Just gotta love 'em.

  You just have to love 'em.  <3<3<3<3   Today, my little 5 year old stayed home from school due to a fever and potty trouble, poor baby.  He was pretty miserable first thing this morning but about 10am his fever broke and he decided he was right as rain.  While I was speaking to our builder about our 30day recap the little scrap took himself out the back door.  He was GONE!  Took me half an hour to find him at a neighbor boy's house playing.  I strongly advise all parents to buy their children bright neon colored bikes, makes it very easy to spot wayward children.  After our little talk about rules on leaving the house, why he could not play with his friend today and what contagious buggies mean, he was back to finding something to keep himself busy.  One delightful project was to wash the breakfast bowls that were in the sink.  Just something about seeing young children doing dishes warms my heart .. cools my floor (wet and cold) but nothing a towel would not fix.  

  Sunday I printed up 'Responsibility Charts' for my three kiddos (trying this again).  They have been so excited to see who could complete more tasks than their siblings.  I also added detractors which will cost them allowance, such as arguing, back talk and lying, along with extra pay chores.  Of course the extra $$$ chores are where all their excitement is focused.  I do have to admit that getting them up and dressed has been easier the last 2 days and their bedrooms are cleaner than the rest of my house.  Now, I just have to catch up with them so they can keep the maintenance housework going.  I just cannot imagine my house clean again, clear of boxes!  We shall see how well the kids and I can keep things going through the Summer weeks.

  Today, instead of unpacking boxes, I have been procrastinating by working on our Summer Bucket List and brain storming with my Auntie K.  AK and I will be tandem driving from Tampa Bay Area to Central Kentucky in June and I don't want to make the trip all about getting there, I want it to be an adventure for my three kids and their two cousins that will be on the trek with us.  We will be spending a little of our two weeks of our 'Out of Town' vacation with my parents in Central FL and a bit of time with my extended family in Central KY, fishing and swimming with Cousins is the theme of the vacay. We have already bought our round trip tickets from TX to FL so my husband can feel easier about us returning.  For some reason he has this fear that my family won't let us return.....LOL.....then again, it may not be unfounded.....They just want us to pick up and move closer, him included.

Two years ago when I took the kids to Kentucky for the big surprise birthday bash we had for my dad my dear dear dear husband was so happy we came back that he took me shopping and bought me the camera I so terribly wanted, not that I expected it but it was nice to have and nice to be missed by Mr. Gruff-n-stuff.  This time I expect a new car in the driveway.......just being silly.  We have been looking at replacing my ten year old Escalade, which I love, with a newer set of wheels with MUCH better gas mileage.  I believe hubby has decided on the Toyota Sienna.  I could be happy with that, I doubt I would love it as much as my current set of wheels but.....it is worth a try.  It is like driving my first apartment around, they probably have about the same square footage just not the head room.  You would think my SUV would have that much room but I don't know where it went.  The Sienna reminds me of one of those suitcases on Harry Potter where you just keep pulling things out and it has a never ending bottom.