End of Summer Vacation

School starts tomorrow and I am feeling a little blue. I will miss the fun days the boys and I had together this summer. It seems the older they get the faster the summers go by.

Thank you Tyler and Ryan for filling my summer days with lots of love, laughter, and joy. I am a very lucky mommy. I hope I made your summer as fun as you made mine!!!

On the farm

We went to Nebraska last weekend for my grandparents 65th wedding anniversary.

Tyler loves going to Nebraska because he gets to ride in a tractor. My uncle Steve took over my grandfather's farm. Every year Uncle Steve gives Tyler a tractor ride. One year we went during harvest time and Tyler got to ride in the Combine and help harvest the soy beans.

Before we left he said, "mommy who is the best farmer we know?"

Me: "who?"

Tyler, "Uncle Steve!!!"

I have to agree.

It is pretty neat for me to go back to a place (the farm, where I came to as a kid, played in the hay loft in the barn, rode on a tractor with my grandfather, played in the corn fields) and watch my children do the same thing 25 years later. Even neater to think that 50 years ago my father was doing the same thing here.

School Clothes Shopping

I took the boys school clothes shopping today. It happened to be Tax Free Weekend. I was worried the lines would be long where ever we went so I decided to head out early.

For some reason Tyler's favorite place to shop is JC Penny's. So that was our first stop. But unfortunately it was a bust.....not very many short sleeve shirts and tees. They were already stocking up on long sleeve things. We won't need those for quite some time. But we made it out with new sneakers and a couple of "cool" tees for both of them.

Next stop Target. We hit the jackpot here. Tyler found lots of "cool" clothes. He is into graphic tees now. He didn't want any "handsome" shirts (collared shirts and button downs). But I convinced him to get a few anyway.

The best part about our shopping experience was Tyler trying on his clothes. He usually never likes to try on clothes, but for some reason he finds it fun when it's time to get back to school clothes. So much so, he went to the dressing room all by himself because he told me he wanted to put on a fashion show for us. He would walk out of the room with a new shirt on and pose!!!! It was so cute. A women walking by noticed and said "oh my aren't you the cutest thing!!!!"

On the way out of the store, he noticed a couple of manikins on a stand and jumped right up there and posed with them....and had me take his picture. Needless to say, this caused more Ouhs and Auhs from women passing by. I really don't know where he gets this from. Then of course Ryan jumped right up there too to pose too....it was so cute!!!

After clothes shopping we headed to lunch at their favorite place they like to call "the soup place". It's really called Shogun, a Japanese restaurant. They serve an onion soup that the boys both love. As I sat across from them watching them eat with their chopsticks, I thought to myself...this was a perfect day!

Smart Water...

Smart Water

The kids saw “Smart Water” the other day at the grocery store. They asked me to buy a bottle so they could try it, to see if it would make them smarter.

As soon as we got home they asked me for a glass of the “Smart Water”.

Tyler gulped down his entire glass….Ryan had to smell his first…then drank it all up.

As soon as Ryan finished his he said, “Am I smarter yet? Ask me a question.”

I responded by asking him what number comes after 10.

He replied, “11. See I am smarter! If I drink this every day...I will be really smart!!"

Craft Day...

Craft Day….

While checking out at the grocery store the other day I picked up the latest edition of the Martha Stewart Magazine. They happened to have a craft idea for an octopus made out of yarn. It brought back memories…I used to have one of these as a kid. It looked like something the boys and I could make one day.

Then the young checker happened to be wearing a neat bracelet made out of bandannas (looked like something he probably made at camp). He told me how he made it….another great craft idea.

I got another idea for a craft while shopping in Hobby Lobby the other day. As we were strolling the fabric section on Hobby Lobby….I saw a fleece blanket on display and thought….that looks easy too…I can make the boys a fleece pillow.

So yesterday the boys asked me what are plans were for the day (every day the boys will ask me what the plans are for the day…even if it’s just hanging out in PJs all day, they like to know).

I decided it would be craft day. It had been a while since we have had one. So craft day started with a trip to one on my favorite stores….Hobby Lobby.

Craft Supply Shopping List

1. 3 balls of yarn
2. 1 package of google eyes
3. 3 yards of fleece fabric
4. 6 different colored bandannas
   

Purchases in hand and pit stop at Whataburger for lunch…it was time to head home for some craft making!!!

By the end of the day….the boys each had their new handmade goodies:

One big fat green yarn octopus for Ryan

One medium size blue octopus for Tyler

Braided Bandanna bracelet (I made one for me too)

One cute rubber ducky fleece pillow for Ryan

One cute puppy print fleece pillow for Tyler

And oh ya…..each one got a small fleece blanket made out of their left over pillow fabric.

I’d say this turned out to be a really great craft day!

(pictures to come…..computer still on fritz….can’t upload photos at this time)….you’ll just have to take my word their new things are really cute!!!

All day.....

My computer has been on the fritz since a thunder storm last week. I missed it a lot a first, had to get used to not checking emails...that was the hardest. But what I did miss was this blog. I love writing about our summer adventures. I realized that by keeping this "journal" I have been paying more attention to the every day things, it seems that the simplest things become a story.


Here's an example:

Jon has been hard at work trying to meet a deadline for an important job. Because of this he hasn't come in for breakfast like he usually does. Even though he works from home, we don't seem him these days till lunch.

So the other day, the boys and I had breakfast as usual, ran a few errands, and came home for lunch. Jon came in and he gave us all hugs (like he always does). For some reason when it was my turn for a hug, he asked me why I looked sad. I didn't realize I did....I wasn't sad at all, if anything I was happy. Maybe I just didn't have my usual smile on. If you know me, I smile a lot.

Anyway Tyler heard this and said, " She's sad because she hasn't seen you ALL day!"

( This made me laugh for 2 reasons. One: it was only noon (that's All day) and Two: only Tyler would think of that!)


Note on Picture above: Just a sweet picture of Tyler on his 7th birthday....totally unrelated to this story.

Daddy...

I guess I am being a little selfish as I write this summer journal. I am writing about all the fun adventures the boys and mommy are having…well what about daddy? Isn’t he having any fun this summer?


So here’s a story about daddy…..

Jon is working hard this summer. He is in the mist of completing a large cabinetry job that will be installed in a beautiful home in Rhode Island. During daddy’s hard days at work, he still finds time to play with the boys. We are so lucky that daddy works at home. Most days we get to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner with him. After lunch he will squeeze in a video game or two with them. In the evening he is often the one who takes them swimming after dinner.

If it’s daddy’s day off you will find him outside with the boys. They might be riding on the lawnmower with him or in the shop building something; from a marble rolling game to a dog made out of wood. Daddy also loves to play soccer with them. But during the summer he likes to take them swimming….you will find them in the pool playing a game of Sharks and Minnows or Marco Polo.

It really doesn’t matter what they do with daddy….they just love being with him.


Thank you daddy for all you do for us and how hard you work. We love you…..t t r


Note on picture:

Jon is not a nap taker…I think he has probably taken 4 naps in the15 years I have known him. Jon had just gotten back from his first trip to RI and was pretty worn out. He asked Ryan if he wanted to lay down with him for a nap. Ryan, who doesn’t take naps anymore, said yes. He just laid there with him….I peeked in and found this…..daddy sleeping and Ryan reading a book….a couple minutes later Ryan was asleep too.

Summer's half way over....

The summer is halfway over or should I sound more optimistic and say, we have half of our summer vacation left. Yah, that sounds better.

This morning, while watching cartoons with the boys I saw the first “Back to School” commercial and it made me a little sad. I am probably one of the few moms who is sad to see school start back up in the fall. I really love having my boy’s home with me. I love the slow pace of summer, pj days (there are a lot of them during the summer), popsicles at 10:30 in the morning, the smell of chlorine in their hair, and Sponge Bob on the TV all day.

Here's how we spent this summer day...

.

I took the boys to the movies. Before the movies we went to our favorite Japanese restaurant nicknamed “the soup place”. After lunch we hit the toy store to buy a friend a birthday present. The boys had their own money and found some treasures for themselves: Tyler a crystal rock growing kit and a bag of marbles and Ryan a new stuffed little teddy bear. With purchases in hand we headed to the 1:20 showing of Despicable Me.

At the movies we made our way to our seats. The lights went out and the movie started. During the movie I couldn’t help but think how I love these moments with them….watching them munch on their popcorn as the movie plays, hearing them laugh at the funny parts. I realized just how much I love our summer vacations together….it’s not just about going to the movies, the beach, or the circus, it’s about getting to spend this time together with them. I know that in a couple of years I won’t get all these amazing days with them…it will be time for summer jobs and spending time with friends. No more of spending all day with mom.

I think this thought just as Ryan puts down his popcorn and climbs on to my lap to watch the rest of the movie. I won’t think about those future summers any more today. I will just hold my little one in my lap and enjoy this moment with them now.


Note on Pictures above:
I realized today while looking for a picture to post that I am not in many pictures. I really don't like to have my picture taken and often find myself being the "picture taker". I will try to make more of an effort to say "cheese" instead of hiding behind the camera making everyone else say "cheese". So in my effort to get out from behind the camera I tried to take a picture of the three of us.....no good...Tyler's face got cut out of all the pictures. (I posted one of these anyway).

So instead Ryan took the picture of Tyler and me, then Tyler took the picture of Ryan and me. I think they did a pretty good job.

Morning Time...

Morning Time ….

If you ask my boys or my husband what my favorite part of the day is they will all tell you…morning time.

This morning began as any other morning....the boys woke up and ran right into our room….hopped in bed with me (daddy is already at work…he’s up before the sun) and snuggled up to watch cartoons. Then it’s breakfast time. After breakfast the boys go play while I do dishes, start a load of laundry, and make up the beds.

This morning Tyler surprised me with a Scavenger Hunt. While I was making beds I saw him going in and out of every room. After a while he hands me a note and told me it was my first clue.

I used to make Scavenger Hunts for him all the time when he was learning to read. I would leave notes all over the house and he had to read them all by himself to find the treasure at the end. The treasures would usually be a new box of crayons, a new book, or stickers.

Let me say, when he handed me the note I was thrilled that he did this all on his own.
Second I was so proud of him (what a great lesson in writing and he didn’t even realize that he was doing a writing lesson).
And Third I couldn’t wait to see what my treasure was at the end.

He made me 10 clues. The last clue lead me to our upstairs bathroom and this is what I found: A note that said “We love you”, a picture Ryan drew, and 3 clay creations Tyler had made.

Oh…be still my heart ….I love these kids!! If you are wondering why I love the mornings…it’s because of things like this and great kids to wake up to every day!!!!!

Tah Dah....

Yesterday Ryan fell down out of his pet store (the little cubby hole behind him that holds all of his stuffed animals). Anyway one minute he is happily arranging his pets on the new shelf daddy put in for him, and the next thing I know I hear a loud thud. I look over and he has fallen right out on to his knees. It was one of those falls that I didn't know if it was going to produce a cry or not....nope! He looked right up at me, spread his arms out wide, and said really loud "TAH DAH!!!" I laughed so hard...my boys never cease to surprise me.

This picture is a reenactment of the fall yesterday.

Marbles..

Marbles....


Daddy taped a show called Dirty Jobs the other day for the boys to watch. This episode featured a toy marble making company called Jabo, Inc. I wouldn’t consider this a “dirty” job…more like a “really hot” job. It was interesting to see the marble making process.

It just so happens that Tyler and I have been talking about starting a collection. Starting a collection is one of the Wolf achievements this year that he has to complete. After seeing this show on marbles, Tyler decided he wanted to start a marble collection.

We began our marble collection with a lesson on collections followed by a trip to the library, where we checked out a book about Marbles.

We learned by reading in the book, to look for marbles in antique stores. So after our trip to the library we headed out to do some marble treasure hunting. We hit the jackpot at our first stop. We found a marble made out of granite. We hit some other antique stores, but no luck.

There just so happened to be a cute little “mommy “ “girlie” shop tucked into all the antique stores. After a stop for some lemonade at the tea shop we popped into “mommy’s” shop. Mommy didn’t find anything…but wouldn’t you know amongst all the cute “mommy” things the boys happened to find something for themselves. Some cute tiny animals (no bigger than a bean) made out of glass. Priced at only $2, the boys walked out with one each.

Ok…so back in the car to find more antique shops. We found a couple more…still no luck…no marbles. I happened to see another “mommy” store (this time the boys didn’t notice what kind of store it was…they thought it was anther antique shop). But as soon as I opened the door to walk in, I heard Ryan say behind me…”noooo not another PINK store”.

We ended our treasure hunting and headed home. Tyler remembered that Suzi had a big bucket of marbles that used to belong to Jon. After dinner we headed over and the boys hit the jackpot with several old and unusual marbles…best part of all they used to be daddy’s.

It’s now several days later. I know more about marbles than I ever imagined I could. Go ahead ask me a question about marbles….I bet I know the answer. And after several on line searches for local marble makers, I found a glass blower who is going to give our cub scout den a tour of his glass studio and show the boys how to make marbles….how’s that for marble collecting?

I found the marble that they made on the episode of Dirty Jobs…it’s $16.99 and called a “Luster” marble because of the swirl created when it is made that looks like gold. It’s the marble pictured above….and yes, I am going to get him one of these for his collection.

Resting Time....

Resting Time….

We don’t have nap time any more, but we still have a “rest time”. Every afternoon after lunch I turn on a movie and the boys play Lego's or something quite while they watch a movie.

The other day it got “really” quite during their rest time…so as any mom knows…..when it’s too quite it means they must be up to something….but this time this is what I found….



(Why is it that children dislike resting time so much….if only they knew how lucky there were to have a resting time!!!)

More pictures at the Circus

You can see (well I can see) the wonder and awe on Ryan's face as he watches the Circus begin. I love the way he is holding his new elephant.


I got to take the boys down to the Circus floor before the show began. This is a picture of Tyler waiting to get autographs from the clowns. Unfortunalty they started doing a juggling act and he couldn't get one. He was such a good sport and said..."That's OK"....I think he thought it was pretty neat just to get to see a clown so close.

The Greatest Show on Earth Continuted...

For Tyler and Ryan…who loved the Circus so much they couldn't stop talking about it all the way home. They had lots of questions for me: Does the lion trainer ever get hurt, what was my favorite show, how long does it take to train the animals. And they wanted to know when the Circus was invented and my who. I didn't have all the answers but told them I would find out when we got home...so that's what I did and this is what I found out.


The history of the Ringling Brother and Barnum and Bailey Circus.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is an American circus company. The company was started when the circus created by James Anthony Bailey and P. T. Barnum was merged with the Ringling Brothers Circus. The Ringling brothers purchased the Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1907, but ran the circuses separately until they were finally merged in 1919.

What distinguished the Ringling Brothers Circus from others was its honest and fair attitude toward the public. Unlike other small circuses of the time, Ringling Brothers would not allow ticket sellers to short change customers, nor did they allow games of chance such as Three Card Monte and shell games on their lots. This reputation for clean dealing and good value brought them success, and soon they were able to make the leap into the ranks of railroad circuses.

In 1889 two of the Ringlings went to Philadelphia where they purchased railroad cars and parade equipment from Adam Forepaugh, a venerable showman with a show on the road since 1864. With this change in transportation the circus was no longer limited to moving only 15 to 20 miles a night, and could now skip the really small towns that contained a limited audience in order to play larger towns day after day, therefore, greatly increasing the average revenue.

Barnum entered the circus business, the source of much of his enduring fame, at age 61, establishing "P. T. Barnum's Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan & Hippodrome", a traveling circus, menagerie and museum of "freaks", which by 1872 was billing itself as "The Greatest Show on Earth". Barnum was the first circus owner to move his circus by train, and the first to purchase his own train. Given the lack of paved highways in America, this turned out to be a shrewd business move that enlarged Barnum's market.

He was born James Anthony McGuiness in Detroit, Michigan. Orphaned at the age of eight, McGuinness was working as a bellhop in Pontiac, Michigan when he was discovered by Fred Harrison Bailey (a nephew of circus pioneer Hachaliah Bailey) as a teenager. Bailey gave McGuiness a job as his assistant and the two traveled together for many years. James Anthony eventually adopted Bailey's surname to become James A. Bailey. Bailey later associated with James E. Cooper and, by the time he was 25, he was manager of the Cooper and Bailey circus. He then met with P.T. Barnum and together they established Barnum and Bailey's Circus (for which Bailey was instrumental in obtaining Jumbo the Elephant) in 1881. In 1919, Barnum and Bailey's joined with the Ringling Brothers to form the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus.

The Greatest Show on Earth

Today I took the boys to the 139th Barnum and Bailey and Ringling Brothers Circus. Jon and I took Tyler when he was two…but he doesn’t remember it of course.

As we made it to our seats, with souvenirs in hand (one stuffed animal elephant and one stuffed white tiger), the boys couldn’t wait for the show to begin.

I sat there next to them, watching Ryan hold his stuffed elephant and watching Tyler read the big glossy Circus book we also bought. I couldn’t help but think about going to the circus as a child myself and thinking how amazing it is that now I get to share this experience them.

The lights went off and the music started, both of them sat up tall and scooted to the edge of their seats in anticipation. I loved the look on Ryan’s face as he watched the elephants parade in….it was priceless.

I looked over at Tyler and he wouldn’t take his eyes off the stage (well three rings).

During intermission we decided it was time for a refreshment…..snow cones in elephant souvenir cups….what could be better.

When it was over, we held hands to walk out and Tyler turns to me and says….”Mommy, I know why it’s called the Greatest Show on Earth….because that really was the greatest show on Earth!!!”

Side note #1: As I write this Ryan is upstairs with me now going through all his stuffed animals and gathering the animals that were in the circus today….so far he has found: a dog, a zebra, his new elephant, a horse, a clown, and he just said he needed to find more.

Side note #2: Besides watching my boys have a wonderful time today and seeing the circus through their eyes I couldn’t help but think the following as I watched the performances….

1. How much doe these performers get paid?
2. How does one become a circus performer?
3. What do they do between performances?
4. Has the Tiger trainer ever been bit?
5. Do they wash those costumes everyday?
6. What would I do if one of my boys wanted to join the circus?
7. Is that lady lip syncing?
8. What is the markup on all this stuff….food, souvenirs, ect?
9. I would love to know how much profit the circus makes.
10. Do they travel by circus train?
11. Do they ever fall down?
12. How much do they practice?

I guess thoughts like these are what separate me from the children. If I asked one of them what they were thinking during the show…I think they would simply say…”this is cool!!!”

Playing in the water at the beach...

Playing in the water at the beach…..

You can't help but look at this picture and notice the color of the water….brown with a hint of seaweed. (Any one living on the west or east coast one would wonder why on earth any one would want to swim in such murky water) I often wonder the same thing.

Yet, it seems every year we take our yearly trip to the gulf and jump right in…well that is daddy does. I on the other hand only get my feet wet looking for sea shells. Until this year Tyler loved going to swim in the ocean with daddy (well by swim I mean daddy holding him while the waves crashed over them). It seems one of his friends this year brought a shark book to school and they read all about sharks in the ocean. We could not convince him there were no sharks were we were swimming…this is the first year he didn’t get in the water…..I guess I can’t really blame him…I don’t either.

On the other hand, Ryan had a ball playing in the water. He loved sitting and letting the waves knock him down.

Note: I think I need another adjective to describe the condition of the water….murky just doesn’t seem quite right.....how about yucky!

Playing in the sand...

Playing in the sand…..

So after clearing a spot on the beach and setting up the beach umbrellas and chairs, it was time to break out the sand toys and start building our sand castle. You would think that with a talented builder for a daddy we would have the best sand castle on the beach….well…..not so much. In this picture you can see their attempt at a sand castle (the squiggle drops of sand to the right of Ryan)…yah…that’s ours. I found a great picture on line of an amazing sand castle built by someone who actually gets paid to make them. I thought about posting it and claiming it as our….just kidding. Because you know what….our boys loved their sand castle, not because it was amazing or great, but because daddy helped them build it….that’s what it’s all about!!!

PS....for anyone who might think that is me in the background skipping on the beach...it's not.


Did you know?
It is commonly believed that the first artists to actually profit from their sand sculpting abilities surfaced in Atlantic City, NJ in the late 19th century. Spectators walking along the boardwalk would throw tips to the bowler-hat wearing artists. Some credit one Philip McCord with creating the first true sand sculpture in 1897 - it featured a drowned mother and her baby.

Making Recipes

Making Recipes….

From an early age, Tyler has liked helping me in the kitchen. He thinks its fun to “make recipes”…his exact words. But Tyler's definition of making recipes is very different from mine.

Making recipes: by Tyler

Get small bowl out of cabinet

Fill bowl with water

Open mommy’s spice drawer

Put as many shakes of each spice in bowl

Stir

When daddy gets home have him taste it.

Sounds good right….I have to say Jon is always such a good sport and actually tries it. I don’t know how he does it!!!!!

The other day we decided to make mommy’s recipe….box brownies. (Now I do love to cook and I make a lot of meals from scratch, but baking is not a favorite of mine. Thank goodness for box brownies and cake mixes, and pre made cookie dough!!!)

Tyler loves to crack the eggs…that is always his job. And his favorite part is licking the spoon! He is also very good at icing them and putting on the sprinkles.

I love this picture of him stirring the batter….notice the chocolate smear on his upper lip?????

We are not only making recipes, but we are making wonderful memories too!!!

Better Seaweed Picture....

This is a much better picture of all the seaweed....now you might see why I went to all the trouble to find a rake!!.....our spot was the envy of the entire beach!!

Seaweed....

It seems like every year we get ready for our annual week in Galveston there is a hurricane forming in the gulf. For the past two years our trip has been cut short due to a storm. This year a little storm named Alex decided to develop a couple of days before our trip. We still headed down there and only had clouds and rain for one day….thanks Alex…..it could have been worse. He did leave us with some yucky seaweed covered beaches.

Wouldn’t you know our resort's tractor (that cleans the beaches) was broken. The seaweed was so bad you could barely make it down to the water…..so leave it to this mommy to take care of the seaweed problem herself. I called the front desk to ask for a rake…I was (well…Jon was) going to rake a clean spot for us to set up on the beach. Well..no luck they said they didn’t have one. Ok….I couldn’t stop there. I had to clean the sea weed some how…..and I didn’t want to go buy one. We drove down to the maintenance dept of the resort and I asked to borrow a rake….I knew they had to have one…and they did. A couple of bucks for a tip and a big thank you and we were on our way. You might think….gee couldn’t you have just dealt with the seaweed? Sure, but I wanted to make a great spot for my boys to play in the sand and not have to worry about the yucky seaweed…..and it was worth it. We had the best spot on the beach!

Rainy day….

It’s raining today and the boys and I decided to get crafty. We found some clay at Hobby Lobby the other day that you bake in the oven. We made clowns, owls, dogs, colorful swirls, monkeys, bumble bees, you name it. I even showed Tyler how to make beads for a bracelet.

I am lucky to have two boys that love to color, draw, and create. More importantly I am lucky that they have the patience to sit down long enough to finish it. We started this morning at nine. After Ryan’s and mine were in the oven, Tyler was still in the kitchen creating more masterpieces. He wasn’t finished until noon…..now that’s patience for a seven year old.

Brotherly Love....

After a quick visit to see Jon at the shop, the boys decided to walk back to the house ahead me. As I followed them, I saw Tyler stop and give Ryan my shoes (Tyler had put on my garden shoes to walk to the shop and I had carried Ryan). They walked on hand in hand…Ryan in my big shoes and Tyler barefoot. This simple act of brotherly love brought tears to my eyes as I watched them walk back home….

Toy Story 3

Toy Story 3

I took the boys to see Toy Story 3 this afternoon. Toy Story has always been my favorite animated childrens film and Toy Story 3 is probably my favorite one yet. Toy Story 3 is such a sweet and heartbreaking movie about a boy who out grows his toys and goes off to college.

I am glad I had extra napkins…I sure needed them…not because of sticky fingers, but because as Andy and his mom were looking around his room one last time before he drove off to college I couldn’t help but think of my own boys going off to school some day (too soon).

So until the day the boys outgrow their toys and I have to pack all them all away, I will cherish the days of:

toys all over the living room floor, hidden legos in the carpet just waiting for my foot to step on them, a play room that looks like a tornado went through it, and yes, trips to the toy store.

I treated the boys to lunch and a trip to Target after the movie….Ryan picked out this Woody costume and Tyler picked out Slinky. When they got home they gathered all their Toy Story toys and had me take a picture. Oh…these are the days!!!!!

tired...

Tired....

too tired to write today....I'll be back tomorrow.

Living in the country...

Living in the country has lots of advantages. One in particular is all the animals my son’s have had the opportunity to see first hand. They’ve seen: a calf being born, horses, cows, swans, ducks, rabbits, long horns, sheep, goats, raccoons, armadillos, possums, turtles, and recently an owl.

Jon’s parents live just down the street from us. A couple of months ago his mom told us that an owl was nesting in their trees and just had a baby. Some times she even finds the baby owl taking a bath in her sprinkler.

Every time we go over to their house we search for the owl…and he is always close by. We found him one day just sitting on the ground by a tree…we probably got within 25 feet of it…he just sat there. (of course I didn’t have a camera with me)

We don’t know how long he will stay….we hope for a while. It is neat having a “pet” owl.

I tried to get a picture the other day, but he was high up in a tree and it didn’t come out that great. The picture above is from a web site. I will keep trying to get a good picture of our owl.

There are many types of owls, some are really ugly!!! “Ours” is called the Barred Owl…we think he’s pretty cute!

My handwriting

My handwriting….not so good I guess.


Tyler just told me the funniest thing and I thought it was worth another post…

I am helping him with “summer home work”…to keep his mind fresh on everything he learned this past year. Anyway as part of his writing activity he is writing a thank you note for one of our neighbors. I wrote a couple of lines to help him out and he had to copy them in his own handwriting. After several questions of…”mommy what does this say”…he told me….”Mommy good thing you draw much better than you write…you have the worst handwriting…you need to go back to kindergarten.”

Mom, if you’re reading this I remember telling you the same thing about your handwriting…guess it must run in the family.

I guess my handwriting does look a 7 year olds....bubbly and loopy...at least I didn't dot my I's with little hearts....

Hair Cut Day

Hair Cut Day


Today was “hair cut day” for the Dahl boys….daddy, Tyler, and Ryan.

I have to say I am so proud of how they act when they get their hair cut (I am talking about Tyler and Ryan). Since their very first hair cut, neither one of them cry, fuss, or move when they are getting their hair cut. They just sit perfectly still.

I remember the days of having to take them to the “kiddy” hair cut places…you know the ones, with train tables, children crying, tv screens at every station, and chairs that look like fire trucks. Thankfully, we have long since out grown those places and now we take them to the ‘big boys” hair cut place….Sport Clips. Gotta love Sport Clips…they do such a great job on boys hair…it’s fast and every hair cut looks great. They have a special hair cut that is called the MVP….it includes: hair cut, hair wash, head massage, steam towel, and back massage. It’s not cheap, so when my 7 year old asked if he could get the MVP, I was surprised and a little amused. It was right before the new school year so I agreed. He had the best time! So every now and then for special occasions he will get the MVP. My little one hasn’t asked for one yet…but, I’m waiting. For those of you who are wondering….yes, daddy gets the MVP too from time to time.

So needless to say, this mom never dreads, hair cut day. And don’t they just look so cute!!

It’s the simple things…

It’s the simple things that make me happy…like coloring with the boys.

After breakfast this morning, Tyler, Ryan, and I cuddled back up in my bed to watch cartoons. Then Tyler left and came back with paper, crayons, and a magazine for each of us to use to color on. Although I have been known to be crafty…drawing is not something I am good at. I still draw like I did in first grade. But, don’t tell my seven and four year olds I am not good at drawing ....we all drew pictures of frogs, ladybugs, butterflies, monkeys…and you know what, they thought my pictures were pretty good.

The photo is of our artwork we made this morning….I bet you can tell which one is Ryan’s, but I bet you CAN’T tell which picture is Tyler’s and which is mine…..like I said, I still draw like I did in first grade…our drawings look pretty similar.

But, it doesn’t matter to me if I can’t draw….I had a great time!!!!

June 21st 2010: Offical First Day of Summer

Swimming

I asked the boys today what the best thing about summer was and they both answered: swimming and snow cones.

Today is the “official” first day of summer…although here in South Texas it seems summer starts in April, it starts getting….hot hot hot. So when the thermostat reads 100 and the heat index is 107, the only thing you can do outside (and not suffer from heat stroke) is to go swimming.



It’s time again to break out the swim trunks and bikinis and head to the pool….but before you do don’t forget the sunscreen. Did you know?


Sunscreens have not always been so prevalent. The first commercial sunscreens came out during World War II, when U.S. sailors used zinc oxide preparations to prevent sunburn. The general public picked up the practice in the 1950s and 1960s.

Annual sunscreen sales in the U.S. and Europe are each about $100 million.

Although some believe that sunblock and sunscreen are both the same, they are not. Although they have similar properties and are both important in caring of the skin, sunblock is opaque and is stronger than sunscreen since it is able to block a majority of the UVA/UVB rays and radiation from the sun, thus not having to be reapplied several times a day.

Happy Swimming!!!

Father's Day

Father’s Day


Happy Father’s Day Jon, to the best husband and daddy in the whole world.

Definition of a daddy according to Ryan: Daddy is someone who works, kisses, hugs, and plays.

Definition of a daddy according to Tyler: Dads work, love, play, and best of all dads’ love your family.



The history of Father’s Day:

The idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909.
Having been raised by her father, William Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless, and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.

Random Father’s Day Facts:

Father’s Day is celebrated in 55 countries.

This is a big day for the 66.3 million fathers in America.

Mr. Mom is becoming a more common sight at parks across America with 147,000 estimated “stay-at-home” dads

In 1916, US President Woodrow Wilson approved the idea of observing an annual Father's Day.

In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day.

Father's Day is the fifth most popular card-sending holiday, with an estimated $100 million in card sales. Husbands, grandfathers, uncles, sons and sons-in-law are honored as well as father.
“

Stupid Smelly Bus

Stupid Smelly Bus

Junie B. Jones is on a 17 city bus tour, called “The Stupid Smelly Bus” tour. She travels from city to city in her pink bus driven by Mr. Woo. Friday I took the boys to see her at Barnes and Noble in the Woodlands. She put on a free half hour show and at the end stamped all the children’s books and posed for pictures.

She is just as silly in person as she is in her books…ok, maybe sillier in person….she had me laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. The boys were enthralled by her…Tyler couldn’t wait to get his picture taken with her…Ryan was too shy.

This “free” show ended up costing me $25 for 3 books and one t-shirt….but this mom’s not complaining. It was worth every penny and any thing I can do to encourage a love for reading is worth it to me.

Definition of a Friend....

Definition of a friend according to a seven year old boy:

“A friend is someone you care about. If they fall down you help them get up. A friend is someone you want to have a play date with.”

I looked up the definition of friend in the dictionary it’s as follow:
1 a : one attached to another by affection or esteem b : acquaintance
2 a : one that is not hostile b : one that is of the same nation, party, or group
3 : one that favors or promotes something (as a charity)
4 : a favored companion

I think I like my seven year olds definition of friend better.

Definition of a “girl” friend according to a seven year old boy:
“Someone you want to kiss”

Here’s the dictionary’s definition of “girl” friend:
1 : a female friend
2 : a frequent or regular female companion in a romantic relationship

As a mom to this seven year old...I like Webster’s first definition: a female friend better.

Page 3 of my summer essay:

Today while picking up Tyler from CCE or (Vacation Bible School), a young girl (but WAY older than Tyler, I think she is in middle school is a helper in Tyler’s class) came out to say good bye to Tyler and patted his head and said, “I just think he is such a doll!!! He is so sweet!” She said this to me as Tyler blushed.

In the car he hands me a picture she drew for him. It said To: Tyler From: Frankie I think you are so adorable and my favorite. Oh my I thought to myself…isn’t she a little old for him!! I told him I was going to keep this and put it in his baby book (along with this journal entry…hoping he will get a kick out of it someday).

I am not bothered by this “older” girl’s affection for Tyler. I have to agree with her rather kind words...I am biased of course, and for those of you who know him…he is a rather sweet and cute boy. I am also not bothered by this because of the following conversation. (We talk about everything! I always want them to feel like they can talk to me about anything….yes, even girls.)

Our conversation:

I ask him, “Tyler, what is your definition of a friend?”

Tyler responds, “a friend is someone you care about. If they fall down you help them up. A friend is someone you want to have a play date with.”

“Oh”, I say, “That’s a great definition”. I then ask, “What is your definition of a “girl" friend?”

He says, without batting an eye, “someone you want to kiss.”

“Oh, do you have a girlfriend?” I ask. (Already knowing the answer)

“No!!”

“When can you have a girlfriend?” (I ask again already knowing the answer…we’ve talked about his before)

“Not until I am at least 16. You have to be old enough to drive so you can go on a date. Now, can I just play my game and not talk about this anymore,” he says.

I smile as I drive home, but think to myself…the answer used to be “not until I am 18 years old”…uh oh!

The picture on top is of Tyler and his first “girl” friend: female companion. They hadn’t seen each other in over 2 years. We met for lunch the other day and they picked up right where they left off….playing in the sandbox!!!

The 3 R's: Roaches, Rats, and Raccoons

The 3 R’s: Roaches, Rats, and Raccoons

If you know me, you know that I am terribly afraid of mice and rats. I can’t stand to see them in person or on TV…watching Ratatui was even hard for me. And forget about going to the pet store…I break out in goose bumps just having to walk by the mice display (and why is it the mice display is in the center isle of the pet store and the cute cuddly cats are always way in back?????).

Soooo when my friend told us about a new show called Billy the Exterminator I thought uh oh……but being the “great” mom I am I tivoed it for the boys so we would see what it was all about. Guess what? Surprise…it is all about roaches, rats, raccoons, and any other ferment you will find living in southern Louisiana. And guess what?? The boys love it! The first show we sat down to watch was about a rat infestation. I had to walk out of the room. Tyler, my sweet son, says “mom it’s OK Billy is talking about Raccoons now, you can come back.” I walk back in to see rats and more rats….THANKS SWEET TYLER….as he laughs. Why do boys think it’s funny when mom gets grossed out?????

I will admit the show is pretty interesting, that is, when they aren’t exterminating a house with such a bad roach investigation that Billy finds a dead rat being eaten by more roaches. I once told a friend I would rather have a million roaches crawling on me than see one single mouse….I might reconsider this after watching this roach episode.

I must thank Billy, the inspiration, for this great picture of the boys. They took it upon themselves to dress up like him. Oh ya, and thanks Billy for letting us know what is good Raccoon bait….we seem to have our own little Raccoon problem here.

Page 2 of my summer vacation essay would sound something like this:

“The boys and I went out to swim one day while Jon was away. As we turned the corner we heard an unfamiliar sound. To our surprise we saw a baby Raccoon trying to get into the shop. The boys and I froze as we watched it. We finally decided to get in the pool. The boys tried to be quite as they swam…they didn’t want to scare the baby Raccoon. A couple of minutes later I could feel an unfamiliar pair of eyes staring at me….yes, it was the mommy raccoon coming out to get her baby. I jumped…which caused the boys to scream…as we watched her and the baby disappear up into the rafters of daddy’s shop.

Tyler then says, “Mommy can we call Billy to come get these Raccoons?”

“No Tyler, Billy lives too far away…but we are lucky, we have our own Billy the Exterminator aka…Daddy. When daddy gets home he can trap them.”

Now 2 traps are set with Trail Mix (thanks Billy for the suggestion) and it’s been 2 days and no Raccoons yet…..maybe we will be giving Billy a call after all.”

What I did on my summer vaction

Remember the days of your first day of school when the teachers made you write a short essay titled "What I did on my summer vacation". I was always worried my essay would be boring, but some how it was always filled with lots of exciting adventures, travels, and tales.

As a grown up I still look forward to summer vacations and with 2 wonderful boys I don't have to worry that if a teacher asked me to write a essay about our summer vacation that it would be boring....no quite the opposite I'm sure!!!

So we are in only week two of summer vacation and so far my essay would sound something like this....

"How I got my son to eat more vegetable during summer vacation"

"We are only in week two of summer vacation and so far Jon went to Rhode Island to install a large cabinetry job. This was the first time he was away from home. I didn't know how the boys would react to him being gone so long....well 9 days is a long time for us. They did great until bedtime on day two. Ryan began sobbing saying he misses his daddy and Tyler starts crying saying his lower abdomen hurts. Oh my, I say as I grab the phone to call daddy. He talks to Ryan to try to sooth him as I see what's bothering Tyler....OK talking to daddy 2000 miles away didn't help, made it worse. All the while Aunt Renee who is vising from Nashville is taking a relaxing shower and unaware of the drama that is unfolding in the bedroom. Ryan and Tyler finally fall asleep. Then an hour later Tyler wakes up complaining of pain again. I immediately think appendicitis.....no fever, no nausea, but I was worried. I know if Jon were here he would have said it's just gas and not to worry. Not me. I wake up Aunt Renee and ask her to stay with Ryan as I take Tyler to the emergency room. An hour and $2000 later, I found out I was right....it's gas or severe constipation. We left after the doctor told Tyler he needed to eat more vegetables......like that is going to happen. Did I over react? Maybe, but Tyler and I got home and had a great night sleep. And the next morning he said..."mommy what kind of vegetables should I try to eat". Who would have thought that a visit to the emergency room would make my son try vegetables....what ever works....right?