Letting Go...

Last week my mom asked if they could take the kids to Southern California with them. I immediately answered that they could go, without even thinking about it. I mean, of COURSE they can go. I trust my parents, I know they'll watch them like hawks, I know the kids are safe, etc.

But then came the night before they left... The night that I realized my kids were leaving... The night that I realized that I wouldn't see them for three days... The night I realized that I've never been so far away from both kids at the same time...

And a bit of panic set in. Okay, so maybe panic is the wrong word. Maybe it was more like sadness. There I was, tucking the kids in and telling them I'd see them Friday, and silent tears were rolling down my cheeks. I had no control, they just came. I KNOW that my kids will be fine and I have NO idea what got into me that night, but for just a moment I was a bit of a mess.

The feeling passed quickly and I'm glad that the kids went and are having a good time with Grandma and Grandpa, but why didn't anyone ever tell me that being a parent would turn me into such a sissy? Why didn't anyone ever tell me that I'd get choked up and any little thing that has to do with my children?

Nobody warned me about this!

Boucne... It's Not Just For Dryers Anymore

As a faithful user of Bounce Dryer Sheets, I HAD to pass this along. Who knew that a little sheet of who knows what that I throw in my dryer and then throw away, has so many other uses!

My mail carrier told me that the U.S. Postal service sent out a message to all letter carriers to put a sheet of Bounce in their uniform pockets to keep yellow-jackets away. I use them when I am working outside and it really works! The insects just veer around you. All this time you've just been putting Bounce in the dryer!

1. It will chase ants away when you lay a sheet near them. It also repels mice.

2. Spread sheets around foundation areas, or in trailers, or cars that are sitting and it keeps mice from entering your vehicle.

3. It takes the odor out of books and photo albums that don't get opened too often.

4. It repels mosquitoes. Tie a sheet of Bounce through a belt loop when outdoors during mosquito season.

5. Eliminate static electricity from your television (or computer) screen.

6. Since Bounce is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe your television screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust from resettling.

7. Dissolve soap scum from shower doors. Clean with a sheet of Bounce.

8. To freshen the air in your home, place an individual sheet of Bounce in a drawer or hang one in the closet.

9. Put a Bounce sheet in vacuum cleaner.

10. Prevent thread from tangling. Run a threaded needle through a sheet of Bounce before beginning to sew.

11. Prevent musty suitcases. Place an individual sheet of Bounce inside empty luggage before storing it.

12. To freshen the air in your car, place a sheet of Bounce under the front seat.

13. Clean baked-on foods from a cooking pan. Put a sheet in a pan, fill with water, let sit overnight, and sponge clean. The anti-static agent apparently weakens the bond between the food and the pan.

14. Eliminate odors in wastebaskets. Place a sheet of Bounce at the bottom of the wastebasket.

15. Collect cat hair. Rubbing the area with a sheet of Bounce will magnetically attract all the lose hairs.

16. Eliminate static electricity from Venetian blinds. Wipe the blinds with a sheet of Bounce to prevent dust from resettling.

17. Wipe up sawdust from drilling or sand papering. A used sheet of Bounce will collect sawdust like a tack cloth.

18. Eliminate odors in dirty laundry. Place an individual sheet of Bounce at the bottom of a laundry bag or hamper.

19. Deodorize shoes or sneakers. Place a sheet of Bounce in your shoes or sneakers overnight.

20. Golfers put a Bounce sheet in their back pocket to keep the bees away.

21. Put a Bounce sheet in your sleeping bag and tent before folding and storing them. It will keep them smelling fresh.

22. Wet a Bounce sheet, hose down your car, and wipe bugs off easily with the wet Bounce.

There now, don't say I never gave you anything! See you later! I'm off to stock up on Bounce!

Pack, Unpack, Repack, Unpack...

And so the cycle continues... Yes, we went camping AGAIN this weekend, three weekends in a row! I'm getting very good at packing, and B is becoming a MASTER at unpacking! (Thanks, B! You've been a great help!)

This weekend we headed back to the same place we went last weekend, Ocean Cove, with three other families. It's nice to have friends who love to camp and who go camping on a whim... Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely a planner but sometimes you have to let lose. We've been camping so often lately, that everything is ready to throw in the car and go.

Darn! I have NO good pictures of the two oldest boys... BUMMER! Sorry, Scotty-Finn and William!

The kids had a blast and came home filthy, the adults enjoyed hanging out and chatting, and we all enjoyed the beauty and wonder of the great outdoors. Another successful trip, for sure!

Who Proofread These?

Proofreading is a dying art, wouldn't you say?

My friend sent these to me yesterday, and they were too funny not to share... B's favorite newspaper headline of all times is about a teacher who'd been caught with pot and what actions were being taken against him. The headline read, "Pot; Teacher Agrees to Deal".

Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and Daughter

Man! That guy is GOOD!

Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says

No crap, really? Certainly something didn't go RIGHT!

Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers

Now that's taking things a bit far!

Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over

What a guy! I wonder if he gets paid extra for that...

Miners Refuse to Work after Death

Good-for-nothing' lazy so-and-so's!

Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant

See if that works any better than a fair trial!

War Dims Hope for Peace

Hmmm... I can see where it might have that effect!

If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile

Now THAT is profound!

Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures

Who would have thought!

Enfield (London) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide

They may be on to something!

Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges

You mean there's something stronger than duct tape? I don't think I'll be driving over THAT bridge any time soon!

Man Struck By Lightning: Faces Battery Charge

He probably IS the battery charge!

New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group

Weren't they fat enough?!

Kids Make Nutritious Snacks

Do they taste like chicken?

Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half

That's a bit extreme! Chainsaw Massacre all over again!

Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors

Boy, are they tall!

And the winner is.... Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead

Did I read that right? Must be like the plane crash in the Polish cemetery where they recovered 150 bodies from the 2 passenger airplane.

Wordless Wednesday - Hip Hop

A Very Special Note

I hope you don't mind, but today I'm going to toot my own horn JUST a bit... I've been meaning to share this for quite some time, but it's just been so busy and there have been so many other things to blog about, that I simply haven't done it. I also was going to ask my dad if it's okay to share his words, but I'm just going to do it.

My dad often shares my blog with friends and encourages them to read certain posts. A while back he was sharing these butterfly posts and one of his friends responded, marveling at my blog and it's content. He cc'ed me on his response to her, and I'd like to share it because it brought tears to my eyes. It was SUCH a nice response... So heartfelt and full of love, something that everyone, no matter how much they KNOW they are loved, needs to hear sometimes.

Hi,

My daughter, Amy, is an amazing woman. I don't know how she does all she does myself. She works four ten hour days. B, her husband works the swing shift sometimes not getting home until 2 or 3 AM. With two kids and being president of her town's mother's club she is a busy gal. That plus, being very active in her church (in charge of a large part of Vacation Bible School for example) and she still insists that her mom and I come each Sunday night for dinner at her house which she always cooks wonderfully. I could go on and on but you get the picture of this blogger, my daughter, of whom I am very proud.

I wish I could take some genetic credit for Amy, but I can't. I'm just glad that she adopted me when she was 9. She and I are good for each other and I am in constant awe of what she does, what a great and caring Mom she is, and how she lives her life. As you can see, I lover her very much.

J

I love you too, Dad... Thanks for being in my life!

Swim Lessons And The BIG Slide!

The kids LOVE swimming and LOVE swim lessons! Little A blossomed today after spending a half hour working with me in the pool today and now wants to do EVERYTHING by herself. And Big A was doing things today that I didn't even realize he could do... They're doing AWESOME!

Big A doing arm strokes

Little A doing arm strokes

Big A doing elementary backstroke (Soldier... Chicken.... Airplane...)

Big A doing elementary backstroke (Soldier... Chicken.... Airplane...)

Waiting in line to go down the slide... I'm SO surprised that Little A wanted to do it.

Big A's first trip down...

And his second trip down. He LOVED the slide!

Little A got ALL the way up the ladder and freaked out...

So she climbed back down and we put her at the top of the very last turn and let her try just a little piece of the slide. She seemed to really like it and wants to try it again today... We'll see!

Busy Weekend!

WHEW! I've decided that as much as I love my new schedule, three day weekends are no longer enough. I need at least four days, especially in summer! This weekend was another jam packed one!

Saturday we got up and packed as the kids were heading to Lake County for a visit with Grandpa Jim and Sinda, and B and I were heading out to Ocean Cove to camp with the Kennadys. We packed bags, packed the car and left to run errands. We had to go to the store, to the Kennady's house, and to get Big A fitted for his tux.

After that we went to a birthday party for one of the kids' best friends. We left the party, dropped the kids off with Grandpa Jim and Sinda, and headed out to meed our friends.

Once there we unpacked, set-up the tent, fixed dinner and then enjoyed a relaxing, kid-free (Well... There were kids there, but they weren't ours... That makes a HUGE difference!) evening and morning.

When we left Ocean Cove, B headed to work and I headed up north to get the kids. I enjoyed dinner with Grandpa Jim and Sinda and the kids and then we got back in the car and drove home.

It was a LONG couple of days, with a LOT of driving but it was worth every second! An AWESOME (in the words of both Big A and Little A) time was head by all and we all can't wait to do it again!

You'll Shoot Your Eye Out (And Stuff...)

Today is the last day for Big A to get fitted for his tux before I have to pay a late fee... Guess it doesn't take much to figure out what WE'RE doing today, huh? We're headed to the Men's Warehouse for a tux fitting. Who knew a tux for a five year old would be so expensive!

But really, that's not the point of my story. The point is that last night, as I was tucking the kids in, I was reminding Little A that we had to go get fitted for his tux. He sighed and said, "I know." Then he asked, "Mommy, what's a tux?"

Geez! It never even crossed my mind that he wouldn't know what a tux was! So I said, "Well... It's a nice shirt, a jacket, nice pants and fancy shoes."

Big A - *With Frustration* "AWWWW!"

Me - "What's wrong???"

Big A - "I don't want to look handsome, Mommy! I want to look old and dirty like Grandpa!"

______________________________________

Remember the big day the kids had yesterday with Grandma and Grandpa?? They sent me this picture of Big A. Does he remind you of anyone? I mean really... If you read the title of the post, you just MIGHT figure it out, but....

Anyone?

Anyone?

A Hole In 1, 2, 3, 4

Today Grandma and Grandpa took all of the cousins out for a day on the town. They started at Scandia and followed up with a movie and dinner.

In the middle of the afternoon Grandma emailed me a picture of Little A (sorry about the iPhone photo quality!) saying that Little A had gotten a hole in one.

A few minutes later, here comes another email with another picture... Little A got a second hole in one on the very next hole.

A few minutes pass and AGAIN I get a picture of Little A with another message that she'd gotten yet ANOTHER hole in one. I like the pose on this one, kind of like... "This is too easy. How come everyone else gets to hit 27 times and I only get to hit once?"

A couple more minutes pass, another email comes, and for the FOURTH HOLE IN A ROW, Little A got a hole in one! And this from a kid whose only played miniature golf two other times that I can remember... CRAZY!

Perhaps we have a future Paula Creamer on our hands???

Cousins And Birthdays

This week my niece and nephews are staying with my parents while my brother and sister-in-law are on a pioneer trek with their church. Since there are already four kids there, it makes sense to invite the other cousins adding four more kids, right? It just so happens that one of my nephews, the little guy on the far right, had a birthday yesterday so we got to have a party!

And while we were celebrating Landon's birthday, it's only fair to celebrate his brother's birthday, too, since it's in just a few days.

The Birthday Boys

Mom went all out for this little party. The boys had a chocolate cake, presents and even a pinata! Here are all the kids waiting patiently for Grandpa so they can take a whack at the hanging car.

Landon getting blindfolded

Swing, Batter!

I missed getting a picture of Drew, but Tyler, who will be 10 in a couple of weeks, took ONE SWING and knocked the car down. That's why we made him go last.

Gathering the loot

Why yes, those ARE trick candles on Tyler's side of the cake.

Cousins...

All in all I think they boys had a fun 'birthday party' and I KNOW all of the cousins had a great sleep over last night. I can't wait to hear all about it!