Phew...Tryin' to keep up!

Let me just tell you, last night while dining out, I walked up to the bar at the restaurant bar, ordered a beer, and downed it.  I don't often reach that point, but boy, my nerves have just been stretched thin every since school started back up.  Because along with the new school schedule, Lucy and Jack are both playing soccer, so there's that to add to the calendar.  Jason's at his new job - and LOVING it!  I'm so happy to report - but he's arriving home later than he used to, and although it's not much longer, it sure FEELS so much longer.  And I'm super conscious of making sure our family had down time, time together, family meals, and all that very good stuff, but the irony of that, is that that is just one more thing I'm trying to schedule on the calendar :). 

And honestly, Lucy is taking a toll on my heart.  Love this girl, but she just doesn't love me nearly as much, and it's just so obvious, it feels like.  She has so many great qualities - she's very independent, opinionated (yes, I think it's good to have a strong sense of what's right and wrong/good and bad, etc.), smart, and seems to really take a "caretaker" role when she's around her little brother and friends' younger siblings too - but she's also very proud.  I've mentioned this before, I'm sure.  She's very proud, so all the things I'd love to do with her:  help with homework, read books with her, help her do her hair, talk to her on the walk home from the school bus, etc. - she just seems to have ZERO interest in me doing it with her.

So, I just continue to love her to pieces, obviously, pray about it,  and absolutely relish any time she does show interest.  Which does happen from time to time...like this past Saturday morning, I was getting ready for a run, and she asked if she could come with me.  Um...OF COURSE, so she excitedly put on her "exercise clothes" and off we went.  I taught her about the importance of warming up the body - let's walk for a few minutes before we run - and how the blood moves through her body, how to run heel to toe, and proper breathing (in through your nose, exhale through the mouth :).  And wouldn't you know, she actually responded with more than one word to the questions I asked her.  It was heavenly!  Five minutes later, she was done running, so I dropped her off and continued on my run so stinking happy.  I'm going to ask her if she'd like to run again with me this Saturday, and maybe, hopefully, this is something special the two of us can share.

But, let's see, lots of changes around here.  Jason started his new job at Kailos Genetics last Monday, and I start a new job the Monday after Labor Day, as a writing teacher at Blossomwood Elementary.  This wasn't something I was searching for, but was thrilled to be suggested for the part.  My friend Molly's mom is a reading specialist there currently, and she was kind enough to throw my name in the pot when she found out the principal was looking for a teacher to come in and implement some extra writing programs with the students.  I met with the principal - energetic, personable, we'll get along great I think - and we worked out a great schedule.  I'm going to visit existing classrooms on Monday mornings, while my boys are at preschool (they were signed up for those hours already, so no need to rework any scheduling :), and help students in 3rd grade.  Just a few hours each Monday morning, and I can't wait!  My master's degree was in reading literacy and my thesis based on the writing workshop.  In the school setting, those are my true loves :)

Before Jason started his new job - Software Scientist, isn't that just an adorable job title?  :) - I gave him a surprise dinner, and a few friends came over to celebrate his new opportunity. 

Of course, I wanted to have a fun theme, but I know very little about the biotech stuff they do there, so I emailed his boss and asked for some common terminology around the office.  Then, playing on the terms, I decided on food menu items.  Here's what we ate:


Next Generation Sequencing:  I sequenced antipasta treats of sweet basil, roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, and sausage.  Drizzled with balsamic vinegar (straight from Italy - thanks MOm, we're still using that same bottle you gave us :); it was delicious!

"Kailos Blue"  was turned into a signature drink.  Super simple, but so yummy.  Equal parts vodka, curaco, and lemonade.  Try it!

"Target Rich" became dessert as little chocolate cakes with a target on top :)

For the main dish, I matched "Nested Patch PCR" with chicken cordon bleu with a dijon parmesan sauce.  I nested prosciutto and Gruyere cheese inside the chicken.  This was so good, you must try it.  It's Tyler Florence's recipe, and I had never made this before, and it went perfectly.     The sauce isn't on his recipe, but you can find it here

And thanks to Molly (who, poor dear fell sick that day and couldn't even come to the party :(, who prepared this amazingly yummy "double helix salad" to play off of the all important DNA work that Kailos does everyday.  (Which on a side note, Jason has been super excited about what he's learning about DNA testing as it pertains to cancer.)

Congratulations, Jason! 

Soccer games begin after Labor Day, so I'm sure I'll have lots of cuteness there.  Practices are going very well so far.  Lucy has shown 100% effort, and like I told her, she's really fast at getting back up when she falls (which is often :).  Jack, on the other hand, is all about the time of practice when they play against each other, but hates drills and repetitious practice.  In his (whiny) words, "Mom, I like to play, but I just don't like to practice!"  Good luck with working on that buddy :)

End of Summer Recap

Well, I'm getting this post in - just barely in time for the first day of school.  It just doesn't feel like summer is over without a wrap up blog post.  In other words, there is no way I could post summer pics after summer is over.  Just too unorganized :)

So, here's a picture recap of the summer's last few weeks:

(And the pictures didn't load in order like I wanted, boo...)


In early August, my friend Molly and her three boys invited us to join them on a day trip to the Children's Museum/Aquarium/Science Center that is the McWayne Center.  It was awesome!  We all had a blast!

On a bed of nails

I love Lu's pose in this photo as she chats it up with Parker.  And Connor's just busy running around the room.

Except when he's playing at the water table...

or watching beautiful, amazing creatures!  Love that color!

Lucy was brave and rode this bike across a wire which hung in the lobby.

Too much fun!

Digging for dinosaur bones.  They had little paintbrushes to dig with.  Precious!  And they loved it; we camped out here for nearly an hour :)

And when we were home, the kids were usually on their rollerblades.

A highlight of our summer was having Uncle Brendan (my younger brother) come visit us from Mexico.

This is one of my favorite photos from summer.  These two were playing outside, playing a new game they invented.  "Walk the dog" where Jack was the dog - with the prong collar around his head, and Lucy walked him - only it was in rollerblades, down the sidewalk.  Wow, safe...very safe... ;)

And Connor stayed busy finding new places to nap around the house... :)

seriously...his feet weren't even on the chair; just dangling...

or at dinnertime... :)


Okay, so now onto the big changes...Jason has left his government job and tomorrow he begins his new job as "software scientist" at a local biotech company called Kailos.  It is a very small company, ten employees total, and Jason is beyond thrilled to be setting out on a new adventure with this job. 

Last night, I threw a surprise celebratory dinner for him, complete with fun themed menu items all relating to terminology around his new office.  (Of which I contacted his new boss to ask about what some of those terms might be.  And hell if I know what these terms mean, but I did figure out ways to incorporate them into menu items :)

"Next Generation Sequencing"  I 'sequenced' antipasta skewers with basil leaves, roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, and sausage. 

The signature drink for the evening was "Kailos Blue."  It was pretty yummy too, equal parts of vodka, curaco, and lemonade.

Dessert matched "Target Rich" with bullseye chocolate cakes.

The main dish - Chicken Cordon Bleu with Parmesan Dijon Sauce - went with "Nested Patch PCR"  (again, what it means, I have no idea...)

And thanks to Molly, who made a delicious pasta salad!  "Double Helix Salad"  Poor dear ended up sick that afternoon and couldn't make the party.  :(

Congratulations, Jason!  I am SO very proud of you and super excited.  Good for you for going after what you want and making it happen!




So, that dinner was last night, and today brought us to the very last day of summer.  We went to Monte Sano for the school's "back to school picnic" where it was a cool sixty something degrees (yes, it's August!)

Kids had a ball...

And I got some sweet loves from Connor:

And back to more pictures from Brendan's visit.  Here's when we went ice skating:

And the week before Brendan arrived, Jack and Lucy got to enjoy a fun filled, completely spoiled week in Atlanta with my mom and dad!  They ate pancakes every morning - um, yum! - in bed, and packed in fun to every hour of the day.

I'm not sure what they were eating here, but it was probably doughnuts, chocolate pastries, or something decadent like that :)

One night my parents created a "We-don't-need-no-stinkin'-Rosie's" night and prepared their own Mexican meal. 

Lots of hockey with Uncle Ryan.

So, yes, tomorrow it's back to reality, alarm clocks, daily checks of backpacks, overseeing homework, tutoring a full load of students, but also enjoying every second of my Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings when both my boys will be at Preschool until lunchtime.  Oh the bliss...And while I've signed up for some new adventures that will take up some of that time, I've also scheduled time for quiet and relaxation.  This summer, I started setting aside scheduled time to be alone and soaked in God's Word.  And it was so wonderful, every time, every encounter with the Spirit.  I am so looking forward to more of that time!

Happy 1st day of school tomorrow!  Woo hoo!

Play Hard, Sleep Hard

pool fun!

Sacked...

Ryan, ahem, I mean, Connor :)

Concerts in the Park fun :)

Blue Rasberry Snow Cones!