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.

this is a test...

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Thursday Thanks #14

A short post this week, since I'm heading into a busy weekend. Why so busy? Check out my list below to learn more....

I'm thankful that I am able to participate in a summer Bible study (we're studying this). I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone in the group - there are many new faces.

I'm thankful that my kids had a great time at camp this week. They were in a 1/2 day camp at a local church, so I had some free time this week.

I'm thankful for the free time I had this week! I was able to get several things done in preparation for the weekend.

I'm thankful for my daughter, who will be three years old tomorrow! Her birthday party is on Saturday.

Drivin' and ... drivin'

I made a quick trip to a neighboring city today. I was on the road for a little over 30 minutes each way, with only one stop on my to-do list while I was there. On my drive over, I was focused on getting myself where I needed to be. Since it was somewhere I'd never been before, I was very focused on the road as well as listening for the next instruction from my cell phone navigation. On the way home, my focus was very different. I was not paying attention to directions anymore, since I knew the way back. I was not thinking about the next thing on my to-do list since I was ahead of schedule. But I felt like I should have been doing something besides just driving. How odd that, driving down a major highway filled with traffic, I felt almost lazy. What a testament to our society's 'need' for multitasking. Truly, nothing was more important than paying attention to the road and the traffic around me - but my mind was telling me otherwise. It was certainly an eye-opener to me about all of the things that clutter my thoughts daily, and a reminder to me to focus on what's really important.

Thursday Thanks #13

This week, I'm thankful for...

My daughter's imagination - whether she's having conversations on her calculator 'phone' or stirring up pancakes in my storage baskets with her magic wand 'spoon,' being able to overhear her imaginative play has been a wonderful treat!

Visiting with Grandpa H, Memaw, and Aunt L last week - I love cooking for a crowd (ok, a small crowd!), and we all enjoyed the opportunity to spend time together!

The sun finally shining again today! We spent about 3 hours at the pool - and it was wonderful!

Hearing my children say their prayers at night - or reminding me if I forget! I made up a short bedtime prayer a few years ago for Mister J. I began saying it with Miss M several months ago, and in just the last few weeks she has started to say it on her own. The first few tries, she began with "God is great..." and would then ask me to help her "say the right words." Now, she can say it on her own. I'm so thankful (and proud!) of both of them!

Dear God,
Thank you for another wonderful day.
Thank you for my family and friends.
Help me have patience and make good choices.
Amen.

Convenient Scratch Baking

Yes, it sounds like an impossible thing, but it's not! Read on!

I enjoy being in the kitchen - cooking or baking, old recipes or new. More and more often, I find myself baking from scratch - with my daughter's food allergies, it's often difficult to find 'safe' mixes. Plus, I just like knowing exactly what I'm serving to my family and friends. But how do I balance the work of scratch baking with the convenience of a mix? Especially when company's coming, and there's a birthday cake involved? Taking a cue from my friends at Dream Dinners, I created my own mixes!
I gathered the recipes I was planning to use, all of the dry ingredients, and got to work! I amended the recipes a bit to account for any of the mixing work I did ahead of time, printed them out, and put all of the ingredients and the recipe into a larger bag. I made two cake mixes and one cookie mix to use over the weekend. I'm tempted to mix up several batches of our favorites because this was just SO easy!

As much as my kids and I enjoy baking together, it just wasn't practical for our weekend. So, when I don't have time to spare, premeasuring my own mixes work for me!

For other great tips and tricks, visit Works for Me Wednesday over at We Are THAT Family.

Glad We Had Three Boxes

Miss M can pack away the popcorn. I had no idea how much she could eat and still not burst.

One of our local theatres has a schedule of summer kids' movies. For $3, you get a ticket, a drink, and a box of popcorn. The weather wasn't looking great this morning, so - in a last-minute change ofplans - we piled into the mommy-van and headed across town to the theatre. It was the first time either of the kids have seen a movie in a theatre, and they didn't even know what to imagine as I told them we were on the way to the movies.

Miss M picked out her own shoes today -
and she was pleased to go puddle-jumping in them!

I gave Mister J the money to purchase our tickets, and then we headed in to get our popcorn and drinks. I carried our snacks on a tray while Mister J grabbed a booster seat for Miss M. Once we started to get settled, Mister J decided he could use a booster, too. I highly recommend them, as they helped keep the folding seats from folding up on the kids.

We got there pretty early - which was nice since we didn't have to wait in a long line. However, it meant lots of "when's the movie gonna start?" and trying to convince the kids not to start in on the popcorn and drinks right away. I distracted them by taking some pictures - it was their first movie in the theatre, after all. Don't they look excited?


With about 30 minutes left in the movie, and after the kids had finished theirs, I went ahead and opened my box of popcorn. I gave 1/2 of it to Miss M, mostly to keep her from downing her drink and needing a potty break before the movie was over. I can't believe she ate a box and a half of popcorn. However, I heard not a peep from either of my kids - so I think the combination was a roaring success! We will definitely be doing this again - I'm putting the movie schedule in my planner today.

A Rockin' Fun Day!

We started out the week with a bang! Big Bang Boom, that is! This children's band (that is, adults that play music for kids) held a free concert in a local park. Some friends joined us and, although this photo doesn't show it, the kids had a great time! I posted this one simply because it is my favorite - for obvious reasons.
J and M spent the entire concert jumping, hopping, spinning around, sitting down, standing up, and screaming - at the request of the band's lead singer, of course! (They must have been covering Jack Johnson when I snapped that particular photo!)

The music was great, the lyrics were imaginative and funny, and we all laughed and had fun. I think we need their CD!

Triple Bento!

Because I know there are some of you out there who just love to see our lunch ideas, and because I want to celebrate the fun of packing three lunches, here are our second and third 'triple bento' days! (I forgot to take pics the first time... But, honestly, after a while do they all start to look the same?)

This photo is from last Wednesday - we met friends at the park for a playdate and afterwards had a picnic lunch. (By the way, afterwards is fun to type - all left handed. Go ahead, try it. afterwards. Fun, isn't it?)
It's hard to see unless you enlarge the photo, but here's the list of what I packed. By the way - I'll go clockwise from top left of each box as it is oriented in the photo.

Black Bento (top left) for Mom:
mixed fruit (oranges, strawberries, grapes, blueberries)
celery and grape tomatoes with hummus
carrots and cucumbers
crackers with cream cheese and jelly (note: I mixed them ahead of time, but the jelly got very runny - ick! It still tasted fine, but I'll do it differently next time, maybe using pinch bowls.)

Purple Bento (top right) for Miss M:
mixed fruit
carrots and grape tomatoes with hummus
cucumbers and one piece of celery (to see if she might try it - she didn't)
cracker sandwiches with soy butter

Blue Bento (bottom) for Mister J:
cucumbers and one piece of celery (to see if he might try it - he did, but didn't like it)
cracker sandwiches with soy butter
fruit salad
carrots with hummus

As you may have noticed, I pack each of the boxes just a bit differently to accommodate my kids' different tastes. You can see it even more in the pictures below when you add in my lunch. I packed these for a picnic lunch today.

Mom's lunch contained:
orange wedges, strawberries, and cherries (the kids ended up eating most of the cherries)
Craisins and chocolate chips (for dessert, enough to share)
pita wedge sandwiches - hummus, spinach, thinly-sliced cucumber
orzo pasta salad with peas, parsely, feta, garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil

Mister J's lunch contained:
mixed fruit (oranges, blueberries, strawberries)
Italian dressing and croutons
salad - romaine lettuce, spinach, carrots, cucumbers, cheese, ham

Miss M's lunch contained:
mixed fruit - same as above
1000 island dressing and croutons
salad - same as above, add tomatoes

Once Mister J got past the idea of not having all of the inner containers in his lunch box, he was way excited about having a big salad in his lunch. They both enjoyed their lunches, though Miss M (as usual) left more of the toppings on her salad than the 'leaves.' I'll definitely try salads again, since we get so many wonderful fruits and veggies from our co-op.

Even More Things You Really Want to Know

Another meme! And another meme that made me think! This one took longer than I thought it would, but that's not a bad thing. Feel free to participate - and leave a comment if you do, so I can drop by your blog!

I am... a mom, wife, daughter, sister, friend, and someone who hates running late.

I have... braces (for the second time).

I want... to give cloth diapering a try (if we have any more children, of course).

I wish... all of our parents lived closer.

I know... that I am loved.

I hate... poor customer service, unloading the dishwasher, and shopping for clothes.

I fear... heights.

I hear... my stomach growling.

I crave... savory foods for breakfast.

I search... for fun activities to do with the kids.

I always... get ranch dip for waffle fries from Chick-Fil-A.

I usually... drink water, but I'll drink sweet tea if I go to Chick-Fil-A.

I am not... a good housekeeper.

I miss... all of our favorite SC restaurants.

I love... my family!

I never... get pedicures any more.

I rarely... stay angry for very long.

I cry... when I am tired or angry.

I lose... my budget willpower when I'm tempted to eat out.

I should... use that gift certificate for a massage that's stuck on the side of my fridge.

I worry... about my daughter's food allergies.

I dream... of a crunchy granola life (borrowed this one from Jenni).

I was... opposed to cell phones until my husband started a long-distance commute to work. Now I don't know how I would live without it! (He doesn't have the long commute any more, thank goodness!)

Thanks to Jenni, who posted this meme recently and invited her readers to participate!

PS - I wonder... if I just broke a blogging rule by posting two memes in a row....

8 Things You Really Want to Know

I've been tagged! Jane Anne from Gravity of Motion tagged me a few days ago for this fun blog meme. We've had company at our house for a few days, so it took me just a little while to sit down and complete the meme. I'm glad to be back to the blog and give things a whirl - here goes!

8 things I look forward to:

• girls night dinners
• sit-on-the-porch weather
• Sunday lunch with friends
• trying a new recipe
• grocery store/Costco trips (weird, I know)
• Fun Day Mondays (summer outings with some other families from our church)
• co-op Saturdays
• completing my whole-house reorganization project

8 things I did yesterday:

• served two sit-down meals
• baked a birthday cake
• washed a LOT of dishes
• bought new sneakers for Miss M
• gave Miss M Benadryl for an apparent exposure to peanuts of some sort
• was thankful for the opportunity to visit with my family
• forgot to start the dishwasher after dinner
• fell asleep early (10pm)

8 things I wish I could do:

• have 'unload the dishwasher with a twitch of my nose' as my superpower
• run a marathon
• live closer to all of our parents - or have all of them live closer to us
• remodel my kitchen to have more counter space
• handle a knife like a real chef
• catch up on all of my scrapbooking projects (and there are many)
• be a better housekeeper
• be more organized

8 shows I watch:

• Bones
• Burn Notice
• Royal Pains (hysterical. really. in an over-the-top, are-people-really-like-this? kind of way)
• NCIS
• In Plain Sight
• Tori and Dean (I know - I don't like reality tv - but it's definitely a guilty pleasure)
• Grey's Anatomy
• Private Practice

*those last two I could give or take, but they are still set to record on the DVR. I don't usually watch the reruns....

8 5 busy bloggers I tag:

• H at Beyond the Belly (she's busy moving right now, but I hope she'll get to it when things settle down!)
• Patrice at Williams Family Blog (she's busy right now, too....)
• Georgia at Living on Campus... (she's expecting baby #2, so she's a little busy....)
• Shannon at Blonde Ambition (she's just started a new job with a longer commute, so she's a little busy, too)
• Susannah at Get the Big Idea (she's got three kids, and school is out for the summer - what do you bet she's busy, as well?)

Ladies, I'd love to read your 8, but you won't hurt my feelings if this doesn't make it to the top of your to-do list!

Jane Anne also asked what I was doing this time last year. Hmm... Let's take a look back thorough the blog and see.... Aha! Mister J and I were painting this (it's hiding behind behind the paper chain). I was also getting ready for a trip to California and Miss M's 2nd birthday party. I'll follow her lead and ask - what were you doing this time last year?

A Dozen Thursday Thanks

It's my 12th Thursday Thanks post, so I'm going to celebrate by listing a dozen things for which I am thankful this week! And since my last thanks post was a day late, I'm starting with Saturday.

1) I am thankful for my mom's help with what turned out to be a great garage sale on Saturday morning. The weather was just perfect, and we had lots of shoppers! After the sale, we packed up what was left and took half of it to Goodwill. There are about 6 boxes left to deal with. I am way more than pleased about that.

2) Big J and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary on Saturday. We went out for dinner (actually, just appetizers and dessert), and then went to a movie. I don't remember the last movie we saw together in a theater!

3) Receiving an unexpected invitation. (Sorry, but that's all I'll say for now.)

4) The opportunity to cook for a houseful of people this week. I love, love, love to cook, and especially try some new recipes. I'm (mostly) mixing some tried-and-loved recipes with new sides.

5) Grocery shopping while Big J watched the kids. If you have ever taken even one child shopping with you, you know what I mean. And, since I love to go grocery shopping, it was an extra-special treat for me.

6) And end to my aversion to restaurant pizza. I know, this one seems kind of silly, but it's a big deal around here. I developed an aversion to pizza during my second pregnancy, and it just never went away. Miss M will be three in a few weeks. It's been a long time since I've really wanted to eat pizza, but over the last few weeks it has become appetizing again.

7) Sunny afternoons. Until school is out on Friday, the pool is only open from 3-8pm. It's pop-up shower season where we live. Last week we were racing the weather most afternoons to get to the pool before the thunder or lightning started. (Next week will be even better since the pool will be open in the mornings!)

8) Encouragement from friends.

9) A quiet work week. Normally, I'd be at a conference the first part of June. I'm missing out on a trip to Boston this week, but if I was there I'd be missing out on the chance to visit with family later in the week.

10) Not hurting myself worse than I did when I stepped on the end of a bedrail today while vacuuming (don't ask.... okay, if you must know, I was rearranging the guest/toy room....)

11) Listening to my daughter's imaginary play this afternoon. So, so sweet!

12) The assurance that God has a plan for me, even when it comes to the small things. I'm especially reminded of that as I write this week's list.

Overheard #18

Mister J: "How many moons does Jupiter have?"

Big J: "Four."

Mister J: "How many moons does Mars have?"

Big J: "Two tiny ones."

Mister J: "Well, the moons of Mars look like potatoes. How many moons does Neptune have?"

I can only say that we really appreciate Google these days!

Happy To Do Chores

I've tried to become a lot more conscious of how I spend money (thanks, Dave!), focusing on needs and really examining the wants. A few weeks back, though, I was browsing through the dollar store - really, how much trouble can you get into at the dollar store?!? I was looking for a basket that would work in my bathroom cabinet, but ended up finding something else that I liked. That I couldn't not buy. Suddenly, my original purpose wasn't important anymore, and I needed the something else that I found.

I'm glad I let my impulse take over - this time.

I found child-sized laundry baskets, and picked out one for each of my kids. When I fold our clean laundry, I put Miss M's items into one basket, Mister J's into the other basket. And then I tell them to come and pick up their baskets and put them away. Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? Before they had baskets, getting them to carry a pile of laundry and put it away was like pulling teeth. Mister J would complain about dropping things, and Miss M would ignore my request completely. The baskets make it easier for them to carry everything, but also fun and special.

Mister J's basket matches his quilt.

She's putting that away all by herself. I had to hurry to get these pictures!

She's proud of that empty basket!

And after they put away their laundry? They bring the baskets back to the laundry room.

So... about that $2 impulse buy? This time, it works for me!

For more great ideas, check out the Works For Me Wednesday links at We are THAT Family!

Got a mention over here...

Hey, check it out - one of my comments from this post got mentioned again on this post. It's really cool for me, probably not as exciting for you, but still - it makes me smile!
Is there something weird about getting excited over this? Because, in my comment, I'm admitting I have a clutter problem. That's the first step, right?

Celebratory Date Night

The extra long dessert fork - it makes sharing dessert easier.
Happy 11th Anniversary, Big J!

Thursday Thanks #11

Yes, I know it's Friday. And I was going to skip this week. I even told one of my bloggy friends that I'd just write a longer list next week. And then I started to empty the dishwasher. No, I didn't come back to my laptop just because it's so much more fun than unloading the dishwasher (which, by the way, is my least favorite chore of all time). I just decided I couldn't skip this week. Late IS better than never. So, a list of the things that I'm thankful for this week:

Getting an appointment with Miss M's allergist. I was calling to get a late summer appointment, but found out that the allergist was booked until September (surely with all of the other kids who, like Miss M, need updated paperwork for school in the fall). There had been a cancellation, though, and we got in the same day that I called.

The Ordinary Extraordinary. We had another one of those moments just yesterday. I'm also thankful that I can post from my cell phone. It was a great way to capture my little girl doing something she loves and post about it while it was on my mind. I'm very good at forgetting blog ideas that come to me when we are on the go....

The delicious pancakes that Big J made for dinner. Miss M's last-minute appointment with the allergist, combined with the showers that 'stranded' us at the grocery store meant dinner was running behind schedule. Even though he was on call, and had to step away before we all sat down for the meal, he made the best pancakes - delicious!

The Potty Fairy came to visit last night! I know what you are thinking.... "The what?" Miss M had her very first accident-free day yesterday, and the Potty Fairy brought her a special reward - a tutu and flower headband set. Apparently, the PF already knew that Miss M had a set of dress-up fairy wings, and the new duds are pink to match. I envision plenty of pretend play, and you know I'll post some pictures. I must admit that she hasn't tried on the tutu yet, but the flower headband looks SO CUTE on her!

Girls Night Out last Sunday evening. Four of the five of us were able to get together for the first time in nearly six weeks. (It's been three months since we've been able to get together on a weekly basis.) I don't have to tell anyone how nice it was.

We moved more stuff into my neighbor's garage for the sale we are having tomorrow morning. It's nice to be able to reclaim the space and get rid of the things we no longer need, but I wouldn't have been able to do it without a lot of help. Here's hoping that, even though it's been rainy for three days now, we will have a nice morning tomorrow and lots of people will stop by!

I'm going to do my best to return to my practice of writing this post throughout the week and scheduling it for publication on Thursdays. That means it might be a bulleted list, and it might have spelling/grammar errors, but it will get posted - on time. I'm thankful Blogger will let me schedule posts and publish them for me!

No umbrella....

It's that time of year for afternoon pop-up thunder showers. We got into the grocery store just in time. The bottom fell out just as we were picking out our grocery cart. Miss M prefers the kid-sized ones, but they don't have them at this store. Instead, she chose one of those two-level, just-a-small-purchase-today carts. She helped push while I helped avoid a crash. We meandered through the produce department, picked up a little something for dinner, and headed to the front to check out. It was still raining as we left. I sat in one of the adirondack chairs out front while we waited for the rain to let up. She found a puddle. She splashed. She walked in and out of it to make footprints. She got her sandals very wet. She loved every moment of it. Then we decided to brave the showers after all. The rain had slowed a bit, but we still caught our fair share of raindrops on the way out to the mommy-van. We didn't melt. All is well.

Kids in the Kitchen

Mom, I'm Bored! edition

How will we beat summer boredom this season? When the kids are tired of the backyard, tired of coloring, tired of their toys, there's no playdate on the schedule, and for some reason we can't go to the pool (rain...), we'll be trying out new recipes!

I love to cook, and my kids love to help, so it's (messy) fun for all of us. Plus, with our garden and our co-op fruits and veggies, we've got lots to keep us busy!

Here are just a few things we've tried (including easy ice cream). We've also made popsicles from fresh fruit, which are great because I know what's in them and can adjust the amount of sugar needed (if any). The kids especially love to help with quesadillas and pizza.

Aside from enjoying the fruits of our labor, we also get to reinforce counting skills, taking turns, teamwork, and patience. Works for me!

For more great ideas, check out the Works For Me Wednesday links at We are THAT Family!

The Many Days of Summer

This is just a small portion of the paper chain we put together how to help us count the many days of summer - and mainly to countdown to special events - swim lessons, camps, and vacation, to name just a few. It's hanging on the 'art wall' in the breakfast area. Home to our number chart and various other artwork that gets switched in and out as the kids bring home new works from preschool. Now that preschool's over, we will be filling it up with our own art again.

They're here! (Round 2)

Just me, getting way too excited about lunch boxes. Again. This time, I ordered them with the insulated sleeve, which I'm sure you'll see in future photos. For now, I'm excited about the possibility of packing my OWN lunch and mixing-and-matching the inner containers to come up with other fun color combinations.

It Was Just Her Imagination

(with apologies to The Temptations....)

Miss M has been doing a lot of pretend play lately - most often pretending that she's a cat. We were out on the porch this evening and she was crawling around meowing. I asked her to climb into my lap and she snuggled in while I rubbed her back. During her bathtime tonight, she told me she needed to wash her paws. As she crawled into bed, I handed her one of her favorite stuffies, Kittycat.

"That's not Kitty cat, that's Miss M," she told me.

Oooooh, okay. I get it. I can play along.

"Time for prayers," I said, half expecting her to start meowing. She didn't, but I still said, "Night, night, Kittycat," as I tucked her in.

We've always joked that she's a drama queen. Tonight, she was playing the part for the long haul! I wonder if they let kitty cats go to Sunday school....

Skip the Drive-Through

One of the first changes we made when we participated in Financial Peace University was to cut back on how much we were eating out. I was shocked and embarrassed by the percentage of our monthly income that we were spending at restaurants and drive-throughs. Especially when we compared it to what we spent at the grocery store. The numbers were very lopsided. We have cut back a great deal since then, and usually eat out only once a week.

Eating out is still a big temptation for me, though, especially when it's an opportunity to get together with other moms and their kids. Sure, there are times when we meet friends for a spur-of-the-moment lunch. Many times, though, we have enough notice that we can pack a lunch and meet at the park instead.

I took this step a little further a few weeks ago, and packed the kids' lunches for a recent trip to Grandma's house. We were on a pretty strict schedule for this trip so we wouldn't miss Aunt L's graduation, but I just didn't want to spend the money on a drive-through, fast food meal. The kids were happy that I'd packed their lunches, and I got a few minutes back in my schedule since we didn't have to stop to pick up lunch. Grandma helped us refill our lunch boxes before we started our trip home - saving money once again! And, since we didn't need to stop at a restaurant on the way home, we did this instead. Saved money, went somewhere we'd never been before, and had a little extra quality time together. Win, win, win!

Poolside Snacks

I packed the kids' LLBs intending for them to be snacks while we were at the pool today. We got delayed by a pop-up shower this afternoon, so the snack turned into a light dinner instead.

Each of the boxes contained:
Half of an apple, cored and cut into slices
About 2 1/2 strawberries, hulled and cut into pieces
Half of a navel orange, peeled, sectioned, and cut into smaller pieces
Pita wedges filled with hummus - equivalent to about half of a pita with 1T hummus
Seasoned oyster crackers - enough to fill in the space around the pita wedges
Carrot sticks with hummus (an additional 1T) for dipping

I cut things up a lot more than I would have if we were eating at home - for a couple of reasons.
1) Less messy for the kids - especially with the oranges
2) The LLBs hold a lot, but some foods fit into the inner containers better if you cut them into bite-sized pieces (oranges - because the sections were large, pita, apple).
3) I was trying to fit enough in the LLBs that I could snack, too. As it turned out, I actually packed quite a lot of food!

Have I mentioned that I've ordered two more LLBs? Now that we've had some experience with them, I want to be able to pack my own lunch and snacks for the pool, picnics, and the rest of our summer adventures. And, we want Big J to come along (and have his own lunch!) whenever he can. And, I'll be packing two lunches when school begins in the fall, so I'm sure having the extra containers will be helpful.

(Yes, I post a lot about our Laptop Lunch boxes. No, they aren't paying me to do it. It's just good, old-fashioned, spreading the word because I like the product. Just wanted you to know.)

Duck, duck, goose!

What was so important that Daddy called us out to the front porch on his way to work one morning? Hint: He told us we had to be quiet before we came outside.

We walked out on the porch, and looked out between the rails for a closer look.

Another hint: Geese sightings are a regular thing in our neighborhood, but this time was a little different.
Need a closer look?

These geese had babies! Nine goslings! We got to watch them eat our neighbor's grass, and the big one was on "high alert" as a car passed by on the street.

We were pretty excited, but managed to stay quiet and not scare off the geese. After we watched them for a little while, we decided it was time for our own breakfast - we were hungry!

Food Allergies from a Parent's Perspective

There's a great article mentioned in a post today on Food Allergy Buzz. Hope that you will check them both out!

Thursday Thanks #10

What a week it's been since my last Thursday Thanks Tank post!

My Mom came to visit for five days! While she was here, she got to spend some time with her sisters, one of her brothers, and her mom, all of whom live in the area. Of course, we all enjoyed her visit, as well! I'm especially thankful, though, that she came to help me with a huge task. I've been sorting through boxes of 'stuff' that have collected over the years - sorting, tossing, organizing, and getting ready to have a garage sale. I also went through the kids' toy room a couple of weeks ago, but didn't quite finish. Mom and I pretty much wrapped that project up, too, though Mister J will have to make a few decisions on his own this week. I'm ready to set a limit on the number of toy cars around here, and I also want him to decide on a few other toys (keep or sell). I think he's old enough to start learning that we can't keep it all forever.

As if having my mom's help wasn't enough, I have an awesome former neighbor who is letting me use her vacant-for-now garage to store my 'stuff' until garage sale time. Her house in under contract, but won't close until the end of June. In a week and a half, I'm going to wake up early, walk next door, open the garage door, and hopefully sell everything in sight! I can't even begin to explain what a blessing her generosity has been, even though I'm sad that she moved (across town). I'm being completely honest when I tell you that if her garage hadn't become available, I don't think I'd have been able to get motivated to clear out Chez Chaos.

Today is the first day of summer break for us! While I would LOVE to be sleeping in, I am counting down to that garage sale, making the most of our pool membership, watching a garden grow, and looking forward to Fun Day Mondays with our church family (more to come on those later) and all of the other activities summer has to offer. I'm also starting the Countdown to Kindergarten. I'll keep you posted on how well I hold up!

Works for Me Wednesday

Everyone's trying to be a little more "green" these days - whether that's recycling, reducing waste, or reusing things you already have. I've been recycling for a while now - my family started when my sister learned about recycling kindergarten a few years back (um ... in the very early 90s). After participating in Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University through our church, I've also examined the reasons I purchase all of the "stuff" we fills our lives with. As a result of both my desire to develop 'green' habits and my desire to spend more on real needs and (far!) less on wants, I'm repurposing items in our home that have outgrown their original purpose.

The item I'm sharing today has been around since Mister J was a baby. I repurposed it when Miss M was around a year old - about two years ago. Originally, it was a travel container for liquid gold - that is, Mister J's baby formula. So, what have I done with it? It now serves as a storage container for Miss M's ponytail holders. (OK, so those ponytail holders aren't very 'green' - it's a process!) I have also used it to keep her bows from getting smooshed when we travel!

Check it out!

















I'm always excited to repurpose items or get 're-newed' things that I can put to use in my home. What items have you repurposed to some new, unexpected use?

By the way, check out more Works For Me Wednesday posts at We are THAT Family!

Our Little Vegetable Patch

Now you remember how much my kids like to garden, don't you? Well, we have outdone ourselves this year - so I hope it works!

Check out our vegetable and herb garden! (And ignore my pasty legs!)

Mister J and I did some research online, he built these awesome frames, and I did some plant shopping. The kids pitched in over the weekend when we were ready to plant it all. We have heirloom tomatoes, sunflowers (thanks, H!), cucumbers, squash, carrots, cilantro, chives, basil, thyme, and a mystery plant that we think is zucchini (only time will tell!). We also tried some bell pepper and cantaloupe seeds. We passed on watermelon, even though Mister J requested it, since we only have 24 square feet to work with (we are trying square foot gardening, by the way). It'll be several weeks before we have anything harvestable, which will be quite trying for Mister J. After a rain shower this afternoon, he walked over to our garden and was disappointed that the plants haven't grown noticeably in the past 3 days....

However it works out, it will be a learning experience for us all and perhaps a great supplement to the co-op we have joined. I'm already starting to wonder what we'll want to plant next summer!

School's (Almost) Out!

Today was Miss M's last day of preschool at our current preschool. Mister J's last day is tomorrow. (They will both attend public magnet school next year that serves students from Pre-K 3 through 5th grade.)

We spent some time last evening on cards for their teachers, which they gladly delivered this morning. They are very excited for summer! They were not, however, excited about my desire to take a couple of pictures of them before school this morning. It was one of those overcast-but-bright mornings, so they both wanted to squint for the camera. Still, here's this morning's best shot, compared similar ones from about 9 months ago.

May 2009

September 2008

Don't they just look so much more grown up? I can't even imagine what they'll look like come August!

This Post Brought To You By...

Hello, Friends! If you haven't noticed the new badge on my sidebar, I'm now a sponsored blog! UPrinting.com is the sponsor for another blogger that I read - Kristen over at We Are THAT Family - and now they are sponsoring me, too! So what does that mean? Well, let's take this ride together and find out! You can click on the badge (that one, right over there ---->)
or you can see what Kristen had to say about them. Either way, I think this could be fun!
(By the way, Kristen hosts the Works for Me Wednesday blog carnival. Check in tomorrow - here and there - for my first WFMW post!)

A Good Reason to Be Up Late

I was going to go to bed at a decent hour tonight. Really, I was. But after dinner, I sat down with the kids so they could draw pictures and write notes to their teachers. And Big J had the excellent idea of giving Mister J some lined paper for his notes to his teachers. (Really, it was such a good idea, and I'm feeling a bit silly for not thinking of it myself....) And then the kids drew some really cute stuff. Mister J drew a picture that I scanned before I finished up all of the cards. Then I wrote a few notes, stuck their drawings into the cards, and sealed up all of the envelopes. I put all of my scrapbooking/cardmaking supplies away, tucked the cards into my purse for delivery tomorrow morning, turned off all of the downstairs lights, and went upstairs with a copy of Mister's J's drawing of "Flying a Kite with My Dad" to show Big J. As I was telling him about all of the other cute drawings, it occurred to me that I should have just scanned them all. (Tonight's artwork was that memorable. They don't draw stuff that like that everyday. At least not for us!) So, I came back downstairs, turned some (but not all) of the lights back on, opened all of the envelopes up (glad I have some extras...), and scanned all of my kiddos' artwork. Now I'm going to write new envelopes, stuff them, lick and stick them, put them with my purse ... you get the idea!

I know that you just might want to see that artwork, but I don't think it's fair to let you see it before the intended recipients. So you'll have to wait. But I promise it will make an appearance on the blog, perhaps with another bit of art by Miss M, who seems to have a tiny interest in outer space (so she's definitely her father's daughter!).

Also, I'll try to post pics of the garden we planted this weekend, but only if you will promise to ignore my pasty whiteness. (Yes, thanks to Grandma RL, I'm actually in some of the pictures!) I do go outside, but with sunscreen, since I'm a "burn, don't tan" kind of girl. Also, ever tried to get your kids to wear sunscreen without putting your own on? If you need better self-care habits, I promise you that having a child is a great motivator. Especially one that's old enough to question your every move - but more on that later. See, now you have a few good reasons to come back!

"I Despise This"

My daughter is allergic to peanuts and eggs. For those living with food allergies, sometimes all of the label-reading we do still doesn't keep us or our kids safe, and that stinks. I know that every one of us faces risks every time we walk out the door. For those living with food allergies, sometimes the danger follows us home, a stealthy, silent intruder.

A bloggy friend of mine sent a Twitter update last evening -
"Nerves are shot. Son had allergic reaction to cake batter. No nut warning included in allergy warning on cake mix."

And a later update:
"Trying to relax. My son is okay after a allergic reaction to Duncan Hines cake mix (nuts were not included in the allergy info)"

Her husband posted about it on his blog this morning. She will post about it later on, and I'll link to her post at that time.

While everything is OK now, it was a scary experience for them and their peanut-allergic son. If you know someone with food allergies (tip: even if you aren't aware of it, you know someone with a food allergy), I hope you'll go over and read about their experience.

Picnic!

Miss M's class picnic is today, and we having fun in spite of a few sprinkles. Notice the new 'do? (For having a wiggly little girl last night, I think it looks OK!) Even more importantly, did you notice that she smiled and looked at the camera for this picture?!?

Thursday Thanks #9

Now that we are in the final countdown until summer, I think it's most appropriate today to thank our preschool teachers for everything they have done this year.

Most of the moms I know - myself included - love preschool for the kid-free time we get a couple of days each week. Kid-free time during daylight hours. Kid-free time during time during daylight hours that we spend running errands with only our purse/keys/cell phone to keep track of - things that don't usually wander off alone while we ponder the merits of two different dishwashing detergents. Or maybe we just meet up for coffee with friends. Coffee with friends that is not interrupted by someone that wants another milk/juice/cookie or that dropped a crayon. But that's certainly not what preschool is all about, and these are the least of the reasons for which I am thankful.

Today I want to tell you what I truly appreciate about my kids' preschool teachers. This is by no means an exhaustive list - mainly because I'm so exhausted already, and summer's not even here.

I am thankful for our preschool teachers because:

• They take a personal interest in our children, worry about our children, pray for our children, and pray for us when we have challenges as parents
• They are teaching our children lessons and Scripture from the Bible, as well as the lessons that they need to be successful in school. We also have a great music teacher who loves the children, and who the children look forward to seeing each week!
• They really know our children - their likes/dislikes, their health issues, and other very child-specific details
• They have the patience to do to love a job that exhausted me after one day of substitute teaching
• They don't hesitate to call when they have questions or concerns, or to take time out to meet with me when needed
• They make special days really special - like the Christmas and Spring Music Programs, 100th Day Party, Mother's Day Tea and yesterday's graduation
• They encourage our children to reach beyond their limits and celebrate their successes
• They never fail to comfort our children with a hug, whether it's needed for separation anxiety, a boo-boo, or some other source of disappointment
• They never fail to comfort me with a hug - because certainly we moms need comforting sometimes, too!

Our preschool also has two wonderful administrators who keep things running smoothly. They wear so many different hats - including many of the above! My gratitude extends to each of them as well for the work they do for the children, the parents, and the teachers!

As this year comes to a close - the last year Mister J and Miss M will be at our preschool - I'm reminded of just how important these people have been in our lives over the past two years. Although I'm looking forward to enrolling them in our new school - and continuing to have them in the same school - it has been very bittersweet for me to think about them leaving preschool at the same time. Too many milestones for this mama, but I know we I will make it through!

Pomp and Circumstance

My little guy is now a graduate. Yes, that's right, he graduated today. This morning was his preschool graduation, including caps and "diplomas." I have several photos and a video of all of the children singing, which I will upload soon (-er or later). There was a picnic following the ceremony in the Family Life Center/gym/'Sanctuary with a Scoreboard' (thanks, Bob!). Along with the lunches I'd packed, the kids enjoyed running about and playing with all of the other graduates. The kids in Mister J's class all know Miss M since they see her at drop-off 2 of 4 mornings a week, and they were glad to include her in the fun (she was not in class today).

Sorry, not so great with the editing yet. Or remembering to use the zoom feature on my camera....

Miss M's class picnic is tomorrow - her next-to-last day of preschool for the year. Her next-to-last day of preschool at our church. Oh, this is a bittersweet time for me!

She'll be sporting a new haircut at school tomorrow. I gave her a cute little bob this evening. It'll be much easier for summer, especially since we'll be spending lots of time at the pool! I'm not the best at haircuts on young wiggly children, but I think it looks ok. Of course, it's not totally dry, slept on overnight, and combed out the next morning for other (perhaps more competent at hairstyling than me) adults to see. But she likes it!

Overheard #17

Mister J: "When I have a house, I'm going to put money all over it."

Later on in the evening...

Mister J: "If I had 600 dollars, I would stick all of them to the fan."

Where do they come up with this stuff?!?