First Day of Summer...Dentist, GNO, and a fish tank????

Summer is here!!!  Can I get an AMEN?!?  

Annie is now officially a 2nd grader.  A 2nd grader???  How did that happen, right before my eyes?  It has all just flown by!  She had such a super year and was recognized with many little awards last week at their ceremony.  We are so, soooo proud of her and the great student she is!  We just have one week left of dance class, with her recital being next weekend, and then ALL our official commitments for the year will have come to a close.  Whew!  It will be so nice to have a break from it all.  

Enjoying all that pizza that mama brought up for the class on the last day of school...they had such a super time and the kids were so sweet and polite to me.  I was the pizza and ice cream lady, AKA "Annie's mom" that day, so I guess they felt like they oughta be!

My baby growing up!

Which brings us to our first day of summer...yesterday.  Well, six months ago, I made their dentist appointments for June 5, at 8:00 a.m.  I know, I know...even Wes asked me, "What were you thinking?"  I guess I just thought, let's get it over and done with.  The kids will be so excited it's summer, that they'll be up early.  I like doing appointments & errands first thing, because any later, you get caught up in all the backup, the heat, the traffic, etc.  But even I was moaning in disbelief at myself when the alarm went off in time for me to get the whole family ready to leave the house by 7:40 to drive a little bit and get to our appointment.  It was going to be Sam's first time to be checked out, so I meant to grab my camera, but that didn't happen, and waking everyone up proved to be quite a chore too.  The first day of summer was starting off on quite a tense note!  The kids wanted Wes to go with us, and since he didn't have any appointments till later in the day, he joined in the fun as well!  Out the door at 7:45, arrived at appointment 10 minutes late.  We got checked in and they started calling all 3 kids immediately!  Wes got to finish filling out the paperwork for Sam because as soon as he heard his name, he was off and running...in the opposite direction of the nurse!  The waiting room has an incredible play area, and since he had just gotten there, he wanted to play.  All 3 kids were lined up in the chairs, with Wes and I holding Sam down in the middle chair as best we could while he kicked & screamed his way through his cleaning.  What a morning!  The technician was so sweet & patient with him, and probably ended up having her fingers bit a couple times as she tried to pry open his mouth, but it did get done.  Good thing I didn't have the camera, because I wouldn't have been able to use it!  Annie and Jack were old pros, picked out all their prizes & new toothbrushes and we were out the door and headed to breakfast at Jim's by 9:25.  By that time, we were all starving & ready to decompress!

The evening of our first day of summer, consisted of me taking Annie to her dance class.  We went over all the last minute details of how to do hair & makeup, etc., then I met Wes at a gas station for him to pick her up, while he took the kids to Luby's and I headed to a neighborhood Girl's Night Out!  One of "the girls", Monique,  had been working on getting a group together for dinner and then to the show to see SEX AND THE CITY.  We met at Tiago's, which is a newer place here in town, and had dinner & drinks.  Again, no camera, but I can tell you the food was wonderful & we had a fun time visiting.  Then it was off to the 8:15 movie.  There were groups of friends EVERYWHERE...one group had a limo bring them, and one group had matching SATC t-shirts.  The theater was packed and we laughed at the VERY slim number of guys in the audience.  The movie was even better than I was thinking it would be and it was so neat to see both on the screen and in the audience, the power of girlfriends.  If you haven't checked it out yet, you must!

I pulled up in my driveway about 11pm, to see lights still on in Jack's room & the kitchen...not at all what I was anticipating.  

Then I was met by this note hanging on our house/garage door...

you can imagine all the crazy thoughts that went into my head...just bracing myself for what I could be walking into...

Then came in to find this...

a rather large fish aquarium all completely set up and ready to go for fish in our playroom/Wes' office.   Apparently after Luby's, the kids asked Daddy if they could stop by Petco on the way home, and low & behold, this fish tank was on sale...virtually calling their names!  We've had small little bowls and a tank before with fish, and hadn't had much luck, but if we have THIS setup, that is all bound to change...or so I've been told.  So, here we are!  No fish yet...you're supposed to wait a couple days to let the water get all balanced & whatnot, but I'll keep you posted!  

Today is the SECOND day of summer...I wonder what adventures will come our way THIS day!