all is quiet...

I have not posted in weeks. I have no idea why. I have random thoughts about things to write about, but if I don't stop and write myself a note,  I have lost the moment.
It is 9:15 on Satur day mornig and both of my children are still asleep. Jamey is cutting grass (thank the lord - our neighbors were having trouble seeing the house from the street)

We are 2 weeks into school - and I think one of the girls at work figured out we have 34 weeks left til next summer break :) I have enjoyed going back to work though for the most part. My job is a lot different than it used to be - but Im learning ( I think anyway)

I decided that we were going to cut WAY down on tv during the week and this has been a postive change. They can watch tv after school, but once we have dinner, and take baths, the tv is off for the night (for them anyway - football season is almost here, so there is no way I can keep the tv turned off for one member of the Duke family) But we don't watch any tv in the mornings unless we just randomly have everything ready to go with 10 minutes or more to spare. So far, so good. Well, minus one morning this week when I asked Ansley to put the dog in her kennel and apparently all Stephen dreamed about the night before was the JOYS of it being his turn to put the dog in the kennel so all hades broke loose and Stephen was crying (actually, it was more of the crying dance - the one where he scrunches his face, cries and jumps straight up and down making his voice change with each bounce) and then Ansley started crying b/c she just automatically cries when other people cry, but it was 100% time to leave. And I can't even remember what promise or bribe I offered to Stephen to get him in the car without having to let Tilly back out of the kennel, but whatever I said worked and we were all pretty much in control of ourselves by the time we got out of the neighborhood.....

I believe in sending kids out to play (my mom did it to me for years, so I feel it is my family obligation to continue the tradition) but it really is still too hot for even my southern born and raised children to force them into the backyard and by the time it cools off in the evenings, it is too late to ride bikes when we have to rise and shine at 5:30 the next morning. So we play inside and they both have really started mastering some games on the Wii - bowling and boxing and baseball. So we have enjoyed that as an inside activity.

Ansley had her first tests this week. Spelling, Math and Reading. I am a tad worried about the pressure she is putting on herself already in school. She scored a 100 on both Spelling and Reading, but  (oh my gosh - you should have seen her tragic expression when she told me her score) she made a .....(drumroll)..... 97 on her math test. yep - she missed one question on the math test and made a 97. So- I attempted the speech that covers the topics such as "we are proud of you for trying your best" and "we don't expect you to be perfect"  and "oh my goodness, you are six years old and we don't want you to develop an ulcer before you are tall enough to ride Space Mountain." But I am glad she wants to excell in school. I wonder how long that will last - I always loved school - but honestly, by the time high school rolled around - it was probably equal parts socialization and learning and my grades were not nearly as good as they could have been because of it.

Uncle Luke and Ansley on the NC beach

Jamey is trying to talk me into picking up the toys in the backyard so he can cut the grass back there. But - ugh - it looks so hot out there already...but pretending not to hear him is not working anymore - so I guess I will go help him...