Family Vacation

Our trip this summer was Las Vegas.  We went a couple years ago and the boys loved it.  They talked about it for the next year and still remember things about it.  So Monday morning we left at 0600 for a long car ride.  It felt like the driving would never end, but we go to our destination at 1400 hours.
We checked into Treasure Island (where I scored a great deal through Priceline). We got to our room and immediately put on our swim suits to go for a dip in the pool.  While we were there, it started raining and subsequently we went back to our room.  The rest of the afternoon consisted of sight seeing and relaxing as a family.  One of our highlights was going to the Coca Cola store and sampling Coke from around the world.  We tasted each kind as a family and then discussed it.  There were good and bad ones.  The worst by far was the "Beverly" from England.  I hope to never drink that again!
The next morning, we headed to the Hoover Dam.  David and I really enjoyed it, but the boys hated it.  Looking back it was a little boring for them.  We toured the turbines and went through a museum showing the process of building and reasons for it.  I thought it was very informative.  The fact that the Hoover Dam had been on Transformers really didn't matter so much to them.  On the way back to the strip, we got caught in a huge rain and lightening storm.  It was strange!  It was so bad, in fact, that motorcyclists were pulled over under the overpasses to keep dry.
On Wednesday morning we packed up and got ready to go to our next hotel....The Mandalay Bay.  We checked in early and got our bathing suits on again.  The pool was awesome!  There was a big wave pool (similar to Wild Waters) and a lazy river.  It was so much fun, we spent a lot of time there.  We made trips to the Excalibur for food since we were on a budget and there wasn't any place we could afford at the Mandalay Bay.  It was so much fun.
On Friday afternoon we headed home.  Quinten slept for four hours and Gavin slept three.  I guess we wore them out.  Vacations are always fun, but I come home feeling like I have a hangover.  It exhausted us all, but it was worth it.  Now to figure out what to do next year!

And the start of summer!

I totally forgot about this thing! I guess it is time to fill everyone in on whats going on.

First thing, David is back at work! He has been at work for almost two months and although he still has a lot of pain with his shoulder he is able to talk to people on the phone and take telephonic reports. He is at the BOC (stands for building on corner). He is in the funky looking building on the corner of Fresno and Divisadero by Community Hospital. There are no windows in this building and a lot of gossip...two things David hates!

Gavin is in summer school this summer. He is in soccer and Spanish. He finished school with all A's and B's, something that David and I didn't think would happen. I guess those stern talks really made a difference. He is looking forward to being an "upper grader" next year and plans to be on the soccer team, run cross country and do robotics. And that is all during the fall! We will see how that all goes.

Quinten is also in summer school. He is taking a reading class since he needs a little help in that area. He has really started enjoying swimming this summer and has become competitive with Gavin, which is fun to watch. He still loves to snuggle and is very much a gentleman. He is enjoying his break from being the little ladies man at school.

I haven't been that busy. I truly feel like a soccer mom, taking the kids to functions and keeping everything going around that house. I enjoy my gym time every evening by getting out all my frustrations out in sweat form. The business is slow. I get about one or two clients a week. I would love to have a busy schedule but I have to be patient and trust things are going the way they need to. I still love doing hair....the smile someone gets after seeing their new look is the best!!

We hope to get some day trips in this summer to the coast. The boys love the ocean and playing in the sand. I would like to get away from the house to get a break also. I always feel like I need to be cleaning something or doing laundry if I am home! We are hoping for one big trip, but will see how things go with David's shoulder and our bank account!

How Many Weeks?

Christmas is in roughly three weeks. Usually the shopping is done and half are wrapped, the decorations are up and I am busy baking in the kitchen. This year the decorations are up, but that's it.
I do most of my shopping online on Black Friday, from my couch with a big cup of coffee. This year, I was so unmotivated that I didn't even set my alarm for 4am, like I usually do. I got up at my usual 7:00 (my weekend wake up time) and made my coffee and lazily ordered stuff for everyone but my family. Weird? Yes.
The baking hasn't happened yet either. I made a batch of peppernuts, which were done before the week was up and that is all I have made. Unfortunately Weight Watchers only allows so many points and I am really trying to stick with the rules. It also helps that my husband has been nice enough to "remind" me how hard I have been working on this diet. Normally I would want to punch him in the face, but I am learning that he is trying to help me and he isn't offensive about it so I let it slide.
So I guess I have a lot of shopping to do the next couple weeks. Good thing I learned of a couple toys that are the newest hot commodity this year so I know what the boys would enjoy.
I know it will all work out, but I really need to get into the holiday mood. Maybe a couple more pumpkin spice lattes? My wool coat? A trip to Christmas Tree Lane? Ahhh, who knows!

What Shopping?

I realized today that I haven't had a shopping trip in a long time! I have went to Target, Vallarta's and other little places, but no Macys, Nordstrom Rack or the like. I wonder what is wrong with me. I haven't been busy, so I can't use that as an excuse. I don't have much money, but that has never stopped me from being able to window shop. So I have to get to the bottom of this! I will let you know what my self diagnosis is when I figure it out!

Me Time

I have been having the hardest time getting back into the swing of things with school starting. I love getting up early to start the day and being able to check email and Facebook before the boys get up. I feel like I have to "encourage" my kids all morning to get them going, but I think that is probably all Moms in the morning. I take the boys to school, wait for them to be taken to class, talk to the other Moms and head out for my walk. I park on Friant and Copper and walk about 4 miles. I have downloaded a pedometer on my phone so I can time myself and make sure I am getting a good workout. So, I have been encouraged by my workout routine since the boys are in school. I have a long way to go, but you have to start somewhere, right?
The only hard thing about this whole change has been going to bed and being able to sleep. I can't sleep! I get the boys in bed around 8:30 and I hit the sack also. Only problem is I can't do anything but lay there. At 11:30, I finally start feeling tired. This has got to stop. I need to get sleep in order to be friendly! So, my body isn't getting the sleep it needs, especially since my workout routine is kind of shocking my body. Not a good combination. I will see if I am able to adjust to the earlier bedtime, otherwise I have to weigh out other options.
So I am enjoying the extra time to myself and the things I am able to do since I have more "me" time. I just have to complete the adjustment and keep moving towards my goals.

Salon Room

The last couple months have been really hard on me, business wise. It has been a struggle to give money to the owners of the salon I was renting at and it wasn't getting any easier. So I made the decision, along with my husband (and parents) to start working from my house. Now, when I say "working from my house" I don't mean cutting hair in the kitchen like I did before. We would convert the office room, where David kept all his work stuff, into a salon room. It made me nervous, but in the big picture it made sense.
So Friday, I took my first leap into the idea of the salon room. I went on Craigslist and looked up salon equipment. Sure enough, a shampoo bowl and chair set were for sale, as well as a floor pad. Since our family was going to head to San Jose that afternoon, we had to hurry and go check it out. My Mom watched the boys while David and I shot out to the Tower District and ended up making my first purchase. They asked $350 for the chair and $25 for the pad, but I talked them down to $300 for both. I freaking love wheeling and dealing!!
So we headed to San Jose and had fun with our friends, eating and walking around San Fransisco. On the way back, we decided to stop at Ikea and check things out. Sure enough, there was a closeout on laminate flooring....32 cents a foot! We can do that! We bought as much as we needed and loaded it up in the back of our Honda. Let me tell ya, that car was weighed down!
The renovations began Monday. Clearing it out, ripping out the carpet, running the new plumbing to the room, laying down the flooring, painting the ceiling and baseboards and so on (not necessarily in that order). Now it wasn't all done in a day, but a week later we are almost ready for business! I still need a couple things, like a styling chair and some artwork, but I haven't been able to find any good deals and I can't afford to pay $250 for a chair right now. I am also thinking about selling Gold Canyon Candles again and using the bookshelf as a display area, along with hair products.
I don't want to brag, but my husband and way handy! He has done all the work and it looks awesome! I am so proud of him! I walk into that room and I am excited and proud that I am able to have this opportunity. I can't wait to start using the room and putting it to good use. So come in and have your hair done. I will probably have some really good deals next month to start out and get people in so everyone can come see it! Come in and support me because now it's time to start paying on my new bills.

One Month Left

I have had a really boring summer! It's not that I haven't wanted to have fun, but business has been slow and I, to be honest, I have been lazy.
David and I had a really nice trip to Las Vegas, but other than that we haven't done a lot. And to be honest I have been feeling guilty for it because summer break needs to be fun for the boys.
We did do some camping in Shaver for one night, but it wasn't what I expected. The boys liked the dirt and the outdoors, but it was tough because they haven't mastered how to sleep inside a sleeping bag. It gets really cold at night and they both were yelling all night about how cold they were. My friend and her family had planned to go with some friends who cancelled and we filled in. Camping isn't my idea of a great time and I think I may have to work on that, being that I have two boys and a husband who loves camping. Too bad it isn't acceptable to stay at a hotel while the rest of my family roughs it in a sleeping bag. So anyhow, I am thinking of taking my family for a couple days to Morro Dunes for some camping "fun".
In between all that is Quinten's birthday. He wants to go to Sakanaya for lunch, which is easy and do-able. I also want to take him to a movie....if possible at the cheap theater. All he really cares about it getting extra butter on his popcorn.
I am looking forward to this Thursday when my best friend and I are going to go wine tasting in Paso Robles. Neither of us have done it before and it's a fun excuse to get out of town and drink some wine and chat. We are taking a tour, which eliminates the DUI portion of the trip, which always makes it a plus. So that will be fun and relaxing. Oh, and it gives David some special bonding time with the boys, which I will use as my reasoning till the day I die.
So hopefully this last month of vacation in fun for my little family, whether it's all together or individually. May this last month of summer break be the best month!!