Water Day

This week the kids and I hosted some of our Mom’s Group friends at a backyard water day. We set up the pool and slide, filled some water balloons, and told everyone to bring their squirts guns and a picnic lunch. I threw in some homemade ice cream with a choice of toppings.  One of our friends brought a large piece of plastic sheeting for a homemade slip ‘n’ slide. We turned on some of the sprinklers and pretty much just let the kids have at it.

The results, as you can see, were fantastic. I am always so amazed at how well this group of children gets along. They are all different ages and stages ( I think the range was 2 – 12 ish ) with a large range os skills and interests and yet they all are kind and considerate to one another. It’s exactly what every mom hopes to see! (Yes, this is me applauding my mom friends for raising awesome kids!! Pat yourselves on the back ladies….you’re doing a great job! ) 

I will make a small mention to take note of the tall girl with the long brown hair in the black and pink in the photos. Her name is Delaney, and Jack is just absolutely infatuated with her. He thinks she soooooo coool! For the last week and a half he has not shut up about her. “Can Delaney come over and play trucks with me?”, “You know Delaney has a red van? “Delaney can do this….” “Delaney can do that….” Ahhhhhhhh! Whenever he’s around her, he pretty much follows her around like a shadow and peppers her with a million and one questions, which greatfully, she answers for him. Seriously, once she’s ready to babysit I know who to ask cause Jack (and Emilie too) will do ANYTHING she asks them too…..Sheesh!

My Favorite Things

The weather has been somewhat cooperative this week and I’ve been putting hours of sweat equity into the lawn and garden. Got some 2, 4-d Amine 4 down on the lawn (take that dandelions, thistles, and mallow), finished getting the last of the garden in except for the bell peppers (still need to mess with the drip line a bit though), drug out the hanging planters I scored for $1 each last fall and got them planted and hung (wouldn’t you know a hummingbird showed up to feed on the petunias not 30 minutes later), and all sort of other odds ‘n’ end yard stuff. That and I’ve also been doing prep for a garage sale we’re hosting this Saturday. If you think you might be interested in buying our old junk, come on down

Needless to say I was more than ready to take a little break Thursday night. One of my Mom’s Group friends was hosting a “My Favorite Things” party. Never heard of one? Neither had I. Thankfully I have friends you are more up to date on these sorts of things and they keep me in the loop.

For this party everyone brought three of their ‘favorite things’ (3 of the same thing) in the $15 price range. We put our names in a bucket three times and filled out a card about  some of our favorite things (color, vacation spot, drink, celebrity crush, etc.) Then our hostess read one of the cards and we guessed who favorite things those were. That individual then went and drew three names. Showed us her gift and explained why it was one of her favorite things and gave them to the three names she drew. She than got the stack of cards and picked one to read and so on and so forth. In the end everyone had 3 gifts to take home with them.

Our awesome hostess also gave us little ‘swag bags’ with some of her favorite things. Including Chobani yogurt samples. Her husband may or may not work for Chobani and it always seems you end up with Greek yogurt if you spend any amount of time with her Also, a huge thanks to her for hosting us.

Kristin is an AMAZING hostess. The pictures barely do it justice. She went all out for us. Between the food and beverage and decorations, I think we all felt a little spoiled. We’re all so used to doing ‘potluck’ style gatherings that when she said not to bring anything except yourself and your three items it felt a little weird. To top it off she put this all together while seven months pregnant and having an 18month old ‘helper’. She sure had on her superwoman cape yesterday! She has totally earned the right to sleep in today and be a little lazy.

 

Since I took a lot of photos and there are too many to post in one blog posting AND I’ve had the soundtrack to “Sound of Music” running through my head all week. I give you….a slideshow.

My Favorite Things Party

Photo Friday

I’ve got a trio of favorites from this week!

First off I’d like to point out that I’ve felt a bit off-kilter all week. Kevin got home, safe and sound, from his fire assignment late Saturday. That meant he took Sunday and Monday off. Then I pulled the kids from preschool on Tuesday to do a Mom’s Group event. Pretty our usual weekly schedule was “all shook up” hence the off-kilter feeling. Unless I stop for a moment and think, I’m really not sure what day it is.

Okay so here we go. First up – The Zoo!

Seeing as Kevin has been gone for almost 2 weeks, what better way to welcome him home than with a trip to the Zoo! This photo cracks me up. The elephant’s nose is a mister and it caught Emilie COMPLETELY by surprise. Plus I love Kevin’s expression of “tee hee he…got ‘em!” Not wholly unexpected though as this is the man who rolls the window down when we drive past wheel lines spraying on the road…..

Side note and bonus photo…..we also found the Ben & Jerry’s store in Boise! Now I need to get a group together so we can tackle the Vermonster!

Second, I mention above the kids (with my help and permission) played hooky from school on Tuesday. One of the gals in my Mom’s group, well her husband works for Eastern Idaho Railroad and they set up a chance for the kids to come look at and sit in an engine. Kids loved it till they blew the horn. Loud noises and both kids are not a good combo. Emilie burst into tears and Jack looked shaken. Got to hand it to the boy though he still got on board and set in the Engineer’s seat and even blew the horn himself. However, that was about as far as his bravery lasted and he was DONE the minute he got off the train. Emilie would have nothing to do with it period! Despite all the tears Jack claims to have had an AWESOME time……

Last but not least our third photo. Mother Nature continues to smack southern Idaho around a bit. We had quite the windstorm last night (I need to go check my corn and see if it needs propped back up). Wednesday night we go a massive light show. It was impressive. Only one big fire start from it though.

Kevin and I sat out on the lawn and watched it for awhile after the kids were in bed. I took pictures and we reminisced about another lightning storm nine years ago. That was the summer we met and I can both recall sitting on the lawn at the Conconully Ranger station (aka ‘home’ for the summer) and watching the lighting flash over the mountains wondering how busy the next morning would be.

Pardon the Interruption….

…but it’s summertime.

I feel like I’ve been lax with my weekly posting lately. We’ve just been having so much fun enjoying all the summer has to offer that blog posts haven’t been top on the priority list.

Last week as the weather began to top out in the 90’s daily (it’s been triple digits the last few days) we, meaning me, decided it was time to host a Mom’s Meetup at our place. So last Thursday I turned on the sprinklers, filled the kiddie pool, and made ice cream. Along with a slip ‘n’ slide brought by a friend, we had quite the backyard water day.

Something about all those wet kids tearing around the backyard laughing just made me think, “Yea, this is what it’s all about!”

Over the weekend Kevin and I even got in on the water fun. Don’t think the kids get to enjoy it all to themselves round this place. Though the slide probably does have a weight limit that we are pushing.

We also busted out the new convection hood for Dutch oven cooking with propane! We can grill AND cook something in the Dutch oven with having have both the BBQ and fire pit going….quite convenient. I am determined to learn how to do biscuits/bread in the Dutch oven this summer and this will come in handy for sure. Not to mention you don’t heat up the kitchen while cooking. That is always a plus! 

Today, we continued our ‘wet’ trend and went  down to Dierkes Lake to swim with friends. We’ve been out there several times, but this was the first time I took the kids sans Kevin. Thankfully Dierkes has a nice little beach and a wading section cornered off with Jersey barriers. The kids can wander but there is a wall keeping them from getting in over their heads, literally. Great when you have two kiddos that tend to wander in opposite directions. We brought a bunch of sand toys and lunch and just let all the kids have at it. We’ll definitely be back again this summer (mostly because I bought the season pass and want to get my money’s worth ). Perhaps we can get Jack half decent at swimming before the summer’s out. He is still struggling to operate both ends at once. He either kicks or paddles and would be much more efficient if he did both at the same time.

Well, tomorrow is Independence Day. We’re celebrating the anniversary of this great nation by attending a parade and cooking some yummy food. While it too dry to risk and big fireworks we have stocked up on confetti poppers and pop-its. I hope you all enjoy your holiday. Stay safe and use common sense with your fireworks!

I now return to my place kiddie poolside to enjoy some more summer fun. If you don’t hear from me, this is probably where I’ll be.

Off to the Races

Last night was a special treat. One of the gals in my Mom’s Group works for a local broadcasting company (i.e. “the radio”) who just happened to be hosting this weekend out at the Magic Valley Speedway. That meant she was given tickets to hand out and when she graciously offered them to the members of the Mom’s Group I was more than willing to take 4 off her hands.

So Saturday night, with the wind howling, we bundled up the kiddos and headed off to the Speedway. Now, while the Magic Valley Speedway is Idaho’s only NASCAR sanctioned track, it’s not by any means huge or high class (really are any NASCAR tracks “high-class?”) The night kicked off with preliminary races which started with “clunker cars”….yes there was a Geo Metro out there running laps….and worked up to the more expensive racecars. I’m not a huge racing aficionado (pretty sure this way my first time at a “speedway” unless you count the grain truck races at the Lind Combine Derby) but basically this track is used by people who drive as a fun side hobby and/or are looking to use it as a foothold into the next division up. Hoping to someday make it to drive with the big boys like Gordon, Dale Jr., and Biffle.

Anyway, the kids had a BLAST! There were a couple of other Mom’s Group friends who braved the weather and it was fun to watch them all react to the racing. There was lots of wiggling, jumping, screeching, and waving. It must have been like the movie Cars come to life. Jack loved it when one would spin out into the infield. Emilie loved the big Vroooom they made as the cars zipped past the bleachers.

We didn’t stay until the end. Between the wind, cool weather, and colds both kids (and me) are fighting we called it after about 2 hours. We could see things were headed downhill and sometimes it’s nice to finish your evening on a happy note and not wait until someone melts down. Despite that, we had a great time and will definitely be back!

Thanks again to Tammy D. for the tickets, and to Theresa, Susan, and families for braving the wind with us.

The Ghoul Bus

As many of you know Kevin is Elk Hunting this week. That make me, by default, a hunting widow for the time being. When Kevin’s gone for multiple days the trick to staying sane seems to be staying occupied. I’m always on the lookout  for something to entertain the kiddos. That’s one of the reasons I love our Mom’s Group and all those wonderful ladies so much. There is always some sort of outing or get together. Field/Fire/Hunting seasons have become much easier on me because of these ladies!

Anyway, back to topic. The Ghoul Bus. Lowe’s home improvement has these Saturday morning Build & Grow workshops. It is 100% free. Kids get a free apron, hammer, and goggles at their first session, and project to build, and a patch/certificate upon completion. Totally awesome way to have fun and teach your child some new skills, plus they get to keep whatever they build. At 3.5 almost 4 Jack is on the younger end of this type of thing. Emilie came with but I didn’t have her do a project….she just helped Jack with his.

You don’t have to build your project at the store either. This was great because all Jack wants to do at Lowe’s is sit on each and every single lawn mower in the joint. Poo poo on building some bus. Instead, we all picked up our projects and went over to Theresa & Bill D’s house (thanks again guys for hosting!!) and put them together there.

 

Jack was hesitant at first. I got the usual “I wanna go home”, “Let’s go get in the car” lines. Since he wasn’t wanting to participate Emilie and I started on his project. Low and behold, less than five minutes later and all the banging and pounding got the better of his curiosity. He actually enjoyed hammering the nails in…especially on the wheels. By far though, he enjoyed decorating his bus with stickers!

This is one event I definitely want to do again. Perhaps if Kevin comes with next time we’ll get Emilie set up with a project. They all look so cute in their aprons and goggles it’s hard to not get her some too.

Child’s Day Out

Yesterday the local Boys & Girls Club of America put on a “Child’s Day Out” event. Several of the Meetup Moms were going with their kids and it sounded promising so Jack, Em, and I went to town to check it out.

It turned out to be a FANTASTIC event and a great way to spend the afternoon. There was a bounce house, emergency vehicles, a ‘train’ to ride, arts & crafts, games, and even lunch was served (through which I inadvertently discovered that Emilie loves pudding cups.)

Most of the outside events were too ‘big’ for Emilie, but she enjoyed watching Jack. The bounce house was her favorite. I stood on one side holding her while we watched Jack jump and she’d put her feet on the side of the house and bounce too.

Jack, as usual, was ‘ga-ga’ about the emergency vehicles. He jumped straight in the back of the Police cruiser, shut both doors, and bounced on the seat. The police officer gave him a sticker badge which had him over the moon. We had to visit the fire truck twice, during which he had to drive, sit in all the seats, and check out the hoses.

Still it was the ‘train that outshined everything else. The train is simply a riding mower with the deck removed and a plywood ‘engine’ slipped over it. The ‘cars’ are 55 gallon drums with plywood benches and ‘repurposed’ car seatbelts bolted to them. Each seat had it’s own steering wheel and the bell on the engine rings.

Personally, I think this would make a great winter project to those mechanically inclined (Uncle Cory…*cough, cough*)

Inside there was much more for Emilie to do. Jack led her through an obstacle course, they spent some time building blocks, playing with play-dough, fishing in a fish pond, painting, and getting tattoos.

Okay, they were temporary tattoos but tattoos none the less. Jack picked out an Easter Bunny for himself (probably has something to do with his current infatuation with ‘HOP’). For Emilie he picked out a black panther with flames……still kicking myself for not getting a picture.

Believe it or not we did all this in the 2 hours the event was put on for. It was a lot of action and I figured they would both be wiped out, but there was enough energy left to pled for a quick trip to the playground on the way to the car.

We didn’t stay long since it was 85 degrees out and I didn’t want to roast the kids, but we managed a few trips down the slide and a round on the string. For what it’s worth, Jack does know how to use the ‘big kid’ swings, but sitting next to his sister (and not having to hold on) is much more fun.

This was an excellent way to spend the afternoon and I’ll definitely be keeping and eye out in case they do it again. Plus, Emilie crashed in the car on the way home and slept for three hours. Jack took a short nap too, but he waited until Emilie woke up before falling asleep. Oh well, can’t win ‘em all.

The Bowladrome

I’ve joined a local Mom’s group to meet some local families with kids of similar ages. How it works it people suggest meet-up’s or playdates and you can pick and choose depending on your interest and schedule. Sunday was a family outing a a local bowling alley.

We haven’t been bowling in ages (it been around 3 years for me) and the kids have never been, so we packed up and headed over to the Bowladrome. We had a GREAT time. There were six families in all. The alley is over by Kevin’s work. At first Jack didn’t want to go because he wanted to go see the grader parked at the office, but it only took him seeing one ball knocking over pins and he was gung-ho! Every time a ball hit pins…KA-BOOM!!! Jack would shout.

Bowling has improved somewhat since I was a kid and you had to call ahead so they could put bumpers down the gutter for bumper bowling. Now the bumpers pop up automatically and they have these nifty ball launcher things for the kids. The device looks like a walker and you set the ball up top and push it down the ramp. Besides, helping the kids aim it also prevented balls from stalling halfway down the lane.

Being the bowling Goddess that I am I bowled a 36 (it’s like golf right? Lowest score wins? ;-P). Jack bowled a 79…. I think Kevin bowled somewhere in the 80’s and Emile cheered everyone on.

I tell myself that my score would have been better but Jack bowled a couple of my turns (the adults had a ‘regular’ lane) and I was bowling with Em in one arm on occasion. Should have gotten some pictures of that…it was impressive. Hold baby, bowl, and keep son from dropping bowling ball on his feet. Oh yeah, I’m superwoman!

Not sure why I have no pictures of Emilie. I was sure I took some, but guess not since she didn’t actually bowl. That guarantees we’ll have to go back sometime because I want to see her in tiny bowling shoes….