Making Friends

My friend Kacey is pregnant. I have known Kacey since high school, but just recently (last year) reconnected with her because I work with her husband.  This is their first child and they are both very excited. Kacey and I have had some fun discussion about pregnancy and parenting. One of the questions she asked me a few weeks ago was about friendships. Specifically, how do you find and make friends with people who have kids the same age as your own? Heck if I know!!  I have wondered the same thing myself many times!!  It seems to me that the stars have to be aligned just perfectly for you to find a family that has kids the same ages as yours and that you can also stand to be around on a regular basis. 
My friend Stacey has a son who is five weeks older than Frances. That puts him a grade ahead of her in school. Plus, he's a boy. Her girls are almost 7, and they get along great with Frances though. My friend Julie has a 3 year old girl and a 1 year old boy. Henry loves playing with Laura at church, but again, the genders are mixed up. Dominic is still a bit young for his own friends, but we hope that someday he and Benjamin will be good buddies. Henry had a good friend from pre-school that went to our church (and they were quite the team in Sunday school classes!!) but then Max and his family moved to Minnesota.
Kacey's husband Andrew sent us a facebook invitation to a picnic at the park on Friday. It was a "bring your own picnic" event. It was also a "show up whenever you want and leave whenever you want" event. It could not have been more laid back and I am so glad we went! Frances made friends with a little girl in second grade, Henry made friends with her younger sister. Benjamin and I played catch (or in my case "dodge the balls being thrown at my head") with a little three and a half year old boy.  I have fun talking with the parents of these kids and they kids got along really well with each other. No one wanted to leave!!

We eventually decided to pack it up and head home. I actually pulled up in front of the house and then decided to go and take some pictures of the Blue Moon.  I had some ideas in my head that didn't quite turn out the way I wanted, but I think they are cute anyway!

Frances "caught" the moon.

Henry tried to catch the moon.

Benjamin just wanted to do what his siblings were doing.

Wordless Wednesday: Wedding edition

My sneaky son

Last night, we were cleaning in the kids' bedroom. I can give Frances a general job like "clean out that corner" and she will get it done. I have to give Henry specific tasks in small pieces, but he does okay with that. Benjamin's job is to simply stay out of the way. Henry's first task was to clean all the toys out of his bed.  He did this two weeks ago and we filled a 20-gallon tote! I gave him a five animal limit, but slowly other things crept into the bed with him.  There were a bunch of little cars and plastic men, so I put them in a bucket and told him to go put them away.  I was busy, so I didn't really notice how long he was gone, but all of a suddden I realized that he was playing on the bed again and not cleaning.
Me: Where did you put all those toys I gave you?
HC: Away!
Me: Where away?
HC: Why? What did you hear?!
{At this point I am a little bit angry, but also slightly amused and trying not to smile}
Me: It is very important that you always tell me the truth. Where did you put all those toys?
HC: {hangs head} In the car box.
Me: OK, thank you for being honest. I want you to go take out all the stuff that isn't a car and put them in the correct place.
HC: {sullenly} OK.

This morning while we were eating breakfast I had asked Henry how he had enjoyed his lunch the day before. He had requested to buy lunch at school because it was "breakfast for lunch" day.

HC: I got two pancakes and some sausage!
Me: That sounds good. Anything else?
HC: Mommy, did you tell the lunch lady that I couldn't have chocolate milk?
Me: {smiling} Yes. I did.  Why? Did you try to drink chocolate milk for lunch?
HC: BUT I DIDN'T DRINK IT!!!

Listen, little man. I've got your number!  You cannot pull one over on me! I had brothers growing up and I have spent a lot of time around a lot of kids. I am one step ahead of you! Do not think you can fool me!!

Lest you think that he is always a little stinker, I will tell you one last story from last night at dinner: We had grilled cheese sandwiches, celery, and peach slices.  On each plate, I put two celery slices along the bottom for some grass.  I had cut the sandwiches into fourths and I put a square piece together with a triangular piece to make a house (sitting in the grass).  Then I took two peach slices and put them back to back like a butterfly. Frances added snow (AKA ranch dressings) to the celery. The kids LOVED it!
Unprompted, after a few bites, Henry turns to me and says, "Mommy, you have really good ideas."
Thanks sweetheart!! Awwww!

It's All About Perspective

I had a pretty rotten day yesterday. The kids were tired and cranky from their first week of school. Ken worked all day Saturday, so I was alone with them all day.  They woke up Sunday morning screaming at each other and fighting and it never did get much better.  Amidst the squabbling over toys, I managed to hear one piece of the homily and Fr. Joe asked the question, "Do I come to Mass to feel holy or do I feel holy because I come to Mass?"  I was definitely sitting there *trying* to feel holy.
I was stressed and getting grumpier on my way out to the van. Ken had to work on Sunday too, so I knew I was slated to go to the grocery store alone with the kids and then spend the day moderating their fights.
As we were walking out to our van, I saw another family climbing into the van.  The Mom and Dad were behind me, but they have a new van with automatic doors, so the kids were all scrambling into their seats already. I grumbled to myself, "I wish *I* had a van with automatic doors."
I kept walking and another van pulled out of a space in front of us. This one had several large dings in the side and was completely missing two windows.  Suddenly my van didn't seem so bad anymore.
The kids listened pretty well in the store. They stayed with the cart and didn't yell at each other. They ate their lunch peacefully and then all three went to take naps. (This may or may not have been due to the evil stink eye I was sending their way...) They did fight for the afternoon, but I dealt with it.  I also got a nice email from Henry's school librarian telling me how nice it was to have him in her class.
All in all, it was a good day to think about perspective.

Isssss Geeeeen!

Last night I was talking to my friend Stacey about kids and Saturday mornings.  Why are they so hard to drag out of bed during the week, but they wake up an hour earlier than normal on the weekends??  Henry used to be really bad about getting out of bed. He would wake up at 5am and climb into my bed saying, "Mommy, the sun is up."  I would roll over to Ken and whisper, "The son is up..." We still joke about it occasionally but Henry has gotten a lot better. Especially because of the night light we got him for his birthday.

You can set the current time and then an alarm.  At night, you turn on the yellow light as a night light.  If you turn on the alarm, the top light turns on red.  You can set the alarm to a buzzer or a silent setting, but either way at the designated time, the red light goes off and the green light goes on.  I have told the kids that they can't get out of bed when the red light is on.  It has worked about 85% so far.  During the week, I turn the buzzer on and the kids get up and start getting dressed on their own.  On the weekends I turn it to silent. That way if they are awake, they are allowed to get out of bed, but if they are still sleeping there is no sound to wake them up.
I knew they would be tired this morning because of school this past week and I was hoping for them to really sleep in.  Right after 7:00 (when the alarm is set for) I woke up on my own, and was planning on laying in bed for a little while until I heard, "Sissy! Isssss geeeeeen!  Bubby! Isssss geeeeeen!!"  Apparently Benjamin understands the lighting system and was trying to wake his brother and sister.  I got him out of bed and he said, "I wan watch teebee."  It's like a whole flashback to exactly how Henry used to wake up!!
But at least Frances and Henry got an extra half hour of sleep.

Where the Deer and the Cantaloupe Play

Last weekend Ariel gave the kids goody bags for participating in her wedding.  One of things they got were those little capsules that turn into sponge creatures when you put them in water.

They put them in the bathtub the next day and have been playing with them steadily ever since.
This morning Henry woke up early and climbed into the shower with me.  He knocked over the cup with the sponges in it and proceeded to crouch in the corner of the shower and play with the animals.
HC: Mommy, what's this one called again?

Me: It's an antelope, honey.
HC: Oh, OK.
{time passes...}
HC: Look, Mommy! There's another cantaloupe!!
Me: Smiling...

Friday Fill-Ins

1. Seeing is believing.
2. It's never to late to learn something new.
3. According to Benjamin; cold, left-over chicken nuggets are for breakfast.
4. As we finish up this first week of school, I am excited for my kids' school year.
5. I associate weekends with fun and relaxing, but I always end up cranky and exhausted.
6. Long ago the internet didn't exist and people actually accomplished things.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to movie night with the kids, tomorrow my plans include not much of anything and Sunday, I want to go to Mass and spend some time with my family!

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First day of School

Last night I was worried about the kids getting up on time for school, since we were out late.  Nope! They were up at the crack of dawn! Excited and ready to go!! We all got ready, I packed the kids lunches, they brushed their teeth and hair and we even had time to sit down at the table to eat breakfast together!  After all that we went outside to take some pictures.  I got some of the kids individually and a few of them all together.  Frances looks so big compared to the boys! I think she has grown quite a bit lately!!

 

After I took as many pictures as they could stand, they wanted to walk up to the bus stop.  25 minutes early!! I couldn't really stop them, so off they went!

 We hung out at the bus stop and played around.  Frances sneezed and I caught it on camera!! LOL!

 Benjamin showed me his new shoes with dinosaurs on them.

 Then he started walked away back towards the house. I called after him and asked him what he was doing. I though he said something about picking flowers, so I asked him to come back. He kept walking, so I had to go after him. He stopped at one point and said something else I didn't quite understand. I must have looked confused, because he looked at me and yelled "I POOPED!!"  So I called Frances and Henry and we walked back home. Then I was concerned that we would be late for the bus after being so early before.  It all turned out okay and Ken was able to get enough of a break from work to come see the kids get on the bus.

He took a picture of me with Frances and Henry.

 I took a picture of him.

 Henry found some sticks and pretended to be a buck while Benjamin chased him around the road.

 Then finally, after all our waiting, we heard the bus! It drove up the street...

 and the kids got on and went to school.

And then Benjamin cried all the way to preschool, "I want them! I want them!!" Not sure if he was more upset about Bubby and Sissy leaving or if he just wanted to ride the bus.

First Days

I'll post some more thoughts later, but I wanted to get these pictures up because I think they are cute!

Last Day of Summer

Benjamin started his new preschool today and the drop off went very easily. He saw lots of cars and trucks to play with and that distracted him enough that he wasn't upset when I left. That and the fact that there were only three other kids in the room when I dropped him off. I think he's going to like it there.

First day at his new preschool!

I took the day off to spend some time with Frances and Henry.  When you have one kid things seem hard; then when you have two, doing things with just one of them seems so easy! When you have three and you spend the day with the two that can get in and out of the van by themselves, talk to you about things and (mostly) follow your directions; it's cake! You might even think it was fun!!
First we headed out to Target and got Henry a new car seat! He LOVES it!! (And it was on sale and in his favorite color.)  Now he just needs to learn how to buckle it. Good thing he has Frances there to help!

 

After Target we walked around in the Mall for a little while. Frances wanted to go to Claire's, so I let her and she had a good time looking around at everything.   We walked around the rest of the Mall and I found a pair of shorts for myself.  I don't wear shorts very often and apparently most of the ones I own are 5+ years old and don't fit as well as I would like.

After our browsing trip, we went to Chick-Fil-A for lunch. I had my "year supply" coupons and I also had some coupons the dentist gave the kids.  After upgrading our meals and adding lemonade, lunch for all three of us was $2.41!! Can't beat that!!

Next we went over to the JMU bookstore. I have been wanting to get the kids some JMU stuff ever since I started working here, but have just never made the trip over there. I figured it was a good day to try since the JMU Faculty/Staff picnic was tonight!

New JMU gear!

Chowing down on an ice cream sandwich.

We went home for a bit and then went out to pick up Benjamin, drop off a JMU shirt for Ken, pick up Benjamin and then get our CSA basket.  Then we headed to the JMU picnic. Thankfully I met some friends from church there who offered to stand in line with me and help me out since Ken was still at work. Then Pete had the brilliant idea to get the kids dessert first!  Once in a while, it won't kill them, right??  Well it did keep them pretty quiet in the line and Benjamin doesn't eat dinner anyway.

We got home later than I had wanted to on the night before school started, but the kids had already gotten their backpacks ready and picked out their clothes, so it wasn't too bad.  Tomorrow is a big day!!

Friday Fill Ins

1. When this weekend is over, I will be exhausted.
2. Where does all the laundry at my house come from?!
3. How does my "to-do" list keep getting longer if I am crossing things off?
4. Why is this wet??--Something I find myself saying all too often at home
5. Time flies when you're having fun.
6. What if time could stand still? Just for a moment??
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to A's wedding rehearsal, tomorrow my plans include A's wedding and Sunday, I want to relax and recover from A's wedding!

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Picnic in the Arboretum

Since we did our grocery shopping on Saturday evening, we had some free time after church on Sunday. We went home, changed some clothes and packed some lunch.  We piled the kid sin the van and got ready to go. They knew we were having a picnic, but they didn't know where and they kept asking. "We'll stop and have a picnic wherever Daddy takes us," I said.  So Ken started the van and pulled forward about 6 inches. "Here we go!!" he said. They all laughed and giggled and then we took off for real.

We went out to the Arboretum and apparently we hadn't been there for a while. They have done quite a bit of work in putting in walkways and improving the pond/bog area.  There was a sign that said the main area was reserved for an event, so we walked a little ways down one of the trails until we found a clearing for our picnic blankets.

That's a serious sandwich!

Nom! Nom! Nom!

 

Does anybody notice me stealing these potato chips??

 After we ate our lunch, we just hung out for a little bit, relaxing in the beautiful weather. Henry found some antlers and decided to be a buck.

 When the kids needed to use the bathroom, we packed up and headed to the visitor's center.  That was a nice walk too.

 After the potty break, I went back to the van and grabbed cup of cat food. I let the kids use it to feed the ducks and the fish on the bridge. Benjamin was quite upset that the ducks didn't initially want his food that he put in a nice little pile, but once they noticed it and started eating it, he was over the moon!

We left the Arboretum and got some frozen yogurt at Sweet Bee's. My memory card was full or I would be able to show you the beautiful beard and mustache Benjamin got from his chocolate yogurt!

Friday Fill-Ins

1. I picked lots of pink fuzz out Frances' hair this morning because she slept on a pink feather pillow!
2. I spread joy wherever I go!!
3. I heard the sweetest thing from Henry this morning.**
4. I wanted just a bit more sleep last night.
5. I wish people were nicer to each other.
6. I noticed how clean my stove looks this morning after Ken scrubbed it last night.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going home and chilling out with the kids, tomorrow my plans include waiting to hear what Ken has planned and Sunday, I want to go to Mass, go grocery shopping and relax!

**This week at dinner, after our blessing, we have been sharing a kindness someone has shown us during that day.  Yesterday at dinner, Frances shared a story about how Henry had been kind to her because even though he had woken up early and gotten dressed, he told her she could go back to sleep because it wasn't time to get up yet. He had the cutest little smile on his face when she shared that story, and he looked so proud of himself.  This morning he woke up early again and came out to the couch to see me. He wanted to watch TV and I told him he had to get dressed first.  He started to walk back that way, and then came back to me and whispered, "If Sissy wakes up, I am going to be kind to her and tell her to go back to sleep."  Melts my heart!!

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Laundry Left-Overs

I think everyone I know has found some loose change in the washing machine at some point. It's like a little reward for doing laundry! I've found bills a time or two and that's fun as well. I feel certain that I am not alone in adding tissues, grocery lists, and chapstick to my "list of things found in the washer."  However, I have discovered that having kids leads to some very interesting discoveries in the bottom of the washing machine.
First there was the mulch.It threw me off at first because it didn't really look like mulch, if you know what I mean.  I got used to seeing that quite regularly because the playground at the kids' preschool was covered in mulch.  It came home attached to the kids clothes and socks, but more often than not, it was stuck in their pockets.
I also find rocks. Lots of them since Benjamin decided to start a collection.  To tell the truth, the washing machine isn't the only place I find rocks (the car seat, the van in general, the bathtub, his crib...).  That boy cannot pass a rock garden or gravel pit without filling his pockets!!
I find stickers. Those are frustrating because if you don't catch them before the dryer, that gook gets heated up and sticks to your clothes forever!  I try to look for stickers before things go in the wash, but I am not always successful.
Toys are another common find in our washing machine.  Polly pockets, Matchbox cars, Batman figurines; if it fits in a pocket, it has probably been washed.
I found an earring in the washing machine last week.  That makes me sad, because I only found one and I don't know where the match is. And I liked those earrings.
Yesterday I thought it was strange because I found a plastic heart-shaped magnet in the washer. I had a hard time getting that out because it kept slipping out of my fingers and sticking to the inside of the drum.
I thought Ken's discovery this morning would take the cake! The strangest thing we've found in our washer so far were the two packets of mustard he found.  He brought them up and commented, "I thought we were trying to remove mustard stains in the washer...not create them!" I know they didn't come from me or from Ken. I am going to assume that Frances had them in her pocket from a lunch at camp at some point. Probably yesterday's hot dogs.
You are probably thinking that I should check pockets before I wash clothes.  That would be a great idea!! NOT! I don't even sort laundry anymore! I used to sort it all the time: whites, darks, dress clothes, sheets and towels, etc.  And I had laundry piled everywhere! I would wash one or two loads a day and get close to being finished. Then I would look at the piles and none of them would be quite enough for a full load, so I would skip a day. And then just like hangers, or bunnies, or pens in the bottom of your purse; the laundry piles would multiply exponentially overnight! So I started throwing loads in together. And nothing came out looking horrible. Then I just stopped sorting it at all.  I take the laundry down to the basement and pile it in front of the washer. When I switch loads, I pick up a few handfuls and throw them all in together. Works for me!  Except for all the strange stuff I keep finding in the washer.
But I've never found anything as strange as this

and until I do, I'm not going to sort my laundry or check my pockets. (Click that picture for the full story.)

So, what's the strangest thing you've found in your washing machine??

I Live in a Zoo!

I'll bet most parents have looked around at their children and house at least one time and thought to themselves, "This place is a zoo!"  Well I said it out loud to Ken this morning.  Benjamin was walking around the house yelling "baa!"  I asked him if he was a sheep and he just looked at me and said it louder, "BAA!!" He seemed quite agitated.  I was trying to get ready for work and get the kids moving to get ready for school and camp. And here's Benjamin walking around in his diaper and pajama shirt yelling "Baa! Baa!" I didn't get it until he followed me into the kitchen as I was getting breakfast ready.  When he pointed at the counter and yelled "BAA!" I finally realized that he wanted a banana!  So I got it down, opened it, and handed it to him.  Then instead of saying "Thank you" he turned and walked away saying "ooh-ooh aah-ahh!"  What a monkey!!

Comments from the Peanut Gallery

We have a CD of Stories from "Between the Lions," a PBS show for kids. The show has a bunch of lions that work in a library and present literature to kids. The CD is a promotional from a fast food restaurant, so it isn't too long. It might only be 10 or 15 minutes, so I am quite familiar with it. This morning the story about Icarus and Dedalus came on (again).  I had just dropped the boys off at daycare and was driving to work with Frances in the back seat.  It came to the part of the story where Icarus and Dedalus were stuck in the labyrinth with no hope of escaping (dun dun DUN!) and Frances remarks, "I'll bet the wished they had two pieces of chalk."
Me: What good would two pieces of chalk do, Frances?
FJ: Well, two halves make a whole. Then they could just climb out the hole.
Me: Where did you hear that??
FJ: Math Curse
(Which is a book by Jon Scieszka, who we had the opportunity to meet last Spring.)

My kids love this author! It's good to know they have a sense of humor!!

Stuffed Peppers

One recipe I have always wanted to try is "Stuffed Peppers."  I had them once a long time ago, and I vaguely remember them being out of a package. When I set out to make our 6-week menu plan, stuffed peppers were one thing I wanted to make sure were on there.

I scheduled them for a meatless Monday and found a recipe that sounded good. The recipe went something like this:
Collect:

• 4-6 green peppers
• 1-1/2 cups cooked rice
• one large onion chopped
• sliced mushrooms
• herbs of choice (I think I used used Basil and Oregeno)
• Parmesan cheese

Slice the bottom off the peppers so they sit flat and then slice the tops off and clean them out. Place them in a greased shallow pan.   Dice the pepper tops and bottoms and saute them with a diced onion.  Add the mushrooms and continue cooking. Season to taste.  Add cooked rice, mix together and heat for about 5 minutes.  Stuff mixture into peppers and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes.

I was excited to sit down to these peppers for dinner.  The kids were excited too. Especially Henry because he LOVES mushrooms. And apparently his tummy hurt because he was hungry and his mouth hurt for strange, unknown reasons.

Since the peppers took 30 minutes to cook, I thought it would be a good time to do our 30 minutes of cleaning for the evening. I was excited telling the kids how we could get our cleaning done, eat dinner and then have lots of time for tv and snuggles on the couch afterwards. 

The timer went off and I hollered for the kids to come to the table. I was on a brillance roll, so I even announced that after we said our blessing we were each going to share about someone who had done something kind for us that day.

Frances said the blessing and then Ken told us about someone who had held a door for him at his meeting.  Frances shared about the person who had helped her up after she fell at camp.  Henry screamed that his mouth hurt again and then proceeded to puke all over the table!!

Ken helped get Frances and Henry into the living room while I started with the clean up of Henry.  I got him into the tub and then cleaned up the dining room.  Henry got a shower and then came out and complained that he was hungry. We cautiously gave him some plain rice and then put him to bed.  he threw up once more (and negated the brilliance of double-sheeting the bed, because he hit the side of it.)

He slept through the night fine, but woke up early. He never ran a fever and seemed completely fine today. In fact, he ran all over my office while we were waiting for Ken to come pick him up after he got done with the shipment at work. Henry has never been one to act sick, even when he is.  When I went home for lunch he was happily watching tv and requesting a sandwich.

Ken thanked me for the stuffed peppers because they were something his mother used to make.  He had even made sure to save an extra one for his lunch today.  He said he didn't want to eat it because then it would be gone and he would miss it.  I reassured him that I would make them again...in six weeks.

Weekend in Review

Ken was schedule to work at 12:45 on Saturday, so I thought Saturday morning would be a good time to go school supply shopping for the kids.  Henry had already enthusiastically agreed to a backpack we already had; mainly because it matched Frances'.  We headed to Target with our lists and managed to avoid most of the crowds.  There were some people there, but the place didn't look too picked over. A bit surprising, since it was tax-free weekend, but it was also 10 am and maybe other people were still getting going.
Henry didn't have much on his list aside from glue sticks and crayons, so his list was pretty easy.  Frances had a few other things to pick out, but since she is old enough I was able to say, "Go get five plastic folders with pockets." and she could do that on her own.
At one point, Henry was touching everything in sight asking if it was something he would need and Benjamin was throwing a hissy fit because he wanted to push the shopping cart.  Ken looked at me and said, "And you thought this was a good idea, why...?"  and I very sweetly replied, "Because otherwise I would have had to do it by myself!"
We then decided to brave a trip to Kohl's.  The kids don't really need much in the way of clothing, but I thought it would be nice to have a nice new outfit for the first day of school.  I stopped in the Boy's 4-7 department for Henry, because he is 5. Of course all those clothes were too big and we had to go over to the toddler section.  Then I tried the young girls' section for Frances and was not pleased with my choices there. Do they make clothes for young girls that look like clothes for young girls? I guess we are just beginning this battle!  Thankfully, she doesn't ask for any of the clothes I find inappropriate, so we can have that discussion without too many complaints from her. We settled on some new pants for both and a new shirt each.
We didn't do much else on Saturday, but we managed to get some more baskets of stuff put away at the house.  We enjoyed a chicken and rice casserole for dinner that was such a hit that Henry got out of bed after light's out and told me he was still hungry and could he have more chicken and rice!
Sunday morning we  went to church and managed to arrive early enough for Frances to try out being an altar server. She is not actually tall enough to reach the altar or strong enough to carry the cross, but she can still "shadow" the other servers and learn the ropes.  I was so proud watching her walk up with the other two servers. She did a really great job and I watched to make sure she was saying her responses correctly and paying attention.  Plus, she got to ring the bell after Mass, which may or may not be the whole reason she signed up to be an altar server!
Ken had to work again this Sunday, so I ended up at the grocery store by myself with the kiddos. I didn't take a list because I knew I had bought the important stuff the week before. We spent $63, mostly on fresh produce, but also on some round baking pans and other cake decorating items, since I have a baby shower cake to make this week.
When we got home from the store, I brought the groceries into the kitchen and then went to the bathroom.  I walked out to the kids announcing that they had already put all the groceries away!  Awww!
I gave them a quick snack and then said they could watch a Clifford movie. We had a birthday party to go to and I didn't want them falling asleep or getting to wound up. It's a delicate balance I walk!
We got our present all wrapped up and explained again how birthdays work (presents and candles are for the birthday boy, etc.) and headed out.
The kids had a great time at the party. Since little D is only turning one, his big sister "helped" unwrap all of his presents, then L and my kids promptly made off with them to test them out, especially the new beach chairs that he and his sister got!

Horse Camp

My friend Megan (who's life ambition was to get a shout out on this blog) kept Frances a while back on a day she was out of school. One of their excursions was to Megan's horseback riding lessons.  I explained repeatedly to Frances that she would only be able to watch and she was okay with that. In fact, she LOVED it!!  Just watching and being near the horses really made her day! After Frances was out of earshot, Megan mentioned that the stables also did horseback-riding camp in the summertime. I looked into it, and I'll be honest, the prices scared me a bit!  Then I did some more work on Frances' summer schedule and decided that we could make it work. I am so glad we did!

Frances came home from horse camp speaking a different language! She told me about things using horse terminology and then asked me important sounding questions. I had to admit that I hadn't even understood the question!  Not only did she get to ride horses, but she learned about how to take care of a horse, how to clean out the stables, and how much it costs to own a horse.

At the end of the week they had a presentation from the campers.  They all got the chance to ride around the rink and show off some of their new skills.  She looked like she was in heaven riding those horses. The camp counselors gave out superlative awards and Frances won the "Natural Rider Award." Apparently she was the only camper who had never been on a horse before!

I'm not sure that we will be able to do horse camp every summer, but I sure hope we can!!

Friday Fill-Ins

1. Well, ok, maybe these pants are a bit strange.

2. Clothing advice from Frances? that's a stretch!
3. When I'm making new eating and cleaning habits at home, I feel happy.
4. And also a bit healthier.
5. And frankly, our house is starting to look better.
6. Money is the root of all evil. But jealousy is a close second.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Frances' horseback riding show, tomorrow my plans include shopping for school supplies and Sunday, I want to enjoy Dominic's first birthday party!

Join in on the fun!


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