The floor has won

I give up, I throw in the towel. The blasted $!@#&$& floor in the basement will have new tiles put down and NO! all the adhesive isn't off and NO! I am not going to seal it. The $#&#*$ tiles are going down tomorrow and the rest of the crap will be installed this week, if Mr. Pratt can make it. Went to Home Depot to rent a floor stripper to get the rest of the $#(Q adhesive off and was told, i don't want that, I want a gel adhesive remover. Also, if the adhesive is black it may contain asbestos. Too late--and no the adhesive was white so my lungs are safe from that. Advice : Never read the directions on the can. "Use in a well- ventilated space, preferably outdoors" I am in a basement bathroom with no windows. "Avoid contact with skin--chemical burn may result" Yep, know what that feels like--baking soda killed it. "Wear protective eyewear due to fumes". The 5x5 area has been alot of work and I will not subject myself or my family to anymore caustic shit. Okay. Better now.
Greg came home from his trip early (hooray). Ryan graduated from safety village. I have film footage of him shouting every answer--he did pay attention. We went to the Air Force tattoo last night to see some of the planes flyover. We could only stay until 9--I had homework. It drew quite a crowd and we saw several planes pretty close as they flew by. I got my wish TSA tonight and am crisis call tomorrow. Must cram on homework as I work the three nights after that.
Charlotte delighted everyone by reciting back Rikki Tikki tembo's name completely and correctly after hearing it about 4 times. Wow.
My daisies are blooming. They're awesome--must plant more. June's almost gone. Yikes.

I have a new toy

I like tools. I have my own stuff (and none of it is pink) and today I have a new toy he-he-heh-heh (picture Igor making that noise and you'll get a sense of my glee). Megan and Roger lent me their power washer. I was hoping to get some of the accumulated mud off the back patio. After getting it together, getting it to start ( 3 times before I figured out there was no oil in it....ooops) I started hosing off the patio. It has pleasant pressure and the dirt moved along. THEN, at one point I dropped the nozzle close to the ground and shabaam! A whole layer of muck came up and I saw the origianl color of the paver. I mean the layer of gunk is so bad I can write my name in it...with the power washer. Well, I'm all about instant gratification (I like doing dishes and ironing for that reason) I will have a ball with the power washer. You could tell I had fun today. I was covered neck down with backsplash gunk. The retaining wall has taken on a grayish, black hue--no longer- the power washer is here!
In other news, Ryan had day 2 of safety village--crosswalks etc, I went grocery shopping and Charlotte, the girls and her cousins came over to make smores. We trialed Reeses cups (apparently Ohioans say Reeses cup weird. Do you all pronounce it Reese's cup or reessee cup? I am of the latter group.) in addition to Hershey bars. I prefer the Hershey bar just because it's a classic, thought the R cup wasn't bad. So in addition to playing with an excellent toy, I got to build a fire. Overall an excellent day.
It's nearing 2, I made a decent dent in my homework.

Night,
S.

I have great friends.

Well, it all came together. Last minute, yes, I suck. Everyone was well, I was awake. Up and at em at 1, picked up the cake at 2 and hit the grocers. Megan and AJ rounded up their broods and came to wish Charlotte a lovely birthday. My friends rock. Charlotte got awesome presents (including a dress made by Miss AJ--very cute and twirly). The cake turned out great. It was a barbie cake-three layers high and the Barbie was a real one. They wrapped her from the waist down in plastic wrap. I was scared I could cut off a limb while serving the cake!

I forgot to mention Ryan had his first tee ball practice Wednesday and he loved it! He hit the ball every time and ran the bases. He was so excited. Baseball or basketball--which has the best scholarships?

Charlotte turns 4

Happy Birthday Sweetie!! On June 19 Charlotte turned 4. We woke up early so we could go out to breakfast with daddy. We went to Mimi's cafe and the kids got their chocolate chip pancakes. Charlotte was wearing her purple "party" dress. About halfway through she started to fuss and act tired. She had complained of a sore throat the night before. We were able to get in to the doctor later in the morning. His diagnosis was strep. So we had to postpone her friend party. We'll try for that Friday. We had our family party and had a great time. She perked up after her motrin and antibiotic--no fever:) The cake shop is holding her cake for her friend party. So Greg and the kids baked and frosted one. The kids decorated it with sprinkles and it tasted wonderful. Ryan was so sweet and attentive. He was very polite, saying "excuse me" and "here you go , Sis". He was an angel. We are looking forward to our get together with friends today. We were considering a push bike for her. The wooden one she has has been through two kids and is pretty much shot. We found one in Kettering (for less than a hundred dollars, most are over 200), but she was too tall for it. The lady there suggested we take off the pedals on her regular bike. So, off came the training wheels, pedals and crank. She still prefers the wooden one:)

Root beer floats

Home for Saturday and Sunday, back to work Monday. Our half bath off the garage has a working sink and toilet (yea!) Greg is trying to install the light now. We can't find a stud to mount it on. Another hiccup in the scheme of things. We need to get a mirror and other wall fixtures. It is coming together slowly, but it does look nice. Charlotte is running across the house to use that bathroom because "it's pretty." Greg's parents are here tomorrow evening and their bathroom still has a cement floor that needs sanding..don't ask. Father's Day is tomorrow and we have been invited to a cookout with my friend Rachel's family. Father's day and Charlotte's birthday have fallen during a very hectic time. We managed to get her some neat presents and will probably have a pretty princess party at home with a few close friends (and grandma and Grandpa).

Today DLM had root beer floats. So we all went down. the kids loved the floats, not the root beer "too spicy". We recently discovered Ryan likes hard boiled eggs. He saw me throwing some in my salad at the salad bar and asked to try one. This is how he discovers most food he likes. Next...deviled eggs:) I love summertime. Gives us an excuse to roast marshmallows and hot dogs. Play baseball and frisbee and just overall have a good time with the kids. The butterflies have been ordered and I am looking forward to the kids watching them while the grandparents are here. We also are planning trips to Kings Island and canoing. I really want to take the kids fishing.
Ryan has learned Go Fish, Old Maid and most recently, UNO. He likes to deal and I love watching him play. He is showing more interest in books. He is plowing through Box 3 of the Bob books and is quite proud of himself.

The heartache is getting worse. They are so cool right now, I don't really want another baby, but love the age they are now. I could go through another baby to get here again. Alas, the last pack and play is gone,as are the diaper bags and crib. We have very sound and logical reasons to be done, but oh, the ache.