Magoomba Monday

- Joe has been gone for the last 2 weeks training Marines up in Bridgeport on the California/Nevada border. He comes back this week making it the longest he has been gone. I cannot wait for him to be back. I cannot even get into all the little things that happen when you move into a new house that require his expertise or strength not to mention that I miss him and the kids miss him and I hate that he missed spending Father's Day with us. Boo!

- This week the kids both start swim lessons so my mornings will be spent poolside for the next two weeks. I think I said this last year too but I really think both the kids might really be swimming by the end of this summer. Actually Jake already is, he just needs a little more confidence and Jadyn has been amazingly brave underwater in our pool at home.

- I am starting to regret the decision to have Jake play on the All-Star team. I committed to letting him play in the tournament without thinking about the commitment it would require ahead of time to prepare. After all this is a team of players who have been opponents all season and now they have to learn to work together. So, I am commuting back to 29 Palms again, this week Mon-Thurs evenings for practices. Ugh! Luckily, for better or worse the tournament is this weekend and I really do think it will be a great learning experience for Jake. And, Joe will be here, which makes it all the more better.

- One of the ways I have been decompressing after getting the kids to bed in the evening is by catching up on movies now that all of my TV shows are over. Just this last week I watched Dear John, The Lovely Bones, Valentine's Day and Lars and the Real Girl. I continue to be disappointed with any movie that is adapted from a book. That said, if you haven't seen Lars and the Real Girl, I highly recommend it. It is such a heartwarming story and brilliantly acted.

- Speaking of movies, I took the kids to see Toy Story 3 on Friday and it was really, really good. I mean, it seriously rivals the original. And yes, I even got a little teary-eyed.

- Also speaking of movies, I have just a little over a week until the midnight opening of Eclipse (the third movie in the Twilight franchise). Every time I read New Moon, I say it is my favorite book of the series but then I read Eclipse and I change my mind. No matter what however, Eclipse could potentially be a really good movie and I am super excited about it. Then I think about how disappointed book adaptations are and I get nervous. I really hope they don't mess it up.

- And back to the subject of bedtime, Jadyn got her new bedroom furniture about 2 weeks ago and both the kids have been starting the night off in their own beds. If you don't recall, ever since Jadyn gave up the paci about a year and half ago, she usually falls asleep in bed with Jake and then of course they both get up at various points in the evening and come into our bed. Right now they are being rewarded for every night they start off in their bed utilizing a sticker chart. At the end of 2 weeks, they will only be rewarded if they stay in their bed all night. So far it is going amazingly well and my hope is that by summer's end, Joe and I will again have our bed to ourselves. It only took 6+ years.

- And I think I will stop there but I have a lot of things I am working on for summer. Since its a much more relaxed time without the constraints of a school schedule, I can get everyone back on track in certain areas and that is exactly what I plan to do.

Hope every one's week is off to a productive start!