**The smoke is back. Bah. Well, this week it comes with heat. Glad we enjoyed some time outdoors while we could.

**BM starts city swim lessons today.

I think his private lessons start next week. I am not impressed with the instructor because it takes her a month to get back to me with every correspondence. So that's why I say, "I think." But she hasn't charged me yet and is VERY reasonable for private lessons. So I hope in the end of 3 weeks BM has some significant swimming skills. Starting with the City this week, and it overlaps with his private lessons next week. I guess we will show up Monday with a check and see is she expects us. Maybe the City lessons will suffice...

When the weather cools off a bit maybe we will work on bike riding skills. I just noticed recently all his "only child" friends can swim and ride bikes on their own. I felt asleep at the wheel until I realized that we have been busy with an infant/toddler the last 3 years. LOL. Though I was swimming at 4/5, I don't think I figured out the bike until I Was 8 or 9. I was slow. I blame my parents for not allowing training wheels. Of course, we may have done the opposite. We slapped on the training wheels, but have had little incentive to move past them.

**Our latest garage sale find was "Jenga." We played with the kids last night. We figured BM would be fine, but LM would be too small (he is 2, for a couple of more days). Since LM had no idea what he was doing, but was VERY careful, he turned out to be a formidable opponent. LOL. He kept taking key pieces and leaving it to topple when the next person breathed.

Dh had avoided the game in the past because it said ages 7+. Well, I am glad he grabbed it. He was telling me though BM is a little wild he didn't see why he couldn't play. But yeah, LM was the real surprise. The kids just LOVED it.

**BM's latest garage sale find was a pair of eyeballs for 3 cents. He took along 3 cents assuring me he could find something. So he went up to the seller with the eyeballs and his 3 pennies, to ask how much they cost. Wouldn't you know, the eyeballs cost 3 pennies?

You know, I was going to say he is learning much - on the art of negotiation and all that. But this was my first time tagging along, and I realized that he may not be learning much since he gets the "young and cute" discount. LOL.

But they have gotten some stiffer deals, so I am glad not everyone falls for that. If so, they would learn nothing.

**For LM we splurged for a day at the zoo (Well, a morning anyway, at the small zoo). But we had a GREAT time since we left early to beat the heat and really no one else was there. We saw way more awake animals than last time. Admission was around $8 and we spent $8 to ride the train (LM is TRAIN CRAZY - so was his special treat). The kids wanted to eat there as well so we spent $6 on corn dogs and lemonade. Grand total was $22. Not bad for such a nice day. The kids played at the park after that, but we left before it got too hot. Dh and I just ate at home - trying to empty the fridge for the party next weekend.

Dh has been stockpiling gifts all year (a lot of them free from his mom's Scholastic points). So we don't intend to buy anything for the kids. We'll wrap them up something on their actual birthday, and maybe even for their party. But that's about it.

The grandmas have it well covered. Egads. So yeah, there is just no need to buy them stuff.

BM wants to go to Chuck E Cheese, which we may actually be able to do on his actual birthday.

They have their 2 parties this weekend. I really just don't expect to spend much on them. We are having fruits, veggies, pizza (We have coupons for the good pizza places). Dh may make salsa, and we'll make ice cream cake and cupcakes. If my mom slips me cash for pizza, we may come out ahead.

Sunday is the McDs party - I don't think many kids are coming. Will buy a few Happy Meals and bring some leftover cupcakes. We may buy some balloons as a treat. Maybe not. But that will be the extent of that. Still haven't decided on party favors.

I asked no gifts for everyone outside the family. Yeah, the fam has it covered. I will be curious to see who obliges. Some years people do. Last year no one did - they ALL brought gifts. So, we'll see. I don't know what to do if the kids get a zillion toys.

**So yeah, this week we will work on cleaning the house (it actually doesn't look half bad - weeks of past work is starting to pay off). The de-cluttering is getting more noticeable.

We also have a large pile on ebay and Craigslist, which is keeping us busy.

Poor dh though. The kids are home from preschool this week (vacation for the owners) and with the hot weather and smoky air they are stuck indoors.

I know he will resort to the usual - take them shopping, to the library, and to the gym. But it will be a long week compared to what he is used to lately. He usually gets 1 or 2 days off.

That means, for me, with no daycare driving, I have lots of time at work. 5 full days and nothing much on my plate.

Which I better take full advantage. Next week I am only in 3 days and there is lots of stuff going on.

**ETA: On the weather front it is s'posed to be 110 degrees T/W/Th. UGH!!!

By stark contrast, June was the mildest June of the mere 7 Junes we have lived here. Our June electric bill looks to be about 10% LOWER than May and 20% lower than last June. I don't have the June bill yet, but that is what our usage stats say.

Seriously.

The only reason we ran the A/C in May was because we left it on 87 degrees while we were in LA and there was some extreme heat wave (so our cat would not melt).

We left the A/C on 87 for our camping trip but it was obvious it hadn't even run, in mid June (it turned out to be a VERY mild week in Sac). We only have been turning it on in the evenings for the last week or 2. Dh has been flipping it on around 6pm dinner and I flip it off at 8 for bed. We haven't even turned it on upstairs because the 82/83 degrees up there felt quite pleasant after camping. LOL. We usually flip it on a short while before bed. But not just that, it just hasn't been that hot. IT cools down at night rather quickly.

Well, the mild weather was REALLY nice while it lasted. July won't be so kind...

Today is well over 100 degrees...