Summer time!!!! Summer...BINGO!!!!

Summer time is finally here! Officially! Spring was not easy this year. You might have noticed my non-blog happening. It got progressively worse and was decimating me physically and emotionally. Spiritually it was knocking me onto my knees to repeat the words of the Serenity Prayer throughout the day and night. Just rough. School situations finally ended for the kids a little over a week ago and I finished up last Friday. Doctors and dentists the beginning of the week. This means TODAY marked the beginning of our official summer!

I thought we needed something new and exciting to celebrate this exciting beginning. I have been lax about most of my plans for the summer. Hubby pushed me to plan an official vacation. Our lazy summers in PA are something we normally look forward to, this year I am not ready for that yet. I'm also trying to severely limit our spending on gas and other frivolous stuff. So I needed something that could bring some of the fun, random activities into our everyday. I came up with "Summer Bingo".

Many of you may have heard of summer bingo before. It is a mainstay amongst home-schoolers and stay-at-home moms to alleviate the "Mom, I'm bored" syndrome spreads like a contagious disease amongst school aged kids. So we busted it out of my mental archives to put into action. I came up with some simple, blank 25 square boards for each child. I made up a 2 column per page, 2 page list of ideas for activities (one page side is random, onepage side is grouped by concepts like Math, Writing, Chores, Serving Others, Outdoors Fun and Art). I made a sheet with house rules and rewards. Finally I sat down with the kids to start it.

The rules are simple:
1. Chores need to be done each day before you can work on it.
2. Sunday you get a new chart to fill in with activities for the week. You can choose a free space as long as you make the chart. If Mom makes the chart, no free space (and it might be a chore space then too).
3. Keep the 'rents informed about what squares you are doing.
4. You get a ticket for each bingo completed (horizontal, vertical, diagonal, h, corners). Tickets can be spent on prizes.
5. Blackout Bingo by Saturday earns you $5 to spend as you wish.

Rewards are pretty simple to:
1 ticket- Extra 10 minutes of quiet reading at bedtime
2 tickets- Popsicle/scoop of ice-cream at home
3 tickets- 1 hour of Wii/Dsi/TV
4 tickets- Redbox rental
5 tickets- Ice-cream out (like a fastfood cone)
Blackout BINGO- $5 to spend as you wish!

The kids very quickly decided which activities to put on their board, working together so they could fulfill the "sibling" activities at the same time. They checked the choices off on their own lists so they no which ones not to repeat. And the got started. Free space done- check! First activity- make and play a board game- check! Off to a grand start!

Now for this week's problem. We are starting on Wednesday. They only have tonight, tomorrow, Friday and Saturday to complete BINGO. They had so much fun making the games and now playing them that I can't get them to move on. And lots of this week's activities are lllooonnnnggggg! The trade-off is worth it though: it is the teamwork going on. They haven't argued all evening! At all. They are enjoying each others company. They are encouraging each others creativity. They'll move on when they're ready. Hoping this is a great to start to the BEST SUMMER YET!

BINGO! I think its a winner!!!

Weekend getaway...

It started as a romantic getaway. That is until we realized we'd be bringing the kids. Then it became a family trip with a meal as grown-ups at some point during the outing. What fun we had though! Here are some of the spectacular views we enjoyed at the hotel (along with great food, the smore's in the outside fireplace, and the amazing pool)...


After our checkout, we headed to the ocean. We stopped in a rinky dink town and saw a gem of a waterfront house from 1861 for sale. Wish it were realistic in price and effort but I thinks not! Gorgeous though...


It rained a bit while we explored the grounds of the old house and as we got back on the road. We eventually got away from the spring downpour. Grey skies chased us, but we beat them to the beach. We were there just long enough to go touch the Atlantic, find a few shells, and chase a few gulls before the skies opened up again and the rains came down...

Then back in the car for a new route back home! We had a delightful time enjoying our family and parts of the eastern shore we haven't adventured in and around before. As always it ended too soon, but we'll be looking forward to next time!!!

Long days and weeks...

Sometimes life seems to fly by, other moments creep. My days and weeks lately have been long! Between my body dragging these days, my work outside and inside the home, and the needs of those people around me each day life certainly can drag. I am so ready for a break! Many days it feels like the focus is difficult to take off my own little existence and its struggles.

I then look at those around me and realize that I can keep my life in perspective. A friend's child is seeing how fragile life is as she sees one of her young pals mourn the death of her mother. I watch as a child from our school battles life threatening cancer and her family faces medical bills that tower out of reach. I see so many sad faces as the world watches Japan face natural disasters and their impending tragic effect on life all over their country and potentially their impact on the world.



Many prayers going out, lighting a candle for those who need to see the Light...

Allergies

Well I got a phone call from the pediatrician recently. The little man has allergies. He had stopped eating lots of things and we were getting increasingly worried about it. In the last few weeks we have knocked a bunch of things out of our diet and are finding some new favorites. We already didn't do food dyes and some preservatives (petroleum based products) so this has been interesting. Not cheap overall either as we go through trial and error. Not cheap in general- most cheap processed foods are loaded with the first three items on or list of can't eats.

10 things that are allergy or sensitivity inducing foods...

1. wheat
2. soy
3. corn
4. peanuts
5. apples
6. oranges
7. tomatoes
8. raw pears
9. raw peaches
10. raw carrots

10 things we are now enjoying eating

1. corn, soy, wheat free bread when it is toasty hot with butter but not cold with sunbutter
2. rice mac and cheese (rice pasta)
3. baked sweet and white potatoes
4. rice in the crock pot, then served with either milk and honey or cheese
5. frozen mashed bananas
6. steak
7. soda with real cane sugar like Pepsi Throwback and Sierra Mist Natural
8. eggs
9. baked oatmeal (like a big, soft cookie)
10. cream of rice cereal

Add into this our traditional items like yogurt, oatmeal, homemade soups, fruit (cantelope, banana, pineapple, blueberries and strawberries) and veggies (squash, peas, cooked carrots, broccoli and peppers). It is hard not to just pick up something to eat while you are out. Only a few chain restaurants like Outback are able to do safe meals; they actually have a whole gluten free menu which gives us a good start. It is also hard to get used to carrying all the meds we need to have with us in case of an reaction (anaphylaxis). The good news is that he is eating again (and eating and eating) and some other little things like congestion are being positively affected. We are so blessed to be dealing with an otherwise healthy kid, allergies are something we can deal with! This is a journey I can handle...

Brussels Sprouts...

Have you ever tried the little fellows? You know the mini cabbages? Your mom probably bought them in the bag from the frozen vegetable section at the local grocery market. That is how I always buy them. And I like them. But no one else does. Not even the husband. And he doesn't even fake liking them and complain later. He just does not eat them. At all.

Well, I keep hearing that the fresh ones are good. Like other people like them. Their families like them. So I put them on my mental grocery list. You know the one. "I need to remember to buy them if I see them, cause no one else in the family will." So today in Costco the big 2 lb bag of fresh brussel sprouts was calling my name. I put them in my cart with other "oddities" like snap peas, celery, and cucumbers. The children were not thrilled.

Shortly after arriving home I started hearing, "I'm hungry!" A quick snack and Mama was off to research brussels sprouts. I decided on a meal of whole wheat spaghetti and sauce, brussel sprouts, avocados and fresh bread. I know, lots of starch. We originally talked about tomato sauce, but decided that maybe pesto would go better. I don't put pine nuts in pesto, but the kids love the garlic, basil, cheese concoction that I came up with. I cut the avocados and sliced the bread.

Meanwhile I soaked the halved sprouts in salty water. Then tossed in oil, salt, and pepper. Finally placed them cut side down on the tray and carefully put in the oven at 475. Took them out in about 15 minutes. Got everything ready and called the kids.

They were excited to see the spaghetti dish. A nice bowl for each. A slice of bread. And the brussels sprouts and avocados in the center of the table. And excitement...until they saw the sprouts.

The excitement became dread as they exclaimed, "You are not going to make us eat those!"

Quietly I responded, "Just one." Groans ensue. I didn't say anything else about it until they asked for seconds on the pasta. Then just a quiet, "What about the sprouts?"

Little Lady was first. She tried the tiniest one we could find. She popped it in, looked at her brother and exclaimed, "You have to try it, it tastes like fries." Salt definitely helps doesn't it.

He grudgingly tried one as well, but his was spit out with a big, "Yuck, leafy!" When he realized he wouldn't get anything else, he popped it back and chugged some water. He was not happy about it though!!!

And me? Tastes like fries was a pretty good description. Yummy little brussels sprout fries!!! I think they may make it onto the table again. At least once until the big bag is finished.

Snow...

While we haven't gotten the massive storms of last year, we have gotten a few, smaller storms this year. We love snow!


Some front lawn sledding...


Snow angels...


Wet mittens and shoes left on the porch...

New Year...New ???

So the New Year is here! In fact it is almost a month in. Honestly, I was hoping to blog more. Instead it seems I am blogging less. So much for a new leaf! So here are some things I have done since January 1st...

Started using an agenda book to keep track.
Visited the dentist with an infected tooth.
Started cooking more at home.
Got report cards done for 2nd quarter.
Enjoyed time with my husband.
Done the day to day stuff with the kids.
Spent some time with friends.
Worked hard.
Played Bunco.
Prayed.
Laughed.
Loved.
Lived.

So not too bad, eh? I never did resolutions this year. Just didn't really get to finishing them. I did look back at last years and realized...it's all good...I succeeded at mine. I said I would make an effort to be more earth friendly and recycle/reuse/repurpose in a way that was more efficient than I had been. And I did.

Happiness is...

Family.
Playing with our kids.
Being a mom.

Love.

A warm home on a cold night.

Homemade pie for the holidays.

Pets.

Snow Angels. Snowflakes. Snow.

Squirrels.

Shoulder rides.
Having kiddos little enough to give shoulder rides.

Freedom.

Friends. Some come and go. Some are close for a time and then not. Some we may not even notice exist. And some are forever.

Sunsets.
So much fun to watch from a corn field the changing colors.

Somedays I need to be reminded of some of the things that make me happy. Life can be tough, faith is constantly tested, and it is hard to be strong. But all in all, there are some cool things to think of when life is at its toughest! Maybe I just need to take the time to think of a list of gratitude more often.

Jack of all trades, master of none...

I often get the feeling I am a "Jack of all trades". I dabble (or have in the past) in many different areas artistically (painting, sketching, some clay sculpture, pottery, jewelry making, weaving, photography, crafting also- especially crochet, cross stitching, sewing, stamping), professionally (teacher currently, have been a tech writer, corporate consultant, done sales, even a public speaker), and in my private life (wife, mom, homemaker but far from a domestic goddess). I have gobs of interests that are pretty odd (kids gear and information about various special needs in kids). Problem is that I have so many interests, such a patchwork of dabbling and in reality so little time, I find myself lagging in some of these areas more than others. Makes me wonder what I will finally choose to be when I grow up, especially when some of the things are less realistic the older I get. I feel at times a bit like alphabet soup...you never know what letters you'll get today and if they will make a word or not!

Below: Some of my dabbling...
Aprica stroller (Kid gear) with Veggie Tale Storage Sack (Sewing)

Peacefulness- The Calm Returns After the Storm (Photography)

Operation Encouragement...

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

When I wake up in the morning, it often seems to be on the wrong side of the bed. Usually it begins by upsetting my husband as I hit snooze for the umpteenth time. I finally roll out of bed to yell at the kids to get up for school. The arguing begins as we figure out clothes (I thought they said they had them out before bed), get breakfast (there is never anything everybody likes), brush teeth (but we all did it before bed), and get out the door (trust me kids, I'd rather be in bed asleep still too and no I didn't remember to make our lunches). Then we move on to the next phase of the day, the ride to school. It starts looking up when we wish Grandma a good morning and find out if she has run later than our craziness has. Arrival at school just seems to mean fighting siblings, a majorly stressed out mama, and a day ready to start sooner than we are! Often my coworkers are just as tired and downtrodden as they arrive. Not a very nice way to start the day. I mean it is not a start to the day that has been wrought with any encouragement!

So let's look more closely at this. Encourage (the root of encouragement) is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as 1. to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope : to hearten encouraged to continue by her early success> b : to attempt to persuade : to urge encouraged him to go back to school>

2. to spur on : to stimulate encourages plant growth>

3. to give help or patronage to : to foster encourage conservation>

Encourage is an action verb. Encourager is a noun, the person who is doing the encouraging. Encouragement is the act itself of encouraging. We are called [in 1 Thessalonians 5:11] to encourage others, therefore to be an encourager completing acts of encouragement toward each other. So it specifies an action (encourage/build up) and it specifies a recipient. The recipient is "each other." This means your neighbor, your friend, your loved ones, your fellow Christians. It does not exclude, rather has open arms.

I realized though that often we encourage many. We reach out to other countries, we reach out to the lame and the lost, we reach out to so many in physical need. We forget about the spiritual needs we have. We burn out as we spread ourselves thinner and thinner winning souls for Him and in the midst we loose the souls we already have. We become burdened and heavy laden. We feel alone. We feel unappreciated. We feel unloved. We treat those closest to us in the least encouraging manner of all!

When I tried to think more about my morning I realized something important. At some point in the morning a change happens, a ray of sunshine [or Son-shine] shines through, the encouragement begins. This turn around often happens for me as the staff meet for devotions together- burying our hearts for a few moments in His Word, prayerfully turning all our troubles over to Him and hitting the restart button on our day. I have begun to feel a great desire to share that feeling of care through word and prayer with others. That is how during this past week Operation Encouragement began. It is the effort to reach out to those around me. It is the effort to feed the souls of those who also working to share the good news of Christ's gift of salvation!

I will update more about the efforts of Operation Encouragement in my life soon. In the meantime, how can you implement acts of encouragement in your own life?

Reflection:
What is your attitude?
How can you work to provide encouragement and to build each other up?

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. Hebrews 3:13

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:25

Family by choice...

I was talking to an old friend tonight. I am looking forward to seeing her and her extended family tomorrow to mourn her dad's death and celebrate his memory. It made me think of some of my favorite people who have impacted my life and who I look forward to seeing again in heaven. She and I were also realizing tonight that there are some things that people [in our families] just don't get. Often family can't see the forest through the trees. Because of their blindness, they let you down over and over and over. She and I were both amazed at how blood can mean so little and how our true family- those in our hearts- are the chosen family that have ended up in our lives through a variety of circumstances (birth and blood being one, marriage and friendship also being some of the routes) are the ones that buoy and encourage us through the most challenging times.

When we hung up the phone, something struck me that I will share with her tomorrow. How awesome is it that our Heavenly Father loves us! And that He chooses to allow us to be a part of His family. He doesn't force it. Yet He invites us in as His children by grace through faith. Our blood ties have nothing to do with it, however His blood was spilled for it. All as a gift- given freely without strings. He gives it to us because we are part of His chosen family- wanted, loved and redeemed!

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not die but have eternal life. John 3:16

Well, how'd I do?

I posted a list of summer time goals back in June. Well summer officially ended as autumn moved in this week. It has been over for me since August as I went back to my job of teaching in a small school. So here is my check in of how I did on my goals...

Read “The China Study”- Read it. It wasn't as life changing as I thought it would be though it was interesting. Dull read over all, but made me cut back a bit on meat.

Create a BUDGET!!!- Hubs and I are still working on this one. This is a team sport when you are married and the other player on the team and I work different shifts. We definitely opened discussions about finance that have brought us forward in the effort, but not there. I did however work with a mini budget as I was traveling with the kiddos. This at least got some of the extra spending reeled in.

Stick to said budget- Stuck to the mini budget. See above on the regular budget.

Stay “No-shampoo”- Okay, this sounds way gross to most people I know. I don't use regular shampoo. It has all kinds of cancer causing chemicals, it was not making my hair look good (it was all greasy) and I couldn't seem to find something that worked well. I tried a bunch of different things and finally was able to make my own special recipe of "No-shampoo" shampoo. Sounds crazy huh? But my hair looks good, is growing, and it is super easy on the wallet. Success!

Rest my voice- Miracles happen. As one of my friends said "I don't think you'll survive 4 hours, let alone 4 weeks!" After 10 weeks of vocal rest my nodules healed. I have been allowed to return to work. I am trying to find a speech language therapist who will work with adults to strengthen my voice. I can tell it isn't like it used to be yet, but it is so strong compared to June!!!

Write- Hey I can call this a success, I've been writing this blog!

Spend time daily praying- This I have done much better on. I worked to have personal devotion time, to have study with other Christians of the Word, and to pray, pray, pray. This fall has come and I am yet again blessed to enjoy devotions at work. It is sometimes hard for me to be faithful about praying. I struggle with prayers that are not answered. I struggle with listening (I like to talk, listening is hard). I just sometimes struggle. But God is good and He is faithful. I try to be as well.

Walk more- This was easy when we went to the little house. It is in a beautiful park on a hill, has paths, is in a town with sidewalks, and most of it is shaded (cooler!). Home is hot, on a short street, off a busy rural route. Not overly conducive for regular exercise. I did start parking much further away from anything- church, store, work, etc. My kids are often telling me I am torturing them by forcing the few extra steps, but it is helping me to meet my goal of more.

Occasionally ride a bike- I did. And I got both kids riding. My bike is broken though, so until it is fixed it really was [and will remain] occasional.

Visit at least 5 new spots with the kids- We did pretty well on this. Dorney, Areas of Philly, a new county park, Adventure Aquarium, and a couple museums.

Visit some favorite “standards” with the kiddos- Well we hit some old favorites, though not all the ones we wanted on this either. The little house, the pool, grandparents homes, and a couple museums.

Sew- Okay this one didn't happen.

Crochet- This one either.

Have BBQ- Well nothing at our house. We started planning and then lost trees. They are moved over to our side yard where they are drying out. Seems like each time we start moving ahead 2 steps we get knocked back 1. We did go to some, so that was a start.

Learn to use my camera well- This one is a work in progress. I took gobs of pictures! I love my new camera. I think it is one that I will always be in some stage of learning with though.


So there you have it, my goals. Met, yet to be met, works in progress, or knocked off the list! Here is to a job well done! (Photos- The inside of the National Building Museum in Washington, DC [below] and the exterior of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, PA [above right])

Back to...

This is the season for "Back to School" in our house! Work started up officially this week. My classroom is looking good and falling into place. I am gaining excitement about the year as I gear up for an official start. Meanwhile my kids are also getting ready as school starts officially next week. Supplies are in bags under the dining room table, I still need to sort them by child a bit better. It is exciting to watch as they each progress in their academic endeavors but also in their spiritual and emotional endeavors as well. I know someday I may look back at this hectic season and think how I miss it or how I didn't take the time to completely enjoy it. Tonight however, exhaustion is keeping me from the enjoyment. I am off to bed!!!

Dynamite Daytrips...

This year we have taken some really dynamite daytrips. Some have been pricey, some have been economical. Some of our "old standards" didn't happen for various reasons. Here are our thoughts about a few:

Adventure Aquariums; Camden, NJ-
Daytrip attended by 2 adults (myself and my sister) and 4 children (Lovely Lady, Little Man, Daring Nephew, Adventurous Niece). Drive from Bucks Co., PA took us through sections of Philly that were unique. We saw lots of wall murals, a bunch of open fire hydrants, and lots of older model cars along the way. It was interesting to see how you could tell so clearly the changing of a city neighborhood. The GPS routed us, next time I think we will consult a map and follow it's guidance instead though. Once in Camden, we went straight to the Aquarium. Look up the per person cost prior to going- it sin't cheap and there really weren't any discounts available "at the door." The Aquarium itself was fantastic! It is set up to have some displays to observe unique fish (tropical fish, sharks, etc) and animals (hippos, turtles). It is very different from many other aquariums in the number of interactive exhibits. They had touch tanks of numerous shapes and sizes, allowing visitors to touch sharks, jelly fish, and rays. Little Man was especially excited by the Cow Nose Rays, and couldn't believe that he was allowed to reach in to their watery space and interact with them. Food choices were limited, we chose to hit a place on the way home to eat. There is a children's botanical garden next door, however we didn't get to check that out (too hot and too late). Overall, definitely a place I would go to again!

Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom; Allentown, PA-
We try to hit a theme park at least once during the summer. This year was Dorney Park. We were able to get tickets from Daring Nephew's Boy Scout Troop at a discount. There were 8 of us for the theme park- me, Hubby, 2 sisters were the adults; children-Lovely Lady, Little Man, Daring Nephew, Adventurous Niece. Drive was not bad, it is not far from Rt. 78. Paid parking was okay, we got there quite early though and had a handicapped person/permit. Entry was easy since we already had our ticket. Scooter Cart rental and handicapped rider pass was a bit of a pain: wait in one line, they send you to another line where you work on the handicapped pass, finally you get sent to another building area to rent your scooter. The park itself is quite large with something for everyone. All the kids found rides they liked, even my typically non-riding Lovely Lady! One hat was lost (caught air on a coaster, was in sight just not an area we could get it) and while we were promised it would be mailed, we have yet to have received it. Wild Water Kingdom was fun for the kiddos, they especially liked the wave pool. Unfortunately swim diapers were not mandatory and the big house sprinkler was shut down for poop. The water must have been filtered with the lazy river water also as that was shut at the same time. They reopened quickly, however our tummies were turned at the thought and we went back to the wave area. Life vests are available, but they don't push them. We had one not so strong swimming duckling that we forced it on for river rapid tube run! The Mama in me wishes they had forced it before I let that duckling down without the first time. The rides are all open after the Wild Water Kingdom closes, so we still had lots to do. I would say for our crew, they most difficult part of the day was due to terrain. It is quite hilly and not very shady making it rough for our scooter riding member and for the rest of us to walk! We liked it all the same, and will return another time.

National Building Museum; Washington, DC-
The National Building Museum was not a completely new stop for us. I had gone a few years back with the kids. It was not something they enjoyed at the time, meaning neither did I. We went this summer to specifically see the Lego exhibit. There is a cost for tickets to the exhibit; it is $5 per person ages 3 and up. Our group had 9, only one under 3. The ticket is for an hour window in the exhibit. We went from 11-noon. First you see replicas of some famous buildings- Sears Tower, WTC Tower 2, Dubai Tower, Fallingwater are just a few of the famous representations there. All out of Lego's! They had information about them also, like the design hours for the models and the hours put into the actual building with the Lego's. Then there was a Lego area for visitors to put their own best efforts to work. Finally you put your Lego buildings onto a city section for display. We wished we could bring them home instead! To escape the exhibit you were supposed to proceed through a Lego themed gift shop hosting Lego sets ($25 for some, Fallingwater was $100), Lego calculators (appr. $35) and more. They graciously let us escape with all 6 kids through the entrance instead! Oh and parking...Parking is difficult in that area of the city. We ended up at a quarter eating meter. Nickels got you 1.5 minutes, dimes- 3 minutes, quarters- 7 minutes. From the time we parked until we ran out of coins was about 2.75 hours or 165 minutes. You do the math!!!

Smithsonian Museum of American History; Washington, DC-
Parking was again a fiasco! We ended up parking near the Capital building at one end of the National Mall and walking to the museum at the other end. Ouch! The museum was a lot of fun though! We enjoyed exhibits about holidays (especially the replica of a Pikachu balloon from a Thanksgiving Day parade), TV stars (Kermit the Frog was there), First Ladies gowns, transportation and the inventions floor! The favorite had to be the escalator rides though for 2 of my young com padres! We went down, up, up, up, down, up, down, down, down! Guy waiting for his family at the time thought it was hysterical the first time we passed, was convinced we were running off sugar on the second. Cafe closed earlier than the museum, a disappointment for my weary, hungry travelers. We made due with our snacks from home, filled up on water at the fountain, and s-l-o-w-l-y trekked back to the car. The slow trek back was made most exciting by the blond squirrel along the National Mall, the counting of items of various colors (red, orange, purple), seeing an officer on a bike (Mom, he's Park Police!), and a short rest on a bench. We were relieved to be back to the car, even if the inside of it was 162 degrees!!! Okay, small exaggeration maybe but it was 99 outside so very hot! Again, hot day, fun outing, parking limited.

Summertime...

Lots of exciting stuff going on this summer!!!

Lovely Lady is growing up. She is writing neat stuff, lots of poetry which happens to be better than mine. I am biased however. Her vocabulary grows along with her writing; which is good when writing and bad when articulating dissent in the ranks of family life. She also has grown into a really great big sister, cheering on and supporting her little brother really well. She is the kind of sister I'd want. She is dramatic, creative, beautiful, smart, and sweet. I love seeing her writing in her journal each day, playing with the old dog, and scooting on the scooter all over!

Little Man is certainly growing up too. He is swimming like a fish, even jumping off the diving board at his grandparents pool. Last night he hit an amazing high. We took him and his bike to a parking lot across the street from the park. With Lovely Lady cheering madly, he was able to take off on 2 wheels. He rambled around that lot for about an hour, not stopping once! He continues to be a Pokemon master, though conversations about Bakugan have started to creep in. He also articulates things carefully, making clear in no uncertain terms how he feels about life.

Well, as for me, I guess I am growing up too. I am reading all kinds of interesting books (The China Study, An Elephant in the Playroom, The Explosive Child, Lost at School, Boys Adrift to name a few!) that are pretty heavy. I did also read a couple lighter ones along with lots of magazine articles. I also have also been working on other stuff, like yanking out my Dave Ramsey books and creating an updated budget for the family. I joined a pool and am dragging the kids there as often as I can which we love! I also have been doing a ton of driving between the two homes. I think I'll be as sad as the children to see summer end. I am each year it seems. The more time passes filled with unfulfilled dreams the more I treasure this time with the kids. It all seems to go too fast!!!

The Mama Osprey

As I drove down Rt. 6, I couldn't believe how big the baby osprey had gotten. I finally could see it's head above the nest box edge. I made a u turn, pulled over across the street away from them and pulled out my camera. I don't know what caught her attention first- the crazy u turn or the sound of the window rolling down, but by the time the camera was out she had spotted me.


She started screaming at me! Her baby quickly hid. My babies started warning me from the backseat "You'd better not get out of the car, she looks like she's gonna get you!" She screamed loudly at me and watched me like a hawk (pun intended).


She made it very clear she wasn't about to let me get any good shots of the baby even when I left and came back further away in a different spot. I guess I can't blame her, I'd do the same for my kids. It was a beautiful sight and a fun experience as I learn how to work with my camera.


Don't forget to click on the pictures to see them larger. The one where she is staring at me is really cool when larger!

Fadazzling Toenails... The art of the family pedicure

My guilty pleasure of me time is my bi-annual pedicure at the salon. It usually happens right before school starts and right when it ends. My little piece of heaven. However as my kids get older, they have begun to think of those pedicures as "we" time rather than my "me" time. Tonight I found a fun solution to that. I went to Walmart and got all kinds of pedicure stuff. Files, clippers, trimmers, push things, and a bunch of nail polish colors.

When we got home, I got out a plastic tub, filled it with warm, soapy water and stuck Little Man's feet right in. Then one at a time I took them out, dried them, trimmed, pushed, and filed them. Next was my Lovely Lady's turn. We stuck her feet in the tub with a new batch of warm, soapy water. Then one at a time I took them out, dried them, trimmed, pushed, and filed them. She had picked her colors, cherub and chartreuse shimmer otherwise known as pink and green. We did her big, middle and pinky toes green. Her remaining toes got the sheerest pink.

Then it was my turn. I stuck my big ole' boats in the tub, filled with a new batch of warm soapy water. Then one at a time, they were taken out for the drying, trimming, filing, and pushing. However, the excitement was increasing as I pondered over my color choice. They expressed their thoughts of combinations. Mostly however, they were articulating their desire to paint my nails for me. Little Man carefully did my big toes, with Lovely Lady filling any missed spots. Then Lovely Lady did my remaining four smaller nails on each foot. Now I had to choose my color. I decided on a beautifully aquamarine shimmer, BonBons #0113. Carefully I spread it over my nails. First coat dried, then second coat. While shimmery aquamarine toenails might be enough for most 30 something moms, my children continued to encourage me. We top coated with Cosmos, a clear coat filled with fine glitter in a silvertone and larger flakes of star shaped glitter in a complimentary blue green. Little Man looked carefully at each one, then at me and stated matter-of-factly "They are fadazzling Mommy! They are fantastic and dazzling all in one!"

So here I sit. Toe seperators carefully removed, shimmery aquamarine toenails, covered in sparkles and glitter. The children are now asleep, I am having my "me' time. I reflect back on my evening realizing that this pedicure filled with "we" time blew away any others I have ever had. In the words of Little Man, my evening was "fadazzling" it was "fantastic and dazzling all in one!"

Superhero

I dreamt I was a super hero,
Able to preform amazing tasks,
I could even fly,
Then I woke in a crazy sweat,
There in bed I lie.

Superheros are surely not real,
they are nothing more,
Than dreams and aspirations,
Of helping more than you hurt,
Of providing some super-human inspirations.

So I get up and out of bed,
I dress myself in my mommy clothes,
Ready to start my day,
And realize right then I am a superhero,
To the kids who are joining me now to play.

Loving My Vitamix!!!

The Vitamix

I love my Vitamix, like seriously love the thing! It is the appliance that has changed my life, but I never knew I needed or wanted. I had a kitchen full of appliances. My blender which got used especially for pasta sauces, my Magic Bullet which was my main smoothie squeeze until I learned my smoothies weren’t so smooth and were getting s-l-o-w-e-r, my juicer which made awesome juice and left behind lots of healthy junk to clean up, and my food processor which to be honest never got used. As a family we were becoming more aware of what we were eating, and for our kids especially what they weren’t eating! What we were eating was way too much junk when we were running late, and not enough of the healthy stuff like fruits and veggies, especially for the kids.

One day we were on a family outing to our favorite store…Costco! Hubby needed a rest, daughter and son were on the lookout for samples, and I was actually food shopping. Hubby found a chair to sit in, which happened to be across from a Vitamix display. This made the kids happy because it meant samples. Win win situation! I quickly finished up grabbing my last items and joined them to watch the girl at the display. First she made Tortilla soup- a nice veggie soup with some beans and chips mixed in on the lowest setting right before serving. I couldn’t wait to try it! The kids weren’t so keen on trying it. The woman told them that if they tried it, she would make them a chocolate shake. They tried and loved the soup. Before she made the shake, she made some pink lemonade with grapes and lemon. That was awesome too! So now she starts the chocolate shake.

This chocolate shake was like nothing we had ever seen. She put in spinach, cabbage and carrots to her liquid parts. Then she added pineapple, banana, and strawberry. Last she added some Ovaltine for the chocolate. Wallah, a delicious chocolate banana split shake! She talked to the kids the whole time asking things like “Does your mom put spinach into your chocolate shakes?” The kids were just dumbfounded! It certainly wasn’t going to stop them from trying the shake though. They tried it, asked for seconds, then told Hubby and I that we really should get this. He and I decided it was worth a try. So we did.

When we got home, buyers’ remorse immediately set in. I wondered what I had done, how I could be so foolish, would I use this, I already have a blender-Magic Bullet-juicer-food processor!!! I put the box in the closet and turned on the computer. On the internet I have learned you can find out information about almost anything. Blenders are definitely included in that! I read blogs, magazine articles, reviews and anything else I could find about the Vitamix. I learned about their company (makes the product in the USA still), their warranty (7 years, wow!), and how it stacked against its competition (especially the Blendtec). I liked what I learned. So finally I opened the box, cleared a spot on my counter and started using my Vitamix. I haven’t looked back since!


Which model did you choose and why?
We have the 5200 model. We originally only purchased the blender with the wet container. We have since gotten the dry container as well. We purchased at a demonstration at Costco, so we did get to see it in action.

Is it louder than the average blender?
Yes and no. On lower speeds, no it is similar to a regular blender. On higher speeds, yes it is because it goes faster than a regular blender.

How hard is it to clean?
Super easy! We rinse after each use in the morning with hot water. We often make soup at dinner in it, so after that we rinse, use hot water and a few drops of dish soap, a bottle brush if something is stubborn, and then actually turn on the blender with the soapy water. Cleans up quickly and beautifully!

Keep it on the counter or store it away? I've heard it's rather large.
It is fairly large. I do keep it on my counter because I use it so much. I just put the canister next to the base. When I use it, I pull the base forward and put the canister on top. They do make a smaller canister which would be great if I were just making stuff for 2. Since I use it to make for 4, I like the large container.

It leaves no leftover bits in the smoothies, right? Would you say it's like Jamba Juice consistency, even with veggies added?
I haven’t had JambaJuice. It is the machine my local Starbucks uses as well as a local smoothie shop. It leaves no extra bits. The trick is making sure you have just enough liquid in first. More liquid makes for nectar like juices (even with carrots), liquid and ice makes for great smoothies, and for soups no ice is needed- just veggies with seasonings and liquid. Soup is left running for about 5 minutes and is hot when you pour it right out of the blender. On low speeds you can put in things like cabbage with water and it just chops like a food processor would

Vitamix recipe books or sites that you use?
I use their recipe book a lot. I will run online searches if I can’t find something specific. I also play with my own concoctions as well. I have learned to write them down though so I can recreate them.

Did you find that you make more with it because you love it so much?
Yes! I was hesitant at first. The more I tried things though, the more I used it. Now it is a daily use item, most used after the fridge, stove and dishwasher. I use it to make shakes and juice for breakfast, I typically use it for soup at lunch or dinner, and often to puree down stuff for the kids food. Often we have dessert from it too. Strawberry shakes (milk, yogurt if on hand, and frozen strawberries) are a favorite that I am comfortable feeding the kids daily! Because I use it so much it has actually lowered our food bills; we eat out much less and use more of what we buy in a variety of recipes. Looking back it took a couple months, but it actually paid for itself in savings within a couple months!

But why????

As a mom, I am beginning to understand my parents frustration with the word WHY. I try to do a better job of answer my children, even though I still chuckle at the why-because game I played with my mom and dad. So here it is...
Why?
Because I love you. And loving you means that I am supposed to raise you right. And raising you right means raising a decent human being who grows to be an adult able to take care of themselves, work as a responsible member of society, move out of my home and be an awesome adult! That is why!!!