Sea Lions, Kayaks, and Photos-Oh my!

Last Christmas, I bought a voucher for my husband for a kayak trip for two.   I had noticed when I first printed the certificate back in December that it mentioned something about some pictures on the beach but I didn't really think much of it...

Well, when it came time to book, I quickly realized that I was dealing with more of a photography business and not so much a kayaking business. In the recesses of my brain, I'm thinking about the fact that I will be wearing a swimsuit in these pictures and FAT CHANCE that I will be wanting/purchasing any pictures. I declined the special package they were offering to pre-purchase my pictures and hoped that we would just enjoy the kayaking.

On the day of our adventure, we walked down to the launch site, and that's where the photography session began.  Our dear, sweet, enthusiastic photographer explained that we would begin the shoot with us running down the beach, we were to jump at one point, and then kiss. Super natural, right?  We are doing this on a crowded beach- and did I mention that we are IN OUR SWIMSUITS!  I was cracking up and totally could not follow directions and my ham of a husband was posing and being goofy.  Needless to say those pics will not see the light of day.
After the "baywatch gone bad" shots, we were allowed to get into our kayak and paddle out!  We saw a group of sea lions and got to go into a cave. Our photographer was a ton of fun, knowledgeable and creative and I would totally book her for my next event that I host on a kayak. After about an hour, we returned to the office to see our pictures.

OH AWKWARD! Let me count the ways:

Gee, hon, wouldn't be fun to have some professional photos taken of us on the beach in our swimsuits, and then let's go view them for the first time with some total strangers on a big screen TV, and then be pressured to buy a package of those pictures of us for as little as $99!

I know!

I'm sure you say that every day.

All in all, it was a fun day.  I will leave you with this little gem.

We're naturals, right? What!?  That's not how you kayak?
Oh.

You ain't never caught a chicken...

This picture was taken a while ago...it cracks me up.  He had soooo much fun chasing, holding, feeding, and playing with my friend's chickens.

Well, add that one to my list..

...of things I never thought I would hear the librarian say!

Let me paint the picture for you.

Ahem.

We spend a lot of time at our local library. Being homeschoolers and all.  And we check out a ton of books.  I try to be good about getting them back in on time but we have paid our share of fines.  My husband likes to say that I rent books from the library as opposed to borrowing them.  A bit of an exaggeration in my opinion...but  in all fairness I have had to replace lost books, and ask for grace to find that missing CD from the 12 CD kit  that we borrowed to help us learn French...you get the idea.

So yesterday, we were at the library which is small enough that the children can be in their section and I can be over in my section browsing and it feels perfectly safe.  And that's what we were doing, happily searching, reading, wandering the aisles etc. when I hear my name announced over the intercom beckoning me to the front desk.  A couple of things went through my head...


Why does the library have an intercom system?


Is my five year old misbehaving and now I am really in trouble!


Maybe he got hurt!!! 


Maybe they just found one of my cards that was missing!


Wow...they actually know my name here.  Such a cute small town feel.


I quickly make way over to the front desk, to be greeted by the librarian that had just paged me.  I was not prepared to hear this....

LIBRARIAN: Yes. I was just checking in the books you returned and I found this sock in this book and I wanted to know if you wanted it back.

ME: Um.  Why, yes.  Thank you.

I should note that he held up said sock and a piece of scrap paper was dangling from the sock.  You know, attached, so that leads me to believe that sock was dirty too. Perfect.

My kids and I had a good laugh about that one.

I 'm just glad it was a sock....

I would really love to win one of these!!!

You can try to win one too!! Click on the picture and it will show you how....

Fall Scavenger Hunt

I have a habit of putting off the "fun"  until all the school work gets done or all the messes get cleaned up.  Well, as you can imagine with those parameters it seems lately that we never get around to the fun!  I was determined to have a little fun with the kids this Monday so we set off on a fall hike at a nature preserve near our home. I printed off a scavenger hunt and the kids divided into teams and off we went. 

 My youngest son has a knack for finding snakes.  It wasn't on the list but it was a thrill for all anyway.

 Have you letterboxed?  We weren't even on the hunt for one, but my older son found this hidden behind some rocks.

 Gotta climb some rocks.

Beautiful!

Mamas Don't Let Yer Babies Grow up to be Cowboys...

...even though they look so dern cute in their chaps! 
Last weekend we drove to the small town that my husband grew up in for their annual Fort Verde Days celebration.  After the parade, we had some delicious BBQ and then headed to the rodeo grounds for the mutton bustin competition.  My husband talked me into this last year and my 6 year old took home the buckle!  Well, of course we had to go and defend the title.  In our many conversations regarding this  rodeo my little one was concerned about not winning, so I did what any good mother does and promised him food. Who can pass up a funnel cake when you are at the fair?  Not me! So he didn't win, but was all smiles after his turn and asked if we could go get his "cuddle cake"!
Here are a few pictures...

 Love those little guys with their hats off during the prayer which was unashamedly and earnestly prayed in the name of Jesus!

 Since that little lump...under the sheep?  Yup, that's my boy.

Here he is after his 1.3 second ride, wiping the dirt off his teeth and getting some encouragement from the rodeo clown who also happens to be the local high school principal.
Ain't that America?

Zoo!

I took the kids to the zoo today with my dad. This guy cracked me up. He waited like this forever. A door opened behind us and a zookeeper walked out and the chimp ran over to see her walking by and started banging on the glass to get her attention. It was clear, then, that he had been waiting for her. Still not sure why, but it was funny!

I guess that's why I'm not a rocket scientist...

Okay, so apparently gardening is rocket science.
Ours was a complete bust.
Here's what we harvested:
1 squash
2 jalapenos
5 strawberries
3 cucumbers
1 huge water bill

We were pretty disappointed. I guess there is always next year.

Hindsight

Tomorrow my baby turns five. Where did that time go? I am feeling especially melancholy about this birthday.

A few weeks back, I took my four children to the park in the middle of the day. The playground was filled with moms of the stroller set, deeply entrenched in the stage of sippy cups, diapers, and the hope of naps after a morning outing. I felt out of place with my four children -my youngest being at least 2 years from his last scheduled nap. I watched the other moms from my bench. Remember those days? A trip to the park consisted of helping your little one up the ladder, then down the ladder, changing a diaper on your lap, running one to the potty, and all the while trying to squeeze in a conversation with another adult. I wanted to run over to them and tell them and warn them that, yes these days might seem loooong but the years go fast. You will blink and these days , these long, long days when you think you will never be able to sit and relax while your children stay safe and entertain and feed themselves will be over and you will ache for those days when your struggles consisted of timing naps and potty training, and kissing boo-boos. Funny now. On their end they might envy me with my abilty to sit on the bench. And here I sit, looking at those moms, wishing for those simple moments at home with my little ones.

Garden!!!

We finally did it!! The garden is planted and I am beyond excited. My inspiration for this year's garden began last summer. Whenever we would park at our favorite parking spot to hit the beach, we would walk past an apartment complex where there was the most amazing garden planted in 4'x5' plot in the area between the road and sidewalk. We later found out it was the very well planned garden of a marine living in those apartments. He made the most efficient use of the space he had...everything from corn to green beans.
I also remember reading somewhere about victory gardens and that they weren't big but fed a family to help with the war effort and hey! this isn't rocket science ... just throw some seeds into the ground already!!!
Our garden is 4'X10' and we planted sunflowers, peas, bell pepper, squash, lettuce, jalepeno, tomatoes, cucumber, pickling cucumber, pumpkin (seeds saved from last year's pumpkin), and lavender. It is organized into 4 foot rows with one area designated as the *mystery garden* because the seedlings got mixed up and we're not really sure what sprouted...should be fun!!!

Still waiting for the chickens to hatch...

Achoo!!

Sure is dusty over here! Guess it is time to post something...
Spring fever has definitely hit this household and we are itching to start some new projects.
Project number one:
Vegetable garden
Project number two:
Chickens!

I am tired already.

My dear friend hosted my entire family last weekend. We felt so welcomed by her sunshine-y brood. I picked up this sign for her as belated birthday present and promptly forgot to pack it to deliver it. Sorry Summer, guess you'll have to visit me now to claim your prize.

The next picture is my efforts at reusing. The idea is from the book Handmade Home by Amanda Soule. I took all my tired dishtowels and quilted them into a bathmat for dishes. Fun.

Love ya sum.

Nighttime Visitor

I really wish I had a picture. I don't. I am really sorry.
Since our move into the "country" (I don't know if you would call it the country since I'm five minutes from the store) we have had many encounters with creatures that we did not have in our former tract housing suburban neighborhood. Since we moved here 3 months ago, we have seen one rattlesnake, 2 gopher snakes, birds galore, coyotes, lizards and about 1,998,876 bugs. I am not a fan of bugs. We don't really get along. I think they are rude, showing up uninvited to areas of your home that guests just aren't supposed to go.
Well, last night I was awakened by my sweet 3 year old who had asked for a glass of water. So as I made my way down the hall, I came face to face with the largest, hairiest, scariest looking spider. He looked guilty for sure, like he was caught in the act of snooping around my house. Oh, sure, he tried to blend in, hoping I wouldn't noticed him. But really, even in my sleepy stupor, who could miss a ginormous, hairy, black spider sitting (hanging?) on your white wall.
We had a stare down for a few seconds as I weighed my options. But, my squeamishness would not allow me any further thought so I went and woke up The Man. Now, I am sure he was not prepared for the enormity of this spider because he has been summoned many times for much smaller creatures.
This spider did not disappoint. After, my husband saw the thing he very calmly said,

"Well, I better go get my shotgun."

Thank you honey.

We currently have the body at the taxidermist so we can have its bust mounted above our fireplace.

Skirting the Issue

I made this little number before church today...

Impressed?

Well, don't be.  In a complete moment of I-have-nothing-to wear frustration, (TRANSLATION:  I am behind on the laundry and nothing fits right because I have been eating way too many cookies) I decided that a certain cute little sundress, that has hung in my closet since 2006, and that has been worn exactly ONCE, was no longer welcome in my closet.  She had beckoned to me from catalogue and during their annual clearance sale I purchased it.  I loved the colors, the a-line of the skirt and the femininity of wearing a dress.  

Never mind that I looked like an Easter egg in it. 

I know this because, my friend's teenage son told me so.  And really, I have to agree.

So that little dress smirked at me from her hanger each spring, mocking my frivolous purchase and chastising my poor judgement, forever a reminder that things need to be tried on for goodness sakes.  Internet shopping can be so unkind.  

That's when I decided, she needed to be a skirt.  So I grabbed my pinking shears and cut off the top.  Then turned down the new edge and hemmed it with a zigzag stitch.    All this in the time it took my husband to gel his hair and shake his head.  He is used to my shenanigans , complete inability to stay focused creativity.

Voila! 

Now what do I do with this?

Any one have a pattern for an Easter bonnet?

Green capes and lime popsicles....

...should make for a fun summer!!!

The Never Years

The following passage is taken from a book called The Power of Motherhood: What the Bible says about Mothers by Nancy Campbell.  I loved it so much that I ripped the page right out of the book and stuck it on my fridge today!!  

In this book she relays the thoughts of a friend:

 "These are the never years.  Never enough money, never enough time, never enough sleep- but always enough love.  The sweetest kiss of a baby; the toothpaste flavored kiss of a child on his way to school, the sleepy kiss of a husband who is just as tired as you.

  These are the busy years, the wonderful, hectic, impossible years.  Soon the children will be grown and I'll have plenty of time to organize my house, to sew and cultivate outside interests.  I wonder if is will be as wonderful as I sometimes dream it will?  Or am I in the middle of the wonderful years...right now?"

To all those finding joy in the messes today!

Could you just put your cereal bowl in the sink?

When you ask your children to do chores are you given an immediate response of,  "Sure! I 'd be glad to!  I was waiting for you to give me a chance to serve my family!!"

or 

Do you hear groans and moans and "It's soooooo hard, I don't know how!  My tummy hurts!"

I have the occasional bouts of willingness, but more often than not, I hear responses that seem to be as if I have just asked them to do some impossible task like paint the whole house or climb Mt. Kilamanjaro while carrying an 80 pound pack.

With that being said, I always pull my hair out chuckle at how much "work" they are able to accomplish when they are playing.  The Herculean effort they will go to in order to set up a fort in the backyard, bringing out all manner of supplies from inside to create a fun space outside, is quite astonishing.   They are able to locate and carry EVERY SINGLE  PILLOW we own to the living room and dismantle the entire sectional in order to create a a jumping pit just in the time it took me to answer a phone call. 

They are quick and they are strong.  Don't let them fool you.

Homeschool doesn't have to look like school...

Bible and History lessons on the couch.

Discussions in the car.

Math fact memorization in the kitchen while on the computer.

Writing skills sharpened while writing the daily newspaper for the imaginary town built in back of the house.

Art class in your bedroom while listening to books on tape.

Science behind the house when we discover a hummingbird and her nest with two perfect jelly bean eggs.

Home economics when you sew beads onto your shirt just because you feel like creating something beautiful.

Social skills when your 6 year old calls Petco to see if they offer grooming services for hamsters. (they don't)

This is to remind me on days when I feel like we didn't accomplish much and to inspire others that homeschooling offers a unique opportunity to create lifelong learners.

Saturday

I honestly did not want to get out of bed this morning.  I tried to sleep in which really is  big joke in a house with four kids and a husband who is out of town.  

Here is just a sampling of what was heard while I was trying to sneak in a few extra minutes:

Chairs dragging.  

"Where's Mom?"  

Front door opening. Front door slamming. 

"Mom can we have Rice Krispie treats for breakfast?" 

"Don't!  You'll drown the hamster! "

"AHHHH! The hamster peed! "  

Hysterical giggling.  More giggling.  Silence.  Too much silence...then "MMMOMMMM!!!!!

I am sure you will agree that these are just the things you want to hear when you are trying to fall asleep.

So, I did what any sane mom would do- I buried my head with blanket and figured the nanny could handle everything when she arrived.

But, then I remembered, I AM THE NANNY. 

So after coffee was made, pop tarts popped, and the mess evaluated I decided to break out my new Mrs. Meyer's Counter Top Spray in Basil and dust off my Judds Greatest Hits CD.  Yes, I do love the Judds.   Saturday morning chores were actually fun.  Sort of.  OK, not really.  But I still love the Judds.

Ok, my loyal readers-How do you two make cleaning fun?

There's No Place Like Home

Day 7 of The Man being away on a business trip. 

I have a whole new appreciation for our military wives(and husbands) who are living with their spouse overseas for months, years at a time. 

Being alone is, well, lonely. 

Having just moved to this little town, I am feeling the pangs of loneliness a little more than normal.  

How long until a new place feels like home?  As an Army brat, I moved my entire life, but I honestly don't know the answer.  My three year old still asks to go home to our old house.  It breaks my heart a little each time.  How can I make this house feel like home?  How have I failed that he still feels out of sorts in this house?

I had one particular friend, in high school, whose home always felt warm and inviting. I felt safe there.  I actually longed to be there.  Her friendship came at a time of major upheaval in my life, parents divorcing, new school, junior high, pimples, you get the idea.  Her home was absolutely a haven, there were candles, fires crackling, and coordinating decor.  There were steaks and baked potatoes at dinner with country music playing in the background.  There was an intact family with inside jokes and love and it was great.  

These days I feel as though I am just keeping my head above water.  Way too many paper plates and too much cereal and not enough candlelight and music.  But I'm striving.  I long to create that haven for my kids.  My friend's mom is a great ideal to strive for, but I have an even better one:

John 14:2 says...

Let not your heart by troubled; you believe in God, believe also in ME.  In My Father's house are many mansions;  if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Now that will be a haven!

And surely, there will be no laundry!