Mount Greylock

We sat atop Massachusetts' highest mountain Monday. Mount Greylock State Reservation was the state's first State Park and at the summit is over 3400 feet above sea level. It was breathtaking. Stretched out before us were the Berkshire mountains with little houses and towns sprinkled throughout the hills and valleys. Wow. It was like being on top of the world. It made me wonder how many people have always lived here and never been to this beautiful place. That's usually the way though; we travel to see interesting places while our community holds some of the most wonderful treasures. On the very peak of the mountain sits a war memorial. It reminded me of a lighthouse. On the front are the words, "Erected by Massachusettes in grateful recognition of the loyalty of her sons and daughters in war. They were faithful even unto death." It seemed a very appropriate place to be on Memorial Day. It was interesting to me to see folks just staring over the scenic vistas. You see the same look on people's faces as they watch the ocean. I never thought about that before. I'm still getting used to having mountains all around us, I love it. Mountains are majestic, strong, silent, and proud. The ocean has it's own beauty although very different from the mountains. It can be peaceful and soothing one moment and angry and dangerous the next. No matter what it's mood, just like the mountains, the ocean is awe inspiring. Being from Mid coast Maine and having lived on one of the Azore Islands for two years I have a love of the ocean. The view from my bedroom window in our island home was of the water. Sometimes I'd see a family of dolphins swim by or boats on their way to somewhere. It was a short walk down our driveway to the rocky beach where we'd see crabs scurrying into the cracks and crevices of the lava rock. They looked like spiders, and you know how I feel about spiders... Anyway, it really was the experience of a lifetime to live there.

Anyway, back to Mount Greylock. The road to the summit was about 8 miles long and very windy. Instead of repairing trouble spots on the pavement such as potholes or large bumps, these areas were painted bright yellow so you'd notice them. Clever. There was room for two cars to pass eachother but it was tight and at some spots we were very close to the edge of a very steep drop off. The trees made a natural canopy over the roadway and we saw countless little waterfalls along the way. Very beautiful. At the summit there is also a Lodge. Many hikers stop here as the Appalachain Trail runs directly over the summit. There is a bulletin board in the lodge with some interesting A.T. facts. The trail runs through 14 states and 2/3 of the US population live within a day's drive of the trail. How can that be I wonder. After we left the lodge we went looking for a letterbox which really was the excuse we had for going to Mount Greylock in the first place. Not that we needed an excuse but it made the trip there feel more like it had purpose. We found our box with no trouble and then headed home. What a nice day we had.

We are headed to the Boston Museum of Science tomorrow. Katie's 5th grade class from Woodside will be there, it's their class trip for the end of the year. We've been planning to meet them there since we found out we'd be moving. I'm really looking forward to it! It'll be fun to see Katie's teacher and friends. We figured we make it a family trip, Ed is taking the day off from work. Should be a fun time.

Can I just take a minute to tell you that I love Target. I love Target. And I love the Target pharmacy. Their stuff is good stuff. I think Ed doesn't like Target, at least he doesn't like how much money I spend there. I also love my front loading washing machine and matching dryer. If you ever need a new set buy the front loader. I feel like a commercial but it's true! I don't even mind doing laundry anymore. It also helps that our laundry room is on the second floor so I'm not having to go to the basement to do the wash. Ahhh...life is good.

I'm having some difficulty loading pictures today. I'll definately post some as soon as I'm able. Why doesn't this work!!!! Have a great day.

A Busy Weekend

The Cooks have been on the go this weekend! Katie's soccer team competed in a tournament both yesterday and today. The first game was at 8:30 a.m. which meant out the door by 7:00 because it was about 45 minutes away and she needed to be there early. Ugh! The weather was absolutely beautiful, sunny, upper 70's!! The team won one, tied one, and lost two. They played their hearts out and made an excellent effort. My girl made a couple of great plays and Becky and Allison endured the long games and hot weather with smiles on their faces. It was also nice to go someplace we wouldn't otherwise have gone. We were in Huntington which is in the Pioneer Valley (?). Anyway, it's quite pretty all along the trip there.

After we got home from today's games we regrouped (quickly) and headed back out the door for our church picnic at our Pastor's house. I almost talked myself out of going but I knew we should go. Ed agreed, so off we went. It was nice. This is the first church event we've had the oppurtunity to attend so I was a little nervous about being there. No need. We felt welcome from the get go and Pastor even made a point of introducing us to everyone when we were getting ready for lunch. I made pasta salad and my friend Heather's Whoopie Pies! Yum! I've never made whoopie pies before so I was pleased that they turned out well. We had a good afternoon.

Tomorrow is stay home and do nothing (yeah right) day! Actually I have some pots to plant, Ed is staining the front porch, and the girls and I will probably wash the van and truck. After that we may go letterboxing. I will miss the Brunswick/Topsham Memorial Day Parade. I liked living in a Navy community and having that sense of patriotism and pride as sailors and soldiers both past and present would walk passed. Folks around here don't seem to have that same patriotic spirit. There aren't as many yellow ribbon magnets on the backs of cars, or flags hanging off the front porch. That disappoints me. Even the music the kids sang at the Memorial Day concert at their school was more Bob Dylan like as opposed to patriotic. They sang a couple, but when "Blowing in the Wind" was sung I wondered about the political stance of the music teacher and what the kids discussed relating to the musical choices. It makes me realize how important it is for us to pass onto our girls how we feel about Memorial Day or war or Iraq or whatever it may be. I want them to know that while I don't have strong political opinions I do have great pride in our country and great gratitude for the people who make the sacrifices they make so I can have the freedom I have.

Ed is installing ceiling fans at the moment. Move fasta Ed, we's got to put the kiddos to bed! I enjoy this time of day. Right now the birds are chirping away, the sun is setting soon, it's cooler and enjoyable to be out on the back deck. Everyone is tuckered out and I'm confident we'll have a quiet night. Maybe we'll even sleep in a little in the morning...maybe.

Today is my brother's birthday. He's 31!!! Happy Birthday to Robby. My brother is very knowledgable about birds and other wildlife too, but especially birds. I'd say, in my opinion, he's an expert. I think of him often when I see a bird I don't recognize or hear a pretty bird song. I hope he's having a great birthday.

Happy Memorial Day!

Ed's Birthday

Today is my husband's birthday. It's funny how birthdays can make us think about the people in our lives. When I think about Ed I think about the kind of father and husband he is. I could never ask for anyone more wonderful. As a dad he's silly and funny, always ready to play, attentive, and supportive. He understands the importance of his role in the lives of our daughters and he tries to be just what they need. They each need different things from him and he totally gets that. I'm so glad for the kind of dad he is. As a husband, he's supportive, and thoughtful, helpful, my teammate and my friend. He never forgets special occasions and he doesn't complain when the laundry isn't done, the dinner isn't cooked, or I shop too much. He's a wonderful husband, I love him. We've known each other 17 + years and I sometimes wonder how it's been that long. Then I look at the time in smaller increments and see how much has happened in that time. I look where we've been, what we've accomplished together, the goals we've achieved, and I feel proud of him, proud of us and our family. I am richly blessed to share my life with such a wonderful person. Happy Birthday Ed, I love you.

Ed painted clown faces on the girls at Halloween.

Check out the goofy head lamp Ed's wearing while we're camping.

He's a pretty good juggler. The girls are fascinated by his amazing talent!

Allison or Becky?

As I've been studying the scripture passages Pastor Dave sends each day regarding the DaVinci Code, I have come to the definate conclusion that no matter what we face that challenges our faith, it boils down to the fact that it is our FAITH that keeps us believing what we believe. Faith - Believing without seeing, trusting, listening to the voice inside. Not everyone has faith in God or the Bible. They are the ones who are seeking a way to the truth. That's where the controversy comes in I guess. Religious groups fear for the ones with no faith. They fear the faithless will take what the read or see in The DaVinci Code and believe it's true. God created us with a soul. It is our soul that seeks the peace and contentment we can find in a relationship with our Creator. Every soul seeks the same peace and contentment. Unfortunately, some search pathways that can never lead to God. That's where the Believer comes in. We need to share our faith with those who are seeking. This movie may provide oppurtunities to lead a seeker to the peace and contentment that we know through our relationship with Jesus. Therefore, I don't feel that I need to defend what I believe, I just need to share it. I hope some of this makes sense. It was a good week of study for me, I learned a lot, and I am hopeful that I passed something of value onto someone. And thank you Deborah and Lisa for your helpful and insightful comments, they meant a lot.

We had a spider incident this morning. If you know me at all you know that any confrontation with a spider is an incident. I love to start my day with the words, "Mom there's a spider in my room!" When these words are spoken by Katie they are usually spoken with a bit of hysteria (I don't know where she gets that.) I went to look in her room and didn't see it. Katie pointed out that it was on the ceiling, over her bed...the worst place to try to kill a spider, especially when you are SCARED of the foolish thing! I bravely took off my slipper and stood on the bed within reach of the nickle size, black, yucky, spider! I couldn't do it. We all (by this time Becky and Allison were standing in the doorway watching) just watched the thing walk around the ceiling light. All of a sudden it started to drop!!! There was a collective SCREAM from all of us! It landed on the bed. I knew if I didn't smoosh it fast it would get away!!! Not only would it get away, it might've gotten into the covers somehow! Katie would never sleep in her bed again! With all the courage I could muster I KILLED it! There were several spider pieces to clean up when I was done, I wanted to be thorough, actually I would've FREAKED OUT if that thing wasn't dead so I HAD to be thorough. What a way to start the day.

My parents are coming down this weekend. We are going to Six Flags. I can't wait for them to ride Superman, they're going to be so scared!!! I will definately not be riding it again. Allison, Becky and I will find something less life threatening to do while the rest of them do that one! Hopefully the weather will cooperate, it's supposed to. I'll let you know how the folks do on the ride. Maybe I'll take before the ride, and after the ride photos of them!! Sorry Mom and Dad, it's not that bad really...

By the way, the picture at the top is Becky. She was 3. It's the perfect picture of springtime, don't you think so?

Have a terrific weekend!!

Answered Prayers

I was having one of those moments when I was stressed about silly things. I made a doctor's appointment for myself, but didn't know who was going to watch my kids. Then I started thinking, "I don't know anyone I could ask to watch my kids at all!" Now I was really stressed. Being the spiritual giant that I am (ha, ha) I immediately began to pray about it, right? No. I was awake half the night. The next day I finally figured out that I should pray about it. That same afternoon I got an e-mail from my sister-in-law in Maine about dates to come for a visit. One of the dates is the day of my appointment...hmmm. I e-mailed her back to ask if she'd mind watching them, and of course, she said she would! Then today a lady from MOPS called to ask if I'd like to be part of a babysitting co-op where those of us in the group would take turns watching each others children for appointments or evenings out with our husbands! I was surprised and really happy she called. God is good and He continually amazes me. I shouldn't be surprised that He cares about my little problems but somehow I am.

I have a couple of recommendations I'd like to pass along. First, the Summer Slices candle from Village Candle is wonderful. A deliciously light smell, perfect for summertime. Secondly, Yogos, yogurt covered fruit drops. Yummy. You'll find them with the granola bars and gummy fruit snacks at the grocery store. My girls really like them. Also, Crayola Color Wonder fingerpaints! They don't make a mess anywhere. They only work on the Color Wonder paper. Perfect for road trips, appointments, watching older siblings play sports, etc.

Here's Allison and her Color Wonder finger paints.

I have a new recipe that I tried about a week ago. It was a huge hit with the whole family. I found it in Family Fun magazine. Enjoy.

Grilled Chicken Tostadas

Marinade:
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (3 or 4 limes)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil (plus more for brushing on the tortillas)
1 Tblsp. honey
2 tsp. minced garlic

Tostadas:
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used 3 boneless breasts and it was fine)
8 small corn tortillas (5 to 6 inches in diameter)
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, or more if desired
1 1/1 cups shredded lettuce

Optional toppings:
salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, green onions

Put chicken in large ziploc bag and add marinade ingredients. Refridgerate at least 4 hours, overnight is best. Turn bag occasionally. Remove meat 20 minutes before grilling.

Set gas grill to medium high heat and let the grill get hot.

Remove chicken from bag, discard marinade. Grill chicken about 4 - 5 minutes per side or until no longer pink inside. Transfer to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes before cutting into 1/2 inch strips.

Lightly brush tortillas with vegetable oil and grill on each side until lightly browned. Remove from heat and sprinkle tortillas with cheese.

To serve, layer tortillas with lettuce, chicken, remaining cheese, and any additional toppings.
Serves 6 - 8 people.

Mother's Day

I promised some pictures from Mom's day. Here's my gift from Katie. She made me a book of poems that she's written. There was about 6 of them. What a treasure!


This is the beautiful apron that Becky made for me at school. Isn't it pretty. I love that her teachers had such a thougthful idea. What a special keepsake.

Allison and Katie went in together for a Willow Tree angel. This is the welcoming angel. I had one but I broke it when I was so carefully packing my angels to move! Oops. I'm glad to have a replacement.

Me and my cute girls. Don't you love their bed head and fresh from bed looks!?

My blog has been rather uninspiring lately... I will try to improve.

First of all, the DaVinci Code movie comes out this week, I think. I have not read the book so my knowledge comes from what I've read about it or have been told about it. It is pretty controversial. Our Pastor preached a message about the "Code" this past Sunday. He encouraged us, as believers and followers of Christ, to be prepared to answer some of the false ideas the movie presents about Jesus and Christianity. I receive a daily e-mail from Pastor Dave which expands on Sunday's message. Today he addressed the claim that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married. The Bible does not say they were married. It does however, talk about their relationship. Mary met Jesus when she was being tormented by demons. Jesus cast 7 demons out of her. She was so grateful she devoted her life to serving Him. She was with Him as He travelled during His ministry and provided some financial support as well. Mary Magdalene had experienced Jesus' divine power first hand and knew He was God's Son. She loved Him as her Lord. She was also the first to see Jesus after He was resurrected! He told her to go and tell the other disciples that she had seen Him; He trusted her to do as He commanded. The scripture references Pastor Dave used were: Luke 8:1-3, Matthew 27: 55 - 61, & John 20: 11-18. Very interesting. Sometimes stories that create controversy, especially religious controversy, can shake the foundation of our faith. Don't let that happen, be prepared to handle the fictitious claims with solid answers from history's most read Book, the Bible. - - - Enough soap box...

Hi Traycee! I loved your comment. It cracked me up!

You won't believe this but I just saw the sun!!! It's been raining or overcast for days. It isn't going to last but I'm glad to see it just the same. I hope all of you in Maine are holding up okay with all the flooding that's been going on.

Katie's friend Ericka is coming to Pioneer Club tomorrow night with us! I'm so happy that her parents are letting her come.

Time to start getting the kiddos ready for bed.

Another Mall

I hope everyone had a nice Mother's Day. We were planning to go to Katie's soccer game but it got rained out. We went to the Holyoke Mall in Springfield instead. I know, I know, more shopping. Unfortunately none of us really liked this mall. It was smaller than the one in Albany and just not as nice. The highlight of the day, as you probably guessed, had to do with food. We went to Border's Books just outside the mall and had a yummy snack at the cafe there. Allison and Becky had gigantic sugar cookies, Katie had a gourmet cinnamon roll warmed up, I had a very delicious piece of walnut carrot cake, and Ed had a frappa latte something or other, which looked very good. We were all in a good mood when we left to head home! I will post pictures soon of the thoughtful gifts the girls gave me. Both Katie and Becky made the gifts and they were so excited for me to have them!

How 'bout them gas prices, eh?! I needed gas last week when it was pouring out, but I didn't want to stand outside and pump it. I remembered seeing a full service station next to the post office so I headed there, although I felt bad making someone else stand outside to pump my gas. Anyway, there was a self serve place across the street and it cost $.04 more per gallon than the full service place. Talk about a no brainer. Even with my huge savings I spent $53 to fill my tank! Ouch!

Allison is no longer wearing pull ups to bed. YAY! She hasn't needed them for awhile but wanted to wear them just the same. I let our most recent package run out and figured she'd handle it. She was a little resistant but when she realized that she was being "like Becky" she was more than willing to give up the pull ups.

The pool man called last night. It seems with all the rain we've had lately, he is weeks behind schedule. Hmmm, will we still have a pool before summer vacation? I hope so.

I watched Rumor Has It with Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Costner. It was cute. Entertaining. And if you like Aniston or Costner you'll like this movie.

This is a picture of the waterfall in our town. It's also where we placed our first letterbox. We went in April when my parents were here. I bet it's even prettier now that things are in bloom.

A Day Out West

We headed west today to the big city of Albany, NY. Why, you ask, did we go to Albany? Shopping, of course. There's a very nice mall with two levels, a great selection of food, and several stores we all enjoyed. We spent the better part of the day there. It's about an hour from our house. Allison's favorite store was Pottery Barn Kids, where they have lots of cool toys to play with. Becky would probably say the Disney Store, and Katie seemed to enjoy the sports memorabilia store. My favorite was Coach where I picked out my mother's day present! There's also a huge DSW shoe store. We've never been in one of those before, it was pretty cool, tons of shoes to choose from! Poor Ed, he just goes with the flow. I will say the man definately has a thing for shoe stores. He and my mother have that in common. Another fun stop was Harry & David. We all got to sample some delicious truffles, YUM! We ate at Bugaboo Creek which we've not done before. It was very good. I had the Timberline Turkey burger and Ed and Katie had the Quesadillas. Allison and Becky had Mac & Cheese. A fun day.

I now carry a Massachusetts driver's license. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I mean, am I now entitled to drive crazy or do I have to wait until we put the Mass plates on the van? Maybe some of you think I drive bad now. Anyway, one thing some people might like about MA driver's licenses is that they don't put your weight on them. I also got to pick the picture they put on my license. I didn't like the first one so the very nice lady took another. It'll do fine for the next five years!

My very talented and sweet daughter wrote a lovely poem for Mother's Day. I thought you all would enjoy it. Happy Mother's Day!

The love of are mothers we take for granted

Sometimes forgetting the footsteps they've planted

They love us so much but we few times forget

To thank them for all there hard acts and yet

They do all they can to help have fun

To help us to learn to skip,jump and run

They cheer us up when we are bullied by others

So lets give a hand to are wonderful mothers

by Katie Cook

A New Look

What do you think of my blog's new look? I like the softness of it. There were a lot of choices so I use this one for now and maybe change again eventually.

My friend Heather just started a blog. On it she decided to post some of her favorite recipes from time to time. I hope you don't mind Heath, but I may borrow that idea! I thought I might put down some of my girls' favorite meals. Moms are always looking for something quick and easy to make for dinner on those busy nights, and finding something that our kids will like is tricky.

Mondays are all about getting back into the weekly routine. I'm not real good at getting back into the cooking routine so this week I didn't cook, I assembled dinner. We had tuna wraps. Couldn't be simpler.

1 package burrito size tortillas
shredded lettuce
chopped tomatoes
shredded cheese
italian dressing
3 cans tuna mixed with mayo and whatever you usually put in it

Spread the tuna on the tortillas. Layer lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese. Sprinkle with dressing and wrap it up.

My girls loved dinner. All three of them ~ that's the cool part. And I think we covered the food group bases!

It's supposed to rain for the next 4 or 5 days. Yuck. I suppose we need it. This will probably delay my pool installation, hmph. I did switch the order from 18' to 20' by the way.

Becky's fish tank is all set up. We put 6 fish in it on Sunday, 4 of them are dead. We may be doing something wrong. I warned Beck in advance not to get attached to them, fish die pretty easily, so what does she do?, she gives them all names. I don't know about her...

Tomorrow is MOPS. Allison and I are looking forward to it. I'll be sure and share any bits of wisdom I gain from the video series we're doing.

I'm reading "The Five Love Languages of Children" right now. It's very insightful. I have not determined my children's love languages yet. I'm having a hard time keeping at reading the book. I definately prefer a good piece of historical fiction, but I'm sure this book will have great information, I just need to keep at it.

Anyone watching Survivor? Who's going to win the million? My guess is Terry. If Cerie doesn't win immunity this week I think they'll vote her off. No one could win against her in the final two. Final two will be Aras and Terry. We'll see. I like this Survivor series, the players have been interesting.

What about Lost? Are Ana Lucia and Libby really dead? Why did Michael shoot them? I will say that I love the show but it does require a fair amount of puzzle solving. I'm not good at that. I enjoy it for the entertainment factor. Sometimes I figure something out or see where the plot is going but for the most part, not so much. Plus it's on at 9 p.m.. My mind is pretty much shut down by then, sad to say.

And let's not forget Deal or No Deal. Just once I'd like to see someone play the whole thing out, no deals! Howie Mandal is pretty funny and most of the contestants are likeable enough.

Good grief, what am I going to do all summer when these shows aren't on!!??

Allison's napping and I think it may be time for a bowl of Cookie Crisp. Great day to all!

Pizza Party

Our pizza party was a big success. We had 13 girls including Katie. What a fun bunch they were. It was interesting to see them all and learn a little bit about them. At least two of them have "boyfriends" and half of them play soccer. Only a couple of them are actually in Katie's class, and 2 that I know of are the oldest of three girls at home. Most of them see boys as obnoxious and annoying, at least that's what they said. They were polite and funny and respectful. We had planned some games to play but they really did their own thing outside. They were on the swingset or playing some game they do in P.E. and at one point several of them made a little symphony of grass blade whistlers! We made ice cream sundaes and for the record, Chocholate Chip Cookie Dough is the top ranking flavor among 11 year old girls. It was also nice to chat with the parents as they dropped off or picked up their girls. What a really nice group of people. I think Katie had a fun time, I know I did.

Here's Katie at her party. She seemed to be having fun.

Today's soccer game didn't go so great. They lost 3-0. Pretty disapointing. Katie played well, her whole team played well. The other team wasn't even that good, but their goal tender was good. They had several shots on goal but just couldn't get anything by her. Tomorrow's game will be better. Today was their first away game. We played in this georgeous town with mountains on every side. The scenery was distracting it was so pretty. It was a little cool and it stayed cloudy all afternoon, but we escaped any rain showers.

Becky's hamster is history. We brought the foolish little thing to Petco so some other unsuspecting person can bring it home. This hamster was mean. It bit anyone who put their hands in it's cage. When Ed and Becky brought it to Petco the lady put the hamster in a cage with several other hamsters. Right away it started attacking all the other hamsters. The lady took it out and said she'd never seen one so vicious! We're getting Becky some fish instead. She'd like a puppy, but no, fish will have to do. I'll post pictures of the tank once it is set up.

Gas prices average $2.85 here, which I guess isn't so bad compared to some places. Temps today in the 60's briefly then dropped into the 50's, overcast with some showers. Tomorrow warmer and more sun. No sales tax on clothing in MA. Can you believe that?! Instead they tax us on everything else. They don't call it Taxachusetts for nothing. Did you know they call people from Maine, Maniacs?! I did not know this. I haven't told anyone what we from Maine call them.

Great day to all!

Stuff

Baby feet are the best! Here's Allison's little feet in my big flip flops!

I'm not sure where this post will take us, but I thought I should post something. Last night the girls, (Katie & Becky) went to Pioneer Club at the E-Free church. Becky was apprehensive, but she went. I stayed for the opening part and then I went back early to get them so I could get an idea of what goes on there. I think Becky enjoyed it. Kaitlin, not so much. She is so over being the new person, the one who doesn't know anyone. She's tired of meeting new people and making new friends and I don't blame her. I understand this more than she realizes, having been in her very shoes. There were several girls around her age at the club so I know it'll be fun for her once she settles in, until then...In Maine whenever Katie did something new or different she usually had a friend to try it out with. Here, of course, is different. Although, she has a very nice friend from school who Katie is already wanting to invite to Pioneer Club. We'll see.

Tomorrow is the big Pizza Party! Eleven girls are coming, and we haven't heard from three more, so potentially fourteen. I'm glad we'll have a good turnout. So many of the moms have called to say what a good idea it is and how their girls are looking forward to it. I like talking to the moms and getting to know them a bit. Katie has always had nice friends and I'm sure the girls coming tomorrow will be no different. Soccer has been a big help in meeting the girls' parents. You can tell a lot about parents when they're shouting from the sidelines! Everyone is so encouraging and supportive, it's really nice.

Saturday is the Casting Crowns concert at Six Flags. We can't go and I'm bummed. If ever you have the opportunity to see them, GO! They are a super Contemporary Christian group with a solid message. They aren't geeks or rock star wannabes. They are the genuine article of positive Christianity. Get their CD, you'll love it.

I think I'm going to change our pool order from an 18' to a 20' pool. 20' is probably the biggest we can go. I need to go in the yard and lay out my rocks where the pool will go and see what it'll look like. Any opinions would be appreciated.

75 degrees today and mostly sunny. Same for tomorrow.

Katie has a simple machines fair today at school. All the fifth graders had to make a machine project. They had to present their projects before the other fifth graders and then demonstrate it at this fair. She did a great job. Soccer is going well. They won their game on Sunday, 3-2. They were down 2-0 and came back to win! Very exciting. Katie assisted in the last two goals. She played her position well and was always in the right place at the right time. I'm glad her coach got to see what she can do, being new, she hasn't had as many chances to show her abilities. I'm glad for her. She felt good about the game and her contribution to the team. The girls on the team play well together. They are great at communicating with each other while they're out there. Their coaches are super positive, always ready with a word of encouragement. I actually look forward to the games!

This is Katie's simple machine project. She used pulleys and levers to make a bell ring. Interesting.

Becky loves school. She's doing great and seems very academically motivated. She doesn't seem to have much interest in sports but I'd still like her to try basketball or tennis. I'm meeting with her teachers this afternoon just to touch base with them and hear how they think Beck's doing. I'm looking forward to it. Her class seems so fun. They sing neat little songs about everything which Becky loves. They do cool projects and they are working on a play for the parents in June. She's definitely thriving in this setting, and I'm real happy about that.

Allison. What can I say about "little miss"? She's a joy... most of the time. She makes me laugh. She's silly and goofy. She's also smart, sometimes too smart for her own good. I'm glad I can spend my days with her, even the hard days. Lately, I've really been able to focus on encouraging the positive behavior with her. She totally gets it. They (whoever they are) say that training your children outside of times of conflict is much more productive than in the heat of a tantrum or some other trying moment. It's true. I've known it was true for years. True but hard to remember. I get tired of always thinking of ways or times that I can train my children. Sometimes I just want to veg out while I'm driving instead of "training" my child. Is that so wrong? However, the times that I do focus on teaching lessons outside of conflict I see the greatest results. After three children you'd think I'd grasp the concepts of motherhood a little better. What can I say, I'm a slow learner. I think I know less now about parenting than ever. Maybe if my children were all exactly the same I could make a little headway. Anyway, Allison is doing great. She finally understands interrupting and time out and obeying the rules. She's growing up...

Great day to all!

A New Pool...

We are pretty excited in the Cook house. I went and paid for a new swimming pool today! It's an above ground, 18' round pool. We measured and planned it out this weekend and I called the town planning office this morning about restrictions and permits, all things worked out, so this morning I got it ordered and ready to go! It'll be up in about 3 weeks! That's even before the girls are out of school for the summer. It'll be so much fun! Now we need to get some fun stuff to play with and maybe some sort of alarm. I'll have to do some more checking!