A craft moment...

Elisa came up to me the other day with theUsborne book, "Christmas Fairy Things to Make and Do", and asked if I could do a craft with her. Now, I love to do crafts, but don't always do them when asked, mainly because it is yet another mess to clean up. Not wanting to say no again, we headed to the table and started to cut. Soon Bekah and Caleb were over asking if they could make a fairy too. So, we picked out colors of dresses, hair, glitter, legs...and we had a great time.
Of course, Caleb wanted me to understand he was making a "boy fairy" and chose orange and green for his. The girls chose pink and purple.
I have so many of these "things to make and do" books, mainly because I can't resist checking them out to tell others how great they are, since I do sell them. And I have these great plans to do each project with my kids...maybe that will be my weekly post...."My craft project of the week." I told Sarah I felt very Smallworldish since she had just done the same with Duncan.
Anyway, it's amazing how much smoother my day goes when I take just that little bit of time to read blogs to spend with them. Even if it is a Christmas project in the summer.

Summer fun...

I thought I would be slowing down for the summer, taking time to rest and relax...but we seem to still be full speed ahead, just doing different things. Each of my kids have done at least one camp. Between that and Caleb running track, Feed Your Faith events, teaching gymnastics, and cub scout cookouts, we have kept pretty busy. Here I thought I would "do school" now and again...just to finish up what we had not, or get an early start. Tee hee. Anyway, here are some of our summer fun pics..

Bekah and Elisa went to dance/gymnastics camp. Here's Bekah on the "vault"

Elisa on the bars, while the others made their way to the floor.

We got to have Duncan over this week while Smallworld was at AHG camp. We also have a neighbor who lets us use his pool!
Caleb learned to swim last fall and loves jumping off the diving board..he's trying to get me wet with a cannonball.
Elisa cracks me up with all her floaties on...she also has on a life jacket!
Bekah is normally my bravest one, but she hasn't warmed up to the idea of jumping in the deep end this year.
Here is Caleb at Cub Scout camp. He was elected to be the Jedi in Jedi tag...or something like that...
This was the coolest part of camp for me to see. Caleb is really good at archery. I was so proud of him. Mike is going out to buy him his own set.
I can't believe it isn't even July yet....but we're having fun... and the kids are all napping in the afternoons :)
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Jun. 22, 2007 - wow..
Posted by fyftn
I have two notes to make about this post. 1. You guys look like you are having a blast this summer. Wish I could be there for some of it. :) 2. You have some great looking kids. I know they have a great looking mom. Must have a great looking dad too. :)
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Jun. 23, 2007 - Wish I were there too!
Posted by mom
I sure am having fun reading about 'my' family so far away. It makess me feel a part of the fun. Like Mike, I'm working way too hard. Be sure to tell Mike's dad about Caleb's archery. He was pretty good at it too. As for me, I kept twaning my arm. Ouch!! The pool looks like fun. We are roasting to death in our severe draught. 90 today with no a/c. Whew!

This is what happens...

When you leave your pumpkins out in your front flower bed instead of throwing them away...

When we first started seeing these come up in late March I had visions of a cute little pumpkin patch and my children proudly displaying their own pumpkins. And then I thought, we could set up a little stand, like a lemonade stand, and they could sell these pumpkins. There were ten plants. And then, Easter weekend we had a frost and as we pulled out of the driveway to church, my dreams were gone, my plants dead.
My neighbor said "good thing, they would have taken over your yard and mine too." I didn't think about that. While I have been to many a pumpkin patch, it never occurred to my little brain how big they would get in my yard. Oh well, they were gone.
It didn't take too long for seven more plants to come up. I knew I should have moved them, but, that would require, well digging and watering ...(I'm not much of a gardener) And so, here they are, and Mike says they mulitply every day. So what if we can't park in our driveway by October? I will have my own home grown pumpkins....here are my two favorites..

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Jun. 18, 2007 - I think that's so cool...
Posted by proverbsmomof3
We have tried several times to grow pumpkin with little or no luck. Maybe next year we'll do what you did and finally get some. :) Thanks for sharing.
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Jun. 20, 2007 - well
Posted by onfire
Jonam would be thrilled if his pumkins grew that way ... any way, actually. I told him that they were hardy plants and could grow just about anywhere (as I pushed two seeds into a pile of old sod in a heap near our firepit, and another one in the rotting leaf pile next to our rhubarb. I really didn't want to deal) so, I broke down and bought the only pumpkin plant at the grocery store greenhouse thing (with one vine half twisted off) and after only two days I must admit it looks like I have to deal after all.

Getting dressed...

After a long morning of cleaning rooms, I asked the girls to go find something to wear. This is what Elisa came up with.
She insists it is not a bathing suit top, but a shirt. Funny, I pulled that one on my mom my senior year of high school trying to go to a Marky Mark concert in a bikini top. (which, by the way I did) Those are the bloomers hanging out the top of the skirt.
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Jun. 16, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by SmallWorld
Where's the picture of YOU in your outfit?
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Jun. 16, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by partyoffive
I didn't want to get kicked off HSB for inappropriate pics :) I was actually thinking today, I don't think I had one, I'm sure mom wasn't going to take one....
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Jun. 17, 2007 - Oops! Breech of BHEA dress code...
Posted by QueenoftheHill
That child is wearing spaghetti straps! When I was a kid and it was hot, we just didn't wear clothes beyond what was completely necessary. Yet one more way that the advent of airconditioning has affected the rural South...

A memory...

This week Caleb has been at Super Hero gymnastics camp, having such a great time, especially since Duncan is there with him. So, that has left just me and the girls for 5 hours each day. Last week it was the reverse, they were at dance camp and Caleb and I had "alone time" as he calls it. And we had a great week reading, watching movies and cuddling on the couch.
With the girls, it is a bit different. Monday they had to fight all day and couldn't agree on what movie, what book, what computer game, who got my lap....and I thought, "they can go to camp, I will keep Caleb with me :)" But yesterday, they told me they woke up with better attitudes (!) and we had a fun day playing games...(here is where the memory part comes in)
I grew up in a family that played games and I still love to play them. I prefer them over playing dolls or watching movies with the kids...and so, we were able to agree on games and played Aggravation that I just got at a garage sale, and Disney Yahtzee.
I can't play Yahtzee without thinking of the Yahtzee woman herself, my grandma, Helen Williams. There was a woman who liked to play games. I don't even know how many card games she taught me, and I need to try and remember them. She would play anything but Uno. That's because my sister Beth beat her one time with a "Draw Four" and she about lost her mind with what a "stupid game this is" She was also a sore loser :)
Grandma didn't even need the yahtzee game, just 5 dice. She knew all the scores and how many points you needed to "make it on top" Many fun days and nights were spent playing this game with her, and it is still one of my favorites. And so as I looked over at Bekah, who looks so much like my mom, and Elisa, who looks so much like me, I was wishing so bad for Grandma to be sitting there playing with me and my girls. She would have loved it.
My grandma died seven years ago this month. I still cry when I think about her being gone. She only got to see one of my children, Caleb when he was 2 months old. I catch myself sounding like her sometimes over the "injustice" in the world, or over a scene in a movie, or even when I am talking to my kids, and I wonder, would she be proud of me? As a mother, a homeschooler, a daughter, friend, Christian? I hope so.
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Jun. 13, 2007 - A Memory
Posted by LaDonna
That reminded me of my grandmother, as well. She LOVED to play board games and was not a very good loser, either! And I also miss her and find myself sounding like her. The other day I even noticed that I have her hands!! There are certain smells that instantly take me back to her house and it's been 17 years since she's been gone! :( I'm so glad you're enjoying the Aggravation game...that one HAD to leave my house before someday got murdered!! It made someone mad everytime, which is probably why it's called "Aggravation!"
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Jun. 14, 2007 - I am very confident...
Posted by QueenoftheHill
...that your Grandmother would feel so proud about every part of who you are. Especially that you play Yahtzee with your kids. :-)
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Jun. 14, 2007 - Absolutely your grandmother would be proud!
Posted by arajbrown
She'd be proud because you remember. You know what she did ... she talked to you ... imprinted her voice on your life ... it's her voice you connected with and integrated into who you are ... it's why we talk to our kids ... read to them ... sing with them ... play games ... TEACH THEM so that they are hearing our voices more than the voice of a relative stranger ... engaging in a bit of imprinting ourselves.

No intervention needed, Queen...

Queen of the Hill has called me out on being blogless for two weeks. Fitting, since I called out Monkeyparade....guess I won't do that again.
So, coming off the excitement of my new niece is the very stange relationship between me and my sister. And so, the first week of Maggie's life wasn't great for me, as I was not allowed to see the little girl after her first day. So, there is my pity party, although, things are a bit better, at least as better as it gets for me and Beth.
And so....about a month back I thought about giving up TV for the summer. I was convicted in the Sunday school class I am teaching with a friend. We have the high school girls and are going through the book "Every Young Woman's Battle" This has been a bit uncomfortable at times, but it has been good for all of us...even us not so young women. Anyway, one of the weeks we talked about the infulence of the media and TV, magazines etc. and talked about a 30 TV fast. Lucky for me, it was right about the time my favorite, not so wholesome shows were ending for the year, so it would be easy :)
This is a bad cop out, I know, and easier than it would be in the fall. But, I am trying to refrain from the TV and have not seen Desperate Housewives, or Grey's Anatomy in about two whole weeks now. So, I decided to read this summer. And I just finished my fifth book since last Monday. Yes, these are novels, not Curious George books...
I really enjoy Christian Fiction, so last week I grabbed all the Karen Kingsbury and Beverly Lewis (whom I previously had never read) and curled up and read....The Preachers Daughter, and The Englisher, by Beverly Lewis...and if you have The Brethren, let me know ,someone is hoarding the library's copy...Gideon's Gift, Sarah's Song, and Hannah's Hope, by Karen Kinsbury (who is my very favorite author.) The last three are shorter books, and Gideon's Gift is being filmed to be a motion picture this Christmas starring Christian Slater....just a little FYI....

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Jun. 11, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by LaDonna C.
I'm so glad you finally got around to blogging again! Don't you just LOVE Beverly Lewis??? I have read everything she has written. I have a couple of her books, but not the one you're looking for. Be sure to read The Shunning series she has. Have a good summer away from TV!!!
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Jun. 11, 2007 - no tv
Posted by onfire
is surprisingly easy ... trust me. we have presently three television sets in our home. one is a wee little black and white that neal has had forever, another is a larger screen tv my parents gave us because the remote stopped working with it (please) ... it also likes to turn on spontaneously, so I unplugged it and it sits in the upstairs hallway. the third tv is a new model we purchased so we could watch dvds (the one my folks gave us was not compatable with the new dvd players). we have no cable or satellite, so only a handful of channels come in, on a clear day. once, we had our tv in a closet so we had to go through an ordeal to get it out. we soon learned to live without it, but the kids we fostered couldn't and, you guessed it, it came out again after almost a year. I truly regret not pitching it out completely. we regularly watch american idol and one half-hour sitcom on monday nights, when ctv decides to air it. I also watch the price is right with the boys. sad choices, really. I doubt,though,that I am missing anything at all ... kristina
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Jun. 11, 2007 - I'm so glad an Intervention wasn't necessary!
Posted by QueenoftheHill
I've thought very seriously about turning off my TV. The King absolutely hates it and tells me all the time that every show I like is completely unChristian. The truth is, I'm an Input Junkie, with an extra bad case of HGTV addiction. (HGTV is something you're missing, Onfire, without cable -- and they'd probably put you on in a feature spot with that clever "flower bed"!) But when the Lost season ended, I thought "why not?" Somehow, though, the plug is still in the wall and I can hear "America's Funniest Home Videos" on, even as I type...
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Jun. 11, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by SmallWorld
You are bold!! I find that I have little interest in TV these days. We do blockbuster.com every summer, but I'm always right in the middle of a good book...
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Sep. 9, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by SchoolinRhome
My all-time favorite serries from Beverly Lewis is Abraham's Daughters. She is a great author. I have tried some of Wanda Brunsettler's but I still seem to lie Beverly Lkewis better. (Maybe it is because I read her first.) I will have to try Karen Kingsbury sometime.) Thanks! We haven't turned out the tv but I'd love it. I just don't know if I can right now. I use videos to help so I can have one-on-one times with my kids throughout the days. Maybe when they get older we will do this! I do heavily monitor the tv though!