Adventure #3 Free Walks to the Park

So since my last post we have been having a few busy weeks. Now I am catching up.  We have had several small adventures and a couple of big ones in that time, and as well I want to share a few random thoughts.  So here goes.

Adventure #3 (Free!)
We went on a couple of walks down to a local park and the river walking path last week.  Our 14 year old Maggie only went reluctantly but I have photo proof that she had some fun.  We brought our big flying disk on one walk and the other one we had a chance to check out some flood damage!

On our way

I'm gonna get it!

Maggie, proof that she was having fun.

Largo, our dog was worn out after we got to the park!

The river has been high lately so part of the walking path is flooded as you can see by this photo. Usually the river bank is out beyond the brush in the background.

Kites: Adventure #2

We had a spontaneous fun activity last night. And this time I remembered to bring the camera.  It was a little breezy so we decided to go the the field at the local school and fly a kite.  It was a perfect evening for it.  While we were at it, my son was able to play on the playground too!

Summer 2011/Adventure #1

Hello there,
Wow! It has been a while.  A year and a half since my last post.  Well, I had the bright idea that I could do a series of posts for the summer.   There have been some changes in our income so I am on a mission to find free and cheap fun things to do this summer.  Also maybe I will be inspired to post ways to save money. My husband suggests extreme couponing, but I am not sure I am organized enough.  We'll see what happens.  So here goes.

Free or cheap summer adventure #1:
So our first free adventure of the summer happened yesterday.  It finally was warm in our area, so even though school is not out for another 5 days, it still felt like summer.  (Also because I finished up working for a while, I felt like I was starting summer vacation.)  Many cities have free summer movies, our city included.  The kids asked to go last summer and Kevin and I usually didn't want to make the effort.  But what is not to like?  It is a free movie shown on a big blow up screen in a nearby park. You can bring your own popcorn (though there are snacks available for purchase), or whatever else kind of snack you would like.  They show family movies, so everyone can go, even the dog!  I am not sure how involved our dog Largo is in watching the movie, but he loves finding the stray dropped snacks on the ground.  This time it was just the older two girls and me this time.  Kevin again didn't want to go, so our son and he stayed home and had popcorn while watching Veggie Tales.  The girls and I arrived to the fun sounds of a local steel drum band.  Maggie quickly found her friends, but Heidi and I had a great time sharing popcorn, and watching Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2, Roderick Rules.  I haven't seen this before, but for a free movie it was great.  So there you have it.  Adventure #1, cost...$0.00 (we brought our own microwave popcorn!)

I hope to be more organized and take pictures of our future adventures, but this will do for now. Have a great summer everyone! 

Birthdays and the Fiesta Bowl

We're almost there!  Prior to Thanksgiving every year, I take a deep breath, and start running (and spending).  So do  most other people.  But at our house, the running (spending) doesn't stop until February.     You see, we have a unique situation in our family. A significant portion of birthdays fall between Christmas and Valentine's Day.  I should count....let's see, 12 birthdays, between our immediate family, my family and my husband's family....yes.  12 birthdays.  And four of them are in my own immediate family. 

 

So today is Alex's birthday.  We celebrated in a quiet way on Monday.  Alex isn't the type to demand a huge party with friends or Chuck E. Cheese or whatever, so we took advantage and celebrated during the Fiesta Bowl.  My husband and father in law are huge BSU fans and were committed to watching the Fiesta Bowl with Dad's new projector that he got for a great deal on Black Friday.  And I am fairly practical. I figured, why do the cleaning up and hard work of a party two nights in the same week? So I combined it, and invited all our local relatives over to celebrate Alex's birthday AND watch the Fiesta Bowl.  Alex didn't seem to mind. He loved opening his presents during halftime and eating his cupcakes.  For the record, we did turn the sound down on the game while we sang "Happy Birthday" and he opened his presents. 

It was a fun evening, and great that BSU won!  Go Broncos!  It was even more special to celebrate my dear son turning 5 years old.  Such a big boy now, I can't believe it.  It was especially nice of certain of our family members to come celebrate even though they probably could care less about BSU football.  Thank you!

Just a few more birthdays left. (deep breath) Here I go!

Reflections on the Christmas tree ornaments

Recently someone complimented our Christmas tree, how nice it looked.  It was very kind of my sister in law to say it, but there really is no coordinating theme to the tree at all.  If there was a theme I would have to say, love and memories.  There are not any particular colors or styles of ornaments. There are some shiny balls, snow men, manger scenes, angels and . . . well you can imagine.

 My mom always buys us ornaments for Christmas, every year.  One for each of us, or rather in later years, just one for each child.  Those are fun to unpack.  I tell the kids, "Grandma gave us this one..." over and over.  There's the Thomas Kincaid ornaments (my favorites).  The Victorian doll ornaments that both girls received one year. There's the baby's first Christmas for each one. And the "First House" ornament.  There's the "Fishing Hole" ornament and the angel with a trumpet, for my husband.  Then there's the ornaments my mom gave me when I was in college, first time away from home.  I still have a lot of those little ornaments Mom!

But the most important ornaments to me are the cut out stars with wiggly writing on it, the pipe cleaner ornaments and the wooden ornaments painted with watercolors.  Those are the memories.  Maggie and Heidi made those wooden ones at my husband's Christmas party 3 years ago.  The paper star was made at church by Maggie when she was 4 or 5.  There is a clothes pin angel that came home with Alex from church just this year.  And a fun ornament made from a laminated picture of Alex stuck onto a juice lid and decorated. Heidi wanted me to be sure and mention the ornament she made for our tree at school this year, with her picture on it.  So I have added it as well.

So I have to admit that my tree is not going to win a decorating contest.  But it is covered with love.  Thank you to all those who have given us ornaments and memories over the years.




P.S. I had to add this picture of the real Oochakitty, hanging out under the tree too.

When did I become "Mom"?

When my 12 year old was a baby I adamantly thought to myself, I want her to call me Mama, not Mommy or Mom or definitely not Ma. So I religiously referred to myself as Mama. "Come to Mama." "Mama loves you". And it worked.....for a number of years. I noted when she was 8 or 9, she still was calling me "Mama" and it warmed my heart.

But somehow since then, the overwhelming cultural term of "Mom" has cleared away all of my efforts, and that is what she calls me. "Mom, I need some money". Mom, I need a ride". "Mom...." And of course her younger siblings have naturally followed suit, even to the point where my 4 year old who SHOULD still be calling me "Mama" says "Mom" also. "Mom, I love you ."

Now that I think about it, "Mom" sounds pretty nice too. What was I ever worried about?

Soccer Mom

I remember when I was younger, my friends and I would gently make fun of soccer moms in minivans. I thought I would never be a soccer mom. I never played soccer as a child, heck, I didn't play any sports at all, except a brief stint on the church volleyball team, as chief bench sitter.

But anyway, I was thinking about all of this recently as I was trying to organize my schedule. Tuesday, soccer practice for Maggie, soccer practice for Heidi, Thursday, soccer practice again, and then Saturday....you guessed it.....Soccer games! Maggie and Heidi had their first soccer games last Saturday. It was especially noteworthy because this is Heidi's first time to play soccer.

Sigh...I guess I am a soccer mom after all and with a minivan too. Aaaaaah!

So now our family is embarking on the crazy soccer schedule for fall. I wonder if I will survive? Actually the question is, will Kevin survive? I have to work every other weekend, so poor Kevin has to lug the whole family out to the soccer complex every Saturday for the next 5 weeks. So say a prayer for him and us!


1. Heidi's enjoying her new uniform!
2. She got to play goalie and really liked that!