Extra Fun Was Extraordinary!

I grew up in the Maryland suburbs - just outside DC.  Despite what you might now about suburbia, I am, by definition, a city girl.  The sturdiest shoes I owned in college were keds.  I had visited friends in Washington State near Mt. Hood who wanted to take me hiking.  I donned my keds and was promptly pushed aside while my closet was ransacked in search of more appropriate footwear.  When none was found, the "tourist" route was implemented.

When I trek more than five miles away from my homebase, I need a GPS and a credit card, which both came in handy when invited for that extra fun I mentioned earlier.  Our family joined three other families at Lake Anna in Central Virginia.  The setting is idyllic.  It's a peaceful gem in our Lover's State.  Lake Anna may be a public access lake, but it's definitely a less discovered destination spot.  I think what I like most about it, is that we were there in 90 minutes.  It wasn't a three or four (plus) hour trip to the beach or the mountains.  It was a lovely, scenic drive through the Virginia countryside.

We jumped off the dock into the lake, which I've never done!  The water temperature was perfect.  There was a floating dock about twelve feet away from the shore the kids would climb onto and make sink.  They would pretend they were on the Titanic, "we're going down - save yourselves!!"  It was hilarious.  I sat in my new favorite beach chair on the dock, enjoying the sun, watching them swim and laugh and dive and push each other in.  The kids ranged in aged from four to fourteen - and they played together beautifully.  They wanted all the grown ups to get on the floating raft to sink it further, somehow thinking we were bigger and heavier than they were. Hmmmmmm :)

Our friends have a power boat for cruising and tubing and a jet ski.  The Colonel and I used to have SeaDoos when we lived in Florida's panhandle, BC (before children).  We raced up and down our cove of the lake, spilling children off tubes, jumping waves with the jet ski, giggling the whole time.  Our wet hair was blown dry while we raced.  We got too much sun on our cheeks and our shoulders.  We ate hamburgers and hotdogs for lunch and dinner.  We played too hard, rested just enough, and took lots of pictures.  The time away was much needed; a rejuvenation for me - a welcome distraction for the kids.

We are eternally grateful for the invitation for some extra fun.  This city girl may be swayed to trade in her keds for something more outdoorsy-friendly.  Time will tell ... and so will another trip to Lake Anna!

Perfect Pool Day

No, ninety days didn't fly by already - I've been out and about enjoying bits of summer with my family this past week, sans laptop.  I guess I could blog from my smart phone, but no one really wants to see those typos!!

Today was one of those perfect pool days.  Stunning.  The breeze was refreshing; not a cloud in the sky; warm, but not too warm; perfect water temperature; and swim team friends just kept arriving at the pool so there were lots of friends to play with.

We began our outing with some extra kids along for the ride, a full cooler and picnic lunch, sprayed down with sunscreen, and pool passes in hand.  I swam some laps while the kids played.  At break, we all gathered up together to eat.  Some friends ordered a pizza; some left to lunch at home and put kiddos down for naps.  As soon as the guards blew the whistle, they were back in the water.  My kids are old enough, and good enough swimmers, that I am not in the water with them anymore.  I found a lounge chair, read a book (which I've not done in eons!), and counted kids after each page.

The whistle blew again for break - out came a $10 bill - and all the kiddos got an ice cream.  I swam some more laps and did not indulge.  Ten minutes swept by as easily as the day's summer breeze, and the kids were back in the water.  "Sharks and Minnows 1-2-3!"  And all the kids on the side dive in.  Cannonball contests.  Mini swim races.  Best of all, our pool has a cool, green tube slide open to anyone who can swim to the side after going down.

More friends arrived.  More sunscreen was sprayed.  More pages were lazily read.  More peanut butter crackers were munched.  Card games were played in towel forts.  It was a perfect pool day.  Perfect.  Now, where'd I put that bikini body I used to own??

Back to Work

Yep - tomorrow I go back to work full time.

I'm a stay at home mom - but my kiddos are all school-aged.  So, for six hours (I know you remember those six glorious hours I referenced earlier) they are at our local elementary school learning all sorts of great stuff to turn them into productive members of society.  Or that's the thought, anyway.

Tomorrow is the last day of school.  Tomorrow, the kids go to school long enough to take attendance, eat doughnuts and drink juice with their teacher, watch a Disney flick, sign some yearbooks and have the buses turn around for the return trip home.  My children will leave home at 8:22 and return at 11:22.  Tomorrow, is the day I go back to work full-time and my "vacation" (as my neighbor at Bows & Beaus calls it) is over.

This year I am both excited by the end of the school and understand the full implications of what lies ahead.  When my kids were preschoolers, July was the same as October.  No school all the time.  Activities were based on Mom's interest/energy level.  Those days are no more.  Last year I was faced with the daily, "so what are we going to do today, Mom?"  To which I often responded, "Well, I'm going to clean the bathrooms and do some laundry," as I handed them the Clorox wipes so they could help.

This year, with everyone a year older, wiser, and more mature (me included), I am anticipating things to go a bit differently.  Don't ruin it for me if you know better.  My oldest is really into his new iTouch and I anticipate this summer he will always need "one more app."  My Darling Daughter is the crafty girl.  If I keep her in pom poms, felt, beads, Shrinky Dinks, and the like, I'll be okay.  My middle son, he's the one that will keep me hopping.  He really needs to stay engaged in activity.  And lots of it!  Finding things for him to do that still satisfy the needs of my others, well, therein lies the challenge.

Feeding my growing brood is what really has me daunted this summer.  My boys are beginning to eat me out of house and home and it will only become more extreme.  I'm a little anxious about living in the kitchen this summer.  I may resort to posting meals and hours and actually closing the kitchen.  We'll see if I come to that. I do plan on having my kids make their own lunches this summer - in practice for taking over that duty in the fall.  Devious?  Yes, I know.  And do you know where I got that idea - another brilliant mom!

As I countdown the hours to vacation being over, I realize I no longer have to get in the water at the pool and can lounge and read if I want (or chat with a friend).  I realize I'm no longer carrying a child around when we have outings.  I realize everyone can go to the bathroom before we head out the door by themselves and can buckle-up without assistance.  Life is good - and this summer's going to be a good one.

Vacation over?  I may actually be entering a new stage of motherhood.  Only time will tell.  Stay tuned ...

In the meantime, I encourage you to look at your summer with your kids through new eyes - full of possibility and potential ... before it's ruined with the "I'm bored," whine.

Counting Blessings 06.19.11

Thankful for...

• Extra time.  Got to spend a little extra time with my man today before he headed off for duty.  He's on duty for a while and will be unavailable - made even more bittersweet with it being Father's Day.
• Good friends.  Spent the afternoon with another family whose Dad is away for Father's Day.  I told her kids to ask their Dad what he got them for Father's Day - new tradition!  
• A new book.  I bought each of my kids a new book to kick off summertime reading and they are all upstairs reading quietly before bed.  Bliss.
• Chocolate.  And not just any chocolate.  But double chocolate fudge brownies - oh my goodness are they delicious.  I'll save some for the Colonel.
• Fireflies.  Nothing can bring back the simplicity of childhood like catching fireflies at dusk.  We ran through the yard and down the pipe-stem.  Put a few in a jar to watch them light up, up close.  We laid on our back and waited for the first star to come out.  That's the stuff blessings are made of!

It was especially hard to count my blessings today.  I'm feeling a little overlooked.  However, that statement is "me focused;" and counting blessings is anything but self-centered.  Tonight I'm working hard to dwell in the riches of God's blessing in my life.

Looking now for a scripture on chocolate ... I'm sure it's heaven sent!

Laundry Beckons

If you have a family, you have laundry ... and plenty of it.  I have a few tried and true methods for conquering the madness, sans Laundry Fairy.  I use some variation of these ideas pretty much all the time.  Some I rotate, based on what's going on with the family schedule.  For instance, when the boys played football, Under Armor and jocks were washed daily - which meant I was doing a load of laundry every day ... so why not make the most of it.

First off, I highly recommend visiting Antsy Pants for a Laundry Room Make Over!

Laundry basket for each kid.  Train your kiddos to deposit their grungies in their laundry basket - if it's in the basket, it gets washed.  If it's not in the basket, it doesn't.  Stick to it.  You will wind up with less on the floor and less around the house.

• Wash one (or two) kids baskets per day - depending on the amount of time you have.  Once it come out of the dryer - move the clean clothes to that child's bed for folding.  If you haven't yet taught your kids to fold their laundry, now's the time.  I started training at age six - but it depends on the kid.  If your kiddos aren't that old, then you fold the clothes on their bed and let them put their stuff away.  Kids can do this by age five if (and only IF) there is room in the drawers.  If the drawers are too full, everyone's frustrated. 
• If you think you'll have less than full loads by doing this, add towels, sheets, bath rugs, etc. to your load.  There's always something!  However, I find this method (without adding extra) has actually helped me get the clothes cleaner.  Yes, cleaner!  I'm someone who crams the washer full and the clothes don't have room to move around.  This method helps me from having too much laundry at one time, too.

Mesh bags.  You can get an 11x17 mesh laundry bag for about a dollar and it's well worth it.  They can be used for many things.

• Give one to each child for their socks.  Socks are washed all together and dumped back into sock drawer all together.  Let your child match their socks (or you can do it - at any rate, it gives you less quantity at one time to match up).  They don't come out fluffy - but that may not matter to you.
• Give one to each child for their underwear.  Wash them, dry them, and dump them back into the underwear drawer.  Folding underwear is completely optional.  Same non-fluffy issue.
• Use one for your bras.  The straps won't twist around other clothes and stretch out.  The hooks won't snag other clothing.  Plus, you shouldn't toss your bra in the dryer - it shortens its elasticity.  
• Use mesh bags for sports gear.  Have your kids toss their soccer socks, jocks, etc. into a bag.  They are easier to spot in the wash/dryer meaning less time looking for items gone astray.

Sock Basket.  When I'm not using the mesh bag method for socks, I'm using the sock basket.  We keep a basket in the hallway, near the dryer, with all the kids socks.  Socks get matched up in the laundry and live here.  

Basket on the stairs.  I keep a small basket on the stairs for dirty duds.  My family tends to take off socks, shirts, and what not, kind of ... well, everywhere.  I find I yell less if there's a small basket on the stairs to toss stuff in so I can collect it and take it upstairs to the main laundry basket as needed.  I also toss place mats, hand towels, dish rags, and pot holders into the basket when it's time to swap out.

Lonely socks.  I keep a bin for odd socks by the dryer and the kids get some extra dough for sorting through it every so often, matching up pairs that have found their way together again.  I got the name from the Laundry Room Make Over at Antsy Pants.

Stains.  Get a good stain remover that really works and use it well.  Don't skimp.  I prefer one that can dry on the garment, so it can "set" for a while if necessary.

Simplify your Clothing Options.  When all else fails, reduce your clothing options.  Seriously.  Ever wonder why laundry isn't so bad on vacation, even if you have to do it?  There's a finite amount of it.  One summer I packed everything into box except ten outfits for all of us (except my loving hubby, of course!).  I needed no method - there wasn't that much laundry to do, so even doing it all in one night was a BREEZE!  

I encourage you to leave your best tips here.  Maybe soon, the Laundry Fairy will see this and come help us all out.  

Wordless Wednesday

It was a picture perfect day for the second grade picnic.  But that doesn't mean I'm not pooped!  This week is a blur of learning celebrations, group projects and presentations, picnics, read-in's, field day, pizza parties and ice cream socials.  When I was in grade school, the end of the year meant cleaning out the desk/locker and extended recess.  These kids have it made!

2nd Grade Author aka Darling Daughter

Bathing Suit Relay

Hoop Games

Author's Celebration

Today, my Darling Daughter's class had their Author's Celebration.  They write lots of stories with writing prompts, illustrate the pages, and even have a Publishing Center in their classroom.  For those that like to write, this is a blessing - for those who struggle, it shows - on every page.

My oldest is still challenged with writing.  It's getting better the older he gets, but he needs lots of prompting, guidance, encouragement and attention.  My middle son absolutely loves to write and draw.  At night before bed, he prefers writing to reading.  He writes lengthy stories.  His spelling and penmanship leaves something to be desired, but the passion is there.  My Darling Daughter has it all together.  Great penmanship.  Great narrative. Great illustrations.  And when she reads her stories, she reads with such inflection, her story comes alive as she engages her listener.  As I thought about their different approaches to writing, I couldn't help but draw parallels in how we might write or live our life.  Or better yet, how we live our lives is our story and then how do we write it.  A little deep, I know.

Back to the kids.  The kids could write a story about anything, then there were also "formula" books like "How to Make a Turkey Sandwich" or a Step Book (first, second, third, then, last).  Some of the kids' freestyle writing was superior where others' the formula writing was best.  We live our lives much like this.  Some of us do great with the impromptu lifestyle, take things as they come, some order but mostly fluid - the story could go anywhere.  Some of us like the structured prompts like the Turkey Sandwich.  We know the outcome is a turkey sandwich, but how we get there looks different.  Yours has mustard, mine mayo; yours has cheese, mine is on rye.  Still a turkey sandwich, but we each approach it differently.

Layered over this approach is the outside influence we need to write our story.  Some might be like my oldest, needing lots of attention, prodding, encouragement, guidance ... the list goes on.  I wonder if those authors are ever confident of their story.  Or we might be like my Middle Son with great passion, but the message is hard to read.  Seldom do we have it all together - but when we do, it's breathtaking!

My favorite writing samples was the poetry.  And not just any kind of poetry, but highly structured poetry - which is funny, because I'm not highly structured (I'm probably a turkey sandwich kind of girl).  The kids wrote Haiku and Cinquain poems.  These require that you choose your words carefully - and I like that.  Words, both written and spoken, have a life beyond themselves.  And when you take the time to carefully craft your message, it shows. Each author had to think about what words he knew to describe his subject.  How many syllables, what kinds of words they chose (describing, action, etc.).  Their subject matter told the reader something about the author and how they viewed their subject, in very few words.  


I encourage you today to think about your message. Do you use highfalutin words or plain-Jane words?  What's your subject?   And which words are you choosing to live out?   

Where Does the Time Go?

When my kids were itty-bitties, I was exhausted.  My Ginger Ninja turned three when my Darling Daughter was born – and there was Middle Son at 15 months.  It was exhausting caring for three children three and under.  Then three children under four … then three children under five … need I go on?  But then something magical happened, school started and my oldest began Kindergarten. 

Full Day Kindergarten!  This left me with the Giggle Twins at home (then ages two and three).  They were home alone with me for two years before Middle Son started Kindergarten.  In the meantime, I kept them engaged with activities at home like shaving cream on the deck table to play in, sidewalk chalk, finger paints, glitter, playground time, playdates, and more.  Just like most mommies do.  In the time they weren’t napping, they attended Kids Joy (the children’s program during women’s Bible study), MOPPETS during the MOPS meetings, and preschool so I could get a Mommy Break and still offer them something wonderful.

When my Darling Daughter started Kindergarten, I suddenly had an empty home six hours a day.  SIX GLORIOUS HOURS!  Say it with me, “Six Glorious Hours!”  This time was amazing.  I was already engaged with MOPS Field Leadership, so there was always more than housework and grocery shopping.  As the years have passed those six glorious hours have somehow shortened.  Before I know it, the clock reads 3:10 and my kids will be walking in the door soon.  Some days I’m pulling in the driveway moments before the bus rolls up.  And, did I mention I’m still exhausted? 

Exhausted not in the way a mother of preschool-aged children is exhausted: the constant wiping and holding and changing and up and down and crying and soothing and singing.  No, not like that.  The constancy of mothering infants and toddlers has morphed into the incessant shuffling of children from here to there.  Their needs are now often beyond our front door with practices, games, team functions, rehearsals, parties, after school activities, and the friend who lives outside walking distance.  

And it will transform into something different next year when my Ginger Ninja begins middle school – taking my singular school schedule to two bell schedules … and then to three with kids at each level of education.  And then, the time will shrink even more.  By the time my youngest leaves for school there will only be an hour or two before my oldest returns. 

By then, the constancy of motherhood will change again, transforming my role to meet my children where they are.  I am reminded to cherish each moment as it comes.  To relish in the stages of motherhood and child-rearing.  I encourage you to do the same:  to immerse yourself in family life so when someone says, “Where does the time go,” you’ll have an answer.

Sports Saturday

We have finished up our spring sports - lacrosse for the boys, soccer for the girl, and flag football for the Ginger Ninja.  It's been a whirlwind season all around.  Three practices a week for the boys, two for our Darling Daughter, plus an extra one for GN.  And, of course, the Colonel coached two of the teams - as he's done for the last two seasons!  All of this makes for a busy schedule, household, and plenty of laundry to keep those uniforms in ready condition.  We did wind up with Tuesday nights free this season.  And we coveted that night: family dinner and movie, games, relaxation.  It was all about staying home and enjoying rest.

The boys had a successful season!  They both enjoyed learning a new sport and excelled at it quickly.  They ended their season ranked seventh in the Northern VA league.  Each scored quite a bit throughout the season being a threat both offensively and defensively.  Today we celebrated their winning season with a potluck pool party at the coach's home, trophies, medals, and plenty of fun.  Much of the team took in the high school championship game at Westfields HS.  Several friends are on the team and its been fun attending the games and cheering with the students and families alike.

Our Darling Daughter played soccer again - this is her third season.  And she loved it.  There was more drama for me as a parent dealing with other parents, but DD had a fantastic time.  Her first game she garnered six goals! And while she scored a fair amount, she was a strong defender on the field.  And as her Dad always says, "Defense wins game."  Very true.  She would stop the ball and kick it to a teammate who was open so they could take it down field or get the goal.  I'm so proud of her!  She ended the season with a win, a trophy, pictures and goody bags.

GN played his last season of flag football, we hope!  He played with a bunch of his friends, great coaches, and had a winning season.  Flag football is a great low-stress sport.  The kids get to play a lot of different positions and touch the ball a lot (unlike tackle ball).

Now that Lacrosse and Soccer are officially finished, we turn our attention to swim team for the first half of the summer.  It's great to have just one sport going on with all the kids doing the same thing at the same location.  If I could sit poolside with an umbrella drink, I'd be in heaven!

Laundry, HGTV, and Blessings

Washer fills, drier spins, and I sit folding clothes on my bed watching Lisa LaPorta renovate and redecorate. With the never-ending job of laundry, a healthy dose of HGTV makes the chore more bearable. Don't get me wrong, there is great reward in folding and putting away laundry - a place for everything and everything in its place. But then, on days like today when I put things away instead of having the kids do it - I wind up cleaning out drawers and closets and the task looms larger than usual.

These are the times I see big differences between how men and women tackle projects. Men are so focused (which has pros and cons); and women interrelate emotions, feelings, situations (which also has pros and cons). If I had asked my husband to put the laundry away (and yes, he would do it for me), it would get put away. Check. When I do it, I wind up with a pile of clothes to donate, reorganized drawers and closets, etc. Not to mention, a day with pretty much, nothing else done. I get the same results with my kids. My boys put their clothes away, my daughter arranges her clothes into outfits. Funny, huh?

I will often lament the amount of laundry I have to do. I'm confident I'm not alone. I try to think about the fact that all that laundry represents the blessings in our lives. We have enough money, space, etc. to have too many clothes. I try to give thanks for the healthy children that wear all those clothes - and wear OUT all those clothes. I pray over my husband as I fold undershirts and dress socks and thank God for the prosperity He's gifted us with.

Life is good. Laundry and all ... especially with a little HGTV.