Summer Bucket List

 

I've never made an official Summer Bucket List.

So, here goes:

1. Take a road trip.
2. Take swim lessons.
3. Visit two of the city's pools.
4. Paint.
5. Blow bubbles.


6. Go to an ice cream shop.
7. Go to the beach.
8. Fly on an airplane.
9. See a parade.
10. Go to the zoo.

11. Go to an aquarium.
12. Go to the park.
13. Go on a nature scavenger hunt.
14. See the summer kid movies: Monsters University, Turbo, and Despicable Me 2.
15. Attend Vacation Bible School.

16. Eat sno cones.
17. Play outside in the sprinkles.
18. Play outside in the evening in jammies. Look for fireflies.
19. See fireworks.
20. Have a picnic at the pool.

21. Eat s'mores.
22. Go to the public library story time.
23. Have a pool party.
24. Play with glow sticks.
25.  Go to Sea World.

What are your favorite childhood summertime memories?

One of those days...

Ever have one of THOSE days?
The days where nothing is easy.
The day begins long before any alarm is due to go off.
The baby wakes up at 1:00am for no apparent reason, other than to just be wide awake and ready to babble talk to you and jump in her crib.
At 3:00 you hear your preschooler cry out, "Moooo-meeeeeee?"
So you tell yourself it MUST be important, so you drag your lead legs out of the duvet tumble and stumble down the hall to his room.
He is sitting up straight, waiting with a smile.
"What's up, buddy?" you ask.
"I love you and the best part of my day today was digging in the wood chips." he says.
Ummmm, he woke you up for that?
But it's so sweet and innocent so you hug him and stumble back to bed.
You go to work, where of COURSE nothing is Easy.
You rush to the daycare to pick them up, and head to the grocery store.
With two kids. At 5:30pm. Hell hour to be in a grocery store.
But they beg for the "race car" shopping cart.
And you hope it will give you Peace as you shop.
But, if you've ever driven one, you KNOW it will drive like anything BUT a race car.
Strangers in the store roll their eyes and sigh as you take wide turns to get out of every aisle.
You inwardly sigh (because you're busy being a role model and remembering the list you left at home AGAIN, and because you don't want a Scene) because people are standing in your way.
And Hell-o! This is a tank I'm driving people, I didn't WANT to drive it, but they made me drive it. And two tantrums would have been more than I can handle.
So......Move it!
You get all the groceries home, finally.
After fighting rush hour traffic to just turn left on the one street that will take you home.
As you unload the groceries you put the beer in the fridge so hubs will have a pleasant surprise.
You decide to open that little flap thing so they'll be more accessible.
Easy access in case of emergency is a must.
All the sudden all 12 beers roll out of the easy access opening and onto the garage floor.
So you lose it.
And yell, "Why is nothing Easy?! Please God, let it be Easy!"
Then your preschooler approaches you.
And says, "Mommy, why are you mean?"
And you cringe, but you recover, so you say "I  was pretending to be the Hulk, did you like it?"
He cocks his head, looks you up and down and says, "I like it!!"
Then he runs away laughing.
I think God listens.
Thank you, God.
10 seconds of Grace.
I'll take it.

 

Fourth of July

I love a holiday, I really do! Howevs lately I've noticed they are....um...judge me, but a BIT of a beating.  Even before kids I would feel the need to make sure we had Events. Fun Stuff. And I felt like a failure of a holiday if we didn't go out and make the most of every minute. I like to think it's because I just like to have fun and spend quality time with my people.  It also has gotten worse with the online era, Pinterest invading me with the idea that all of my friends have got it going on with fabulous family parties and DIY decor and activities. And surely, everyone must be having more fun than us. And cuter fun too.  What a buzzkill to find yourself napping on the couch. Just as you doze off into a nice daze of holiday relaxation it hits you that your mantle is a mish mash of random vase, candlesticks, and kid art instead of bunting and holiday subway art. You flip through your holiday pinboard and think "Oh yeah!!! I was going to DIY this! George Washington and John Adams would be v. disappointed at my lack of festive patriotic decor! Oh God, I'm a Bad American!"

 Hubs has no such guilt. Hubs would prefer the couch and relaxing and a good hour or two of family quiet time. Me however? I'm fighting off Pinterest Cancer. Hardcore. I don't think it's in the Bill of Rights or Ten Commandments that you must have custom made bunting, meals where every food item is color-coordinated to the holiday and has cutesy little custom-font nametags so you're eating red-white-and-blue-Betsy-Ross-blueberry-muffins and drinking your chia seed organic pomegranate Star Spangled Smoothie and then lead your family outside to play 13 Colony Cornhole, followed by your DIY pyrotechnic show. And mason jars. Everywhere.  Tons of mason jars that have been custom painted and filled with your own homegrown basil,d lavender and baby's breath. Oh, and a burlap wreath with your monogram on the front door.  All of that? Friends, that is what we call B.S.  If that is your house I'm so sad I didn't get a custom made Cricut invite to come play. Because I'd walk in and love every second and pretend to live in your little Pottery Barn life.

But if you're like me, you need to know the cure for Pinterest Cancer? A big healthy dose of Whatever.

Whatever looks like extra time in your jammies on the couch with a cup of coffee and the Today show on. Sister, you need those minutes to figure out if Matt Lauer is still sexy or if he's a royal man club ass  because jeez- who would ever want to make Ann Curry cry? Who I tell you?! THAT is life.  Because you can interrupt those internal debates with yourself to play with your kids, talk with them, answer the millions of Why's and How's. You can kiss their bare tummy and tickle their toes, because when they're fifteen you won't want to do that. At least I don't think so. I reckon they will still be cute, and you will still love them so much it hurts. But they're be smelly.

So instead, you wake up, you look at your husband and appreciate  him them. You swallow your Whatever with your coffee, and appreciate how green your grass is. THEN wake up the kids and let them have good ol' fashioned fun. Donuts on the side of the road? Yes. Playing catch with Daddy so you can sip your water and play Candy Crush as you wait for the parade to start. Bubbles, chalk, poppers, playing catch, Capri Sun, and glow sticks. That's fun. That's life. That's Keeping It Real.  And the kids will never miss the mason jars. Or baby's  breath. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Sunflowers

We had heard there were huge fields of sunflowers in north Dallas, so my  mom and I took the kids to go check them out last week.  Sure enough, as we drove north on 75  we could see the glowing, golden field.  It was immediately breathtaking.   

We parked and walked the little Lambies up in their little red wagon.  It was so cool to see just how lush the field was up close.  Aren't sunflowers the happiest plant?  They were gorgeous. They also attracted about 2 bees per flower, but whatevs.  I held Cade and we squatted down to watch one bee explore a flower. We talked about how the bees wouldn't  hurt us because they were searching for their food. I'm always more brave around my kids than I am by myself. By myself there may have been some squealing and running away. Around the kids (and desperate to snag some sweet shots with my DLSR) I was v. courageous.

 

#iheartmycanonrebelt3i

Morning sun + trying to avoid the roofs of houses in the background + standing so the sunflowers were facing the right direction  = maje squintage y'all!

He's scared of a bee, I'm enjoying him wrapping his legs around my waist and holding me tight.
I'm always that mom who gets a pleasure from playing the hero role.
When they fall down and say "Mommy!" before asking for anyone else, I love it!
When they get their little fingers pinched in something and they come for a Momma kiss,
it makes me so happy that I can cure it!
When I can protect them from a field of thousands of quiet bees, that's right up my alley.

As I type this post Cade is coming over with a bloody boo-boo whose scab he scratched off.
Peace...

Swim Class!

I'm crazy.  I always make the first two weeks of summer super high pressure on myself by loading up on play dates on top of what SHOULD be fun, but ends up kinda obnoxiously stressful: swim class. With two kids. One of whom is in Water Babies. So that  means instead of chilling on the sidelines chatting up some new momma friends I'm in my mom suit in the water singing songs with an almost two year old who is screaming "Help me Lolliiiiiii!"

Here she is, planning an escape route before class.
And that smug mug next to her would be big bro. Who today told her, "I'm a better swimmer than you." in that totally whiny bragger's voice. Like any momma worried about her kid turning into an egomaniacal DB I tell him calmly, "That's not nice, she's smaller than you!" And he says (in the most serious, non-whiny voice), "But I'm a superstar swimmer. Superstar."   Checkmate.


So the first week she went from screaming and crying to softly sobbing to whimpering, but doing all the moves and "skills" and songs through it all. We've since been to our fave public pool repeatedly and she's had a blast and been a totally different kid. So today, the last day of class, it was so amazing to see that smile and show off my fun little sweetheart. (See, she's not a depressive water-phobic-momma-clinger!! I told you!)

All smiles for Grammie. Perhaps my all time favorite pic of the child.
Shout out to Janie & Jack for the amaze swimsuits. $25 for an SPF 50 UVA and UVB protectant fabric swimsuit (that just happens to totally match her nursery colors AND have multiple ruffles). AND not be a skanky little toddler triange-top bikini or halter tankini with sequins on the chest. Rant over. That was a mild one considering my true thoughts on inappropriate clothes for kids.

Big bro did significantly better. Last year he cried and cried the first two days of swimming class. This year he was all about it. He can swim about 15 feet by himself, from a step or jumping from the side. So, he IS momma's superstar, just as long as he doesn't go around bragging about it. Jeez kid.

When he got his swim certificate today he was quietly looking at it for awhile. Grammie asked him if he was sad and he said "No, this is really special. This is my special certificate."  He melts me. I hope he never loses that sweet side. He's tough and silly and a little badass and a lot sweet. Great mix that kid. I need to remember to thank God for using all the colors when he  made this masterpiece.

 

Flutterby, my butterfly!

Last weekend we took a trip to Collin Creek Mall to the Kiwani's Club butterfly exhibit. We met our friends, Amy & Audrey, for our now second annual Mother's Day play date with the monarchs. Devyn was tentative, she desperately wanted to see the butterflies but she did NOT want them to be close to her. Momma's little diva.

They have tons of pretty flowers with hundreds of butterflies floating around a white tent in the middle of the mall.  For $6 for adults and $2 for kids it was totally worth it!  You get a Q-tip of what I thought was magic butterfly nectar, but my mom later told me it was Gatorade.  Turns out the little flutterbys loved some red Gatorade. And blonde hair.

 

My mom and I talked about it the other day. Something like this isn't an activity every 30-something girl runs out to do on their weekends, but to see that look on the kids' faces as they got to hold a butterfly and feel its delicate wings... that's the magic.

Grammie was the butterfly whisperer. They loved her! 
And butterflies loved my blonde lambies.

 

Momma Review:

Dates: This annual event typically runs for one week in May around Mother's Day. This year the dates are May 11-19th from 10-6pm, Sundays from 12-6pm.

Cost: $6 adults, $3 children. Click here for a link to a coupon: http://collincreekmall.com/sales-events

Pros: The event raises money for the Kiwanis Club which does local charity and philanthropy. It's great for families and the elderly. It is wheelchair accessible, but you have to park your larger strollers outside the tent. The cost is reasonable. There are other activities, you can buy a chrysalis and watch butterflies hatch at home. There's also face painting and other butterfly related gifts. The mall also has the Spiderwalk which kids 5+ seem to really love.

Cons:  Little kids may be frightened of the butterflies. Or they may attempt to pick up the butterflies with their hands or smash them.  So, if you know you've got a rough little one make sure to watch them closely!

 

4 year old interview

1. Who is your favorite person in the whole world?
Daddy

2. What is your favorite color?
Black

3. What's your favorite television show?
Dark Knight Batman

4. What's your favorite outfit?
Batman clothes

5. What sport do you like best?
Angry Birds soccer

6. What song do you love?
Batman song and Scream & Shout by Will.i.am & Britney Spears

7. What's your favorite cereal?
Cinnamon Toast Crunch

8. Who is your best friend?
Mommy

9. What do you want to be when you grow up?
Bruce Wayne Batman

10. What is your favorite book?
Batman book

11. What are you really good at?
Doing fighting
(Mommy note: wth man?! He means pretend playing and rolling and doing stunts)

12. Where do you wish you could go on vacation?
an airplane and a beach

13. What is your best memory?
Going to a mall

14. What would you buy if you had $1000?
Big fat Batmobile toy

15. What vegetable do you hate the most?
Markers

16. If you could have a wish, what would it be?
For a lucky Batman toy

17. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Batman ice cream

18. Who is your biggest hero?
Bruce Wayne Batman

19. What do you like to do best with your friends?
Fighting bad guys

20. What do you hope you'll get to do before your next birthday?
Play soccer


Momma Notes:   I wrote exactly what he said. Clearly you can see we had no choice but to do a Batman birthday party.  Of course, since then in the past month he's fallen in love with Iron Man, Captain  America Iron Man, Blue Beetle (ummm I dunno where he got that one), and Hulk. And Transformers.

I don't know exactly what kind of thug life preschool gang my chid is involved in. But they fight bad guys, they are NOT the bad guys, so that's important to note.

Rocketeer!

This weekend we met some friends at an undisclosed rocket launch pad somewhere in the city...
My friend's husband had a stash of rockets and they'd scoped out the perfect place to launch them. They even wore their family Batman shirts since four year old Brucewaynebatman would be there. Awesomely sweet. And of course, someone came home from spending the night at Lolli and Papa's the night before convince that today he was Blue Beetle.  DC? Marvel? Who the F is Blue Beetle?! This kid asks me every day, "Mommy, can I be _____ today?" (Fill in the blank with Batman, Raphael (ninja turtle), or Optimus Prime). I, of course, say yes... (Apparently I have authority on granting superpowers?) And he says "Thank you Mommy!!!"  with a huge grin. So today, he wore Batman but he told me he's really Blue Beetle.

As we pulled up to the field, he says "Hey guys -- Are we gonna get busted?"
Get busted?!  Wait, who brought the beer? Busted?!
And why does my preschooler even know about 'busted'?
We assured him no, we wouldn't be busted. We're just scientists, doing an experiment.
Then we taught him about keeping on the DL.          psych.

That morning I may have been a tad excited.
So excited that I used my special black glitter paper and made official Rocket Club badges.
A Cricut may or may not have been involved. As well as chevron print ribbon and spray adhesive.
I thought it was pretty rad to give the kids spaceage names like Blast, Zoom, Zap, Whizz, and Zeee.
Only Cade wanted an official rocket badge.
The girls would have no part of it.
Upon later reflection I realized that for 3-8 year old girls you really need to have pink, purple, and teal for it to even be a consideration. And bling. And a necklace instead of a safety pin. Um hello?? What was I thinking?! So disappointed... I've got the boy mama thing down-ish.... Now I've got to work my inner girly girl.
Thanks, little man. For wanting the badge. For being "Blast" and being excited about it.
For making momma not feel like a huge loser.

Anyways, they launched all the rockets and each time they let out a fun loud noise and some steam.
The kids would then take off and run through the field to chase the parachute.

 

We may or may not still be a man down.
One half of one of the chutes is in someone's backyard. Sorry 'boutcha.
We tried to notify you. ish... And pray for a strong wind to knock it down.
With recent current events we understand it's not exactly a good sign to find a part of a toy rocket in your backyard. It looks a wee suspicious, but it's a child's toy. Promise. Can we get it back before you call the FBI? Nevermind.

It's always a playdate plus when the dads can be involved (AKA run the show) and the mommas can sit back and chat and pass out goldfish.
It's also a plus when your fellow momma brings Legit Goldfish.
I agree, the organic kind is better for you. It's also 3x the cost. And Goldfish are a staple to my American childhood and thus my children's too. So where does this fit in exactly in my "Cool Friendly Momma" checklist??  Last summer at a friend's neighborhood pool some chicks spotted my friend's organic gold-bunnies deals. These moms went on and on and on about how how could anyone POSSIBLY feed their flesh and blood all the chemicals and cheddar and arsenic or whatever they belive is bad about Goldfish. My friend nodded as these girls babbled their schpeil, then she said "Oh, these aren't the real Goldfish? My mother-in-law bought them for us." I wanted to high-five, fist-bump, hell chest-bump her. So bad A, no?   Meanwhile I was slipping my kids the real deal along with some rainbow Cheerios and praying that they didn't catch me "poisoning" America's youth.  Thus, Goldfish became another gold-star for any potential Mommy friends.
Respect. Keeping It Real.
Fighting the Good Fight.
Real Goldfish.

Peace.

Wordless Wednesday