This is not a paid advertisement!

I love my Wii Fit! It's been nine days since I began using it, and though I haven't lost any weight yet, I have gained lots of energy. Unfortunately, that means I have spent lots of money on my landscaping because I have chosen gardening as an outlet for that extra get-up-and-go. The bright side is that my yard has never looked better OR had less dog mess to clean up: ) The chiclet in the picture is obviously not me because I hate that stupid tree pose-the only thing I hate so far. I rather enjoy being told I am a couch potato and asked if I have trouble walking (answer: sometimes) without tripping. The Wii Fit definitely appeals to my competitive nature and love of lists. It's like do an exercise-check!

Greg is back in Phoenix and will be there until early next week doing simulator training. As usual we miss him and are ready for him to be back, but he is doing what he needs to do to get this career up and flying.

Happy Fourth!

Usually we spend the 4th in Elkhart with Greg's dad, but Greg's pilot training has us in a holding pattern. He was supposed to leave for SIM training in Phoenix tomorrow, but that has been pushed back to July 11. He'll be there for approximately 10 days, and then hopefully he'll be flying. Amazingly enough, he hasn't flown an actual plane since December.
Since we are in Cincinnati for the holiday weekend, we booked our usual room at the Dorsey B&B. Fireworks are planned, but I"m not sure how that will work with the not-so-sunny skies (read raining like cats and dogs) we have. Maybe the lights will reflect infinitely off the tiny raindrops for an even more beautiful show.
So I joined Facebook-thanks Jill:) My Mississippi sister started this lovely thing called Facebook and invited me to view her profile-the only catch is that you have to join in order to see the profile. I am now addicted to Flair. Really, you can get lost for a long time looking at the many varieties of Flair and then sending it to friends. I have found some old friends on Facebook though, and it's easier to keep in touch with all Facebook friends, so really, thanks Jill! My Facebook link-click here.
Dee has invited me to Shelfari-an online reading club. Yet another thing to keep me at the computer! I'm already secretly addicted to some of the games on Webkinz-Hi, Tile Towers!-and must fight for computer time with Joey and sometimes even Greg!
Thankfully Joey finished baseball this week. He always enjoyed the games, but did not like the practices-not that they had many. Greg and I have already revised our stance on childhood activities. Previously we had agreed that whatever Joey wanted to try (Cub Scouts, baseball, music lessons, etc.), we would let him make the decision. Well, he decided that he doesn't want to play soccer or baseball anymore. Too bad for him. With childhood obesity on the rise (not that it's an issue yet), and kids spending more time inside and less outside, Joey will be playing sports whether he likes it or not. I'm even thinking that access to a car at 16 will be tied into his school/sports involvement. I really am not trying to live vicariously through my son-if I were he'd be in gymnastics and cheerleading:)-but I do want him to make informed choices, so we will continue to provide and encourage his involvement in extracurriculars. Does anyone know anyone who gives music lessons?

Catching up!

So Joey is playing for the Charleston Riverdogs
again this year. Typical 6 1/2 year old I guess. Hates practicing, but loves the games. Loves hitting, but hates getting out! I've already learned one parenting lesson: if you want access to a car when you're 16, you WILL be involved in sports.

Greg passed his oral exam last week. He is still in Phoenix doing some SIM training. Not really sure what that is, but it keeps him there until Thursday. We are in the home stretch now!

I just finished SOSI 1 on Friday. SOSI 2 begins tomorrow with 11 participants returning from last year. My facilitating partner and I have been so lucky in our classes that I am looking forward to this week of science.

C is for Cicada

I have a friend who freaks out about cicadas. Now I'm not going to say that I love the little buggers crawling all over me, and they are the noisiest critters around, but nothing makes me laugh harder than Dee's reaction to cicadas.
When you are scared -- I will rag on you about it every chance I get.
This one's for you Dee!

Alone in Cincinnati

Where to start? I guess I may as well begin with the biggest letting go I've experienced since becoming a mom. Joey left us on Sunday to spend the week at Papa Pete's house. Greg and I drove Joey to Bowling Green (approx. halfway) to meet Pete for the hand off. Joey was super excited about this trip-I'm not sure which thing he was most looking forward too (the doting grandparents, the dogs, the boating-it all sounds good), but he could not wait. I on the other hand-not so much. Pete and Lou had asked the last two summers if Joey could come to visit, but I hmmed and hawed and (politely, I hope) said, "No." Prior to this year, none of us had spent more than a night or two away from each other. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to say no this year, especially when a cute six year old was so eager to spend time with his grandpa. The timing was right though-I am doing a class with Miami and Greg needed to return to Phoenix, so Joey is now spending a week in Elkhart. According to our phone conversations, they are having a swimmingly good time boating, tubing, shopping, building with Legos, biking, and fishing. Sounds like the perfect life for a little boy and his grandpa. They are even managing to do a little schoolwork and reading as well which makes me even happier. If Joey's happy, I'm happy:)

Greg comes home tomorrow which also makes me happy! Finishing another trip on the journey towards a career in aviation gets us a little bit closer to Greg's goal. I am so proud of the effort that Greg has put into flying. It looks like he'll be in and out for the rest of the month and part of July, but at least we are seeing the finish line.

While the boys are away, I have found plenty to occupy myself. On Monday, I came home from class and read a book. That's all, just read. Tuesday meant dinner with the team after class. Wendy shared happy news about her husband's new job with Dee, Francie, Rachel and me. Bob's new district is getting one terrific leader. Tonight I met Julie for dinner after another late night in Blue Ash. Locust Corner is really lucky to have such a terrific person supporting and leading them.
SOSI, the class I'm facilitating for the next 2 1/2 weeks, is full of awesome people. This is the second year that Dee and I have been lucky enough to team up, and we get to work with Tracy Lindner from Ripley-she is awesome. Both of them have been amazingly supportive as I've been forced to leave my comfort zone and speak in front of adults. Believe it or not, I do not enjoy presenting material or facilitating discussions with my peers. Stick me with a horde of 10 year olds and I'm a happy, comfortable clam, but this professional development stuff makes me higher strung than usual and turns me into a big baby.

Speaking of babies, Dan and Cindy are expecting in early November. I also have another friend who is in the family way, and I am very excited about her expectations! Baby Jay turned a year old on Sunday and is still one of the cutest, happiest little guys ever! Little Maria is not so little anymore, but she is certainly keeping up with her older cousin Jay in both happiness and cuteness. They almost make me want another of my own...BUT not quite:)
Hope to see you sooner!

Happy Post Memorial Day

Many of you probably spent Memorial Day with your families. Joey and I did as well, but we were missing the third most important component of our family-Greg, who was in Tampa. Joey and I are not looking forward to Greg's next phase of flight training! We're not sure yet when he'll be called back, but I for one am already dreading it.

Joey and his cousins are crazy! Grams had her pool completely redone. It is really nice now, but Joey and the girls jumped right in yesterday. The almost shook themselves dry with the amount of shivering going on.

School is almost out! 3 more days!

slacker

To those of you who actually read this, I am so, so sorry!
What's up?
Greg is home, for who knows how long. Oops, actually he is not home tonight-Elkhart, got to ride in the jump seat- and will not be home Sunday either-Tampa, gets to ride in the jump seat. I'm not sure, but I'm thinking Greg's girlfriend's name might be Jump Seat...
Joey's teeth have not yet come in-I like to call him Fang. The school nurse thinks he may need some large teeth (think Timmy Turner) to fill the space voided by his top front baby teeth...
Baseball season is in full swing...
Anyone interested in seeing Joey play baseball, contact me at susu575@fuse.net and we'll talk. You can also call me, but you should have that number so I won't publish it here.
The bird who build its nest on our deck light is out of luck. When Greg came home, one of his first actions was to remove the nest. Luckily, he did check for occupants first, but apparently my ongoing bird battle scented the area too much for actual egg-laying. I guess I should be happy that I won this war, but oddly enough, I felt let down.
I hate diets. That said, I am on one again. Not fitting into the clothes one bought just last spring gives one a sense of money out the window. This one is NOT HAPPY about money out the window, so I am back at Weight Watcher's. I know that the life style works, but even Florine didn't stick with it forever, so what am I doing? Trying, that's what! Having a friend who nudges-okay, shoves-one back into the weight loss trenches definitely helps, so I'm good in that department. We'll see...
Ask me later about the Sisterhood of the INC dress. Two sisters in and the dress is on its way to Indy!
I got to be MOM today instead of TEACHER! The first grade went on a trip to the zoo, so I chaperoned. 3 high energy boys + 1 read everything boy = 2 tired moms. Joey loved the zoo and I love Joey, so it was a GREAT day, but we did have one traumatic moment. As we visited the reptile house, the zookeepers fed the cornsnake. Do YOU know what a cornsnake eats? Do YOU know how a 6 year old will react when confronted with mouse mortality? My 6 year old took himself away for a few minutes to compose himself. He was "normal" until I picked him up from school, at which time he was full of animal rights questions. Luckily, PETA was nowhere around and we discussed how wild animals versus zoo animals get their food. While Joey seemed to understand, he was not happy with those cornsnakes. No pet snakes in our future at this time!