Let's Get Literal

As the kids were on their way out of the door to play, I asked Miss M to "get a pair of shoes for playing outside."  Apparently, it wasn't clear that I wanted her to put them on.  In a hurry to get outside with the boys (we have a friend over today), she left these on the porch, just outside of the back door.

Sleep Tight?

Oh, how I love to snuggle with my babies (who are not really babies anymore)!  Truly, I do.  But when it comes to having my 5-year-old crawl into bed at 4am - well, I have mixed emotions

I secretly love it - but honestly,  it's not the best sleep for me :(

Miss M is OK (that is, doesn't come to my bed at night) if she and Mister J sleep in the same room.  I am probably making it hard for her to learn to soothe herself back to sleep on her own since, for most of the summer, one of the kids usually camps out on the floor of the other's room.  When I do this, she rarely comes into our room.  Otherwise, she wakes up at 4am and comes into bed with us on a pretty regular basis.

We moved her back to her own room two nights ago, and for the past two nights, she's come into our room in the wee hours of the morning.  I'm certain it has to do with the security of knowing someone else is there in the middle of the night.  Just having her nightlight and stuffies is not enough. 

As I was tucking her in tonight, she asked if she could sleep with me.  I told her that she needed to sleep in her bed, and that if she came to my room I would help her back to bed.  She was immediately weepy.  And I was sad for her - and probably for me, too.

I feel like it is my responsibility to help her grow up, even if I don't want to - whether it's because I secretly love the early morning snuggles or because I just don't want to get out of my bed at 4am.

Believe it or not, I do want my children to grow up.  But there is some innocence that I want to hold on to for as long as possible!

(sigh)

This is hard work!

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!

Nostalgia v. Contentment

I'm a lucky girl.  Except I don't like to use the word "lucky."  I think "fortunate" is better.  I'll even go for "blessed."

I've been married to Big J for over 12 years.  We met during our first semester of college, nearly 18 years ago.  When I turned 35, I joked with him that he'd known me for more than half of my years.  I did it mostly to tease him and make him feel old, but I smiled inside for more than just that reason.

Just like any other couple, our marriage has been filled with ups and downs.  Poorer and richer (in that order, but we are by no means "rich" in the financial sense).  Sickness and health - thankfully, mostly health.  Struggles and smooth sailing - and we have had our share of each.  Changes in jobs, homes, and the size of our family.  A lot has happened in twelve years.

A few days ago, the kids and I visited the area where Big J and I used to live.  We enjoyed some time with friends, ate lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, and drove around the downtown area where I used to work.  The city has changed a great deal, thanks in part to the growth of the university.  The building in which I used to work is gone - demolished years ago - and the office in which I used to work has moved to another (beautiful) area of campus.  Near the end of our time in the city, I drove out to the suburban community in which we used to live.  The drive to our former home seemed unfamiliar - almost as if I'd not driven it before.  Although the billboards had changed and there were new stores along the route, the road was still the same - yet it felt completely foreign.  Then I drove past our former home - the first home we purchased together, where we took on our first home improvement projects, and where we brought Mister J after he was born (we moved soon after).  Although it still looks the same - right down to the paint colors and the curtains in the attic windows - it didn't feel familiar any more. 

I had mixed emotions as I drove out of town, bordering on tearfulness. Big J and I made so many memories there, so I had expected this visit to bring up a tidal wave of emotions. Contrary to my expectations, there wasn't any sense of nostalgia.  I left with a sadness because I didn't miss our life there. 

In retrospect, I find these emotions to be a blessing.  Of course I miss our friends that still live there, and certainly there are good memories, but I don't have a longing for what used to be.  This confirmation of the contentment that I feel right now is such a blessing.  We have made a new home, in a new town, with new friends.  It didn't happen right away - we've been here for over six years now.  And of course, life isn't perfect - we have our struggles just like any other couple/parents/homeowners/family.  But the peace I feel inside is wonderful.  It's like a breath of fresh air every time I think about it. 

Contentment is a wonderful feeling.

Sherbet shakes

We tried out the new ice cream maker today.  We were hoping for lime sherbet, but made the most of our results and had shakes instead!

While it would have been nice to get 'perfect' results the first time, it was a great lesson in 'making lemons from lemonade.'  It's so easy to get frustrated when things don't go exactly as planned, isn't it?  But it's so much nicer - and more fun, to boot! - to just make up a Plan B.  Instead of bowls and spoons, we enjoyed our creation with some brightly-colored cups and bendy straws!

I'll also get to share another lesson with my kids - "When at first you don't succeed..."  You better believe we will have fun with the "Try, try again..." part!

Food Bank Garden

You've seen pictures of our garden plots, but they are small-time compared to the 2-acre food bank garden in our city. The work is done completely by volunteers, and the garden is the primary source of fresh produce for our local food bank.  I thought this would be a great opportunity for our family to get some more gardening experience and knowledge while teaching our children about helping others.  After double-checking that it was a family-friendly activity and signing up for the email list, I waited for the dates and times to work for our schedule (mainly, that meant waiting until school was out).

Today was our first day at the food bank garden  We thought the rain would spoil our plans, but the clouds and thunder passed by quickly, so we decided to head on over.  The garden is very close to downtown, but once you get to the garden (which is on the grounds of a larger farm, which is part of a larger campus....), it's like being in the middle of the country.  You can't see or hear the city - just rolling hills, green grass, trees, and cows.  It's wonderful!

Tonight Mister J and I worked for about an hour, and then spent another 20 minutes or so just exploring different areas of the garden.  Big J and Miss M met us there briefly following their Daddy-Daughter Date Night - and I think they'll join us again next time.  I know Miss M is excited to break in her new gardening gloves!

Here are some cell phone snapshots of our evening.  I'll take a better camera on a future trip!

At the top of the garden - only a portion of it shows in the background

We helped out by re-seeding a row of cucumbers this evening - filling in the spaces where the initial plantings didn't grow.  We also learned that there's irrigation tubing under the plastic bed coverings.

I think the other volunteers were surprised to see such a young helper this evening.  A couple of folks called Mister J over to help pick some cucumbers, and then he started spotting them on his own!  Although I'd already discussed it with him, the other volunteers were so kind to explain to Mister J where the food would be going.  (On the drive over, we even discussed that healthy food sometimes costs more than 'junk' food - which Mister J has decided doesn't make much sense!)  It was great to have that reinforcement of what we'd just been discussing!

After we finished re-seeding and our little bit of harvesting, we explored some of the other parts of the garden.  There's a trial garden for tomatillos, bush beans, the Three Sisters method for corn, beans, and cucumbers, and much more.  There are rows and rows of tomatoes, cantaloupe, watermelon, and corn.  There's an herb garden, and there's probably more that I haven't even seen!

We compared the leaves of the cantaloupe vines to the leaves of the watermelon vines.  The watermelon leaves are much fancier!

 There are sunflowers at the ends of many of the rows.  I hope I'll remember to take more shots with the sunflowers later in the season to compare their growth. 

We had a wonderful time tonight, and I'm looking forward to the time all four of us can go together.  I hope that's very soon - they harvest three times a week!  It's such a great opportunity to learn so many lessons - and I also appreciate the opportunity for my children to interact with (and learn from!) other adults outside of the school year. 

This post is also linked to Food on Fridays hosted by Ann Kroeker.

 

Capture the Moment

I recently spoke at a preschool graduation ceremony.  I was honored to have the opportunity, but anxious about what I would say.  I wondered if anyone would really be listening, to be honest.  And of course, I always feel like my greatest moments of inspiration hit when I'm driving - and by the time I can stop, those fleeting moments of brilliance are long gone.  I ended up speaking very briefly about "capturing the moment."

One of the things I have tried to do with my blog is to capture both the ordinary and the extra-special moments in our lives. I've got lots of stories and lots of photos.  The majority of the photos feature my kids - after all, they grow like weeds and change so quickly!  But it's been a long time - a LONG time - since we've had family portraits made.  There's an occasional snapshot of all four of us.  Why?  Aside from the fact that I'm usually the one behind the camera, I don't like how I look  in photos.  And why is that?  Well, because the camera tells the truth - and like most women out there, I don't usually like what it tells me.  (Plus, I don't like my smile since I've gotten braces, but that's another story).  Typically, it takes a darn good reason - like Christmas cards or a request from school - to get a photo of all four of us.

Our last family portraits were made over three years ago.  I feel terrible about that, but after reading this post, I'm resolving to get in the photo more often - even if it's just a snapshot.  Besides that, I'm also resolving to be happy about it.  I can't go back and make up for the moments I missed, but going forward I can do better.

PS - As it turns out, my friend Muffy just took some photos of us two days ago.  I absolutely love them!  And I owe her big time, because I like how I look in these!  Thanks, friend, for capturing the moment!

Miss M (almost 4), Big J, me, Mister J (6 1/2)

Easter 2010

The kids were on Spring Break Tuesday-Friday, so we decided to do a little traveling. While the first day of break was filled with laundry, dentist appointments, and an oil change for the mommy-van, we spent the end of Spring Break with Grandma and Grandpa R. While we were there, we went to a great children's museum, visited with friends we hadn't seen in quite a while, celebrated Big J's birthday, and celebrated Easter!

I took lots of photos, and am pleased with how many of them turned out good enough to print for the kids' scrapbooks. I am really enjoying my new camera! Here are just a few snapshots from our weekend.

I found this cute photo spot on the grounds outside of the children's museum. Did you notice that boo-boo on Mister J's knee? Miss M also scored one a little later in the weekend.

Speaking of Miss M, I think I've mentioned that she doesn't pose for the camera. This was the best I could get - looking at the family off to my left, one shoe off and one on - but I still think it's really cute, and really does capture Miss M.

Ready for the Sunday morning Easter Egg Hunt! Grandma and Grandpa R have such a great yard for hiding eggs - lots of bushes, flowers, and trees!

They also have much more color in their yard than we do in ours, so it was lots of fun for me to be able to camouflage the eggs! One of my fondest Easter memories is hunting eggs in my parents' yard when I was a little girl - finding an orange one hidden under a leaf on the ground, finding green ones camouflaged in the stems of daffodils, and other very creative ways to hide them.

Miss M found her first egg! There were three hidden in this flower bed - all pink! And these were especially for Miss M. One contained a dollar bill, one a dollar coin, and one a quarter. Mister J had a matching set. We sent the kids off in different directions at the start of the hunt, towards their 'special' eggs.

Yes, there was a yellow egg hidden in there! Grandpa R and I hid about 4 dozen plastic eggs in the backyard, all filled with Easter treats!

And here are the kids, checking out their eggs! They were surprised to find the money - and Miss M was very excited to find some chocolate (something we often have to skip due to her food allergies).

I especially love this photo of Miss M. She's usually all go, no quit, so it's nice to catch a relatively quiet moment.

The weather was lovely, and we all enjoyed being outside (though we all manged to get sunburnt!). We also enjoyed the time we had to visit with friends and family. It was a reminder to me that I need to leave space on my calendar to get away from the hustle and bustle of our day-to-day 'stuff' and perhaps even step away from our technology gadgets every now and then. It's easy to forget what that peacefulness feels like - and friends, it is wonderful.

Hope you had a lovely Easter Weekend!

Using your head @ soccer practice

They were allowed to use their elbows, their knees, their noses, their heads.... Anything but their hands! I thought it was a fun (and funny!) way to emphasize the 'no hands' rule. The kids got pretty creative!

Straight from the Travel Trenches

If you're visiting for WFMW - I know summer travel has pretty much ended, so I hope you will bookmark this for fall break or holiday travel!

Well, maybe not straight from the travel trenches, but I haven't been off the plane long!

We recently returned from vacation. For folks who normally drive just a few hours to any destination, the though of a non-stop flight across country was nerve-wracking. I need not have worried so much - everything turned out just fine. In the process, I learned a few tips to make our next flight even more enjoyable.

Lesson #1 - Only pack as much 'entertainment' as your child(ren) can carry. That includes my 3 year old (whose backpack ended up hitching a ride on the stroller handles, but that's not really the point). I packed enough stuff to keep the and entire plane full of folks entertained. It was more than we needed, and more than we needed to carry. My kids were both thrilled with the idea of playing Leapster nonstop for a few hours. A coloring book and crayons and a small magnetic game were the only other things they even bothered with. Add their blankets and loveys to the backpack (oh, and their 3-1-1 bags), and their backpacks would have been comfortably full without being too heavy.

Lesson #2 - Only pack as many clothes as will fit into a carry-on suitcase. Mister J could carry his (admittedly too heavy) backpack and pull his own small suitcase. He had more than enough clothes. We also had access to a washing machine and dryer. My need to wear a different shirt each day (so the scrapbook pictures would all look different) should not have outweighed the logic (and savings) of packing light. Our checked bag, paid in advance, cost us $15 each way. I wouldn't have minded having an extra $30 in my pocket, but we don't travel by air all that much - this was certainly a learning experience for me!

Lesson #3 - Bandanas make great handkerchiefs. I packed them because they are a great (lightweight) imaginative toy. They doubled as easy-to-locate hankies, since ours were brightly-colored. I tied the corner of one on the stroller seatbelt so Miss M could reach, but couldn't drop the one we gave her for her runny nose. It was easier than dealing with a travel pack of tissues, easier on her nose, and environmentally-friendly. (Remember, though, I had access to a washer and dryer).

Lesson #4 - I was so glad I made a point of saving some kid-sized plastic cups and lids from a local restaurant we visit regularly. I packed them, along with several straws, in my carry-on bag. They took up a good bit of space, but were much more kid-friendly than the open plastic cups that the airlines use for their beverage service. Just be sure to ask for the whole can of juice so you can share it between the kids!

Lesson #5 - If you are taking a long vacation or typically purchase a lot of gifts/souvenirs, plan time to drop by a pack and ship store before you head home. This felt a little excessive to me at first, but it is cheaper than checking an extra bag and is one less thing to haul/worry about. Our box just arrived yesterday, and the timing was perfect (we've had time to unpack, do laundry, and get back to our normal routine). Now we will unpack the couple of special things the kids picked out, I'll set aside the postcards and brochures I picked up along the way until it's time to put them in a scrapbook, and the box is ready to be recycled.

Lesson #6 - Be sure to keep a full change of clothes, wipes, and zipper bags handy in case of a potty accident, vomit, or any other incident that could leave clothes wet, smelly, or otherwise unwearable. Speaking from experience here - Miss M soaked everything but her socks when she ... Well, let me just say that in about 10 minutes, we had her clothes changed, soiled clothes bagged up, cleaned and packed her booster into its travel bag, and were on our way to check in for our flight. (Yes, I cleaned her up on the spot. Well, out of the way of the rental car drop-off line, in a relatively low-traffic area. Big J was mortified. I was praying that she wouldn't get sick again and that we could find something relatively mild among the meal options in the airport food court. And then I opened up one of the suitcases and found one more clean outfit to pack into her carry-on bag, just in case.)

I'm sure you have a few travel tips of your own - feel free to share them in the comments! And for more Works for Me Wednesday ideas, head on over to http://www.wearethatfamily.com.

My previous WFMW posts

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.

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.)

Too Much of a Good Thing

It's true what they say about too much of a good thing. It can be bad for you. Just ask Miss M.

Two things that you can have too much of:

• Fiber One Yogurt

• Edamame

Actually, if you truly have a question, skip Miss M and come straight to me. I am the one that had to deal with the bad thing that came afterwards....

A Surprisingly Good Day

Today is the second day in a row that our attempts to go play at a local park have been thwarted by things beyond my control. I'm trying to help Mister J handle these disappointments with grace instead of grump, but must admit that I, too, was bummed when the sprinkles began just as we arrived at the park this morning. I let the kids get out for just a few minutes, but when the rain started falling harder (and neither of the kids was interested in sitting on a wet swing) we loaded back into the mommy-van to figure out Plan B. We ran a few errands and made plans to meet Big J for lunch.

We had a great lunch! The kids were very well-behaved, Big J and I got a chance to talk about a few things, and when it was almost time to go Mister J reminded me about our free doughnut coupons. The last time we'd planned to use them the kids misbehaved and lost the privilege, but I was willing to give it a shot today. Big J had to go back to work but asked us to bring one home for him. So, we said our goodbyes and then headed over to the nearby Krispy Kreme!

I gave the kids their coupons, then made them order on their own and give their coupons to the person at the register. I always hated when my mom made give my own order, but of course I understand why now that I'm a grown-up. My kids usually hesistate, but since they were ordering doughnuts they had a little extra incentive today and not a bit of hesitation.

While I ordered my doughnut (and one for Big J), the kids had already gone to pick out a table next to the Doughnut Theatre. No, I'm not making that up, and yes, at our Krispy Kreme, you get to watch them make the doughnuts!


It's tough to take pictures through the glass, but if you look closely you can see the proofing box in the photo above - and the doughnuts rising inside! They go up and down on a vertical sort of conveyor until they are ready to go into the fryer. They were making regular (sweet, delicious!) glazed doughnuts when we arrived today, but halfway through our doughnuts we saw that they were changing to the 'no-hole' doughnuts - the kind that end up as creme-, jelly-, or custard-filled doughnuts. We've never seen these being made before, and although the process is the same (rising, frying, flipping, frying, draining, and a ride through the sugary, white curtain of glaze) it was still exciting to see a 'new' kind of doughnut in the 'theatre'.

So, what kind of doughnuts did we enjoy today? The kids each ordered chocolate-iced doughnuts with sprinkles.
I ordered my favorite - chocolate-iced, custard-filled - and picked out a chocolate-iced, creme-filled one to take home for Big J. I may or may not have sent him a pix message with a photo very similar to this one:
I have to admit that when we rain started this morning, I did not have high hopes for the day. I was eager to get out of the house because Mister J was a little sad about our neighbors moving, and I wanted to get his mind off of the moving truck next door. (Thankfully, they will still be in the same town and we can still meet for playdates!) I knew there was a chance of rain, and we didn't make it to the park before the rain began. Hmph.

Now, though, I am thankful for a nice lunch as a family and some sweet moments with the kids (and for pix messaging - sorry, honey, that wasn't really 'sweet' of me, but you know I love you)! As 'everyday' as having doughnuts might seem, they really were some special moments for me, and hopefully for Mister J and Miss M, too!

Ordinary Extraordinary

Mister J stayed for Lunch Bunch after precshool today. As has beome habit when I pack his lunch, I pack one for Miss M, too. Most of the time, she eats whatever is in her box around 10am - she is ready for a snack and eager to see what's inside her LLB. On days when Mister J stays for Lunch Bunch, Miss M and I usually come back home so I can get some work done around the house. Today, though, I had some work to do on a preschool fundraiser and some errands to run. Anticipating this, and knowing the weather would be just a little warmer today, I tossed a beach towel in the mommy-van this morning (I couldn't find a neat sheet). After the errands were over, we parked in the preschool parking lot, spread out our towel on some nearby grass, and had a picnic. We talked to a few folks who were picking up their children, one friend saw us picnicking as she was driving by and stopped for a chat, and then we just walked around a bit (Miss M loves walking on the curbing!).

It wasn't until I mentioned this picnic on my Facebook status, and someone commented on it, that I was reminded about the ordinary extraordinariness of it. Such a simple thing to do - sit on a blanket (um, towel), share some lunch, and enjoy the sun and breeze, just the two of us. What a special mom and daughter moment it turned out to be. I wish I'd thought to pull out my camera - but I bet it would have spoiled our ordinary, extraordinary moment. Not all special moments are about pictures - sometimes the uninterrupted memory is even sweeter.

UPDATE 2/27/09: I've added a new label for my blog posts - Ordinary Extraordinary - so I can tag other simple, special moments like this one. I'll tag old posts as I have time.

Sweet Heart (also known as Overheard ... #9)

I had to make a stop at the hardware store/satellite post office yesterday (yes, that's one stop - in the same building - odd, but convenient). Miss M was patient as I picked up a couple of shipping boxes, then helped me choose just the right ball of twine to make bird feeders for the trees around our house. As we paid for our purchase, she asked for my change. Here's how it all worked out as we completed the purchase and walked out of the store:

Miss M: "Mommy, I need some money."

Mommy: "You do?"

Miss M: "YES! I need some money!"

Mommy: "What will you do with some money?"

Miss M: "I put it in the red bucket!"

Can you guess what she was talking about?

She was talking about the Salvation Army bell ringers and their 'red buckets' that we see so frequently during the Christmas season. Mister J and Miss M get to put change in the buckets whenever we see one. Even if it's only a few coins, I give them whatever change I have so they can put money in every bucket we see. I want them to learn to be generous; I want giving to be a habit. And my sweet little Miss M - my 2 1/2 year old 'baby' girl - remembered that we should give away that spare change even at a store where there was no bucket. To say I am proud does not fully describe my feelings at that moment. She got my change, and we will save it until we see another red bucket.

What We Did on Friday

The kids and I spend all day together on Fridays. Sometimes we have a day full of errands and chores, sometimes we are packing to go out of town (but not so much while the price of gas was so high...), and sometimes I find a special activity that I think the kids might enjoy. More often than not, we stay in our pj's for breakfast - something we never do on a school day! And, if Miss M is so inclined, she might let Mommy sleep in for 15 minutes or so....

We had a couple of late nights (well, late for the kids) last week, so Miss M (the really early riser in the family) let me sleep about 20 minutes late on Friday morning. When she was ready for me to get up, we left Mister J in bed and tiptoed downstairs. As I opened the blinds, we saw a light dusting of snow on the ground (yes, snow!). After breakfast, we snuggled on the couch and rubbed noses (which Miss M thinks is hysterical), and tried to be quiet so we wouldn't wake up Mister J. It didn't work, so Mister J joined us for some snuggles, snow-gazing, and breakfast a bit later. (No, I didn't let them go out in the snow. It was cold, y'all! Besides, it wasn't enough to really have fun in...)

A little while later, Miss M discovered some Dora the Explorer coloring pages that I'd printed out the night before. While she was coloring, I pulled some supplies together for a cute Thanksgiving craft. After some cutting, gluing, and a little bit of drawing, here's what we made:

Aren't they cute? If you want to make some, here are the directions. I would suggest cutting all of the paper the night before, when the children are in bed. Miss M hasn't yet developed a healthy respect for cutting tools, so that was a little, um, scary. Plus, some of the pilgrim "clothes" and the indian "feathers" are cut freehand - which is a skill that I have yet to perfect in my 30+ years. So, I repeat, cut the paper the night before. You may even want to make one of the people just to get a little practice. Then, let the kids make a whole village full of pilgrims and indians the next day - without a pair of scissors in sight!

Mister J and Miss M have hauled these 'people' up and down the stairs and played with them until the hats and feathers are bent and some of the clothes are coming unglued. I never imagined they would have that much fun pretending with toilet paper tube people! I shouldn't be surprised, since these are just fancied up 'stelescopes' (which they 'make' from paper towel tubes). Once again, my mom was right - whether cardboard boxes or tissue/towel/wrapping paper tubes - the packaging tends to be more fun that what comes in (or on) it! And when these toys wear out, I can just recycle them!

Operation Christmas Child

When Mister J made his first purchase after we set him up on the Financial Peace, Jr. chore/commission plan, I shared the story with you. At that time, I wasn't sure what we'd be doing with his 'give' money, but we figured it out! This year, we assembled two shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. Mom and Dad subsidized the project, but Mister J put every penny of his give money - about $4.50 - towards the toys we bought for the little girl and little boy that each of our boxes will go to. And then, last night, he helped pack them up. Here's a little photo journal of our project:

Getting ready to pack the boxes with toys, coloring books,
crayons, toiletries and other personal items.

All packed up - ready for our personal
notes and then the lids!

Delivering them to Chick-Fil-A. The kids got
stickers and coupons for free sandwiches!

I am so proud of my 'little' boy! He was very excited about delivering the boxes. He is still trying to understand the idea of 'people who don't have all of the nice things that we do' - which is certainly a difficult concept for little boy, but we are working on it. Although it's certainly hard for me to explain, I don't think I can (or should) hide from him the fact that there are many people out there that have far less than we do. Hopefully, in the process, I can nurture a giving spirit in my little man.

PS - Lots of new posts recently - scroll down so you don't miss out on all of our latest news and fun!

Mirror, Mirror ...

If ever there was an example of how children reflect what they see their parents say and do, this is it!

We were sitting at the dinner table this evening, when Big J was trying to entice Miss M to eat some chicken, and told her she had to take a bite before she got her second cup of milk. Of course, she dilly-dallied. Big J held up her cup and pretended to drink from it - he "sipped" and "mmm-mmm"ed over the milk before setting the cup down. Miss M eventually finished her one and only bite of chicken, and got her cup of milk. Here's what happened next:




Needless to say, no one could keep a straight face - and hiding our silent giggles was impossible - so we all enjoyed a good laugh (you'll hear the two J's in the background). Hope you did, too!