100

This is my official 100th post!

Gee, I really don't have anything to add to that.

So, getting back to the summer theme I've had going on for a few weeks... I've noticed that alot of the things I mentioned in my last post about my childhood are now considered "incorrect". Like catching fireflies and minnows - now you have to "catch and release" fireflies and minnows. Sprinklers waste water, and shouldn't be used. Bubble solutions are bad for the environment and shouldn't be used outdoors where they could run off into the water supply. Even making a birdhouse is dangerous - if the holes are not the perfect size, the birds will get stuck and die. If you make your own hummingbird food, you have to perfectly sterilize the water and use distilled water, lest you cause teeny tiny tummy aches.

So my recommendation? Let your kids have fun and do what you did as a child - just don't disclose all the details to everyone. Umm... Like on a blog, or something... It's not that I don't care about the environment, it's just that I think we have bigger fishes to fry than fireflies and bubbles.

Here's a recipe for the perfect bubble solution and the homemade hummingbird nectar:

Foolproof Bubbles

Simply stir together 6 parts water, 2 parts Joy dishwashing liquid (this brand works the best), and 3/4 part corn syrup. Store in a covered container.

Hummingbird Nectar

4 parts water / 1 part sugar

Bring water to a boil and stir in sugar. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Let cool. Excess nectar / hummingbird food can be stored in a tightly covered jar in refrigerator for one week.

Do NOT substitute honey for sugar!!

Childhood and the Quest for the Perfect Summer

Well it's definitely summertime. It's hot, school's out, and getting soaking wet is part of our daily routine. The calendar may not say it's "officially" summer until June 21, but my reading material lately says otherwise. It seems that everywhere you look, there are articles and memoirs and stories about summer and what it means to adults and their children. Stories of summer memories and activities, and even instructions on how to do things like catch fireflies and build sandcastles.

Do we really need instructions on how to be kids? Although I find myself wanting to recreate my best summer memories with my kids, I'm also learning that I don't have to teach them to do these wonderful summery things. The kids discovered fireflies all on their own (and aren't they always the ones who see that first light?), and they started scooping dirt and mud into trucks and pots all by themselves. They picked a dandelion and automatically knew to blow on it and subsequently plant 1,000,000 more dandelions in my yard. No one showed Abby how to swing from that vine at the park, but today she did. I didn't even have to show them how to run through the sprinkler (although I did, anyway, because it's more fun that way).

So as I read through these articles of how to create the perfect bubble solution and mix just the right amount of dirt and water for the best mud pie, I think "Great! I need to tear this out and do it with the kids!" I gather the ingredients and tools, and show them. They're interested as I create it, but when I show them what to do they always seem to have a better way of doing it. A way that gets them messier and louder, and actually seems to make more sense after I see it.

So I started thinking about my summers as a kid, and what I was taught and what I already knew. I remember things like playing hide and seek in the dark, ducking behind parked cars. I remember hiking in the mountains when it was so hot and dry that you don't even sweat. I remember swimming in my little blow-up pool after twilight, while my mom grilled hamburgers for a late dinner. There were fireflies, slip n' slides, and catching minnows in paper cups at the creek. As I think about summer and my childhood, I realize why it's such a well-covered topic in magazines and memoirs. It really is a great time of year - I had just forgotten until I had a 4 year old.

Now my summer days are filled with activities and crafts and things to learn. I feel like summer is so short, and my kid's childhood lasts for only a little while. I want my kids to discover what I discovered over 20 years ago. I want my kids to see what my husband saw as a boy - even if I think most of it was dangerous and scary. It's all part of growing up and staying a child.

I never realized the importance of reminiscing and discovering and showing until I had kids. And now I can't go a day without remembering and planning the next day of summer. Welcome to yet another essay on summer memories.

Avery's Song

Please notice of the lyrics of the chorus of this song. They are:
" Take my life
take my mind
take my soul
take my will
I am yours now, and I give it all to you"

Yet, Avery has his own version:
"Take my life
Take my wiggles
Take my Abby
I love her."

I'm not sure which I like best.

My Mistake

What do I think is the biggest mistake I've ever made? Easy - Asking for more patience. I pray all the time that God will give me more patience and self control with my kids and with other people. So how does God seem to be answering that prayer? By giving me opportunity after opportunity to exercise patience.

Yesterday was the chocolate syrup incident. Today it was the complete fridge emptying incident. This will also be known as the eating of all the cold hot dogs incident. And every single day, Avery dumps out every toy in Abby's room. I did take all her toys away, practically, but the baby dolls and the books remain - and they continue to get dumped out into the middle of the floor at least once a day.

I also had to re-clean that doll house bath tub. Someone decided to scoop dirt into it in the front yard. They were then sent inside, where they dumped all the plastic craft beads all over their room, and all the stamps and stamp pads.

Never, ever, ever, ask God for more patience.

We're Out of Chocolate Syrup.

This morning started out great. I got to sleep in a little, sort of, since Ethan woke up early and wanted to lie in bed with me and sleep a little longer on my arm. Abby and Avery were being good. They were just sitting on the couch watching Playhouse Disney like little angels. At least that's what I thought they were doing...

Ethan finally wakes up, and we head into the living room. Abby and Avery were playing together very well and having tons of fun. Unfortunately, my living room was covered in chocolate and strawberry syrup. Apparently, the kids thought the doll house people and the baby dolls would enjoy a nice chocolate spa treatment. They filled the doll house bath tub and baby cradles with the syrup, and one by one they dunked the dolls.

So I had to wash my couch slipcover, give 2 kids a bath, wash about 10 towels, scrub the carpet, and wipe off the throw pillows - all before 8:30 in the morning. I know Daniel is going to ask me if I got any pictures. No. No I did not. Things like this are only funny long after they happen.

Right now my rug is outside drying - even though it's not "washable". My driveway is the baby doll drying zone. But on the bright side, the doll house people and the baby dolls are just blown away at how soft and supple their skin is after the spa treatment.

Firsts

Remember your baby's first steps? Her first words? Maybe even her first tooth or solid food or whatever? What about the first time she moons the entire neighborhood?

What? That's just my baby?

Well, today started out normal. We were outside doing some art work, which we needed to wash off afterwards with a hose. that led to hosing off the driveway, which led to kids spraying each other with a hose. That led to running through the sprinkler fully clothed. And that somehow led to Abby pulling down her skirt and mooning the neighborhood.

So I tried to hide my smile, because come on, it's funny, and made the kids go inside for lunch. How do women go from thinking it's okay to show your bare butt in the front yard to being ashamed to wear a swimsuit in public?

Here are some non-nude photos of the sprinkler fun:

Summertime

The Best Intentions...

Of course, Summer Camp at Home was supposed to start last week. It didn't. Daniel was in Philadelphia for work all week, we didn't have a fully usable kitchen, and Avery and I got food poisoning. We decided to start this week instead. Well, Monday ended up being an "out day" because we went to the zoo with some friends. Yesterday was I guess... a science day...? Abby was bad all morning and refused and refused to clean her room. You know, the battle of everyday again. So I had to finally take away her arts and crafts day for punishment. But, as the boys napped in the afternoon, she reformed herself. So I filled up various buckets and bins with water, placed them in the driveway with cups and straws and bottles, and told the kids to have fun.

It's amazing how every kid reacts differently to such open-ended games. Ethan hesitantly began splashing. Avery filled up bottles and cups, then poured them back into the buckets, and filled them again. Abby immediately started baking a "cake" for a surprise party she was planning. Apparently it's my birthday again. Surprise!

Today I had planned to do the library and movie day, but alas, these things do not start until next week. So I think we'll still do the library day to sign up for the summer reading program, but not to listen to a story.

On the bright side, the kids are behaving much better today. They also have no toys - I took them all away yesterday. Maybe there's a connection here...

Pipes and Such

I know, I know, some of you (well, at least one of you) are just dying to know what "major thing" Daniel did to our house these past few weeks. Well, he's actually been remodeling the kitchen. I mean tear-down-the-walls-to-the-studs remodeling. AND, he's doing a great job. I would even say he's almost finished. We went a few days without water, a few days without hot water, a few days without a washer and dryer, a few days washing dishes in the bath tub, and now we have all those things and more! Avery is still living in Abby's room, though - poor baby.

Actually, if you want to know the truth, Daniel didn't really get this far on his own. Ethan helped a lot. Here he is showing Daniel how to hook up the sink:

Works for Me Wednesday - Daddy's Day Out

I was watching an old episode of "Everybody Loves Raymond," and noticed something really interesting. In this episode, Raymond took his sons on a "Daddy Day," which means he took them to his golf club and played golf while they played in the sand trap and chased golf balls into the pond. The boys had a great time, and to quote Raymond quoting the boys, "ya - hoo."

This reminded me an awful lot of my own sweet Daniel and the times he takes the kids out without me. There was just recently when he took Avery to get his hair cut. They stopped at the park on the way home - so Daniel could play basketball. BUT the boy did have fun. Then there was the time Daniel took Abby to the park to play, and he ended up just happening to have that basketball in the trunk and tennis shoes on. Surprise! There was also a basketball court at that park.

I've had this conversation with Daniel before. I say he shouldn't take the kids somewhere that is for him and disguise it as a fun time at the park for the kids. He feels differently, and I bet a lot of dads do. Daniel thinks basketball is fun for the kids, since they're out and at the park. Truthfully, I've never heard the kids complain - and trust me, Abby can complain. After all, there are a lot of dads out there that never, ever take their kids anywhere. Also, when Daniel takes the kids to the basketball courts *ahem* I mean the park, I get a nice break.

So, what works for me when the kids are bored is this: send them away. Better yet, send them away with Daddy. Even better-er yet-er, let the poor guy have fun, too.

My Cheeseburger

For some reason, this is just really funny to me. If you don't watch the office, and if you don't listen closely to the lyrics, it probably won't be as funny.

By the way, Abby says Jim Halpert looks like Daniel in this video. I have been known to say that Jim Halpert is quite *ahem* handsome, yet cannot compare to Daniel in handsomeness. I guess Abby disagrees...

Don't worry, Daniel - you're still my cheeseburger, and there are no half price bacon and eggs for me!




** I found this on The Natural Mommy and had to share!

Summer Camp at Home Links

Here are some links to kid's crafts to get you started.

This looks like the coolest paint, ever. If you have a microwave, that is... *sigh*
Puffy Paint

I especially like the crafts on this blog. Check out the kite at the bottom - it would be great for outside days as well.
Crafty Cow

The ultimate kid's craft site. If you've ever read the magazine, you already know what I mean. You can even search by age - perfect for preschoolers.
Family Fun

And 2 GA Boys left me a link to this site (Thanks!). It has some interesting ideas for free things to do at home. Maybe dads could even get in on the fun with these ideas! The farmer's market bonanza sounds interesting...
Fun at Home

Not Normal - Right?

So, a couple days ago I fell down at Meijer. Apparently, their frozen Coke machine was leaking water, and the mat in front of it collected all that water. Despite the 5 "wet floor" signs and the "caution" tape, I was assured by the cashier that it was safe to get a regular vanilla root beer. I got the drink without incident, but as I stepped off the wet mat and onto the waxed floor, I fell onto my knees. I squeezed both the vanilla root beer and the shopping cart handle, so I didn't fall any further. Then I stepped again and fell again. Again, root beer flies everywhere, and my cup gets smashed. My fault for wearing flip-flops, right? No one should grocery shop without non-slip steel toed boots.

Well, since the "incident", my knees hurt terribly, and when I get on my knees for any reason, they make a silent popping noise. Like if I had bubbles on my knees, or a bag of ultra-sound gel (or it is jelly?) or better yet, sound-proof bubble wrap. I don't know if it's bad or not - it just really grosses me out, and I thought you all should be in on this.

Wordless Wednesday - First Train Ride

(The zoo train, that is)

Free and Cheap Family Movies

If any of you are interested in the 50 cent movies I've been talking about, you can go here to find out all the details.

Thanks, Money Saving Methods!

Summer Camp at Home Plan

I finally decided (in general) what we'll do each day of our Summer Camp at Home. I've decided to have 6 days of activities, which will rotate Monday thru Friday. This way we're not always doing crafts on Monday - it changes each week. The only exception will be Wednesday, because that's the only day the library does the reading program, and the only day the theater has 50 cent movies.

1st Day (Monday, June 2): Arts & Crafts Day
2nd Day (Tuesday, June 3): Out of the House Day (parks, yard, play dates)
3rd Day (Wednesday, June 4): Movie & Library Day
4th Day (Thursday, June 5): Science Day
5th Day (Friday, June 6): Field Trip Day (zoo, museum, etc)
6th Day (Monday, June 9): Cooking Day
Then everything starts over again.

I'm really enjoying your ideas. It's so hard to take 3 kids under 5 years old anywhere fun. Especially by myself. Keep giving me ideas! I have 13 days of field trips to plan!

By the way, we have a membership to the zoo, so I count it as a free thing to do (other than gas). It's also not that scary for me to take the 3 kids to the zoo by myself that way. If they act up the second we get there, we'll just leave . No extra money spent, no big deal. If we decide its too hot to do anything other than go see the manatees and ride the tram once, no big deal. We also get into a local children's museum half price with the zoo membership, so its about $11 for me and the kids. This museum also has science days, so we can do the science days away from home if we want. I highly recommend a membership to some kind of zoo, kid's museum, or whatever you have nearby.

Gel vs. Jelly

Gel versus jelly, according to Abby:

What do you put in your hair to keep it from getting frizzy? Jelly.
What do you mix with water, place in the fridge, and eat after it sets? Gel.
What do you put on peanut butter sandwiches? Jello.

Summer Camp at Home

Since this summer is actually Abby's first ever summer vacation, and since she is sad about leaving preschool, and since she wants to start Kindergarten right now, and since I will have to entertain all three kids all day, every day, I've decided to make this summer "Summer Camp at Home Summer".

I plan to make each day of the week a different type of camp day, for the entire summer. For instance, Mondays might be arts & crafts day. We'll make arts and crafts all day long, make playdough & play with it, etc. Tuesdays might be cooking day, on which the kids will make their own breakfast, lunch, and dinner (gee, they'd better be careful with the stove...), and some nice cookies or something. Wednesdays might be movie day, since the local theaters have 50 cent movie days every Wednesday. Thursdays could be outside the house days - which can include zoo trips, playing at the park, swimming, etc.

I'm still working on the fifth camp day. I'll post my final itinerary when I get it all figured out, in case anyone is interested in copying or suggesting ideas. Until then, I have a challenge for everyone reading this (yup, all two of you):

Give me your best free/ nearly free ideas for keeping kids under 5 entertained this summer. There are tons of ideas online and in magazines, books, etc. for school age kids. What on earth do you do if you have wee little kids? Preschoolers are one of the most under-recognized group of kids that really, really need to be entertained, in my opinion. So give me your best ideas! Local ideas are welcome as well, since they may give others ideas of places to search for in their own towns.

I will post ideas as I find them, as well as links to things like cheap movie days. Keep checking back all summer for ideas on what to do with those little rugrats of yours. Trust me, you'll thank me as the summer drags on.

She Did It! (Sort Of)

Well, today Abby graduated from preschool. She was there at the graduation, but she didn't really participate. I'm not sure why, but I expected her to do better than she did. I mean, for her Christmas play she was all clingy and whiny and refused to participate. She was the saddest angel ever. For graduation today, she was exactly the same with one exception - today she was the saddest Statue of Liberty ever. She wasn't really the Statue of Liberty - but she sure looked like her to me.

So how do other parents deal with this? Sometimes I feel sad because she acts like this, sometimes I feel annoyed at her, and sometimes I just think it's funny. I don't even know why I'm so surprised each time she does it, either. Is there anything that I can do to make her act like this less? Is this "just a phase"?

Whatever it is, I've decided that Abby cannot go to full-day kindergarten this year. I'm going to send her to private school, which will only be 3 hours a day. Now I just have to find a way to pay for the school...

Random Things

I haven't posted anything in quite a while. MommyFest just wore me out! Just kidding - Daniel is actually doing something big to our house this week and everything is... everywhere. Poor Avery doesn't have a bedroom right now. His room is now a kitchen/ master bedroom/ sewing room/ office/ utility room/ laundry room/ pantry. He's sleeping in Abby's room for the week. They keep each other up a little while at bedtime, and wake each other up early in the morning. This is why one kid per bedroom is so popular.

Also, since we're now eating in the living room, and only have 3 bowls out, we've learned to be more creative at mealtimes. Thank goodness it's warm out and we can grill! Daniel had waffles this morning on a princess frisbee, and we have a picnic on the living room floor every night. We have no oven or stove, and the toaster oven lives in Abby's room right now. I've also learned just how big of a mess 3 kids can make on a small Ikea rug with just a half dozen cookies with yellow frosting and sprinkles on them.

We're watching a lot more TV this week, too. Its too dangerous to go outside when there is a miter saw right in the middle of the driveway. And, again, Avery's toys are buried under the stuff we've placed in his room.

By the way, tomorrow Abby graduates from preschool. When I started this blog, she had just entered preschool. Wow. After tomorrow, Abby will officially be a school-ager. The problem is, the kindergarten here is becoming full-day starting with Abby's class. I don't think she's ready for that, and I know I'm not ready for that. I still want to be the one feeding her lunch. I want to have her with me when I run errands in the afternoon. If she's in school from 9 to 3, and sleeping from 8 to 8, then she's only here with me for 5 hours a day. That means she spends more time away from me than with me. I'm currently trying to find a way to send her to private school, since it's only half-day.

Well, I've got to go - Abby's demanding my attention. I'd better give it to her now, while she's still here all day...