Life At The Circus

A few weeks ago I wrote about our kindergarten dilemma for next year. After months of praying, discussing, putting of decision making, visiting, observing, and more discussing, I found it refreshing to have it out of  my hands. Last week my son graduated from preschool .  At the class picnic I was bombarded with questions about where he would go to school in the fall.  I was telling one friend about our situation and she responded, “Well, it sounds like one of those things that will obviously be God working.” To be honest, I really felt like he’d end up attending our local public school. And maybe part of me wanted that to be the answer b/c I was afraid of the other option.  If confronted I wouldn’t have admitted it, but when my husband pointed it out, I realized he was right. Homeschooling does scare me a little.  What if I mess up?  What if I fail?  I’m great at setting goals, but often not so good with the follow through.  How will I make time for cleaning, laundry, lesson plannin...

Just a friendly reminder to link up late tonight or tomorrow morning with your weekend thought.  You can write something new or link up a thoughtful post from earlier in the week!  I’m eager to read your thoughts!!    

My kids each have a blanket that their grandma made for them before they were born.  Being the creative individuals that they are, they call them their “grandma blankets.”  I know, ingenious, huh? The other day I was laying on my daughter’s bed when I had a realization.  “Hey”, I said, “this blanket is my grandma blanket.”  She laughed and thought I was joking. “No,” I said, “this blanket right here was made for me by my grandma when I was a little girl, so it is my grandma blanket.”  Later that day I came into my room and saw this.     Seems she realizes how special a grandma blanket is and thought I should sleep with mine.

My oldest son is five.    He’s gotten to the point where he wants things.  And his birthday and  Christmas are over.  He’s already proven that he has the self control and discipline to save up for things.  But he has no income. I would like to start developing in him the discipline to save and to choose wisely how to spend his money.  So, I was wondering, do any of you give your children allowances? If so, at what age did you start? Did you have your child do chores to earn the allowance? How much did you give? And what do you do about the younger siblings?  Do they all start getting an allowance now? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, so please share!!

Each May the Blue Angels do an air show at the Naval Academy as part of the commencement week celebrations.  It is practically a holiday around here.   (If you don’t believe me, check the sign out sheets that afternoon at the local schools).  Scott actually saves half a vacation day each year so we can enjoy them as a family. Hmm, do you think we enjoyed ourselves?   Check out 5M4M and 7 Clown Circus for more fun with pics!

Mudpies Slugs Puddle Jumping We’ve had plenty of baths at the circus this weekend.  But the extra laundry and baths are totally worth it to see my kids truly delighting in the simplest of pleasures and enjoying the world around them.  Mud, and slugs, and puddles…giggles, wonder, and smiles…

Something happened to my baby girl. Seems she was just learning to crawl. How is that she’s running around, skinning her knees and swinging beside the big kids? Didn’t she know she wasn’t supposed to grow up so fast? She’s my baby. What is she doing conversing and counting and going on the potty? Where did my baby go? And who is this pig tailed princess that’s serenading us in the morning with her sweet cherub voice? 

I’m trying to cultivate my garden so I did a lot of weeding this past week.  And as I did I found there are two ways to weed.  You can pick each individual weed out by hand, or you can whack them all with a hoe.   Both are effective and appropriate methods for weeding. But, each has an appropriate time and place.  In my old garden which was empty of any vegetation except for weeds, the hoe was the method of choice.  I was able to whack out those weeds in about 25 min. But in my flower beds, I had to take a different approach.  If I whacked, I would have killed the plants right along with the  weeds.  And what good would that be? Another thing I got to think about while weeding (much more then I would have liked), is how to go about disciplining my children.  When I catch my older two spreading sand throughout the yard like "mulch," in spite of our consistent instruction to keep all sand in the sandbox , let's just say it's easy to overreact.  It's true there are ...

I can’t believe the school year is over all ready.  More than that I can’t believe my little guy is going to be a kindergartener next fall.  Where did the time go?  It truly seems like it wasn’t that long ago when he was taking his first steps.  And now he’ll be stepping across the stage…ready to commence a new stage of life. He is no longer a preschooler. I’m so proud of him.  I love the way his little mind works, always processing, always questioning.  He’s got his Daddy’s logical brain.   I look forward to watching him continue to grow and develop through the years.  And yet, I wish I could freeze time right now, right where he is.  I love that he still loves to snuggle.  And I dread the day when he doesn’t want to curl up on my lap on the couch anymore. There’s going to be a ceremony and performance at his school this morning.  He’s been talking about it all week.  I can’t wait to see him sing his songs with his classmates.  He told me tonight he gets to wear a special vest and ha...

Ever watched one of those food network shows?  Paula Dean, Giada, Rachel Ray, Emeril… funny how different their kitchens look from mine….I’ve got kids fighting, the dog barking, and one hand balancing my toddler on my hip, while the other puts dinner in the oven and calls Scott to find out what time he’ll be leaving work. Meanwhile I am emptying the dish washer, wiping up spills, and maybe.. maybe checking face book.  For those of you that have watched a cooking show and thought, “if only” This ones for you…

Thanks to Becky and her super fun WOW (within one week) carnival, I managed to tackle my overgrown flower beds and get them spruced up in time for summer.  I realize many of you did your spring planting early this spring, but I already told you yesterday, I am not always timely . Check out the before and after. Flower Bed #1: I’d still like to cut my rose bushes down some, but I think you will agree it looks MUCH better than it did last week. Flowerbed #2: I grabbed our shepherd’s hook out of our shed and added a wind chime from our deck and a new hanging basket.  It’s my favorite part of the bed. Flowerbed #3: A close up of the plants.  I added some Impatients in between each of the hostas.  Impatients work well in shade which defines my front yard.  And it seemed an appropriate plant for the circus… cause we needs lots of patience here! Flower Bed #4 Note the watering can—my kids favorite part of the project! Flowerbed #5:  The Garden Despite my lack of follow through last year, I...

I have become a procrastinator.  Actually I am worse than a procrastinator b/c procrastinators put things off till the last minute and then get them done.  I didn’t used to be this way but now I tend to put them off till the last minute and then the deadline passes and I am still left with the job undone.  Case in point: I bought my mom her mothers day card at the end of April.  I brought it to PA with me at the beginning of May to deliver with my gift.  But, I didn’t sign it, thinking, “Oh I will sign it when I get there.”  And the card rode back to MD with me, unsigned where it sat in the back of the passenger seat until today 8 DAYS AFTER MOTHERS DAY when I finally signed it and mailed my mom her card.  As if that wasn’t bad enough today I also mailed my BIL his birthday package for his birthday on April 9th.  I wish I could say I forgot his birthday and that is why it was late.  I didn’t forget, I knew about it, even got him a card, b...

Between baseball practice, swim lessons, sailing races, and deacon meetings, our evenings can get quite busy.  And one thing my family is passionate about is their food.  Not so keen on skipping diner. So, to keep dinner on the table, I have found it is helpful to have a plan.  I must confess I used to be much better about the plan. I’d write up my meal plan for the month and then make my grocery list based on it.  But, for the past few months I’ve let it go and kinda figured out dinner at the beginning of the day.  This week I’m trying out a meal plan again..taking a step back from the monthly plan and trying out the week, it’s gotta be better than the daily opening of the cupboard and figuring out what we have that the kids will eat.  We’ll see how it goes.  Monday :  sloppy joes, mac-n-cheese, sweet corn Tuesday : enchiladas and corn bread, salad Wednesday : Breakfast for dinner-scrambled eggs, bacon, blueberry muffins Thursday : Fi...

My son recently discovered the term “Summer Vacation” and in the innocence that only youth gives, he was quite disheartened when he learned that preschool didn’t last all summer long. The fact that he’ll be in Kindergarten and not returning to his preschool didn’t help the matter. It’s been so fun to watch him grow this past year at preschool.  When we were looking at school’s last spring, I wasn’t sure where we wanted to send him.  I had narrowed it down to two school’s and I’ll be honest, this one wasn’t my top choice.  But the top choice only had availabilities in the afternoon and I was not AT ALL interested in interrupting the girls nap time for preschool pick up. So, the answer became very clear. And I knew from orientation, that this school was a perfect fit for us.   I have been so pleased with the teachers and the administration and have had a truly positive experience for us all.  Even the girls have enjoyed participating in various family events at the school and are looking...

If you’re anything like me then perhaps you’ve got a project or two that’s been sitting on the back burner for awhile… in the daily struggle to get dinner on the table and clean underwear out of the dryer, some how those bigger projects get pushed off until “later.” Well, Becky’s got a carnival going on this week to inspire us to tackle those projects we’ve been meaning to get to, but haven’t. It’s called WOW .  And it began on Wednesday.  Yes, I know it is Friday, but I am speedy like that.  Always the first car in line at the preschool drop off, always returning library books before their due… ahem, yea not so much…this is life at the circus, remember? The premise of WOW is to pick one project that you will get done w ithin o ne w eek.  Get it?  Wow .. Yea, she is so clever.    So, being as it is Friday and I am now participating in WLTOW (within less than one week…not quite as catchy), I’ve got some work to do… I hope to tackle my fl...

A few months ago I didn’t now Bruce Banner from Bruce Wayne and I couldn’t have named an X-Man to save my life.  Since my son’s Spiderman party , I’ve been studying up.   Doing some self inflicted homework.  In the past month I have seen all 3 Spiderman Movies, The Incredible Hulk, The Punisher, and the 3 X Men movies…and tomorrow Scott and I are going on a double date to see the new Wolverine movie.  Before you go thinking I’m working for the mother of the year award, I gotta confess that while part of this did stem from a desire to be able to explain to my son who the bad guys were, the shocking thing is, I have  really grown to like this whole super hero genre.  I think it started a few years ago when I started watching Heroes .  It opened up a whole new world to me. It’s called fantasy. Prior to that, I really wasn’t into sci-fi or fantasy.  never read Chronicles of Narnia or Harry Potter slept through Star Wars in th...

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I am quickly approaching a new age bracket.  The thirty somethings.  It hit me rather squarely in the face yesterday when I looked into a women’s Bible study at a nearby church.  I got so excited when I found a Beth Moore study meeting at a church less than 5 minutes from my house.  I quickly e-mailed an acquaintance from that church before even reading the small print.  The study I mentioned to her was for 18-30 year old women, she replied.  “Do you fit in that category?”   She sent me a link for the “30 and up group” which meets the next night of the week.  “Wow” I thought to myself.  I could fit in either group.  Since my birthday is this summer, I could join the 30 and up or the 30 and under.  And since this is a new church to me, I don’t have friends in either category that could help sway my decision.  I am in a rare position where I get to chose where to place myself.  And I have to ask, “Do I wa...

One of my hubby’s fav breakfast foods is my home made coffee cake.  I often make it for him on special occasions like Valentine’s Day, our anniversary, or his birthday. Because you can make it the night before, it is great to serve for overnight guests.  Or for freakishly early breakfast guests like I had this weekend.  My son had a 9:30 baseball game on Saturday and we had invited my husband’s extended family over for breakfast before the game.  Breakfast before a 9:30 soccer game translates to having kids dressed, table set, and breakfast ready by 8:00am. The only way that is possible at the circus, is if the main course was made the night before. Enter Nancy’s Sour Cream Coffee Cake. My mom got this recipe years ago from a coworker and I have enjoyed it ever since! Try it yourself, you won’t be sorry! Nancy’s Sour Cream Coffee Cake Topping: 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 1 cup chopped nuts Cake: mix together 1 cup butter 1 cup sugar 2 beaten eggs 2 ...

Sometimes after reading the kids their bedtime Bible story we start to wonder, are they listening? Are they getting the point of the stories?  Every once and a while they offer up another reminder that they really are. Tonight after reading our children the story of Daniel and the Lions Den, my husband tried a little follow up to see if our 5 year old son was connecting… Scott: “What if President Obama made a law that said that everyone had to bow down and pray to him?” <insert a brief discussion confirming for him that Obama wouldn't actually do that> Son:  I wouldn’t do it because that would be bad. Scott: Why would it be bad? Son: Because we should only pray to God. Scott: What if he said you would be thrown into den of hungry lions if you didn’t? Son:  Then God would save me. Scott:  But what if he didn’t save you? Son:  Then it would be time for me to go to heaven. Sometimes the faith of my son just completely blows me away.  I’ve read the account of Shadrach, Meshach an...

For a good time at the circus   simply wear your underwear on your head!! My son pleaded to  his Daddy the other night, “Please, Please, Please wear underwear on your head…It can be clean!” 

Much like I do almost every day, I loaded my sweet baby girl into her car seat.  I buckled her in and then handed her a purple sippy cup. After strapping her sister in her seat and after double checking her brother, I went to my spot in the front.  About 20 minutes later I looked back and saw my sweet baby girl holding two purple sippy cups. “Where did that other cup come from?” I quickly took both cups and tried to figure out which was the good one and which cup of milk was from our drive 2 Nights Ago. About 10 minutes later my poor little girl puked curdled milk all over her self.  My poor sweet girl!  She guzzled her sippy cup expecting some nice fresh milk, only to have her momma give her 2 day old spoiled, rotten milk.  I felt awful!!  Shame on Me

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I write to you today with a happy heart.  3 days ago my bloggy world and my real life world collided at lunch in Pittsburgh.  As I drove to my meeting place, I was a bit nervous.  “What if we run out of things to say?  Will she like me when she meets me in person?”  It felt quite similar to those first date jitters.  (No I wasn’t worried about whether or not she’d kiss me when she dropped me off at the end).    But there was still that eager anticipation for what lie ahead.  When you tell someone you are going to lunch to meet someone you met on the internet, it sounds a bit like something you might see on TV.  People start to get a bit alarmed and concerned or give you a weird look.  Those of you who are part of the blogging community know how you can know someone before you know them.  They get it when you refer to someone as a friend, even though you’ve never technically seen them face to face.    T...

I am not an athlete.  Those of you blog readers who knew me in high school can vouch for me on this.  My position on the HS sport team was bench warmer, my role, “team encourager.”  When my recent blog friend turned IRL friend accompanied me this weekend to pick up my runners pack for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon and called me athletic, I almost laughed in her face. Me athletic? Just because I ran 13.1 miles yesterday, does not make me athletic.  If you heard me whining all afternoon and saw my crazy/gimpy/80 year woman hobble today, you would understand that I am no athlete. I started running a few years ago b/c I wanted to try to get in shape, lose some of that baby weight, and to feel good about myself.  And while part of me dreams of being able to call myself “a runner” I don’t feel I have yet obtained that status.  Runners run All.The.Time.  As in up everyday at the butt crack of dawn running. I run in spurts.  As in, “Oh no that...

The other night at dinner my daughter was not so excited about eating her peas. So, her little sister decided to step in and help her! Sisters make everything better… even eating your greens! Sometimes you just need a little encouragement!