Sweets...ugh!

I'm not a fan of using food/sugar to shut up a screaming kid.
It's actually the LAST thing I would do...
However, how do you tell others NOT to do this for your kids?

For example: the local Mexican establishment...our favorite!
Gabby was screaming for a "treat" because they are sitting on the counter as we were leaving.
I almost had her out the door and the waiter/manager ran after us with blow-pops for each of the kids. He even has to go out the door to give one to Owen.
I had said, "no thank you," but he insisted.
What could I say after he comp-ed a drink and gave us extra salsa?

He meant no harm...ugh

So I had to explain to the kids that there was gum in the middle of these blow-pops and if they chose to indulge, that would be all for the day...
Owen thought about it.
Then came up with this:
"Then this is GOOD for me since it has gum in it!"

Shucks! Another method backfired!
When I was trying to get Owen to realize that he loved chewing
and wasn't really hungry, I substituted gum...
Now he thinks gum is health-food.
Ugh...

Is it a Good thing...?

Nearly everytime...I come back from errands, a date with Daddy,
or just running home to get something,
Owen asks: "Can we stay a bit longer? Do we have to go home? Now? Later?"

The other day, the so-called "going away pizza party" in preparation for our trip, we arrived back from our "mommy & daddy" time together before I was to take the kids away from Roger for three weeks, and what do I hear?
"Mom! We are not leaving, are we?"

It's always a good time at Nanny's and even better when all the cousins come.
And even better when there are marshmallows involved!

We are so lucky...

Not necessarily to have access to marshmallows...

But the closeness of friends and family.

I give in...not up...
We are the lucky ones.

Marshmallows and Graham Crackers are not necessary to earn their love,
but I would not trade this back deck for another set of in-laws.

With sticky fingers and chocolate saved for later,
We think of Gramma and Grampa...on their way...soon.
Three nights in a hospital bed may be too long for the busy-bodies they are.
Get well soon Grampa! We love you too!

Hot Days

No Lie: We were at Daddy's softball game for 5 minutes before both kids were wailing.
100 degrees will do that...

Gabby wanted me to hold her, but that would be way too hot!
Owen wanted to play baseball, but neither Gabby nor I could get the ball all the way to him.
He took two swings and then stood there for a really long minute.
We said our good-byes after watching Daddy "warm-up"...really necessary?
Owen refused to walk back to the car.
How did I entice him?
no, not food...

naked slip-n-slide in the backyard!

swinging too?

We got clean and cool in the baby pool...
Owen calls it a "kid pool"...

and we were all better!
Ok...so he asked for a Graham Cracker too...

We are just praying for Grampa Phil to be all better too!
One more day of VBS and then we can all sing you songs, Grampa!
Don't worry about a thing...we just want you healthy and here with us...

Last weekend we were quite busy and I found myself putting off doing the dishes.

They piled up so fast that I had to load the dish washer and then do a whole sink full by hand as well...both times! How does that happen?

For the past two days now, I have been able to keep a handle on the dishes. I have actually had them washed or loaded after each meal. Amazing! I know!

However, I realized why my sink fills up so fast:
We go through four knives just to butter four pieces of toast at breakfast.
Yep...four.
I guess we all like to lick our own knives after we are done...or while we butter (Gabby!).
I have no regrets about becoming a teacher. I won't ever complain about the money because I make as much, if not more, than the average American. My earning potential is not what other professions are, but I get to hit "reset" for a few short months every summer!
That alone keeps me sane...and happy!

Today we met my dear friend's boyfriend for the first time.
He was a good sport finding snails for Owen down by the river and letting her go climb the ropes with Owen for a bit. So happy she has her summer to spend with him!
Thank you Jesus for summer fun, friends, Chipotle, and all the other blessings we forget to mention!

Like kids' haircut places! And suckers to keep them focused!
:-)

Summer has begun!

Summer Sun...Playgrounds...a bit of refreshing rain...tennis camp...cousins...books...bikes...wrestling...sandboxes...picnics...
and potty training!

It always takes me awhile to get settled into summer, to rest up,
and to get to know what life without working is.
Don't get me wrong. I love it.
But you can't just go from being one thing to another in three days.

I don't want to be anything or anyone else.
I was deciding today to live my life as,
"if I don't need it, I don't want it."
Then I took another sip of my Carmel Northern Lite Latte.
Ugh

We do have a hose and water.
Baths on the slip-n-slide.

digging in the sandbox...
lots of naked time.

Who could ask for anything more?

I Smile...

Owen made me laugh the other day:
He was telling me how he wanted to get some new CARS figures...cars...like from the movie?
King, the Green one...Chic (how do you spell that?)...and Lightning McQueen.
"Mom, you can get them at Target...
you have to go in the blue door...
You go in the blue door for toys and the green door for food."
"Oh, Owen! Your two favorite things!"
:-)

I am excited that my boy likes bugs.
He collects them in a jar, a box, a can, his hands...
The other day I had to tell him why his caterpillar wasn't moving anymore.
"But, Mom...there were holes in the jar."
I couldn't tell him that the manhandling must have done the little guy in.

When I take the kids hiking...or just wandering in the woods...
Owen tells me there has to be lots of trees.
We can't go where the sun is.
"It has to be dark, Mom!"

Gabby is not a fan of collecting bugs, but she wants to tickle them.
She wants to tickle toads, caterpillars, spiders, dogs...
"Tick-a-Tick-a-Tick-a..."

I can't believe my boy was 5 a few days ago.
This time, 5 years ago...I was a new mom.

(These were trails at my Mom and Dad's...what a place...what a paradise!)