“Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.” Dr. Seuss

     I have finally come to accept the fact that summer is over.  Four days of teacher in-service and two weeks of school have solidified that in my mind.  I have sent my sweet kiddos off to Kindergarten and 1^st Grade, and we are all settling into the new routine.  Honestly, I am already worn out, but memories of the summer continue to motivate me.  The summer flew by and was filled with all things family.  Each event was worthy of its own blog post, and so it will be.  To keep myself in my happy “summer state of mind” I am going to devote each of my upcoming blogs to one of the family events from the summer.  In the end, my family is why I do what I do.  In reminding myself of this every day, I find even the most exhausting of days easier to get through.   Many blessings to you and yours!

Coming up next….South Dakota Adventure 2013.

4th of July

After we hit the parade in Parkville and before we cook up some hotdogs and s'mores at Auntie Jill's, I will get some hammock time on my deck.  The weather is gorgeous.  How could anyone resist?  

Hammock Haiku

bring on the sweet tea

ready to swing and relax

hammock on the deck

slow and gentle swing

new striped hammock is the place

sway the world away

35

Yesterday I turned 35.  It was honestly one of the best birthdays I have ever had.  I am truly blessed to be able to list 35 great things about my day.  Just as a side note....this list is really for me to remember how great my life really is.  I plan on coming back to it when I might be having "one of those days."  After seeing the list, it is clear that the little things are the creators of amazing things.

1. 4:30 a.m. "Happy Birthday" from my sweet little girl.
2. "35" Lego build waiting on my nightstand from my precious boy.
3. Breakfast (homemade donuts and cinnamon rolls.)
4. Coffee
5. Jewelry stamping hammer
6. Jewelry stamping metal plate
7. Jewelry stamping letter set
8. Laminating machine
9. Excitement of the kids to show me my "big" gift.
10. My new hammock.  I have had an obsession with hammocks since childhood.  One of my many dreams has come true.
11. Joe proudly telling me that they got my hammock on sale.
12. Snuggling in the hammock with Lynn.
13. "Telling secrets" with Lynn while we were wrapped up in the hammock.   Her secret was, "You are the best mommy in the whole world."
14. A generally calm trip to Costco.  I love Chocolate Covered Pomegranates. 
15. Oak Park Mall  American Girl Store
16. Lego Store- I wanted to go, and I got a set for myself.  (3 in 1 House.  I will be building the Windmill version.)
17. We happend to go into the Disney Store just as they were beginning "Scare School" for the kids  as a promotion for Monsters University.  Joe and Lynn can officially roar!  As if we didn't know that.
18. Chick-Fil-A lunch
19. Surprise order of a gallon of sweet tea from Dan.  He knows the way to my heart.
20. Facebook birthday messages
21. Texts from my brother, my sister-in-laws, and from my new nephew.
22. Texts from friends.
23. Picture texts of my Birthday shot at Bar Louie the night before.
24. Phone call from my Uncle Dennis.  He always calls on my birthday, and I treasure that.
25. Phone call from my mom and dad.
26. Dad singing "Happy Birthday" in the background in his beautiful voice.
27. Joe's T-Ball Team Party
28. New friends made through T-Ball
29. Wine spritzers
30. We didn't have to cook dinner or clean up.
31. Cupcakes from Hy-Vee
32. Hearing my family say "Happy Birthday" randomly all day long
33. Lynn falling asleep on the couch
34. Reading Dinosaur vs. Bedtime with Joe
35. Ending the day on the deck in my hammock, listening to Dave Matthews, while playing Words With Friends with my best friend, Dan

Liebster Award

My friend and fellow blogger, Julie, nominated me for the Liebster Award.  Of course, I had to google to find out a bit about the award.  The origins are elusive, but I found one blogger who seems to have done her research.  Here is her take.  The current rules, as they stand, follow.  The rules can change because that is one of the rules.  Cool!  Just FYI, no one actually wins anything:)

After being nominated, you have to do the following:

• Acknowledge the blog that nominated you in a post.
• Tell 11 facts about yourself.
• Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger created.
• List 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers that you believe deserve some recognition.
• Post 11 questions for them to answer.
• Notify all the bloggers selected that they have been nominated.
• And finally, you can’t nominate the blog who nominated you.

11 facts about me:

1. Coffee became an addiction after I had my kids.

2. I really love teaching, but I'm finding it harder to love the students.

3. Books are an escape for me.  There aren't too many things that I would rather do than read.  I get a little anxious/slightly depressed when I don't have a book in progress.

4.  My parents and my brother are awesome people.  I love them, of course, but more importantly, I like them.

5.  I teach English, but I don't know any grammar rules beyond the basics.

6. My son putting on an old DeKalb hat of my grandfather's made me cry.  

7. I treasure old things that belonged to my family.  Old pictures and cards are my favorite links to the past.

8. I would choose a Thrift Store over a mall any day of the week, even if I had all the money in the world.

9. The beach is on my mind constantly.

10.  My family is my reason for doing everything I do.

11. I volunteer to wash coffee cups at my church.  I have to go do that now...

...and I'm back.

Answers to 11 questions:

1. If you could relocate anywhere in the world, would you?  If I had money to  pay for private school for my kids and could pay for my retirement with no problems, I would go to a beach in South Carolina tomorrow.  I would also need movers....I hate the actual act of moving.
2. Are you happy?  In general yes.  I have everything I could really want.  I only feel a little less than happy when I'm not able to be creative, or when I feel like I'm not giving enough back to everyone that I have.
3. What are you passionate about?  The things I think about the most are reading, writing, sewing, my family, and coffee.  I guess those are my passions.
4. Who is your favorite author?  Diana Gabaldon  Her Outlander series is amazing!  I can't explain it because it has everything.  Just go get Outlander and start reading.
5. Is the movie ever better than the book?  If you answered yes, give an example. NEVER!!! 
6. Dog or cat?  I have a cat, and I love dogs so much that I don't have one.  I know it wouldn't get the care it deserves from my busy family.  There isn't a dog out there that could replace Trudy anyway.
7. What is a typical Friday night for you?  Pizza from Hy-Vee and a Redbox movie with the kids. Baseball on TV to go to sleep to.  
8. Do you believe in God? Yes!  
9. If you could go back in time and change one thing in your life that would rechart your life, would you?  And if so, what would it be?  There are things that I wish I had or hadn't done, but I wouldn't change anything.  I am here in this place that I love being, and I would hate to be missing this "big picture" just to change something that I probably learned from.
10. What was your favorite high school subject?  I loved all of my English classes.  Novels, my senior year, was my favorite of all time.  I also really liked History.
11. iPhone or Android?  Have an Android, want an iPhone.

11 Questions for you:
 
1.  What was your major in college?
2. Did you ever, or are you still using it in your current career?
3. What was the best vacation you ever went on?
4. What is your dream vacation of the future?
5. Guilty pleasure?  (Mine is Pop-Tarts.)
6. Who or what has influenced your feelings about the role of women in society?
7. What do you worry about the most?
8. What writing do you do other than blogging?
9. If there was no way to fail, what would you try?
10.  Were you a girly-girl or a tom-boy as a kid?
And most importantly.....
11. Toilet paper- over or under?

Now I am supposed to nominate 11 bloggers.  Ummm....I don't follow that many blogs, but I do follow these two, so I am nominating them.  (Breakin' the rules, woohoo!)  One is very established and cracks me up with nearly every post, and one is brand new and very promising.  Both ladies are excellent writers.  Go check out Karen and Almeda.

Spring Break 2013 or A Really Long Math Problem

6 nights

2 cities

3 hotels

3 pools

1 set of awesome grandparents

1 sweet little girl who loves to give her Papa hugs

1 nearly empty all to ourselves Legoland Chicago (Sorry, KC, we got a bum deal. Chicago's is better.)

4 full tummies at Portillo's (2 Hotdogs, 2 Italian Beefs, Wet)

3 Field Museum Hours

1 "Beautiful" T-Rex named Sue (Ask Joe.  He'll tell you all about her.)

1 Too Long Outdoor Line at the Aquarium. (Maybe next time.)

2 Happy parents and 2 bored kids at IKEA. (They don't have big kid toys.)

2 Lou Malnatti's pizzas and 1 Burger devoured

1 Proud Chicago Dad because his kids like Chicago food

1 Knock-knock joke session while waiting for pizza (Lynn's favorite that she repeated all week- Knock, knock. Who's there? Boo. Boo who?  Why are you crying? -- Not sure why, but that one just kept cracking her up, maybe because it was the only one she understood.)

2 new swimsuits for the girls from Land's End Inlet (It is an OUTlet, but I guess they wanted to be all nautical or something.)

1 little boy who went all style crazy at said In-Outlet (We told him he will be wearing that tie-dye t-shirt until it actually dies.)

2 new pairs of shoes (Please pray with me that my kids' feet don't grow anymore before Croc/Flip-flop weather.  I don't want to buy anymore tennis shoes until Fall.)

4 Croc Charms (From the $1 bin.  Nice job kids!)

1 reward toy trip to the Woodfield Mall.  They each had their own money to spend.  Lynn- Hello Kitty "Lipstick"--it is more like light pink gloss, but don't tell her.  Joe-- Lego Chima Speedors.  My kids are stereotypes.  They just are.

1 New breakfast place that produced 4 clean plates called Wildberries (Highly recommend!)

30 minutes with 4 beautiful Millers- We love you and the visit will be longer the next time we see you.

1 coat left at the Millers. (Lynn's tough.  Spring starts on Wednesday.)  Just kidding.  We got her a much needed new one today. 75% off clearance at Dick's Sporting Goods.

0 long car ride fits. (It is a small parenting celebration when the "Activity Bag-O-Distractions" is no longer needed.  Sorry, Bag, you've been retired. The kids brought their own things and did not need any of the extras that I packed.)

Hey, Math geek friends, what does this all equal?  

No, not 85!

 The answer is (Awesome Memories)(Infinity)(4)

Chicago, we love you, and we will be back as soon as we can!

Kids Say

I haven't done this in awhile, so I thought I would update the list of funny things my kids say.  Lynn is the star of this right now.

"Perd-na-mit"marker and "ja-pamas" are two of my current favorites.  I also like "Hargid," the giant in the Harry Potter books.


I also have to brag a little about Joe saying things correctly that he is reading right now, and this seems like a good a place as any.  "Salamander" and "scurry" are hard words for a 6 year old.  Nice job, buddy!  I watched him sound them out in his head, with his lips barely moving, before he read them.  I got really excited.  He didn't think it was a big deal.  I love my little book worm.

Swimming, Balloons, and Potter, Oh My!

January 30, 2013

Fun Mommy Moments of the Weekend

I wrote this up in my journal in the car line on Monday, and I am just now getting it posted.  Busy week...  Anyway, sitting with the windows down on an unseasonably warm day in January doing something for myself, other than surfing pinterest on my phone, felt really good.  Doing something worthwhile to take care of myself always makes me feel like a happier person and a happier mom.

-Friday, after school, we went to the Y to swim.  When we got there, they told us the problem was being worked on, but the water was 77 degrees.  It didn't sound so bad, but I was wrong.  77 degree water is cold, and I will not "get used to it." I have never been happier that my kids passed their swim tests so that I don't have to get in with them.  Lynn was purple in about 3 minutes, but she and Joe both just wanted to keep swimming (and make Mom squeal by splashing her.)  Daddy arrived to make the swimming even more fun for the kiddos.  I love watching him play with them.  The smiles are priceless.  Bonus: I got some time in the hot tub.

-Normally on Saturday mornings I am a hermit in my bed.  My family leaves me alone because I am kind of a grump about wanting to sleep in.  However, in my effort to be a little happier and a little more fun, I didn't grump at the kids when they came in wanting to play a video game together.  Yes, I said together.  They actually wanted to get along while doing something with each other.  I held my whining in and told them to come on in.  It really was kind of sweet to listen to them working together and to hear Lynn say, "Buddy" to her brother every time she wanted to ask him something.

-Joe went to a Birthday Party on Saturday afternoon.  I was expecting to hang out with the other moms, but when we arrived we found out it was a "drop off" party.    Dan and Lynn were on a Daddy/Daughter Day so I got 3 unexpected hours to myself!  That was a blessing in itself.

-Said Birthday Party had an awesome goody bag.  It had something in it to represent all 8 elements of the Skylanders (kid video game, doesn't matter).  Anyway, air was represented by two balloons.  This led to a weekend filled with balloon volleyball games in the hallway.  As balloons do, they gave us a lot of laughs and then caused a bout of crying when they popped.  It was fun while it lasted.

-Harry Potter is famous at our house right now.  The kids have seen the first 4 movies, and Lynn hardly talks about anything else.  I am very proud and happy to say that the asked if we could listen to the real books in the van while driving to school.  We are all loving it, and we have already had some great conversations about how the book is better than the movie!  I am having a blast "re-reading" one of my favorite series and introducing the magic of "making the pictures in your mind" to my kids.