oh what i wouldn't give for a simple summer day with no alarm clock, no worries, and no homework.

i'm sorry, but have to go off for a minute about homework.

my kids spend 6 1/2 hours of their day in the school building. to learn.

then they come home, and they have about 4 1/2 hours here before bed. that time includes dinner, playing outside with the neighbors, chores, and quality time with mom and dad.

which would hardly be enough time even if a FOURTH of that precious time was NOT taken up with homework.

and ALSO, it seems so silly for ME to be in charge of organizing, lining up, and completing that work when i was NOT present at school for the lesson that day.

what do i know about 5th grade social studies?? or geography? or math? how am i supposed to help with a reading assignment from a story i didn't read?

why is this work even here at this house? where it can get spilled on or scribbled on?

and i'd still like to have a social life!

any evening event is a huge stress if we can't get the homework done beforehand!

maybe all of these complaints are stemming from the leaf project that i- i mean tyden and i- are fully immersed in. he cannot do a single step of it with out me.

and while i'm bent over the computer trying to find a way to identify that leaf sitting in front of me, i have every imaginable kind of chaos going on around me.....

neighbor kids running in and out, kids spilling, pooping their pants, biting me on the leg, phone ringing, fighting, mess making......

i do not have time for leaf projects!!!

ok i feel better now. sorry you had to read all that.

moving on-

we had a nice visit with lakisha and her kids on sunday. they were all very excited to see us!

lakisha said her kids have not stopped talking about their time with us :)

we are picking them up on saturday morning to hang out for the day. they are going to come to tyden's soccer game and then we will go to a park or something.

looking forward to it!!

tyden's birthday went great. we had a party at safety town with his school friends. the weather was awesome!!!

and his beloved lego set is sprawled all over the kitchen table. he is LOVING putting it all together.

and we have been eating either outside or at the bar. :)

also i heard from my surgeon's office today and we are all set for surgery on monday.

yikes.

next week could be interesting.

the only plus in it all is that after monday dave is on leaf duty ;)

and speaking of dave. i'm flying solo tonight. he is on his way to wisconsin for a day of salmon fishing tomorrow.

and i'm happy for him :) i hope he has an awesome time :) and i really hope he gets home in time for me to be able to go out with some cousins for jenny's birthday.....