This is how we do it

On Memorial Day, I hear from friends, online and off, about the picnics they are going to, what patriotic looking dish they are making, which pool they are going to.  For my family, we don't do anything special.  I take the kids and go to a friend's picnic the weekend before Memorial Day, but on the holiday itself, we don't do much more than sleep in and hang out at home.

This year, the husband decided he wanted to cook dinner.  I obviously did not have a problem with that!  He wanted to use our little grill to make dogs and beans.  This grill is meant for tailgating, but that has never stopped us from using it at home.

He pulled out the grill and arranged the charcoal.  He then asked me where the actual grilling piece was.  I had no clue.  While we looked high and low, he decided it would be fun to cook our dogs using sticks.  Of course we found the piece we needed in the drawer under the stove where I keep the cookie sheets, but by this point, Little Dude had heard the stick plan.  There was no backing out now!

The husband went to work sharpening some sticks while Little Dude arranged chairs around the grill for us to sit on.  Once the sticks were sharpened and the coals nice and hot, the kids began to cook their own dinner (how awesome for me!).

While they were busy roasting their dogs, the husband popped open a can of chili and a can of baked beans.  He used a combination of the little grill and a esbit stove to cook his chili in beans.   

And because no cookout is complete without dessert, we made S'mores!  Or one S'more per kid followed by a bunch of roasted marshmallows!

After all the marshmallow goo, chili, cheese, and whatever else the kids managed to get stuck to them was cleaned off, the husband and I took the kids out for some more family togetherness.  You'll have to stop back tomorrow to find out what that was.

How was your holiday weekend?


Until next time...

Poison Ivy and Snakes

What a busy weekend we had. I feel like I say that every weekend anymore, but it's the truth.

As much as I love my sleep, I actually don't mind getting up early.  I am not a morning person, but I do enjoy savoring a cup of coffee (or three) and having everything I need to do done by early afternoon so I can enjoy the rest of the day with my husband and kids.

As satisfying as that feeling is to get things done early, I hate having to wake early and rush out the door.  Not being able to savor those cups of coffee tends to make me grumpy.  A grumpy me is never a fun me.

The chaos of last weekend began Friday afternoon with school pick-up.

Little Dude was complaining of being itchy the night before.  He has dry skin and has had issue with eczema in the past so I thought nothing of it.  I would just lotion him up and he's be good to go.

Not the case.

Little Dude bounced out of school Friday afternoon, happy it was finally the weekend, and that's when I saw it.  Scratches, blisters, and a flaming red neck.  Right then I knew it was more than eczema.  It was poison ivy.  Perhaps letting them run around on the hillside by the husband's work was not a good idea.  Thank goodness I had some anti-itch cream in the medicine cabinet because I didn't have time to run to the store.  I had to get the husband from work and take my boys to the zoo for a Scout sleepover

After we returned home from our drive to the zoo, GG and I prepared for our girl's night in.  I was setting up the DVD player for a few games of Harry Potter Scene-It when I realized Little Dude wasn't the only one who was running around on that hillside.  The proof was beginning to show on GG's legs, hands, and arms.  Thankfully she could make do without the anti-itch cream (I sent it off with my boys).  She was either not effected as bad as Little Dude or she had more control when it came to not scratching.

Until Sunday.

Sunday was our end of the year Girl Scout picnic.  It was hot as hell and she was running around almost the entire 8 hours we were there.  A hot and sweaty girl made for an itchy girl.  I again left the cream with the boys because Little Dude didn't seem to understand he shouldn't scratch if he wanted to get better.  A hot, sweaty, tired and itchy child is NOT a fun child!

But just because we were all hot, sweaty, tired, and some were itchy, didn't mean there was no fun to be had.  GG had a blast at the picnic - good food, crafts, and friends.  And Little Dude had a blast on his zoo trip.  He was able to go behind the scenes with a few exhibits and touch animals ordinary patrons might not have a chance to touch.

Holding an armadillo

You'll just have to trust me that GG had a great time at our picnic.  I wasn't able to capture any pictures during the event because I was too busy trying to control the chaos.  All the girls in attendance seemed to have a good time, but events like this make me realize that we do, in fact, have well behaved children.


Until next time...

Open the Door

Those fleeting moments when I have nothing to do but think, I envision my perfect house.  This house has more than enough room for us 4 and all of our stuff.  This house also has a large, flat backyard where my kids can run and play ball.

Those fleeting moments are often interrupted by a quick glance out our back window.  We have a porch and we have a deck.  Both, when toys are not scattered about, have enough room for the kids to run.  Our actual yard makes me want to return to my dreams.  Our yard is a hill.  Not ideal for running and playing ball.  Our backyard has weeds and sticks that fell from the trees.  Not ideal to run through without any shoes.

But sometimes I catch moments of my kids playing in our yard.  Those moments are when I wouldn't trade our yard for the world.

Those sticks that fall can be used as walls for a club house.

Leaves are gathered to be used as camoflage

Trees can be climbed

Doorways to another world can be made

Wordful Wednesday by



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Until next time...

No Flowers for Me

At the back of our deck, we have 2 flower beds built into the wall that holds up the hillside. For years I have planted flowers in those planters.  Impatients, to be exact.  Why impatients?  Not only do they thrive in the shade, which we have plenty of in the back yard, but because I have a habit of killing most other plants.

Every year the kids and I would go out to some flower store or another to chose our impatients.  The kids loved to come with me so they could pick out which colors we were going with that particular year.  Sadly, this year, I do not see such a trip in our future.  Why?  Because I have a son.  To be more exact, I have a son who loves to dig.

Last year we dedicated a spot on the side of the yard where he could dig to his heart's content.  I think he outgrew that spot.  Last fall I purchased a sandbox thinking he could dig and get dirty in there.  He still does, but it's not enough to feed his digging addiction.  I finally caved and let him have the smaller of the two flower beds.  Those three spots would definitely give him enough room to dig, right?

Wrong!

Little Dude has moved on to digging not only in both flower beds, but up into the hillside as well.

This Spring I have decided to let him dig in all of those spots.  Partly because I am tired of arguing with him over where to dig, but I've learned his digging also benefits me.

By digging up the flower beds, it saves me the trouble of planting flowers.  Yes flowers are pretty and I would love to have a pretty yard, but it's one less thing to add to my to-do list.  By letting him dig on the hillside I've learned that the weeds no longer grow where him and GG play.  This means less weed whacking for the husband and I to do.

From the time Little Dude wakes up in the morning until the sun begins to set, he is outside.  He is being creative when playing outside, he is learning cause and effect when he builds and digs, he is soaking up some sun and fresh air, and most important, he is not vegging out in front of the tv or a video game all day.  So even though I won't be able to plant flowers in our back yard for quite some time, I am very happy that Little Dude spends his time outside.

However, there is a downfall to all of his digging.  Our water bill is starting to sky rocket due to all the hand washing and bathing of one little boy.

Until next time...

Happy Halloween

Looking at the outside of our house, you would never know that I am a Halloween junkie. Except for my Boo door hanger, there is not an ounce of Halloween in our yard. First of all, it has been cold and I hate decorating in the cold. Second, very few, if any kids trick-or-treat on our street.

But that doesn't mean I am lacking on the decorations on the inside of our house.

Witch and monster sign, courtesy of my MIL.
Boo ghosts that I just finished making.
A pumpkin whose batteries might actually survive
through Halloween this year.

As much as I hate spiders, I have to put this guy out every year.
Last year, I actually forgot to put him away.
Yes, it freaked me out on more than one occasion.



web made by me

Not only do I enjoy watching my kids enjoy this holiday, but I also enjoy being someone else for a change. Can you guess what I was this year?

The husband was NOT a fan of my all to real black eye!

And by the way, why does my hair never cooperate
until I actually want it to be messy?! So frustrating!


In case you're still not sure of my costume,
would dirty, beat up wings give you a clue?

Because I have been so busy making Halloween decorations and starting on Christmas stuff, I decided to forgo making homemade costumes for the kids. The first costume GG chose was not available in a size that would fit her. Big is good as we have to work a costume over layers of clothes in this city, but 4 sizes too big is pushing it. She instantly fell in love once she saw a picture of something else.

I bought Little Dude's costume at a consignment shop back in July and up until October, he was so psyched to wear it. Then he decided to be a werewolf. Having already purchased a costume, I said no. Once I explained I could paint his face, his original costume was a go.

Without further adu, I introduce my Polar Princess and a soldier to protect her.

Or maybe a soldier to chase the polar princess with the gun I caved a bought him.

I wish everyone a safe and happy Halloween full of good candy for moms and dads to dip into!


PS. In case you're still not sure of what my costume was, I was a Fallen Angel.


Until next time...

Bumps and Berries

No one told me that 9 year old girls can be moodier than a woman 9 months pregnant and ready to pop. In retrospect, perhaps I should have picked up one of those Chicken Noodle Soup parenting books.

The past few days have been particularly trying. GG has been walking around with a holier than thou attitude, then reverts to a pouting 2 year old when she is told to do something for the 50th time, ie. putting her shoes on the shoe rack instead of in the middle of the floor.

Sunday night was a very rough night for both of us. It was one of those nights where I could hear the words loudly leaving my mouth and I knew in my head I did not like how I sounded. I vowed Monday would be a better day. We hit a few road bumps Monday, but overall things were smooth like butter. Until.....


GG has a strawberry plant. Her seeds we planted earlier in the summer didn't seem to take, so Little Dude and I bought her a new plant. We transferred it to a new pot and hoped for the best. Us girls kept a watchful eye on the strawberry plant. We'd smile at every berry as it began to turn red, only to be disappointed as each one would rot. A friend suggested the plant was not getting enough water, so we became vigilant about watering every night.

Soon the leaves doubled in size. Yet no flowers were t be seen. Until last week. We spotted 2 flowers with a tiny berry in the middle. I noticed one berry disappeared within a few days. I chalked t up to yet another berry rotting. But the second berry began to grow. As it grew, it also began to turn red.

Last night, GG wanted to finally pick her first berry. I told her to give the berry one more day to make sure it was fully red and ready to eat. Not even an hour later, Little Dude and I walked past her beloved strawberry plant as we were taking the garbage to the curb. The one and only berry was gone. It was not in the pot. It was not in the grass. It was not in the cracks of the sidewalk. Gone.

I can only assume a chipmunk, squirrel, or rabbit found itself a nice red snack. GG, who was finally emerging from her foul mood, was pushed back into her funk.

The good mom that I am, I turned to the Google for help. What I learned was the vines growing from her plant are called runners. On each runner are baby plants. These can be placed in pots so next year we have more than one plant. I also learned how to care for strawberry plants during the winter months, which can be brutal here.

I shared my findings with GG and I watched a smile finally cross her face. We were able to end the night on a good note, and that makes me very happy.

Now we just all need to pray that my thumb stays green long enough to yield some fresh strawberries in the Spring.



Until next time...

Proof that kids don't listen

Or they just choose not to hear certain things.

Yesterday morning when we returned from taking the husband to work, it was relatively sunny. I decided, since we had to leave again in an hour, that I would leave my window open in the car. There's not much I hate more than getting into an insanely hot car.

I took advantage of the quiet while the kids were occupied and read a few blogs and tweeted a bit. As I was getting ready to get dressed to go out shopping, I began to hear the rain. It never occurred to me to go out and close my window in the car. My only thought was, "I guess I can't wear flip flops."

When the kids and I were walking out the door, that is when it hit me that my window was open and now my seat was probably wet. GG, who ran ahead of me, informed me that half of my seat was wet. Lovely!

I called her back up to the door. I wasn't about to leave Little Dude by an unlocked car by himself. Oh, the possibilities! Scary!

I asked GG to go up to the bathroom and grab her towel off the back of the door. My towel was still wet from an ironing debacle and Little Dude had his giraffe towel hanging. I had no desire to sit on a giraffe head!

I waited for her on the front porch so I could hear what she was doing yet still keep an eye on Little Dude. She was taking forever! Just as I was about to ask what she was doing, she returns with an unopened roll of toilet paper. Um, what?! I repeated my directions for her to get her towel from the bathroom. After another few minutes of standing in the rain, GG returns with a handful of paper towels. Seriously?! For a third time I repeated my directions to my darling daughter. She finally returned with a towel from the bathroom.

Unfortunately it was mine and it was still damp.

By that point, I was already wet so what the hell. Might as well sit on a damp towel covering a wet car seat. If you ever have the opportunity to walk around the mall with wet pants, I suggest you pass.




with The Daily Dribbles
and Emmy Mom


Until next time...

Not your average zoo trip

Last week I took the kids to the zoo. It was Girl Scout day and with GG being a scout, I figured it would be wise to make an appearance. After all, the first 10,000 girls with their chaperon got in for free. We all know how much I love that "F" word!

Oh, and yes you read that right... the first 10,000 girls and their chaperon. Needless to say, with the amount of people there, it was a zoo at the zoo.

Don't worry, you don't have to laugh. No one else seemed to find my joke all that funny either.

Almost all of the animals were out, even if they were only sleeping. Including the elusive polar bear. Of course, as soon as we got to his enclosure, he turned around and went back into hiding. Our zoo has a really awesome tunnel that goes underneath the water for the polar bear so you can watch him swim. I'll be damned if I've ever seen that thing actually go near the water!


As much as the kids loved seeing all of the animals, including the monkey that kept slamming into the glass window, I think their favorite "exhibits" were the slides. Particularly the slide inside the reptile house. This slide is inside a tree and is apparently super fast.

I also enjoyed the reptile house, but probably not for the reason you may think.

Next to the steps leading up to the tree slide are some tortoises. Two of them to be exact. No matter which direction you walk to those steps, you must pass the tortoises. On this particular day, those tortoises were very, um, playful. Another child making their way to the steps proclaimed that the tortoises were wrestling. The other moms and I looked at each other and followed suit. Yes, all of our children think tortoises wrestle!

I went to the zoo and all I got
was this picture of 2 tortoises going at it!

Disclaimer~ I did in fact take plenty of pictures, but this is my favorite by far!



Until next time...

I Have a Secret

Shh... don't tell!

I have a secret that I'm about to share.







There is an awesome thing happening in my city right now.

Batman has come to town.

That's right, the newest Dark Knight movie is being filmed here. I would love to say that I have a small role in the movie, but I don't have the luxury of standing in line all day with the hopes of being in some random crowd seen with hundreds of other people. But I do have something.


A few nights ago I was picking the husband from dinner with an old friend. I knew that filming was going on that night and I decided to take a detour through downtown to see if we could see anything (hello, Christian Bale?). A few streets were closed off but nothing was set up to film yet. Damn you Christian Bale! I was just about to give up hope while pulling up to a red light when I saw it. Snow!

You see, The Dark Knight takes place during the winter months. And now I'm glad I didn't have to wear a parka for a crowd scene during those 90 degree days. New mock snow hadn't been laid out yet, but there were remnants of snow from the night before. A quick trip around the block and a bad parking job on a side street led us to our own baggie of Bat-snow!




Of course, I didn't place the snow in the baggie until after we were home because who carried around empty Zip-loc bags? Not me. Which means there is also Bat-snow laying in the cup holder of the car.

It may not be the cleanest snow, but then again neither is the real stuff after it's hit the sidewalks of downtown. But at least I can that I am the proud owner of part of a movie set. At least until Christian Bale comes to my house to take it back.



Until next time...

Summer Fun

We may not have done everything I originally planned this summer, but that doesn't mean we didn't have loads of fun.

Our summer started off with out local Community Day. There was a wall to climb, bounce houses, and if you ask GG, an epic balloon sword fight in the middle of the field.

I think Little Dude's favorite part was getting his hair done.

A few weeks after that we made our way to a local amusement part. GG was so excited to be tall enough to ride every single thing. While Little Dude wasn't quite tall enough for everything, he was ecstatic that he didn't have to go to Kiddie Land.

Last year this park added a new roller coaster. With SnoMaggedon the previous winter, the coaster building schedule was pushed back. We had to wait until this summer to finally ride the new Sky Rocket. It's a short ride, but exhilarating! Plus you can catch an awesome sunset through the tracks.

For the first time in a few years, we failed to get pool passes. But that didn't stop me from taking the kids to the pool. Little Dude is growing up (tear) because he stayed in the big pool with me and his sister.

Except when one of the lifeguards would start an epic water battle!

I think if you to ask my kids what their favorite part of the summer was, they would most likely say our vacation to DC. GG barely remembers going on vacation when she was little and Little Dude has never been on a vacation. The out of state trip when he was 4 weeks old doesn't count.

I have so many pictures from our trip, but some of my favorite include pizza slices as big as a 6 year old's head

and unexpectedly running into Bumblebee outside of the National Zoo.

Our summer vacation is coming to a close in a few weeks. The kids and I still have one more trip coming up to our own zoo. Even though what we actually did differed from the list I made at the beginning of the year, I'd say we had a kick ass summer!


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Until next time...

Balls and Cones

Yesterday was yet another hot day. Mother Nature teased us by filling the skies with clouds. I wasn't sure if it would ever rain, but I didn't want to be stuck at the pool if it did. After Little Dude got home from his summer camp, I decided to surprise the kids with mini golf. It is something Little Dude has never and GG probably doesn't remember her last time. She was only three.

They had no idea where we were going until we pulled into the parking lot. Thank goodness the car windows were down or else their shrieks might have cracked them!

I was worried at first. Little Dude is pretty good at hockey an he loves slap shots. I immediately explained that we do not hit the ball hard. I really didn't want to pay for a lost ball. Luckily he took my advice, but I still cringed every time he got ready to swing. Have you ever seen Happy Gilmore? That is the stance Little Dude took when it was his turn to golf.

I admit none of us were very good, so I chose not to keep score. Neither child started a fight. In fact, they happily took turns putting their balls. It was like the Twilight zone!

Completing all 18 holes didn't take nearly as long as I expected so I decided to treat them once again. Before we made the trip to get the husband from work, we stopped at Bruester's for some ice cream.

Little Dude got a dirt sundae, which he did not like because it was crunchy. Although he licked the bowl clean.

GG got a cone with a huge scoop of mint chocolate chip. At first I thought she was really hungry because she was eating it so fast.

Then I got my cone topped with chocolate raspberry truffle (yum!!). I quickly learned that, even in the shade, ice cream melts fast when it's 90 degrees!


I can't tell you how many times each child thanked me. Our summer isn't exactly going as I planned, but if it continues to be full of days like yesterday, I will take it!



Until next time...