It's V-DAY!

Packing up the van, loading up the kids and off we go to TN!! See you in a week!

Two days!!!!!!!!!!!

Just two more days to gooooooo..................

Here is some pics of the girls photo shoot at Sears. I thought they turned out lovley! We began at Walmart but after a big ordeal and a lame photographer who was working there, who I doubt knew much about what a camera was, we headed to Sears in a rush to get them done while they were dressed.

3 days and counting........

Can you tell I am getting excited?

We are slowly getting ready for our road trip to TN.
The house is getting cleaned. Yes I said cleaned. Cause one cannot go on vacation with a dirty house! Someone might notice!

In truth, I just don't want to come home to one. So we are cleaning as much as possible without stressing myself. Cause the packing alone is enough to keep me busy!

Laundry that I am trying to keep up with while putting it in the suitcases. And assuming that my lovely, sweet 4 yr old doesn't try UNpacking it right behind me. Like yesterday I came in to see a sofa full of her things. Things I know was packed. She wanted to put it in her little backpack to carry and then changed her mind. I envision myself going crazy digging for a little girls swimsuit that I KNOW I packed and it now not there and is, in reality, sitting on a sofa somewhere at home!

I pack for all three kids and myself. Todd is on his own. And 4 people is more than enough for me! So I begin about a week prior making lists and putting things in bags as they slowly appear in my hands throughout that week.

My goal is to have a clean house and have a van packed up by Thur while working an 11 hour day! We pull out of the drive at 6pm after my last daycare child leaves! Now if that isn't stress!!! Changing diapers and packing and loading a van and cleaning and making lunch and entertaining kids all at one time.

I wouldn't be surprised if I find a daycare child stuffed in a bag on its way out to the van! Hopefully he has the 4 yr olds swimsuit in hand!

God takes off on Sunday too!

All year long we, as a family, are always on the go. With three children, it is rare that we have a night at home where we have nothing to do during the school year. Soccer, swim, dance, dr appointments, youth group meetings, etc etc etc. Throw in some extra things like back to school nights and bake sales for added spice just to keep us on our toes!! So by the end of June we are often ready to collapse! Come July we take a break from everything and every activity and spend most of the summer doing summer things and being together as a family. This includes but is not limited to church. It isn't unheard of for the Chapman pew to be empty for the months of July and August.

Tonight, Todd and I sat to discuss our plans for tomorrow....which is, of course, Sunday! Should we just sleep in one last weekend? Do something? Go somewhere? One last trip to the shore before vacation? Cause once we return from vacation ( which is in 5 days in case you aren't counting with me) everything will be starting back up again. As we sat discussing which direction we should head in, Ryan comes in to ask if he can go to the movies tomorrow. I tell him that we are doing something as a family and that is exactly what Dad and I were talking about.

Ryan huffs in his lovely 16 year old way, like I am going to make him do something horrible and life altering like go to the mall for back to school clothes or something and then asks what we have to do. I just could not resist and told him "It is Sunday and we are going to church!"

"Not 'ah!!" he tells me in a shocked and disbeliving tone. "It isn't September yet!"

Todd, who decided he wanted to get in the torture, says "God doesn't take off Sunday!"

Ryans reply?
"Come on! What does He do all day long? Sit around up there and watch us eat, sleep, walk, go to the bathroom............??? So if we aren't doing much of anything, He doesn't have anything to do on Sunday either!!!!!!"

Ok.....one can't really argue with that!

Mommy, I got to take a bath!

My girlfriend took my girls to get their nails done. It was really ment for Megan, who would be going into 6th grade this year. And Delaney was to tag along for fun.

Delaney came home more excited than the pre-teen, I think.

She rushed from the car with her little hands held out, cotton between her toes, a smile on her face and her voice filled with excitement. As she came closer she yells, "Mommy! I got in a tub!" So I asked her why she would take a bath and she gave me that huff and tisk in her 4 year old way that pretty much indicated that I was so lame and told me she didn't take a bath but just her piggies in the tub! And the proudly displayed her piggies and hands with pride.

Megan was not so full of squeels and excitement. She is much too 'cool' for that! ( If cool is still a word used and doesn't show my '80's upbringing too much)

They are primped and ready to go on vacation........
7 days left!

A day at the beach

Off we went to Ocean City this weekend. We used to go every weekend. Sometimes Saturday AND Sunday. Now going to the shore is a treat. With three kids, and all the stuff you have to drag there for them, it is just easier to float in our pool than to head there.

But we love the shore. My goal is a beach house for Todd and I there when we are old and grey. I love it when the beach is almost empty and you can hear the ocean crashing on the sand and the guls squeeling their delight over head. Nothing is more relaxing and inspiring.

This day was not so much of that image. It was packed. And we were crazy enough to head down there in the afternoon. Any local knows that is nuts! YOu either head there early in the morn or go after lunch time. The island was packed and full of out of towners. But we had fun all the same.

The day started sunny and then got a bit grey. So you might notice that is some of the pictures. Not that the kids minded at all.

Delaney is just as wild and daring on the shoreline as in a pool. It was low tide and I spent my day yelling at the child to come in cause she thought she could just walk on out there. As much as my children are a miracle to me, they cannot preform such tasks as walking on water! Someone needs to get that through Delaneys head!!

Then we headed for the boards and dinner and then back out to the beach for some night time play. It was a nice day. Crowds and all.........

I'm baaaaaaaaack!!!!!!!

I know I have been greatly missed!!!! And you all are just dying to hear all the latest and exciting news. I am not so sure there is anything exciting but I will update all the same cause I didn't want everyone sending 911 out after cause I have been missing!!

Lets see....what has been going on.....

There is the typical, after funeral things to handle like wills, bank accounts, bills, etc. But that is almost done and so life is moving ahead in that direction.

Delaney has graduated from her beginner swim class to the next level. She is going to be an "eel" in a few weeks!!! The teacher said she is "advanced" and needs more instruction. Delaney does many strokes, dives, swims on her own her without a floatie, and can swim under the water now.....which the teacher doesn't even know most of that cause they are still in the floatie and blowing bubbles stage in the class. But I guess she could tell...or she just wants to get rid of my daredevil.....and has moved her on. She begins her new class after we return from vacation the 1st week in Sept. Most that Delaney knows and can do she has picked up from her siblings or from sitting on the side of the YMCA pool and watching the older swim team class next to her while she awaits her turn to blow bubbles!

Ryan went this week to get some back to school clothes and shocked me so much that I about had a heartattack right there in Boscovs Young Mens section! He picked out more older, college student kinda clothes. More stylish jeans and printed tee with button down over shirts, etc. Clothes I have been trying to point him too for a few years now. Ryan might have been younger but his body is huge! And he needed to advance past the torn and bagging tees and jeans to something more suited to his body. BUT what did dorky mom know?! So, let's just say that mom had to do some gloating right there in the middle of the Young Mens section too. A little "I told you so" never hurt any child! AND he got his hair highlighted and trimmed. The boy is ready. Now sure if it is more ready for girls rather than school but he is ready all the same! And looks nice too!

Megan is going today for her back to school clothes. She has just been "hanging". And texting. And sleeping in. And texting. And swimming. Did I mention texting??

And we are all eyeing down the calendar for a much needed vacation. In a way I cannot wait. And in a way I can cause once that vacation is over I won't see another break for a YEAR! And right after we return, school, along with all that it brings with it, comes and that means soccer prac, back to school nights, Church activities, trips to Staples for that must have notebook that the teacher wants (and I won't be able to find!!!) and busy busy busy. And I am thinking I love my lazy summer days and don't want that to change! *sigh* But it is coming. With each new waking day another day goes by and it is coming.

Last weekend we went to Hershey Park. That was a day to remember. It had to be the HOTTEST and BUSIEST day in Hershey history! People packed that park almost shoulder to shoulder and I have to say, that had I been alone, I would have left. BUT I seriously doubt the kids would have gone for that and so I plugged on and ate my bitter words to rude people that do things like push a child out of the way to get that pack of must-have ketchup or the person that stops in front of you while you are pushing a heavy stroller up a hill and then they refuse to move!! I smiled and tried to make the best of it while sweat dripped down my face and the site of a fountain looked like an Oasis. I figured that my goal would be to find some place in the park that had something chocolate and that would at least make my day. Hershey, after all, should = chocolate. Right? Wrong! There was not a place in that park that sold anything Hershey....or chocolate....other than the gift shop on your way out. Where was my chocolate sundae, my chocolate covered strawberries, my chocolate cake dripping with fudge??????? I hunted and it was nowhere to be found! HOW does a park have the nerve to use a famous chocolate name and offer nothing chocolate? There has to be something morally and illegally wrong with that!! I will have to write a letter of complaint!

Here is some pics.......
Delaney getting sized up for the rides





I should have taken more pics. I know that. But it was hard trying to fight the depression taking over after my lack of chocolate!