Alex 7 1/2 Birthday

Today is Alex's 7 1/2 birthday!! As always on half birthdays we celebrate with a little cake. My kids have grown to really like this tradition I started when they were just 6 months old. They look forward to this half year celebration every year. I hope they continue it with their children someday. Happy Birthday Alex!

A Day in Charleston

While at Folly Beach, David and I took the kids to Charleston for a day. We started our day at the Charleston Aquarium. We had taken the kids here a few years ago, but they seemed to enjoy it more this time. They were fascinated by all the types of fish they saw. We then enjoyed a nice lunch and then walked around the market for a little bit. Next it was off on a boat ride around the harbor. It was neat to hear all about the history of Charleston and the views of the city were great. We even got to see some dolphins that were following the boat. It was a great family day.

Fun on the Beach

The kids spent their mornings playing in the sand and splashing in the waves. We then spent the afternoons in the pool. I wish their were more days in a week!

Folly Beach

Last week the Murillo side of the family had a great time at Folly Beach. We usually go to Holden Beach, but this year we wanted to try something new. The beach was gorgeous and we went on many walks. They had a nice long pier where the kids enjoyed watching the dolphins and the fishermen. Our house was a close walk to the beach. This was the first year we had a pool at our beach house. I don't think we will ever stay at a house again without one. The kids had a blast every afternoon swimming in the pool. The downtown was very small. A few beach stores and about 4 restaurant/bars. One night Jan, Jack, David, and I went out for dinner and drinks. The food was delicious and we had a great time. It was a great week and I am not ready to get back to reality yet.

Softball News

After this weekend, Lauren's softball career in 8U will finally be over. She has played 5 seasons in this league and is ready to move on to the 10U team. 2 weeks ago we had our last All Star tournament. Lauren got the MVP pin and the coach also gave her the game ball after the game. She played her heart out and even struck out all 3 girls in the inning she pitched. It has been such a joy to watch Lauren improve over the past 3 years. Even through the hottest of days to the freezing night games, you just can't help but be excited for the team. Alex has been a trooper this summer having to attend all the games. He never complained, but I know he wished he was playing also.

This weekend the team is playing in a travel tournament where the coaches pitch the entire time. The game is very fast paced and they use a bigger ball. Lauren is absolutely loving it. They played one game yesterday and she wanted to stay and keep playing more. Today is the final day and they could play up to 4 games. We have temperatures in the 90's today so it will be a long hot day on the fields. Alex and I stayed home since he is recovering from an ear infection.

It is hard to believe that on Tuesday Lauren has try-outs for the 10U team. The practices will probably start the 2nd week of August. We don't get much of a break until the madness starts again. Lauren has never been more excited to play than she is now. I love seeing her enthusiasm and can't wait to be in the stands cheering her on again.

Television

Lately my children have been able to watch a little more television than normal due to the bathroom redo and no homework. During the school year they hardly ever watch tv because once we get home from school it is time to go to the baseball fields. The shows they are choosing to watch crack me up. Their favorite two shows are Saved By the Bell and Full House. Now, I was an avid fan of these shows growing up, but it kills me to listen to them now. The acting and the jokes are horrible.

Another one of their favorite shows is Trading Spouses. This is where two moms switch houses for a week. There are some scary family traditions and rituals out there. Yesterday there was a family who only ate raw meat and didn't use any chemicals to clean. To mop the floor the mom....licked it clean!!! This show got David and I talking the other day about doing a swap amongst our friends for a few days. He said no way, but I thought it would be fun. But then again David and I have so many quirks, my friends would go crazy. I guess everything happens for a reason and that is why David and I are together. Not very many people would put up with my cleaning habits or my obsessive work habit, and my friends would not be able to hang with his receipt addiction.

Thankfully next week we will once again put the television aside as we will be at Camp Invention all week. An awesome camp that is held at our school every summer sponsored by the Inventor's Hall of Fame. My children don't like that I teach at the camp every summer, but I just tell them that makes their mom cool....they don't buy it.

Bathroom redo update

For the past 3 days, David and I have practically lived in our bathroom. On Thursday night David painted the ceiling. On Friday we painted the walls and began what ended up being a 2 and a half day adventure of putting in the laminate flooring. Before we began we all signed the subfloor. :) We chose a laminate flooring that is supposed to click and snap easily together. It wasn't as easy as the box showed and after a few frustrating moments, we finally have it finished. It looks so nice. I have to say this is the first home project that we have done that David appreciated my insight on a few things. I think we might be able to redo the kid's bathroom after this experience. It really hasn't been that bad, just costly. I can't wait until the cabinets come in and we can put up the light fixture.

Our Fourth of July celebrating was "the worst ever" according to the kids. We got the fondue pot out for lunch and had a delicious cheese fondue in which we dipped green apples and crusty bread. I made a lasagna for dinner and then when it got dark we did some sparklers and pop its. We sat on our patio and watched a few fireworks courtesy of our neighbors. Maybe next year we will do something more exciting.

Akron visit

On the way back from Ohio we made a pit stop at The University of Akron. Lauren has been saying lately that she wants to go to college here. She was asking a million questions as to where you sleep, eat, go to class, etc. Once she saw the lazy river in the student center she was hooked. I kept trying to tell her how cold it would be in the winter but she didn't seem to care. After walking around for awhile we got back on the road and stopped for lunch at Friendly's. They do not have a lot of these restaurants in the south, but they are known for their ice cream sundaes and milkshakes called Fribbles. David was shocked that I have never had a Fribble so he insisted that we stop there for lunch. It was delicious!! With our stomachs full we made the long 8 hour drive home.