Girls' Weekend - Success!

This is a little late, but just wanted to give a shout out to my mom, my sis, my cousin, and my little girl. 

Y'all know I hate to shop (except for groceries and running clothes, go figure...), but I was really in need of some new clothes, and these ladies spent part of our girls' weekend helping me find some.  Four {four!} pairs of jeans, several tees, tops, & tanks, and even a summer dress (on clearance!) later, I'm well ahead of the game.  Most of y'all are thinking, "Isn't girls' weekend all about shopping?"  Maybe, but not of the "I'm desperate, the seasons are changing and I have no pants" variety.  And besides, we like to eat and then check out the clearance racks at Target.  These ladies took me to the mall! 

And my little girl, well, she is not only growing up into a responsible young lady, but she's got a great sense of style, too.  Not to mention her awesome sense of humor!  We had some awesome mom-and-daughter time on the drive down and back.

It would be a shame if I didn't mention that my husband and son enjoyed their weekend, too.  My son asked me last night if we could have kid-and-parent time every weekend!  Or at least more often :)

I think it's a wonderful idea!

Big catch-up post in photos

And it's in reverse chronological order, because that's how blogger uploaded them :)


March 2013 - Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet - B&G is the celebration of scouting's birthday, so we ask families to bring desserts to our banquet.  Miss M took pictures of some of the other desserts (a couple of the scouting-themed desserts were made to look like campsites!), but this particular one is mine.  Since B&G happens near my birthday, this is *my* birthday cake, too.  Big J baked it, I frosted it and made the decorations.  And thankfully, Big J made sure I got a piece for dessert :)

I really enjoy trying recipes that I find on food blogs - especially if they involve baking!  For this particular recipe, I was experimenting with a new-to-me ingredient: cardamom.  The blogger suggested buying cardamom in the pods and grinding it yourself - it's less expensive and it's fresher this way.  I realized that I think I sold my tiny coffee grinder in one of our garage sales, so I broke out the mortar and pestle.  Only took a few minutes - and talk about feeling super-accomplished!  (I. Have Made. Cardamom!) {Can you name that movie?}

I've picked up running again - see previous post - and I am loving it more than ever!  10k prep is going great, and I've even logged a few decent solo runs.  This was my run on Valentine's Day - check out that "Love to Run" shirt!  Sometimes I'm so stinkin' happy I just have to take a picture - even if I'm sweaty!

The first weekend of February is destined to be a crazy one for our family.  For the past two years, it's been both Cub Scout Pinewood Derby and Girl Scout Cookie day.  And I've been the cookie mom.  I was so thankful to have the help of three other moms and several girls with the pick-up and sorting this year.  Our troop has 30-ish girls, so we had a LOT of cookies!  And, also thanks to their help, I was able to go to the PWD races, as well - including the leader race!

Mister J participated in the Derby for the 3rd year in a row.  Big J and I are on the committee, and for the first time competed in the Leaders and Parents Race.  Miss M was bummed that she didn't get to make a car, but as it turns out she got to race after all.  One of the boys was out of town, but boys in our troop are able to race cars if they can get someone to race the car for them.  M raced for a scout a rank ahead of her brother, and that car made the championships!  So, we got to race a LOT that day!

Back in December we took a trip to see my dad in FL.  It was *so* nice to have warmer temps for a couple of days.  We had a great visit!  The kids loved hanging out on the screen porch (with a swing!) and playing in the rain.  Take a peek at the bottom of the downspout - the rain had stopped but they still found some running water.  And - if you couldn't tell - they totally posed for this photo.  They are so funny!  (And yes, still in pjs!)

Mister J reading the story of the wise men at our church's Children's Christmas Eve service.

Miss M playing the role of Maggie.  Our children's service allows all children to participate - as readers, characters in the stories of Christmas, animals, angels - everyone can have a part.  It's a really sweet service.

And this is how I've spent several mornings during the fall and winter - at my favorite coffee shop (aka "my office") working on Bible studies, meal plans, and much of the other work of being a mom, wife, and volunteer.  Even in the middle of a busy coffee shop, I find a peace that allows me to focus and tackle my to-do list.  The scone and hot tea don't hurt, either.

 

One other thing that hasn't made it here with a photo - but I don't want to forget - Miss M lost her first tooth yesterday.  There was some - ahem - drama with it.  She was not content to just let it hang and hang and hang there until it fell out (like another little person who lives here).  She pulled it out even though it hurt and bled.  :)  She's had a LOT of questions about how her new tooth will get here - I am impressed with her curiosity.  And - most charming of all - calls the tooth she lost her "gone tooth."

And one more...  Mister J is at his first spend-the-night birthday party.  Mom is handling it ok, seeing as how it's been a crazy busy week and she's just impressed that she was able to stay awake past 9:15 (unlike last night).  And Miss M is handling it ok, too, since she's controlling the remote and watching what she wants to on Netflix. 

No promises that I'll be back here regularly - or any time soon - life is very full!   I haven't given up on Mom's Magic, but it's taking a back seat to several other things right now.  I'll be back when I can.  Thank you for stopping by!

Busy, busy, busy!

Well, not really....  We have about 8 weekends where we have plans (other than stay-at-home, family time), and this just happened to be one of the busiest!

The boys were at a Parent-Son Campout with Cub Scouts.  I attended a photography workshop with a friend.  And thanks to those two out-of-town events, my parents-in-law came to hang out with M.

I missed the boys like crazy, but it was totally worth it because they had a great time!

BB Shooting

 Every shot hit the target!

Boulder Room and Rock Climbing Wall

Big J tried this one out - and made it to the top!

Fishing

Apparently, a big hit!

Food

Baked chicken and baked potatoes with all the fixings for Saturday dinner.  

Hotdogs and mac and cheese for the kids. 

And that's just what the boys did!

I attended a fantastic photography workshop and learned how to use my DSLR in manual mode!  I went with a friend, which made it even more enjoyable.  Now that I know a little more about what I'm doing, I want to try out my dad's old SLR.  That's right - a film camera!  I'd love to see what kind of results I could get now that I understand what I'm doing just a little more.

Miss M was not left out of the fun.  Although she was just hanging around at home - which wasn't a bad idea since she spent 3 days out of school last week - she was also getting undivided attention from the grandparents!  They played inside, they played outside, and they even got treats from the ice cream truck!  No, I'm sure she wasn't spoiled at all.... 

Huge thanks to the grands for helping make this busy weekend possible!

Mowing Lessons

I am not a fan of yard work.  Anyone who knows me in real life knows that I don't do yard work.  My husband has seen me mow the yard a total of three times in all the years we've been married.  The third time was yesterday.  When I told him I was going out to mow, he looked at me rather like I'd grown another head.  But the yard needed work, the temperature was really nice for July, and it was overcast.  I didn't think he would be able to beat the rain that was coming, so I decided I'd give it a shot.  After all, it's just walking in a few circles around the yard, right?  How hard can that be? 

I started writing my blog post in my head about 10 minutes after I started mowing.

Really, though, it started before I even went outside.  When I told my kids to behave because I was going outside to mow the grass, my son said, "Wow, Mom, I didn't know you had mowing lessons."  Ouch.  But in honor of his observation, here is my version of mowing lessons.

1) Fuel - Be sure you have spare fuel on hand.  I was pretty disappointed to find out that we didn't have any, but I was too excited about getting started to go and get more.  I figured that if I finished the front yard, I'd just stop there.  After all, it looked like rain was coming, so I didn't have time to spare.  And also?  I could close the gate and the taller grass in the backyard wouldn't show.  Great idea, right?  Until I ran out of gas in the middle of the front yard.  Phooey!  There wasn't anyone who could run to the gas station for me (hubby was working from home, so he couldn't just jump in the car and do it for me), so off I went.  I hope he will forgive me for ever being annoyed that he asked me to go get gas for the mower while he was mowing the yard.  Now I get it.

2) Hat - Wear one.  Headsweats caps are not just for running.  I wish I had worn mine.  I didn't think I'd need it because the sun wasn't out.  Also, I honestly didn't think I'd get all that hot since the weather was cool for July.  I have never had so much sweat in my eyes.  Also - I just might wear my running clothes next time.  Wicking fabric is good.  Cotton is not.

3) Method - I've heard you should not mow your grass in the same pattern every time.  No need to worry about that!  I am quite sure I looked as amateurish as I felt.  I had to go back for missed spots, and still left a few (tiny) bits of taller grass.  And I don't think my hubby will ever mow in as patchwork a fashion as I did. 

4) Mower - Especially in the thicker parts of the grass, it would have been kinder (to my mower) to mow half-widths on each pass.  My mower let me know this by protesting at one point - and turning off.  I could not believe I was out of gas again - then I realized I wasn't.  At least I was able to restart it without getting my husband to come outside and do it (again)!  Also, our mower didn't particularly seem to like going uphill, at least at the pace I was walking.  When I'm running, I don't like hills, either, so I decided to change my method  in the middle of the backyard and go across the incline.  (Oh, yes I did - see #3.)

5) Corners - As far as push mowers go, self-propelled is your friend, but it still doesn't make turning corners any easier.  I openly confess to having not a lot of upper body strength.  I can still pick up my kids (and can still carry my youngest), which I thought was decent strength, but I felt like I was working hard to turn corners and work around obstacles (swing set, raised garden beds, mailbox, trees).

After I learned all of this with the mower, I looked at the yard and felt pretty good about what I had accomplished.  But it still looked unfinished.  So I decided I'd do the weed eating.  And I had to get my husband to start it for me (wimpy upper body strength - embarrassing).  And then he had to remind me to wear eye protection (thanks, honey!).  And then I busted the strap that was supposed to help me carry it around the yard (sorry, honey!).  But I still did the weed eating.  And I wondered how long my work would last if I scalped the edges of the yard because weed eating was not as fun as I thought it would be.  Probably because I busted the strap.  And also because my arms were already tired from pushing and maneuvering the mower.  But - the yard looked even better when I was done!

So then I decided to crank up the blower and clean off the driveway and the front walkway and around the air conditioning units.  And I had to ask my hubby to come out and crank it for me.  (Are you sensing a pattern?)  I'm chalking that up to having tired arms - you know, from maneuvering the mower and then carrying the weed eater with the busted strap around the yard.

And when I was done, I wasn't sure I'd be able to lift my arms to wash my hair.

But the yard looked nice, I was proud of the job I'd done, and I had so much more appreciation for the yard work my husband has been doing for so many years.  It wasn't perfect, but I still enjoyed the sense of accomplishment.  Don't tell anyone, but I might just mow the yard again sometime.

The Bright Side

This post isn't so much about the lunch I packed this morning, but the reminder that came from from my family while I was deciding what to pack.

The story started yesterday when the kids and I got home after school.  I walked into a house filled with the aroma of freshly-baked bread.  Now that wouldn't normally have been a problem, except I'd set my bread machine so that the dough cycle would be finishing up as we walked in from school.  

I had some volunteer commitments yesterday, so I'd prepped the ingredients and set the timer on the machine.  The plan was that we'd get home, unpack backpacks, get everyone's hands washed,  and start making pizza for an early dinner.  Accounting for the time it takes for three cooks to complete such  a task, I figured the pizza would come out of the oven in time for us to eat and then get to a 6pm meeting at church.

Needless to say, I was a little deflated when I figured out that something had gone wrong.  I even posted this on my Facebook status:

Came home from school to the wonderful smell of bread baking - except that my bread machine was supposed to only be running the dough cycle.

Bread machine - 1, Person who thought she knew what she was doing when the set the dough cycle to run while she was gone - 0.

I did get some great encouragement from a friend and from my husband.  You know, fresh-baked bread isn't all that bad.  But my plan had been interrupted.  

Since the bread smelled good (and really, I thought it did), we tasted it.  Amazing - it tasted good, too!  (It would have make a great pizza crust!)  Once it cooled, I wrapped it up - thinking it was too good to waste, but wondering what to do with it. 

Fast forward to this morning.  The kids and I were in the kitchen, and asked them what they wanted to eatfor breakfast.  "Can we have some of that bread?"  Really?!?  So I gave them a taste while I asked them what they really wanted for breakfast (cereal? granola bar?).  And they liked the bread.  Hmm.  Now, I enjoy a savory breakfast as much as the next girl, but I just didn't think Pizza Dough Bread was the best way to start the day.  So we decided to pack it in their lunchboxes - with slices of pepperoni and cheese, marinara sauce for dipping, and strawberries.  They. were. thrilled.  I was dumbfounded.  But mostly, I was reminded that even when I think things are all fouled up, there's usually a way to turn it around for good.  Thankfully, I had the help of some family and friends to remind me.

On my Facebook wall today:

Making the most of yesterday's bread machine snafu.  "Breadsticks" with marinara, pepperoni and cheese, strawberries.  The kids asked for the bread for breakfast, too!

And in reply to the comments below my photo:

I'm proud of my kids for helping me make the best of the situation (and figure out a lunch plan pretty quickly!). Hubby and the kids LOVED how the bread tasted, which made my day!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

We took a little trip this weekend and had a lot of fun - including the zoo, basketball, Mickey and friends, grass stains, and birthday cake!  Happy birthday, Daddy!  (And thanks, Grandma and Grandpa!)

My Week - and I'm still Thankful (also Thursday Thanks Tank #25)

It's been an interesting one, for sure, but I still have a lot for which to be thankful.

We had lunch at school with the kids on Monday.  Our Valentine treat to them was bringing in Chick-Fil-A!  With the "lunch in the classroom" arrangement of their school, we aren't sitting in front of the preschool or K1 classes with our 'special' lunch - we get them from their classrooms all sit together at a special table.  We typically have some really fun family time when we do this, and Monday was no exception.  Have I mentioned this is a great treat for Mommy, too?  No lunches to pack!  And with the "free milkshake when you buy two meals" special that was running that day, Daddy got his favorite cookies-n-cream shake for dessert!  Thankful for a fun Valentine's Day (even though I forgot to get pictures)!

The interesting part of the week started when I picked the kids up from school that afternoon.  Miss M, who'd been feeling great at lunch, had a sore throat and her voice was hoarse and squeaky-sounding just a few hours later.  As a precaution, I took her to the pediatrician on Tuesday.  Turned out just to be a virus (thankfully!), but since she had laryngitis she also needed vocal rest.  Miss M on vocal rest?  That's funny.  So I kept her home on Wednesday as well - to be sure she didn't make things worse before her class field trip on Thursday.

Did I mention that I was scheduled to chaperone the field trip?  And did I mention that around midnight Wednesday night/Thursday morning Miss M vomited?  On the carpet?  And that we are scheduled for company this weekend?

Both kids woke up due to the ... event.  Which resulted in midnight bath time and early a.m. laundry.  And also carpet cleaning - as well as I could, at least, for something that really needed professional attention....  Thankful that Mister J got back to sleep pretty quickly and that the guest room was easily made ready for Miss M to relocate for the night (that's not always a guarantee, especially when clothing exchange season is on the horizon!).

Big J saved the day by working from home since Miss M could not go to school and arranging for the carpet to be cleaned approximately 12 hours after the event.  (Rock star, he is!)  Miss M woke up on time, hungry, and wanting to limbo (I'm not joking).  It wasn't a stomach bug, just a case of church supper not sitting well. Thankful on all of those counts, too!

I still chaperoned the trip, which was a good thing since two of Miss M's classmates got sick while we were there.  Then I came home and cleared out Miss M's room and the landing at the top of the stairs so the carpet could be cleaned.  I figure if it's getting cleaned, then we might as well have it cleaned to the corners!  So thankful for a local company that can come out and clean carpets on the same day you call.  They were already near our neighborhood.  Also, the cost was less than we expected - the bonus for being a repeat customer (yes, there have been other carpet cat-tastrophes - not a typo). 

With all of these surprises, I've managed to stay relatively calm - surprising even to me!  How am I maintaining my sanity?  Perhaps yesterday's walk with a friend was preventative medicine.  I'm so thankful for that spur-of-the-moment opportunity!  Now if I just had some spur-of-the-moment movers to help me get the upstairs back in order....  :)

Valentine's Day!

We did things a little differently around here for Valentine's Day 2011 - no gifts!  And we still had a lovely day!

In the past, I've gotten the kids books or music - usually something small - to celebrate.  I think I spent the most ever for Valentine's Day last year - I spent about $35 on two beanbags for the kids' rooms.  It was usually around $16 for childrens' books in previous years. 

Today, I spent about $25 - on all four of us!  I brought Chick-Fil-A lunch to school, Daddy met us there, and we all had lunch together.  It was actually a nice bit of family time, since we get to eat a table away from the activity of lunch in the classrooms.  The kids are always excited to have us come for lunch, I got a day off from packing lunches, and Daddy got a cookies-n-cream milkshake for his treat!  (CFA was running a buy-two-combos-get-a-shake special today!)

Also - the weather was gorgeous today, and the next session of 5K training began this evening.  My goal is an all-running 5K in the spring, and I ran 1.25 miles tonight - no intervals!  That's the longest distance I've ever gone without intervals - woohoo!

Of course, it wasn't all sunshine and running shoes today....  Miss M came home from school sounding very hoarse and even a bit squeaky (sad face).  Mister J has had a nagging cough, too.  So, with both kiddos sick, there was no basketball practice for Mister J tonight.  Miss M will be home with me tomorrow, and we've had to cancel our after-school doughnut date with a friend.  (sigh)

That's just life, though, you know?  Thankful that I've got these three to share it with - the ups and the downs.

Welcome, 2011!

This New Year's was the first time our kids stayed up to ring in the New Year.  A couple of days ago, Mister J asked if he and Miss M could "stay up to say Happy New Year," and we agreed.  So we planned a kid-friendly celebration - 'party food' for dinner and a cake for dessert (Miss M's request, because every party needs a cake!).  On Friday afternoon, we received an invite from our friends who were also planning a family-friendly celebration and invited us to join.  So - we packed up our six-layer dip (oops - I forgot a layer!) and chips, the cake (funfetti with chocolate funfetti frosting), a pitcher of sweet tea, and grabbed a pizza on the way over.

We had a great time!  The kids enjoyed some time to play with friends, the adults enjoyed conversation, laughs, and a round of Cranium.  Big J made me hum one of the music clues - even though he's the musically-inclined one in the family - so of course everyone at the table knew the song I was humming except him.  That's ok, we got a good laugh!  There was also the sketched clue that I drew - everyone wondered why I could possibly be drawing a hairy heart.  The answer was actually heartburn, and those were flames....

We counted down to midnight with the kiddos, said our goodbyes shortly after, and had the kids in bed around 1:15am. 

2010 really flew by for  me.  I think it's one of the "fastest" years I've ever had.  I feel like it was just October, and suddenly Christmas was here and now it's a new year.  While the days have flown by in a whirlwind, I have spent a bit of time thinking about some changes - really, just one change - that I want to make in the new year.  We are working on it already, but I really want to focus even more on our family and our relationships with others.  I want us to be more intentional about taking care of ourselves (individually and as a family) and about reaching out to others.  This really isn't something that comes easily for me - because it usually means saying, "No," to exciting opportunities - but I want a good balance in my life, and I need to regain that by coming back to the center, to what's really important.  For now, that means making our home a comfortable, uncluttered space that works for us, intentionally planning family time, making time for dates with my hubby, and (hopefully) catching up on our scrapbooks.  Those are all pretty tall orders - each of them will take work - but I'm looking forward to it.  And because they will take work, that probably means that posts here will continue to be infrequent and unpredictable.  They'll have fewer photos to no photos as all (I totally forgot to take photos of any of today's preparations or of the time we spent with our friends). 

I do hope that each of you will continue to stop by the blog and see what we are up to.  Mister J has a 3rd loose tooth.  I'm continuing 5K training in the spring (to improve speed and endurance) with an eye on even more training in the summer.  Miss M is in her 2nd year of dance, and wants to be a Daisy Scout so bad she can't stand it (but that's not until next school year).  Mister J continues to work hard for our family and recently helped us reach Baby Step 3. I'll keep blogging about all of this - and more - but probably less about lunches and other 'non-milestone' events.  All in keeping with my desire to be more intentional about time spent with my family.  I'll keep you posted on our progress in 2011!

Happy New Year!

October Fun!

Here are just a few of the photos from our trip to the pumpkin patch and a photo of my favorite trick-or-treaters.  I love fall!!!  Enjoy!

 A trip to the pumpkin patch isn't just a chance to pick a pumpkin - there are wagons, a cornstalk 'house' and a place that's set up specifically for taking pictures (which we never end up using). 

 The kids do a lot of running around before we ever start looking at pumpkins.

 See what I mean?  Miss M, in particular, doesn't stop for the camera - at all.

I loved these bumpy pumpkins!   And the regular ones, too.  Fall is my favorite season (but can you call it fall when you wear short sleeves to pick out your pumpkins?).

For Halloween,  the kids dressed up as Optimus Prime and Cinderella.  I have to admit I was a little sad that their costumes were completely store-bought.  I have had so much fun making costumes these past few years - mostly Mister J's, since Miss M has worn some lovely second-hand costumes (until last year when I made her into Angelina Ballerina).  Whether I made it or found it second-hand, there was always some work - and some love - put into each costume.  But - when I realized just how much they loved their costumes and saw them having such a great time getting 'recognized' at each house, I got over my pity party pretty quickly. 

We opted to trick-or-treat in our neighborhood this year (rather than travel around a bit to festivals and family members' homes like last year), and spent about two hours walking around with our neighbors and their two children.  The kids had so much fun together - and the adults had a good time, too!

I Owe You...

I'm waaay behind on blogging.  Not just the fun stuff.  Not even the running updates.  I'm talking about the blogging that I do to keep my friends and family up-to-date.  The blogging that I do to keep track of milestones since scrapbooking isn't a part of my life right now. 

So, here's a quick rundown of some fun stuff - a few photos, a few notes, and hopefully enough to jog my memory when scrapbooking is a part of my regular routine again.

August 5th - We still had a very large cardboard box hanging around (from back when our washer and dryer were delivered - they don't pick up cardboard for recycling around here, and I hadn't hauled it off yet), so I let the kids make a fort out of it, complete with artwork.

Miss M got this umbrella for Christmas, and waited (and waited...) for a rainy day to play outside with it.  Typically, our rainy days were school days, and you can't take umbrellas to school.  So, on a rainy day in August, out she went to walk around in the rain! Sadly, it stopped about the time she got out there.

Sept 28th - You might remember that Mister J lost his first tooth back in August.  Well, the second one came out about a month later!

Also towards the end of September, we met some friends in Virginia for a weekend visit (one of whom was running an ultra-marathon in the George Washington National Forest).  When we realized we were withing a 30-minute drive of Monticello, we decided to visit before we headed home.  Here's a snap of Big J and Mister J in the gardens, one of the many impressive features of Thomas Jefferson's estate.

Early October - Fall is fair time!  I love the displays and the food, the kids love the rides and the "candy cotton" (as Miss M called it).  While Daddy and the kids waited in line for the ferris wheel (Mom passes on that...), the kids were gifted with stuffed toys by someone else in line.  They were thrilled, since we don't play games to win toys.

Just last weekend, we went on our first family camping trip!  We went along with two other families, for a total of 5 adults and 7 kids!  The kids played hard, hiked 2/3 miles on Saturday, and got dirty!  For nearly 48 hours, didn't ask for tv, video games, or computer time.  The climbed trees, pretended to be secret agents, and discovered the Atlantic Ocean!  We didn't have a cell phone signal all weekend, so no texting, facebooking, or tweeting - and I have to admit that it was glorious!  Yes, it was cold.  Yes, we went longer than usual without showers.  Yes, everything that came home smelled like campfire.  But it was a great experience, and I can't wait for our next trip!

Saturday morning before breakfast - we just needed to get warm!

Hanging out on the big rock - about 2/3 of the way through our hike.

Monkey!  The trees around the campsite were great for climbing on and crawling under.

So, there's a very quick wrap-up of the past several weeks.  Thanks for stopping by!

My boys

On a Friday night...

You're right - it's not a local campground.  It's a local ball field.  It's also a great place for Mister J's first camping experience.  Level ground, no rocks/twigs, and plenty of food and entertainment.  He stayed up late and got up early.  He was tired when he got home - but he's managed to keep going all day long without a nap! 

Mister J and Big J had a fun "just the boys" outing last night, and I have to admit that while I was happy for them to have that time together, I was sad that I wasn't there.  You see, this was Mister J's first time camping.  And I'm a mostly-stay-at-home mom, so I'm used to being there for all of the firsts.  Instead, Big J got to enjoy this milestone.  And I'm glad.  He works hard so that I can be at home, and he doesn't always get to do the 'firsts.'  I think it's important for them to have some time together and to do some special things.

To be honest, Miss M was a little bummed, too.  She wants to do everything her big brother does!  And have I mentioned that the tent is new?  So she and I were both a little, teeny bit envious that the boys got to use it first.  We hadn't been able to work out a time to give it a test run in the backyard before the boys used it!  That's ok, though.  It was damp when they brought it home, so the kids and I set it up this morning to let it dry.  And, of course, we all crawled through it a couple of times for fun.

So what did Miss M and I do to occupy our time?  Dinner out (Chick-Fil-A, of course), followed by a trip to Target to pick out some new nail polish, and mini-cures when we got home!  She also wanted to buy her brother a book since he didn't get to come shopping with us - so sweet!  I have to add that she really missed him like crazy last night.  While she wasn't very talkative (tired from the first week of school!), when she did talk to me, it was often about Mister J.

So how did this missing-her-boy's-first-camping-experience Mama do?  Well, I did get a few phonophotos and text messages to let me know how things were going, so I did fine.  And all of those came after Miss M was in bed, when I was really missing my guys (perfect timing, Big J!).  But next time, I want to go, too!

Wii love Toy Story 3!

Shortly after it came out, we took the kids to see Toy Story 3 (and when I find the pics from that outing, I'll upload one here).  We all loved it, so it's definitely one that'll be added to our DVD collection.  Shamefully, it's the only one I've seen all the way through.  We have Toy Story and Toy Story 2, but I have never made the time to sit down and watch them - I'm always doing something else, so I've only seen them in bits and pieces.  (Same with It's a Wonderful Life, as it turns out....)  Anyway, back to the point....

Shortly after seeing the movie, Mister J spotted Toy Story 3 for Wii - and asked if he could use his savings to purchase it.  Big J and I thought about it for a bit since Mister J would need to use some of his "save" money rather than his "spend" money.  In the end, we agreed that a bigger purchase from his savings would be a great lesson in working hard - and saving - for larger items.  We did ask Mister J to think about the purchase for a while to be sure it was really the way he wanted to spend his savings.  We were just about to go on vacation for 10 days and decided that if he still wanted to make the purchase when we were back home, we'd take him shopping.  Well, shopping day arrived!

Leaving Costco, about a month ago

As it turned out, there was a coupon that day, so he saved $10!  He was so proud of his purchase!
While we don't follow it exactly, we use the principles from Financial Peace, Jr., to teach our children lessons about money.  We have attended Financial Peace University and although Dave didn't pay me to blog about FPU, I'd love it if he'd sponsor a giveaway.  Dave's not reading - who am I kidding?- but if you'd like to know more, check out www.daveramsey.com.  I'm also glad to share our experience, or you can type "financial peace" in the search box on the right.

Another Post-Allergy First

Over two months after Miss M  was given the "all clear" by her allergist, Big J and I still have aha! moments when it comes to safe foods.  Yes, they are all safe foods now, but our habits aren't so easily changed.  In fact, we have discussed whether or not we will ever stop questioning food safety, and we doubt that it will ever be so.

For instance, on a recent outing we were trying to decide where to go for dinner.  The kids were tossing out ideas (mainly Chick-Fil-A) when Big J proposed a stop at Five Guys.  I've been two or three times before, but I could only go on my own because they serve peanuts.  Big, open boxes of peanuts.  It's completely off-limits for any peanut-allergic family.  In fact, Big J had never been before, but as soon as we remembered that we can go, we headed that way.

So, here's another snapshot of something I never thought I'd see:

That blur is Miss M's fist coming down to smash a peanut open.

And besides the burgers and the super-yummy fries, Five Guys has my respect for this:

Posted on the door as you exit a Five Guys restaurant

 Thanks, Five Guys, for spreading the word about food allergy safety (even though you serve peanuts)!

Cars

Nope, not the movie - just my musings on automobiles. And although the mommy-van turned 6 in June, my thoughts have been less about what I'll drive next and more along the lines of what I used to imagine would be fun to drive.

Before we had kids, I drove a cute little Saturn sedan.  Red.  Manual transmission by choice.  Sunroof, spoiler, and a CD player.  It was a fun little car.  When Mister J was born, I switched to Big J's larger sedan, also a Saturn.  That's the car we just replaced - but more on that later.

While I ended up keeping my little red Saturn until it was paid off, and for a few years after that, there was a time that I wanted to trade it in on an olive green Land Rover Discovery.  I never did, but two school years ago, I passed an olive green Discovery just about every morning on the way to drop the kids at preschool.  I was pretty envious of the young owner, though I tried to make myself feel better by rationalizing why it really wouldn't have 'worked' for our family.

I never did get a photo of the olive green Land Rovers - but this similar to the one I wanted.

When I drove by the house where we used to live, there was a black Land Rover parked out front.  If you read that post, you'll understand why it's an interesting 'coincidence' - and why I really don't desire a Land Rover anymore.

(I'm skipping back and forth a bit here, but bear with me.)

In the first six months of Mister J's life we lived in two states, at three addresses, and traveled six weeks in a row during the relocation process (not counting a trip to Grandma's when our power went out during an ice storm [no heat in January!], and not counting our house-hunting trip).  During the six weeks where we traveled back and forth between our soon-to-be-former home and our temporary location, we borrowed Grandma RL's SUV.  It would haul more "stuff" than either of our vehicles, which was helpful during that time of transition.  It's also when I fell in love with fold-down seating.  

Soon after we settled into out new home, it was time for Mister J to move into a rear-facing carseat (out of the snap-in, newborn style seat).  We realized how difficult it would be to fit the larger seat into either of our sedans, so we knew it was time for a change.   Anticipating that we would expand our family, we made the move to a minivan.  Red.  Automatic sliding doors.  Second row captain's chairs.  Fold down rear seating.  And yes, the entertainment system.  It was (and still is) quite luxurious for something designed to simply get us from point A to point B.


I've been thinking about this writing post since I started collecting photos in the spring - putting my ideas together and just waiting for the time to write it.  Many of those days I was driving 65+ miles per day to get my kids to and from school.  I filled my gas tank up once a week, and ... longed ... for something more fuel-efficient.  Also, something smaller would simply be more fun to drive (back in high school, I drove a 1973 VW Beetle - cute!).  Of course, this would be a bit too small...

It's a smart car.

...but I bet you can imagine why it caught my eye!  It's a big change from the most of the cars on the road which, around here at least, are typically silver, grey, or white.  Actually, that Pepto-ish pink turns my stomach - ick!  Mister J used to have a keen eye for smart cars, but in the past several months has become a fan of Fords - in particular, Mustangs.  He also thinks Corvettes are pretty exciting, since we don't see those very often.  He can identify the logos of most auto manufacturers, so there's usually a running conversation about cars and trucks when we are in traffic. 

When the mommy-van is due for one of those all-day services and they give me loaner, I usually ask for something that's not a minivan.  Earlier in the summer I got to drive the new Honda Crosstour for a day - it was about the sportiest thing I've ever driven. 

I went shopping, had lunch with a friend, and picked the kids up from various summer day camp locations.  Mister J wanted to "keep this because [he liked] the front."

I've also driven the newer Odyssey, which has about 800 more buttons on the dash that the model year that I drive.  A couple of years ago I drove an Accord, which was fun to drive but not as convenient for buckling in the little ones.  Each time, I'm reminded why I love my mommy-van.  It's mine.  It's comfortable and familiar.  It's easy to get the little ones in and out. And while change can be fun - and it is good - it's just not my time to move into a new vehicle yet.

In late May, though, it was time for Big J to move into a new vehicle. 

New-to-us!

Remember that I mentioned gas mileage?  And wanting something small and fun to drive?  Oh, how I love to drive Big J's car!  It gets twice the miles per gallon as the mommy-van, it's fun to drive, and parallel parking is a breeze.  I still drive the mommy-van, but since all four of us can fit into Big J's car we get to enjoy it, too - especially since the kiddos can buckle themselves now.

It's Been Quiet Around Here...

Hey there!  So glad you popped in!  I haven't been around much lately, either.  I'm trying to make the most of the last couple of weeks of summer, my mom came for a long weekend (in addition to visiting, shopping, and cooking, we also straightened up my pantry), and Big J took on a yard-improvement project (the rest of us pitched in a bit, but he did most of the work - it looks great!).

I've got a few posts in mind, but I hope you'll be patient with me as we enjoy the end of summer and get into our new school routine.  So, for now, I'll leave you with this little bit of excitement - I got a little link love over at Mama's Laundry Talk today, where "Mama" is highlighting laundry room makeovers!  Ours isn't complete, but it's sure nice to have the virtual pat-on-the-back to inspire me to wrap it up with the finishing touches.

There's nothing like a few small projects to make your space (indoor or outdoor) a more enjoyable place to spend your time - even if it's just laundry time!  As much as I want to tackle some more projects around here - small and not-so-small - I think I owe it to the little ones to set aside my grand plans for a few days.  "Fun" is the order of the next several days - I'll do a bit of mobile blogging as time allows.  Thanks for sticking it out with me during the quiet times!

4 More Days Away!

Yes, you read that right!  Just in case the recent bloggy break didn't give it away, we took another short vacation -and boy, did we ever need it!

After a bit of worry that it might not happen, and then changing our schedule just a bit, we made it to Charleston on Thursday and then just Friday off.  We slept in, saw a movie with the kids (Ramona and Beezus - recommend!), and generally took it easy.  After all, we had exciting plans for the rest of the weekend!

On Saturday, we went on an amazing eco-tour with some friends from our college years.  We learned a lot about the barrier and sea island ecosystem, saw lots of dolphins and cranes, and then got to spend some time on Capers Island, one of South Carolina's barrier islands.  My photos of the dolphins and cranes aren't great - in fact, a couple of times I just put the camera down so I could enjoy watching them - but I did get some good (for my purposes) photos while we were on the beach.

Miss M was excited before we even left the dock!  

During the boat ride - which lasted about 45 minutes each way.

Miss M and Mister J leaning against one of many old stumps on the Boneyard Beach.

Mister J had a great time - and I daresay he could've spent another hour playing in the water, scooping up the sand, and generally just checking things out.

One of many shots from Boneyard beach - this one is SOOC, but I've also spent a little time editing it.  Big J and I are hopeful that we'll end up with a wall-worthy photo to help us remember the trip!

 After the eco-tour, we had a great lunch, drove over the new Copper River Bridge, had a bit of downtime, and then met our friends again for dinner (Cru Cafe' - mmm!) and a stroll on the Battery/White Point Gardens.  I didn't take my camera (gasp!), so I only have a few pics on the BlackBerry....

On Sunday, we visited some friends from my grad school years - and their twin baby girls!  We'd originally planned to see them on Friday, but rescheduled so we didn't risk exposing the babies while anyone was still contagious.  Again, I didn't take my camera!  I spent most of my time with an armful of baby, though, so I wouldn't have gotten it out, anyway. 

Even though we started out a bit under the weather, we really had a great weekend.  I'm already looking forward to our next trip!

Strike three four!

On the Saturday before our trip, Mister J developed a cough.  He asked to stay home from church on Sunday, so I knew he wasn't feeling well - and the cough was worse.  Guess where we were on Monday morning?  After confirming with the doctor that we'd still be okay to travel, we left with a prescription for a z-pack and an inhaler to treat walking pneumonia.

It's hard to get a 6-year-old to rest - and I mean, lay on the couch and do nothing for 2 days - but we managed.  It's also hard to get the little sister to lave the 6-year-old alone so she doesn't catch the same thing - but we managed.  The hardest part, by far, was putting Mister J back into his own room.  The kids were more than disappointed since they'd been bunking in the same room for over a month - and they are asking when they can return to that arrangement.

We continued to prepare for our long weekend away, including going to Miss M's 4-year well-visit, my orthodontist visit, and a dental visit that I'd rescheduled to accommodate our previous travel schedule.  Oh, and Big J's doctor appointment on Wednesday because he, too, needed a z-pack.  That night, my ears were itchy and I had a sore throat.  Great.  So on Thursday I finished packing, went to my doctor for the 3rd z-pack of the week, and we left town only an hour latter than planned.  I'd contacted the friends we were to visit on Friday and rescheduled to Sunday.  I also confirmed with the friends we'd be seeing on Saturday that we were still good to go.  After resting most of Friday, we continued with our Saturday and Sunday plans - hooray! 

Guess who got her own z-pack today?  Whatever she has is still in the very early stages, but the doctor decided to go ahead and prescribe anyway.  And guess what?  She's congested and miserable this evening, along with the cough that started today.   Hopefully, the meds will kick in quickly and she'll bounce back in time for Grandma's visit this weekend!

Tickle Tooth

We're an electric toothbrush family - even the kids.  Every night they rub their noses as we brush their teeth, because the vibrations of the toothbrush tickle.  As a brusher of said teeth, it's a little annoying - their hands get in the way of me trying to see what I'm doing  - but it's what usually happens.  What was a little unusual tonight was something Mister J said to me after I brushed his teeth.

"Mom, I've got a tickle tooth."

My first thought was, "What?!?" - but I caught on quickly enough...  Mister J has his first loose tooth!  It's not very wiggly yet, but certainly enough that the toothbrush would make it feel funny!

It's a big deal, for sure.  Even more so because in his mixed-grade (K-1) class, he was one of the few who hadn't lost a tooth last year.  I'm pretty sure this one will be out before school resumes next month, and I know he'll be excited to show his returning classmates.

(scattered thoughts from here on out - be warned)

Big J and I weren't surprised that it was taking a while to lose the first tooth since it took quite a while for Mister J's teeth to come in as a baby.  Back then, we wondered if he would have teeth by his first birthday! 

Big J asked him what he thought the tooth fairy should bring, and Mister J has requested a dollar coin.  He found it kind of funny that his daddy only got a quarter!  He also says that he's not going to let Daddy pull it, and that he might just wait until it falls out on its own.

Thinking back, I might have been 4.5 of 5 when I lost my first tooth.  Mister J is six and a half!  I guess that's a lot of extra time to develop strong permanent teeth!

I'm not as eeked out by the loose tooth as I thought I would be (I can handle a lot, but eye and teeth issues get to me) - but there's still a ways to go until it's out.  Rest assured, you will get an update then - and photos to boot!

My baby is growing up, y'all!

Happy Fathers' Day!

Happy Fathers' Day to the one who...

...isn't afraid to get in the kitchen and teach the kids how to make the best scrambled eggs!

...is patient enough to let the kids help plant the garden!

...takes the time to go to Daddy-Daughter Date Night at Chick-Fil-A (and let the son into the photo before they leave)!  (PS - Here's what mom and son were doing)

...works hard so I can be home with our children!

  Happy Fathers' Day, Big J!  We love you!

And Happy Fathers' Day to our Dads (Grandpa H and Grandpa R), too!