Bringing Good Home

What an amazing nine days of R&R! It was soo good to see my family, and get away for a little break. While we were down there my dad fixed the air conditioner on my car - because my parents are the best, and because it didn’t work, and because they’re the best! So the ride home was very nice and fairly uneventful but not boring. Here’s our travel highlights:

We stopped at a gas station before we left to check and fill the tires, which had a sign in the window that read “We do not except Exxon gas cards.” I wished I had carried my camera in hand to snap a shot, but considering that I left my cell phone on the counter in the restroom and had to go back in for it, it’s probably a good thing I didn’t have that with me, too.

We bought and tried chocolate flavored Skittles, which the kids liked, but I didn’t care for. It was chocolate. And I didn’t like it. That’s saying a lot.

Later, we went through the drive thru at Taco Cabana - my first Taco Cabana experience - and I unwittingly ordered a Burrito Ultimo, thinking it would just be a burrito with everything on it. I was astounded by the size of the “burrito”, which was the size of a small dog and stuffed so full the tortilla couldn’t close - which to me rules it out as a burrito since a burrito by definition is wrapped and enclosed. Nonetheless, the Burrito Ultimo proved impossible to eat while driving. Now you know. So do I.

At one point I almost, ALMOST, got run over a by an eighteen wheeler who was passing me but decided to pull back into the lane just a little too soon. No joke. Fortunately, God was protecting us, and fortunately I’m so paranoid when eighteen wheelers pass me that I had the eagle eye on him the entire time - so the second I saw that he was pulling back over and his back tires were about even with the middle of my car I compensated. Still, it was a little nerve-wracking but I’m pretty sure his double tap on the brake lights was an apology so no hard feelings Mr. Truck Driver. Just be more careful next time.

My two year old slept most of the four hour drive! That’s always a good thing. I woke him up when we pulled into a gas station for a pit stop, where we saw a dead tarantula on the side walk. My son thought it was cool,.. which I guess it kind of is, sorta, maybe a little.. but if it had been alive that would have been another matter entirely.

At the same gas station, the restrooms didn’t have a door, just one of those hallway things which turns so you can’t see in - you know what I mean? I’ve decided that people who design those things don’t actually have two year olds themselves. Little Prince didn’t realize he could have made a break for it so he didn’t try, but if he had realized…

On the road trip I taught Princess how to play the alphabet game, which she really enjoyed. I let her in on all the tips I learned as a child playing the game.. If you get stuck looking for a “J” a Junction sign is bound to pop up eventually. Road work signs are great places to find “W’s. The best place to find “Q”s are Bar B Q places and the best place to find “Z”s are pizza joints.

So that pretty much sums up our journey home. We arrived at our place between ten and ten-thirty last night. It was too late and we were too tired to unload so I left everything in the trunk except the toiletry kit with the toothbrushes and we went to bed. (I confess, I didn’t unload the trunk today, either, but I will HAVE to do that tomorrow - everything is clean though, so that’s a help. On the other hand, it is packed quite full.

I really did enjoy the vacation, SO, SO, much. Later, I’ll share more about some of the stuff we did. You’ll see.. It was the best vacation - just what I needed!

Just a quick post with some stats.

The Day of the Dress Rehearsal:

In case you’re wondering…

Princess’ hair is pulled into a high ponytail, and then pulled through in a small “upside down” loop, with the ends pointed up and curled into a cascade of tiny ringlets falling around the loop.

Drama Queen’s shorter hair is parted, french braided down the sides, pulled into a ponytail in the back, turned “inside out” with the tail sticking upward and curled into a mound of little ringlets.

In case you’re also wondering…

Sure we could probably do something easier - but what’s the fun in that? Besides, I finally figured out how to do fancy hairdos!

It’s another themed Works for Me Wednesday - apparently Shannon is concerned her children are going to get bored over the summer and we’ve been invited to throw our ideas for summer entertainment into the mix. Well, here goes!!

1. Make your own craft and art supplies. Make chalk, paint, facepaint, goop, slime, you name it. Not only does it occupy them while they’re making something, but it gives them something to do afterward also. And it’s usually very economical too! For tons of recipes look here and here.
2. Stock up on cheap outside toys. At the beginning of each summer (or a little before) I hit the dollar stores and invest in a collection of new, shiny, exciting, and CHEAP outside play toys. A small inflatable pool, bats and balls, mini golf games, whatever I can find - guaranteed to keep them playing outside and having fun for the next few months. If they get bored with some of them, tell them to make up new games while using and combining the different sports items.
3. Visit the library often. If your kids enjoy books (or even if they don’t, maybe you can foster a new love of them) take them to the library each week with their own bookbags to fill. I have fond memories of summers at my grandma’s house and one of the things we did often was visit the library, come home with a stockpile of books (mine mostly Nancy Drew) and bury our noses into some amazing adventure when it was too hot outside for adventures of our own. Read the rest of this entry »

Look at these! I mean, how beautiful is that? Doesn’t it just warm your cheeks, make them glow, give you the chills? Honestly it makes me feel giddy.

And they were FREE. A gift from my sister-in-law as she cleaned out her storage shed. She had extra storage bins - and she thought of ME. *sniff* See? *sniff* That’s love right there.

Of course I instantly starting counting off on my fingers all the many ways I could use them. Last week I replaced the two shoe bins in the girls closet with these four.

In case you’re wondering: YES, they are labeled, and the girls ASKED me to do it. Girls after my own heart.

I’m taking the old purple ones for myself, to replace the white ones over the washer and dryer so that they can go in Little Prince’s closet. I mean, really, does he need purple ones? I think not. I’ll just take those, thank you.

I guess he takes after his sisters:

Now, see, this is the benefit of having a Mac. Without Garage Band I wouldn’t be able to make videos of my children risking life and limb in pursuit of fun.

Note: No children were harmed in the making of these videos. Good thing, since I was so taken with their new-found talents (as of today) that I didn’t even notice the safety net wasn’t zippered (like it’s supposed to be) until I watched the video back. Oops!  Little Prince was trying to get the kitty to come in. Unfortunately I had already turned the camera off when they pulled both cats inside. It’s a weird thing to holler: “No cats on the trampoline!”

1. Mother’s Day - hehe!
2. The days start feeling longer.
3. It’s the last month with really nice weather. (Where I am. June starts getting too hot.)
4. Barbecues
5. Picnics
6. Gardening
7. It’s the best month for field trips.
8. The school year ends. (Not for us, but for some of our friends - more play dates.)
9. Usually the first month we fire up the grill for all our (my) summer cooking.
10. Finally get to pack up the last of the cool weather clothes. (We hope.)

What about you?

Today has been a really good day! Aside from the fact that my little Princess is now 8, we got a lot of things accomplished today.

We finished cleaning up after our crazy bday weekend; the only room in the house that’s not clean is the kitchen.

We tackled school like crazy; got a TON completed. Drama Queen continued learning how to add and, among other things, Princess practiced money math (a weak spot) and did very well. For a science experiment, we also set some white flowers in water and food coloring. For art we drew pictures of the flowers as a still life.

We also made a birthday cherry cheesecake (complete with candles) for dessert this evening. 8 years ago today God blessed us with our beautiful, sweet little girl. I’ll always be thankul for her.

So it’s been a good day. A really good day.

Not only that, but we tackled a whole slew of things in preparation for Saturday’s party. And later this week I’ll be tackling a few interesting things, such as making homemade yogurt and organizing a few spots in my master bedroom.

Tackle It Tuesday hosted by 5 Minutes For Mom.

This year for the girls’ birthdays (only a month apart) I pulled strings and coordinated both sides of the family together for the first time in order to buy them one, large gift: a trampoline! I am So. Glad. I. Did. We’ve been having so much fun together, as a family, without tv, or anything electronic for that matter, and that is a really good thing.

We’ve been jumping for a bit in the mornings after breakfast and before school and again after dinner before baths and bedtime. Not only is it a great way to spend time together, but it’s also a great way to get some exercise and expend some energy!

I’m sure the excitement of “new” will fade, but I also think that as long as we continue to go outside together as a family, it’ll be fun and entertaining.

I didn’t have a trampoline growing up, and neither did most of my friends, so I’m not an experienced trampoline-jumper. Several of my children’s friends have them and I knew they’d love one from seeing their faces while playing at their friends’ houses.

I’ve already learned a lot about jumping on trampolines. Oh yes, it’s not quite as straight-forward as one might think, there are many intricacies and nuances. You see:

1. GUM and TRAMPOLINES do not mix.
2. You can get a trampoline-burn on the top of your foot, much like a carpet burn, if you crawl around on all fours chasing your children like a tiger.
3. But if you crawl around on all fours chasing them like a tiger, they will automatically burst into a fit of giggles.
4. If you’ve borne three children (give or take one or two) it’s important to visit the little girls’ room before jumping on the trampoline.
5. If you don’t, you’ll have to get right back off to go visit the little girls’ room.
6. If you don’t regularly exercise, and you’re 29 years old, and you have three children, (and your name happens to be Amber,) and you decide to play on the trampoline with your children for half an hour or more,… you’ll probably be a little stiff and sore the next day.

I’m not quite as young and agile as I used to be.

But it sure was fun.

Aahhh!! What a crazy, crazy busy week this is. My to do list is about as long as the Nile - and growing. Everything is leading up to a joint birthday party for the girls on Saturday. It’s crazy - but it’s exciting, too!!

So here’s a speed round low down of all my weekly posts. Ready, Set, Go!!

Monday Meanderings and MPM - Um, yeah. Cleaning plan: Clean like crazy! Menu Plan: Eat food!! I confess, I bought ingredients for specific dinners, we’ll probably have sandwiches for lunch most days,…but which day we eat what is really not at the top of my list!

Tackle It Tuesday: LOTS of tackles, like you would not believe. I have a lot of clean laundry to fold, some regular housework to do, and several outside tasks to accomplish before Saturday. I have some things that need to go to the dump, some things that need to go to the burn pile, some things that need to go to the thrift store, and also my uncle is going to come over at some point to help me put up a 100 ft. fenceline to keep the kids out of the poison ivy. Because you know how I feel about poison ivy.

Works For Me Wednesday: Making lists. MAKING LISTS, BABY. It’s the only way I make it through crazy weeks like this in any kind of orderly fashion. Otherwise my scatterbrained self would, well, it wouldn’t be pretty…

Come Shoot The Breeze With Me Thursday: Woo-hoo! Thursday I’ll be taking the girls to my mom (meeting her half way) so they can stay the weekend with her. She’ll bring them back on Saturday just a couple hours before the party. They’re REALLY looking forward to it! On the other hand, I’ll be driving half the day. In the meantime, enjoy these links that I would have shared on Thursday:

• Make a Farm
• Home Made Cleaners
• Catechism for Young Children
• Live Science

I don’t have regular posts on Friday’s but if I had the time I’d probably tell y’all about my fabulous sister-in-law coming over to help me make the best birthday cake ever. Because y’all know what my cakes look like. Friday’s also the day we’re putting together “the gift” - yeah, a bit of secrecy… I’ll let you in on that one later.

And then Saturday is the big day! Drama Queen turned 5 a few weeks ago, Princess turns 8 in about a week, and we’re having one big bash for the both of them that afternoon. Guaranteed to be bucket loads of fun.

So that’s it, y’all have a great week. I’ll catch back up with you in a few days or five. God’ll get me through it all!! I’ll try to come back with all my hair and no additional gray!

Today we joined a group of homeschoolers for a field trip to the firehouse. And I didn’t take my camera - what was I thinking?

The firemen showed us a fire rescue truck, a water truck, and an ambulance. The kids enjoyed learning about each truck but especially the ambulance. As soon as they were done telling us about the kinds of things you can find inside an ambulance, they got a call and had to clear all the kids out so they could go help somebody. Of course the moms were like, *Oh, gasp!* But the children were thinking: “There goes the ambulance off to save the day!”

They did talk about Stop, Drop and Roll, and of course not playing with matches, about fire escape plans and smoke detectors. But I think what I liked best was how they repeated several times that if something happens and a fireman is trying to help you out of a house or an accident, you need to listen to them because firemen are there to help you.

They told the children that if they wake up in the middle of the night and a fireman is trying to find them and calling their name.. NOT to hide from them. They showed them all their tools and masks they might be carrying and explained what they do so that they wouldn’t be scared of any of it. Not that I’m a worry-wart cuz I’m not, honest, I swear.. but it’s a comfort to my heart to have all that reinforced by the “really cool” firemen.

A couple of years ago, Princess and I mapped out and practiced some escape plans and even though it made me cringe inside to think that we’d ever have to use them, and even though she asked me a few times if my eyes were shiny, we did it anyway because I knew in my heart I wanted her to know what to do more than I wanted to hide from any future possibility that she might have to use it. Besides, above all… God is in control. He always is.

Considering that was two years ago and Drama Queen was just a babe- I suppose it’s time that we went over it again. Drama Queen is already always bugging me to change the batteries in the alarms as soon as they start chirping and she occasionally she wants to check the smoke detectors just to make sure they still work. She’s off to a great start. Considering Little Prince’s recent antics… that’s probably not a bad thing.

For the rest of the day today, the girls have been playing “Fireman” and making hoses and fire extinguishers to play with. The received some little plastic fire helmets on the field trip and sticker “badges” which helped complete the look. If the way they’ve been going on and on about it all day is any indication, I think I can safely say they had a good time today.