Happy 4th of July, (and Canada Day!!!). Hope it was safe and enjoyable for all. We started the day with a pancake breakfast at church. Then I drove the kids halfway to meet Rich so he could take the kids to Sacramento for the weekend. Then Alan and I lazied around the house, did some yard work and made plans for the evening. We headed up to Lodi to watch some fireworks and make some of our own... Then back home and to bed. Sunday morning was busy finishing up two lessons and preparing our fast. Its always different and quiet when we don't have any kids for church. Alan did the lesson on sugar beets, and I did the young women lesson on Forgiveness. It was a great and fulfilling day. Then to pick up the kids after church and home for dinner about 5:30. We are blessed with such good food each week, what a bounty! And such nice times together as a family, we decided to go for a bike ride and we stopped by grandma/grandpas house too. Now the kids are in bed and it's smoothie time...

So weird thing happened this week at the library. I feel out of place or just behind. Anyway, I took the three kids to the library for story time like I used to. I guess it has been a long time (try 2 or more years). SO we go in and sit down. I tell the kids to pick out a little rug to sit on by my feet. They all hover around me standing, shy... None of them wants to get a name tag! What's wrong with my kids? I look around to see all these little little kids, like babies. 1.5 or 2 year olds that have name tags and are (believe it or not) sitting down waiting for the lady to begin. She begins with my kids standing by me not wanting to be there. We sing the hello song and then she reads a story. Then it's time for another hand song. None of my kids are co-operating, complaining they don't want to be here. C'mon guys! Sit on a rug and participate! Then Jasmine says "we're not babies anymore mom." Duh! What happened to my life that I don't have little ones anymore? LameO! You're kids are tooooo old for story time at the library. News to me! So we left. Just like that. I don't have little ones anymore. What to do? I guess those hard times really don't last forever. Why was I so stressed out so much of the time? Why didn't I just SIT DOWN AND ENJOY THE FUN SIMPLE STUFF? Why can't I just sit down and enjoy the fun simple stuff NOW? What's wrong with us? What is so IMPORTANT that we don't have time for each other? Blah blah blah.

Congratulations are in order. I officially have become a step-mother. We'll talk details sometime. Just know that you're not really a great parent until your kids strongly dislike you at some point...meow, meow...
I take Triston to the dentist tomorrow for his work. He will need quite a bit of work done as well. What a blessing that we have insurance for the kids at this time. It has been a long uphill road to get that and I want to get done what we can before we don't have it anymore, (who knows when that will be). Congrats to Jorgen and Josee! I got a good news call several days ago. We all sure love you and are looking forward to this happy time in your life.
Pray for me to get some day care kids. I don't have any right now so I am basically out of work. But I have been working hard to publish my openings in several referal systems, local and online. I have also been working hard to streamline and improve my paperwork and contracts and feel very pleased with the progress I have made. I just need some consistantly-paying families to work with. I remember it taking a few months when I first started to get going and most of it was word of mouth so I just need to get the word out. I am very excited about a new curriculum and child-monitoring program that I have purchased. Lots to work out. peace out, J

Jasmine's dental surgery went very well. She wouldn't let the regular dentist touch her out of fear so they referred her to surgery. She was put to sleep so they could do all her work at once. They put in 8 caps, pulled two teeth and put in one spacer. One of the teeth that was pulled was her front tooth, now she has a lisp...and she knows it, she and I had a laughing fit one morning when she was brushing her teeth and she couldn't say her S's. Anyway, it was a tough day for us both. The next day she ate 2 cans of spagettio's and a bunch of applesause.

Celebrate with me-I just got relicensed for Day Care. Watch out world, she's at it again! And we adopted a new addition to our family-an 8 month old queensland/mix male named Charlie. He is an absolute sweetheart and so much fun! Now our other Queensland named Pepper will have a friend.