Mama?

Check out Colt's new Question of the Day.

Story behind that insane question:

Yesterday we were on our way home from being out all day, with quite a bit of driving involved, so I was a little on edge. The kids were driving me insane. INSANE. Colt kept asking weird and nonsensical questions - I think he just wanted to say something and so came up with "stuff." I had finally had enough, so told the children it was now quiet time and that they could not ask me any more questions.

This was a hard concept for Colt. But after telling him he probably shouldn't talk to me for a little bit (for his own safety), I thought he got the point. Until . . .

Mom? Mom? Mom? (I'm ignoring him, hoping he'll remember that it's quiet time - or "let's not push Mom to insanity" time)

Mama? Mama? Mom? Mom? Mama? Mom? Mom? Mom? Mama?

MOM? MAMA?? MAMA!?!! MAMA!!!!?????!!!!!

(he's not taking the hint)

MAMA? MOM? MOM?? MOM? MOM????

(and then I start thinking that perhaps he had something dire to tell me - like he was about to throw up)

MOM? MAMA? MOM??? MOM??!??! MAMA?!?!?!?!

Finally . . . WHAT?!

Can your eyeballs fall out?

SUMMERTIME!

(see below for more posts that stacked up yesterday)

Woo HOO! The kids are home! It's summertime. So, what did we do today - the first official day of summer vacation? Well, it started out last night when Carena, Jonathan and I had a little slumber party in the living room. Carena made a fort under the dining room table and slept in there.


Today, we went to Sprouts! I love Sprouts - great produce, lots of healthy living supplies, and decent prices. I wanted the kids to pick out some fresh "treats," i.e. fruits and veggies. I think summer and I think strawberries and watermelons, fruit salads, and cold juicy fruit. Yum. We stocked up on blueberries (Jonathan's pick), strawberries, bananas, starfruit (Carena's pick), grape tomatoes (Colt's pick), grapes, apples and carrots.

We then came home and had our lunch on a blanket in the back yard. The day has been just lovely - cool with a breeze. Weird for Arizona, but I'll take it any day!

To fill up other moments of the day, the children have been carving soap! They gathered some pretty soaps that I had had on display and have been working hard on their little creations. Carena made a chick and a duck. Jonathan just had fun carving, with no end result in mind. Colt was the same way. They enjoyed the journey of artistic expression.



Not a big exciting day, but it's been fun and just about a perfect way to spend our first day of NO SCHOOL! More fun to come! We have the whole summer ahead of us!

(oh, and I've implemented a new rule for the summer . . . If the children tell me they are bored or ask me what they can do, I promised them I would give them a chore to do)

In other news . . . we have a new member of the family. Welcome Hermie the Hermit Crab.

Colt's Actual Birthday

(see below for more blog entries - they're kind of piling up today and don't want you to miss them!)

Colt's day started EARLY. He was so excited to get the day going. We always decorate the kitchen eating area the night before - he woke up to balloons and streamers. He got to open one present - a TAG reading pen! How cool is that! He played with that most of the morning. Carena also presented him with a new hula hoop. Good times.

For his birthday breakfast Colt requested donuts (I love this boy!). He had a sugar raised AND a maple frosted.

Then, it was time to head to school. But not to fear! I brought some cookies and juice in to share with the class in celebration of this monumental day. I was glad I got to see the class sing "Happy Birthday" to him. Colt helped pass out the drinks and got to pick two friends to help pass out the cookies and napkins.

After school he go got to open a few more presents. Then it was a waiting game until Chris got home from work so the partying could begin.

Each birthday, the children get to pick what they want for dinner. This year Colt requested chicken and waffles! We got a bucket of KFC and I made some Belgium (Belgian?) waffles. Colt's Uncle Christopher came for the festivities.

New TAG reader!

Enjoying our chicken and waffle dinner:

Gifts Galore:

Yes, that is Punch Out for the Wii - released the day before his birthday:

Colt has been wanting so badly to be a cub scout. Chris is the Bear leader, but the pack doesn't have a Tiger Cub program. Colt goes to scouts with Chris each week and asks us constantly when he gets to be a scout. We've found a few troops in the area that have Tiger Cub Scouts, so we'll be signing him up this coming school year. Until then, he's set with a new Scout shirt and a Tiger Cub Scout book.
Hey Colt, remember that cake I made for your fifth birthday last year?

I tried to do better this year (Carena has called this my magnum opus) (Colt is not crying in that picture, he's just giving a goofy thumbs up)

His birthday was great! I hope he enjoyed himself. Here it is, the day after, and I know he's enjoying the various gifts he received. Thanks to those who made his day special!!

Camp Colt

(see below for more blog entries - they're piling up today and I don't want you to miss them!)

Colt had a small birthday party last week with a few friends. He wanted a camp-out theme, which was so much fun (more fun for me? perhaps). Anyway, I feel badly that I only got a few pictures of the event. But, I was running around doing a lot of things so taking pictures was, sadly, overlooked. I really need to hire a full-time photographer to follow us around each day to capture our moments.

Chris made this awesome "Camp Colt" sign to welcome the campers:

What would a camp-out be without a tent?

This way to the watering hole (or in this case, the lemonade hole):

A camping trip wouldn't be a camping trip without a little dirt:

Like I said, I wish I had some pictures of the kids doing the various nature and camp-themed activities, like nature-themed crafts, making and eating their foil dinners, busting open the pinata and doing a few simple games. Actually I do have one picture of the kids playing a game, but I feel uncomfortable posting pictures of other people's children on a public blog without permission.

It really was fun!

What To Do? What To Do?

It's the last day of school! Woo HOO! I am so excited to have the kids home full-time. But, I do realize we need to have some stuff to do to make the summer fun, memorable, interesting. Summers to me meant being outside ALL DAY LONG. No can do, here in the 'Zona. So, we gotta be creative.

My idea can be summed up into these two words: DO SOMETHING.

This concept worked wonderfully for me during spring break. The only rule was to DO SOMETHING (every day). It didn't have to be some big event, but SOMETHING. And, it doesn't have to be something that takes up the entire day. I usually like to do my events in the mornings, when it's cooler. Our afternoons will be spent hanging out at home (watching tv, playing wii, reading, etc.). This also allows for Jonathan's afternoon nap. But just getting out for a little bit each day or having something planned makes such a difference.

Here are some of my ideas (and some of them can be things you do once or twice a week - like Mondays and Wednesdays are water days, Tuesdays are movie days, Fridays are "friend" day, etc.):

Water Day - We'll be getting a pool pass to our local pool this year. We'll decide which days are "pool days" and spend a few hours poolside. Water Day could also include sprinklers in the backyard or a day at the river.

Movie Day - Tuesdays - since it's dollar day at the discount theater.

Friend Day - have a friend over.

Picnic Day - have a picnic at night or in the house.

Lazy Day - wear your pj's all day, watch movies (this was Carena's idea!)

Craft Day - do a new craft

Cooking Day - learn how to make something yummy!

River Day - spend the morning at the river, playing, take a picnic lunch.

Field trip Day - go to a museum, theater, out to lunch

Library Day - story time and books!

Project Day - work on a project for an upcoming presentation: puppets for a puppet theater play, science project for a science fair.

Day at the Resort - resorts have really good deals this time of year - why not spend the night and take advantage of their amenities.

Take a camping trip - out of town, backyard or living room!

Slumber party with the kids.

I've found that even planning the events is a lot of fun and makes for great memories. I think that's

where half the fun is!

Happy Birthday Colt!

Turning six AND finishing up his first year of school - all in one breath! We love you dude!! (more birthday celebratory pics and descriptions to follow in a day or two)

Oh, What Do You Do In The Summertime?

This is a song that is contained in the church's children songbook. Here are the lyrics:

Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green?
Do you fish in a stream, or lazily dream on the banks as the clouds go by?

Is that what you do? So do I!

Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green?
Do you swim in a pool, to keep yourself cool or swing in a tree up high?

Is that what you do? So do I!

Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green?
Do you march in parades, or drink lemonades or count all the stars in the sky?

Is that what you do? So do I!

Oh, What Do You Do In The Summertime, Children's Songbook, page 245

This song is great - if you don't live in Arizona. Although, I suppose you could fish in a dry stream bed, and melt as you watch the clouds go by.

But the images this song evokes are what summer means to me. So, it's hard to reconcile Arizona with this song. We have to redefine summer somewhat. It may not mean marching in parades or counting the stars in the sky (although by that time of day the temperature should be a chilly 105 instead of 115). And, not everyone has access to a pool, so swimming in a pool may not be all that practical to help with the ideal summer.

School lets out on Thursday. Although we will be in PA for some of the summer, we will be in Arizona for the majority (and hottest) of the summer. So, what to do? What to do?

Stay tuned for some of my summer ideas . . .

image from here : http://media.photobucket.com/image/summertime/kadiprescott/summertime.jpg

This Is a Joke, Right?

I'm being Punk'd, right? Am I on Candid Camera? Are you serious?

I'm not completely over being sick - nasty cold/flu, whatever it was. The kids just got over it. We haven't had a moment's peace since this sickness hit. We're basically working on survival mode.

And then last night happened.

I went to check on the boys before heading to bed myself. Jonathan had thrown up all over the place. ARE YOU KIDDING?! Maybe it was the lasagna. Maybe it was just a fluke. To be on the safe side, we moved his mattress into our room so we could keep an eye on him.

Chris and I were up THE ENTIRE NIGHT with Jonathan throwing up every 20 minutes. And he'd freak out if we even suggested he throw up in a bucket. We've gone through much bedding, pillows and towels.

We are exhausted. I feel badly for my little man who's just barely over that other flu bug and now this.

This morning I prayed with firmness and conviction that he would get better AND THAT NO ONE ELSE WOULD GET SICK.

I just can't take any more of these SICK JOKES.

Humility

Check out the letter "O."