The countdown begins...

...until August 10 and the first day of school. Anthony will be entering 3rd grade, Jackson will be a Kindergartener, and Taylor will be in Preschool. OMG! How did this summer go by so quickly?!?!? This week the kids are with my parents so they can try and salvage the last fun days of summer. It's a bit sad because Anthony is now a "Tweener" and Jackson is a Kinder and REALLY in school and Taylor is embarking on a new school and will really be a "BIG GIRL". I'm so happy and proud for the kids but at the same time, a little sad because they are no longer babies.

But to enjoy the rest of Summer on Tuesday and Thursday they are going to see movies at The Loft. They are having various films playing to commemorate the Tucson Children's International Film Festival. Best of all, it's free WITH free freshly popped popcorn! My mom and I took Anthony and Taylor to see The Wizard of Oz on Saturday and the kids got goodie bags complete with noise makers and bubbles and a glow stick. It was loud and interactive and FUN! Tuesday they are showing the Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes movie and on Thursday it's Race For Your Life Charlie Brown. Such great movies and I can't go see them because I have to work. :-( Oh well. That's what Nana is for. :-)...To brave the wilds of screaming children and spend quality time with my kids when neither me or Tony can be around. Overall, it just makes sense that this week the kids stay with my parents because the movie starts at 10am but to ensure seats they have to be there lined up by 9:15-9:20am and then later in the day on Tuesday and Thursday the boys have Karate.

Then next week Tony is out of town on business and I think the kids will be staying with Nana and Papa again. We'll see though. And then on Sunday, August 9 is when the school has their open house and that's when we can drop off all of the kid's school supplies, meet their teachers, and get them acquainted with their new classrooms. We'll have new adventures this year and I predict all the kids will have a great school year. Tony will be coaching basketball again and practices start up as soon as school does. Of course, I'll be doing what I can during morning recess time and during lunch time on my Fridays off.

Extra-Curricular Activities this year include: Karate (both boys), Art Classes (both boys), Dance (Taylor), Basketball (Anthony), Soccer (Jackson) and the occasional weekend family swim and library time. I'm very hopeful that all of this activity will keep the kids away from the T.V. as we are trying a new "Gray Family Unplugged" during the weeks that school is in session. This means No T.V., No Video Games, No Computer Time (except for work and homework) Monday through Thursday nights. Friday, Saturday and Sunday only AFTER activities, chores and errands are completed. Even Tony and I are adhereing to "Gray Family Unplugged" and we can't be anywhere near the T.V. or playing video games until AFTER the kids are asleep. Hee hee, at least we have the D.V.R. and the new episodes of LOST don't start until February 2010. :-)

I'm excited to start a regular morning workout routine again. Tuesday and Thursdays are my Krav Maga days and Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings after dropping off the kids I plan to go back to Westward Look and workout or swim. Hmmmm, when will I go grocery shopping? I guess that'll be a Sunday morning thing. Hmmmm, when will I clean the house? I guess that'll be...at nights when I get off from work?!?!?! Afterall, we are "unplugged" so I have no more excuses. But the one thing we are looking forward too is College Football season! That's when Tony and I usually have "Date night". Even when the kids attend the games with us, we have a blast and turn our "date night" into family bonding time. It's a win-win all around. We definitely have our "Jock" in Jackson who thinks that The UofA Wildcats are "The BEST Team EVER!" And then for Anthony and Taylor they like to go to the games to snack on the junk food and look through Uncle Tommy's Binoculars. I can't say that I blame them...I enjoy the junk food as well.

Stay tuned for more adventures in "Gray Family Unplugged"...I'm sure we'll have a lot of growing pains and a lot of future stories!