Wow-Time to get caught up with my blogs. When I last left off it was early in July, the week after the 4th. And even though it was a short week, it was extremely crazy again!

Allison finished up her Driver's Training classes-all but one. She missed one class when she worked on a Friday(the day she hurt her wrist!). She signed up for a make up class at night at the end of the month when we get back from vacation. And even more exciting-she finally got her Driver's Permit! Tom took her out of town to Frederick(about a 30 min drive) to the DMV. They don't have as long a wait as our nearby huge DMV office, but it still took all morning. She had to take the test and get her eyes checked, not to mention turning in all the paperwork and checking all the documents. And then a photo and they had to wait for the permit to be printed. So that weekend we took Allison out driving for her very first time! (I remember when the driving instructors did all that!). She still has to take 3 classes driving with an instructor, but we have to make sure she completes 60 hours of behind the wheel time(1 hour down, 59 more hours to go!). We pretty much stuck to the school parking lot and our neighborhood. I think we have a ways to go! But we have started. Sunday we even got a key made for her for the Toyota Echo which she will now drive. An exciting start to her Birthday week!

She also had to squeeze in a few summer piano lessons, and go to her Physical Therapy sessions for her wrist sprain as well as another visit to the doctor(workers comp. is very strict). I also have her running to get in shape for Field Hockey season. Her coach asked the team to start running over the summer and to read a book about Motivation and Sports/Setting goals. She is slowly reading the book, but the running is coming along. We both usually head out into the neighborhood every evening-Allison runs a loop and I walk the dog. Sometimes I even get SCott to join us. When no one is home, Allison has been working out with Wii Fit. Tom even picked her up some decent running shoes. She keeps wearing out all the others.

While Tom was busy taking Allison to get her Driving Permit, I was busy supervising Scott while he was fishing at the Boy SCout Fishing Derby on Saturday morning. The fish weren't biting all that well-I think our big rain storms had a lot to do with it the two days before. But SCott still managed to pull out two decent sized fish. Compared to the finger sized fish most of the boys were catching. No big trophy though this year. We just enjoyed being outside on the lake, watching all the geese and ducks and turtles swim by. We even ran into a few of our neighbors who happened to give fishing a try with their kids SAturday morning too.

Friday had to have been the craziest day of all. Tom was off work thank goodness since I just couldn't be in two places at once.

I have been going to Physical Therapy myself for my neck so I had a few sessions to schedule last week. I also was running SCott to his YMCA camp. They moved his camp from the girl scout camp location a bit farther to another catholic school. It just involved some creative driving on my part getting back and forth to work. I even had to cut through the state park along some very twisty and winding roads. But I made good time with pick up and drop off! Scott was not as excited about the science camp I added him into at the Y. He would have preferred attending the regular camp I believe since they have changed the program a bit. They now bus the kids over to the Y so they can swim. Scott missed swim lessons since he was in the science camp. He was quite disappointed and tried to explain to the counselors that he was enrolled in both camps, but they didn't listen. They then told him he couldn't go on the outing on Friday, so I had to speak to the counselors myself. Scott really wanted to go to Ft McHenry which he did on Friday. He had a great time and really enjoyed the new museum and 4D movie. We have all been to Ft McHenry, but just the outside of the fort. He is the first one to go inside! (Remember, WAr of 1812 and our country's national theme song all started here!).

Meanwhile, Tom and I were busy getting Allison to her last driver's training class. She finished early and took a written test which she passed. Someone also had to be home since we had our air conditioner serviced for the summer, a roofer finally came by and replaced our skylight, and Tom purchased a used fridge from HOme Depot to replace our old, free garage fridge. The new one is a bit smaller than the old one, but actually works well. Our old fridge was more like an unreliable freezer(but it was free!). Tom promised me a big freezer to compensate for the smaller fridge. I was quite busy though cleaning out the old fridge so they could haul it away. And we even did some garage cleaning. Tom took a trip out to our local dump and was almost run off the freeway. He ended up spilling his used oil in the front seat of Allison's car and spent the rest of the morning cleaning up the upholstery. Fortunately we got everything done before a rain storm. And we are happy to see that the new skylight does not leak!

On Sunday, both kids served mass. It was very interesting as we had a few substitute priests. An older gentleman who walked with a cane and had a very strong polish accent along with a young deacon from Africa(also a very strong accent). Allison and Scott had no clue what either one of them said. I had to translate. The polish priest was basically asking for donations for his group of priests that are placed in Africa, Russia and South America with limited priests and resources. He made me cry when he talked about being placed in a concentration camp with his mother and sister when he was young living in Poland. He spoke of all the polish people that lost their lives along with the jews and catholics. He said there were still so many places where the priests had to walk hundreds of miles to service their congregation, and quite a few of these priests were elderly. I had to laugh though to watch Allison trying to open the bible for the polish priest with her hand splint in place-she wasn't having much success. And he was trying to get her attention to step forward to him on the altar so he could read the prayer since he could not walk well without his cane. Looked like the blind leading the blind. I thought everyone did a great job considering! And our Monsignor should be back in a few weeks! Kathleen

Here are a few photos of Scott fishing in the Boy Scout Fishing Derby and his last day at Pets N Vets class in June. On the last day the kids get to bring in their pets for show and tell. Scott brought Cookie and his Hermit Crabs.

Happy 4th of July weekend! I can't believe another holiday has come and gone.The 4th always seems to come too early in the summer months. We spent the holiday weekend watching lots of fireworks and attending lots of events. On Saturday night we traveled to an outdoor concert with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and fireworks afterwards. We went with a group of our neighbors and enjoyed a picnic dinner together. Sunday we ended up at Matt and Di's house with about 30+other people. We ate too much food as usual and had fun in the pool and hot tub. Monday night we sat and watched the fireworks display in nearby Columbia and then joined Scott's boy scout troop in cleaning up the park afterwards. What a nasty job. We are all back home after midnite and taking very hot showers. Before the fireworks, we stopped into the local movie theater and took Allison and Tom to see Cars 2.

And just when I thought things couldn't get any crazier last week, it did. My neck has started to really bother me from the car accident. I looked up all my symptoms and seems that I have a grand case of whiplash. I finally got a prescription for PT and started therapy on Friday. Right after my appointment, it was time to pick up Allison from work. She missed a day of drivers training so she could work at the roller blade rink helping out with summer camp. I found her in the office after work with a bag of ice on her wrist! She had fallen backwards onto her wrist. We then spent the rest of the afternoon at a workman's comp clinic getting xrays and a wrist splint. Thank goodness it is not broken, but then she fell on the same wrist while cleaning up the park after the fireworks display! Sounds like a Stacey thing! She is scheduled for therapy and a doctor's appointment on Thursday afternoon. Thank goodness Tom has a somewhat flexible schedule and can take her. I had to schedule all my PT appointments after work and on Friday when I am off as I am just crazy busy with patients.

Last week was a scheduling nightmare for drop off and pick ups, but it all worked out in the end.
That was because Tom was in Great Britain. He had left on Saturday and was supposed to come home on Friday. Instead, he got stuck in an airline strike with United Airlines at Heathrowe and they postponed his flight to a "possible July 3rd" departure. He decided to find alternative routes and flew to Montreal Canada and from there took a small propeller plane to DC-Dulles airport. Guess I am glad I did not join him. He spent 15 hrs traveling to get back home as opposed to 5.5 hrs. But he was happy to return home before the holiday weekend late Friday night. He was also disappointed that he did not get much time to sight see in London while there since he was so tired from his traveling and most of his time there was filled with meetings.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch I had to get Scott to his Kids on Campus classes at the local college. And that would not have been an issue if they hadn't moved Allison's driver's training class to another facility. It was scheduled to be held up the street at her high school so she could have ridden her bike there and home everyday. Instead I ended up dropping off Scott, then Allison and then picking her up everyday at lunch time. I had just enough time to leave work, pick her up, drop her at home and return to work. And at least Scott's after care program went to 6:30 pm so I was able to get caught up on my computer work that I missed while gone for lunch. Scott really enjoyed his classes-he had a Pets and Vets class in the morning and then a Lego robotics class in the afternoon. We picked him up a few hermit crabs that he took to class each day-he was supposed to "show" a pet for his boy scout badge. Kids all bring in pets on Friday, the last day and give a small presentation. Scott also wanted to bring Cookie, but he could not use that towards the pet badge. He is earning his Dog Care badge with Cookie. The class came in handy since the teacher was a Vet Tech and she helped Scott answer alot of questions that he needed for his dog care badge, as well as the pet badge. Now he is keeping a two month log of dog care and he has to write up info on the hermit crabs and care for them at least 4 months for the badge. (I hope they make it). We have been enjoying watching them change their shells non stop! I also had to take him to his boy scout meeting on Tuesday. The boys have been working on their physical fitness requirement for Tenderfoot during the meetings.

Allison managed to get to all her driver's training classes except for the Friday when she went to work. Now she will have to make up that class at the end of the month. She has also been taking summer piano lessons-we will have to see how her hand is doing before scheduling any more classes.

So I will let you all know how things have been going. HOpefully better!

At least we haven't had to cut the grass! There hasn't been near enough rain. We had a tstorm early Sunday morning, but everything is so dry. I mostly spend my time watering. Imagine Tom watering the grass! So my flowers look pretty good though-the butterflies like my garden. And I sent a few more photos from Ft McHenry on Flag day-the stand in flag over the fort and fireworks over the harbor.

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