But you know, it isn't because I haven't thought about it!  I'd like to say it was because I've been off traveling the world, teaching the kids to speak Italian or French or something, but we've been pretty lazy lately.

We went on vacation to the Texas coast.  It was fun.  We hung out at the beach, got ridiculously tanned and eaten up by mosquitoes.  We (hubby and I!) drank a lot, ate a lot of bad food and tried to entertain the kids as best we could.  We made a few trips into Galveston and played around there.  Ate some good food, visited Moody Gardens and had a private penguin encounter.  We got to pet a freakin' penguin!!  Her name was Moe and she was pretty awesome.  She made the funniest noises and made cooing noises when the keeper would talk to her.

We also visited some free museums in the Brazosport area.  Natural history, an art museum and a fish hatchery run by the state.  We got a lot of learnin' done where we could.

There was also time for sand castles, getting stung by jellyfish and playing in the sargassum sea weed that came in with some storms.  Next time we visit a beach, we'll go to one that isn't known for its sea weed!

Really though, for the biologist in me, the sea weed was quite fascinating.  There really is an entire complete ecosystem within it and while I won't bore you with the details, there were a ton of unique critters living in it.  Stuff I'd never seen before, that's for sure.  Amazing shrimp, fish, crabs and turtles that are made to live in such a place were found in it and it was fun to show it to the kids.

Since we've been back, we've done swimming lessons.  Riley is quite a fish himself now and Olivia is still fearful, which is really ok with me because having 2 swimming at this point scares me to death!  At least I can keep an eye on Livi in the shallows and really only have to freak out over Riley being a daredevil.

Becca walks.

Olivia's therapy is going well.

Riley, Olivia and Rebecca all had their birthdays.  I am now a mother of a 6, 4, and 1 year old.  In 10 years, Riley will be driving.  In less than 12 years, Livi will want to date.  Becca will talk at some point in there besides yelling 'HEY!' at all of us.  Time passes by and the future scares me.  They're going to get bigger, I just know it.

I've been nurturing some trees in my garden that I received from joining the Arbor Day Foundation, I got 10 trees when I joined.  They were all bare root trees so they're all pretty iffy on whether they'll live.  So far, 4 of them are still alive.  Sucks, huh?  I was hoping more would live.  Oh well.

I've sure had a lot of fun in my super awesome neighborhood lately.  Oh wait.  I'm lying.  I have been doing a lot of pet sitting, which has been pretty awesome.  Not only has it been a really great way to get to know folks I don't usually run into, but I get to make a little extra money as well.

I haven't had much fun or much luck with the other moms in the neighborhood.  I feel like I moved into a clique and I'm not with the 'in crowd.'  My mom thinks that since I do some work in the neighborhood, my uppity neighbors think of me as 'help' instead of as friend material.  But wait....could these stay at home moms really be that shallow?  Answer:  yes.
Dunno what's up with that, but if I let it bother me, where would I be then?  As it stands, I watch the group get together for drinks, dinners, parties, vacations and game nights.  They call on me for if their kids are selling things or if they need something, like food donations when someone has a baby or whatever.  Otherwise....yup.

We have been pretty busy with Cub Scouts this summer!!  I almost forgot.  Riley's a cub scout and we've welcomed troops home at the airport, gotten donations for a food bank, gone on hikes, made pizza at a restaurant and eaten free at pizza hut's corporate office.  Being with the Cub Scouts is gooooood, and the ladies and gents in there....not catty!  No cliques!  Nice people.  What a blessing.....really.