Exercising

My goal is to run a 5k by the end of the summer. I am doing a "couch to 5k" program that involves walking for 90 seconds then jogging for 60 seconds. It is killing me and I'm not doing it consistently. In fact, today is the first day I did it this week and it is Thursday. Sigh. Yes, I need to do better.

Anyway, my children told me the other day that I wasn't running the right way. They tried to show me the proper way to run. They happily demonstrated for the video camera what running should look like and what I look like when I run. Unfortunately, they are right:)

Enjoy the great running show:

Another Great Dance Performance

Rachel danced at the Great Wall Mall yesterday. We had an enjoyable time with friends before the show.

Erin Joy and her friend waiting for the show to start...
Curtain call...


Erin Joy's class didn't have enough people sign up so she didn't get to dance. Rachel's class was supposed to be represented by 8 dancers, but only 3 showed up. I think they did a great job improvising with only 3 dancers. I love how Rachel keeps dancing when her scarf gets caught on her dress.

Second Hike of the Summer--Ice Caves

I took too many pictures. You'll have to watch the movie to see the pictures. It is narrated by my kids so I think it's cute:)

First Hike of the Summer

We enjoyed our first hike of the summer yesterday on the Lime Kiln Trail. We enjoy exploring the old mining areas near our little town.

Going around a big puddle...
NINE trees were growing from one nurse log...
Stopping to smell the flowers...


Stopping to look at a pretty creek...
Looks like a rain forest to me...


I love this little bridge surrounded by green...

Mighty big banana slug...
Happy hiker chips...
We made it this far and turned back. A landslide washed away part of the trail. It was possible to cross, but it was getting dark, I was the only adult, and I worried about losing a child or myself down the side. Erin Joy was crying because she discovered stinging nettle. We never made it to the lime kiln or the artifacts. We have been there before and we will go again. I'll take another adult with me next time so I will feel more confident to cross the slide area.
I enjoy my bedtime entertainment. Erin Joy has had fun with our new toilet seats. I laugh in the middle of Rachel's leopard performance because she passed gas. The house is a mess because of the lovely new paint. The interior is painted. New carpet will be installed next week and the exterior will be painted whenever it stops raining. I sure hope somebody buys it.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the show as much as I did:)

Bubbles

Two Baby Owls and a Kitty Playing in a Closet

The girls have played together so nicely while I work on the house. I am so grateful and I hope it lasts.

Child Labor

Look what the girls were willing to do for a quarter! They cleaned behind the toilet for me. We are cleaning and painting. New carpet is coming soon. Our house will soon be ready to sell. I sure hope somebody buys it. I sure hope they buy it quickly. I am very ready to get out. We will miss our wonderful neighbors including the cute girl who is scrubbing behind my toilet:)

Reading with Rover and Playing at a Park

Talent Show and Last Day of School!!!

Erin Joy and her friend are ready to dance in the talent show! Poor Erin Joy's eyes were almost swollen shut with allergies.
Rachel and her friend are ready, too.

All four performers pose...
The big performance (same as the one I posted yesterday and the angle of my camera wasn't great, but you can still watch if you want to.)

Erin Joy was being really cute tonight playing pretend talent show with her little bears. I love the "I love rain" song, the "I love hearts" song, and dancing to Tchaikovsky.

I enjoyed a pedicure/manicure with friends who also have birthdays in June. We ate birthday cake while we were pampered.
This was my first pedicure/manicure. My favorite part was the hot wax...very nice:)

I wanted a ladybug on my toe. Isn't it a cute little bug?

Here we are...four silly friends with our newly painted toes...

Happy Birthday to Me

My girls were excited to give me something for my birthday. They wrapped up a couple of books that Rachel got from her teacher as end of the year gifts. I love the wedding wrapping paper they chose. I really love the sweet messages they wrote inside of the books. I smiled when I saw that Rachel had signed it "love your little love bug" because I call her my little bug. So sweet:) Thanks for the fun birthday surprise, sweet girls! I sure love you!

My neighbor gave me an angel food cake with whipped cream and strawberries...yummy!!! I have a couple of friends with birthdays just days away from mine so we are treating each other to pedicures/manicures today. Nice! And today is the last day of school!!!! Even nicer!!!!

The girls are dancing for the talent show today. It was easier to record their dress rehearsal than it will be tomorrow during the performance. How fitting that they are dancing to happy birthday:)

Here is the edited short version:

Here is the entire show for Grandma:

I Really Shouldn't Claim These Pictures....I Really Shouldn't Post Them on My Blog:)

My children are very different when it comes to degrees of cleanliness. This is what I saw when I removed Rachel's booster seat:
And Erin Joy's....

Rachel tends to be much neater than Erin Joy:)

We have given up on the "no eating in the car" rule.

We also have a "one pair of shoes by the door" rule. I'm pretty sure there are only three people living in our house. I can't blame the kids for this one though...I count at least four pairs of my shoes.