What's up??

[nikkiARNGwife]

It's been QUIET around here...what's everyone up to? We've been super busy this summer and just got home from a fun vacation in Panama City Beach with my sisters and their families and lots and lots of cousins. This week has been filled with dentist and doctor visits so far. I'm hoping things slow down a bit for July.

[MamaBee]

I've been bit with the "we need to buy a different home" bug... So have been going through the house, organizing, figuring out what to donate vs. sell in another rummage sale (just had one a few weeks ago)... and see what needs to be fixed/changed to get this house ready for market... then decide to do it now or wait until next spring... the summer was already busy with plans of a 7 day trip to Seattle in August and other camps that kiddo is signed up for... I'm already exhausted thinking on it... haha

I'm scared on thinking of selling... the three houses directly around us are currently for sale - won't help if we put our house on the market... , one is short sale and another just dropped their price $10,000... the other house is suppose to be sold... but have yet to see the sold sign go on it...

[LeeAndra]

Same ol', same ol'... until next week!

Miss Monkey and I are going up to visit my family for the long Fourth weekend, and since it will be our only quasi-vacation this summer, I've been busy planning things & getting ready.

So far on the agenda is 'Despicable Me 2,' FOJ parade, fireworks, photo shoot in the park, the Toledo Zoo, Putt-Putt & ice cream, a friend's son's birthday party, & drinks out with a friend.

I AM SO EXCITED. CAN YOU TELL?!

[Rubia Padilha]

I was thinking the same thing about the quiet, but I think it's because of Summer to you... here's raining and cold! LOL I'm actually lunching a warm soup now!

[Lyd]

We're having a good summer so far, although it's mostly uneventful. The kids took one session of swim lessons, and we're taking a few weeks off before they go back for another session. We've been going to the library and went to a movie yesterday.

We've had no A/C since June 7. We're getting a new system installed tomorrow, just in time for the temperatures to hit the 100s. It hasn't been too bad, but this week is starting to get pretty hot, and I find myself really NEEDING ice cream in the evenings. So, having the new system installed will be a very good thing.

Having all of the kids home really keeps me busy . . . with really normal, everyday stuff. I'm not getting near enough scrapping time. But, I am enjoying the time with my kids. So, I guess it's a good trade off.

[MommaTrish]

I got hit with a summer cold yesterday - which is still killing me. But today I have to do a deep - and I mean DEEP - cleaning of my kitchen because I woke up to maggots thanks to someone's half eaten pb&j that was behind the fridge.

Anyone wanna come trade spots with me today???

[NeverendingJen]

just getting ready for military ball and working on projects around the house.

[Milmomma]

Enjoying summer outdoors as much as possible.

[Jengerbread88]

We are turning the basement into an apartment, which means we've got contractors here every day. Just got back from the gulf (Dauphin Island, AL). Kiddo's birthday is on the 12, and then we head to Chicago later in the month (BlogHer '13). Busy summer around here, that's for sure. We should be getting back in town from BlogHer with just enough time to get the basement set up and us moved downstairs so the exchange students can come and have room upstairs to sleep!

[YepBrook]

Ah! Summer! We have been blissfully off-schedule and it's definitely effected my ability to scrap.

This week, my Grandma is visiting at my parents house (which is 20 minutes from my house) from NY and then next week my Aunt and her 2 kids will also be here. We stay pretty busy with them... hardly at home.

In fact, now we're about to start a game of Bananagrams.... better go!!!

[jacinda]

Well big raspberries to all you enjoying the warm weather - it's winter here. LOL. I'm rugged up and staying indoors this week. Kids are in school, and I've not been needed at work (casual reliever) so I'm enjoying the time off.

[nun69]

not super busy, just crazy life.....

[lovely1m]

Super busy here. Kiddo started a new summer care program, its going fairly well, but they seem to have a few people who aren't great sprinkled into the good ones. Going to have a talk with the leader this week, I hope. Work is normal. I am trying to get summer stuff done around the house since we moved in during the winter. Vacation is coming up very soon, too. It seems we are going constantly, never a break.

[Sherri Tierney]

Well.. my daughter turned 11 on Monday. On Saturday it became painfully obvious that we needed to make a change in our household. The girl came downstairs at bedtime crying because her brother took a picture of her in her underwear. He was sneaking around the doorway. Their rooms are next to one another and he spends every night bugging her for at least an hour before I can get them to bed. Caitrin starts middle school this fall. She's growing up. She needs a little privacy.

We have 3 bedrooms upstairs and 3 downstairs. We made the decision to move her to one of the rooms downstairs. She knows NOTHING about it though. It is all going to be a huge surprise. She is leaving tomorrow evening on a camping trip and while she's gone I'm going to paint that room the same color as her room upstairs (since she absolutely loves it) and then move everything down. I picked up some fun new things for her room and I have some decorating to do. I can't wait. Today I got her a purple office chair! She will be thrilled. Anyway, the past several days I've been emptying the room out. First I tried to peel the wallpaper off, but then realized I was just going to have to paint over it. I fixed all the seams and bubbles and then primed it. DH put drywall mud on all the imperfections to smooth it out and I'll start painting tomorrow after she leaves. I am so freakin' excited about this! She is going to love this surprise!!

[scrapweaver]

We're shivering here too, but I guess not as much as Jacinda! Kidlets have two weeks school hols so we're kicking back and crafting. I lost my job a month ago so I am loving staying home with the kids!

[rach3975]

We're coming off the end of a few months of very busy everyday life stuff. Then the last month or so has been crazy with end of school activities, the actual end of school, finishing a lot of non-scrapping projects, and a trip to see family and meet my new nephew.

This is my kids' first full week of summer vacation. It's also 1 of only 2 weeks all summer when all of them have a morning camp and I have a couple hours a day to myself. I'm loving the break, but what I thought would be scrap time is going to photo organization and everything else I've neglected during our busy period. Hoping for more SSD and scrapping time next month! DH and I are also celebrating our 15th anniversary this week. How can we have been married that long already?!

[littlekiwi]

I have slowed down since exams are finished and I don't go back to uni til July 22nd but in saying that I am still exceptionally busy as I have meetings to go to and stuff like that and oh.....a pesky 'twin' as a good friend likes to call it on facebook (a person created a fake profile using my name, photos and details) so I have been going through my friends list asking them to report/block and unfriend them. Thank you to Jenn and co for letting me know as it happened at 4am my time so I was still asleep.

[Stacey42]

I'm trying to work from home for the summer as there are no summer camps around here unless you either pay huge amounts of money or are on state assistance. Because I am trying to limit the boys' screen time I find I am constantly having to supervise or intervene with their other activities. It would be so much easier if I just let them play Minecraft 10 hours a day. So between work & refereeing & normal household stuff a lot of my day is just eaten up.

[maryinaz]

That is SO fun Sherri! We redecorated my oldest son's room once while he was at football camp and it was so exciting! You'll have to let us know her reaction!

I'm in Joplin visiting family. It's always fun for me, but kind of boring for the boys. I just have the 2 youngest with me, my husband and DS2 come in today so I'm heading to Springfield to pick them up in about an hour. DS1 is staying in our house while we are gone to take care of the pup. Henry (the pup) has to be left alone all day while DS1 goes to work so I'm a little nervous about that. I do have a friend checking on him once during the day.

And I can't decide which weather is worse - the 117 that it will be back home in AZ or the high temps/humidity here in MO. Jacinda - your winter sounds good about now!

[NatalieKW]

We sold our house this week and now we are homeless. I'm staying with my parents in Fort Worth while my husband is working in Houston. We just can't seem to find a place down there since we don't want to go to an apartment. I'm crafting a lot with my mom and taking the girls to all sorts of play dates in an effort to be busy and have something happy in our lives.

Next week we are going down and getting a motel to stay with the hubby for five whole days since he gets the 4th off of work, but can't drive home since he doesn't get Friday off! I'm so so so excited!!

[MamaBee]

Originally Posted by NatalieKW

We sold our house this week and now we are homeless. I'm staying with my parents in Fort Worth while my husband is working in Houston. We just can't seem to find a place down there since we don't want to go to an apartment. I'm crafting a lot with my mom and taking the girls to all sorts of play dates in an effort to be busy and have something happy in our lives.

Next week we are going down and getting a motel to stay with the hubby for five whole days since he gets the 4th off of work, but can't drive home since he doesn't get Friday off! I'm so so so excited!!

oh no!! I sure hope you find something quickly! That is what I fear in thinking of selling right now... what if can't find something and then have to move into a rental and then move again... at least for me, we'll be in the same town... I sure hope that you find something very, very soon!!

[NatalieKW]

Originally Posted by MamaBee

oh no!! I sure hope you find something quickly! That is what I fear in thinking of selling right now... what if can't find something and then have to move into a rental and then move again... at least for me, we'll be in the same town... I sure hope that you find something very, very soon!!

Thanks!! I don't know how people sell their houses and have the timing work out perfectly to buy a new one without being out of a house for a while!

[NatalieKW]

Originally Posted by ltarbox

We're having a good summer so far, although it's mostly uneventful. The kids took one session of swim lessons, and we're taking a few weeks off before they go back for another session. We've been going to the library and went to a movie yesterday.

We've had no A/C since June 7. We're getting a new system installed tomorrow, just in time for the temperatures to hit the 100s. It hasn't been too bad, but this week is starting to get pretty hot, and I find myself really NEEDING ice cream in the evenings. So, having the new system installed will be a very good thing.

Having all of the kids home really keeps me busy . . . with really normal, everyday stuff. I'm not getting near enough scrapping time. But, I am enjoying the time with my kids. So, I guess it's a good trade off.

UGH!!! Seriously...that would kill me with having to wait that long for AC!! It seriously shocks me that there are people in your area that don't even have AC units and just rely on window units or swamp coolers. It killed me in college. I think it was only a few years ago that my grandma even got a window unit!

[Sherri Tierney]

Originally Posted by maryinaz

That is SO fun Sherri! We redecorated my oldest son's room once while he was at football camp and it was so exciting! You'll have to let us know her reaction!

I'm in Joplin visiting family. It's always fun for me, but kind of boring for the boys. I just have the 2 youngest with me, my husband and DS2 come in today so I'm heading to Springfield to pick them up in about an hour. DS1 is staying in our house while we are gone to take care of the pup. Henry (the pup) has to be left alone all day while DS1 goes to work so I'm a little nervous about that. I do have a friend checking on him once during the day.

And I can't decide which weather is worse - the 117 that it will be back home in AZ or the high temps/humidity here in MO. Jacinda - your winter sounds good about now!

One of these times when you come to Joplin to visit, we'll have to get together for lunch or something. I was in Pittsburg yesterday and considered heading on over to Joplin but my 7 year old was fussy so I decided against it.

[ashersmommy]

With three kids now seven and under, I feel like I'm always one step behind lol. My four year old is really giving me a hard time right now. I'm trying to slip in a little more one on one time with him since he started rebelling right before his baby sister was born. I also try to encourage him to draw a picture when he feels overwhelmed lately and it's seemed to work pretty well unless he's in a "perfectionist" mood and doesn't want to draw because he sees his seven year old brother's artwork and thinks his pictures should look like that, too.

Other than that, we just try to stay on a schedule (my kids need it and so do I!) and are spending as much quality time together as we can this summer. We joined the Summer Reading library program which has events once or twice a week, visited a couple of free kid's festivals and my oldest still has baseball through this weekend. The summer goes by way too quickly in Michigan so we're also spending as much time outdoors as possible.

[sprauncey1]

We JUST finished school a week or so ago and we are still "recovering". I am busy finishing up my last two photo sessions and editing my personal photos from our trip in February. And frankly I've just been lazy. I did scrap a page today though. And peeked in here!

We are supposed to travel to Europe soon. But since someone at the Embassy has not got off their rear and done their job, we don't know if we are going now. We can only afford it if we can take the military rotator that goes from Kuwait to Ramstein AB in Germany every week, but we HAVE to get our passports stamped in/out of the country and they don't do that out at the Air Base here since the guys just travel on orders for their remotes and they aren't allowed off base. We are here through the Embassy so we have diplomatic passports and cannot just travel on orders or regular passports since our Visas are with the diplomatic ones. So now we are less than a week away and we still don't have the answer from the guy "looking into it". They used to do this all the time 5 years ago, but somehow it got lost along the way and my DH has been trying to rebuild the system. on top of his 60 hr/week job.

So yeah...I'm trying to not stress about it. I GUESS we will just go home for the month instead (Ramadan here and 120 degree hot...we are not staying!) but we told family we weren't this year so...who knows how that would work. Plus its not cheap ($6000) so that would be a hard one to swallow too. Sigh. Yeah. Say a prayer for us OK? I've been promising the boys we'd go to England (they go to an English school here) and such and they've been excited about it.

So yeah...I am trying to peek in here and participate more. But I feel like I need to get scrapping more to "participate" more too. Otherwise I'm all talk!