Summer Styles

Don't worry, I'm not going to write a post about fashion.  That would just be too funny!  The summer styles I'm talking about here are the new summer haircuts that Frances and I got last week.  She had sewing camp all week while Henry was with my parents and Benjamin was at his day care.  I get off work at noon on Fridays, so we decided to go get our hair cut after her camp was done.

I think I've posted before about my problems with maintaining Frances' hair.  She keeps telling me she likes it long, but it's too hard for her to deal with on her own.  I had threatened a while back that I was going to make her cut it and she got really upset with me.

So imagine my surprise when we got to the salon and Frances said she wanted her hair cut up to her chin!  Especially when I had just said (in my head) that I would go ahead and get whatever kind of cut she got!!

So she got in the chair and she did it!! 

She also mentioned that she wanted to donate her hair.  Apparently the neighbor down the street has been teasing her about doing that, so she decided that's what she wanted to do.  We chose Children with Hair Loss and will be mailing them a package just as soon as I can get to the Post Office.

Beginning...

Middle...

End!!

And my mom thinks we both copied her!!

Hump Day Hook Up: A Day Off

I'm hooking up another blast from the past for Hump Day Hook Up.  This five-year old post is from June 2008.  I had fewer kids, a different job, and a different schedule; but it's still nice to have a day together as a family.  We haven't gotten out the kiddie pool this year, but we have played in the sprinkler.  I should also note, that I just threw out that umbrella last week when I was cleaning the garage.

Click the picture below to hook up your own post from the past:

Disney, Part 2: The Outtakes

Yesterday I posted some of my favorite shots from our trip to Disney World. Today I thought I'd post some of the funny shots I found while going through my camera.

The first night there, I dropped something while unpacking. This is the note I found under the bed!

 Benjamin getting ready for Sea World.

 Ben trying to hold up the Epcot ball.

 Benjamin refusing to have his picture taken with the penguins.

 Benjamin refusing to have his picture taken in front of Cinderella's castle.

 The turtle we saw at our resort the morning we were leaving for Sea World.  We got the kids out of the car to look at it, got back in and drove back to the hotel parking lot to meet up with Ken's dad.  As we were pulling in to the space I said, "Well kids, did you enjoy Sea World?"  Henry looked out the window, saw the hotel and started to cry because he really thought that was all he was going to get!

 Everybody's favorite part of vacation: unpacking!!

P.S. In case you're wondering...Benjamin had an excellent time on our vacation.  He just doesn't like having his picture taken!

The Disney World Post You've All Been Waiting For!!

Time keeps ticking; laundry keeps getting washed; dishes keep getting used and I keep putting off this post.  Not because I didn't have a great time (we did), but because there is so much to cover, I'm afraid I'll miss something!  That, and the fact that I felt behind all week at work last week and this week, I'm only working afternoons so I can do Vacation Bible School.

But I don't want to forget all the fun we had or make my mom wait any longer to see pictures from our trip, so here goes.

We went to Disney World right after school got out.  Actually we ended up flying down to Florida on Henry's birthday.  That would have been more fun if it hadn't been for the fact that our original flight got cancelled and then postponed and our arriving flight barely made it before a thunderstorm that prevented our luggage from being unloaded off the plane.  Stressful for the adults, but it didn't seem to faze the kids much.  The were just happy to be on an airplane, especially after spending so much time in the airport.

We got settled and had a late, late dinner on Saturday night before resting up for Sea World on Sunday.  The kids loved all the animals and the shows! I was quite excited by them too, to be honest.

Monday we spent at Epcot, Tuesday at the Magic Kingdom, Wednesday was a day off of sorts, Thursday we went to Animal Kingdom and Friday we went back to the Magic Kingdom.  It was hot, we walked a lot, people got cranky and tempers were raised, but my memory has mostly blocked out that stuff and I am choosing to remember:

Henry getting to eat ice cream at 9 PM on his birthday

Dancing killer whales

Benjamin facing his fear of large characters

Frances holding up the entire Epcot ball

Having another chance to work in a "Look kids! Big Ben...Parliament..." joke

Watching Ben try to jump out of the van on safari in Animal Kingdom because he was so excited about the animals!

Riding rides with my kids

And making memories together as a family!

Don't forget to come back tomorrow for the outtakes!

12 Years Ago Today

 From this...

to this...

to this...

It hasn't all been fun.  It hasn't all been easy. But it has all been totally worth it to travel life's journey with you, Ken.  I am thankful to have you as my friend, my partner, my husband, and our children's father.  I can't wait to see what's next on this adventure!

Five Minute Friday: Rhythm

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community...

Five minutes on rhythm...

GO 

Last week I was on vacation.  Two weeks ago the kids were still in school.  Next week I am working half days so I can help with Vacation Bible School.  My head is spinning a little at this point.  I can't find my rhythm with everything that is going on.

Summers are fun, but always a bit crazy.  Child care involves a series of different summer camps that all have different beginning and ending times.  Some weeks Frances and Henry are in the same camp, some weeks they are in different camps.  Some weeks different combinations of the kids are at my parents' house.

At work, I am working on revitalizing an equipment database.  My boss and I are both working on different parts. Sometimes I can't work on it because f something he is doing.  Sometimes we look at it together and have long philosophical discussions about how it should work.  And we talk in circles, because it is overwhelming and we can't find the rhythm in what we are trying to do.

I think I recognized, and put a name to this last night as I was driving home.  I feel out of sync. I know that I will find my rhythm again and get my groove back, but until then, I am just bumping through life; like a bumper car with no one at the wheel!

STOP

Hump Day Hook Up

I am linking up an old post over at A Mother Life.

You can check out this 5-year old classic from my archives here.  

10 on Tuesday: Our Summer Bucket List

I am still trying to get caught up from vacation last week. And don't worry, I have plenty of stories and pictures from Disney World to share!  I just have to have the time to do it.  So for today, you can get a look at my

Summer Bucket List

1. Disney World
2. Swimming
3. Enjoy my half-day Fridays with the kiddos
4. Sprinkler/sand box time out in the yard
5. Family Reunion on my dad's side
6. Vacation Bible School
7. Catching fireflies late at night
8. Family camping/hiking trip
9. 4th of July festivities and parade
10. Summer Food: potato salad, yogurt/cucumber soup, cold pasta salads, fresh out of the garden veggies, popsicles, lemonade

How about you?  What are your favorite summer activities?

Three Truths and a Lie {REVEALED}

Last week I posted three truths and a lie about myself to see if you could guess which statement was the lie.  If you haven't read it yet, go read it now and leave a comment for which statement you think is the lie.  Then you can come back here and check.  No peeking!!
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Did you go look?
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OK, Here's the truth:

1. My younger brother and I are only 364 days apart.  He was born the day before my first birthday and I call him "the gift I was never allowed to return." TRUE
2. When I was younger I wanted to be a meteorologist.  Then one day a tropical storm came through my town as a result of a hurricane and really scared me.  I have been afraid of weather ever since! FALSE (I love storms, especially thunder and lightning!)
3. I like most animals but I am terrified of birds. Especially when swarms of them all take off from the same tree at the same time.  I've had to pull over on the interstate because of it. TRUE-and I've never seen the Alfred Hitchcock movie.
4. I once caught a 30+ pound salmon while fishing on vacation with my family.  Then I cleaned it, gutted it and filleted it. Oh, and ate it! Yum!  TRUE

How'd you do?

Liar, Liar Pants on Fire

I find it funny that I am posting this after I made a game out of lying on Tuesday.  But here I go anyway...

I've had a few problems with lying at my house lately.  For the most part Frances and Henry understand what flat out lying is. And they know they shouldn't do it.  That doesn't mean they don't try it, but when they get caught and punished, they know right away that they deserve it.  I'm leaving Benjamin out of this because three year olds still have a hard time differentiating between fantasy and reality and sometimes they don't really mean to lie, they just don't know what the truth is.

There are two other types of lying that the kids and I have talked about that have been a problem.  The first is called "wordsmithing."  Technically a wordsmith is someone who is skilled at putting words together.  However, people also use the word to describe someone who uses words that are technically correct, but not truthful.  For example: Henry is crying on the floor, while Frances is sitting on the couch.  "I didn't push him off the couch!" she exclaims! and technically she's right. She didn't push him off the couch; she kicked him.  What she said is true, but it doesn't properly address the situation. 

Not my kids

The other problem we have had is lying by omission.  The time between dinner and bedtime can get pretty chaotic at our house.  People trying to finish up one day and get ready for the next causes a bit of confusion on a regular nightly basis.  One night, we had promised Frances and Henry a cookie after dinner.  I went to run some laundry while Ken was putting food away.  When I came back up the kids were in their room getting clothes out for the next day.  I saw that they were following directions and remembered the cookies.  As I went to the kitchen to get the cookies, I passed Ken going into our room to fold some laundry.  I brought the cookies back and handed them to the kids, who didn't say anything, but eagerly started eating.  Ken walked out of the bedroom and said to me, "Did you just give them cookies? I already gave them some."  Uh-oh!  We had a conversation about lying at that point.  I explained that they had lied even though they hadn't said anything.  Actually, they had lied because they hadn't said anything.  The right thing to do would have been to refuse the cookies and explain that they had already had some. 


There was no real punishment that night other than a lecture and the stern look of disappointment I gave the two of them.  Sometimes I wonder if I was too harsh with that.  But I see so many people in the public eye: politicians, lawyers, criminals, etc. who use these types of lies without thinking twice.  Or maybe they do think-they think about how exactly they can word something or "forget" something to not be caught in a direct lie.  The words coming out of their mouths (or not, in some cases) are technically not false; but they do not convey the actual truth. It's a very fine line and I want my kids to know where that line is from a very early age.

So where does that put white lies or teasing?  It's a hard question and I'm not sure I have the answer.  But I hope that my children will grow up to be discerning of others and what they hear from others and about others.  I want there to be no doubt about the integrity of their words and actions. And when's a better time to start than now?

DIY Duct Tape Flips Flops and Handbag

Frances has been in love with duct tape lately.  I guess I have to take responsibility for part of it because I'm the one who bought all the different kinds of tape.  She started out just making bracelets, but then she saw a flyer at her after-school program about entering a project at the county fair and she because obsessed with making something to display. 

I flipped through some ideas online with her looking over my shoulder and she saw a pair of flip flops made out of duct tape and fell in love.  Since we had all the necessary supplies, I decided to go ahead and let her try it out.  And of course, I documented the process.

DIY Duct Tape Flip Flops

Supplies needed:

• duct tape (You can use all the same kind or different coordinating kinds)
• cardboard
• marker
• scissors
• a pair of shoes that fit your child

1. Put on the shoes and trace around them onto a piece of cardboard.
   
   
   

2. Cut out the cardboard (parents, this may be more of a job for you if the cardboard is thick)

3. Start placing strips of duct tape across the top of the cardboard, wrapping it around to the back.  Over lapping is good-you want to have all the cardboard on the top covered.

     

4. After you have covered the entire top with duct tape, have your child stand in them and make a mark in between the toes to mark where the straps should go.

     

5. Using scissors (or a fancy cutting tool) cut a slit where you made the mark. THIS IS A PARENT JOB!

6. Take a piece of duct tape about a foot long (this is a good time to use a coordinating color or pattern) and fold it in thirds length-wise.       
7. Fold this piece in half with the seam on the outside and poke it through the hole you made in step 5.  Pull it though about an inch and tape it down.
8. Have your child put the shoes on wrap the rest of the strap around her foot comfortably like a flip flop strap.  Fold the straps around and under to the bottom of the shoe and hold in place while your child slips it off.

     

9. Turn it over and tape down the traps and cover any other parts where you can still see the cardboard.
10. Ta dah!  You have new flip flops!!

  

Frances also made a handbag to go with her new shoes. 

I didn't take detailed pictures, but the process is pretty simple.  Lay out two pieces of duct tape (slightly longer than you want the width of the purse) sticky side up, right next to each other.  Lay another piece sticky side down, on top of them, between the pieces, overlapping each half way.  

 

Continue placing one piece sticky side up and one piece sticky side down, until you have a long sheet of duct tape, taped to itself.  Make it twice as long as you want the side of the bag to be.

 

Fold this sheet in half and trim the edges of the duct tape.  Using coordinating tape, tape down each open side to complete the bag.

Take two pieces of coordinating duct tape and fold them in thirds like you did for the flip flop strap. 

 

These will be the straps, so make them as long as you want, plus about five inches.  Place them on the inside of the bag and tape them down good.

Frances also added a "monogrammed" F to both sides of her bag.  I suggested that she outline it with a marker, but apparently she did not like that suggestion!

Now you can be a classy lady with shoes and a handbag to match!!

Old School Blogging: A to Z

My bloggy friend Kim, from Co-Pilot Mom, has tagged me in Old School Blogging for June! This month is an Alphabet Meme hosted by Elaine, so check her out for the original post and link up!

A.  Attached or single? – Attached--for twelve years this month (17 if you count the dating years)

B.  Best friend? – Julie and Stacey

C.  Cake or pie? – Cake

D.  Day of choice? – Summer Sundays are my favorite

E.  Essential item? – Wi-fi

F.  Favourite colour? – Green

G.  Gummie bears or worms? – Please don't make me choose!  Unless there are gummy peaches, and those win, hands down!

H.  Hometown? – Harrisonburg, VA

I.  Favourite indulgence? – Stealing time to read a good book from cover to cover while ignoring  my household chores

J.  January or July? – July

K.  Kids? – A girl and two busy boys (9, 6, and 3)

L.  Life isn’t complete without?  - My family

M.  Marriage date? – June 23, 2001

N.  Number of brothers/sisters?  Two brothers: one older, one younger

O.  Oranges or apples? –  Fruit? apples; Juice? Oranges

P.  Phobias? – birds

Q.  Quote? – "This is the day The Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it."

R.  Reasons to smile? – My family, my friends, sunshine, fresh summer veggies, thunderstorms

S.  Season of choice? –  Summer without a doubt!

T.  Tag 5 people. – Rosie, Lydia, Kacey, Katy, and Deserae

U.  Unknown fact about me? – You mean there are things I don't share with the internet??  Well check out this post for a few unknowns

V.  Vegetable? – Tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, carrots...Geez! Now I want a salad!!

W.  Worst habit?  Procrastinating and picking at my fingernails

X.  X-Ray or ultrasound? – I've had both. The ultrasounds were more fun because most of them were good news.

Y.  Your favourite food? The kind I don't have to cook!

Z.  Zodiac sign? – Pisces

Thank you, Kim, for inviting me to jump in and blog old school! It is always so much fun to learn a little more about some of my favourite bloggers – and maybe meet some new ones!

Three Truths and a Lie

We used to play this game in youth group where each person had to introduce themselves by giving two truths and a lie about themselves and the other people in the group would try to guess the lie.  Hilarity ensued while discussing the things people said about themselves and which of them could possibly be true and which one was the lie.  It was a fun way to get to know each other.  Some years we even had people who would list the same three things they had listed the year before and people still couldn't remember which one was the lie!

So today, in the name of getting to know each other, I present three truths and a lie.  Three of the following items are true and one of them is a lie that I made up.  See if you can guess which is the lie!!

1. My younger brother and I are only 364 days apart.  He was born the day before my first birthday and I call him "the gift I was never allowed to return."
2. When I was younger I wanted to be a meteorologist.  Then one day a tropical storm came through my town as a result of a hurricane and really scared me.  I have been afraid of weather ever since!
3. I like most animals but I am terrified of birds. Especially when swarms of them all take off from the same tree at the same time.  I've had to pull over on the interstate because of it.
4. I once caught a 30+ pound salmon while fishing on vacation with my family.  Then I cleaned it, gutted it and filleted it. Oh, and ate it! Yum!

Tell me in the comments which of these statements you believe is a lie.. Then check back on Monday, and I'll tell you who was right!!

Henry, On Turning Six

1. What is your favorite color? orange and green

2. What is your favorite toy? Baby Tiger

3. What is your favorite fruit? oranges

4. What is your favorite tv show? Curious George

5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? hot dogs

6. What is your favorite outfit?  dinosaur costume

7. What is your favorite game? hide and seek tag

8. What is your favorite snack? oranges

9. What is your favorite animal? Tigers

10. What is your favorite song? ABCs

11. What is your favorite book? Fly Guy

12. Who is your best friend? Dennis and Luis

13. What is your favorite cereal? Honey Nut Cheerios

14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play hide and seek tag

15. What is your favorite drink? Orange juice

16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas 'cause Santa brings us presents

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Baby Tiger

18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Cereal

19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? oranges 

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? racecar driver

Five Minute Friday: Fall

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

GO

I have this recurring dream where I am walking down the sidewalk and my foot slips and I jerk awake right before I fall into the street. Most of the time I'm not really in any danger. There aren't cars coming or a big puddle.  It's just falling. And it startles me awake and I lie there in bed with my heart racing and I try to go back to sleep.  Pretty sure I've kicked Ken a time or two when it happens.

There really isn't much more to the dream than that.  I don't ever recall a particular street, a destination, or any other details.  Just the fall.  And the jerk.  And the heart racing. And then the realization that I'm okay.

It happens in real life too.  I'll be mosey-ing along minding my own business, living my life and then BAM!  I fall.  Not literally.  Just figuratively.  But the feeling is the same.  I jerk aware and then feel my heart racing.  It could be money stresses.  It could be housing issues.  A child dilemma.  A broken down van.  All these things make me fall. And twitch. And panic.

And then I remember (or better: Someone reminds me) I am in no danger. There is ONE who knows the number of hairs on my head.  There is ONE who holds me in the palm of HIS hand.  There is ONE who will never forsake me or leave me stranded.  He will never let me fall.  Unless I am falling into the comfort of HIS arms.  HE will always remind me that I am loved, I am safe, and I am cared for.

Amen

STOP

Thoughts on the End of Zumba Class

I had my last Zumba class this morning.  *sniff*  I really enjoyed it.  The instructor was awesome! She had a great variety of music and moves. There were a few moves that we did in a different song, but she made it slightly different the second time.  This was my fifth class and I really felt like I knew some of the routines and I was able to focus on making myself work harder instead of concentrating on form.  I also have totally gotten over the discomfort of a group fitness class.  By this class I've realized that nobody is paying that much attention to anybody else.  And even if they are, they typically aren't doing the moves any better than you are.

This is not my Zumba class.  Obviously.

I also really enjoyed the class because I took it with friends. We motivated each other to stick with it and we congratulated each other on a job well done.  Sure, I was mostly surrounded by college students, but we all supported each other.

Another great thing about the class was the timing. (Unless you ask Ken, of course!)  The class was Thursday mornings from 6:45-7:30.  I could get up and go; wake myself up and get energized for the day.  I also got a key to the showers in my building, so I came straight to work, showered, stopped by the deli downstairs to grab a muffin or bagel and the walked upstairs to work.  It all worked out perfectly.  And the instructor will be offering the class again in the Fall, so I am excited to take it again!

I've been told twice since this class started that I look like I've lost weight.  While that wasn't really my intention going in, it is nice to hear.  My clothes seem to fit better and I feel better (except for these stupid allergies today).  I feel like I've got a bit more energy throughout the day. All in all, I'm glad I took the class and stuck with it.

Have you ever tried Zumba? Another group fitness class?  What's your favorite way to exercise?

End of The Year Teacher Gift: Fill In The Blank

It's the end of the school year!!  My kids get out early on Friday and then that's it for Kindergarten and Third Grade.  I have been trying to figure out what to do for the teachers to show our appreciation.  I recall getting an odd assortment of gifts, some of which were nice and some of which were...well, odd.  I have a lot of coffee mugs and candles from that era of my life.  And while I always try to appreciate the thought behind the gift, I don't want to clutter up someone else's desk. 

When I was teaching, one of my favorite holiday gifts to make for parents were kid interviews.  I would make a cute little story and leave blanks in it for the kids to fill in.  I'm sure you've seen them for Mother's Day or Father's Day.  So I made one for teachers and thought some of you might enjoy it as well.

The picture is a bit small, but it should link you to a PDF version you can use.  If you want me to email you a copy as a Publisher file, just email me and I'll get it out to you.  We filled them out last week for the kids' teachers and Henry's teachers said she loved it and was planning on framing it.

Hope you parents out there are surviving the last few days of school!  Have a great day!

10 on Tuesday: Things in my Washer

I've posted lots before about my love affair with laundry. Truthfully, I don't completely hate it.  Washing, drying, and folding are fine with me.  I just hate putting it away!  And, frankly, that's sad; because my kids put their own laundry away and so does Ken.  I only have mine...and Benjamin's...and the sheets, towels, rags, napkins, tablecloths...see?!  Anyway, laundry is on my mind this morning, so I present to you...

10 Things I've Found in My Washer Lately

1. Clean clothes--technically the only thing I should be finding in my washer.
2. Tissues--standard washer fare, right?
3. Mulch--As I told someone yesterday, I have probably found the equivalent of an entire tree in my washing machine the past few weeks.
4. Mustard Packets--Finally figured this one out! Frances gets them off the condiment bar at school and then eats them.  The mustard, I mean.  As in she sucks the mustard out of the packet and then sticks the packet in her pocket.  We had a conversation about this and she's either stopped eating mustard or she's started throwing the packets in the trash.
5. A Matchbox car--Not sure which son left it in his pocket. 
6. Grocery coupons--I guess I have to claim this one. I must have left them in my pocket after a shopping trip.  Thankfully they were the ones I wouldn't have used.
7. A baseball--I have no clue; don't even ask!!
8. A Hanger--Gives you an idea how well I sort my clothes before I put them in, huh?
9. Foam letter--Our bathtub toys sit right next to the hamper, so I guess it fell in the pile that way.
10. Nothing--That's right!! For one day last week, I was totally caught up on all the laundry. (Only lasted a day though.)

P.S.: Still lovin' my Woolzies in the dryer!!  No static, even with summer heat!