AoK ~ Acts of Kindness

In the summers, our church works hard at demonstrating Acts of Kindness in the community. Eli and Brynne's children's church teacher likes to get the kids involved, too. So, each week they are given a specific task to complete during the week. Last week they were to make a card for someone in a nursing home. Brynne made one to send to my grandma. This week, they were to take cookies to the public library workers. This one was certainly near and dear to my heart because of my affection toward our public library.

As a homeschooling mom, our public library is INVALUABLE! I know that the public library employees get paid for their jobs, but not enough in my opinion. I cannot thank them enough for what they do for me. I am able to search for all books I want from the comfort of my home computer, and even request books through intra-library loan from the many Tulsa public libraries. Our librarians receive those books at our local library and have them waiting for me on a shelf when I go in. They save me HOURS each week!

So on Wednesday we made some mini banana muffins and dropped them off with our heart-felt thanks. I'd give them a million dollars if I had it.

FORE-t-2

This guy is 42 years old today. Since golf = his life, the kids and I decided to make his birthday a golf theme.

We surprised him at work, just before lunch, and delivered him his birthday gift ... a cool golf picture to hang in his office. (I have a vision of getting permission to paint his office and fill his shelves with neat, vintage golf items.) We also brought him McDonald's because he had a webinar at 12:30 and couldn't leave to go out to lunch.

After lunch we ran to the store to begin the preparations for his championship dinner.

We made "links" (grilled hot links and hot dogs), and had "chips" (potato chips), "sand trap" chip dip, and "slices" (of cantelope and apples).

We decorated the table with a blue table cloth, green plates, golf balls and golf tees.

For dessert the kids and I made cupcakes with a plastic golf ball and tee.

I think his birthday was a "hole in one".

Nicole's Daybook

Outside my window... it has been unseasonably COOL in Oklahoma! Praise God! I actually have about 15 tomatoes on my plants, when last year I didn't get ONE because it never got below 85 degrees AT NIGHT! This could all change by noon, of course, but for now I am loving it.

I am thinking... about how I just cannot get myself up early in the morning for my walk. I say I am going to. I even wake up and think about getting out of bed "in a minute". And then the next thing I know I'm waking up an hour or more later.

I am thankful ... for the kind of son who would, spontaneously, take off his shirt in the car and put it across my lap so that I wouldn't get Taco Bell all over my white pants. It gives a whole new meaning to "he would give me the shirt off his back."

I am wearing... red and cream toile pajama bottoms and a red tank top.

I am planning...  Rick's birthday, our anniversary, and Father's Day, which are all within four days of each other.
 

I am creating... after this weekend at my sister's ... NOTHING! I need a break for a few days.

I am going... to get my house cleaned "like somebody's mama is coming for a visit", because mine is.

I am reading...  Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by The Countess of Carnarvon, Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv

I am hoping... that Dawson passes his written driver's test for his driver's permit, on the first try, so we don't have to endure the DMV more than once.

From the learning rooms... Just some reading this week.

Noticing that ... the second mama bird on our back porch has new babies.

From the kitchen... gonna make some banana muffins. The kids love them!

Around the house... I'm back to my Acronym Cleaning Schedule:
Monday ~ Mounds of Laundry and Mop it Monday (obvious)
Tuesday ~ Toilets Tuesday (clean bathrooms)
Wednesday ~ Wipe it Wednesday (dusting)
Thursday ~ Tidy up Thursday (put things back where they go)
Friday ~ Finish Laundry and Floors Friday (repeat of Monday)

One of my favorite things... the friendship I have with my sister after all these (tumultuous) years.

A few plans for the rest of the week... Today I am taking Dawson to work and Brynne has her Keeper's Club this afternoon. Tomorrow I am taking Eli and Brynne to the water park with some friends. On Thursday we will be staying home and taking it easy, although I might be taking Dawson to take his driver's test. It's Rick's birthday, so we will do all we can to make it special for him. On Friday, Rick and I are leaving for a fabulous anniversary weekend to Eureka Springs, Arkansas. We are staying in a two-story "cabin" that backs up to the woods. It's one block from downtown. Rick's planning to play some golf while I do some serious vegging. We'll head back home on Sunday.

From my picture journal.

Me, my sister and my mom at Kristen's baby shower. Doesn't my mom look great for 61 (sorry mom)? I pray I look half that good at her age. In fact, I'm not sure I look that great now! She is evidence of someone who has always taken good care of herself ... eating healthy, exercising, no drinking or smoking. Yep, better start getting myself up in the mornings for that walk.

Lots of women Daybook. See what they have to say at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

A Jam-Packed Weekend and a Menu

To say that I am exhausted after this past weekend would be a total understatement! A few months ago my sister asked me if I would come up to Kansas City to help her get the baby's nursery ready. What that really meant was a complete make-over. Since she was having a baby shower this past Sunday, we decided that this weekend would be a great time to do it.

I grabbed a good Danielle Steel book on cd and headed to Kansas City BY MYSELF on Friday afternoon.

There was a whole convoy of these kinds of cars on the way there. (Did you think this was me?)

I got there at about 6:00 p.m. As nesting has certainly set in with my sister, she had decided that while I was painting she would organize the kitchen, dining room, living room, and hall bathroom. When I arrived she was in tears. She was nesting and hormonal. She was overwhelmed and needed some perspective.

A little back story. Her home in Kansas City has really been more her husband's pad for the past ten years (both before they got married, and after). Over the past few years she has been so busy working and spending time with my parents and working more, that she hasn't really worried about making any steps to move the house from bachelor pad to home. But now that she will be having her baby, and cutting her work schedule way down, and spending a lot more time at her home, she wants it organized and decorated.

You see, her husband is a police officer with a lot of police stuff, and a workout and health nut with a lot of that kind of stuff, and a Nascar fan with a lot of that kind of stuff. My sister is a minimalist and doesn't like "stuff".

Back to the story ... when I arrived Friday night, she was in tears. Being the older sister, I calmed her and we left to go eat and make some plans. To make an (already) long story short, by Friday night we had completely cleaned and organized the living room and kitchen, partially decorated the living room, and I had done all the prep work for painting the nursery. This may not sound like a lot, but HOLY SMOKES! And, what a difference! She was already feeling better.

Wish I had a "Before" so you could see what a transformation this really was ...

... especially this!

On Saturday we painted the nursery, put together the furniture, completely decorated the nursery, went shopping for more goodies for the house, and completely decorated the hall bathroom, living room, dining room, and kitchen. The only thing left to do was hang a few more curtains, which I did on Sunday morning.

Her house was a whole new house! And her husband, who likes his "stuff" and likes how he has it, even smiled once we were done. THAT was a huge accomplishment! ... really, you have no idea how huge.

On Sunday, an exhausted group of ladies got ourselves prettied up and went to a posh little raquet club in Kansas for a baby shower hosted by some of my sister's hair clients. It was a really fun shower, getting to meet the clients she talks so much about. And her clients were excited to meet the family she talks so much about. And, it was a room full of REALLY GREAT HAIR!

Kristen with the Hostesses

Kristen with the paternal and maternal grandmas

Dawson was a good sport and came to the shower (so that I didn't have to drive an extra two hours to pick him up), and I brought him home after his two weeks spent in Missouri working with my dad. He was the "hit" of the shower. He's a charmer.

The oldest set of cousins. Rylee will be Ashtyn's big sister.

Dawson pointed out that I wore this same outfit on Mother's Day. He's right.

Dawson and I left Kansas City at about 4:30 p.m. and made the long drive back to Oklahoma. We picked up one of his best friends on the way home for some "guy time". I was glad to get back home to my family and my doggies. I was exhausted, and still am today.

But it was a great weekend. I was so glad to be able to help my sister and to be a part of getting my niece's nursery decorated.

And now that I'm back to my life, it's time to get my own home cleaned, organized, and some meals planned. Here's what's on our menu ...

Monday ~ Chicken with garlic and thyme, green beans and boiled new potatoes from the garden

Tuesday ~ Beef soft tacos with pineapple salsa

Wednesday ~ Cheesy shells and greens

Thursday ~ Rick's birthday, hmmmm ......

Friday to Sunday ~ The kids are staying home with grandma while Rick and I go on a much-needed anniversary weekend. It will be a weekend of relaxation!!

Piano

Brynne has been talking about wanting to take piano lessons. At a friend's house a couple of weeks ago, their daughter taught her how to play "Mary Had a Little Lamb" (isn't that where we all start?). She was hooked! Rick pulled out our full-size electric keyboard from the attic and off she went. She took some sheets of music we had at home and tried to play. Although she didn't know the notes, she could play the beat. That was pretty impressive to me.

Her Homeschool Co-op choir teacher (who is amazing!) teaches piano lessons, so I called her and she had an opening.

Brynne had her first lesson yesterday afternoon. She was SO excited!

When I picked her up, Ms. Margo said that she is going to zip through this first book. They had already covered one unit. Last night Brynne went upstairs to practice. It was so cute, it made my heart smile! I could hear her all the way downstairs and she sounded good! I am really hoping this is something she sticks with and enjoys.

FREE Bass Pro Shop Crafts and Activities

If you live near a Bass Pro Shop, check out their Family Summer Camp 2012 activities. Every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, there are workshops, activities, crafts, games, and more available for FREE at participating Bass Pro Shops.

Our Bass Pro Shop has some great crafts that my kids will love, like painting a birdhouse, painting a wiggle snake, and stamping a leather wristband.

The workshops look like lots of fun, too, and include bird watching, dogs in the outdoors, backyard fun, and more. And, the kids will receive a lanyard and pins for each workshop they complete.

We'll be checking these out ... How about you?

The Big Splash Season

Our season for going to our local waterpark, Big Splash, has begun. We have had season passes for 12 years in a row.

I started with a 6 and 4 year old, moved out of the baby pool to the bigger pool, then back to the baby pool with a 6 month old, then an 18 month old the next summer while I was 7-8 months pregnant, stayed in the baby pool for a few more years with the little ones while the bigger kids graduated to going down the waterslides by themselves, got the older two old enough that they no longer wanted season passes, moved out of the baby pool to the bigger pool, and have the younger two now going down all of the slides alone, but with me still in tow to supervise. In the next year or two I will actually be able to arrive, get in a chair, and read for 3-4 hours while the kids run around all by themselves.

Our waterpark is great for us because it has enough to hold the kids' attention but is small enough that once they are a little older I won't worry about them running around without me tagging along.

We only went for a couple of hours today, but it was enough to get our "feet wet". They swam, went down every slide, and played in the wave pool. And, yes, I got to read.

Here's to another season!!

Did You See Venus?

Yesterday we experienced the spectacular last-in-our-lifetime viewing of Venus passing in front of the sun, or the Transit of Venus.

And we made a school day and a party out of it!

Eli and Brynne spent the majority of the day learning about Venus and the Sun. They watched a couple of Bill Nye The Science Guy videos and read some books. Then they closed their eyes to imagine what Venus looks like (extremely hot, dry, with lots of volcanoes and craters) and drew their ideas on a Venus printable.

We made Transit of Venus cookies.

And then some friends came over for a cookout and viewing party. We were finally able to get a hold of some #14 shade welding glass to use to protect our eyes. That, coupled with some binoculars, gave us a perfect view! It was so cool! The kids were flipped out excited!

As our friends were leaving, they said they would host the next Transit of Venus party at their house. That's in 2117. I told them I'd make sure I put it on my calendar.

Did you get a chance to see it?

Nicole's Daybook

Outside my window... sunny and hot today, after our HUGE rainstorm the other night! There were small branches all over our yard, my tomato plants were laying on their sides (although they weren't uprooted, so were fine), and at one point in the night my porch swing was swinging about 10 feet in the air. When I got up, my patio furniture was moved all over the place. The rain filled an empty mason jar that was on our back patio.

I am thinking... about all of the supplies and curriculum I am needing to buy to get us ready for school this year. Bringing Eli home brings in a new dynamic and organization will be key.

I am thankful ... that my sister and I are so close, after a childhood of not getting along AT ALL! I was always so jealous of sisters who talked on the phone and did things together, and now my sister and I are close like that.

I am wearing... lipstick and polish pajama bottoms and a hot pink tank top.

I am planning...  lesson plans, already! We officially start back to school on July 23rd, so that's not much time to get organized.
 

I am creating... a bow holder for my sister's friend and a no-sew apron for Brynne for Girls Club.

I am going... to spend the day teaching the kids about the Transit of Venus and then have friends over this evening for dinner and the viewing.

I am reading...  Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by The Countess of Carnarvon, Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv

I am hoping... that this sticky issue I am dealing with gets resolved asap so that it doesn't have to get stickier. I just want it to be done.

From the learning rooms... We are logging an official day of school today (1 of 180), with our day of learning about the Transit of Venus. We are also doing daily bible verse memorization, reading, and educational iPad apps and websites to keep our brains functioning. Otherwise, it's play, play, play!

Noticing that ... I am blessed with my life. Not many people get to do what they truly love every single day and I try not to take that for granted.

From the kitchen... Well, I'm already off my menu plan! Last night spaghetti just sounded good. And tonight we are having friends over to grill burgers and hot dogs. Oh well, at least these are all meals I had on hand.

Around the house... is laundry that needs to be done, floors that need to be vacuumed and mopped, bathrooms that need to be cleaned. Better wrap this up and get to it!

One of my favorite things... is planning fun lessons for my kids. I just heard about the Transit of Venus yesterday (yes, I kind of live in a cave), but enjoyed putting together a full day of lessons to celebrate it. I am also working on our first unit on the Olympics. And after that it will be Caves with a trip to Springfield, Missouri, to ride through Funtastic Caverns. To me, it's just fun, with a little learning involved.

A few plans for the rest of the week... Tonight is the Transit viewing and dinner with friends. Tomorrow the kids and I are going to the water park. On Thursday, Brynne is starting piano lessons!!! We are hoping to get ahold of one of Eli's friends from school to come over to play one afternoon. On Friday I am leaving to go to Kansas City to help my sister get her nursery ready. Rick and the little kids are staying home. Rick's taking them to Lowe's to build a Madagascar 3 airplane on Saturday and then hopes to talk them into going to see the movie in the afternoon. I'll be home super late on Sunday night, bringing Dawson back home with me from his two weeks in Missouri working with my dad.

From my picture journal.

My new favorite thing! It holds SO MUCH! I took three dishes to a family dinner the other night. Yesterday we used it for our trip to the library and filled it with books. It's got two little velcro pouches on the inside so I can put a drink for each of the kids in it. I bought it at Aldi for $8.00. I plan to wear it completely out with use. And it's adorable.

Lots of women Daybook. See what they have to say at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Menu Plan Monday

Well, let's get back to it, shall we? The first two weeks of our summer break have been trying, at a minimum. Being "off" emotionally makes me feel "off" in every other area of my life, especially in meal planning. I declare .. Enough is enough. It's time to take back some control and do what I know works best for us. The first step is in planning meals for the next two weeks, writing them on the meal calendar, and then grocery shopping to accomplish the goals. (I even did some organization in the pantry to help me along.)

Our meals for this week came from the November 2011 issue of Woman's Day magazine. For some reason I came upon it and started looking through it. The meals sounded good. So, they were my inspiration:

Monday ~ Garlicky shrimp and spinach with pasta

Tuesday ~ Pork veggie stir fry

Wednesday ~ Fend for Yourself

Thursday ~ Garlic-thyme chicken breasts with fresh green beans and roasted potatoes

Friday to Sunday ~ Daddy and the littles are eating easy foods because I will be spending the weekend in Kansas City helping my sister get her baby's nursery painted and decorated, and attending her baby shower.