Miniature Golfing

Today we went miniature golfing. It's part of a new weekly routine our family is starting.....Sports Saturday. In order to keep fit and spend some quality time together as a family, we are trying different sports and activities each week. I know this is only our first week, but so far it's a good experience. So often we get bogged down in the day to day routines of life, and we don't take time to really enjoy each other. Even Sam, who never really did get the hang of swinging the club, had a great time. And we discovered that Liz is pretty good at miniature golf. Next week I think we'll try bowling.

Convicted

Shannon and the kids brought home a Snickers candy bar for me today after an outing. Knowing full well that they had all had their treats while they were out, I began to eat my Snickers bar. Sam saw me, and asked if he could have a piece. I told him no, that he had already had his treat. Sam said "God says you have to share." He got a piece.

I need to lose weight

I've known this for a while now. I'm not morbidly obese or anything, but my tummy and thighs have been growing bigger since Sam was born 4 years ago. I thought you were supposed to LOSE weight after having a baby! The clincher came tonight as I was outside talking to my neighbor. My neighbors are from a different country, and I know there are cultural differences as far as what questions are appropriate to ask. I was still flabbergasted, though, when my neighbor asked if I had gained weight! I know for sure it's time to get serious about losing the extra pounds! Now I need a specific plan. I have a membership to the YMCA, but I haven't been working out. I'm thinking about going after my husband gets home from work in the evenings, so I don't have to pay extra for childcare. Then there's my diet. It isn't horrendous, but I do need to make some changes. I think the Dr. Pepper has to go out the window, as does my coffee with extra cream and sugar. No more stops at Dutch Brothers while I'm out running errands, either. Beyond that, I have many options. Should I do the South Beach Diet? Weight Watchers? Just exercise more and count calories? (That's how my husband lost 50 lbs). Does anyone have any other thoughts? Helpful advice? Until Shannon gets back from his business trip, I guess I'll just pull out my old Walk Away the Pounds dvds.

Tags: Weight Loss, South Beach Diet, Weight Watchers, Walk Away the Pounds, exercise, diet

Mom, It's a Snake!

It may as well have been. It was the biggest slug I've ever seen!

 

Special Day with Mom

I grew up as the oldest of 4 children. Life was always pretty hectic around our house, and my brothers and I often had to compete for our parents' attention. It was especially bad during the summer, when we were all home from school and often reciting that familiar mantra "Mom, I'm bored."

One summer my mom came up with a great idea. She scheduled a babysitter for 4 days out of the summer. Then she wrote each of our names on the calendar on one of those days. That was our special day with mom. There were very few guidelines concerning that day. We each had $10 to spend anyway we wanted. We could go anywhere we wanted, as long as it was legal and moral. That was it. Oh the planning we did. My brother, Brad, decided on a matinee. Justin wanted to go to the comic book store. Charles wanted to go to the toy store.

When my day arrived, I decided to go window shopping at the mall. My mom and I looked at clothes, toys, jewelry, and knickknacks. I think my mom was thrilled to do some "girl stuff". At the end of our day, we headed over to Coco's restaurant for hot fudge Sundays! Yum!

Every summer my mom continued this tradition. And every summer my mom and I would spend the day at the mall, followed by hot fudge Sundays at Coco's. Now that my mom is getting older and is not in the best of health, it's a memory I will treasure forever. And it's a tradition I'm going to start this summer with my own children. I wonder what they'll each decide to do with a free day and $10?

This post is my entry for Scribbit's Write-Away Contest for June. For more information on the contest, click here.

Related Tags: traditions, summer, kids

Less Mess, Neat Squeeze?

That's what the label says, anyway. Apparently it doesn't apply to my son. Related Tags: Crest, Toothpaste, Kids, Mess

He hates his hair this way

I think it's cute!

He's back at work!

Shannon went back to work today, after 3 weeks of unemployment. I loved the fact that he was home to spend time with Sam, and I loved that he helped me with the housework, but I have to tell you, it is nice to be back on a regular schedule again!

Clothing Rant

My mission this morning: to find a cute, modest affordable swimsuit for Liz. She's 9 years old, and just beginning to develop. I wanted something modest that she won't be embarrassed to wear at her school's field day in a couple of weeks. I spent an hour walking the mall this morning. There were plenty of swimsuits out there. Unfortunately the modest ones were all $60 or so. The other swimsuits looked like they belonged on the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine. That made me so angry. My daughter is 9. She wears a size 8! Why is it OK in our society for a 9 year old girl to wear a bikini with a little triangle top? I want my daughter to be a girl. I don't want her to be a wanna be woman at the age of 9. As she has graduated from size 6x clothing into the 7-16 sizes, it has become harder and harder to find clothes that don't sexualize her. Fortunately she's small for her age, and it will be a while before I have to tackle the junior sizes. Finally I stopped at JCPenney in a last ditch effort to find SOMETHING. They had a bunch of cute, modest suits that were on sale! I found a cute blue one-piece in Liz's size. It even had a little skirt to go over it, making it more modest. I'm beginning to think I need to learn how to sew, so I can make her clothes from now on! Related Tags: modesty, fashion

Mmmmmmmm Good!

It's amazing how kids influence you....

I'm not a sports fan. Never have been. I'll watch the occasional football game, and I'll watch my kids' soccer games, of course. Other than that, I've never been into watching sports. Until this year. Sam received a Cars dvd for Christmas, and from the moment he first watched the movie, he was hooked on Nascar racing. He quickly learned the names of all the Nascar drivers, and instead of an allowance, he earns trips to Wal-mart to buy a little Nascar car every week. Over the weeks, as I've learned more about Nascar racing from my 4 year old, I've become more interested myself. And this afternoon, instead of reading a book or taking a nap like I normally do on Sunday afternoons, I've been spending the last 5 hours watching the Nascar Coca-Cola 600. Yes, 5 hours. Insane.

The Joy of Being 4

I was walking past Sam's room tonight, when I heard him talking. Thinking he was talking to me, I popped my head in the door and asked, "What did you say, Sam?" He replied, "I talking to mysewf!" Ah, the joy of being 4, when it's still OK to admit you talk to yourself!

The BBQ Fiasco

It's BBQ season. I look forward to it every year. Shannon cooks out on the grill, while I relax in the house. For the opening day of BBQ season this year, I decided to get a little more creative than burgers and hotdogs. I'm a big fan of Menus4Moms. In her menu for the week of May 14-18, she posted a very delicious-sounding recipe for Honey Pecan Chicken. I thought we'd give it a whirl. So, last night Shannon fired up the BBQ. No propane for my man. He likes the old fashioned charcoal grill. I mixed up the basting sauce for the chicken, and brought the chicken and sauce outside for my man to grill. He put the chicken on the grill and slathered on the basting sauce. Then POOF! The flames shot up, and there was smoke everywhere. I mean EVERYWHERE! The neighbors probably thought our house was burning down. Shannon looked embarassed, and I assured him that the flames were sure to die down, but everytime he removed the BBQ lid, the smoke poured out. Meanwhile I collapsed in the hall from laughter. When all was said and done, we had to toss the chicken that was charred black on the outside and raw on the inside. We had spinach salad and roasted asparagus for dinner. Thank goodness we didn't try to grill the asparagus! On a side note, the honey-pecan sauce made a good salad dressing. Related Tags: BBQ, Cooking

Faith

My husband got fired today. I can't say it was a huge surprise. There has been a lot of turmoil at his workplace in recent months, and we've known for a while that his future there was probably short. Still, we weren't expecting it to happen today. I'm not afraid that we'll end up on the streets. We have a small financial cushion, and my husband is very resourceful when it comes to finding employment. He's not too proud to work at a menial job if we need the income. I love that about him. But tonight as I lay in bed trying to fall asleep, I found myself worrying about things like insurance. What if one of the kids gets sick or injured? Or Shannon's future job. Will it be enough to support us, or will I need to return to work to make ends meet? Can he find a job with a livable wage here, or will we have to relocate? I gave up on sleep and wandered into the living room. I saw my Bible laying on the desk, where I'd left it after Bible study this morning. I decided to work on next week's lesson, so I'm not scrambling around at the last minute trying to get it done. When I opened up the study, I realized that next week's lesson is on Hebrews 11. Heroes of the faith. As I began to read and answer the questions, my fears were taken away. By faith Noah built an ark, when it looked ridiculous to the rest of the world, and God took care of him. By faith, Abraham went to a strange land at God's direction. He offered his son as a sacrifice, trusting that God would somehow preserve his son's life. And God took care of him. By faith, people around the world have suffered and died. And by faith people around the world have witnessed the miracles of God. That thought comforts me. Yes, I will suffer. The Bible tells me that. Yet through it all, God will be walking alongside me, providing what I need, sometimes in ways that I can't begin to comprehend. And I will be blessed. Maybe not in material ways or in ways that the world would define as success. But I will be blessed, if only by an increase in my faith and a greater knowledge that God cares about me personally. Yes, God will take care of us. And when I truly let go and let my faith overcome my fear, it's kind of exciting to imagine what God has planned for us next. Time will tell. Related Tags: Faith, Unemployment, Bible

The Bike

My son recently got a new bike, his first two wheeler. He's 4 years old and very excited about it. My dad heard about Sam's new bike, and said he had a bike for me. I tried to talk him out of it. I haven't been on a bike in well over a decade. I thought he had forgotten about it. Wrong. This morning I was working at the computer, and I glanced out the window to see my dad walking up the walk, bike and helmet in hand. He gave me a big grin as I opened the door. I am now the proud owner of a purple 26" ladies auto shifting bike and a white helmet that is way too big for my head. Fast forward to after lunch. Sam says, "Mom, we need to take a walk on our bikes." Me: "You mean you ride your bike, and I walk behind you?" Sam: "No, you ride your bike too." Again, I have not been on a bike in decades. I'm quite certain I remember how to ride. Afterall, it's one of those things you're never supposed to forget, right? However, Sam is still a novice bike rider, and I am quite certain I am not skilled enough to maneuver a new-to-me bike AND keep my son from riding kamikaze down the middle of the road. In the end, I convinced Sam that I will ride my bike with him another day, and I walked (and sometimes ran) behind him as he rode. And together we took a half an hour to enjoy the first 80+ degree day of the spring. And due to popular demand, here is the picture of me on said bike. I about fell over trying to get on. Please try not to notice the messy hair and clothes. It's Monday....the day I clean the house. :) Related Tags: Children, Daily Life