7/31/13

Ordinary Days

I took Sammy to the groomers-something I do once a year when I get sick of finding little bits of mulch on my carpet that gets dragged in on his fur.  They asked me at the pet spa (really?? spa??) what I would like for dear Sammy and I said, "Just do whatever you want."  Honestly, I can't answer a question coherently anymore this summer.  I am asked 500 questions a day (one day I will keep track and do a post of all the questions I am asked a day) and I can't think straight-I don't want to think straight when it comes to decisions about a dog's fur.  

He looks like a drowned rat.  It is not pretty, you can tell he is so embarrassed that I am blasting his pic all over the internet can't you?  I told him what I tell everyone around here when they receive a bad haircut-"Hair grows back, you'll be fine, get over it."  

At the pet SPA, I saw a piece of paper on the bulletin board that said, "Would you like a memento of your cat or dog?  Keep your cat of dog's fur clipping and I will turn them into a sweater or purse for you." 

I'm not kidding. Yes it was early in the morning, and yes my brain is fried from summer questions, and yes my vision is blurry from sleeping in my contacts every night, but I saw that ad with my own eyes.  I went home and told Abbey about it and we both gagged and laughed at the same time and I told her I was going to buy her a new purse for her 17th birthday made from Sammy's fur, and maybe the part where the fur had a little poop stuck in it won't get into the purse, or maybe it will.

GROSS, GROSS GROSS.

Let's move onto cute:
Do you think Janey might be teething?

Isaac desperate enough for chocolate chip cookies he actually makes them himself.

Patrick said, "Mmm, yum, fruit salad.  Can I have some?  But not the orange stuff."

Poor Andrew.  On Sunday, he was elbowed in the eye playing basketball on the trampoline.  He thought his eye was gouged out, and the way he screamed, "OWWW!! My eye, my eye, my eye is gouged out!  I am blind!  It hurts so bad!  I'm hurt, owwwww!!!!",  I thought his eye was gouged out also.  I pried his hand away, and found that he was OK, eye intact, just a little red.
Then on Monday, he was hit in the nose with a golf club by another brother.  (Both injuries were accidents.)  And I thought he broke his nose and needed stitches.  Because he yelled at the top of his lungs, "My NOSE, my NOSE, it's broken, I'm gushing blood, my NOSE, I can't breathe, I broke my NOSE. HELP!!!!"

And I thought we were heading off to the ER and instead I found a little cut and it must have hurt but for goodness sakes alive child, are you trying to kill me with adrenaline overload?

I told him just to call out that he was injured and save his diagnosis for the experts (that would be me.)

Here is Jeff and Patrick (the golf club swinger) acting out how to avoid golf club injuries:





The cicadas are out and making more noise then ever, and I LOVE that sound of summer.  I know many of my friends do not-it signifies the middle of summer, or closer to back to school time.  I love summer, you know that, but I also love back to school time. I love the sound the cicadas make in the evening-my favorite time of the day.  I love the warmth and smell of August, when some of the little leaves start to dry up and fall, and the grass gets crinkly.  

Posted by at 31 comments:
Labels:

7/26/13

Ordinary Days


Early morning.

Late evening.

Our championship swim meet was this week, and boy is that crazy-fun, but crazy!  I made sure to get a few photos of the boys (Andrew and Patrick) because I missed taking pictures of all the other meets.

Patrick is SO darn cute.  He started swim team not even knowing how to swim on his own and used a kick board for the first two meets, till he discovered he could go much faster without one.  So he sucked it up and did it (so brave!) and was thrilled with the results.  He dives right in, (diving might not be the right word-more like flailing) and kicks up a storm.  It's so funny to watch.  He makes it about 3/4 down the lane before exhaustion sets in and the last quarter takes about as long as the first 3/4 of the lane did.


Look at that form-he takes this seriously!



Andrew did so great this year.  I think I've already talked about how after the first practice he wasn't so sure-he was frustrated that he couldn't get the strokes and breathing down and everyone was so much faster. But he stuck with it and had this incredible internal motivation to improve.  He loved going to every practice after that first one (both boys did) and tried his hardest always.

At the banquet I was SO proud that Andrew and Patrick both were chosen by their coaches, out of all their team mates, to receive the "Hardest Worker" award.   The coaches had the nicest things to say about them-they were respectful, and listened well, and didn't whine or complain, and worked hard and asked questions to improve, and showed up at almost every single practice.  I hope it doesn't sound like I am bragging but it was just a little boost for my mother's heart.  I SO want my boys to be hard workers and good students and respect their teachers and coaches and one day that may all morph into being great husbands and fathers.  I know a swim team trophy doesn't mean my work is over, but I'm going to take it as a sign that we are heading in the right direction and all this work I'm doing every day-because you know what? it does take time and effort and dedication as parents to teach these things!-will pay off here and there. 

And really..look at this blurry picture-it is my favorite.  Patrick was shocked that he received a TROPHY of all things, and couldn't even stop staring at it the whole ceremony.   He sees his older brother's trophies and desired to have one of his own so badly, and finally his dream came true.



Here is a funny photo someone took of me.  It sums up my summer pretty well.  I've worn that outfit and one other outfit (black stretchy capri yoga pants, purple t-shirt) the entire summer I kid you not, except for church, when I squeeze myself into pants that are so tight around my waist they leave marks.  Those two outfits are the only things that fit me, what with nursing and all.

I always seem to end my ordinary day posts with a photo of Janey, but I can't help myself.
Here she is with "bunny face".


Posted by at 20 comments:
Labels:

Eleven Months

Janey was 11 months on Tuesday!  I am, more than ever this month, repeating this quote in my head:

“ If you are depressed you are living in the past. 
If you are anxious you are living in the future. 
If you are at peace you are living in the present. ”
I was sorting her clothes last night (she was undoing what I was doing as quick as it can be done, sitting next to me) and I had to choke back tears at how fast she is growing out of the tiny socks and pajamas.  And then I think, "But next year, she'll be toddling all over, talking, almost ready to be potty-trained..." and I caught myself.  Because here she is next to me, the most adorable nine month old ever, and I am wasting my time, thinking about TIME, fearing my "lasts", worrying about how fast it's all going-instead of enjoying the moment.  And all those moments add up to time, and there you go.  It works...shutting my brain up and enjoying the moment, I just have to remind myself to do it often.

Posted by at 10 comments:
Labels:

7/22/13

Midsummer's Night Dream


Happiness, loveliness, squishy-ness, busy-ness=Janey-pants.

Hope your summer is going well.  School supplies are out at Target.  Even I, passionate lover of school supplies, am not ready for that yet.
Posted by at 27 comments:
Labels:

7/12/13

Funny Face

Janey makes this face all the time to get a laugh out of us.  We call it her "funny face".  She will do it with no prompting, mostly when someone smiles at her.


Isaac made the exact same face when he was a baby also, 18 years ago. 

Posted by at 10 comments:

7/9/13

Ordinary Days



Janey and I stayed behind for the grand fireworks celebration in our town-we zipped ourselves into the trampoline in our pajamas to listen to the noises, and lasted till the mosquitoes came out.

  A little clean ladybug.

A photo from our "only girls allowed trip" to my hometown. 

Janey with her ice cream-less cone during our Amish country tour.

Too much rain and humidity=indoor boredom.

Too much rain also means that the boys get to earn lots of money from grass that never stops growing.

Stair blockage....these chairs have worked for the last month, but she's going to outsmart me soon.
Posted by at 10 comments:
Labels:

7/1/13

Looming Days

I thought I would share this with you right before summer boredom hits hard.  This toy is definitely making the cut when it comes to our favorite toys/gifts.  I have no affiliation with this company at all, just thought I might save another mom from the "I have nothing to do!!!" summer whines...but I wouldn't mind if they saw this post and sent me a lifetime supply of rubber bands. :)


I think it has been sweeping the nation so you might have heard of it already.  I know in my neck of the woods it is THE favorite activity for grade school kids.  Andrew came home from school the last week and begged me to take him to a local toy store to purchase a Rainbow Loom.  I happily obliged because heck, if there is something that will keep these kids busy in a creative way I jump on it.



He taught himself completely from You Tube videos and tutorials he found on the Rainbow Loom website. There were classes being held at the little toy store also, but that was one more activity I was NOT adding to our already full days. We went back for more rubber bands he bought with even more of his hard-earned lawn cutting money, and scrounged around for this old Lego (craft) container to keep himself organized.




At a little local toy store it was about $15 and there are plenty of rubber bands that come with the kit to get off to a good start.  The refill bands are sorted by colors are about $4-but some are "hot" and Andrew put himself on a waiting list for a few and it's been weeks.  Every time the store calls and says, "We have the (insert color) bands in now" you'd think he just won the lottery and we only have five minutes to pick up our millions.

Here is the link to the Rainbow Loom site if you can't find a store near you.  Amazon also has them but for a few dollars more.
Posted by at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)