« May 2010 | Main | July 2010 »
Posted at 08:57 PM in if you're happy and you know it, clap your hands | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
The kids love eating dinner outside. They sit and eat, then when they've eaten enough, they run to the playstructure while Kevin and I watch their antics as we finish our meals.
It took forever to really start eating outside. When we first moved in, it was so hot on our back deck that we'd rather eat inside our hot house because that way the sun wasn't bearing down on us. Then we put in a pergola, but the sun still came in from the side, directly onto some of the seats. I added drapes to the pergola, which really add a romantic effect and they successfully block out the direct sunlight. I love them. But after that, we had a nearby hornets nest that made eating outside impossible. For some reason, it's all come together this summer and it is finally exactly as I'd imagined.
Posted at 09:34 PM in if you're happy and you know it, clap your hands | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Posted at 09:20 PM in if you're happy and you know it, clap your hands | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted at 08:00 PM in agita, products! | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Between a family party, a school party, and a friends party, I am partied out. Rocketman has fully rung in age four and I'm ready to move on with my life.
Rocket is super cool. He's friendly, upbeat, athletic, and he knows how to use his single dimple to manipulate women. I will never worry about him having enough friends, male or female. He's got that beer-commerical-buddy-style casualness about him already. The other day we walked by a kid about his age, Rocket gave a little chin nod to the kid and said, "Hey man." I do not know where he picks up half of the things he says, but he frequently makes me laugh.
There is still plenty for a mama to worry about, though. Rocket's crazy, a risk taker, and will do anything for a laugh. He loves blood, wants to be a blood doctor, but wants to go to punching school too, because he loves punching. My fear is that he wants to be an ultimate fighter, saving a seat for me cage-side. Slightly less troubling is his dream of playing football. He tells me all the time that he's going to be a football player, always said in a calm, reassuring way, as if he knows he's passing along bad news. "I'm going to play for a football team called the Bears and you WILL cheer, 'Go Bears!'" He's told me this several times, when he's not yelling "HIKE!" before running full speed and trying to tackle our couch. If not a fighter or a football player, Rocket wants to be a fireman. Not one of his career aspirations allow me any room to relax. What about a research doctor? Have you thought about something safe like that, kid? I doubt it.
There is never a dull moment with Rocket around. I love this kid.
Posted at 01:17 PM in if you're happy and you know it, clap your hands, rocketman | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted at 01:11 PM in if you're happy and you know it, clap your hands | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
The other day the kids complained that they never get ice cream, and while it's an exaggeration, they really don't eat ice cream very much. Today I surprised them with little ice creams as a post camp snack. Rocket scarfed his down fast, but Clover tried to save hers. Until I reminded her of the obvious fact that ice cream melts and she'd soon own a milkshake with chunks of peanut brittle instead.
The package that arrived yesterday had a return address that meant nothing to me. When I opened the box, I was so excited to see a nicer box with ribbon inside. Ribbon is surely the sign of good things to come, right? It was. I got a little summer gift from Starbucks. I was so overjoyed by getting a gift in the midst of a stressful day that I didn't even notice it came with a Starbucks gift card too. Even better.
It's a tumbler to make and hold VIA iced coffee. You can make iced coffee with regular VIA, but the one sold as "Iced Coffee" comes lightly sweetened. I can't wait to try it, assuming the weather cooperates and summer eventually shows up. I will definitely bring it along on the Fourth Annual Moms and Kids Camping Trip in August.
The kids fought over the plastic cubes, each begging me to let them take turns packing them in their lunches. As if.
Disclosure: Obviously the Starbucks stuff was sent to me for free. There was no request to write about it or review it.
Posted at 07:40 PM in if you're happy and you know it, clap your hands | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
The first day of the iPhone 4 preorders, Kevin woke up early, promising to order for both of us. He doesn't have a smart phone and my phone is old and ready for an upgrade. We'd been waiting for this day for months. He told me he was having trouble getting through, but I had a feeling he'd keep trying at work. I was right, he kept trying and he finally got through on the AT&T site to order himself a new phone. At some point he decided I should order my own phone, but that was only communicated to me when he called that afternoon to ask if I'd gotten through on the Apple site. Why? I asked. No, I was busy at home, working, dealing with the kids, making dinner and doing laundry. All at the same time. He gloated about his order, but said I may still be able to get through.
Sometime after dinner, I called up the Apple website and my order went through without a problem. I got a confirmation the next morning, he did not. I got a notice that mine had shipped, he did not. I got notice that mine was coming a day early, he finally found his ready to ship. His went around the country, mine came direct. Mine showed up at 9:30 a.m. His delivery tracking said his would arrive by 3 p.m., even though it was still in Tennessee. We don't live near Tennessee. A truck pulled up, followed by a knock at the door. It was UPS with another package for me. Three o'clock came and went, his tracking suddenly did not give an estimated delivery date.
He may claim this is just a supply/customer service glitch with AT&T, but I know better. This is karma, baby.Posted at 07:41 PM in Here's a thought | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
It's hot and we're all tired. We hadn't done anything fun today - other than camp, but that's not out of the ordinary. After piano lessons, the kids were grumbling on the back lawn, fighting over the swing, then arguing some more. With one swift move on the deck, I flipped on the sprinklers. The kids heard the initial "chhhh" as the sprinkler heads raised, looked at each other, then started screaming. They ran around for 20 minutes, squealing and having the best of fun. I programmed the sprinklers to change stations, so the origin of the spray changed up on them every few minutes.
They are still out there, having a great time. And I'll admit, turning the sprinklers on my unsuspecting kids as they bickered was pretty awesome. Dumping water on them worked better than a time out. We will do this again.
Posted at 05:59 PM in if you're happy and you know it, clap your hands | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Rocket wandered over as I opened the package, slightly interested in what was inside. Once I pulled out the Backyard Safari Outfitters gear, he went crazy. He made me help him into the cargo vest before I opened anything else. Once on, he said he was an explorer and he set out to conquer our family room. He was an explorer until his sister got home from school and demanded her turn with the vest. He then zipped around with the bug vacuum, while she held the periscope and vice-versa.
My kids have seen the Backyard Safari Outfitters line in Target and they'd always ask for different components, but I always told them to wait for their birthdays, which worked out because the package arrived the week before Rocket's birthday. The Backyard Safari Outfitters line also includes a giant magnifier, which I saw at the store and though about buying for the kids, but when I went back for it a few days later, they had sold out. I wasn't the only one who thought a huge magnifier was cool.Posted at 11:38 AM in products! | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
