Caitlin learned to ride her bike yesterday!!! She's usally on her scooter, but we were waiting outside the chiropractor for my little sister's appointment and there was a consignment shop next door with used bikes on display. Caitlin said that she needed a bigger bike (her old one is pictured above) so I pulled one out of the bike rack to see if it was her size. And she rode away!!!

She's the kind of kid who potty trained herself the day she got underwear and also stopped sucking her fingers cold turkey when she turned three and decided she was too old. I'm so proud. We came home and pumped up the tires on Jordan's old bike and she's been riding ever since. The hardest part for her was learning how to use the brakes. At first she would perform this death defying dismount and drop her bike all in one motion, but she's improving.

Now Lauren decided that she needs to move on from her tricycle and has been riding Caitlin's old bike. It was so cute yesterday--like something out of a Disney musical--when we went on a walk/bike ride and she sang the whole way. The song went something like this:

"I'm riding my bike, I'm riding my bike, I'm riding my bike all by myself. Now I'm falling over. So I get back up. I get on my bike. I put one foot on the pedal. I put the other foot on the pedal. I'm riding my bike, I'm riding my bike, I'm riding my bike all by myself!"

We went to see David Crowder Band last night. I knew a couple of their songs from the radio, but now I need to get their CD. They were fun. The drummer made the guitar from the game Guitar Hero actually play music. (Here I must add, I played Guitar Hero for the first time this weekend and kicked my husband's butt.) And after the song "Forever and Ever" the keyboardist played the background music from Super Mario Brothers, then stating that the 80s were the best decade in forever, they led us in another rendition of: forever and ever and ever and ever...

Phil Wickham was one of the opening acts. That guy can sing. And my friend and I both agreed that we like him even though he wears "skinny jeans."

We had a great time, and even got to go in the VIP room. As a mom I don't often get VIP treatment, so it is definitely a night I will remember.

My husband called me "Milton" tonight when I was planning the kids' home school lesson for tomorrow, and I freaked out because I couldn't find my stapler.

My sister is staying with us now. She's been a great help with home schooling. She did all the girls' hair for our bowling "field trip" above. And today, when I was ready to scream and pull my (normally unstyled) hair out, she took the kids to Planet Kid (an indoor play place) for two hours so I could put some make-up on and put the house back together.

It was one of those days...you know...when somehow cereal gets dumped all over the dining room floor AND the hallway. My daughter walked into my bedroom and asked, "What happened to your bed?" because I didn't have time to make it this morning. I didn't even get my alone time with God.

That's the thing about home schooling. You don't get a break--unless your sister is in town and feeling compassionate. It's a stretch every day. I'm probably learning more than my kids are. This is how I see it...

In cheerleading, if you practice your moves with weights in your hands, later when you do the moves without the weights, your technique looks sharper. This is what home school is for me. It might not be right for me, but it is strengthening me so that when--I mean if--I send the kids back to school I'm going to be a better mom.

This makes me think of Lauren asking if she could help me make dinner tonight. I said, "Sure," and gave her something to throw away. She made it clear that is not what she wanted to do, but she did ask, and it did help me. How many times have I asked God to make me a better mom? I might not have meant home school, but in a way, God is giving me what he knows will be an answer to my prayer.

So I'll take it one day at a time. And if I need to, I'll just send my kids to another planet.

Every three months we launch the new routines at the gym. I've cut down on my classes so that all I'm teaching now is Body Step, but my boss made me the captain, so I'm busy coordinating the teams and coming up with matching outfits and performance ideas.

Our last launch we had our hair put in corn rows. Sadly, the outfit I wore disappeared the day I wore it. These are pictures from when I also taught Body Combat.

On a side note, Dan is in a competition at work. Whoever loses the most weight wins a bigscreen T.V. That's the motivation he needs. Now if I make him a tuna salad and apple for lunch, he'll eat it.