SERIOUSLY !!!!

Yesterday as I was stopped at a light on Rt. 3 headed home, I looked in my rear-view mirror to check on the kids. I had four of them with me in the van, just as I was checking them out (because they were all quiet at the same time..very VERY rare) I saw the lady behind me getting a little too close to my bumper and then I felt it. The van jerks forward. Not a jolt I guess but it moves and my foot is still on the brake. So there I am, van full of kids in the middle of Fredericksburg traffic just before 4pm. I can't get out of the van because it's too busy, I can't really get to the side of the road because we're surrounded on both sides by turn lanes. I thought the next best thing was to flip my turn signal on and drive into the Home Depot parking lot. Keep in mind I watched this lady in my mirror. I read her lips as she smacked my bumper. She knew she hit me. I guess because I didn't get out of the van screaming at her like a lunatic she thought it was better just to keep driving and pretend that it didn't happen! What planet are you from WOMAN! I did get her tag # and so I called it in but AAAAAAhhhhhhhh! I just wanted to kick her in the head! I guess now is a good time to mention that I'm not an angry person..:) There wasn't much damage done to the bumper. Just a little extra paint that's not the right color. I think I'm more angry than usual because I just had the dumb thing fixed from the other blond that hit me trying to park. Now I'm starting to side with my Dad who says that most women just can't drive :) Hope you all had a better day than I did.

We have been super busy lately. With the two boys in baseball and the end of the school year approaching, I've been on the go constantly. I was in need get-a-way! So you might think of going camping for the weekend...a long weekend(4nights) with good friends as a quiet retreat. Not really when you're packing five kids and two vehicles crammed to the very top, I mean to the point you can no longer see anything but what's directly in front of you :) . We had a great time. I don't think that it was as relaxing as I expected it to be and I think every year when I return home from our annual Memorial weekend camping trip I feel the same way, over worked and like I've just slept on the ground for 4 nights. I did learn to play "corn hole" which was a new thing for me. It was fun and now I'm going to make some boards for the fam. We took two tents and put the older three (Charly, Ian and Isaac) in the smaller tent and Michael and I and the two little girls took the big tent with lots of room to spread out. The first night there was a big thunder storm and it rained most of the night. The bottom of our tent held up beautifully but no matter where I moved, water was dripping on my head...no fun.

Michael said something to me when we were first married that has irritated me for years. I'm sure if he knew it was going to be a source of contention in our marriage he would've thought more before uttering these words : " You're more of an indoor girl." This he said as we were preparing to head out on our first camping trip together. I was 6 months pregnant in the VA. summer heat. What a punk! Since we have consistently gone camping for more than 3 nights a few times a year...even when I was 81/2 months pregnant taking medication to stop my contractions, even when I had a kidney infection...EVEN WHEN WE WERE TAKING 5 SMALL KIDS ALONG! This weekend I made him eat his words! As I became a master of the dutch oven...while I was making home made ice cream in a Ziploc bag. :) ha ha. I've got a good husband and he's even better now that he has taken that foolish statement back. Oh how I love my Michael :) We did have one minor set back and that was Charly's feet. Her feet STINK!! At one point Ian and Issac were refusing to sleep in the tent because they couldn't stand the smell..Poor kids. We did have a raccoon that would come up to our campsite in

the middle of the day and steal food right off of our table when we were standing just a few feet away. Oh the joys of camping. Can't wait until next year! Hope everyone had an equally fabulous weekend!