I love the school pictures that the kids bring home every year from school. Those backdrops and poses are kind of a right of passage, aren't they? I had some doozies - complete with the Dorothy Hamill hair cut and wide collared jacket! It was the 70's, that's my only defense.

What I don't love about school pics is the price however. It's a little high, especially when you have multiple kids' pictures to order. So I buy the bare minimum from school to save for posterity and take more myself.

These were for the fall. Spring portraits will be soon!

Chicks need a cute house

I think it's time to bring back this craft I did 6 years ago!

These are egg dioramas that I made with a balloon and paper maché, kind of how you would make a pinata, only much smaller. After the balloon dried, I just cut a hole in the egg and outfitted their house with moss, and some little doll house items and embellished with crepe paper. The chandelier in the last picture is one of my earrings that I was keeping in hopes of finding the match but I never did, so it was re-purposed this way.

The kids loved them and they hung them off the light over the dining room table at Easter. While layering the paper strips, I added a wire so that they could easily be hung. I may even make some for the shop this time!

Linking to Nifty Thrifty Things
Chic on a Shoestring
The Dedicated House

In the blink of an eye they grow

When Charley was born the nurse said, "Look at all that dark hair" but after she cleaned her up and brought her to me, the nurse said, "She's not dark haired, she's a blonde!" and handed her to me.

I cradled her in my arms, thinking about how good it felt to be resting with her and reviewing the past few hours of our journey together and how quickly she came into the world. I studied her face, taking note of the little bruise on her nose, and how she had the same stork bite I did. Her big eyes were dark and alert and then I noticed the coloring of her face. I thought that it looked more like my skin tone and then thought, "Wait a minute" and pulled back her cap. I knew it. Smiling, I whispered to her, "You're a red head."

Happy 20th!

A few life lessons learned in Softball

We're finally done with baseball and softball. I loved the season but I'm ready for a little time away from having to get kids to practice, often at the same time and across town from each other. Blair really did a great job in softball. Her coach took me aside and told me how much they appreciated her being so teachable. I really appreciated hearing that and it got me thinking about the season and what our take-away was from it.

3 Things:

The first thing is what the coach said, being teachable. It's a valuable life lesson. Being able to take direction and learning how to work with others will translate in any setting whether it's in school, sports, careers or just being a decent human being.

Because it was her first try at softball, she was a little hesitant and a bit nervous. She felt that everyone was ahead of her in skills. While that may have been true, I encouraged her to get out there with a positive attitude and reminded her that practice was the only real difference. If she was consistent in her practice, she would improve quickly and her determination would catch the coaches' eye. I think we can all be like that. We're looking at the person next to us, thinking that their skills might be stronger than ours. Sometimes they are and that's ok but we all have areas of strength. The only difference is in the area but we're equal in strength.

And the most important thing gained on the field this year was her confidence. I liked seeing her get ready for her game with determination and making sure all of her equipment was in check. She hustled out to the field in such a way that we told her brother his team could learn a thing or two from watching the girls. She quickly became picked for an in-field position on 2nd base due to quick feet and quick thinking. Did she make some errors? Absolutely. But she started out afraid of the ball and in the end, ran up on it, trying to control the play rather than letting it control her. I love seeing that drive in girls! Those goals being accomplished over a short amount of time really boosts their confidence and they take what they learn and apply it to the next thing. And so it just continues and becomes stronger.

We love #42 around here - paying homage to the great Jackie Robinson.

Blair (right) running up on the ball to throw to 1st 

  Adjusting the visor

 

The last huddle

Mom, tell me a story

At bedtime my two youngest always ask for a story about when I was little. It seems I struggle a bit more these days than I used to in recalling stories from my past. They try to jog my memory by saying, "Remember the story when you hit that girl?" I tell them adamantly that I did not hit a girl. "I have never hit another human being, ever. I chucked a snowball at her face, yes, and I was mad at her, but I didn't hit her hit her. And she would've killed me had she gotten a hold of me. Luckily we became friends and laughed about it years later."

Then they go on, "Remember when you fell off your horse and landed on your back on a cow pie?"
"Yep, I remember that clearly. There was a big splat." I say as I bring the covers up and tuck them around their shoulders.
"Or how about the time you were in a greased pig contest?"
"I told you that one? Yeah, I almost had him. I doubt if we'd do that today. Probably not nice for the pigs."
"Or when you use to go haying with your dad and get a milkshake and sit on the hay bales on the truck?"
"I like the one about the goat trying to eat your name tag on your first grade field trip, when the name tag was still around your neck and your mom got into a tug of war with him."

That memory made me laugh out loud. I could still see my mom's face as she wrestled with the goat to get the name tag out of his mouth. She said to me, "Goats like to chew on anything!" as I was becoming nose-to-nose with him.

And that's where they got me to tell another story, drudged up from the vault of memories.

Moments like this remind me that putting down the fairy tale book in favor of a story about when you were young can make for some great storytelling. And I like to think that my kids can more easily envision me when I was like them.

All five of my lovelies with me and Jon in the background talking with Belén's grandpa-in-law

Happy New Year!

I'm recommitting myself to a few things in this New Year - one being this blog. 

The rest will reveal themselves.

Until then, Happy New Year from me to you!

The beginning of the season

I love October. 

That's when the leaves really change around here. One year it was so warm they didn't change until November. That wasn't a great year for foliage. But this year should be brilliant. For me, October is like my Spring, a renewal, where I spruce up the house, go through the kids' closets and try to get organized, I said try. 

I think I've always looked at this month that way because my church's semi-annual world General Conference is held in October and listening to the talks tend to give me a push in a direction I need.

Another thing I love is that there are so many festivals! Over the weekend we went to our back to school festival at a ranch not far from my house. The kids and I enjoyed a s'mores fire pit, horseback riding and a hay ride. It was really simple, just the way I think kids' events should be. I realized I didn't take many photos until it was too late but you get the idea.

Perfect size horse

This horse was big. I didn't ask but I'm guessing 17 hands?

I love Longhorns! I always enjoyed seeing them when we lived in The Texas Hill country
 and now I can see them right here in PA. 

Junior Rangers - US National Park program for kids

There are over 84 million acres of treasured places in The United States of America, They are our national parks and are waiting to be enjoyed. If you're doing any traveling this summer, you may be surprised at just how close you might be to a National Park or historic site. There are over 400 of them! So if you want to see any (which I highly recommend!) and you have children or grandchildren with you, there is a great program for them called The Junior Rangers. 

It's an activity based program where kids complete some easy tasks during a park visit, tell what they learned to a park ranger, be sworn in as a junior ranger, and receive a badge and certificate. They make it super easy. I love these types of things! I remember many road trips when I was young where we explored a historic site or took in a national park while we were traveling in the area. Sometimes they didn't seem as interesting as another but it always made for lasting memories. I think a program like this would've made it even better.

There is also an online program called Web Rangers that my kids do so they can receive badges when we're not traveling to a park. The park service will actually mail you a badge.

Because we live so close to the DC area, we're able to visit fairly often. So last year during the Cherry Blossom festival my kids were sworn in as Junior Rangers after completing three fun craft activities. I don't have the photos with me but will do a photo update when I do. This is what that badge looks like.

And now since we are in Arkansas for work, we are able to visit Hot Springs National Park all the time. So once again, we have some more badges. I wish I had started collecting them earlier since we have been to quite a few historical places and parks in our 22 years as a family. We'll just have to retrace our steps.

If you're like me when you hear the words "National Park," you automatically think of the iconic, maybe more beloved ones of our country, like the top 10 visited in 2014:

Great Smokey Mountains

The Grand Canyon

Yellowstone

Yosemite

Rocky Mountain

Olympic

Zion

Grand Teton

Acadia 

Glacier

They had a staggering 70 million visitors! But there are so many other places that you can take in where you or your children can have the park experience, like the Edgar Allen Poe Natl. Historical site in Philadelphia, Charles Pickney in SC, Ellis Island, Gettysburg, Golden Spike in Utah, The Badlands of SD, Golden Gate Recreation area in CA, Fort Clatsop in Astoria, Fort Vancouver in WA (went both places on field trips and that's where we grew up watching fireworks on the 4th!) There are just too many to list.
So don't worry if you're not in an area with one of the more 'famous' parks. There are just as many interesting and beautiful places to discover and maybe a little more accessible and away from crowds. And to make it easy for you to find one, Here is a list of the participating parks for JRs and also free entrance dates by state! Free is always a plus.

If you find a park near you and have the kids sworn in, let me know!

Have a great day

Love,
L

Yosemite 1994

sharing at The Happy Housie

An teen's article on thrifting and a throwback picture.

 

High school newspapers have come a long way since I was in school. They are filled with well-written and insightful, current topics that are important to teens. I always like reading the paper when my kids bring it home because of that.

 

My daughter showed me her recent article on thrift shopping and I was really impressed with her work, and also that she gave props to her old mom! I like how she points out that in 2011, 4.2 million people were served through the Goodwill. Donations and purchases help their mission. It really is a win-win situation.

 

When the song, "I'm gonna pop some tags" came out, Charley said, "Now everyone's asking me for my thrift shop sources! Before they couldn't believe where I got my stuff." She has a knack for scoring vintage clothes. One of my girls' favorite thing to do is raid my stash of 80's concert t-shirts.

Think George Michael's 'Faith' Tour 1989! Yup.

 

.

 

And for a throwback picture, here's Jon and me at 17. I'm wearing my mom's 1950's dress and Jon is wearing the sweater I bought him for Christmas. After searching the mall for the right dress and not finding anything I liked, my mom suggested I try on one of her dresses. This was a party dress that my mom had her bridesmaids wear. She bought one for herself as well.

 

On the back is an attached train and the way the fabric folds over the dress at the waist it creates kind of a pocket. You can kind of see it in the picture. I remember slow dancing with my friend Shane this night and he said, "I like your dress. It keeps my hands warm!" Funny the things we remember. I also remember getting my wisdom teeth out just a few days before the dance so my face was still swollen. Uhg, the timing!

 

Nice small school, budget backdrop by the way, and hair styles...but the dress, it was awesome. 

 

When I sold off much of my mom's personal belongings, a movie set designer/photographer came and bought some furniture and asked if I had dresses but I couldn't part with them. I let him have a few hats instead because I hope the dresses make it back to a dance some day.

 

I'm so glad the weekend is here, aren't you? Have a great one!

 

xo

Laura

Friday Finds and a week of Randoms

Good intentions to get a bunch of stuff done went down the drain when...

I received a call just as I was about to bite into my chicken Roburrito and was asked to speak in church this Sunday. So all week I have only been thinking, researching and writing about the subject I have been asked to tackle. I have to start this process right away because it seems that all of the thoughts in my head don't formulate and flow the way I'd like until it's crunch time. So today is crunch time. I've been practicing my talk while I am standing at the sink doing the dishes or folding clothes and then something new will come to me so I have to add, omit and re-work the whole topic. It'll come together somehow.

**************

Speaking of Roburritos, we have found a new favorite. They have about 20 sauces to choose from to put on your burrito. Oh yum.

**************

Reese took 3rd place in his division at the Pinewood Derby. He was so happy about that. We were very happy for him.

**************

The flu bug barely touched us, knock on wood. Charley and Reese were out for one day only. Trae had a fever for 4 days but that was it. Blair and Belén have escaped it so far. Time will tell.

**************

I went to a fun baby shower for a girl at church. I am lucky to have so many great women to be friends with and look up to. I've been lucky in every place that I have lived because there have always been these amazing women to know in each place.

**************

After the shower, a friend took me to a yarn shop and I saw the most beautiful yarn. I had no idea there were so many different weights and styles. So now I think I have to learn to knit. Afterwards we went to my favorite antique mall and I found myself an old, round wooden frame. I put it up but it looks a little drab so I see some Rub N Buff is in its future. The carving needs some highlights.

As we were cooking dinner the other night, one of the stove top burners caught on fire. I looked to see if there was something burning underneath that had fallen below but soon realized, nope, those were just flames shooting out. I was going to try to turn off the burner when sparks started flying. It seriously shot up sparks like one of those cones you light off on the 4th of July, so I had to run back. Everytime I thought it was done, I went to the stove and the sparks would fly again. Jon laughed at me flailing about. I think I lost a few lashes. The burner let out a big "pop!" and then it died. What a way to go though - in all sparks and glory! We were planning on getting a new stove anyway so the timing is good.

**************

My toes and hands are constantly cold.

**************

Oh yeah, I did manage to get to one thing - details later but me likey so far.

Have a good weekend!

 

xo

Laura

Evidence

My older girls make me laugh when they leave photographic evidence of their goofiness.

Teen-agers are the best.

Sidewalk scenes

("click" to enlarge photo.)

A lot can happen when you walk to see a parade -

finding a broken Robin's egg, cooling off with an Icee,

getting licked by a pony,

collecting candy from the parade people like it's Halloween,

stopping to play on a church playground.

I love the simple pleasures of a leisurely stroll.

I want to know - a parenting post

What do you think of people who go on and on about their kids?

The reason I ask is because I just received an e-mail about the Rotary Club essay contest and how this would be a great thing for the youth of my church to enter. The first thought in my head was, "Of course! It's a great community event, Belén placed in that a few years ago." And then the thought hit me that no one ever knew that. I guess I never said anything. And then I remembered that Charley won the Dare essay contest as well, and no one knew that either.

So the question is, when do I announce these things? (besides 3 years later here on a little blog) Or do I even need to? Am I doing them a disservice by not making a more public statement? But I know my daughters and they would absolutely say it was no big deal. So for whom am I making an announcement? Do I want people to think that my kids are really great or do I want people to think that I'm really great for having kids make these accomplishments?

Really, do those types of things matter? Am I just over thinking this all?

They are nice but we tell our kids that their actions speak louder anyway so their best accomplishment would always be that they are polite people who know how to speak with adults.

And so, those other accomplishments are just enjoyed over a molten, chocolate lava sundae, without any fanfare. I don't even think we could locate the awards anymore. I'm sure they are in a box somewhere.

BTW - I actually have some craft projects almost done! The schedule has not allowed me to get them done as quickly as I wanted but today the kids are home and I don't have to go out so much. I better get a move on!

Over dinner

"Mom, is the Chinese government evil?"

- asked by Little B from the backseat of the car as we were running errands today.

I think we should change our dinner conversations.

The everyday

I had a Friday Finds post all ready to go yesterday but one of the important pieces I still needed to photograph is missing so it'll have to wait.

So here's a recap of a few of yesterday's happenings because that is all I can think of to write. Hold on to your hats, this is exciting!

- Hung new "drapes" aka paint drop cloths. I took a step back and decided they needed to be dyed which means another trip to the laundromat since our washer is throwing a fit. I also need new rings and rods - too wimpy.

- Snuck out for sushi. A new favorite, the Rock 'n Roll, roll

- Began peeling away the bark off of the future coffee table. See how thick?

-Watched Lumberjack Jon. Enjoyed seeing those biceps hard at work.

- Made a veggie pizza piled high with artichoke hearts, grape tomatoes, basil leaves, bell peppers, mushrooms, olives, red onion and fresh mozzarella. I also made a pepperoni for the kids and watched Trae make faces at it.

I also ran 4 kids around town, grocery shopped, did the dishes, went to the bank with Jon, wrestled a 3 year-old into a shopping cart, broke-up an arguement, worked at my other job, and watched the premiere of The Office and the debate.

See, exciting, no? No, but busy.

Have a good weekend!

Life resumes - lotsa pics

It was a long work week at the fair but I can't complain, it was fun and I was able to work right alongside Belén and meet tons of people. The other kids were excited because this was the first year they got to come every night. Oh, and our office's booth won First place for best community booth!

Now that it's over, I can start cleaning the house. It looks as if 5 kids lived here alone all week, which they pretty much did. Afterwards I can resume normal blogging activities - details, thoughts, and even a little project that I did for the library. But, the house is killing me so I need to tackle it first. If you need me, I'll be buried under toys and laundry.