Birthday Party a Little Early

We celebrated Miss A's 8th birthday a few weeks early this year due to our vacation plans. She'd been asking for years for a lake birthday party, but we keep holding back waiting for her and her friends to get a little older. (better swimmers, less stress for the parents) Even now, we had three adults and two teenagers helping to manage the seven little girls!  The ratio was perfect. 

The party started at 1:00 back at home and finished late that evening when the parents and siblings joined us for a cookout.  Two parties for the price of one.  It was one fabulous day spent with friends enjoying summer and celebrating our almost 8 year old.

Miss A's little friends are so fun and driving out to the lake, I loved hearing them talk, giggle, and sing along to some of their favorite songs!  Who knew that Justin Bieber is so yucky or that music is better when it's REALLY LOUD!  Well, guess a bunch of seven and eight year old girls do.

The weather was perfect for swimming, sandcastle building, and floating.  Miss A could not have asked for a better day to just relax with her friends.  Everyone was entertained.  Those who loved to swim could while others were content to just hang on the beach and build moats and castles.

Of course, a trip to the lake would not be complete without a few trips around on the boat thanks to my brave husband. I think he was just grateful that Mr C was along to bring a little sanity to the ride.  I heard the ride was fast and furious, but knowing my husband I'm sure it just seemed that way to a bunch of girls with the wind and waves whipping! 

No little girl party would be complete without a little craft.  At least that's what the birthday girl said.  She originally wanted to make tie dye t-shirts, but I convinced her a jar of bright colored sand would be the perfect keepsake for a day at the beach.  Either that or I've become too smart to allow the mess of little girls and colored dye!  It was also the perfect way to calm us down after cake and presents and gave us a little break from all the sun..



Now I do have to give a "shout out" to both my husband and son for being such good sports spending the day with a bunch of "girls." Not only did they willingly help with boat rides, grilling dinner, throwing kids footballs and just having fun; they made the day a lot of fun for all.  Really, can you beat a fun teenage boy who will jump right next to the boat just to get a splash or play with the younger boys who came later in the evening.  Mr C really is the pied piper!  Add Miss M and her mothering and dotting into the mix and I really was able to just sit back and enjoy the party.

Just so you know that I'm not exaggerating about Mr C and Miss M helping so much with the girls, I have photographic evidence.  There are not many soon to be Sophomores in High School who would willingly allow their sister and her friends to push them into the lake over and over again.  You can hardly blame him when he finally got the birthday girl too! 

At the end of the day, we had according to my husband the best bonfire ever!  He was so proud of his fire.  Guess seventeen years of practice has finally been perfected. I do think that the marshmallows toasted to perfection and enjoying it with friends made it even sweeter.  All in all, I think this is a birthday party that Miss A will be talking about for years to come! 

Happy Birthday Miss A, we love you to pieces!  Oh, and let's celebrate four or five more times!  I'm sure you are willing!

Last Day of School: Take One

Friday was the final day of school for the girls.  Poor Miss M!  Now that she's "alone" at the junior high (with the 7:40 a.m. start time), we didn't get to go out for donuts first.  The past few years we've had a small crew with Mr C and Miss M along with a few friends, but this year most of the Jr High crew wanted to sleep in. Plus, Mr C had to be at school at 7:45 and dad was the driver so it just didn't give us enough time.  I've promised M that we will have a donut day for M and C early this summer!

Miss A, after a super hectic week, slept until almost eight, meaning we rushed to our Donut Date with friends from school. Thankfully, she had picked out her clothes the night before and I'd already made her lunch.  No way was she eating chef surprise!

It was a great morning; traditional picture on the porch and backpack picture on the wall.  Miss A was most thrilled that it would be her final day wearing the backpack (according to our two year rule-she gets a new one this fall).  Gotta love how she remembers the "rules."  Now, we just have to convince her get the Eddie Bauer Lifetime Backpack that we never have to replace.  Somehow, I think she's thinking more cartoon or girly girl design!

Miss A was a little sad to say goodbye to her first grade teacher and buddies and so were her parents.  Thankfully, Miss A was invited to a fun Bounce House Party after school so for Miss A the fun continued into the evening and her parents and Miss M got to party too!

It's almost summer for our family!  Poor Mr C had a long weekend of studying for finals ahead.

 Miss M at Honors Night.  A 4.0 is something to celebrate!  We are so proud of this young lady. Of course, Miss A had to be a part of the picture.

One of my Favorite Lunch Dates

I'm a sucker for a lunch date.  I love to "do" lunch with friends, my hubby, or my kids.  Not only don't I have to cook or plan the food, a lunch date normally means you have that person's undivided attention and can talk about everything or nothing.

My lunch date on Tuesday with Miss A was a real treat.  It was born out of necessity, but the end result was something that I'll treasure for years.  Because this weekend was crazy busy and my husband was out of town, I had not gone to the grocery store for days. Thus, Tuesday morning when I read the school lunch menu and saw that I'd need to make Miss A a cold lunch I panicked.  I'd planned on grocery shopping that morning, but at 7:30 that morning I was breadless.  Nada. Nothing. Now I'll tell you, Miss A when she has cold lunch, which is often, normally has a peanut butter sandwich on wheat bread along with some pretzels, a piece of fruit, and some sort of cookie, brownie or pudding cup.  The main item is always pb on bread.  That's a problem without any bread.

Quick thinking Mama offered to bring lunch up to school. I'd even bring a hot lunch for her to enjoy: mac and cheese.  How could a girl refuse?  Miss A was thrilled. Not only would she get one of her favorite meals, she'd get lunch with mom out of the deal. Gotta love that.

It's a special day when you get to have lunch with a bunch of first graders.  First, I got to hold Miss A and a friends' hand walking down to the cafeteria. I got a huge hug for the yummy mac n cheese and I got to open a half dozen milk cartons, jello cups, and even cut up a few burritos.  Miss A's teacher even came by to talk.  There was a lot of giggling, some silly stories, and even a few deep conversations about what costumes they would be wearing for the upcoming plays. 

After lunch, I was invited to come outside and watch a little of the playground fun.  Miss A wanted to show off her skills on the jungle gym.  However, I was then quickly excused so that the could run around for awhile and play an elaborate game of chase.  Of course, I got at least five hugs from little girls before I headed off with the best one of course coming from my favorite first grader Miss A.

We "Rocked " The Valentine Box This Year

I would say the Dad and Miss A really knocked it out of the park this year making the Valentine Box for school!  Having been at the school now for nine Valentine parties, we kind knew that some people go way out to decorate boxes for the classroom exchange.

When Mr C was in 1st Grade (his first at the school having only moved to our school in April the year before), I had just sent a small brown bag with his name on it and few stickers. Thankfully, we were actually out of town on the day of the party or it would have been shameful.  There were rockets, robots, Hummers and army tanks that looked like they could take over the island of Manhattan.

The next year, we wised up a little and Mr C had a great box (in our eyes) and in the coming years he'd have a Bi-Plane, a Launch Pad, and a Rocket Ship.  Miss M's First Grade box really rocked: A Flower Garden with pencils as the stem and foam flowers on top.  It was stunning.  So much so that we convinced her to use for 2nd and 3rd grade too. 

In fourth grade, Miss M protested and said the flowers had all died so Dad and she made a fabulous Pink Pig. It was so adorable. Last year, Dad was hoping that Miss A would want to copy her sister and carry on the Pig. Yeah, not so much.  So we made an adorable IPOD with a play list that rocked.

This year, however, Miss A and Dad made the box to rival all others.  They made an acoustic guitar.  It was so Rockin' that Miss A said she'll use it for 2nd grade and maybe 3rd grade.  Some of her friends said that she must have some real creative parents.  It was fabulous.

Thanks to a large box of Russell Stovers candy we'd gotten for Christmas from a neighbor, we had the perfect box to carry off this large item. Throw in an old wrapping paper roll, black duck tape, fasteners, embroidery floss and some poster boards and it was a box to be showed off.

Miss A said that she was so proud of her box and her Dad.  When we delivered it on Monday along with her "I dig you" shovels (handmade by mom) and Fun Dip and heart pencil sharpeners, she had a smile on her face that was contagious.  She loved it all.

The only complaint was that it doesn't really play music, but it sure looks good.

From Hockey Pucks to Girls with Basketballs, She's Ready to Cheer

Miss A is always up for a sporting event.  I think it comes to her naturally.  When she was an infant, she spent most of her time sleeping in her car seat at her siblings' soccer, baseball and basketball games. She was often the team mascot of sorts and had most of the parents and siblings on the teams ogling over how adorable she was. 

Now of course, she's the one on the field playing both soccer and basketball, but this girl still loves to sit in the crowd and cheer for the home team.  She's a great spectator and if you throw in "snacks," she is very willing to go to any type of "game." 

Miss A had the opportunity recently to spend two nights in row doing just that watching area college teams play their hearts out on the court/ice and cheer along side some of her favorite people.  On Thursday, it was her basketball team watching a local woman's team win a "big" game on the court.  Miss M and Miss A and P and I had a great time cheering and while it's amazing to see how few people come out for women's sports (even a winning team like this on was), Miss A had a great time with her friends and the girls soon became a favorite of the cheer squad that was sitting near us.  Miss A even walked away with a signed poster!

Miss M had a great time at the game too, but left empty handed having tried twice to "catch" a t shirt from the yell squad.  Both missed her by inches.  Rumor has it her softball coach is concerned that she's lost her touch and needs to hit the gym with a glove. At least that is what I thought I heard my husband say!!

Friday night when Dad came home with Hockey Tickets, Miss A again jumped at the chance to go while M and I choose to stay home and watch a chick flick (The Help).  Love that movie and book.

The boys and Miss A, however, were hooping and hollering at the Ice Arena while enjoying waiter service since they were sitting on the club level.  When a fight broke out on the ice, they texted Miss M and I to say we were missing it all!  The pictures that Dad sent our way were a great representation of how much Miss A loves to be in the middle of the action.  Mr C and his friend J were no match to Miss A's cheers.  This girl has gusto for a team!

Gotta love a girl who can cheer for teams in victory or defeat.  A good spectator is a treasure.

My Adventures with Rose

Miss A and I use to have so much fun running errands together when she was a "little girl" at home with me.  We'd run to the grocery store or Target and sing songs in the car, make up funny games to play in the store, and of course the customary trip to the "cafe" for pizza or a pretzel.  We lived it up.  As the youngest, she benefited from having mom all to herself, and a mother who knew these days were numbered.

There are still days off that we get to do fun things and run errands together which we cherish. We miss each other.  This week, at Miss A's request, I got the privilege of taking Rose with me on my errands. She wanted Rose to experience some adventures while she was at school so Miss A begged me to take Rose along for the day.

We had a grand time.  I had promised Miss A that I would take some pictures of Rose while we were out and about.  When A returned home from school yesterday, she was thrilled with the "evidence" I produced.  Her only complaint: its does not appear that Miss Rose had a pretzel with me at Target.  I guess I'm out of practice and I forgot all about the pretzel.  Plus, I was on my way to the gym so I didn't want Rose to get a tummy ache from eating right before exercise.

Rose and I had a grand time at Michael's Craft store.  They were having their dollar sale so we stocked up on paint and paint brushes for craft time.  Of course, Rose choose some colors that I thought were hideous, but I gave into her demands.  At Target, we had to return an item, which of course meant a long line and then we went in search of a Tea Strainer for the new Kettle.  No luck.  We even asked the Starbucks guy and he just looked at us weirdly. Whatever.

I allowed Rose to sit in the front seat next to me, but I buckled her in and turned off the air bag.  We sang along to the Disney Channel on FX and then a little David Crowder Band too.  She has a nice voice, much better than my own.

At the gym, Rose looked lovingly at the Tennis Courts hoping that we could play a few sets.  Thankfully, they had snow on them because it was only 10 degrees outside and I'm not that nice of a person to play in those conditions.  Rose sat by the Track and watched me do my workout.  I waved at her from the elliptical machine, but she was still pouting and would not speak to me. After I did my "arm routine" on the weights, she demanded that I carry her to the car saying something about not having the will to walk to the car in 30 mile an hour winds.  Wimp!

I thought maybe Rose would help me with the vacuuming and laundry once we got home, but she was more interested in watching some DVR'd Biggest Loser episode.  Guess the trip to the gym got her motivated. 

All in all, Rose and I had a fabulous day; and it was fun to again have a buddy tag along on my day.  I'll admit however that I think Miss A, Miss M and even Mr C (on a day that he's willing to tag along with dear old mom) are a lot more fun!

We Gather Together? It's All the Same.

We are counting down the days until Thanksgiving around these parts. We are beyond excited for our houseguests and have been marking down the days on the kitchen chalkboard.  Not only are we looking forward to Bestemor and Bestefar's arrival for a visit, but this year we will be having a new guest in our home.  Mr C is bringing home a classmate from Korea for the long weekend.

I'm not sure that Jin Seo has any idea what he's getting himself into.  As Mr C told him when he found out that he was an only child; "I'm sorry I have two sisters, hope you survive."  In reality, we can hardly wait not only to have Jin Seo share in our Thanksgiving traditions, but to get a glimpse into a different culture for a few days.  As Miss M pointed out, we already have the German, English and Norwegian traditions at Thanksgiving, now we'll get a little Korean on the side.

Today, when I needed a little encouragement in the midst of a trying week, I had posted on the bulletin a little verse along with the countdown.  I love the song "We Gather Together" and had written the following "We Gather Together to Ask the Lord's Blessing; 7 Days."

A little while ago, I noticed that Miss A had decided to write her own message (above) her only change "I switched Lord to God, its easier to write."  I love how she taken the liberty of changing "ask the Lord's Blessing" to "celebrate God's blessings."  Her version is right; we are celebrating the blessings He's already given us. 

She's also chosen to take a day of the countdown, it's day six now in her mind.  Gotta love her enthusiasm.

My Creative Bunch of Trick and Treators

I'm not really a fan of Halloween.  I love Fall and I love the idea of pretending and dressing up.  It's the "other side" of this holiday that I don't really like.  It is not only because as a Christian I find many of the secular side a little evil, but because I think the scary side of the holiday has taken over the fun parts.

As a child, I have great memories of picking out a fun costume to wear, having my mom make me a costume (I had a great clown costume and she had one that matched!), or making a costume out of old clothes and dance outfits.  We had a pumpkin or two on our porch and a few Thanksgiving decorations and that was it.

Do you know that Halloween has become the 2nd most decorated holiday?  Right after Christmas.  Really.

That being said, I still allow my children to participate in some fashion in the Halloween festivities, I just really work to make it as acceptable as I can.  I volunteer to help with the party planning at the elementary school, I supervise the costume ideas, and always have them focus on either things they would like to be when they grow up, funny creatures or animals or just plain adorable outfits.  Rarely, if ever do we purchase a pre-made costume. We make them. 

Now before you think I sew and am all creative, I'm not.  We use "real clothing" that can be re purposed later as clothing we wear, use felt and glue guns, cut up boxes, milk cartons or plastic tubs. Whatever is needed.  We use my mother to sew.  We try hard to make costumes that are neither offensive, scary, evil nor inappropriate. 

If you think its easy to find pre-made commercial that fits the bill, you are wrong which is why we make them.  Who wants a hooters looking outfit on a seven year old?  If you think I'm kidding about outfits you should read this article.  Amazing is only reasonable response to all of this.

This year Mr C handed out the candy at the door, but earlier in the week had an opportunity to dress up for his schools' dance.  He went as the Travelocity Roaming Gnome.  Not only did he look smashing, he scored some great slippers as a result and now has soft and comfy clothes to do homework in at night.

Miss M went out with a group of girls as a Spa Girl in a soft and fuzzy robe, new flannel PJ's and a facial cucumber mask.  She looked the part and except for the fact she took a shower after "all that walking," she could have just gone to bed.

Miss A's outfit could have been one of most favorite ever. It's in the running with the Amelia Earhart, NASA astronaut, and Clown Costume.  We called her the Bathtub Girl, but her uncle thought she was the Bubble Bath Girl.  It was super easy and really only required us to cut up a big bucket, blow up a few balloons and add a shower cap.  Miss A now has some sweatpants to wear for BB practice too!

While my family's way of celebrating might not work for everyone, it is what is best for us today.  In our old fashioned way of participating, our kids have fun.  We have opportunity to talk about why we celebrate the way we do and I get to see my kids enjoy a childhood ritual of dressing up and pretending. I hope that part never goes out of fashion.

This Girl Loves to Have Fun

Miss A had Thursday of last week off from school for Parent Teacher's Conferences.  As the sole elementary student in our family, it meant that she was all alone in having a day off.  Perfect excuse for a trip to our favorite children's museum about one hour away with one of our "little" friends.

We had a great morning exploring Space, Water, Gravity, Farming and the world of Engineering.  Really, where else can you experience so much in so little time?  Miss A's imagination was running full as we played each other in football and volleyball, as she grocery shopped to fill her basket with healthy choices, and trying time and again to make a ball go up a chute of piping tubes. 

I've been to this museum probably two dozen times with various children in our family/friends and cousins and its a fun experience every time.  Miss A and I had a fun time with our little buddy and his Mom.  According to Miss A, our lunch out at the Noodles Company allowed her to eat her favorite Mac and Cheese ever.  It's so yummy and made with real to goodness cheese.  "Well  I do like your Pioneer Woman mac and cheese too mom, but this is really good."  I believe those were Miss A's words when she saw my sad puppy dog face.

I love to watch this girl of mine have fun and experience new and old things.  She is a real joy.

It Will Be Well Worth Your Time

Miss A has a way with words.  She often uses phrases that are a way beyond a normal seven year old daily vocabulary and, for the most part, she uses them in the right context.  She'll say things that get right to the heart of the matter and often tug at those heartstrings as well.  Daily, she'll say things that stop me in my tracks or give me a giant chuckle.

My husband says she repeats a lot of the phrases that I use with other adults or say to either my mother or husband in conversations.  While I hate to admit he's right, he is.  Sometimes, though, she'll say things that I know I've never said!

This week alone she's said things that I just want to document for future reference.  On Wednesday night, I was at knitting and Mr C was at grandparents night at his school (with both sets of Grands!!) so P was home with the girls.  It was a perfect Indian Summer Night and, now that Miss A knows how to ride her bike, she and Miss M are outside ridding along whenever they can.

P was inside reading when Miss A comes in and tells him that he needs to come outside. "It will be well worth your time" she said.  So, outside P goes and she directs him to walk up the hill with her to watch her bike ride.  You see, she's now learned how to start at the top of the hill and ride all the way down the hill by herself without stopping. Y'all, its a big hill and this is only day four of no training wheels.  But she did it and without a doubt it was well worth P's time to watch.  You Go Girl!

The second incident was Thursday morning at the breakfast table. It was just Miss A and I as the rest of the crew leaves early.  I was going through our plan for the day and I asked her if she knew what day of the week it was.  She replied, "PE day."  Yes, it s the day you have gym class, but what "day "of the week is it really. "Well, it's Thursday." 

I asked her if she remembers what happens on Thursdays.  I have drop off at dance for M at 3:45 and then have to rush to Miss A's school for pickup at 3:55 which means I go through the drive up lane rather than park and exit the car to get her. It gives me about five extra minutes and I need every last one of them.

She told me she's knows that its "drive thru" day, but she doesn't like it one bit. She said she can't understand why Miss M can't get to dance even earlier or why I can't park and come get her no matter the time. I went on to explain that two weeks ago I did rush to pick her up, parked the car, and ran to the building only to "slide" thru the crossing path wipe out and scrape up my knee and elbow.

That's right she said, "it's all about you, don't forget I'm the one waiting and waiting for you!"  My that girl has moxie.  I said sorry Miss A, but its drive up for you.

Seriously people I could not make this up.

Accomplishment by any Definition

ac·com·plish·mentNoun/əˈkämpliSHmənt/

1. Something that has been achieved successfully.

2. The successful achievement of a task

According to Miss A, today was a day of accomplishing a big hurdle.  Today was the day she got her training wheels removed from her bike and she was able to ride up and down the hill and even do a few U turns.

She was so proud of herself.  Of course, at first, she was a little nervous and thought that Dad should really stay with her and not push too hard.  When Dad was standing right next to her, it was easy to be brave, but as when he left her at the top of the hill and she edged closer and closer to the hill pedaling with all her might it made for some sweaty hands.

We live in the middle of a big hill, our driveway is a big hill, and it can be a little daunting to learn to ride bikes under those circumstances. In fact, Miss A rarely wanted to ride the bike with the training wheels as she wasn't confident she could "stop."  But today when Dad took her to the top of the hill without the training wheels, she finally got it.  

With Dad's help, she learned to start, stop and even make some U-ee's.  She was absolutely thrilled despite that serious look of concentration.  I'm sure her tongue was sticking out to the side just a little too.  She went from driveway to driveway learning to control her speed. She watched for traffic, but really wanted Dad to handle that duty.  (Thankfully, we live on a very quiet street) The pride was evident despite the serious look on her face.

When she came in for a little drink and watched me make dinner, she told me that today was an Accomplishment.   Sweetie it really was. We are so proud of you!  

Watch out neighbors, she's a girl with wheels and she's not afraid to use them!

Kickin' Cancer's Bottom

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month; an irony not missed on our family as we prayed for  our friend Cole this week.  Sadly, Cole's family is not the only we know that has been touched by childhood cancer.  A dear friend lost her daughter five years ago to cancer. There are way too many families that can call that their "story."

Miss A's school in honor of CCAM was collecting "coins for cancer" all week and lets just say what was once a full jar of change is now nearly empty.  On Monday, Miss A said she had to take some coins to school for Cole.  Tuesday, she wanted to bring change in honor of Brooke, and the rest of the week it was all those little boys and girls at her favorite children's hospital.

Friday afternoon as a way to celebrate the great coin drive, the entire school walked to the nearby neighborhood park.  I had wanted to go just to take a few photos, but at Miss A's urging I walked with the kids and it was so worth it.  While I might have had on flip flop sandals, carrying a huge purse and camera, it was as if my burden was nothing in comparison to the families that are walking the road of childhood cancer.

Plus, I got to hold hands with my favorite first grader and a few of her little friends.  What a perfect way to end a week that had been a hard one on my heart.  It was aweaome to see these healthy fun loving kids honoring those who for now could not walk beside them.  They were in essence walking and raising money so that in the months and years ahead none of their classmates would be laying in a hospital instead of running the sidewalk.

Of course there were complaints about how "long" and "far" the walk to the park was and how difficult it was to walk the entire way.   Miss A even said I sure hope this cures Cole's Cancer as this has been a very long and tiring walk!  To pass the time, we decided to march and sing.

• "Hut two three four, kick cancer out the door"
• "Hut two three four, no more cancer anymore"
• "Hut two three four, no cancer here no more"

Of course the funniest was from a little girl who said she couldn't keep walking, it was too hot, too far and she was so very thirsty.  "Hut two three four, I can't take this anymore!"

While September might be over now, we'll be praying that all those effected by childhood cancer will feel our prayers and love all year through.

Girl Scouts at the Lake: Take Two, New Crew

Miss A's lifelong dream of having her friends to the lake for a party has finally been realized!  For at least the last three years, she has asked me every summer to have group of just her friends out to swim and hang out at the lake.  She's wanted either a birthday party at the lake complete with boat rides, a sleepover party at the lake for at least ten little girl friends, or a no parents party that included a bonfire. 

Really, what little girl doesn't want a huge beach party with a bunch of little girls who don't know how to swim? Well, at least that little girl's mother didn't want that responsibility. 

Thankfully, this past weekend, Miss A's dreams were realized and the event was perfect.  The first grade Daisy troop had a retreat out at the lake on Saturday and every little Girl Scout brought her mother along.  Perfect!  The weather was just right for swimming and the girls were not the least bit afraid of jumping into the lake. 

Miss M came along to help and we nicknamed her the Pied Piper as the little girls just followed her around and did whatever she did. M took out the paddle boat on four different tours so that every girl got a chance to ride along.  She even beached it on the opposite shore and played Chinese fire drill so they had a chance to ride shotgun.

We made a troop flag (copied the idea from the older girls years ago, yeah for keeping that thing around) with our hand prints, planned our service projects for the year, and had a great afternoon of bonding.  I love our troop leader.  She's so organized and I love the fact that I just have to stand by as the assistant leader and offer her encouragement. 

With the help of some great moms, we had a gourmet Hot Dog dinner on the grill and then Mr. P and Mr C came to the rescue (after the airshow) to make a fire in the pit for s'mores.  I am a fire novice so this was a great help to me.  The girls even earned their "S'more Fun" patch for their daisy vest.

It was the perfect kickoff for our second year of Girl Scouts for Miss A and her buddies.  It's a great group of girls and moms.  I think this might be a new tradition for our troop.

Eagle Scout: Finishing Up and Ribbon Cutting

Even though our workday on Saturday was so productive,  there were still a few loose ends that needed to be finished on the playground. The Wiggle Walk pieces need to be bolted in placed.  Tuesday night was the night, the cement footings were ready, the weather was cool and Mr. C and P along with the professional installer got busy.  It was a long evening and Mr C still had homework to finish, but it's beginning to look like a playground.

Mr C commented that while he wishes we had been working on this during the summer rather than the first few weeks of school, we are all just grateful that it's finally getting done.  I think none more that P who had to return again Wednesday night for a long evening of tightening screws, cutting bolts, and gravel moving!  What a guy!

By Friday, we were all ready to celebrate.

The entire school, was invited outside to the playground for a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.  In preparation, Mr C had written a speech.  We'd strung Red Ribbon (from Hobby Lobby's Christmas collection) all along the perimeter of the playground and the whole family was there to cheer the accomplishment.  As promised, Miss A was going to get to christen the wiggle walk. Let's just say that her smile was huge.

What a blessing to see the young man stand before all of Miss A's schoolmates and telling them that he used to be a student at that same school, that as a Kindergartner he'd played on this same playground, and now he'd overseen the construction of a new playground that his youngest sister and her friends will enjoy for years.  It's amazing to think that time has flown so quickly by!

The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was the perfect capstone to this Eagle Scout project.  It was an excellent way to not only thank the school community for it's support of the project, but also a fabulous way to celebrate the new beginning. According to Mr C, the only thing missing was a pair of ceremonial scissors; the huge kind they use a ground breaking ceremonies.  Not something you normally can pick up at Target!

All in all, the Eagle Scout project process was an experience our family will never forget.  For years, we'll be able to look at the playground and recall the hours of work, sweat and prayers that went into the process.  Mr. C has grown through this process and gained skills that will serve him well in life.  So very much worth the effort.

The Ultimate Superstar : Girls Shine in Summer Musical

As a capstone to a fabulous summer, the girls had their Summer Musical performance this weekend.  Both Miss M and Miss A had a part in our dance studio's Christian Musical; the Ultimate Superstar where M served as the Talent Show Host and one of it's acts, the Country Girl Comedian, while Miss A was a Ribbon Dancer.

Saturday morning, the show went to the local homeless shelter to perform for the moms and kids. Sadly, there wasn't a great number in the audience, but like Miss A said, "they were performing for an audience in heaven and He showed up."  Plus, it was a great way to get the kinks worked out of the performance before the family and friends version. 

Sunday evening was the main performance for the parents and both girls were super excited. The show included dinner (which of course means that Mr C came along).  I think that Mr C went back for thirds.  I assume that was from all the hard work he'd put in that afternoon at our church service project day! Trimming trees and pulling weeds makes for a hungry boy!

The performance was perfect. Miss M really does a great job acting in front of a crowd and her Texas accent wasn't too bad either. Of course, her jokes were a little "cheeky," but I think that was the idea.  Miss A loved their ribbon dance and she just looked so happy twirling around on stage.  Really, is there anything better than seeing your kids shine in their element and glorify God with all their hearts?

The Dance teachers have been doing the summer musical for four years.  Each year, I am amazed at how professional and entertaining the show is, but even more so how it always draws you back to God and using your talents to bring Him glory.  What a gift and blessing this musical is to our girls and our community.

Miss A, of course, thinks now maybe she should add Dance back into her schedule (she says it every year after the performance), but we're concentrating on soccer and basketball this year.  Who knows maybe Miss M will get her sister to join her at the Studio soon.

He Needs a Better Story

Miss A's birthday party went off without a hitch until the last fifteen minutes.  The girls had been playing in Miss A's room for awhile and it was now time for the Pinata.  In all our years of Pinatas, we've always used the old fashion baseball bat to "hit it to death" and, normally without fail, we've had to call in reinforcements (older siblings, cousins, dad) to get it to finally fall and give up its candy.

This year, A's favorite Pinata was one with ribbons that you pull until the candy dumps.  Perfect.  No bats, and the girls would all get a chance to make the pinata open.

P decided that since the grass was little damp, and muggy we would not hang the Pinata from the swing set, but he'd just hold it from a broomstick.  Great plan.  You would think so.

It was going great; three girls including Miss A had pulled the string, and then the broom handle lost its "handle" and flew up and hit P in the lip.  Within seconds there was blood everywhere.  Seven little girls just stood in shock as the Pinata Guy went into the house with a busted lip.  Thankfully, one of Miss A's friends' Mom had arrived early and was able to keep the party going while I nursed the patient.

It was obvious within a few minutes that Mr P was going to need stitches.  As Miss M said, there was a lot of blood and no end in sight.  Thankfully, our great neighbors agreed to take P to the doctor while I wrapped up the party. 

To add to the comedy, I had sent P to the office where our primary doctor worked thinking there was an urgent care office there as well, but there wasn't.  So on a Friday afternoon at nearly five o'clock, P walked into the our primary care physician's office with a bleeding lip, a story about a Pinata gone wrong, and walked out with two stitches and a tetanus shot.

I think P made a number of nurses, office staff, and a Doctors' weekend. He gave them a real story to tell and found Monday when he called for the follow up appointment that they all had.  Of course, they were sure to point out to him that they did not use his name.  HIPPA violation you know.  By the time the girls and I arrived at the office, the receptionist asked if I was Mr. Pinata's wife!!

Poor guy he looked like he'd been in a big fight. No one knew it was Pinata that put up the fight.  I'm starting to think that there is a connection between Miss A, Candy, and the ER.  I think that next year we are just going to throw the candy out on the lawn and let the kids run for it!

The Birthday Party Extravaganza

Miss A celebrated her seventh with a Crafting Party at the nearby Michaels' Craft Store.  It was a perfect way to have some fun without having to deal with the mess at home.  Miss A picked out a wooden jewelry box for the girls to paint and bedazzle along with a slap bracelet they could decorate.

Miss A has the nicest little girl friends.  They all get along so well, and while a couple of her friends couldn't make the party due to end of summer vacation plans, it was fun to see all the girls one more time before school starts.  Their biggest topic of conversation of course was who would be in whose class and how would 1st grade be different than kindergarten.  There was even talk of the dreaded homework.

I loved how the girls all used their artistic skills to create adorable little boxes.  They even got to be creative with decorating their cupcakes.  Lets just say there was a lot of frosting on top!

After we finished all our creative endeavors, Miss A opened her presents and then we headed home to for a little playtime and the pinata.  I'd love to show you some pictures from this part of the party, but that is a story in its own! Let's just say the girls had a great time, but poor Dad has a story to tell.

Our New Favorite Seven Year Old

We always tell Miss A that she is our favorite six year old in the whole world.  Today, we need to change that.   Miss A is now our favorite seven year old in the whole wide world!  Time really does fly, wish I could invent a way to slow it down.  I don't want to keep them young forever, just want to remember to number my days and enjoy each one. 

Miss A, I hope you know what huge joy you bring to our lives.  You are a little ray of sunshine, a burst of rainbow, and a true blessing from God wrapped up in a little girl.  May you always know how much we love you and treasure you and that God loves you even more.

Happy Birthday to our favorite seven year old!!

Gavins Point Dam: First Stop on our Journey

Last week was our trip to Little Town on the Prairie with stops at both Gavins Point and Sioux Falls.  We made what you might call a 'water tour' on our Laura trip.  Considering that the visit to the roaring water sites was my husbands' idea, I think that maybe it was his way to make this girly trip a little more palatable! 

Gavins Point Dam is the Natural Resources Districts flood control mechanism for the Missouri River near Yankton, SD.  Until this spring, it's not something I gave much thought to.  However, the fact that the river is flooding in Iowa and Nebraska due to the increase in water being released at Gavins Point, I've become more aware of its role. 

Driving through the rolling hills of Nebraska, we talked about how grateful we were that we made this trip in the comfort of our Honda mini-van with air conditioning and leather seats.  Sure beats a covered wagon!  However, I think any Pioneer mama would have been knitting away at a blanket just like me.  However, they just might not have had Fox News on the XM Radio and sounds of the girls' DVD player in the background.  If we had brought our old player with just one screen maybe that would have rivaled the pioneer trek.

Gavins Point Dam was awesome and the mighty power of water is absolutely amazing.  They are currently releasing 165,000 cubic feet of water a minute, surpassing any previous record.  Normal is about 30,000 cubic feet.  The Dam Road is currently closed due to the power of the release and we had to view the Dam from both the Nebraska and South Dakota side by traveling the long way around the city of Yankton. 

On the Nebraska side, there is an excellent Lewis and Clark and Gavins Point Museum with lots of hands on exhibits.  The girls loved dressing up in the gear of the Lewis and Clark era and Miss A was especially happy to drive the Steamboat.  I think she was hoping we could go down the river on a Steamboat! 

Because the Hydroelectric Power Plant is on the NE side, you can't get very close to the Water or the Dam, but the views from the Museums' overlook are amazing. We had a little picnic lunch before heading across the river to South Dakota to see the action up close.

Standing right up next to River, the water is spraying and misting so much its almost impossible to get a picture with steaming up the lens of the camera or your glasses.  The sound of crashing waves is LOUD and you can really appreciate the power of water.  Wow!

Witnessing up close the amount of water coming through this Dam, its understandable why it's flooding downstream.  We told the girls that hopefully they will never see this again in their lifetime. At least that is our prayer. 

Gavins Point Dam was an amazing start to a wonderful getaway!

Beginning of Girls Week

My husband is already feeling a little outnumbered and it's only been a day.  Mr C left for a week of church camp in the Colorado Mountains leaving P back at home with just the girls.  He thinks we are a little too chatty, giggly and much too worried about what we wear.  Sunday morning when we left for church with a picnic basket packed for a trip to the Zoo along with spare clothes for the experience, I think he thought we were nuts.

Church was contemporary and casual so P just wore shorts while the girls and I changed from our church appropriate skirts and nice shoes to shorts and flip flops.  Girls. Of course, if we'd left the boy in charge, we wouldn't have had a lunch packed, so he should just be thankful we over plan.

Rumor had it that it would be a cool afternoon and a nice change from the 100's of the week so the Zoo seemed like a perfect idea. The weatherman lied.  Shocking, I know. However, we obviously weren't the only people to buy the lie as the zoo was packed. Thankfully, P was able to talk the girls out of the petting zoo in the heat, but he did make us climb Pachyderm Hill (the furthest place in the zoo, far far away) just to see the Rhino.  Boys!

I've never been more grateful that we have so many indoor exhibits at the zoo as I was Sunday.  Even if my glasses did fog up coming in and out, at least I was able to cool off.  The best part of the trip of course was the IMAX movie "Born to Be Wild" about the elephants (which we didn't see at Pachyderm hill, since there aren't any anymore) and orangutans orphaned in Borneo.

It was a stellar movie, beautiful, touching, adorable and heart tugging. Plus, it was air conditioning and 3D on a huge IMAX screen.  Miss A loved the 3D glasses and couldn't believe how it "even starts out as 3D, wow!"  Miss M not as easily swayed by red plastic glasses has decided that she might just movie to Asia to help with the orphan orangutans; she's always wanted one as a pet.

I'd say the beginning of girls week was a success.  Hot, sticky, and exhausting none the less, it was perfect.  The fun as they say, has only begun!!  Don't tell Mr C.