Weekend Happenings

Good Friday morning!

How's your weekend looking? We've got a good one to look forward to, I think. Roxie's cousin, Monica, will be spending the night with us tomorrow night (a late birthday outing), and we'll be heading to one of our favorite places in the world on Saturday. That's right... the Mall! One of Monica's "birthday surprises" is a makeover at the Clinique Counter at Belk's, so that's going to be fun. We also like to eat at Edgar's Bakery behind the mall. It's going to be cold, so we'll order soup or chili in one of their bread bowls. I don't know about you, but any kind of plate or bowl that is edible makes it twice as nice. Now if you'll serve my ice tea in a coconut and give me a pretzel spoon, I'll be a happy camper. When you can eat what you would normally have to wash up, that's a good lunch.

While we're doing the makeover thing, Mike, Austin, Josh and a couple of friends will be cheering for Auburn. I think we'll all be together for dinner Saturday night, and Sunday looks free and easy... just church. Or a "spontaneously" planned football game down at the lot! Can you say "relaxing?"

Before we get into today's book titles, I wanted to share a little story about Austin and his friend when they were younger (seven or eight). They were really into The Hardy Boy books. They read every one they could get their hands on. Mysteries were THE thing.

One day, his friend's mom and I decided to pick them up from school around 1:00 and take them on a Mystery Trip. We had Josh, Roxie and the friend's two brothers with us also, so we decided the Mystery Trip should be the BMX Track at Oak Mountain. It was something my guys had never done before, and we wanted to go before school let out in case it got crowded.

We packed the bikes in Mike's truck (I traded cars with him that day), and I hid behind a church while she went into the school to check out the unsuspecting boys. From our vantage point, we could see them, but they couldn't see us.

I let them pull out and waited a few seconds before I began to follow. My friend explained to them they were going on a Mystery Trip. The questions soon began. "Where's Miss Belinda?" "Why did you check us out?" "How far are we going?" "Is it going to be dangerous?" Without giving the destination away, my friend answered the questions as best she could.

On the highway, Austin looked back and spotted me. "Hey, isn't that my Dad's truck?" (He had a very distinctive truck.) Not realizing I had been spotted, I didn't fall back, but knowing I was following them still did not give them the necessary clues to solve the mystery.

Right before we arrived at the BMX Track, Austin's friend said, "I hope this isn't just some kind of 'ho ax' (said as two words)."

My friend said she kept saying the words, "Ho ax. Ho ax," trying to figure out what her son was talking about. "I think he means 'hoax,'" Austin finally said. When you read mystery novels set in the 1950s, you tend to start talking that way. Needless to say, when Austin told me he needed some new dungarees, I knew it was time to get some different reading material.

Our Mystery Trip was a huge success. The boys were thrilled, and although they figured out I was following them, it wasn't until we almost reached the destination that they figured out exactly where we were going. I hope it's something they'll never forget. I hope it's something they'll try with their own kids one day. I hope no one ever pulls a better "ho ax" on them than we did that day.

Books

Speaking of mysteries, when I was a pre-teen, those were my favorite kinds of books. I read every Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and Trixie Belden book ever written.

Today's pick is the Trixie Belden series. There are over 15 different books, and they were out of print for a very long time. They started returning to bookshelves about two years ago, and I was thrilled. Now these are not "with-it," 2008 kinds of books. They are probably set in the 50s, and the characters are 14 to 17-year old teenagers. However, they are very age appropriate for the ten to 12 year-old crowd (and a little older). Roxie loves them and insists on reading them in chronological order. (You don't have to read them this way. Each mystery stands on its own. She's just like her mom and likes to do things in order if possible.) She chuckles every time she reads the phrases "Gleeps" and "Jeepers." (Personally, I had never heard the term "Gleeps" before I read these books years ago, but Roxie is convinced I used to say it all the time when I was a kid. No, I didn't! I was a big enough nerd without walking around exclaiming "Gleeps" all the time!)

These books come in hardback and you can find them or order them from Books-A-Million. They are affordable to collect ($6.99 each). They are also available at public libraries now. The author's name is Kathryn Kenny. Again, they are a blast from the past, but so enjoyable.

The mysteries are just scary enough... no blood, no guts, but plenty of suspense for your pre-teen. And they're different from the Nancy Drew series. Nancy is so sophisticated (and older), and Trixie just kind of stumbles onto things here and there... kind of like a "real" person might do (in pre-teen "imaginary land"). They would make a great Christmas gift, too.

I'm taking the weekend off, as usual. (From blogging... not living!) I'll be back on Monday with a party your little girl will enjoy. It doesn't even have to be a birthday party. When I did it with Roxie and her friends several years ago, we just did it one day after school. It was fun, easy and memorable. I'll also give you two little boy variations of the same party that I tried with my guys.

Have a great weekend, and have some fun with your family and friends!

Take a Hike!

Good Thursday morning!

Before we get into today's Date, I wanted to share a little story about something Mike and I did for a date last year. Trying to be creative and not spend a ton of money each time two adults go out is not easy, is it?

Well, we had put the tent up in the backyard for a week of backyard camp outs. Austin had a camp out; Josh had a camp out; Roxie had a camp out; and then the siblings together had a camp out. I even camped out with Roxie one night for a girls' night out... in the backyard, that is. So before we took the tent down, I decided to plan a special little date for me and Mikie. I rented a movie (not animated), and fixed our supper, a cooler with drinks (water and sodas), etc. and when Mikie came home, I told him WE were going to have a backyard camp out. Just me and my Mikie. To say he looked less than thrilled was an understatement, but he was game.

We had our little supper, and we checked on the kids (ages 16, 14 and 11 -- plenty old enough to stay in the house alone -- four feet from our tent) and we watched our non-animated movie. It was fun. We talked and caught up. (The best part was having our bathroom four feet away.) As we were getting ready to go to bed, Mike said, "I think we're on a little slope."

"Oh, we are not. It's your imagination. This is the flattest part of the yard. There is NO slope here."

"I think you're wrong. Let's move everything around and sleep on the opposite side of the air mattress."

"Noooo. I don't want to move. I'm comfortable, and I'm tired, and there is no slope. You always think there's a slope," I whined.

So Mikie and I went to sleep. When we woke up, I had a terrible headache. I looked over at Mikie and in the morning light he looked like a tomato. "What is wrong with your face?"

"All the blood is in my head. Look at how white my feet are. They're cold, too. Like 'dead' feet," he responded numbly.

I sat up (way too quickly) and let all the blood that was supposed to be in all parts of my body redistribute itself. "You know. We're lucky we didn't have a stroke sleeping on a slope like that all night. We should have changed positions on the air mattress," I said grumpily.

"What!? Are you kidding me?" I could tell he was about to get really agitated, so I changed the subject.

"Wasn't that fun though? Just a little something different. We can tell our grandkids about it one day. You know... how quirky and fun Papa and Nana used to be," I pointed out cheerily.

"If we ever sleep like that again, I don't know that we'll get to meet our grandchildren," was his response.

Just a little reminder that not all dates will be perfect. Some may turn out to be not much fun. Some may send you to the emergency room. But ALL of them will create a memory, a bonding, a little something you experienced with only one other person that will give you something to talk about in years to come. So don't be disappointed if you have a bad date. Give it time, and maybe one day it will be a funny memory... or as Mike would say, "Or maybe not!"

Take a Hike

Today's date is easy to plan (you just need non-rainy weather and a really good hiking stick). Just take a hike. Almost too simple to comprehend, isn't it? But it is a very good date.

First, consider the age of the child you'll be taking and how much of a hiker this kid will be. You don't want to get halfway through the trail and have a four or five year-old dangling from your back the rest of the way. Not fun for anyone! I would suggest seven and older (boy or girl).

Second, find the perfect hiking stick. You may think this is a non-essential, but kids (boys and girls) love having a hiking stick. If you don't want to spend "hiking time" looking for the perfect stick, find some woods near your home and find the stick before the hike.

Third, if there is a State Park nearby, find out how many hiking trails they have in the park. We are very fortunate to have three state parks within less than an hour driving distance and two more a little more than an hour. Once you have chosen the park, you can call and ask them how many marked hiking trails they have. Then ask how many are simple, moderate or difficult. They will give you all of this information over the phone, as well as how far each hike will be (1.2 miles, etc.) Pick your date, park and your trail. (They all have names, so stay away from the ones called "Dead Man's Jump" or "Zombie Cave Trail.")

Now you are ready. You will also need to pack a lightweight backpack (for you to carry -- not the child). Remember, we're not trying to make a man out of him/her on this little hike. This is just for fun. Pack frozen water bottles, trail mix, or any other snack you might like. Keep in mind to start off slow. Don't pick the 9.4 difficult hiking trail first. Pick a simple 1.2 mile trail, and if there's time after snack or lunch, you might try another one.

This is talking and walking time. It's a time to tell stories about when you were a little boy or girl. (That's right, Mom. You can take a hike with a child, too.) I'm a little bit wary of spring and summer hiking (because of snakes), but late fall and early winter hiking is very enjoyable. We've been on several of the trails at Guntersville and one at Oak Mountain. We also went on a family hike at a campground in Tennessee that just about did us in. The view was incredible, but six years later, I'm not sure it was worth the walk. (Especially when we noticed a parking lot directly behind the top of the trail. What took us over an hour of uphill walking, was directly accessible by car in less than ten minutes. I'm still trying to get over that one!)

Anyway, this is a healthy, inexpensive way to spend one-on-one time with your child. And in today's economy, let's face it... inexpensive is the way to go. Don't let money dictate whether you date your child or spouse though. Use your imagination to create ways to spend the time with your child. You'll never regret it... and they'll never forget it! (Hey, is it just me, or does that sound like another great tattoo slogan? I may have to start a Saturday section for "Tattoo Phrases." We'll see.)

Tomorrow's book is really a series of books for pre-teen girls. I read them when I was a girl, and they were wonderful. Roxie is reading them now. Tune in tomorrow for some great new titles.

Have a great day!