Drained...

It's no secret that things have been busy around here. I'm physically drained this week. As a result, I'm also pretty emotionally drained this week. And, this has been a 'not fun' week to have a food allergic child. (n.b. - My purpose in writing this post is not to complain or seek sympathy. This blog is an outlet for me as much as it's a way to share and remember. I'll get to the point....)

I like to think I'm usually a pretty laid-back mom when it comes to Miss M's food allergies. That I can survey a situation without others noticing. That my behavior doesn't shout "helicopter mom" even though that's what I'm charged with being - at least when it comes to food allergies. That I'm not terrified, but only reasonably cautious, when PB&J's appear at picnic lunches with friends. (Please go read a little more about my experience as a food allergy parent in a guest post over here). Certainly, I make folks aware of our situation, but it's usually not a big deal. So why is it on my mind right now?....

We've spent the week at Vacation Bible School. There's a snack supper in the evenings. They serve some foods that Miss M cannot have. They also serve an alternative meal for kids that don't like what's being served. Yep, you guessed it ... it's peanut butter and jelly. I've found that this arrangements isn't at all unusual, and I've tried to be supportive of a friend who is also experiencing the same thing this week with her food-allergic child. Through our common experience, we are really supporting each other, and that has been invaluable!

At VBS, we have to ask for a 'no dessert' plate for Miss M's dinner. It's not ever been this tough for me, as a food-allergy parent, to make my child into a 'have not.' I think it's the daily repetition that's getting to me. Miss M isn't concerned that she doesn't have the same dessert as everyone else. (I pack a special treat for her, just in case she notices - which has only been one time, so far.)

It also makes me sad that Miss M can't sit with her age-mates at the VBS supper. Many of them eat PB&J for dinner, so she sits with Mister J and me. I asked Miss M's teacher to make sure everyone washes their hands (not just baby wipes) before they all gather for the opening assembly. It's more work for her, and I feel badly that we are an extra burden.

As we approach the school year, I dread that this has been a taste (no pun intended) of what's to come. That thought is starting to pull me down into the depths....

The bright spot in all of this is that I know I'm not alone. There's my blog friend who is going through the same thing this week. There's the church member serving dinner who went out of her way to be sure Miss M had a non-cross-contaminated dinner plate (I have learned she has a PA kid, too). There's the VBS teacher who admitted that she has no experience with food allergies, and took the time to call me this morning to make sure the snack she will be serving tonight will be safe. I'm encouraged that there are people out there who care. I'm not doing this alone. But it still stinks....

Thursday Thanks #18

Ok, so I'm a little late. Technically, it's Friday. But, since I haven't gone to sleep yet, I'm considering it still Thursday. So, without too much delay since eventually I do have to sleep, here is what's filling up my Thanks Tank this week!

A fantastic week of Vacation Bible School - I'm helping with the elementary science class. Yes, I said science. VBS sure has changed in the 25 years few years since I was a participant! The kids are learning a lot, and I am always interested to hear the analogies that link the experiments to the Bible lessons. Combined with crafts, storytelling, and recreation, it's really a great way to reach children of all learning styles. Mister J and Miss M are having a blast! They go to all of the the 'classes' just like the big kids (but geared to the younger crowd), so they are super-engaged and love telling Big J and me about everything they did at VBS.

My job - I'm talking about being a SAHM, thought I'm certainly thankful for that! I'm talking about my part-time, flex-hours, work-from-home job. In a time when the economy isn't great, even having a job is a wonderful thing. It's been a busy month for our family and for my job - you may have noticed a scarcity of blog posts... - but I'm thankful I have this job to juggle along with my other roles.

My wonderful 'sisters'- Ladies, our time together the past few months has been really hard to come by. I just wanted to let you know that I love you all so much, I miss our time together, and I can't wait to meet for dinner again soon (though it looks like Mondays are out due to soccer, unless you want to have a picnic dinner with me during practice)! I've had bits and pieces of time here and there to visit/email/IM you, but it's just not the same. Miss you!!!

My mom friends - Whether we are linked because we are/were neighbors, because our children play or attend school/church together, because we share a similar parenting experience, or simply because a mutual friend introduced us and we hit it off, I am thankful for each and every one of those links-turned-friends. This summer, I seem to be (re)connecting with nearly everyone we've ever met since we've lived here. It's been such a joy, and it has strengthened me in a way that I really needed. Thank you to each of you! And to those of you that I keep missing, I'm committed to correcting that!

I know that there's so much more, but I have to admit that I'm tired. And I have to get up in less than 6 hours. And I'm not asleep yet since I needed some late-day caffeine to make it through VBS (more than double my average work hours this month - thankful, remember, but worn out!). I think I'm turning old. I'm ok with that, I suppose, as long as you don't tell my kids that I'm not young, fun, and cool!

By the way, hop on over and visit my bloggy friend Jane Anne, who introduced me to Thursday Thanks. She's reaching a big bloggy milestone soon!

previous Thursday Thanks posts

Scarce

Please excuse the lack of posts lately. We're wrapping up summer in fine style, and it's wearing me out! We had an info session at the kids' new school last week, VBS this week, and at the same time I'm still trying to have fun activities and clean laundry/dishes. Perhaps I should try a little more mobile blogging, since I miss it so much!

Thursday Thanks #17

First and foremost this week, I am SO thankful that Miss M was not hurt badly when she took a tumble on Sunday afternoon. I'm also thankful for all of the prayers that were said for her (and for me!) when we took our first trip to the emergency room!

I'm thankful for a wonderful opportunity to stretch my blogging wings and to share my thoughts on an issue that's very important to our family.

I'm thankful for the lovely weather we've had the last few weeks - simply lovely - and for the time we've had to enjoy the outdoors.

I'm thankful for time to visit with friends. We were able to cook out with friends over the weekend, and also had a friend come up for a visit yesterday. The time to catch up with each other was wonderful - and long overdue!

Update on Miss M

Just a quick note to let you know that Miss M continues to do well after her "the driveway won" head lump. The swelling continues to go down, the color on her forehead is fading (it's that 'old bruise yellow' right now, underneath a little bit of road rash), but she has developed some purple color in the inner corners of her eyes. The lump is a little right of center, so her right eye has the deepest color. We were warned that the color may 'bleed' into black eyes, so thankfully I wasn't surprised by this change. She also continues to tell us that it doesn't hurt, which is good news to me. Most importantly, she's still just as spirited and adventurous as ever!

Firsts

We've had a lot of firsts in the last several days!

1) Last Thursday, Mister J did a back-flip on the rings of our swingset - all by himself! Here he is showing off his new skill while visiting Grandma and Grandpa R over the weekend.

(pictures to follow very soon!)

2) The kids also enjoyed their first straight-from-the-tree apples! This tree has been producing for years, so I don't know why we haven't done this before now. Miss M was particularly pleased that she could reach - and pick! - the apples. Whenever we were outside, she'd wander to the tree for another apple!

(again, pictures as soon as I hook up the camera!)

3) We tasted our very first orange-flesh honeydew! It was just as you would imagine- a cantaloupe-y tasting honeydew. Still - yum!

(pictures... you guessed it ... coming soon)

4) We also went to a local water park during our visit - it was Miss M's first time in a water park. I wish I'd remembered my camera! Grandma R took hers, and I'll have to get copies of her pictures....

5) Also over the weekend, we took our first trip to the emergency room with one of our children. Miss M took a spill in the driveway at Grandma and Grandpa R's house, and ended up with a big lump on her forehead. She's ok, but I was worried enough to go and have her checked out - especially since we were away from home and from our pediatrician's office.

6) And here's the first "fruit" of our garden. We grilled this yummy squash with our dinner last night. I'm excited about the others that are growing, as one squash wasn't nearly enough to satisfy all of us!

On a garden-related note, we have discovered that the zucchini seedlings we purchased (and subsequently planted) are actually okra plants. While I'm disappointed to not have zukes in my garden, I am looking forward to picking the okra. Big J and I had already discussed planting okra in our garden next year, so it's certainly something we'll eat!

Hop On Over...

Hi Friends!

I'm not here right now, but if you need me, hop on over to Triad Smarty Pants. I'm guest posting there today!

Back soon!
RLR

(text follows)

Food Allergies: A Parent's Perspective

At my daughter’s recent well-child check-up, the pediatrician and I were discussing my daughter’s diet. More specifically, we were discussing that my daughter doesn’t care for meat. As we talked about alternatives to ensure that she is getting enough protein, we immediately removed the top two suggestions, peanut butter and eggs, from consideration. Why? Because my daughter is allergic to both of them.

Two summers ago, my husband and I learned of our daughter’s food allergies. We immediately cleared our refrigerator and pantry of any food that could cause another reaction, began reading food labels even more closely, and by tried to learn as much as we could from doctors, parents of food allergic children, and online resources. In our home and other familiar environments - such as the homes of family and friends, our church, or our preschool - we are very comfortable with the level of care and attention to preventing exposure. It’s when we leave these familiar surroundings that our level of concern shifts into overdrive...

Family gatherings, vacations, parties, cookouts, and trips to the pool are just some of the ways we all have fun in the summer. However, as the parent of a food-allergic child, I find that there is always a bit of worry that sneaks in when we should just be having fun. Finding ‘safe’ foods at potluck meals such as family gatherings and cookouts can be a challenge. Vacationing means not only being away from home, but perhaps being away from familiar restaurants and food brands. While we have experienced some accidental exposures, the lessons we have learned from each one have helped us anticipate situations where an allergen may be present and develop our family’s plan for avoiding future exposure.

The most important lesson we have learned is to ask questions. In a restaurant, we may ask to speak to the manager. We constantly read labels – even if someone who is aware of our daughter’s allergies is the one providing the food.

Our daughter was young when we learned of her allergies. She was still at the age where we often brought along her snacks and meals when we were out and about. As a result of her allergies, though, we have never stopped bringing them along. When we go on trips, we typically bring along our ‘safe’ granola bars, a jar of soy butter, and a few other treats in case there’s something served that our daughter cannot eat.

We do a quick visual survey when we arrive some place that is outside of our comfort zone. Because our daughter is still too young to completely understand her allergies, it is our job to be vigilant for her while we teach her ways to take care of herself.

Finally, but most importantly, we always bring along her medications just in case she is exposed to peanuts or eggs.

If you are not the parent of a food-allergic child, these precautions may seem overwhelming - or even extreme. I often get asked, “How do you do it?” or someone will say to me, “That must be hard!” Label-reading, lunch-packing, and treat-bag sorting are normal activities for our family. I think (hope!) we have made it to the point that it’s pretty inconspicuous most of the time.

There are a few things that make can special events more relaxing even though we are living with food allergies:
•Hosts that inquire about food allergies – we don’t expect a meal catered around our daughter’s diet, but we do appreciate knowing that bowls of nuts or candies won’t be sitting about
•Knowing in advance what foods will be served so we can plan accordingly, and a host who understands that we may decline certain foods or bring along alternatives
•When hosts ask for suggestions to provide a ‘safe’ alternative food
•Being able to read the labels on original food packaging whenever possible
•Teaching your children that sharing food with other children is not a good idea, unless they have permission from a parent

In any situation – summer, holidays, or even school events – an open dialogue is the most important factor in keeping a food-allergic child safe!
Here are a few online resources that I often use (click name to access):

The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network
Raising Food Allergic Kids
Sure Foods Living
Food Allergy Buzz
The Nut-Free Mom

These are great suggestions for readers who may have children with allergies, but also for others who may not quite understand how serious this situation can actually be. Thank you, RLR, for some terrific insight on this topic! Also, RLR has an adorable and uplifting blog of her own that you can check out here! - RH

Sweetness

After we picked blueberries today, I decided to make some blueberry sauce. As it was bubbling away on the stove, Mister J came to see me in the kitchen and gave me the sweetest compliment. The conversation went something like this:

Mister J: Mom, what are you making?
Me: Blueberry sauce?
Mister J: Why?
Me: We're taking it to the picnic this evening, to put on top of the ice cream.
Mister J: Mom, you're like a bakery lady.
Me: Do you think so? Why?
Mister J: Because you bake stuff that we love.

Isn't he just the sweetest?

While Miss M is Away, Mommy and Mister J Will Play!

Well, actually, Miss M hasn't really gone anywhere...
...but she is at camp this week, and she's having a blast! While she's there, Mister J and I are having our own brand of fun. Keep coming back to the post, because I'll be updating it throughout the week.

Fun Day Monday was rained out, but we had fun anyway! We went to a friend's house to pick up my co-op fruit and veggies, and she invited us to stay for a while. Mister J really enjoyed spending some time with her sons, and I enjoyed the time to visit and plan some activities for later in the week.

On Tuesday, the plan was to get messy with paper mache. We headed to our church to help make some decorations for VBS. Well, Mister J had more fun playing with the dry strips of newspaper than the wet ones, so I was the only one who really got messy. No matter, he still had fun! (No photos because I was, well, messy!)

Wednesday was Movie Day! You just can't beat the $3 kids movie program in the summer!
We saw Babe, which was new to both of us. Cute movie! We saw friends there again this week. I think the movie is becoming a more popular option now that the weather is starting to heat up a bit.

On Thursday morning, we went blueberry-picking! It was lots of fun, I have lots of pictures (maybe enough for a separate post), and we have LOTS of blueberries! We picked a gallon in about and hour and a half. The weather was overcast, a little muggy, but not too hot. We got done just in time - it started sprinkling as we were leaving the farm!

Tomorrow is Miss M's last day of camp. She's had so much fun with the other kids in her class - several that she already knew (church, preschool, folks that used to be our neighbors) and some new friends, too. I especially love hearing her sing the songs she's learning!

Thursday Thanks #16

If you think that this post sounds striking similar to this post, then perhaps as your read this week's thanks, you'll be reminded of this post.

I'm thankful for the fantastic summer camp that Miss M is attending, and for the wonderful mom-and-son time that Mister J and I have shared while she's been there! (follow that link to take you to the post I'm continually updating about our week)

Yes, two opposite-but-very-much-the-same weeks! In each instance, I have really enjoyed the time spent one-on-one. I've had a unique opportunity to see who they are when they are without the other, and I've gotten very special peeks at their individual natures. We have had uninterrupted conversations, tried new things, and done some 'ordinary' things made 'extraordinary' simply by being 'just the two of us'! Lovely!

Previous Thursday Thanks posts

Family Reunion 2009

We went to see Grandma RL and Aunt L for the weekend - it's family reunion time! It was great to see all of the folks we don't get to visit with regularly. You would think that a reunion is also a great opportunity to get a family photo. Plenty of hands around to take a snapshot with me in front of the camera. Did I get one? Nope. Forgot. Forgot to take photos at a family reunion.

One more thing about family reunions - I love the food. Love it. But my excitement is dampened a bit now that we are living with food allergies. We brought along foods that we knew Miss M could eat, including her own dessert stash. Wait ... I did get a photo!

"Mmmm! Oreos!"

MMMMM!

Big J had a bowl of the Best Shrimp and Grits in the Southeast for dinner tonight! We drive quite a ways for these, and are never disappointed. (Bummed that I forgot to use my flash, so I don't think you can quite understand the deliciousness from this photo alone. But, trust me - best. shrimp. and. grits. Ever.) Only disappointment of the evening was that we could not have the Pound Cake Panini for dessert because the ice cream in it contains eggs (we all eat according to Miss M's food allergies, especially if it's something we know she will want to eat - like ice cream). However, since we couldn't actually finish all of our meals, we ended up skipping dessert anyway.

While Mister J is away, the girls will play!

Well, actually, Mister J hasn't really gone anywhere...
...but he is at a camp this week, and he's having a blast! While he's there, Miss M and I are having our own brand of fun. Keep coming back to the post, because I'll be updating it throughout the week. (If I can figure it out, I'll try to keep this post at the top of the blog for a few days!)

Mondays are fun days around here - literally! Several families from church get together for Fun Day Mondays - usually playtime at a local park and then a picnic lunch. Miss M and I arrived early this week, and spent some time exploring the walking paths before our friends arrived.
I think she was just a little excited about our mom-and-daughter time - I know that I was! She was carrying a bendable Easter bunny toy in her purse that morning, but it was destined to hold more treasures.

She found many treasures along our walk (leaves, weeds, and the pinecone you see above), and called the pinecone her 'corn on the cob' all afternoon. She even wanted me to cook it for dinner! As we walked, I let her lead the way - she narrated our journey, told me when to be quiet so I wouldn't scare the animals, and generally pretended we were in the jungle like Diego.

On the way back up to the playground, she enjoyed a moment to look at a tiny creek.
After the second peek over the side of the bridge, she decided her purse was in the way and handed it to me. Then I got that third shot as my heart tried to leap from my chest - do you see that she pulled herself up on the wall and her feet are off of the ground? After that, it was time to go back to the playground for sure. She wasn't happy about that at first - even told me she was 'so angry' because she wanted to walk more. It wasn't long, though, before her inner monkey took hold and she was climbing and sliding with everyone else!

Today has been a big day, too! Miss M got a brand new booster seat yesterday, and we put it in the mommy-van this morning. She's was very excited about it, though she doesn't look it here. That's her 'not another picture, Mom!' expression.... But she really does like her new seat. She picked the pink and lavender flowers over the red and tan options - such a girl!!!
To add to the girly fun, we both got our hair cut today. It's Miss M's first cut by a professional. Mommy can wield scissors, but she's not nearly as good as Dr. Sabrina! Yes, I said doctor. Miss M was convinced that she wanted to go to the doctor today, and was not happy about the haircut until I told her that "Dr. Sabrina" would be doing it!

Sitting in the big chair before her haircut. She did pretty well for a 3-year-old, and was so well-behaved while I got my cut!

Afterwards, we went to a local stationery store. Miss M helped me pick out my new calendar and a birthday gift for a friend. We've got to shop for another birthday gift this week, too - just ran out of time today.

Wednesday was Movie Day!
Miss M didn't really like the movie - The Land Before Time - mainly because she was sad that Littlefoot lost his mommy. Silver lining? You bet! Miss M snuggled with me for most of the movie. I loved that! We also ran into some friends while we were there - another nice treat. After a quick stop by the library, we were headed to pick up Mister J from camp!

Thursday was Miss M's 3-year well visit, so we spent the morning at the pediatrician. (No shots - hooray!) Miss M is enjoyed the opportunity to talk with Dr. C about what she had for breakfast, weigh on the big girl scales, and help Dr. C with the stethoscope and otoscope. When it was time to pick up Mister J, his group leader invited Miss M to sit with the big kids for the closing assembly.
She knows many of the songs already, so she was right at home! I can't wait until she's old enough to attend this camp.

Friday was a very busy morning - no pictures. We were packing for a trip to see Grandma RL and Aunt L for the weekend, then to the closing program for Mister J's camp (so cute! I tried hard not to cry, but did get teary. So proud of Mister J!), then lunch, then on the road. Whew! What a fun, but busy, week! Next week: While Miss M is Away, Mommy and Mister J will Play!

Thursday Thanks #15

It's Thursday again, and boy did it ever sneak up on me this week! I have two big thanks items this week - both related to the other.

I'm thankful for the fantastic summer camp that Mister J is atetnding, and for the wonderful girl time that Miss M and I have shared while he's been there! (follow that link to take you to the post I'm continually updating about our week)

The week's not over yet, and neither is the camp - rest assured this is not the last you will hear about it. I'm looking forward to the CD of music from camp - we get it tomorrow after the closing program. Yes, my friends, a closing program! From the CD to the healthy snacks to the fact that Miss M is already learning the songs and she's not even attending, I love this camp, and my kids will attend every year they are eligible!

(I'm also thankful for my friend, Cynthia, who passed along the contact information about this camp!)

Previous Thursday Thanks posts

Storing Outdoor Toys

You may have read about my method here, or maybe you hopped over from here - either way, WELCOME! I'm so glad you stopped by to see how we keep our outdoor toys put away and our back yard relatively tidy.

Let me go ahead and spill the beans, and then I'll share some photos. We use a rolling garbage bin to store our outdoor toys. Now, don't get overcome by the 'ick' factor and stop reading! We bought the bin specifically for this purpose. Let me show you how well it works!

This is what our yard often looks like at the end of playtime.

While the sand toys get put away under the shell of the turtle sandbox, I have to have a place for all of the balls, the bowling pins, and other outdoor toys. We originally considered a storage bench that would stay on the porch, but found that they were expensive. Plus, we didn't want to constantly haul toys from the porch down to the backyard, and then back up to the porch every time we played outside. The rolling bin works perfectly! Take a look:

Housed under the porch, it's convenient and easily accessible.
Here's a shot to give you some better perspective.

It's only partially-filled - there are 10 sand-filled 2-liter bottles in there!

Let's add more toys and see what happens...

It holds them all - and I can still close it!

Aside from keeping the back yard tidy, the toys also stay dry. We rarely have to dry out the bin - maybe once each season, which is probably not a bad idea, anyway.

Thanks for stopping by, and hop on over to We Are THAT Family for more Works for Me Wednesday posts!

*More of my WFMW posts*

organizingUtopia

I just got one of these today.

Miss M helped me pick the color - but was there ever any question about that?

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Our little garden is coming along nicely! We have a LOT of basil (anyone want to share some recipes?), cucumber and squash plants that have flowered and now have some tiny veggies growing on them, a couple of carrots, and some tomato plants that are growing quite well. We had several rainy days, which undoubtedly got things off to a good start. Since then we have had lovely, sunny weather - not too hot - and enough rain to keep things happy and healthy.

While it's been a lesson in patience, Mister J and Miss M seem to enjoy watching the progress. We are all looking forward to harvesting some delicious vegetables in the next few weeks!

Here's how our garden began, just a few weeks ago.

How We Spent the 4th of July

We had a very relaxed 4th of July. We spent the the majority of the day together at the pool - we packed lunches, Mister J had a swim lesson, and we enjoyed watching a lot of big kids playing some fun games to celebrate. It was the first time I packed FOUR lunches - and also the first time Daddy used his lunch box - so you know I had to take a photo! Here's the photo - but scroll down to the very bottom of this post for more details.

After we came home from the pool, I baked a pan of brownies and rounded up some canned drinks and juice boxes - our contribution to a cookout with some friends. In total, there were 6 adults and 8 children. We could not have had better weather (for the entire day) if we'd petitioned Mother Nature! Poolside or backyard, it was just perfect!

I snapped this photo of Miss M before the sun went down and we all headed indoors. I just really liked her outfit, and wanted to have a photo. She was sitting at the top of a playset, having a tea party with a friend.
I hope that, no matter how you spent it, you had a lovely 4th of July!


Details on the lunches:
Top Left - Big J's lunch
Orange sections, dip (Thousand Island, we were out of ranch)
Brownie
Ham and Cheese Sandwich
Carrot sticks

Top Right - Miss M's lunch
Strawberries, blueberries, orange sections
Brownie
Ham, cheese, and veggie roll-ups, (dip, Thousand Island, her favorite)
Carrot sticks

Bottom Left - Mom's lunch
Strawberries and blueberries
Boursin and water crackers
Brownie
Cucumber, hummus

Bottom Right - Mister J's lunch
Carrot sticks, hummus
Ham and cheese sandwich
Brownie
Fruit

Miss M turned THREE!

We had a small family celebration at home on Miss M's actual birthday - a small cake, a few gifts, and a decent bedtime in preparation for the big party the following day. While you'll find my favorite photo here, there were many that I loved. Here is the birthday story, told in photos.

After dinner and the cake, it was time to open birthday gifts!

Cooking up something yummy with her new stove and cookware!
Only a few moments later she said, "We need some plates!" Of course, we quickly gathered some plates so she could serve up her creations!

A birthday hug!

Waiting for guests to arrive at the Tinkerbell-themed pool party!

After some swimming, and a lunch of pizza and watermelon, it was time for some (more) cake!

Scratch carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. I think she likes it!

There are lots of other photos of the swimming and eating and gift opening that I would love to share - but for the sake of privacy for our family and friends, I will not be posting any more. Know that we had an absolutely lovely day, and we appreciate all of the birthday wishes Miss M received. Also, I highly recommend a pool party for any child with a summer birthday!

Another Bloggy Adventure!

I'm trying something new today - the MckLinky Blog Hop! This week's theme is 'favorite photo and caption.' Well, it's really tough for me to choose, seeing as how I love my family so much and think my kids are some of the cutest around. So, I limited myself to something in the last couple of weeks that I haven't blogged about yet. Hopefully, this will get you interested enough to come back soon and check out the posts to come!

"Hey, Daddy, we need some fire!"
(Miss M to Big J when she saw her birthday cake. She was
ready to sing "Happy Birthday" and blow out the candle!)

Now it's your turn - just hop around the links below to discover some other awesome blogs out there, or re-discover some old favorites! And, please join the blog hop, too!

Still here... (aka Random Catch-Up Post)

Well, actually, we've been at the pool a lot. But what I mean is that I'm still around. Just kinda been busy and the blog is lower on the list of priorities than, say, maintaining my sanity by packing up some lunches and heading off to the pool to drain all of the energy from have fun with the kiddos. No camps last week, so I was full-time, two-hands-busy, and we still only ate out once (we ordered pizza at the pool because the kids ate all of their lunches and were still hungry - but more on the ramifications of that later, and maybe even pics of the three new pairs of shoes that have been purchased recently). By the way, that 'not eating out' part is a big deal around here - especially as much as we were on-the-go last week. And especially as much as I love to eat out :)

Mister J starts another day camp tomorrow, and it's Miss M's turn the following week. Also trying to get a hair appointment, visit with a friend, keep the dishwasher and washing machine busy, keep Mister J interested in swim lessons, and maybe clean up just a little around here. OH, and get the blog caught up (Miss M's birthday, the first time I packed four lunches, and other fun tidbits from around here). It's already time to re-organize the toy room again - how does that happen so fast?!? The nice part about that, though, is that Mister J realized that things have gotten out of place. Hooray for small victories!

How can it be that summer is halfway over?!? It seems like it just begun. We have really gotten into a groove of pool, storytimes, playdates, and even naps some days! I think I'm really going to miss summer when it's over - especially the pool!

My Fancy Lunch

Lunch by the pool on a lovely day!

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Another mention...

Since Jane Anne was kind enough to point out that it's perfectly normal to get excited about seeing your comments/ideas featured on someone else's blog - click here! And then come back next Wednesday, since I'm planning to post this idea - with photos - on Works for Me Wednesday.