MIA

Yes, I realize I have been slightly neglecting my blog. We have been incredibly busy, and now that we aren't incredibly busy I am trying to get ready to be incredibly busy again with school starting in a month.

We have been travelling all over the country since I last wrote in May. At the end of May we went to Minnesota for a week and a half (I drove alone there with Merrick) and on June 6th brought Taylor back to New York. We had friends visit for 10 days the day after we returned from Minnesota, did some sightseeing for a few days and then wend to Niagara Falls for a few nights. After they left we went were home for a week, and then went to Texas for one week, then to Gulf Shores, AL for a week and back to Dallas for another week. We returned to New York on July 18th and Burke's family arrived that night and stayed for 5 nights. I then had a friend visit from Minnesota for the weekend and she left on July 27th. It was truly two crazy months of travelling and visitors. We had a great time, but all the travelling we did was very tiring. From now on, everyone has to visit us, I am through travelling :) Just kidding!

Merrick turned 3 on July 28th. We had a small celebration for him while Burke's family was visiting, and for his present we bought him a big kitchen. I think it has ended up being more for Taylor than Merrick, but they have fun playing with it together.

Taylor has been in summer camp for the past week. It is a day camp through the city's recreation department. She had a great time last week, but last night she said she hated it and didn't want to go anymore. She thinks that Merrick and I have so much fun without her all day and that she is missing out on things. We see her at the municipal pool when it is nice enough to go during the week with her camp and she said we have more fun than she does with her friends when we are there. She felt better when I told her that Merrick will be in camp next week (only for 1 1/2 hours a day) and that we will be able to have all sorts of fun without him next week.

Merrick's camp is a sports squirt camp. He loves anything to do with sports, and is so excited to be going to camp. We are also planning on getting him into ice skating lessons this fall/winter so he can get ready to play hockey someday. Taylor will be going to Minnesota for one last summer visit on August 13th, Phillip will be going to Pennsylvania to stay with family on the 12th, and Burke will go to Aspen to celebrate a friends 40th birthday on the 14th. I am not sure I will know what to do with myself (and Merrick) with such a quiet, empty house for the weekend.

School starts on September 8th for both Taylor and Merrick. Merrick will be going into 3 year old preschool, 5 days a week from 9 to 1. I really don't know what I will do with myself then. I think I will need to throw myself into volunteering or something after the initial first week excitement of being able to do ANYTHING I want for 4 whole hours. Taylor is somewhat excited about going back to school. She is worried about starting a new school again and making new friends again, but I think she will be OK. She is still resilient and willing to meet people. We have a neighbor that is Tayor's age, but going into 3rd grade, and they play well together. The cut off dates for schools here is December 31st. In Texas it was September 1st, so anyone born before Sept 1st, 2001 is going into 3rd grade in TX and 2nd grade if born after. Here, anyone born in the YEAR 2001 is going into 3rd grade. So Taylor will be the oldest in her grade. This will be good for Merrick however, with a July birthday. Rather than being the very youngest boy in his grade he will be right in the middle.

Since we have returned from our travels and visitors have left, I have finally been getting back to working out and eating healthy. I think I have gained 10 pounds being on vacation like we have been, and have finally worked out 6 of the last 7 days. I am determined to lose 20 pounds, and may start a blog for myself and other friends to log their weight loss progress. Maybe I will be held more accountable if I make it more public! I will post information about this blog if I decide to make one! I am also going to sign up for tennis lessons again this fall, and am so excited. I have really missed playing tennis and the city has a great program.

As always, I will continue to try to update this more often!!!