• Alexa's birthday (6/24) (Happy Birthday, Lexiloo!)
• Teatime to welcome summer (?) (Unfortunately this didn't happen.)
• Put up hummingbird feeder (?~soon) (Done as of today, June 30)

July:

• John's Birthday (7/4) (done)
• Independence Day Celebrations (7/4) (done)
• G-ma Jo comes for a visit (early July) (She was here and we had a good time, other than the problems we had with that summer bug.
• Holy Trinity VBS for Skylar and Alexa (7/7-7/11) (They had a great time! Alexa did get sick, though, and missed the last 2 days.)
• Teatime for Blessed Kateri (7/14) (Didn't happen, but we did do one for St. Thomas earlier this month.)
• Evan's 2nd birthday (7/19) (He was still recovering from being sick, but we celebrated low key on the actual day. And John's parents were able to be here for it!)
• Family vacation to Kings Dominion .(?) (Moved to the end of August.)
• Teatime for St. Anne (7/26)
• New Nephew due to be born!!!! (end of July)

August:

• Homeschool paperwork due (8/1)
• Feast of the Transfiguration~ possible teatime, craft or other activity (8/6)
• Our wedding anniversary ~ 16 years! (8/8)
• Sign Alexa up for Ballet when new brochure comes out (?)
• Peach Picking (?)
• Prince William County Fair (8/8-8/16)
• Teatime for the Assumption (8/15)
• Trip to PA to meet new nephew (end of August)
• Myers Family Reunion in PA (8/17)
• Begin school for 2008/09 (8/25)
• St. Augustine teatime (8/28)
• Make this cobbler by Jodie's Grammy over at the 4 Real Learning Boards

All Summer:

• Summer Reading Program through our local library (sign up 6/16)
• Go to the local theater for free movies whenever we get the chance.
• Work on handmade Christmas gifts.
• Swim here or here.
• More playdates with friends.
• Purge schoolroom, garage, kitchen, our room, and finish Sky and Alexa's room.
• Make lesson plans for next year.
• Order all school books and materials for next year.
• Plan crafts to celebrate liturgical feasts with teatimes for next year.

Sometime this summer:

• Co-op Planning Meeting
• Get together with friends to make toddler/preschool bags.
• Start planning field trips for our homeschool group for next school year.
• Organize list of moms for Saint of the Month Club for next school year.
• Yard Sale?

While G-ma Jo is here:

• Trip to Claytime Cafe for the girls to make Godparents' Christmas gifts.
• Enjoy a day at Splashdown Water Park with G-ma.
• Go see this movie with Alexa and Skylar. We can't wait! We are reading the books right now!
• John and I have a day out and maybe go to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner. We both also enjoy perusing the books at Borders and B & N. (We're such geeks.) We might go see a movie, too, if there is anything interesting playing.

I guess this about sums up our summer. It is not set in stone and activities will probably be added spur-of-the-moment. But this is a general reference so I know where our summer is headed.

Summer always seems to go so fast, so I'm really going to try to live each moment as it happens. What about you? What are you planning? Are you ready to relax or do you have a huge to-do list waiting to be tackled?

Whatever you have planned, I hope you have a safe and enjoyable summer!

TTFN

~Tina

I Love.....

how Evan plays with his eyelashes as he falls asleep. It's just so sweet.

TTFN
~Tina

The Simple Woman's Daybook 3

FOR TODAY June 8th, 2008

Outside My Window...

The sun is shining and the temps. are rediculously high! It's unbearable to be out there for any length of time.

I am thinking...

About this coming week. The older 2 girls will be testing and it's our final week of school before summer break!

I am thankful for...

My family. We will get to see a lot of them in a couple of weeks. (We'll miss you Craig, Michelle and Ryan!)

From the kitchen...

Salsa chicken is in the oven , iced tea is cooling in the fridge and Taylor is currently baking a lemon cake with vanilla frosting.

I am wearing...

Sporty gray shorts, ankle socks and a light blue T-shirt.

I am creating...

Again, so many plans. And a post on our summer plans.

I am going...

To try to make this quick so I can be more available to my children.

I am reading...

A Mother's Rule of Life by Holly Peirlot. I started it last summer, got part way, decided I wasn't ready to "commit" to her plan, and chucked it for the time being. I think I'm ready now.

I am hoping...

Testing goes wellthis week and that I don't overplan our summer.

I am hearing...

Alexa and Evan playing and Taylor baking the cake in the kitchen.

Around the house...

My desk is a MESS! I have to clear that off before we start testing tomorrow.

One of my favorite things...

Air Conditioning!!!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:

Testing the girls, last 2 swimming lessons for Skylar, final plans on Alexa's birthday party in PA,

and I need to prepare sign up sheets for a couple of clubs I am coordinating for our homeschool group.

Here is picture thought I am sharing....

I don't know why, I just like the way this learning toy looks in the sun.

Want to do this too? Stop by Peggy's to sign up!

TTFN

~Tina

Train Video

The Train Festival

We went to the Train Festival in Old Town yesterday. It was from 10 am to 5pm, but we tried to get there early since it was supposed to be smokin' hot outside. We arrived around 10:20. We went last year, but at that time, Evan wasn't really into trains. Due to the high temps. we decided to just do a few things, then head back to our home where our friend Mr. "A.C." lives. They had a moonbounce area, trains on display, lots of food, live music, games, train items to buy, balloons, train rides and a few other things I'm sure I'm forgetting.

Skylar did this moonbounce-type thing. She had a good time, but some of the surfaces were hot to the touch. Alexa didn't want to do it.

The highlight of the day for the youngest 3 was the train ride. It was fun, and pretty fast and and we even got to sit up on the second level of the train. And it was downright cold! Yeah! It was such a relief!

No pictures of John and Taylor on the train, because they were hungry and opted for lunch at Subway.

Hope you have a great Sunday and try to keep cool. As for us, now that we are home from Mass, I don't have any intention of leaving my friend Mr. "A.C." the rest of the day.

TTFN

~Tina