Pre-Pre-school

The Dandelion is 2. He is wild and crazy, clingy and whiney, independent and fearless, unfocused and stubborn, smart and funny. All the things he should be at two. He desperately wants to keep up with his big sis and do all the things that she does, but at two he can't really do that. He's too little for soccer, too young for summer camp and not old enough for pre-school.

But, now that he is two he old enough for playing at Pump-it-up and a child admission at Davis Farmland. He can also take karate, move up a level in swimming, and he can go to "school". Okay, so it isn't pre-school, but it is a special program just for toddlers to learn what pre-school is going to be like - but with their toddler needs in mind (ie - potty training not necessary). I thought this would be a great bridge for the Dandelion to get ready for pre-school, since he has struggled when I've left him at child watch and has often been in the shadow of his sister at playgroups & classes.


I was nervous that he wouldn't do well when it was time to drop-off, but it was just the opposite. He seemed totally comfortable and excited about his "school". He said "good-bye" to the Tumbleweed & I with a quick wave, and we had an hour & a half of free time. I was worried that when I returned that he would have realized shortly after we left that the car was gone and cry, but that was not the case at all! He was very excited to see us when we returned, and gave me a big hug and said "I ha fun at 'cool". The teachers said he did great, only mentioning that "Thomas in Mommy car. Come back Mommy car" briefly at the beginning.




Yay! You are getting so grown-up little buddy!

First Day of School 2009

The Tumbleweed was very excited for her first day of school at her new school. She is attending five days a week in the afternoons this year, so when she excitedly woke up at 5:30 am she still had quite a while to wait!



At her previous school, the parents were invited to stay for the first day (orientation), so we got to spend time in the classroom, seeing the kids interact and visiting with the teachers & other parents. But this year, her school had a parent meeting prior to the first day, so we just watched her hang her bag on her hook and take a seat in the circle before heading home for nap time. She was very independent & matter-of-fact about the whole process. Very grown up.



And even when I picked her up, she was very nonchalant about everything. I didn't really get much window into how the day went.

me: "How was school?"
her: "It was good"
me: "What was the best part?"
her: "Everything"
me: "What types of things did you do?"
her: "You know, school things"

Maybe someday soon I will find out what they do at school every day!

Fall Schedule

At various times during Labor Day weekend I was able to catch parts of the SuperNanny marathon. Once again, I found some inspiration and decided to make a schedule for our activities. It will help the kids to know what we are doing each day, keep me organized and help the Eagle know what our plans are for the day.

So after spending a bit of time searching for clip-art, and finally resorting to my own pictures for some things, the Tumbleweed & I put together the chart and hung it on the kitchen wall. It has been up for a few days and she has been checking it regularly. On Saturday, she helped me re-set it for the coming week and was later quoted as saying "Daddy, my swimming starts on Wednesday" when he told her after swimming that maybe she could "start swimming lessons again soon".

While the clip art/picture process was a little time consuming the rest of the chart is very simple. I found a dry erase calendar at Staples. I printed out the activities & their pictures and covered them with clear packing tape to make them more durable. Finally, I added some Velcro dots to the chart and the back of the activities. For the special events, I just used Post-It note stars. Here is what it looks like:

How I Spent My Summer Vacation - Week 12

The Final Week - Week of September 5, 2009

Theme of the Week: The Home Stretch. This week was a combination of things around the house, shopping for the final back-to-school items, and squeezing in a few more special activities before school & activities start.

Saturday: Kind of a boring day - laundry, lawn mowing & dishes. The kids spent time hanging out with Daddy before he left on his business trip to Israel. Then it was just the 3 of us for most of the week.

There's nothing like doing laundry in a tutu

Sunday: The Sunday paper came with several reasons to get out of the house to shop, so the kids & I headed out to find some deals at AC Moore. We got a cool Crayola crayon tower that provided entertainment all week. Then we were off to the grocery store before heading home for nap time.

Monday: What do people with no plans do on Labor Day? Go shopping! The kids and I spent most of the day at home, but went to "Apple House" [what Cameron calls Applebee's] for dinner and then did some shopping afterward. I still failed to find the navy blue Mary Janes for the Tumbleweed... argh. I wish she hadn't outgrown her old ones!

Tuesday: Today was not a good potty day, but aside from that we had a good time at walking group and Bounce open play. The Dandelion enjoyed playing with his little buddy Ariana during the Tumbleweed's gymnastics class. After gymnastics, we had a fun - although a little chaotic - HOOTs & HOWLs dinner with our MOMS friends at the local pizza place.

Wednesday: Today was supposed to be the first morning of our Y classes, but we had our MOMS Club social at the same time so we went to that instead. After the social it was off to Walmart - where I found the navy blue shoes! Who knew that would be so hard? I had a meeting at the Tumbleweed's school that evening, and with the Eagle away we had a sitter for the evening. I don't think I have ever looked forward to attending a meeting as much as I was looking forward to these two hours without kids.

Thursday: I had one last special treat planned before summer wrapped up... a trip to Bitty Fun Day at the American Girl Store. Fortunately we left the house on time because we got to sit in some traffic - making us the last ones to arrive. It was a bit difficult to manage the Dandelion during storytime, but the Tumbleweed really enjoyed it. Afterward we spent some time at the mall playspace to get some of the Dandelion's pent-up energy out before driving home --- and straight to gymnastics practice.



The Dandelion's doll was a store loaner

Friday: Rain, rain, go away! Our playground playdate was canceled, so we got to attend the first Toddler music & movement class. For once the Tumbleweed had to sit in the waiting room while her brother took a class. She was pretty good, but did spend a lot of time talking to the dance teacher in the office. The Eagle returned from his business trip and much of the afternoon was spent wondering if we could hold soccer practice. In the end, it was good thing we moved practice a little earlier because we got about 20-25 minutes of playing in that we wouldn't have otherwise.


Saturday: Another rained out soccer game & canceled scrapbooking class actually made life a little easier. We had lots of family fun at the Thomas the Tank Engine events at Toys R Us and AC Moore. At the Y, both kids enjoyed family swim - with the Dandelion swimming with floaties by himself for a few seconds and the Tumbleweed doing her biggest cannonballs off the side and demonstrating how she can put her face in the water.

Sunday: Finally a soccer day without rain! The Tumbleweed had a great time at the clinic put on by the high school team & coaches. She played great in the scrimmage, despite being held by the shirt by one of the kids on the other team, and registered 19 mph twice on the radar gun - one of the best in our group. I spent the rest of the day doing the final preparations for all of our activities, including school, which start tomorrow... labeling things, doing laundry, laying out clothes, packing backpacks for each activity and doing a "back to school photo shoot" with each kid out in the yard.


And that is the end of summer vacation... time to go back to school!

Plan T

For the second time this fall we have been rained out of the first soccer game. At this point I am starting to wonder if Zeus (the Greek God of Rain) has our soccer schedule and decides to head to Massachusetts on soccer days. So it was a sad morning when we reported to the Tumbleweed that there would be no soccer game today. ["Not Again!"]

And it was on to "Plan T" --- T for Thomas the Tank Engine --- to make the best of a rainy day. With the release of the new Thomas movie this week, several stores had planned free activities for today... which now worked out pretty well for us.

We started at Toys R Us - where they had coloring and storytime and a train table with lots of trains to play with. They had a free give away of collector cards in a case and a wheel with all of the Thomas characters on it. The kids were quite well behaved and shared well so we stayed for about 45 minutes (and didn't buy anything!)


Then it was on to AC Moore - where the kids got to color their own train cars and each got an activity book. While the Eagle kept an eye on the artists, I did some Christmas shopping and picked out two trains (James & Gordon) which were on sale at 40% off - and I got a free Thomas with my purchase! The only bummer was that they didn't have the train that the Tumbleweed had asked for "for Christmas" when we were at Toys R Us - Hiro. Oh well, she'll probably change her mind by then anyway.


Since Barnes & Noble was right next door, and both kids knew they had trains, we went and sat around the train table so the Eagle & I could take turns doing some looking around. I was surprised that there weren't more people there, since it is usually quite crowded and difficult for the kids to find a train.


Our final stop was the Y (which had nothing to do with trains). The Eagle had promised to take the Tumbleweed to the pool so, off we went to family swim. Both kids had an absolute blast and looked very comfortable in the water. Fortunately we got there early, because it started to get crowded right as we were getting ready to leave.


And it was so nice to return home to the crock pot chili the Eagle started before we left!

Why?

As I come to the end of my "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" posts, I wanted to reflect briefly on why I started blogging...


Because it is a great way to record memories, thoughts & milestones. When I first set up the blog (actually, the Eagle set it up), it was part of my New Year's Resolutions to keep better records for my scrapbooks. Over time, things have evolved from a paragraph here & there, to pictures & stories.

From time to time, I have blogged in different patterns and styles to use in my scrapbooks. "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" is one of my "works in progress", but it is along the lines of my holiday layout from last year. Below is the layout I created from the blog posts from November-December 2008.


So, my apologies if I bore anyone from time to time with these themed posts, but I do find them to be quite useful in my "creative process" :)

Back to School

My favorite movie quote... and probably the only movie quote I know...

"Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms." - Joe Fox [Tom Hanks], You've Got Mail.

I do love this time of the year. And I love buying school supplies!

As a kid, I loved getting to go shopping to buy some new clothes & picking out an outfit for the first day of school. I loved buying notebooks & pencils & folders... and color coordinating them. I anxiously awaited the day my teacher/class schedule arrived & quickly called my friends to compare. I packed my backpack weeks in advance and counted down the days until the first day... which at the time was always the first Wednesday after Labor Day.

Now that I have a child in school, I am again eagerly awaiting the first day of school... and so is she. Unfortunately, her school is the last one in the area to start. I have to say the past week has gone by so slowly. Almost everyone we know has already gone back to school, some more than two weeks ago. The Tumbleweed asks at least twice a day how long it is before she gets to go to school.

So, in the meantime, I have been trying to fill the "extra" time while everyone else is in school. Against my best judgment, I waited to do our back-to-school shopping until after September 1. It practically killed me. Although, she doesn't really have a back-to-school list so we just needed to get a new back pack, a couple of pairs of shoes, and a few "cool weather" outfits. I am kicking myself over the back pack - since she had picked out a very practical & cute one from Lands End, but it was back-ordered by the time we went to get it. But, the one she did get was on 50% off sale, so I suppose that helped.

And, on the first Wednesday after Labor Day, I got to go to school ... for parents' orientation night. It was good to meet the teachers and see her classroom before the craziness of the first day. I am still a little apprehensive about the school year. It is hard to make decisions for your kids. Did I choose the right school? Should I have done mornings instead of afternoons? Is she going to like her teachers? Is she going to make friends? But I feel better knowing that she is super excited to go - and doesn't seem to be worried about anything.

So anyway, things haven't changed over the years ... I have been "planning for fall" since school got out in June, and was practically jumping for joy the week that the YMCA Fall Schedule came out so I could "put together the puzzle" of our weekly activities. I enjoyed picking out the perfect outfit (for her, not me). I am "scouting locations" for first day of school pictures.

And, I am still counting the days until school starts...

4 days to go!

"I cared"

About a week and a half ago, the kids were playing quietly together in the family room while I prepared for dinner. The windows were wide open, so when a loud dirt bike decided to turn around in front of the house and speed off in the other direction, the sound filled the house.

Instantly I hear the Dandelion screaming and running into the kitchen. My first thought was that he had fallen and was hurt the way he was crying. As I hugged him and he calmed down, he managed to say, "Mo-cycle....I cared [scared]...." He was shaken up for a good half hour - even after we confirmed the motorcycle had left.

Since then every time a motorcycle (even the not as loud ones) goes by he drops everything and comes running to find me for some hugs saying "I cared". I wish I could put a "no Motorcycles" sign in our front yard when we are home so he doesn't have to be scared... possibly next to the "kids sleeping" sign that I need to prevent weed-whacking during nap time.

I guess the thing that surprised me the most was that he was able to verbalize that he was scared. I was so proud of him for that. Identifying his emotions will be a big part of his growth from 2-year-old toddler to 3-year-old preschooler this year and I was impressed that he knew he was feeling scared.

I suppose getting some extra cuddles every day (yes it happens multiple times every day) isn't so bad... but why do motorcycles have to be so loud!?!

How I Spent My Summer Vacation - Week 11

Week of August 29, 2009

Theme of the Week: Here, There & Everywhere! We really got around this week --- Western Mass, Cape Cod, Providence --- we certainly spent a fair share of time in the car. We saw lots of friends an had a lot of fun, but boy was it tiring! Only one more week before we have our full fall schedule.

Saturday: We took the long drive out to visit friends in Western Mass for a cookout. It was the first time they got to meet the Dandelion and the first time we got to meet their new baby. Fortunately, the rain that canceled the Tumbleweed's morning soccer game was nowhere to be found 'out west'.

Sunday: The Eagle had the Cranberry Country Triathlon. The kids & I were supposed to go, but decided at the last minute to change the plan to make for an easier day. Instead, the kids and I joined everyone at Nana & Papa's for the post-race dinner and spent the night.

Monday: We spent the day down around the Cape. First Papa took the kids swimming & kayaking at the Pine Hills. Then the kids & I drove to Hyannis to stop at a scrapbook store before meeting up with everyone else to take Nana out for a birthday dinner at the Chart Room. After dinner we headed home to sleep in our own beds.


Tuesday: Off to the zoo. The kids & I went to the Roger Williams Zoo in Providence with friends. The Tumbleweed was super excited to find out that they had a butterfly exhibit and that was definitely her favorite part. Both kids were challenging at times, but seemed to do a little better with their friends along.

Wednesday: A little closer to home, with grocery shopping, berry picking and karate on the agenda for the day. We had lots of fun at the berry patch, picking a whole bunch of raspberries and even some more blueberries. Then it was off to the Dandelion's make up karate class. It was only two kids (and not the one who was afraid of cameras). He really came to life as he interacted with the teacher and class materials.



Thursday: We got out the door nice & early for walking group (yay!). Then it was off to the playground in a neighboring town where we were meeting our MOMS friends. It was more crowded that I would have thought, but the kids had a blast. The Tumbleweed spent a lot of time on the swing, and even the Dandelion spent time swinging! In the afternoon the Tumbleweed had gymnastics and got her first two blisters on her hands - she was so proud, until one popped while she buckled her seatbelt.


Friday: With the Dandelion's check-up in the morning & nap in the afternoon, we didn't venture far. In the evening the Tumbleweed had soccer clinic and then we went out to dinner. With the Dandelion's track record of eating, we didn't order him anything figuring he might eat a few french fries but not much else. But for the third night in a row, he decided to eat! My BBQ burger was his target - and he really seemed to like it!

Two Years (and two months)

The Dandelion had his two year check-up today, which worked out well because I was able to leave the Tumbleweed at home and the Dandelion got to have a solo trip to the doctor for once. He came in at 24.6 lbs and 34 inches (10th percentile & 20th percentile, respectively), which was less of concern to the Nurse Practitioner than I had expected. I was pleased to talk to someone other than our doctor - always nice to have a second opinion, but I often don't care for our doctor's attitude. No shots this time, but he had the finger prick lead test and blood drawn to check for Celiacs (something our doctor wouldn't do before, despite my request).

He was such a trooper! He never cried about the finger prick and only let out a small whimper during the blood draw. It was so much easier than the last visit when I had to hold each kid while they got their shots - I don't know which one was harder, but they egged each other on and it was no fun.

Actually the solo visit was nice on so many levels --- I filled out all of the paperwork before they called our name, I didn't take the stroller in and I was able to talk without being interrupted by the Tumbleweed trying to tell the doctor her life's story. And I remembered to ask for the school forms.

"Chocolate Popsicles"

In the epic saga of the Dandelion eating (or not eating, as has been the case lately) dinner we have tried lots of things. Buckled/unbuckled, high chair/chair, same food/different food, eating as a family/eating separately, promising rewards/going to bed without food... and nothing has worked.

But tonight... The Dandelion ate ALL of his dinner, and more!

The Eagle had made grilled steak/onion/pepper kabobs, and the Dandelion had peppers & steak cut up on his plate. As we all started eating he noticed the extra kabobs in the center of the table. "pop-cle" he said pointing at them, "I have pop-cle". So, thinking fast, I found a chopstick (not sharp like a skewer) and speared a piece of steak on it. He ate it right up. Soon we had a rhythm going and he ate all of his meat from the chopstick and said "I have more chalk-wate?", pointing at steak that the Eagle was cutting up for the Tumbleweed (who was also enjoying her dinner). And more he got... and when it was gone, he ate the peppers... soon all of the food was gone and we clapped as he asked for more. Picking our jaws up off the floor, we offered up some skewered grapes. Finally he asked to get down and wash his hands.

Phew - what a relief to have him actually eat a meal! Thank goodness for "chocolate popsicles"! Maybe he will put on a little weight before his check-up on Friday...

i-c-e-c-r-e-a-m

Ahh, spelling. As a parent, I do this a lot. Sometimes without thinking.

Last week I spelled "c-o-o-k-i-e" to the Quiznos employee who looked at me like I had three heads, and then said "you don't want the cookie?" Duh. I wasn't testing to see if you could spell, I didn't want the kids to know what they weren't getting!

But I kind of screwed up my spelling plan when one of the sight words I taught the Tumbleweed this week was "play". I discovered that this was a mistake today as another mom spelled "p-l-a-y-g-r-o-u-n-d" to see if we were going, and the Tumbleweed interrupted "ooh-ooh, Mommy are we going to the playground now?" Oops.

Moral of the story: don't teach your kids the words you often spell, but when they get older & hate spelling you can tell them what they will need it for when they grow up. And don't expect minimum-wage teenagers to keep your secret.

Bubble

Some days I wish I had one of the cartoon bubble force-fields. You know, the kind you can see through and move around in, but no one can touch you. Yes, I think this would be great. I could cook dinner and keep the kids a safe distance away from knives, hot trays and boiling water. I could sit at my computer and not suddenly have a child in my lap pushing buttons on the keyboard.

Then again - if I could actually have a fictitious television ability, maybe I should just go with the ability to make anything I want happen when I twitch my nose. Then I wouldn't need to keep the kids out of the kitchen while I cook - I could just wiggle my nose and we'd have some gourmet food! Additionally, I could transport us from one activity to the next without having to drive there. Now that would be nice!

How I Spent My Summer Vacation - Week 10

Week of August 22, 2009

Theme of the week: Summer Exhaustion. It has been a busy summer, and with the heat still here to start the week it had me saying "is summer over yet?" frequently. By the end of the week it seemed that fall was in the air... literally, as I have been sneezing like crazy all week. Maybe I should be careful what I wish for.

Saturday: The beginning of another race weekend - this time in New Hampshire. We drove up in the morning, stopping at a scrapbook store on the way, and headed straight for registration. Then it was over to the race site for the "TimberKids" race. The Tumbleweed participated in the half mile obstacle course and did a great job. We spent the night with the Eagle's cousin, who lives nearby.


Sunday: The kids & I headed to the TimberMan Half IronMan course a few hours after the Eagle, and were able to see him make the transition to the bike shortly after we got there. After that, it was a long wait to see him again - and by the time he finished we were hot & tired from being in the sun all day. Despite the sweltering heat, he was pleased with his time.


Monday: We recovered from the weekend. The race conditions, and poor hydration on my part (gave all the fluids to the kids), had really drained my energy. We spent most of the day at home - with the only diversion being a trip to the air conditioned grocery store.

Tuesday: We went to the zoo. I thought the kids would be more interested than they were. Maybe it was too hot. Maybe they were too hungry or tired. The Dandelion had a hard time seeing some of the sleeping animals & lost interest fairly quickly, despite my efforts to find familiar animals for him to see (tiger, giraffe, monkey, flamingo). The Tumbleweed wanted to hurry from one animal to the next and wasn't thrilled when we stopped to watch for a bit. But with ice cream, a playground and the opportunity to hold a macaw right before we left - it was declared "awesome" by the time we went home.


Wednesday: A morning with no plan rarely works out - and this was no exception. Despite my best efforts, the kids were antsy until naptime... but I did get some chores done once the Dandelion went down for his nap. He had karate in the afternoon - but I still don't have any pictures (didn't get there as early as I planned).

Thursday: The most perfect day weather-wise --- sunny & comfortable - hooray! We got together with friends for a playdate, and the kids had a great time playing soccer, Hi-Ho Cherry-O! and dress-up. After naptime, it was off to the gym as this week marked the first week of "Fall" practices at gymnastics. The lobby was so crowded! The Tumbleweed got right back into the swing of things & enjoyed the fact that they will be warming up with the Level 2s ("big kids" to her - ages 5 & 6 - LOL) all year.

Friday: Well, one day had to be jam-packed... We had a good time at the Barnes & noble "Back to School" storytime, where the Dandelion actually made the craft!!!! (sorry, huge accomplishment for him) After assessing the options - we had lunch at Red Robin before heading to the MOMS Club Ice Cream Social. It was chocolaty, it was messy, but we had fun :) On the way home we stopped to do a little back to school shopping at Carter's since I had an expiring coupon. They were having an awesome sale on some jammies - I got the Dandelion 4 pairs for $2.23 each! From there we picked up the soccer shirts (which are pink this year), but unfortunately the rain rolled in canceling our first team practice (and eventually the first game on Saturday too).

Summer School

Despite the long summer vacation - 5 days shy of 3 full months - we have been doing a lot of learning this summer. When school ended in June, the Tumbleweed seemed a bit disappointed, so I let her pick out a couple of workbooks so she could play 'school'. Well, she totally took to this, completing two pre-K books in nearly a week. I must admit, they were sort of impulse purchases with characters she liked and I did not fully check the content. They were a little too easy. But since she was quite eager to get new ones, I put a little more thought into what we were selecting.

Since early July, she has been working on her "Sight Words" (one of the workbooks from round two). Besides learning the words, she also gets a lot of handwriting practice with her lowercase letters - without just practicing "handwriting" (which she tells me is too boring). It has been neat to see her be able to put together the sight words she knows and the words that she can sound out to really be able to read some of her books (although sometimes it is hard to tell because she has memorized most of them quite well). In addition to her workbooks, she has also become a fan of word searches, color by number and connect the dots.

In order to keep the Dandelion out of her way, he too has a little workbook. Obviously, he needs lots of help and only has about a 30 second attention span, but he is making some progress. He has gotten quite good at his shapes - especially octagons, which he likes to point out while we drive. He has shown more interest in coloring recently, but does seem to be struggling to learn his colors a little bit. I am hopeful that he grows to like coloring even more, because I could really use an activity that will keep him busy while the Tumbleweed does gymnastics, soccer & dance.

To keep our new activities organized, I have set up an activity box. In it are all of the workbooks, stickers, crafts & flashcards. I only pull out a couple of featured things for each kid when we need a quiet activity, so they remain interesting & special. I also have a grab bag of papers with activities written on them. The Tumbleweed can choose one of these activities to do while the Dandilion naps --- play-doh, lite brite, puzzles, markers, stamps, board games, etc. So far it has worked pretty well, and she usually accepts the activity she drew first.

But, not all learning is organized. Here are some of the other things the kids have picked up this summer...

The Dandelion:
~how to climb out of his crib
~how to sing "C is for Cookie"
~how to build with (duplo) legos
~how to walk down the stairs
~how to turn on the water at the bathroom sink
~how to close the car door from the inside
~how to dump ingredients into a bowl
~how to put ice on a boo-boo
~how to put money in his piggy bank (and not his mouth!!)

The Tumbleweed:
~how to pick all kinds of fruit (raspberries, strawberries, peaches, blueberries, cherries)
~how to climb a rope & a rock wall
~how to [happily] swim with her face in the water
~how to tie her shoes (sometimes)
~how to jump rope (she goes backwards?)
~how to paint her nails
~how to make a peanut butter & jelly sandwich
~how to put sippy cups away
~how to pull weeds

Now is it time to start school yet?!?

"Don't Fence Me In"

It has been more than a month since I took down the family room gate. It had lost its effectiveness. The Tumbleweed had been able to climb over for more than a year, and in that time had demonstrated what needed to be done thousands of times. So it didn't surprise me that the Dandelion figured out how to use chairs, toy bins and even toys themselves to boost himself over the gate. Finally I couldn't remove all of the "stools" from the room, so it was time for the gate to go.

Since then it has taken everyone some time to adjust... I no longer have a way to keep the kids out of the kitchen when I am about to open the oven (I also had to put more cabinet locks on so all of my bowls & pots weren't dirty). The Tumbleweed has no way to keep her little brother out of her room and away from her "big girl toys". And most of all the Dandelion can go anywhere he wants!

His current favorite places are the bathroom sink to play with the water (he hasn't started setting up tea parties on his bed like his sister did, but he still makes a mess), the kitchen counter where the snacks are (he pulls up a chair), and the Tumbleweed's room to play with her Littlest Pet Shop & My Little Ponies (specifically the ones with buttons that play songs or light up). I have tried setting up little things for him to play with in his own room, but I guess the other things are more interesting for now - or - no one is going to tell him what to do.

Now we still keep a gate on the stairs, but I am no longer fearful of him falling down them. It is more to keep the kids out of the basement (where they can get into things they shouldn't or where the Eagle is working), so sometimes we do leave it open and let the kids go down on their own.

The only other remaining barrier for the Dandelion to beat was the side rails of the crib... and yesterday morning he did just that. As the Tumbleweed put it when they came bounding into my room together yesterday morning "he just flipped himself out" (I know she didn't help, because she had just been in my room moments beforehand).

Looks like we can't keep him contained forever... yikes!

How I Spent My Summer Vacation - Week 9

Week of August 15, 2009

Theme of the Week: Some like it hot, but I do NOT! I guess summer finally kicked in this week, because the entire week was hot, humid and practically unbearable most of the time. We definitely avoided staying home in our hot house, and were crazy busy most days with regular plans and additional activities to help us cool off. After avoiding putting the window air conditioner in the bedroom for two months, the Eagle put it in on Sunday - at least at night we are comfortable! I can safely say, I am ready for fall.

Saturday: A laid back day, with mini-outings & chores. During the Eagle's morning ride, the kids & I did a little shopping and spent a few minutes at Michael's doing their back-to-school pencil box craft. The kids also got to spend some time with Daddy playing in the bouncy house before we headed to a (semi) local wading pool to cool off. Afterward, we went to Friendly's for dinner & ice cream.


Sunday: I spent the day getting things done around the house (cleaning out the car (again), laundry, blogging, and other household chores), while the Eagle took the kids out on some errands. We had grilled pizza for dinner, to avoid turning on the oven.

Monday: The Tumbleweed had her first day "Flippers Camp" at her gymnastics center. Lucky kid gets to swim everyday of this hot week. In the afternoon, we went to a new glow-in-the-dark indoor mini-golf place with friends. Both kids enjoyed it and I think the Dandelion is still trying to find his ball (it went in the last hole and disappeared). Later, we headed over to the Y where the Dandelion and I hung out in the air-conditioned NAZ, while the Tumbleweed tried a cheerleading workshop.


Tuesday: After a quick drop off at camp, the Dandelion and I hosted his little friends for a splash playgroup. All the kids had a lot of fun playing at the water table & in the spray pad in our backyard. In the afternoon, we headed to the farm to weed the children's garden before CSA pick-up.


Wednesday: We got an early start, picking our first raspberries of the season right after the farm opened at 8am - since we had to drop the Tumbleweed off at camp at 9. The Dandelion and I went to sign him up for a toddler program at a local center and played in their A/C until camp pick-up. Then it was my final "afternoon from hell" as the Tumbleweed had her last summer dance class, followed by the dash to karate. I had planned to finally have a karate picture of the Dandelion, but can you believe that there was a kid in class afraid of cameras? I had to put it away before taking even one shot :( After class we went to family swim to cool off before bed.


Thursday: Another day of camp, followed by a trip to the splash pad with our MOMS Club friends. The Dandelion wasn't too keen on the water spraying him, and only wanted to play on the playground. After HOOTs & HOWLs dinner with our MOMS Club friends, the Tumbleweed and I had "girls night" (shopping, smoothies and nail polish) while the Eagle took the Dandelion to the movie (Cars) at the Y for "boys night".

Friday: The final day at camp, and the Tumbleweed was begging to go another week (however this was the last week it was offered). She really gained a lot of confidence in the pool by being able to play in the 2 foot depth, and even the 3 foot depth by the end of the week. I will definitely sign her up again next year! After camp, we went peach picking with friends which the kids really enjoyed, even the Dandelion was able to reach the peaches. We picked some more raspberries & played on the playground before heading home --- both kids fell asleep in the car! And if that wasn't enough, the Tumbleweed had her first soccer clinic for the fall season.

Balance

When you have two kids (or more) it is hard to achieve balance.

When the Tumbleweed was 2, she was the only child (although the second one was on the way). When we went to playgroups it was for her, family outings were chosen based on her likes, food we purchased at the grocery store was what she liked, and she picked the stories at bedtime. We spent lots of quality time doing things one on one with her. Life was simpler.

Now that the Dandelion is 2, I am struggling with balancing both kids' needs and managing daily life. For example, when the Tumbleweed was 2, she would play in the bathtub with toys & bubbles for 30-45 minutes. But that isn't the case for the Dandelion, he is in & out in under 15 because we have two kids to bathe. And when we go places, he often has to ride in the stroller for me to manage both kids (I know I had stopped using the stroller with the Tumbleweed at this age because I remember taking her along to my OB visits and I have pictures of her walking along the ramp from the parking garage).

Over the past year it has be harder to choose activities. I didn't want to go the the playground or the beach because the Dandelion would run away or eat bark chips & sand. I have had to hide the kid scissors because the Dandelion will run with them. I don't ask either of the kids to help me cook or bake as often as I used to, because I am afraid the Dandelion will get hurt or break something.

Two is certainly a challenging age, and now that the Dandelion has reached it, I want to recognize the person that he is becoming and foster his interests. He is growing into quite the little boy and I need to give him more space to explore & discover. I need to keep reminding myself that he is not a baby anymore, and he can help me cook & clean, paint pictures, play with playdough and follow simple directions - but he needs to be taught these skills just like I taught the Tumbleweed.

As fall approaches I am excited to have some one-on-one time with him while the Tumbleweed is at school. I am also looking forward to him having some playgroups & classes of his own where she does not overshadow him. I think he needs a little of both to grow into a confident little preschooler by next fall.

In the meantime, I am searching for new ways to keep him occupied during the Tumbleweed's afterschool activities this fall. I am sure we have many years of one kid watching & waiting for the other during classes, and I have yet to figure out how make this a pleasant experience, for both of us.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation - Week 8

Week of August 8, 2009

Theme of the Week: A glimpse of our future? This week week we had a sampling of what life is like when sports take over dinner time. The kids each got to do some new "big kid" things this week, and I was reminded frequently how much they are always growing & changing.

Saturday: Finally a weekend at home. The Eagle & I did lots of projects around the house. He spent a lot of time with the Tumbleweed hanging a climbing rope and setting up the tent. The two of them slept in the backyard for the Tumbleweed's first time "camping". She was so proud to be "a big girl".


Sunday: Another day of work around the house. In the evening we took the kids to "Apple House" (aka Applebee's) for dinner - the Dandelion has been asking to go there for months. After dinner we did some errands, one of which was getting the Dandelion his first pillow. He was so excited to sleep on his McQueen pillow like a "big boy"

Monday: A relatively slow start to the week, with gymnastics in the morning and the afternoon at home visiting with the Eagle before his trip. In the evening we had the first night of soccer camp #2 - the Tumbleweed loved it & even played with the 5-6 year olds, while the Dandelion & I battled the heat and the bugs on the sidelines until after his bedtime.

Tuesday: The Tumbleweed went to her "new school" for camp, giving the Dandelion & I time to run some errands. I was surprised how much he seemed to miss her. She really enjoyed the camp and came home begging for school to start. Due to a poorly timed nap, the Dandelion was a bit of a disaster for CSA pick-up and not much better for his second late night watching soccer camp.


Wednesday: We had a great morning at the playground with the MOMS Club, with both kids climbing high & testing their limits. Unfortunately, the second half of the day did not go very smoothly. I attempted a "two parent kid shuffle" alone, and was irritated (to say the least) when made the trip from dance to karate only to find out karate was canceled, again. Needless to say I was a teensy bit annoyed by the time we made it to soccer camp.

Thursday: All good things must come to an end and today was the last day of summer gymnastics and soccer camp. The Tumbleweed made me so proud by climbing to the blue line on the rope at gymnastics, something she had not even been close to before. She thoroughly enjoyed both activities and will start fall practice for both in about a week.


Friday: Hot & humid, it was the perfect day to head to Wallum Lake to go swimming. The kids enjoyed the water & sand behaved quite well. I had been a little doubtful about taking both of them by myself, but they are definitely getting better at handling such activities. In the afternoon, we "strolled" to two scrapbook stores, meeting a friend there so the kids could play while we shopped. And to top off the day, I headed out to a midnight crop & got 4 pages done!

Black Sneakers

Do you remember something that you really wanted when you were a kid, but couldn't get?

When I was about 10 (I think), I really wanted a pair for black Reebok high-tops. (I know, it seems silly now) Anyway, my mom drew the line at "black sneakers" and I got white with teal piping. To this day I don't understand the reason that we were not allowed to wear black sneakers, but this rule lasted for as long as my parents were buying our shoes.

Over the weekend I was standing in Payless eying a cute pair of black sneakers with multicolored piping for the Tumbleweed, thinking "black sneakers, that would be practical, they would match everything and wouldn't show dirt". Hmmm. I bet that was my logic when I was 10, too. Actually, it was probably more like "but mom, black sneakers are in. Puh-leese."

In the end, I didn't get them for her. Mostly because we found other shoes that she liked (and she never even picked up the black ones). But maybe it was just in case I decide when she is 10 (or 12 or 16) that I don't want her to have black sneakers. The last thing I would need then is a picture of her wearing them when she was 4!

Opposite Day

Following an episode of Little Bear the Tumbleweed has been playing "Opposite Day" all the time. It is an "On & Off" kind of thing, so one minute she is saying things normally, and then next she is saying "Mommy, I don't need help" (when she really does) and "This tastes terrible" (when she really likes it). Over all it is generally cute and amusing most of the time.

I am not sure if the Dandelion is playing along with the game or confused about his opposites, but lately I am noticing him using the opposite of several words. Now, I can't seem to recall him ever using them correctly before so it could just be that he is learning them and hasn't quite gotten them right yet. Some examples are...

~"I wan to go ih side" (when we are inside and he wants to go out)
~"I get down...now" (when he is struggling to climb up onto something)
~"Turn off" (when he wants you to turn something on - a light, fan, water, etc)

Well, it is cute despite being slightly confusing from time to time (think tantrum when one of us does the opposite of what he actually wanted). He'll figure them out soon, and the opposite phase will be long forgotten.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation - Week 7

Week of August 1, 2009

Theme of the Week: In the Swing of Things. We finally seem to be finding our summer rhythm - the weather was nice and we had a good amount of activities, but not too many. It is sad that we only have one more week of "summer schedule" left and we'll be back to "winging it" until school starts.

Saturday: We headed down to the cape first thing in the morning. We spent the morning with friends before heading to Nana's & Papa's to celebrate the Eagle's birthday. At the end of the evening, I headed home alone to get some things done around the house.


Sunday: Me time! I spent the morning working on scrapbooking kits for one of my classes, then I headed to the scrapbook store for a crop and book club. A much needed break.

Monday: We have finally gotten into a pretty good rhythm getting to gymnastics, although I am still struggling to keep the Dandelion occupied/contained. In the afternoon we went to the Y for their Monster Crafts class. It is the one special Monday seminar that includes 2 year olds, and I thought it would be fun for the Dandelion. I was glad that he tried some of the art project, but he lost interest pretty quickly. I really hope he grows out his short attention span!


Tuesday: First Little Readers Book Club, then a little shopping. I went to Goretti's to stock up on chicken - $1.98/lb every Tuesday. Our last stop was the farm for our veggies.

Wednesday: I finally made it to walking group - yay! Then we were off to make Origami Cranes at a playgroup. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed origami as a kid. The Tumbleweed had dance in the afternoon and the Dandelion was actually tolerable during class. Unfortunately, his karate class was canceled - he might have been a better mood this week.


Thursday: After gymnastics we headed to the Millbury Library picnic - lots of fun, friends & free food. My only regret is that I didn't take the time to let the Dandelion go on the fire truck (or "red bus" as he called it --- I was so thrilled that he got the color right, we have been working on learning colors). Next time.

Friday: A busy morning. We headed out early for walking group, then up to Kohl's & Target for back-to-school clothes shopping and we finished up at the playground with the MOMS Club. It was great to find a new playground - and the kids had a blast. In the evening the Eagle took the kids out to dinner while I stayed home and scrapbooked. I am finally feeling creative again.

Outside Kohl's

At Treasure Land

Rollercoaster

Life with a two year old has it's ups & downs. This week has been tough. We have been struggling at dinnertime to get the Dandelion to eat anything. And I do mean anything.

Every night, the Dandelion comes running in yelling "dinnertime" and climbs into his chair with enthusiasm. But as soon as he is buckled & pushed into the table he wants to get down and "go play". He yells, he kicks, he throws his fork, he throws his food, he takes off his socks & shoes, even asks to go to "Time Out". Anything but actually eat.

Sometimes I blame this on the rest of his eating habits for the day - big lunch, late snack, big drink before dinner... but this week we have eliminated all of these things and it hasn't helped. He still won't even pick up the food on his plate and he certainly doesn't put it in his mouth to taste it. [so far this week he has refused hot dogs, pasta and steak - all of which he has eaten at some point].

I do think he is hungry. But I think he is throwing a tantrum because he only wants to eat yogurt (last month it was rolls), and he is testing to see how quickly he can get us to give up and give him yogurt. Well we haven't done that, and he has sat at the table until after everyone else has finished. Then he has gone to bed (upset, but he is always upset about bedtime).

Right now I feel like he is never going to "get it".

---

Speaking of getting it... he has several new phrases that he likes to use - some of which he uses correctly, some he is clueless about. All of them are pretty cute & funny.

"I di i fuwst" - he definitely doesn't know what first means, as he will say this when he hasn't even done anything.

"That no bear" - [That's no fair] - he has been saying this all the time for about a week, I don't think life can be unfair all the time, right?

"I duper duper MAD"- sometimes he uses this correctly, but it almost always makes me laugh.

"Don't you dare that" - I think he knows what this one means, and he usually says it to the Tumbleweed when she is doing something she shouldn't. His first form of tattling, I suppose.


So he is speaking his mind and testing his limits --- and we are dealing with it. Such is life with a two year old.

Soccer Mom Shoulder

I think I have a new condition. After several days of my shoulder bugging me, I finally think I can attribute it to something... My right shoulder hurts from passing out food & drinks to the kids in the car. Oh the aches in pains of a soccer mom*.

Now it is not new that I pass food to the kids in the car (hence the messy car), but I think that after the last clean-out (two weeks ago), I think I might have moved the Dandelion's seat back an inch or two --- which means it is slightly more of a stretch to hand him snacks & drinks. Thus the new pain in my shoulder.

Tomorrow morning I am going to move his seat up a bit and see if it helps.

---

*side note:
definition - The phrase soccer mom broadly refers to a middle-class suburban woman who spends a significant amount of her time transporting her school-age children to their sporting events or other activities. She is sometimes portrayed in the media as busy and driving a minivan.

...well, my kids aren't exactly "school aged" and my car isn't technically a mini-van, but otherwise I guess that sums up my life pretty well.

To fix or not to fix

That is the question.

"It bwoken, Mommy." "Not wookin." "Fi sit." I seem to hear these words a lot. Whether it is a crayon that has snapped in half, a toy with dead batteries, or a tiara that has been stepped on, there is always something that is broken. Sometimes the solutions are easy ... a broken crayon is now two crayons and I can replace the batteries (provided I want the toy to make noise again).

But then there are the other toys. Whether they require hot glue, careful taping or sewing I stick them up out of the way. They seem to be piling up on the mantle these days. Should I just throw them away? Maybe. Is it worth repairing them? Sometimes. Do the kids miss them when they have been on the mantle for a while? Mostly, no. Would they be crushed if I threw them away? Mostly, yes.

I suppose one of these days I will actually plug in the hot glue gun and fix them, but for now I have an ever growing pile of magic wands, tiaras, pop-up books and necklaces. It will be like Christmas when they are all fixed.

They don't make toys like they used to!

How I Spent My Summer Vacation - Week 6

Week of July 25, 2009

Theme of the Week: Thinking Local. This week we have been trying to experience things in our town and the neighboring towns --- both while visiting my parents and back at home --- along the way we had lots of fun with family and friends.

Saturday: Day Two of our visit to Grandma & Grandpa's. The kids went with Grandpa and I to Lowe's for a free "Built & Grow" Workshop where we built "hodotoders" [helicopters]. In the afternoon we went to see Great Grandma Mickie at the lake, where the kids had an awesome time playing in the water, throwing rocks, and watching the ducks.

Sunday: On the road again. We spent the morning at Grandma & Grandpa's, playing in the yard. The Tumbleweed enjoyed brushing the cats and picking vegetables, while the Dandelion loved climbing on the tractor and running around the yard. We got on our way around 1:00, but took a detour through the new Wegman's before leaving town.

Monday: Back to "normal", if there really is a normal during the summer. The Tumbleweed had gymnastics in the morning and we headed to a MOMS Club pool party in the afternoon. The kids had a great time in the water and even I didn't mind going in because it was a HOT day.

Tuesday: A day with no plan. Hard to believe, isn't it?!? What did we end up doing? We went to Walmart... not exactly fun, but I did get started on my back-to-school shopping and was motivated to finally organize the kids drawers when I got home. After naptime we went to the farm to pick up our veggies --- and then home to cook some for dinner. Yum.

Wednesday: A "here, there & everywhere" kind of day. We started by heading to the Dandelion's first karate class - only to find out that it was canceled due to lack of enrollment. I wasn't pleased, but they were able to place him in another session later that day. We killed some time by heading blueberry picking and stopping at the scrapbook store. Then it was off to picnic at the park with our MOMS Club friends. We left the park sweaty and covered in sunscreen & sand and still had to head to dance and back for the other karate class. Phew - I think that was a little too much for one day.












Thursday: We headed to gymnastics and then stopped at one of the local farms to pick up veggies for dinner on our way to a friend's house for a playdate. The kids had an absolute blast, eating cupcakes and putting on a talent show. A really fun afternoon. We did some more experimenting with veggie recipes at dinner and I headed to bed at 8:30... boy, I was tired.

Friday: The rain returned just in time for us to head to the town concert series, and while it was great to have a rain location, we were totally drenched going in and coming out. I'll be lucky if my shoes dry by Monday! But the music was great :)

Adventures in Cooking - Grilling, plus dessert

With summer finally here we have another option when cooking dinner - the grill... at least when it decides not to rain. We have gotten a little more creative lately, trying a few new recipes which were quite good.

Spinach Salad with Grilled Ham and Peaches
from Everyday with Rachael Ray, August 2009


* Two 1-inch-thick slices crusty bread (I used 2 hot dog rolls)
* 1 pound boneless ham steak
* 3 peaches, halved
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 3/4 pound baby spinach

1. Preheat a grill to medium-high. Brush the bread, ham and peaches with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange on the grill and cook, turning once, until the bread is slightly charred and the peaches are softened, about 5 minutes, and the ham is slightly charred, about 8 minutes. Let cool.
2. Thinly slice the ham, cut the peaches into thick wedges and cut the bread into large cubes.
3. In a large salad bowl, combine the spinach, ham and peaches. Top with the croutons and your favorite dressing (the magazine had a dressing recipe, but it was easier to use what we had in the fridge).


Onion-basil grilled vegetables
modified from Taste of Home "Fun Food" issue
We made this to use some CSA veggies we had on hand and some corn I picked up at a local stand. The original recipe had potatoes and green & red peppers (and used the whole soup packet).
* 3 medium ears of corn, cut in half
* 1 cup carrots, baby sized or cut up into 2" pieces
* 1 bunch scallions
* 1/2 envelope onion soup mix
* 1 T basil
* 1 T olive oil
* 1/4 t pepper
* 1 T butter

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except butter. Toss to coat. Place on double thickness of heavy duty foil. Dot with butter. Fold foil around vegetable mixture and seal tightly.
2. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 25-30 minutes, turning once.


Note: I didn't actually do the grilling myself, but I did find the recipes and prepare the ingredients :)


Mini Cherry Pies
from Everyday with Rachael Ray, August 2009
These came out awesome. I've never made my own pie filling before, but this was delicious. I'll definitely do it again --- magazine had all kinds of different fruit fillings.


* 1 1/2 pounds cherries, stemmed and pitted
* 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch
* 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
* Keebler mini-crusts
* Whipped Cream

1. In a large bowl, toss the fruit with the sugar, lemon juice and corn starch.
2. In a heavy, medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the fruit mixture and bring to a boil, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
3. Spoon into crusts and serve with whipped cream.

Things Change

It is strange to think back to the things that were once a part of your everyday life and realize that they are completely different. The kids and I went to my parents for the weekend, and despite the fact that we visit a few times every year, it seemed like a lot of things have changed while I wasn't looking.

As we drove around town, I noticed lots of things that are different... They had removed one playground and had completely remodeled another (making it MUCH better). We stopped into the library, and while it was mostly as I remembered it, it won't be for long - they are going to be building a brand new library over the next two years. Thankfully Dipper Dan's (the local ice cream place) is exactly the same, but across the street what was once corn fields is now home to a bank, pharmacy, brewery, Family Dollar store and there is more going in.

At home (where my parents have lived since I was 1) the most noticeable change is that my parents had to take down the cherry tree that was outside my bedroom window growing up. The house looks different from the front for sure, but I think the thing that seemed the strangest to me was looking out of the bedroom window and not seeing it. We will miss it though --- it was great for taking pictures under. The Eagle & I had our engagement photos taken there - as were our first communion photos and various other special occasions through the years.

The other notable thing that has been gone for years but I didn't realize until this trip, was the hook & eye that was on the screen door to the garage while we were growing up. Since we were little my parents have gotten air conditioning in the house and keep the doors closed on the hot days in the summer, but I still recall the days when all of the windows & doors were open in the house with the breeze blowing through was the only way to cool off. We could have used that hook to keep the Dandelion inside a few times this weekend!

[Insert flashback to the days of the gravel driveway, a swingset in the back yard, two Astro minivans and Cricket & Scooter]

Despite all of the things that have changed, some things are just as I remember them... the falls are still falling, the fire trucks are all yellow, there are white lines on the sides of all the roads, and people still drink 'pop'.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation - Week 5

Week of July 18, 2009

Theme of the week: Back to Basics. This week we spent a lot of time around the house doing projects & playing outside.

Saturday: Project day. I had high hopes for the day, but in the end I started more things than I finished. The kids had lots of fun outside playing in the sprinkler pool & water table. We had an awesome grilled dinner (from the recent Rachael Ray magazine) out on the deck.

Sunday: Another day of projects --- cleaning out my car, weeding the garden, laundry... The Eagle occupied the kids much of the day so I could get things done - the Tumbleweed got to ride her bike at the track while the Dandelion napped. Later they returned the pop bottles to the grocery store and then got to play in the bouncy house to tire them out before bed.

Monday:
A haircut for the Tumbleweed before gymnastics, then grocery shopping. In the afternoon we went to one of the special summer events at the Y --- Alice in Wonderland Tea Party. It was very cute! The Dandelion was back to his old tricks, not wanting to stay in child watch. Looks like we have to start over with that now that he is in the 2 year old room.

Tuesday: Rain. We headed to Pump It Up for their open play - boy is it crowded in the summer! Both kids also got to work on their new summer workbooks, which are a favorite rainy day activity. The Tumbleweed particularly enjoys workbook time and the Dandelion doesn't want to be left out, so I got him one too!

Wednesday: Movie Time, Take #2. We did much better this time, but it still wasn't easy. Dance class also went better. That is, the Dandelion did much better in the waiting room. I finally got a good picture!

Thursday: Crazy beyond crazy day! We went to an open house at a new place that the Dandelion could go to "school" at in the fall (they have a toddler drop off program to help bridge to preschool). Then gymnastics & home for lunch & packing, then off to the Farmer's Market with the MOMS Club. Then we hit the road for a trip to Grandma & Grandpa's house.

Friday: Around Honeoye Falls. I took the kids to some of the places I went as a kid - the Mendon Public Library & Dipper Dan's (we attempted the playground, but it started to pour). We also went to visit both Grandma & Grandpa's work.

Massive Undertaking

Given:
A - Kids make messes.
B - Kids ride in the car.

If A and B are both true, what is the probability that the car is messy? 100%

It isn't really a secret that my car has that "lived-in" look. Okay, it is a disaster most of the time. This afternoon I finally had time to clean it out. I literally took everything out, including the car seats, and vacuumed and wiped the surfaces. In the end, I had a full trash bag and an overflowing laundry basket of "stuff" that had moved in and taken up residence in my car.

Among the squatters...

5 hats
3 soccer balls
4 Lightning McQueen cars (poor Sally was getting lonely in the house!)
11 books (not counting coloring books)
8 shoes - all the Dandilion's
13 socks - only 2 pairs (no wonder I have a bunch of socks without partners)
5 bouncy balls - probably from all of the birthday party goody bags that never made it into the house.
31 crayons - including 6 broken ones
1 school of crunched goldfish crackers - we had a big spill last week

So those things - and a bunch of other stuff - have been sent back to their rightful homes and my car is at least 25lbs lighter (more if you count the fact that I had the double jogger in the car and haven't put it back yet).


Now, how do I teach the kids not to turn an empty bag of crackers over and shake the crumbs out to prove that they are gone?

Butterflies & Wildweeds

Mid-July Garden Report:
Back in the spring I planted a big package of wildflower seeds that were supposed to attract butterflies. While the bed is full of greenery, it is mostly weeds & crabgrass. The few flowers that did come in don't seem like the type that will be attracting butterflies. This weekend I set out to weed the wildflower bed and plant another packet of seeds. I don't know if the new seeds will come in any better, but I consider the weeding work a success because I was able to capture this photo while I was in the garden...


Elsewhere in the garden, the Hollyhocks are blooming despite a terrible case of "rust". My first tomato has ripened, but has also been affected by the slugs :(. There are 4 more left on the vine - hopefully they will make it. And... my strawberry plants had babies! So far it looks like I will now have 7 strawberry plants (I had 2 this year).