Good Wednesday morning!
The Gallery Pics are more "Roxie Cam" photos. It's interesting to see the world from the eyes of your 13 year-old. Almost every picture on Roxie's card was taken by holding her arm straight out and pointing it at herself and a friend. Fascinating!
JULY SPECIAL GUEST HINTS - She'll be here TOMORROW! Here are two more hints to help you guess.
6. Cooking is not her favorite thing to do, but she LOVES to eat!
7. She loves TV shows which are detective-related... and anything CSI.
Except for the sock thing... and the dance thing... and the TV thing... we could be twin sisters!
Wednesday Wisdom - My nephew, Brad, and his Dad visited Mayberry a few weeks ago. Our pastor has mentioned Andy Griffith reruns a couple of times the last few weeks. So today, I've got "Andy on the brain." Here are just a few memorable quotes from that CLASSIC TV show. (I think I'm going to plan an "Andy Griffith Marathon" soon. We'll be having fried chicken, mashed potatoes and apple pie before we sit down to enjoy the good ol' days!)
Barney Fife: If there's anything that upsets me, it's having people say I'm sensitive.
(shouting to several prisoners)
Barney Fife: Now here at the Rock we have two rules. Memorize them until you can say them in your sleep. Rule number one: obey all rules. Rule number two: no writing on the walls. (Oh, if life could be that simple! At this moment in time, I have 374 house rules. It's confusing, I tell you.)
Barney Fife: Well, today's eight year-olds are tomorrow's teenagers. I say this calls for action and now. Nip it in the bud. First sign of youngsters going wrong, you've got to nip it in the bud.
Andy Taylor: I'm going to have a talk with them. What else do you want me to do?
Barney Fife: Well, don't just mollycoddle them.
Andy Taylor: I won't.
Barney Fife: Nip it. You go read any book on the subject of child discipline and you'll find every one of them is in favor of bud-nipping. (Barney's right, you know.)
TV Classic Marathon Night
And I guess you know what the Seasonal Tradition will be today. I've mentioned it before, but it is a fun, inexpensive and easy way to spend an evening with the family. Find a classic TV show you enjoyed as a kid and tape several episodes OR order a DVD from Netflix.
Take a little time to plan a menu around the "theme" of the show. Have dinner as a family, and then settle in to watch several episodes from "way back when." Here are a few examples: Happy Days, I Love Lucy, The Andy Griffith Show, The Twilight Zone, Bonanza, etc. The list goes on and on.
It will give your kids a little peek at what you enjoyed watching as a kid... and the more they understand and spend time with their parents, the less "bud-nipping" you might have to do later on. Hey! It's a win-win!
Have a lovely Wednesday. Don't forget. Today is Coke Float Day. (If you didn't read yesterday's post, click on Nitty.Gritty under My Blog List and read Jody's post on Coke Floats.) On Thursday, I'll have more Blog Linkage and a fun summer date. Oh, and our Special Guest will be revealed! We have a lot to look forward to on A Simple Life, don't we?
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Posted by The Enchanting Belinda
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Milky Way Ice Cream
Good Tuesday morning!
The Gallery Pics today are from Roxie's camera. I asked permission and pulled some of my favorite pics. Watch out! I may be asking for your memory card next!
JULY SPECIAL GUEST HINTS - Here are a couple more hints about our Special Guest. I can't believe she'll be here on Thursday. June has to be the fastest month in history!
4. She was on the dance team in high school (and she still looks like she could be on a dance team in high school)!
5. She wears socks all the time, even when she sleeps. (That would drive me crazy!)
I know it isn't much, but you've had less and guessed the Special Guest on the first try before. See what you can do!
Blog Linkage - I know it isn't Thursday, but if I wait until the regular Blog Linkage day, you'll miss out! Go to Nitty.Gritty under My Blog List and read Jody's post about Coke Float Day. (Read all of it, please!)
Austin and I will be having Root Beer Floats, I think. Mikie, Josh and Roxie will stick to the traditional Coke Floats. I can't think of an easier way to spend five or ten minutes together as a family. Appreciate the time together.
Milky Way Ice Cream
When we lived in Cullman, First Baptist had a Homemade Ice Cream Social each summer in the Fellowship Hall. I remember the first time I had homemade Milky Way Ice Cream. It was a life-changing experience, I tell you. I feel strongly anything made with SIX candy bars, condensed milk and chocolate syrup has absolutely no way to be anything but chocolate perfection. (If you feel guilty, use non-fat milk!)
6 Milky Way candy bars
1 can Eagle Brand condensed milk
1 small can chocolate syrup
3 quarts milk
1. Cook candy bars and condensed milk together and melt all candy.
2. Pour milk and chocolate syrup and mix in mixer.
3. Make ice cream according to manufacturer's instructions.
This ends our homemade ice cream series for the summer. Next Tuesday, I have an easy and delicious way to dress up dinner rolls. Austin begs for this weekly!
Have a fantastic Tuesday. Take time to make a summer moment or two. It doesn't have to be complicated. Simple will do! Wednesday we will have Wednesday Wisdom, a Seasonal Tradition, more hints about our Special Guest, etc., etc. (I'm not sure what the etc., etc. will be, but it could be fun to find out!)
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
The Gallery Pics today are from Roxie's camera. I asked permission and pulled some of my favorite pics. Watch out! I may be asking for your memory card next!
JULY SPECIAL GUEST HINTS - Here are a couple more hints about our Special Guest. I can't believe she'll be here on Thursday. June has to be the fastest month in history!
4. She was on the dance team in high school (and she still looks like she could be on a dance team in high school)!
5. She wears socks all the time, even when she sleeps. (That would drive me crazy!)
I know it isn't much, but you've had less and guessed the Special Guest on the first try before. See what you can do!
Blog Linkage - I know it isn't Thursday, but if I wait until the regular Blog Linkage day, you'll miss out! Go to Nitty.Gritty under My Blog List and read Jody's post about Coke Float Day. (Read all of it, please!)
Austin and I will be having Root Beer Floats, I think. Mikie, Josh and Roxie will stick to the traditional Coke Floats. I can't think of an easier way to spend five or ten minutes together as a family. Appreciate the time together.
Milky Way Ice Cream
When we lived in Cullman, First Baptist had a Homemade Ice Cream Social each summer in the Fellowship Hall. I remember the first time I had homemade Milky Way Ice Cream. It was a life-changing experience, I tell you. I feel strongly anything made with SIX candy bars, condensed milk and chocolate syrup has absolutely no way to be anything but chocolate perfection. (If you feel guilty, use non-fat milk!)
6 Milky Way candy bars
1 can Eagle Brand condensed milk
1 small can chocolate syrup
3 quarts milk
1. Cook candy bars and condensed milk together and melt all candy.
2. Pour milk and chocolate syrup and mix in mixer.
3. Make ice cream according to manufacturer's instructions.
This ends our homemade ice cream series for the summer. Next Tuesday, I have an easy and delicious way to dress up dinner rolls. Austin begs for this weekly!
Have a fantastic Tuesday. Take time to make a summer moment or two. It doesn't have to be complicated. Simple will do! Wednesday we will have Wednesday Wisdom, a Seasonal Tradition, more hints about our Special Guest, etc., etc. (I'm not sure what the etc., etc. will be, but it could be fun to find out!)
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Monday, June 28, 2010
"P" Party
Good Monday morning!
The Showcase Pic is from our "professional" photo session this past weekend. I just thought it was a pretty good shot of Josh and Katie. "Look! No rabbit ears!"
The Gallery Pics are from some of the activities we participated in this past weekend (of course). Bowling, photo session and the movies. You've seen pics like these a thousand times on the blog. What can I say? A Simple Life can also be A Pretty Predictable Life, too!
JULY SPECIAL GUEST HINTS - It's that time again. On Thursday, I'll be revealing our Special Guest for the month of July. Here are three hints to help with the guessing process.
1. She is the wife of one and mother of two.
2. She loves to work logic and sudoku puzzles.
3. She is the oldest of five children, AND there is an 18 year-age span between her and the youngest.
Let the guessing begin!
Weekend Review
The weekend went very much according to plan. We bowled with friends Friday night... and I think we all paid for it Saturday morning! Bowling is a very strenuous sport, isn't it? I think the main goal is not to throw your shoulder out of socket as opposed to knocking down a few silly pins at the end of YOUR lane. (And maybe a secondary goal is actually keeping the ball in your very own lane!) But various painful joints aside, it was a lot of fun. I broke 100 each time which was my own personal little goal. Well, either that or the perfect game. I think I'll ask the orthopedic surgeon today what the chances are of that ever happening.
Saturday was a good day. Roxie spent the day with her cousin, Monica, and we had a heated text conversation about a newborn bunny she and Monica found (and rescued from a dog) in the forest behind Monica's house. (In the South, we always say "woods," but I thought it would be fun to say "forest." Actually, it was a little awkward.)
The thought of raising a tiny, newborn rabbit and feeding it with an eyedropper every 45 minutes for several weeks does sound like fun to most 13 year-old girls. However, as every 48 year-old mother remembers, those middle-of-the-night feedings get old VERY fast. Needless to say, I won that little battle. (Plus, she and Monica decided it was too much work during the day (much less all night), so they returned the bunny to the place they first found it making sure the dog did not follow them.
On the way home with me after her "Wonderful Weekend," two cardinals flew in front of my moving van. One was too low, but it was fast and I didn't hit it. (I guess you can tell where this story is going?) However, the second one dipped for some reason as it flew in front of the van. It did shoot upward, and while I didn't see it hit the windshield, I knew part of it did from the sound it made.
I warned Roxie, "Don't look back! Don't look back!" But she did. The little cardinal made a nose dive into the woods (not forest) beside the road. I'm hoping it was just stunned and needed some down time to recuperate, but I'm pretty sure it was a little more serious than that. Roxie's only words... "You didn't even try!" (I don't really think that is fair. I mean, the birds attacked MY van. I wasn't swerving all over the place trying to hit woodland creatures.) It was NOT a good way to end a Saturday.
The rest of the Faulkner Five had different plans for Saturday. Austin had to work at the Chick, and Mike and Josh went out for barbecue and bowling. (That's right. Mikie is the man! He bowled two nights in a row! His knee is huge right now!)
After church on Sunday, the kids and I went to a local portrait studio to have pictures made for my Mom's upcoming birthday. Bev met us there.
I told our photographer guy we just wanted pictures of the six kids together because we were there for a specific gift, but he insisted on doing every combination possible. Over a hundred pictures later, we picked ONE very good photo of ALL six of the grandchildren. Just ONE.
In between pics, I was busy snapping away in the lobby. The kids were in picture-taking mode anyway (plus, they were all clean and coiffed at the same time), so I figured why not. I'm probably the only one who didn't know this rule, but it's against Portrait Studio Law to take pictures in the lobby. And since we only bought the one pose, they had two reasons NOT to be happy with me!
DISCLAIMER - Even though we only bought the one pose, our photographer guy did take excellent pictures, and we are very pleased with the end results. And I'm very sorry I broke a Portrait Studio Law. Really. I am.
Later Sunday evening, Mikie took me to the movies to see Toy Story 3. Loved it! I could see it again! You don't have to be a kid to appreciate such a good, good movie!
"P" Party
I mentioned a couple of weeks ago I was getting together with my cousins for an annual event. The first time my cousins (and their daughters) came together in the summer, we had a Wedding Party with punch, wedding food and a great wedding movie on the deck (Father of the Bride).
Last year, my cousin hosted and we swam in her pool, ate and played party games.
This year will be very similar, but I've added a couple of activities to keep with the theme. (I MUST have a theme.) We're having a "P" Party, and it goes something like this...
1. Pool
2. Pepperoni Pizza at the Pool
3. Pajamas
4. Pictionary
5. Popcorn
6. The Pacifier, Princess Diaries, The Pink Panther, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Parent Trap, etc.
You get the idea. Of course, we'll wait until we come home before changing into our PJs, but everything (absolutely everything) begins with the letter "P." While the moms will head home after awhile, the younger cousins will spend the night watching their choice of "P" movies.
This is an easy, easy party to plan for your family or friends. Here are two more examples.
1. Backyard Burgers
2. Bowling
3. Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream
4. Boggle
5. Bibleman: Conquering the Wrath of Rage, Batman
This "B" Party is geared more toward the guys in your family.
1. Shopping
2. Stix, Subway
3. Swimming
4. Spend the Night
5. Shrek, Spy Kids, Stuart Little
Remember, pick the main activity (swimming, shopping, bowling, go-carts), add food, a movie and a game to the mix which begin with the same letter. After you have the first four activities/food planned, you can add more as ideas come to you... and they will come!
Have a great Monday. Tuesday will be the last day for Homemade Ice Cream recipes on A Simple Life (for a few months), so check it out. I have one word for you... CHOCOLATE!
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
The Showcase Pic is from our "professional" photo session this past weekend. I just thought it was a pretty good shot of Josh and Katie. "Look! No rabbit ears!"
The Gallery Pics are from some of the activities we participated in this past weekend (of course). Bowling, photo session and the movies. You've seen pics like these a thousand times on the blog. What can I say? A Simple Life can also be A Pretty Predictable Life, too!
JULY SPECIAL GUEST HINTS - It's that time again. On Thursday, I'll be revealing our Special Guest for the month of July. Here are three hints to help with the guessing process.
1. She is the wife of one and mother of two.
2. She loves to work logic and sudoku puzzles.
3. She is the oldest of five children, AND there is an 18 year-age span between her and the youngest.
Let the guessing begin!
Weekend Review
The weekend went very much according to plan. We bowled with friends Friday night... and I think we all paid for it Saturday morning! Bowling is a very strenuous sport, isn't it? I think the main goal is not to throw your shoulder out of socket as opposed to knocking down a few silly pins at the end of YOUR lane. (And maybe a secondary goal is actually keeping the ball in your very own lane!) But various painful joints aside, it was a lot of fun. I broke 100 each time which was my own personal little goal. Well, either that or the perfect game. I think I'll ask the orthopedic surgeon today what the chances are of that ever happening.
Saturday was a good day. Roxie spent the day with her cousin, Monica, and we had a heated text conversation about a newborn bunny she and Monica found (and rescued from a dog) in the forest behind Monica's house. (In the South, we always say "woods," but I thought it would be fun to say "forest." Actually, it was a little awkward.)
The thought of raising a tiny, newborn rabbit and feeding it with an eyedropper every 45 minutes for several weeks does sound like fun to most 13 year-old girls. However, as every 48 year-old mother remembers, those middle-of-the-night feedings get old VERY fast. Needless to say, I won that little battle. (Plus, she and Monica decided it was too much work during the day (much less all night), so they returned the bunny to the place they first found it making sure the dog did not follow them.
On the way home with me after her "Wonderful Weekend," two cardinals flew in front of my moving van. One was too low, but it was fast and I didn't hit it. (I guess you can tell where this story is going?) However, the second one dipped for some reason as it flew in front of the van. It did shoot upward, and while I didn't see it hit the windshield, I knew part of it did from the sound it made.
I warned Roxie, "Don't look back! Don't look back!" But she did. The little cardinal made a nose dive into the woods (not forest) beside the road. I'm hoping it was just stunned and needed some down time to recuperate, but I'm pretty sure it was a little more serious than that. Roxie's only words... "You didn't even try!" (I don't really think that is fair. I mean, the birds attacked MY van. I wasn't swerving all over the place trying to hit woodland creatures.) It was NOT a good way to end a Saturday.
The rest of the Faulkner Five had different plans for Saturday. Austin had to work at the Chick, and Mike and Josh went out for barbecue and bowling. (That's right. Mikie is the man! He bowled two nights in a row! His knee is huge right now!)
After church on Sunday, the kids and I went to a local portrait studio to have pictures made for my Mom's upcoming birthday. Bev met us there.
I told our photographer guy we just wanted pictures of the six kids together because we were there for a specific gift, but he insisted on doing every combination possible. Over a hundred pictures later, we picked ONE very good photo of ALL six of the grandchildren. Just ONE.
In between pics, I was busy snapping away in the lobby. The kids were in picture-taking mode anyway (plus, they were all clean and coiffed at the same time), so I figured why not. I'm probably the only one who didn't know this rule, but it's against Portrait Studio Law to take pictures in the lobby. And since we only bought the one pose, they had two reasons NOT to be happy with me!
DISCLAIMER - Even though we only bought the one pose, our photographer guy did take excellent pictures, and we are very pleased with the end results. And I'm very sorry I broke a Portrait Studio Law. Really. I am.
Later Sunday evening, Mikie took me to the movies to see Toy Story 3. Loved it! I could see it again! You don't have to be a kid to appreciate such a good, good movie!
"P" Party
I mentioned a couple of weeks ago I was getting together with my cousins for an annual event. The first time my cousins (and their daughters) came together in the summer, we had a Wedding Party with punch, wedding food and a great wedding movie on the deck (Father of the Bride).
Last year, my cousin hosted and we swam in her pool, ate and played party games.
This year will be very similar, but I've added a couple of activities to keep with the theme. (I MUST have a theme.) We're having a "P" Party, and it goes something like this...
1. Pool
2. Pepperoni Pizza at the Pool
3. Pajamas
4. Pictionary
5. Popcorn
6. The Pacifier, Princess Diaries, The Pink Panther, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Parent Trap, etc.
You get the idea. Of course, we'll wait until we come home before changing into our PJs, but everything (absolutely everything) begins with the letter "P." While the moms will head home after awhile, the younger cousins will spend the night watching their choice of "P" movies.
This is an easy, easy party to plan for your family or friends. Here are two more examples.
1. Backyard Burgers
2. Bowling
3. Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream
4. Boggle
5. Bibleman: Conquering the Wrath of Rage, Batman
This "B" Party is geared more toward the guys in your family.
1. Shopping
2. Stix, Subway
3. Swimming
4. Spend the Night
5. Shrek, Spy Kids, Stuart Little
Remember, pick the main activity (swimming, shopping, bowling, go-carts), add food, a movie and a game to the mix which begin with the same letter. After you have the first four activities/food planned, you can add more as ideas come to you... and they will come!
Have a great Monday. Tuesday will be the last day for Homemade Ice Cream recipes on A Simple Life (for a few months), so check it out. I have one word for you... CHOCOLATE!
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Friday, June 25, 2010
Weekend Happenings
Good Friday morning!
The Gallery Pic is simply my pineapple. Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to get into a piece of tropical fruit... pineapples, coconuts, pomegranates, etc. It's almost as if they were made to "fight back" a little.
Since I'm a Travel Channel AND Food Channel fan, I've seen my share of Hawaiian field workers pick and slice a pineapple. They usually use a four foot machete. On the show Survivor, the teams are also given a machete to hack into coconuts. As I was slicing and hacking with my puny, dull kitchen knife, I couldn't help but think about owning a machete.
Did I know anyone who owned a machete?
Are machetes expensive?
Where in the kitchen area do you store a machete?
If I did own a machete, would I still desire or NEED a taser?
I'm getting on e-bay later today. Do NOT be surprised if my Project 365 pic is of a nice, shiny, incredibly sharp machete in the next couple of days. Do NOT be surprised at all!
RANDOMNESS - After the blood pressure fiasco which will now forever be known as The Great Blood Pressure Fiasco of 2010, I have to admit I didn't have high expectations for yesterday. I was just going to try to survive the day. That was my goal.
So imagine my very negative thought process when I decided to treat myself to a McDonald's Caramel Frappe' and found out the machine that takes my debit card was broken... and I didn't have any cash... and they were holding my Caramel Frappe' inches away from my hand when they told me... and I had to decide then and there if I was going to snatch and run... and, of course, hit the altar bright and early Sunday morning.
Okay. So you've got a visual in your head now, right? I will be honest and say if I was a driver of one of the 1,000,000 white vans in our fair city, I might have tried it. However, being the one and only owner of The Big Gold Van makes it hard to do "bad" things while driving said Big Gold Van.
I must have looked disappointed, but I sweetly said, "That's okay. I'll come back another time." And I smiled. Weakly. But I still smiled.
"Oh, no you will not," a voice in the window said. I looked up to see the manager had walked over, taken MY Caramel Frappe' from the girl working the window and handed it to me.
"But the machine isn't taking debit cards, and I don't have any cash," I explained to her.
"Sugar, this one is on me," she said, while punching buttons on the cash register. "You just have a great day." And she flashed a beautiful, white, toothy smile at me.
"Are you sure?" I asked, smiling back and holding my icy, fresh Caramel Frappe'.
"Ma'am. You're holding up the line," she said, still smiling... and she waved me on.
I love her. She is my new best friend. And I love living in the South where at some point in your life someone is going to call you "Sugar," and it's going to sound just as normal and sweet and Southern as can be.
And while yesterday wasn't without it's difficulties and hurdles, my new, best friend called me "Sugar" and gave me a free Caramel Frappe'... just because. I plan on returning the favor today. If not directly to her, then to someone else who might need a kind word or a cool drink.
I feel it's the very least I can do!
Weekend Happenings
Tonight is a bowling night. Hopefully, I can improve on my personal best of 140... I am aiming for 141. (I try to set some goals which are obtainable... and honestly, that may not be one of them!)
Roxie is heading to cousin Monica's for a fun-filled weekend. In fact, it seems as if it will be a weekend filled with cousins. Josh is hoping for some cousin time tonight and/or tomorrow. Bev and I are getting the kids' pictures made Sunday after church for a SURPRISE birthday present for my Mom (so if you see her, don't say anything). We'll forget her last words to me... "If I don't get a new picture of the kids for my birthday, I'm going to be upset." So, as you can see, I don't want the "surprise" to be ruined!
Austin is working at the Chick AND spending time with the lovely Melia this weekend. (And, of course, he'll be posing for the picture on Sunday, too.)
Mikie and Josh are going to spend some time together Saturday evening, and I'm hoping (hope, hope, hope), Mikie and I can see Toy Story 3 this weekend. We'll be the only two adults in the entire theater WITHOUT kids thoroughly enjoying this wonderful Disney/Pixar creation. I can't wait.
Have a fantastic weekend. Make sure you have plans written in INK on the calendar. There is a 67% chance you will actually follow through with plans written in INK on the calendar. Well, not really. I just made that number up in my head. But I've got to believe there's a better chance of doing something you've prioritized enough to actually write on your calendar. I have to!
I'll be back Monday to share 743 new summer ideas to try. Well, not really. I just made that number up in my head, too. But I've got to believe there's a better chance of sharing at least five new ideas with you next week if my original goal was 743. I have to!
Take care, and I'll talk to you Monday.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting and Always Hopeful Belinda
The Gallery Pic is simply my pineapple. Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to get into a piece of tropical fruit... pineapples, coconuts, pomegranates, etc. It's almost as if they were made to "fight back" a little.
Since I'm a Travel Channel AND Food Channel fan, I've seen my share of Hawaiian field workers pick and slice a pineapple. They usually use a four foot machete. On the show Survivor, the teams are also given a machete to hack into coconuts. As I was slicing and hacking with my puny, dull kitchen knife, I couldn't help but think about owning a machete.
Did I know anyone who owned a machete?
Are machetes expensive?
Where in the kitchen area do you store a machete?
If I did own a machete, would I still desire or NEED a taser?
I'm getting on e-bay later today. Do NOT be surprised if my Project 365 pic is of a nice, shiny, incredibly sharp machete in the next couple of days. Do NOT be surprised at all!
RANDOMNESS - After the blood pressure fiasco which will now forever be known as The Great Blood Pressure Fiasco of 2010, I have to admit I didn't have high expectations for yesterday. I was just going to try to survive the day. That was my goal.
So imagine my very negative thought process when I decided to treat myself to a McDonald's Caramel Frappe' and found out the machine that takes my debit card was broken... and I didn't have any cash... and they were holding my Caramel Frappe' inches away from my hand when they told me... and I had to decide then and there if I was going to snatch and run... and, of course, hit the altar bright and early Sunday morning.
Okay. So you've got a visual in your head now, right? I will be honest and say if I was a driver of one of the 1,000,000 white vans in our fair city, I might have tried it. However, being the one and only owner of The Big Gold Van makes it hard to do "bad" things while driving said Big Gold Van.
I must have looked disappointed, but I sweetly said, "That's okay. I'll come back another time." And I smiled. Weakly. But I still smiled.
"Oh, no you will not," a voice in the window said. I looked up to see the manager had walked over, taken MY Caramel Frappe' from the girl working the window and handed it to me.
"But the machine isn't taking debit cards, and I don't have any cash," I explained to her.
"Sugar, this one is on me," she said, while punching buttons on the cash register. "You just have a great day." And she flashed a beautiful, white, toothy smile at me.
"Are you sure?" I asked, smiling back and holding my icy, fresh Caramel Frappe'.
"Ma'am. You're holding up the line," she said, still smiling... and she waved me on.
I love her. She is my new best friend. And I love living in the South where at some point in your life someone is going to call you "Sugar," and it's going to sound just as normal and sweet and Southern as can be.
And while yesterday wasn't without it's difficulties and hurdles, my new, best friend called me "Sugar" and gave me a free Caramel Frappe'... just because. I plan on returning the favor today. If not directly to her, then to someone else who might need a kind word or a cool drink.
I feel it's the very least I can do!
Weekend Happenings
Tonight is a bowling night. Hopefully, I can improve on my personal best of 140... I am aiming for 141. (I try to set some goals which are obtainable... and honestly, that may not be one of them!)
Roxie is heading to cousin Monica's for a fun-filled weekend. In fact, it seems as if it will be a weekend filled with cousins. Josh is hoping for some cousin time tonight and/or tomorrow. Bev and I are getting the kids' pictures made Sunday after church for a SURPRISE birthday present for my Mom (so if you see her, don't say anything). We'll forget her last words to me... "If I don't get a new picture of the kids for my birthday, I'm going to be upset." So, as you can see, I don't want the "surprise" to be ruined!
Austin is working at the Chick AND spending time with the lovely Melia this weekend. (And, of course, he'll be posing for the picture on Sunday, too.)
Mikie and Josh are going to spend some time together Saturday evening, and I'm hoping (hope, hope, hope), Mikie and I can see Toy Story 3 this weekend. We'll be the only two adults in the entire theater WITHOUT kids thoroughly enjoying this wonderful Disney/Pixar creation. I can't wait.
Have a fantastic weekend. Make sure you have plans written in INK on the calendar. There is a 67% chance you will actually follow through with plans written in INK on the calendar. Well, not really. I just made that number up in my head. But I've got to believe there's a better chance of doing something you've prioritized enough to actually write on your calendar. I have to!
I'll be back Monday to share 743 new summer ideas to try. Well, not really. I just made that number up in my head, too. But I've got to believe there's a better chance of sharing at least five new ideas with you next week if my original goal was 743. I have to!
Take care, and I'll talk to you Monday.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting and Always Hopeful Belinda
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Water Date
Good Thursday morning!
The Gallery Pics are of Roxie and Ally's "run" after church. We'll see if it becomes a habit!
RANDOMNESS - Fun fact for you... When you have panic attacks on a regular basis, AND your panic attacks are the kind where you think you're having a heart attack, blood pressure readings become a way of life. I mean, if I see a blood pressure machine in a gas station next to the beer display, I'm all over that, baby.
The last couple of weeks have been trying, at best, so I've been hitting all of the blood pressure machines around town... CVS, K-Mart, Wal-mart, etc. And since I ALWAYS have a low blood pressure reading, imagine my "panic" when my blood pressure was 134 over 64 at the K-Mart blood pressure machine last night on the way to church. It has never been that high! Never!
For those of you who may be peacefully unaware, anything under 120 (top number) is normal and anything under 80 (bottom number) is normal. That being said, my bottom number was normal, but that is not good enough. No, siree!
The kids had already made it to church, but I decided to go to another drugstore before heading to service. This particular drugstore does not have a machine. The pharmacists take the blood pressure personally.
A nice young girl came out from around the counter with a blood pressure cuff. She put it on, pressed a button... and nothing happened. "Hmmm. Someone said this one was broken." She reset it. Pressed the button. Again, nothing. She did it again. Nada.
"Maybe they were right. Maybe it really is broken," I offered.
"Yeah. Let me get another cuff," she said, and off she went.
She brought the next cuff out and wrapped it around my arm. It was a manual cuff. She quickly pumped it up, listened, watched and announced, "Okay. It's 120 over 100. Hmmm."
"What? Five minutes ago it was 134 over 64. My bottom number isn't supposed to be over 80. In fact, the chart on the CVS machine clearly says 100 and above is DANGEROUS."
"Yeah. That's definitely not good," she agreed.
"Do you think we could do it one more time?" I asked. She was a VERY sweet girl, and I was being equally sweet, too. You know, since I was on my way to church and all.
"Sure." And with that, she re-cuffed me, pumped it up, listened and watched. "Hmmm. Now I'm not getting anything at all. Like, I'm not even hearing your pulse. Do you feel okay?"
"Well, I know I'm still feeling alive," I answered. "Tell you what. Let's start over, and try just one more time, and then we'll decide if we need to call the ambulance or not."
"Okay," she said, cheerfully. Again, a very sweet girl.
Third time was a charm. I had a reading of 110 over 70... both very good numbers.
"All right. I'm going to church (to pray), and then I'm going to come back over and get it checked one more time before I head home. Is that okay?" I asked.
"That's fine. I won't be here, but someone else will be able to take it for you."
"Perfect." So I headed across the street to pray.
As soon as church was over, I headed back to the drugstore and a new young girl came from around the back of the counter with the broken cuff.
"That cuff is broken," I told her.
She smiled sweetly and put it on my arm and pushed a few buttons. "Hmmm. This cuff isn't working."
"No, it isn't," I agreed. "I think it's because it's broken, and all. You're probably going to have to use the manual cuff." (I knew God was very pleased at how "sweet" I was being... but it was getting harder by the minute.)
"I don't know how to do that yet, and there isn't anyone else here tonight who can read blood pressure. What are you going to do?" I could tell she was genuinely concerned, so I told her I was going to run to a couple of machines and then visit my friends, The Paramedics.
They know me by name, and if it is a slow night, they'll even let me bunk on a cot. I don't know about you, but the next best thing to staying with a relative in the hospital who has just had surgery is staying with The Paramedics. They have heart starting machinery, oxygen and my snoring doesn't seem to bother them a bit!
DISCLAIMER - Please know I do not sleep at the local Fire Station. That part is a joke. But, please know I have asked if I could. Seriously. I did.
A few more stops at local blood pressure machines around town, a few more good readings, and I was ready to head home and go to bed.
I don't know how you spend your summer evenings, but I'm not going to recommend "blood pressure machine hopping" as a date anytime soon. I think we can come up with something better than that, don't you?
Blog Linkage - Today's linkage is all local, but all good. It is very light, summertime reading. Enjoy!
1. If you want to experience summer in Canada through the eyes of a family who has just moved to that part of the country, click on "The Phillips Home" under My Blog List.
2. If you want to experience summer in Texas with no air conditioning through the eyes of mom who has recently gone through that traumatic experience, click on "Big Mama" under My Blog List.
3. If you love dogs with floppy bellies, click on "Confessions of a Pioneer Woman" under My Blog List.
4. If you love newborn babies (and we all do), click on "a little bit of me" under My Blog List.
5. If you are on a budget and try to look for free things to do on vacation... and sometimes it just doesn't work out, go to www.coalcreekfarm.com.
Water Date
How many of you have ever gone to Spring Valley Beach? I think I am one of the few who have not been, but I have always heard wonderful things about this water park.
It is not an inexpensive date and it is a large, "spread out" kind of place. However, one-on-one with your date would be a perfect way to spend plenty of quality time keeping cool during these incredibly hot summer days.
Birmingham Bargain Mom readers will receive a $2 off discount on admission (per person) when they print the post found on her website and present it at the ticket office. Go to http://blog.al.com/bargain-mom.com. Scroll down until you see Spring Valley Beach Promotion. Click on the title and print off the information. They have to see the paper. They will not give you the discount because you have read about it. The discount is good Monday through Friday, anytime during the day.
To get directions and see what Spring Valley Beach is ALL about, go to their website at www.springvalleybeach.com.
Take a picnic and sunscreen, and make it an all-day date!
Have a terrific Thursday. Is that right? Can it really be Thursday? Oh, my! This week has flown! Slow down, Summer! Friday, as always, I'll be sharing Weekend Happenings and a couple of pics... and depending on what happens today, maybe a story or two.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
The Gallery Pics are of Roxie and Ally's "run" after church. We'll see if it becomes a habit!
RANDOMNESS - Fun fact for you... When you have panic attacks on a regular basis, AND your panic attacks are the kind where you think you're having a heart attack, blood pressure readings become a way of life. I mean, if I see a blood pressure machine in a gas station next to the beer display, I'm all over that, baby.
The last couple of weeks have been trying, at best, so I've been hitting all of the blood pressure machines around town... CVS, K-Mart, Wal-mart, etc. And since I ALWAYS have a low blood pressure reading, imagine my "panic" when my blood pressure was 134 over 64 at the K-Mart blood pressure machine last night on the way to church. It has never been that high! Never!
For those of you who may be peacefully unaware, anything under 120 (top number) is normal and anything under 80 (bottom number) is normal. That being said, my bottom number was normal, but that is not good enough. No, siree!
The kids had already made it to church, but I decided to go to another drugstore before heading to service. This particular drugstore does not have a machine. The pharmacists take the blood pressure personally.
A nice young girl came out from around the counter with a blood pressure cuff. She put it on, pressed a button... and nothing happened. "Hmmm. Someone said this one was broken." She reset it. Pressed the button. Again, nothing. She did it again. Nada.
"Maybe they were right. Maybe it really is broken," I offered.
"Yeah. Let me get another cuff," she said, and off she went.
She brought the next cuff out and wrapped it around my arm. It was a manual cuff. She quickly pumped it up, listened, watched and announced, "Okay. It's 120 over 100. Hmmm."
"What? Five minutes ago it was 134 over 64. My bottom number isn't supposed to be over 80. In fact, the chart on the CVS machine clearly says 100 and above is DANGEROUS."
"Yeah. That's definitely not good," she agreed.
"Do you think we could do it one more time?" I asked. She was a VERY sweet girl, and I was being equally sweet, too. You know, since I was on my way to church and all.
"Sure." And with that, she re-cuffed me, pumped it up, listened and watched. "Hmmm. Now I'm not getting anything at all. Like, I'm not even hearing your pulse. Do you feel okay?"
"Well, I know I'm still feeling alive," I answered. "Tell you what. Let's start over, and try just one more time, and then we'll decide if we need to call the ambulance or not."
"Okay," she said, cheerfully. Again, a very sweet girl.
Third time was a charm. I had a reading of 110 over 70... both very good numbers.
"All right. I'm going to church (to pray), and then I'm going to come back over and get it checked one more time before I head home. Is that okay?" I asked.
"That's fine. I won't be here, but someone else will be able to take it for you."
"Perfect." So I headed across the street to pray.
As soon as church was over, I headed back to the drugstore and a new young girl came from around the back of the counter with the broken cuff.
"That cuff is broken," I told her.
She smiled sweetly and put it on my arm and pushed a few buttons. "Hmmm. This cuff isn't working."
"No, it isn't," I agreed. "I think it's because it's broken, and all. You're probably going to have to use the manual cuff." (I knew God was very pleased at how "sweet" I was being... but it was getting harder by the minute.)
"I don't know how to do that yet, and there isn't anyone else here tonight who can read blood pressure. What are you going to do?" I could tell she was genuinely concerned, so I told her I was going to run to a couple of machines and then visit my friends, The Paramedics.
They know me by name, and if it is a slow night, they'll even let me bunk on a cot. I don't know about you, but the next best thing to staying with a relative in the hospital who has just had surgery is staying with The Paramedics. They have heart starting machinery, oxygen and my snoring doesn't seem to bother them a bit!
DISCLAIMER - Please know I do not sleep at the local Fire Station. That part is a joke. But, please know I have asked if I could. Seriously. I did.
A few more stops at local blood pressure machines around town, a few more good readings, and I was ready to head home and go to bed.
I don't know how you spend your summer evenings, but I'm not going to recommend "blood pressure machine hopping" as a date anytime soon. I think we can come up with something better than that, don't you?
Blog Linkage - Today's linkage is all local, but all good. It is very light, summertime reading. Enjoy!
1. If you want to experience summer in Canada through the eyes of a family who has just moved to that part of the country, click on "The Phillips Home" under My Blog List.
2. If you want to experience summer in Texas with no air conditioning through the eyes of mom who has recently gone through that traumatic experience, click on "Big Mama" under My Blog List.
3. If you love dogs with floppy bellies, click on "Confessions of a Pioneer Woman" under My Blog List.
4. If you love newborn babies (and we all do), click on "a little bit of me" under My Blog List.
5. If you are on a budget and try to look for free things to do on vacation... and sometimes it just doesn't work out, go to www.coalcreekfarm.com.
Water Date
How many of you have ever gone to Spring Valley Beach? I think I am one of the few who have not been, but I have always heard wonderful things about this water park.
It is not an inexpensive date and it is a large, "spread out" kind of place. However, one-on-one with your date would be a perfect way to spend plenty of quality time keeping cool during these incredibly hot summer days.
Birmingham Bargain Mom readers will receive a $2 off discount on admission (per person) when they print the post found on her website and present it at the ticket office. Go to http://blog.al.com/bargain-mom.com. Scroll down until you see Spring Valley Beach Promotion. Click on the title and print off the information. They have to see the paper. They will not give you the discount because you have read about it. The discount is good Monday through Friday, anytime during the day.
To get directions and see what Spring Valley Beach is ALL about, go to their website at www.springvalleybeach.com.
Take a picnic and sunscreen, and make it an all-day date!
Have a terrific Thursday. Is that right? Can it really be Thursday? Oh, my! This week has flown! Slow down, Summer! Friday, as always, I'll be sharing Weekend Happenings and a couple of pics... and depending on what happens today, maybe a story or two.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Ideas for Celebrating the 4th of July
Good Wednesday morning!
I added a couple of pics in the Gallery from Sunday. Nothing magnificent, but still part of our weekend.
SUMMER RAMBLINGS - I hope you are all having a great, fun-filled summer. The days are long and hot. The kids are staying up late watching movies and talking to friends who have spent the night... but the good news is they are sleeping late, too.
A summer with three teenagers and their friends is very different from previous summers spent with preschoolers or pre-teens... but it's good. In fact, I'm learning it can be very good. It's all about letting go of the old and embracing the new. Something we all know I am SO good at doing! NOT!
But I'm learning. I really am.
Wednesday Wisdom - In honor of all things Toy Story (1, 2 and 3), I have decided to share some wise words from the characters of those movies today.
"You are a sad, strange little man, and you have my pity. Farewell." Buzz. (This probably would not have made my list except I heard Austin say this to his Sunday School teacher as he was leaving class the week after we saw the movie many, many years ago. I thought it was funny. The teacher... not so much.)
"That wasn't flying! That was falling... with style!" Woody speaking to Buzz.
"Excuse me,I believe the word you're searching for is 'Space Ranger'" Buzz.
"The word I'm searching for, I can't say, because there are preschool toys present." Woody. (I've been there!)
"I'm packing you an extra pair of shoes and your angry eyes, just in case." Mrs. Potato Head. (She's a great example of a very good wife.)
And my two favorite quotes EVER...
"To infinity... and BEYOND!" Buzz.
"I can't stop Andy from growing up. But I wouldn't miss it for the world." Woody. (Woody is my favorite character. He sounds just like a mother of a teenager!)
Ideas for Celebrating the 4th of July
Your 4th of July Celebration may already be well-established, but just in case you want to add something different to the mix, here are a few ideas.
1. Organize an old-fashioned game of baseball. For those guests who insist on sitting in the "stands," serve them Cracker Jack and Coke while they watch the game.
2. Create your own 4th of July parade by having everyone decorate a bike or wagon! (I have a friend who lives in Georgia. When the kids were young, her neighborhood held a 4th of July parade each year. The kids loved it.)
3. Make two large copies of a map of America. Cover up the names of the states and have a competition between the boys and girls to see who can identify all 50 states the fastest.
4. For a meaningful activity, have the older generation pass on stories about America when they were growing up. Ask each guest to share what they like the most about living in the United States.
5. Plan a trivia contest with fun facts about American presidents, history, inventions and folklore.
6. To pass the time between the cookout and fireworks, have the older kids paint the younger girls’ fingernails red, white and blue. You can also face paint a flag or fireworks on their cheeks!
7. Buy some very large boxes of sidewalk chalk and let each of the kids draw HUGE brightly colored sidewalk murals.
8. Let the little ones wear matching 4th of July outfits, but try to get everyone (including ALL the adults) to wear something red, white or blue.
9. After dinner, have each member of the family finish the sentence "I Love My Country Because... ."
10. Have a favorite game for everyone to play together toward the end of the celebration. (This year, we're playing Bunco since it was a hit at Bev's birthday party.)
11. End the day by watching the movie National Treasure. It's patriotic, fun and age-appropriate... and if you're not careful, you'll probably learn something about our forefathers and the Declaration of Independence. Great movie!
Have a wonderful Wednesday. Thursday is Blog Linkage and Date day. It's one of the best days of the week, I tell you.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
I added a couple of pics in the Gallery from Sunday. Nothing magnificent, but still part of our weekend.
SUMMER RAMBLINGS - I hope you are all having a great, fun-filled summer. The days are long and hot. The kids are staying up late watching movies and talking to friends who have spent the night... but the good news is they are sleeping late, too.
A summer with three teenagers and their friends is very different from previous summers spent with preschoolers or pre-teens... but it's good. In fact, I'm learning it can be very good. It's all about letting go of the old and embracing the new. Something we all know I am SO good at doing! NOT!
But I'm learning. I really am.
Wednesday Wisdom - In honor of all things Toy Story (1, 2 and 3), I have decided to share some wise words from the characters of those movies today.
"You are a sad, strange little man, and you have my pity. Farewell." Buzz. (This probably would not have made my list except I heard Austin say this to his Sunday School teacher as he was leaving class the week after we saw the movie many, many years ago. I thought it was funny. The teacher... not so much.)
"That wasn't flying! That was falling... with style!" Woody speaking to Buzz.
"Excuse me,I believe the word you're searching for is 'Space Ranger'" Buzz.
"The word I'm searching for, I can't say, because there are preschool toys present." Woody. (I've been there!)
"I'm packing you an extra pair of shoes and your angry eyes, just in case." Mrs. Potato Head. (She's a great example of a very good wife.)
And my two favorite quotes EVER...
"To infinity... and BEYOND!" Buzz.
"I can't stop Andy from growing up. But I wouldn't miss it for the world." Woody. (Woody is my favorite character. He sounds just like a mother of a teenager!)
Ideas for Celebrating the 4th of July
Your 4th of July Celebration may already be well-established, but just in case you want to add something different to the mix, here are a few ideas.
1. Organize an old-fashioned game of baseball. For those guests who insist on sitting in the "stands," serve them Cracker Jack and Coke while they watch the game.
2. Create your own 4th of July parade by having everyone decorate a bike or wagon! (I have a friend who lives in Georgia. When the kids were young, her neighborhood held a 4th of July parade each year. The kids loved it.)
3. Make two large copies of a map of America. Cover up the names of the states and have a competition between the boys and girls to see who can identify all 50 states the fastest.
4. For a meaningful activity, have the older generation pass on stories about America when they were growing up. Ask each guest to share what they like the most about living in the United States.
5. Plan a trivia contest with fun facts about American presidents, history, inventions and folklore.
6. To pass the time between the cookout and fireworks, have the older kids paint the younger girls’ fingernails red, white and blue. You can also face paint a flag or fireworks on their cheeks!
7. Buy some very large boxes of sidewalk chalk and let each of the kids draw HUGE brightly colored sidewalk murals.
8. Let the little ones wear matching 4th of July outfits, but try to get everyone (including ALL the adults) to wear something red, white or blue.
9. After dinner, have each member of the family finish the sentence "I Love My Country Because... ."
10. Have a favorite game for everyone to play together toward the end of the celebration. (This year, we're playing Bunco since it was a hit at Bev's birthday party.)
11. End the day by watching the movie National Treasure. It's patriotic, fun and age-appropriate... and if you're not careful, you'll probably learn something about our forefathers and the Declaration of Independence. Great movie!
Have a wonderful Wednesday. Thursday is Blog Linkage and Date day. It's one of the best days of the week, I tell you.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Coconut Ice Cream
Good Tuesday morning!
The Gallery Pics are from Father's Day. After we left Mikie's family, we went to Bass Pro Shop for a little while, and then out to eat at Dreamland. It was a long day, but a very good one.
RANDOMNESS #1 - The boys were fussy yesterday. I know. I know. I don't usually admit the children fuss and fight. It messes up the "perfect facade" I've created on the blog... but yesterday they were both grumpy at the same time and fussing ensued.
The straw that broke the camel's back (or finally made me angry) was the fight about who would eat the last pitiful piece of cold, undercooked, Little Caesar's cheese pizza left over from the pool. When I heard Austin say, "Well in 2002, you ate the last of the Cinnamon Toast Crunch... ," I knew I had to step in.
"Guys! Get in here." Their bodies filled the doorway. "What IS the problem?" I asked, hoping it was more than just a sorry slice of pizza.
They started talking over each other. It wasn't anything else. It wasn't a deep resentment which had been building for years. It wasn't their inner child crying out for much-needed attention. It was that stupid piece of pizza. (Oh. And did I mention they had already eaten lunch AND the leftover ribs from Dreamland. It wasn't even about being HUNGRY!)
Since I know many of you look to me for parenting advice from time to time, I wanted to share my incredibly wise, Biblical solution.
"After listening to both sides, I have decided to do what King Solomon once did to solve a similar problem," I said.
Josh stood there looking toward the heavens, and Austin looked down shaking his head.
"Yes. After much consideration, I have decided to cut you both in half."
Silence.
"Uh. Don't you mean cut the pizza in half?" Josh offered.
"No. That would only solve the problem for a little while. My solution will take care of it forever."
"Mom. I think you've got the story mixed up... again," Austin mumbled. "King Solomon was going to cut a baby in half because he knew the real mother would never let that happen. When the woman told him to give the baby to the other lady, King Solomon knew she was the REAL mother. Cutting me and Josh in half wouldn't really fix anything."
"Oh, just forget it. Austin can have the pizza. I'm not even hungry," Josh said.
"I don't really want it either," Austin said. And they both shuffled out of the room.
I took the cold, dead pizza, tore it in half and gave it to the beagles... who truly appreciated each and every bite.
Biblical parenting... It ain't as easy as it looks!
RANDOMNESS #2 - I wanted to share something a little boy at the pool said which I thought was so sweet.
My nephew, Zac, came swimming with me yesterday and he brought a buddy. He was a really cute little guy. He was very polite and respectful. I liked him... I liked him a lot.
The boys were putting on sunscreen, but they were in a hurry to get in the water. I offered to spray Zac's back, and then I turned to his friend and said, "Just use Zac's sunscreen. I'll spray you and you'll be good to go."
"Well, what SPF is on the bottle?" he asked. (How many boys have you ever heard ask that question?)
"Uh, 30," I replied. "What SPF are you using?"
"I'm using 50," he said. "That's what my Mom gave me, and I'm pretty sure she knows what she's doing."
Ahhh. Now there's a Mom who knows how to raise a child! When you can get them to admit at an early age they're "pretty sure she knows what she's doing," you probably won't have to threaten to cut them in half when they become huge, doorway-filling teenagers.
I have to admit... I was a little jealous.
Coconut Ice Cream
I borrowed this recipe straight from the Southern Living Archives. On the few (albeit wonderful) occasions we've gone to Cold Stone Creamery, Austin always orders coconut. In honor of The Boy, I'll be posting this easy and delicious-looking recipe for all of us to try.
You will need the following:
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (5-ounce) can evaporated milk
1/2 cup whole milk
1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1. Whisk first 3 ingredients in a 2-quart pitcher or large bowl until blended. Cover and chill 30 minutes.
2. Whisk coconut milk, lemon juice, and salt into milk mixture.
3. Pour milk mixture into freezer container of a 1-quart electric ice-cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. (Instructions and times will vary.)
4. Remove container with ice cream from ice-cream maker, and place in freezer 15 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container. Freeze until firm (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours).
5. Serve ice cream with toasted coconut, shaved chocolate, or chopped macadamia nuts.
NOTE - To make a tropical sundae, top coconut ice cream with sliced bananas, mango slices, and pineapple chunks (wearing a coconut bra and a grass skirt).
(This would be a great dessert to serve at a luau, wouldn't it? I'm thinking Hawaiian chicken served over a bed of rice and sweet tea served in plastic coconut cups is in the Faulkner Five's near future. What do you think?)
Have an absolutely incredible Tuesday. I'm going to try to have one of those, too. I'm not sure how I will accomplish such a feat, but I'll let you know how it turns out. Wednesday is full of wisdom, traditions, randomness and pics. Wednesday is ALWAYS a busy day on A Simple Life.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
The Gallery Pics are from Father's Day. After we left Mikie's family, we went to Bass Pro Shop for a little while, and then out to eat at Dreamland. It was a long day, but a very good one.
RANDOMNESS #1 - The boys were fussy yesterday. I know. I know. I don't usually admit the children fuss and fight. It messes up the "perfect facade" I've created on the blog... but yesterday they were both grumpy at the same time and fussing ensued.
The straw that broke the camel's back (or finally made me angry) was the fight about who would eat the last pitiful piece of cold, undercooked, Little Caesar's cheese pizza left over from the pool. When I heard Austin say, "Well in 2002, you ate the last of the Cinnamon Toast Crunch... ," I knew I had to step in.
"Guys! Get in here." Their bodies filled the doorway. "What IS the problem?" I asked, hoping it was more than just a sorry slice of pizza.
They started talking over each other. It wasn't anything else. It wasn't a deep resentment which had been building for years. It wasn't their inner child crying out for much-needed attention. It was that stupid piece of pizza. (Oh. And did I mention they had already eaten lunch AND the leftover ribs from Dreamland. It wasn't even about being HUNGRY!)
Since I know many of you look to me for parenting advice from time to time, I wanted to share my incredibly wise, Biblical solution.
"After listening to both sides, I have decided to do what King Solomon once did to solve a similar problem," I said.
Josh stood there looking toward the heavens, and Austin looked down shaking his head.
"Yes. After much consideration, I have decided to cut you both in half."
Silence.
"Uh. Don't you mean cut the pizza in half?" Josh offered.
"No. That would only solve the problem for a little while. My solution will take care of it forever."
"Mom. I think you've got the story mixed up... again," Austin mumbled. "King Solomon was going to cut a baby in half because he knew the real mother would never let that happen. When the woman told him to give the baby to the other lady, King Solomon knew she was the REAL mother. Cutting me and Josh in half wouldn't really fix anything."
"Oh, just forget it. Austin can have the pizza. I'm not even hungry," Josh said.
"I don't really want it either," Austin said. And they both shuffled out of the room.
I took the cold, dead pizza, tore it in half and gave it to the beagles... who truly appreciated each and every bite.
Biblical parenting... It ain't as easy as it looks!
RANDOMNESS #2 - I wanted to share something a little boy at the pool said which I thought was so sweet.
My nephew, Zac, came swimming with me yesterday and he brought a buddy. He was a really cute little guy. He was very polite and respectful. I liked him... I liked him a lot.
The boys were putting on sunscreen, but they were in a hurry to get in the water. I offered to spray Zac's back, and then I turned to his friend and said, "Just use Zac's sunscreen. I'll spray you and you'll be good to go."
"Well, what SPF is on the bottle?" he asked. (How many boys have you ever heard ask that question?)
"Uh, 30," I replied. "What SPF are you using?"
"I'm using 50," he said. "That's what my Mom gave me, and I'm pretty sure she knows what she's doing."
Ahhh. Now there's a Mom who knows how to raise a child! When you can get them to admit at an early age they're "pretty sure she knows what she's doing," you probably won't have to threaten to cut them in half when they become huge, doorway-filling teenagers.
I have to admit... I was a little jealous.
Coconut Ice Cream
I borrowed this recipe straight from the Southern Living Archives. On the few (albeit wonderful) occasions we've gone to Cold Stone Creamery, Austin always orders coconut. In honor of The Boy, I'll be posting this easy and delicious-looking recipe for all of us to try.
You will need the following:
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (5-ounce) can evaporated milk
1/2 cup whole milk
1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1. Whisk first 3 ingredients in a 2-quart pitcher or large bowl until blended. Cover and chill 30 minutes.
2. Whisk coconut milk, lemon juice, and salt into milk mixture.
3. Pour milk mixture into freezer container of a 1-quart electric ice-cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. (Instructions and times will vary.)
4. Remove container with ice cream from ice-cream maker, and place in freezer 15 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container. Freeze until firm (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours).
5. Serve ice cream with toasted coconut, shaved chocolate, or chopped macadamia nuts.
NOTE - To make a tropical sundae, top coconut ice cream with sliced bananas, mango slices, and pineapple chunks (wearing a coconut bra and a grass skirt).
(This would be a great dessert to serve at a luau, wouldn't it? I'm thinking Hawaiian chicken served over a bed of rice and sweet tea served in plastic coconut cups is in the Faulkner Five's near future. What do you think?)
Have an absolutely incredible Tuesday. I'm going to try to have one of those, too. I'm not sure how I will accomplish such a feat, but I'll let you know how it turns out. Wednesday is full of wisdom, traditions, randomness and pics. Wednesday is ALWAYS a busy day on A Simple Life.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Monday, June 21, 2010
Toy Story Birthday Party
Good Monday morning!
The Showcase Pic is of Mikie and the kids at Bass Pro Shop yesterday. (The "good one" is in Project 365!)
The Gallery Pics are from Bev's birthday party Saturday night. I'll be posting our Father's Day photos Tuesday... just to spread it out a bit!
Weekend Review
Our weekend was busy, busy, busy, but filled with moments to remember and time spent with family.
On Friday night, two of the Faulkner Five made it to the Toy Story 3 premiere. A third member of our clan went Saturday morning. All of them declared it to be a hit. Mikie and I are in the depths of despair. Well, I am. Mikie asked me if I wanted to see it next weekend (which I do), so I'm really looking forward to that date!
Saturday was spent getting ready for Bev's birthday party Saturday evening. Keeping with the Toy Story 3 "theme" of the weekend, Roxie made Beverly a cute "piggy bank" cake. (Roxie makes Bev's birthday cakes, and Katie makes my birthday cake each year.) She did a very good job, and although it was a shame to cut into the masterpiece, the guys had no problem eating that pig.
My Mom had an idea which was a first for our clan... we played Bunco after dinner. It was so much fun, and everyone enjoyed it. We're going to play again on the 4th of July. We've decided to sedate Zac and Katie. It seems they inherited the "obnoxious Aunt Belinda" gene when it comes to playing party games. It's like looking in a mirror, I tell you! (And it ain't pretty!)
Sunday was spent with Mikie's family. My great-nephew, Matthew, was unbelievably precious in his Hawaiian shirt and tiny flip-flops. Talk, talk, talk... he can (and will) say anything. At two and a half, he's a little myna bird. You say it, and he repeats it!
When we left Mike's family, we headed to the Bass Pro Shop. That store is incredible. I love it! I can see why Roxie wants to work there when she gets old enough. I want to work there when I get old enough, too. It is like being outside... but with air conditioning. It's genius, I tell you!
Of course, we ended the evening with a late dinner at Dreamland Barbecue. Ribs for the guys and sandwiches for the chicks and we were happy campers. (And with a full to-go box sitting in my fridge, I even have something to feed these boys at lunch today. Life is good.)
It was a nice weekend, but I'm looking forward to this week, and maybe a little more normalcy. Josh has summer football and Austin will be working off and on at the Chick. If I can get just a few minutes to myself each and every day, maybe (just maybe) I can catch up on some laundry and dusting. Only time will tell!
Toy Story Birthday Party (Ages 4 - 6)
I woke up at 4:00 this morning (which is unheard of for me), and started brainstorming about a Toy Story Birthday Party. If it is okay with you, I'll share it today.
Schedule: (Let's say the party is from 1:00 until 2:30, shall we?)
1:00 - 1:15 Craft
1:15 - 1:25 Game
1:25 - 1:35 Game
1:35 - 1:50 Cake
1:50 - 2:00 Devotion
2:00 - 2:10 Game
2:10 - 2:20 Game
2:20 - 2:30 Open Gifts
2:30 - 2:40 Free Play AND Pick Up
You will need the following:
Queen Size Sheet
Stuffed Pig
Bag of Army Men
Hula Hoops (1 per child)
Toy Story Soundtrack (CD)
Toy Story Figurines and/or Toys
Quarters
Sugar-Free Gum (1 pack per child)
Have the CD playing throughout the entire party (except for the devotion).
Pig Toss Game - Using a queen size sheet, have the children stand in a circle holding it taut. Throw the stuffed pig into the middle of the sheet. Half of the kids are trying to "pop" the pig off the sheet while the other half is trying to catch it and keep it in the sheet. Simple, but definitely 10 minutes worth of fun!
Army Man Hunt - Before the party, hide an entire bag of army men around the yard area. Most bags have green soldiers AND tan soldiers. Give each child their goodie bag, and tell them to find as many army men as they can in five minutes. If they find a tan army man, they need to run quickly to you and you will drop a quarter in their goodie bag before they run off to hunt again!
At the end of five minutes, blow a whistle. Have the children empty their goodie bags and the child (or children) with the most army men will also have a quarter dropped in their goodie bag.
Piggy Bank Cake - Go to www.familyfun.com. For a picture and instructions for this EASY to make cake, go to Search and type Fat Piggy Cake.
Devotion - The scripture reference for this party is James 1:17. Have the kids sit in a circle on the floor. Sit in a chair with a pillowcase beside you. Inside the pillowcase you will have five wrapped gifts. (If you have more than five children at the party, you will need a wrapped gift per child.)
Explain to the children everyone is about to open a gift. HOWEVER, it is not a toy for them to keep. It is something to help you with the story.
NOTE - To keep the kids from being disappointed about the contents of the box, put a pack of sugar-free chewing gum in each box. They can have a piece, and put the rest in their goodie bag.
Look for a child who is sitting quietly. Ask them to walk up to you and pick a gift out of the bag. When they sit down again, ask them to unwrap the gift. Inside they will find a "gift" which comes from God... and a pack of sugar-free gum for them!
Here are some ideas of things to put in each individual box.
A miniature home or a picture of a house (representing shelter)
A can of ravioli (representing food)
A picture of your family (representing family)
A dollar bill (representing a job)
A Bible (representing God)
A flag (representing a country where we are free to worship)
A notebook and pencil (representing schools)
A picture of children (representing friends)
A stuffed heart or a picture of a heart (representing love)
After all of the children have unwrapped one gift (and deposited their package of gum in their goodie bag), read the verse to them. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights." James 1:17.
Talk to them about things we might take for granted... like home or food or going to church on Sunday. God is so good and He has given these things to us.
Ask the kids, "What was God's greatest gift ever given to us?" The answer... His Son, Jesus.
Ask, "What are we supposed to say when someone gives us a gift?" Hopefully, the answer will be, "Thank you."
"Let's thank God for every good gift he has given us." Take a minute or two to thank God for each and every child at the party (by name).
What's Missing - Since the children are sitting in a circle, get on the floor and play What's Missing. On a towel, have as many Toy Story figurines and/or toys you can find (around 10 to 12). Tell the children to look carefully, at all of the toys.
Now cover the toys with another towel. Tell the children to close their eyes and tilt their heads back. Quickly slip one toy out from under the towel and put in under your leg.
Tell the kids to open their eyes and look. See which one can figure out which toy is missing. Replace the missing toy and play a few more rounds.
Gallop Races - Before opening the gifts, since the kids have been sitting for a few minutes you will need to let them get rid of some excess energy. Have a starting point. Line the kids up and show them how to gallop (kind of a half skip... you may need to practice a little before you show them). For this race, they need to gallop across the yard to the finish line, touch your hand and then run as fast as they can back to the starting line. The winner gets a quarter to put in their goodie bag.
You may want to do this relay one or two more times depending on the energy level.
Gift Opening - After the races, place hula hoops on the ground or deck. Ask each child to sit in a hula hoop. Let the birthday boy or girl sit in a chair. Watching for a child who is sitting quietly, ask them to get their gift from a pile and bring it to the birthday boy or girl. They can stand beside them while they open the gift and have their picture taken. Then they must go back and sit in their hula hoop.
Take turns until all the children have given the birthday child their gift.
As the gifts are open, put them in a red wagon or a wheelbarrow. As soon as the birthday child is finished, roll the gifts around the corner of the house (out of sight), and let the children play with their hula hoops.
By this time, the moms have returned to pick up their happy party-goers. Everything is finished in 90 minutes!
Oh, and their goodie bags are filled with army men, quarters, sugar-free gum and they have a hula hoop to take home with them! Not too shabby!
Have a fun Monday. There are two more Tuesdays left in June... which equals two more homemade ice cream recipes. Yum! I don't think the recipes will disappoint!
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
The Showcase Pic is of Mikie and the kids at Bass Pro Shop yesterday. (The "good one" is in Project 365!)
The Gallery Pics are from Bev's birthday party Saturday night. I'll be posting our Father's Day photos Tuesday... just to spread it out a bit!
Weekend Review
Our weekend was busy, busy, busy, but filled with moments to remember and time spent with family.
On Friday night, two of the Faulkner Five made it to the Toy Story 3 premiere. A third member of our clan went Saturday morning. All of them declared it to be a hit. Mikie and I are in the depths of despair. Well, I am. Mikie asked me if I wanted to see it next weekend (which I do), so I'm really looking forward to that date!
Saturday was spent getting ready for Bev's birthday party Saturday evening. Keeping with the Toy Story 3 "theme" of the weekend, Roxie made Beverly a cute "piggy bank" cake. (Roxie makes Bev's birthday cakes, and Katie makes my birthday cake each year.) She did a very good job, and although it was a shame to cut into the masterpiece, the guys had no problem eating that pig.
My Mom had an idea which was a first for our clan... we played Bunco after dinner. It was so much fun, and everyone enjoyed it. We're going to play again on the 4th of July. We've decided to sedate Zac and Katie. It seems they inherited the "obnoxious Aunt Belinda" gene when it comes to playing party games. It's like looking in a mirror, I tell you! (And it ain't pretty!)
Sunday was spent with Mikie's family. My great-nephew, Matthew, was unbelievably precious in his Hawaiian shirt and tiny flip-flops. Talk, talk, talk... he can (and will) say anything. At two and a half, he's a little myna bird. You say it, and he repeats it!
When we left Mike's family, we headed to the Bass Pro Shop. That store is incredible. I love it! I can see why Roxie wants to work there when she gets old enough. I want to work there when I get old enough, too. It is like being outside... but with air conditioning. It's genius, I tell you!
Of course, we ended the evening with a late dinner at Dreamland Barbecue. Ribs for the guys and sandwiches for the chicks and we were happy campers. (And with a full to-go box sitting in my fridge, I even have something to feed these boys at lunch today. Life is good.)
It was a nice weekend, but I'm looking forward to this week, and maybe a little more normalcy. Josh has summer football and Austin will be working off and on at the Chick. If I can get just a few minutes to myself each and every day, maybe (just maybe) I can catch up on some laundry and dusting. Only time will tell!
Toy Story Birthday Party (Ages 4 - 6)
I woke up at 4:00 this morning (which is unheard of for me), and started brainstorming about a Toy Story Birthday Party. If it is okay with you, I'll share it today.
Schedule: (Let's say the party is from 1:00 until 2:30, shall we?)
1:00 - 1:15 Craft
1:15 - 1:25 Game
1:25 - 1:35 Game
1:35 - 1:50 Cake
1:50 - 2:00 Devotion
2:00 - 2:10 Game
2:10 - 2:20 Game
2:20 - 2:30 Open Gifts
2:30 - 2:40 Free Play AND Pick Up
You will need the following:
Queen Size Sheet
Stuffed Pig
Bag of Army Men
Hula Hoops (1 per child)
Toy Story Soundtrack (CD)
Toy Story Figurines and/or Toys
Quarters
Sugar-Free Gum (1 pack per child)
Have the CD playing throughout the entire party (except for the devotion).
Pig Toss Game - Using a queen size sheet, have the children stand in a circle holding it taut. Throw the stuffed pig into the middle of the sheet. Half of the kids are trying to "pop" the pig off the sheet while the other half is trying to catch it and keep it in the sheet. Simple, but definitely 10 minutes worth of fun!
Army Man Hunt - Before the party, hide an entire bag of army men around the yard area. Most bags have green soldiers AND tan soldiers. Give each child their goodie bag, and tell them to find as many army men as they can in five minutes. If they find a tan army man, they need to run quickly to you and you will drop a quarter in their goodie bag before they run off to hunt again!
At the end of five minutes, blow a whistle. Have the children empty their goodie bags and the child (or children) with the most army men will also have a quarter dropped in their goodie bag.
Piggy Bank Cake - Go to www.familyfun.com. For a picture and instructions for this EASY to make cake, go to Search and type Fat Piggy Cake.
Devotion - The scripture reference for this party is James 1:17. Have the kids sit in a circle on the floor. Sit in a chair with a pillowcase beside you. Inside the pillowcase you will have five wrapped gifts. (If you have more than five children at the party, you will need a wrapped gift per child.)
Explain to the children everyone is about to open a gift. HOWEVER, it is not a toy for them to keep. It is something to help you with the story.
NOTE - To keep the kids from being disappointed about the contents of the box, put a pack of sugar-free chewing gum in each box. They can have a piece, and put the rest in their goodie bag.
Look for a child who is sitting quietly. Ask them to walk up to you and pick a gift out of the bag. When they sit down again, ask them to unwrap the gift. Inside they will find a "gift" which comes from God... and a pack of sugar-free gum for them!
Here are some ideas of things to put in each individual box.
A miniature home or a picture of a house (representing shelter)
A can of ravioli (representing food)
A picture of your family (representing family)
A dollar bill (representing a job)
A Bible (representing God)
A flag (representing a country where we are free to worship)
A notebook and pencil (representing schools)
A picture of children (representing friends)
A stuffed heart or a picture of a heart (representing love)
After all of the children have unwrapped one gift (and deposited their package of gum in their goodie bag), read the verse to them. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights." James 1:17.
Talk to them about things we might take for granted... like home or food or going to church on Sunday. God is so good and He has given these things to us.
Ask the kids, "What was God's greatest gift ever given to us?" The answer... His Son, Jesus.
Ask, "What are we supposed to say when someone gives us a gift?" Hopefully, the answer will be, "Thank you."
"Let's thank God for every good gift he has given us." Take a minute or two to thank God for each and every child at the party (by name).
What's Missing - Since the children are sitting in a circle, get on the floor and play What's Missing. On a towel, have as many Toy Story figurines and/or toys you can find (around 10 to 12). Tell the children to look carefully, at all of the toys.
Now cover the toys with another towel. Tell the children to close their eyes and tilt their heads back. Quickly slip one toy out from under the towel and put in under your leg.
Tell the kids to open their eyes and look. See which one can figure out which toy is missing. Replace the missing toy and play a few more rounds.
Gallop Races - Before opening the gifts, since the kids have been sitting for a few minutes you will need to let them get rid of some excess energy. Have a starting point. Line the kids up and show them how to gallop (kind of a half skip... you may need to practice a little before you show them). For this race, they need to gallop across the yard to the finish line, touch your hand and then run as fast as they can back to the starting line. The winner gets a quarter to put in their goodie bag.
You may want to do this relay one or two more times depending on the energy level.
Gift Opening - After the races, place hula hoops on the ground or deck. Ask each child to sit in a hula hoop. Let the birthday boy or girl sit in a chair. Watching for a child who is sitting quietly, ask them to get their gift from a pile and bring it to the birthday boy or girl. They can stand beside them while they open the gift and have their picture taken. Then they must go back and sit in their hula hoop.
Take turns until all the children have given the birthday child their gift.
As the gifts are open, put them in a red wagon or a wheelbarrow. As soon as the birthday child is finished, roll the gifts around the corner of the house (out of sight), and let the children play with their hula hoops.
By this time, the moms have returned to pick up their happy party-goers. Everything is finished in 90 minutes!
Oh, and their goodie bags are filled with army men, quarters, sugar-free gum and they have a hula hoop to take home with them! Not too shabby!
Have a fun Monday. There are two more Tuesdays left in June... which equals two more homemade ice cream recipes. Yum! I don't think the recipes will disappoint!
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Friday, June 18, 2010
Weekend Happenings
Good Friday morning!
The Gallery Pic is of Roxie and Monica... at the pool... SURPRISE, SURPRISE! Next week, I'm going to try NOT to post a pool picture. I can't promise, but I will most definitely try. One of the nicest summer traditions is spending time with cousins who live 30 or more minutes away. The amount of time isn't really the problem, of course, but school, extracurricular activities, etc., etc. do tend to get in the way during the fall, winter and spring seasons. We try to take advantage of more relaxed schedules these short, few weeks we call Summer!
RANDOMNESS - In a few short weeks, the Faulkner Five will be traveling to Amelia Island for a little getaway. It's a beautiful island about 40 minutes north of Jacksonville, Florida. And when I use the word "island," I want to clarify you do not even realize you are on an island. There is a very short bridge you drive over to reach your destination. I didn't want you to think we were going tropical or anything!
The kids and I were fortunate to tag along with my sister and her family a couple of years ago when they were there for a work conference... and I totally fell in love with Amelia Island. I love the name. I love the sunsets. I love the beaches which are SO different from the gorgeous white sand beaches I grew up visiting each year in Gulf Shores. But, guess what?
Amelia Island is known for their manatee population which swim freely in a saltwater river which separates Amelia Island from Cumberland Island. And guess what else?
There is a herd of 150 feral horses which live on Cumberland Island and roam free. But wait! There's more!
This is sea turtle season, and there are nests all over the beaches of Amelia Island. While many of these nests are marked, protected and CANNOT be touched or tampered with in any way, shape or form, there is the tiniest chance we might see baby sea turtles hatching and making their way to the ocean. Of course, we aren't allowed to have flashlights on the beach, so if we do actually find a nest to watch, we cannot stay after dark to "see what happens." I'm not going to be holding my breath for this one!
I know what you're thinking... This is almost too much excitement for one post! And I still have more to tell you!
I heard a rumor that Tom Selleck has a home at Pointe Vedra Beach, which is fairly close to Amelia Island. Although I haven't been able to confirm this information on the Internet, I am making sure there is a block of time during our visit to "look for Mr. Tom Selleck."
I guess the ultimate Amelia Island experience would be to go on the River Cruise (tickets have been bought, by the way)... see Mr. Tom Selleck sitting bareback on a feral horse... which would, of course, be standing knee-deep in the river with manatees swimming all around... holding a giant sea turtle under his right arm. Yes, indeed. That would be a picture worth a thousand words!
TOPIC OF THE WEEK - FAULTY FOCUS
I'm going to share one more little tidbit from Chapter Seven of Calm My Anxious Heart. It is a poem written by a 14 year-old boy, and it really sums up how so many people think.
It was spring but it was summer I wanted; the warm days and the great outdoors.
It was summer but it was fall I wanted; the colorful leaves and the cool dry air.
It was fall but it was winter I wanted; the beautiful snow and the joy of the holiday season.
It was now winter but it was spring I wanted; the warmth and the blossoming of nature.
I was a child but it was adulthood I wanted; the freedom and the respect.
I was twenty but it was thirty I wanted; to be mature and sophisticated.
I was middle-aged but it was twenty I wanted; the youth and the free spirit.
I was retired but it was middle-age I wanted; the presence of mind without limitations.
My life was over but I never got what I wanted.
Food for thought, isn't it?
Weekend Happenings
I'm not sure who, and I'm not sure when, but I think Toy Story 3 will be playing a part in our weekend. At least, I hope it will!
Saturday will be spent doing a little cooking, and later in the day we'll be having a birthday celebration for my sister, Bev. (Which also means a little shopping is in my future this weekend! Don't worry. I already have a gift idea.)
After church on Sunday, we will be going to visit Mikie's family (Code for I GET TO SEE MY GREAT-NEPHEW, MATTHEW). The kids and I have a little something special planned for Mikie's Father's Day Celebration Sunday evening, and we are ALL looking forward to that outing!
Family, family, family describes the upcoming weekend for us. (Oh, and NO pool pics!)
Have a great weekend. Make memories. Enjoy special AND ordinary moments. Take at least 100 pictures... AT LEAST! I have tons to share next week. There are so many great summer ideas to "copy." You really must come back!
Take care, and I'll talk to you Monday.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
The Gallery Pic is of Roxie and Monica... at the pool... SURPRISE, SURPRISE! Next week, I'm going to try NOT to post a pool picture. I can't promise, but I will most definitely try. One of the nicest summer traditions is spending time with cousins who live 30 or more minutes away. The amount of time isn't really the problem, of course, but school, extracurricular activities, etc., etc. do tend to get in the way during the fall, winter and spring seasons. We try to take advantage of more relaxed schedules these short, few weeks we call Summer!
RANDOMNESS - In a few short weeks, the Faulkner Five will be traveling to Amelia Island for a little getaway. It's a beautiful island about 40 minutes north of Jacksonville, Florida. And when I use the word "island," I want to clarify you do not even realize you are on an island. There is a very short bridge you drive over to reach your destination. I didn't want you to think we were going tropical or anything!
The kids and I were fortunate to tag along with my sister and her family a couple of years ago when they were there for a work conference... and I totally fell in love with Amelia Island. I love the name. I love the sunsets. I love the beaches which are SO different from the gorgeous white sand beaches I grew up visiting each year in Gulf Shores. But, guess what?
Amelia Island is known for their manatee population which swim freely in a saltwater river which separates Amelia Island from Cumberland Island. And guess what else?
There is a herd of 150 feral horses which live on Cumberland Island and roam free. But wait! There's more!
This is sea turtle season, and there are nests all over the beaches of Amelia Island. While many of these nests are marked, protected and CANNOT be touched or tampered with in any way, shape or form, there is the tiniest chance we might see baby sea turtles hatching and making their way to the ocean. Of course, we aren't allowed to have flashlights on the beach, so if we do actually find a nest to watch, we cannot stay after dark to "see what happens." I'm not going to be holding my breath for this one!
I know what you're thinking... This is almost too much excitement for one post! And I still have more to tell you!
I heard a rumor that Tom Selleck has a home at Pointe Vedra Beach, which is fairly close to Amelia Island. Although I haven't been able to confirm this information on the Internet, I am making sure there is a block of time during our visit to "look for Mr. Tom Selleck."
I guess the ultimate Amelia Island experience would be to go on the River Cruise (tickets have been bought, by the way)... see Mr. Tom Selleck sitting bareback on a feral horse... which would, of course, be standing knee-deep in the river with manatees swimming all around... holding a giant sea turtle under his right arm. Yes, indeed. That would be a picture worth a thousand words!
TOPIC OF THE WEEK - FAULTY FOCUS
I'm going to share one more little tidbit from Chapter Seven of Calm My Anxious Heart. It is a poem written by a 14 year-old boy, and it really sums up how so many people think.
It was spring but it was summer I wanted; the warm days and the great outdoors.
It was summer but it was fall I wanted; the colorful leaves and the cool dry air.
It was fall but it was winter I wanted; the beautiful snow and the joy of the holiday season.
It was now winter but it was spring I wanted; the warmth and the blossoming of nature.
I was a child but it was adulthood I wanted; the freedom and the respect.
I was twenty but it was thirty I wanted; to be mature and sophisticated.
I was middle-aged but it was twenty I wanted; the youth and the free spirit.
I was retired but it was middle-age I wanted; the presence of mind without limitations.
My life was over but I never got what I wanted.
Food for thought, isn't it?
Weekend Happenings
I'm not sure who, and I'm not sure when, but I think Toy Story 3 will be playing a part in our weekend. At least, I hope it will!
Saturday will be spent doing a little cooking, and later in the day we'll be having a birthday celebration for my sister, Bev. (Which also means a little shopping is in my future this weekend! Don't worry. I already have a gift idea.)
After church on Sunday, we will be going to visit Mikie's family (Code for I GET TO SEE MY GREAT-NEPHEW, MATTHEW). The kids and I have a little something special planned for Mikie's Father's Day Celebration Sunday evening, and we are ALL looking forward to that outing!
Family, family, family describes the upcoming weekend for us. (Oh, and NO pool pics!)
Have a great weekend. Make memories. Enjoy special AND ordinary moments. Take at least 100 pictures... AT LEAST! I have tons to share next week. There are so many great summer ideas to "copy." You really must come back!
Take care, and I'll talk to you Monday.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Snake Date
Good Thursday morning!
The Gallery Pic is of Roxie and Zac... at the pool... again. I warned you. Many of the summer photos will be taken at the pool. We are like hippos. It is where we hang out.
RANDOMNESS #1 - Speaking of hippos... we watched our fourth episode of Life last night. I think I know what the problem is now. I like Life. I really do. Oprah's voice doesn't bother me, although her mispronunciation of the word "capuchin" over and over and over again in Episode #2 was a little annoying. And if she says "evolved" or "adapts" once, she says it 1,000 times per episode. However, we are now older, and when she tells us it took millions of years for birds to evolve into flying animals, the Faulkner Five know, "Then God said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens." Genesis 1:20. (That was the fifth day of creation, by the way. Not millions and millions of years later!)
No, it's more than that. I think I'm having a little trouble with it because it is so predictable. On each and every show, there is one grisly death by predator, one unusual mating ritual and one animal you have never seen or heard of before. It is a VERY structured show.
Now that I know WHAT bothers me, I have to figure out WHY the most "structured" person in the world is so bothered by a "structured" nature show!
I'm an enema, I tell you! Or an enigma! Just pick one!
RANDOMNESS #2 - Find a cool pool of water or an active air conditioning vent and sit in it (or on it depending which you pick). It's the only way you'll survive this massive heat wave. Drink plenty of Caramel Frappes from McDonald's to stay hydrated. I am not a trained health care professional... I only play one on the blog!
TOPIC OF THE WEEK - FAULTY FOCUS
In yesterday's post, I shared my favorite example of making a life purpose statement. I want to choose four or five words and write my statement "around" those words.
But there was another way I found very interesting. Another woman, Jean, decided her purpose was to influence generations. She wanted to pass on God's truth to her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and so on, and so on.
She, too, talked about how hard it was to focus in our BUSY lives. "Life loses focus without any effort, determination or decision on our part. The process of living, day in and day out, tends to dilute and divert focus. We become so busy that we have no time to consider HOW we live." (Love this!)
Jean imagines her life as a tree. The trunk represents her relationship to Christ. The limbs represent major areas of God-given responsibility (family, job, ministry, etc.) The branches of the tree are activities and opportunities of life.
When the branches begin multiplying and obscuring the trunk and limbs, Jean knows there is "too much busy" going on around her. That is when she prunes her tree.
She prunes her tree prayerfully three or four times a year.
I liked this example, because I do this with my "busy basket." I write down all the "stuff" I'm doing... all the "things" I've put into my basket. Twice a year (in June and December), I get rid of the activities and "stuff" that are keeping me from my life purpose.
"But, Belinda. I thought you said you had not written your life purpose statement yet."
Okay. Okay. I'm working on it! But I do know BALANCE is my one, huge, seemingly unobtainable goal (God, family, others), and I've been working on that one for years!
One more tidbit from this chapter tomorrow. It is inspiring stuff, I tell you!
Blog Linkage - I don't have a lot of extra reading for you today... but that's good, right? It's summertime, and you don't need to be stuck in front of a computer all day long!
1. Click on Nitty.Gritty. under My Blog List and read the post entitled "My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe (and Story)" dated Tuesday, June 15. Beware! This is a VERY expensive post!
2. Click on Sherri's Blog (again, under My Blog List) and read her post entitled "To Be or To Do? That is the Question" dated Wednesday, June 16. It talks a little about one of my favorite subjects... busyness. Very good reading!
Snake Date
If you have a child who is into reptiles (and thank goodness, I DID NOT), I have a totally affordable date idea for you and yours! (The Ruffner Mountain info came straight from The Bargain Mom!)
This Saturday, Ruffner Mountain is having a Snakes Up Close program. It costs $7 for non-members and $5 for members.
The program is called "For Goodness Snakes." (Cute, huh?)
The program is from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The following was posted on their website:
Have you ever wanted to learn about the world of snakes? You will have the opportunity to see some of Ruffner’s resident snakes up-close and discover some interesting facts about these often misunderstood animals. Following the program, feel free to stick around to watch these guys eat.
Before your visit to Ruffner Mountain, you could take a ride to Ed's Pet World in Homewood, and spend some quality time browsing through their store. They have everything (including reptiles) and it would be a great, inexpensive way to start a Snake Date!
Give yourself plenty of time to go to Savage's Deli before heading to Ruffner Mountain. Share a pastry and a drink, talk about what you've just seen and what you are about to see.
Remember, it doesn't have to be extravagant or monumental to make a memory. It just takes time, time, time.
Have fun!
Have a lovely Thursday. Enjoy time with family and friends. Friday I'll end the week with Weekend Happenings, one last insight from Chapter Seven of Calm My Anxious Heart and a tiny bit of Randomness I've been saving.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
The Gallery Pic is of Roxie and Zac... at the pool... again. I warned you. Many of the summer photos will be taken at the pool. We are like hippos. It is where we hang out.
RANDOMNESS #1 - Speaking of hippos... we watched our fourth episode of Life last night. I think I know what the problem is now. I like Life. I really do. Oprah's voice doesn't bother me, although her mispronunciation of the word "capuchin" over and over and over again in Episode #2 was a little annoying. And if she says "evolved" or "adapts" once, she says it 1,000 times per episode. However, we are now older, and when she tells us it took millions of years for birds to evolve into flying animals, the Faulkner Five know, "Then God said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens." Genesis 1:20. (That was the fifth day of creation, by the way. Not millions and millions of years later!)
No, it's more than that. I think I'm having a little trouble with it because it is so predictable. On each and every show, there is one grisly death by predator, one unusual mating ritual and one animal you have never seen or heard of before. It is a VERY structured show.
Now that I know WHAT bothers me, I have to figure out WHY the most "structured" person in the world is so bothered by a "structured" nature show!
I'm an enema, I tell you! Or an enigma! Just pick one!
RANDOMNESS #2 - Find a cool pool of water or an active air conditioning vent and sit in it (or on it depending which you pick). It's the only way you'll survive this massive heat wave. Drink plenty of Caramel Frappes from McDonald's to stay hydrated. I am not a trained health care professional... I only play one on the blog!
TOPIC OF THE WEEK - FAULTY FOCUS
In yesterday's post, I shared my favorite example of making a life purpose statement. I want to choose four or five words and write my statement "around" those words.
But there was another way I found very interesting. Another woman, Jean, decided her purpose was to influence generations. She wanted to pass on God's truth to her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and so on, and so on.
She, too, talked about how hard it was to focus in our BUSY lives. "Life loses focus without any effort, determination or decision on our part. The process of living, day in and day out, tends to dilute and divert focus. We become so busy that we have no time to consider HOW we live." (Love this!)
Jean imagines her life as a tree. The trunk represents her relationship to Christ. The limbs represent major areas of God-given responsibility (family, job, ministry, etc.) The branches of the tree are activities and opportunities of life.
When the branches begin multiplying and obscuring the trunk and limbs, Jean knows there is "too much busy" going on around her. That is when she prunes her tree.
She prunes her tree prayerfully three or four times a year.
I liked this example, because I do this with my "busy basket." I write down all the "stuff" I'm doing... all the "things" I've put into my basket. Twice a year (in June and December), I get rid of the activities and "stuff" that are keeping me from my life purpose.
"But, Belinda. I thought you said you had not written your life purpose statement yet."
Okay. Okay. I'm working on it! But I do know BALANCE is my one, huge, seemingly unobtainable goal (God, family, others), and I've been working on that one for years!
One more tidbit from this chapter tomorrow. It is inspiring stuff, I tell you!
Blog Linkage - I don't have a lot of extra reading for you today... but that's good, right? It's summertime, and you don't need to be stuck in front of a computer all day long!
1. Click on Nitty.Gritty. under My Blog List and read the post entitled "My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe (and Story)" dated Tuesday, June 15. Beware! This is a VERY expensive post!
2. Click on Sherri's Blog (again, under My Blog List) and read her post entitled "To Be or To Do? That is the Question" dated Wednesday, June 16. It talks a little about one of my favorite subjects... busyness. Very good reading!
Snake Date
If you have a child who is into reptiles (and thank goodness, I DID NOT), I have a totally affordable date idea for you and yours! (The Ruffner Mountain info came straight from The Bargain Mom!)
This Saturday, Ruffner Mountain is having a Snakes Up Close program. It costs $7 for non-members and $5 for members.
The program is called "For Goodness Snakes." (Cute, huh?)
The program is from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The following was posted on their website:
Have you ever wanted to learn about the world of snakes? You will have the opportunity to see some of Ruffner’s resident snakes up-close and discover some interesting facts about these often misunderstood animals. Following the program, feel free to stick around to watch these guys eat.
Before your visit to Ruffner Mountain, you could take a ride to Ed's Pet World in Homewood, and spend some quality time browsing through their store. They have everything (including reptiles) and it would be a great, inexpensive way to start a Snake Date!
Give yourself plenty of time to go to Savage's Deli before heading to Ruffner Mountain. Share a pastry and a drink, talk about what you've just seen and what you are about to see.
Remember, it doesn't have to be extravagant or monumental to make a memory. It just takes time, time, time.
Have fun!
Have a lovely Thursday. Enjoy time with family and friends. Friday I'll end the week with Weekend Happenings, one last insight from Chapter Seven of Calm My Anxious Heart and a tiny bit of Randomness I've been saving.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
The Last Splash
Good Wednesday morning!
The Gallery Pics are totally unrelated. The first is a new flag my friend, Lana, gave me last week. It flew proudly on Mikie's birthday. It's quite festive, isn't it? I see no problem at all with the flag except perhaps it's lack of a Pooh Bear. (But Pooh Bear or not, I still love it!)
The second photo is of Josh's new football cleats. Is it just me, or are these things HUGE? That's my foot beside the shoe, and let it be known, I have a pretty substantial foot. I remember 14 years ago when Josh's shoe of choice was a Spiderman Velcro number... but things are in a constant state of change around here and this is the new number one choice!
RANDOMNESS - It would appear my "hot flash" was a false alarm. From what I have gathered, most hot flashes last from 30 seconds to two minutes. (Mine lasted four hours and 32 minutes.) This makes one of three theories much more plausible... (1) Mikie has pulled an "Al Gore" and started setting the thermostat on 82 degrees after I go to sleep in order to save an extra buck or two; (2) I had a raging fever for four hours and 32 minutes; or (3) it was a combination of (1) AND (2).
Whichever scenario you pick, I was pretty cranky all day... another symptom of Menopause, having a fever, being way too hot, etc. Self-diagnosis is very difficult sometimes.
I'm thinking I probably need another "supplement" to add to my ever growing collection of fish oil, Vitamin D, calcium and fiber. If you need me today, you can find me in the vitamin section of Wal-Mart reading vitamin supplement labels. I'll let you know what I decide to add to my collection!
TOPIC OF THE WEEK - FAULTY FOCUS
Yesterday I mentioned Chapter Seven of the book I'm currently (slowly) reading, Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow. While many of the chapters have caused thought-provoking stress, I LOVED Chapter Seven, and I wanted to share a little with you throughout the week.
This chapter was all about preparing a personal life purpose statement. (Read yesterday's post.) The author used four women as examples, and all four used a different method to prepare their statement. I was drawn to the first woman, Phyllis, because it seems we think alike.
She wrote, "When I had children, I remember thinking, 'Are my children now my purpose?' I realized that my children were my platform, not my purpose. My purpose for life is continually in progress. I began with a verse, and years later God gave me four words that clarified my purpose." Her four words were "purposely," "faithfully," "creatively" and "paradoxically."
Right off the bat, I loved her first word because I USE THAT WORD, TOO! Her third word has been used by others to describe me, but since I consider myself a "copycat," I have never agreed with that one. I had no idea what her last word meant, but I was anxious to find out.
After she had her four words, she wrote a paragraph describing what the word meant to her and her life purpose. I'll share two of them with you this morning.
"I want to live my life very purposely, regularly reviewing and praying over my purpose in life, love God intensely, cherishing and inspiring my husband, praying for and keeping connected spiritually with my children, loving women and seeking to lay spiritual foundations in their lives.
"I want to live paradoxically. I want to go against my selfish nature, against our culture, giving a little bit more than I feel like giving, going the second mile, being like Jesus."
Again, these are not vague in the least. They are very, very thoughtful and concrete in nature.
Now, I am in the process of finding my four or five words. With all due respect to Phyllis, I am going to use "purposely," too. After all, I've definitely mentioned it before!
I know I want to use the word "balance," because I strive for that daily. God, family, others.
I also wanted to use a synonym for "not too busy," because I try very hard not to fill my life with a lot of little "busy" things. Too many "busy" things keep me from the task at hand which in my mind is "balance."
When I tried to find the perfect word for "not too busy," the examples which popped up on the computer were less than complimentary. Here are a few for your perusal... asleep on the job, careless, delinquent, derelict, dilatory, disregardful, dormant, dull, easy-going, idle, inactive, inattentive, indolent, inert, lackadaisical, lax, lethargic, neglectful, permissive, regardless, remiss, slothful, slow, slow-moving, sluggish, stagnant or tardy.
NOTE - I'll be the first to admit these words describe me very well after a four hour and 32 minute hot flash, but I do not want them to be inscribed on my tombstone... so I'm throwing them out!
I'll keep thinkin' and lookin' for my last two words. I'll let you know when (and if) I find them.
Wednesday Wisdom - Since we're in the midst of football mania in the Faulkner household, I wanted to share some football quotes with you. Lou Holtz was on the Rick and Bubba Show last week, and he was so inspiring. I looked up some of his quotes, and there are too many to use, but here are a few to get ya going today!
"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it."
"It's not the load that breaks you down. It's the way you carry it."
"The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely the one who dropped it."
"If what you did yesterday seems big, you haven't done anything today." (I REALLY like this one!)
"If you're bored with life, you don't get up every morning with a burning desire to do things. You don't have enough goals." (I cannot wait to hear one of my kids say "I'm bored!" I'm going to "Lou Holtz" them so fast it will make their heads spin!)
I'll have to use some more of Mr. Holtz' quotes this fall when football really gets cranked up, but for today, this will have to do!
The Last Splash
The following ideas and thoughts came from the website www.poollifemag.com. The person interviewed, Jennifer Trainer-Thompson, has some very specific ideas about family traditions. (I like her. I like her a lot!) Although the traditions described are for the end of the summer season, they do need some planning, so I wanted to go ahead and share the ideas so you would have plenty of time to prepare!
In an increasingly busy world, traditions are extremely important. "Family traditions really help ground us," Thompson says. "We’re all connected in our 24/7 world, but we’re often disconnected from what’s immediately around us. Traditions are a way to reconnect, to build histories and create memories." (I changed my mind. I LOVE her!)
Traditions don’t have to be momentous occasions. "People tend to think of traditions as monumental events, like Thanksgiving, Christmas or Hanukkah," Thompson points out. "But it’s often the littlest, quirkiest traditions that are the most meaningful."
For that reason, pool owners are especially lucky. After all, swimming pools are full of opportunities to create great memories.
1. Host a back-to-school soiree. For your kids, the biggest bummer about summer’s end isn’t the shorter or colder days. It’s school. In order to ease the transition, Thompson suggests hosting an annual back-to-school party for your children and their friends. "On the eve of school starting, invite the neighbors and their kids over for a ‘last splash’ and a cookout," she says. Like your annual trip for school supplies and clothes, a "last splash" will give your kids something to look forward to every year before they hit the books.
2. Have a family swim meet. Of course, you don’t need to host a party in order to have a tradition. If you want to privately and quietly commemorate back-to-school season with your children, Thompson suggests a family swim, followed by a poolside dinner and an annual family meeting. At the meeting, discuss your family’s goals for the coming year. Maybe you want your kids to get better grades. Maybe you want to take a family vacation somewhere. Maybe you want to finish your basement. Whatever it is, having a set time every year for planning and reflection will help your family bond.
If you don't have a pool (which we do not), plan an afternoon at the lake at the end of the summer season (boating, swimming, fishing, cooking out, etc.). Give it a name ("The Last Splash" is fine), talk it up, and make sure it is an annual event the kids (and you) can look forward to each season. You can do it with your own family, or you can include other families as well.
It's never too late to start a tradition. Start this one the end of Summer 2010!
Have a lovely Wednesday. I hope you are somewhere cool and refreshing today. (I hope I am somewhere cool and refreshing today, too!) Thursday is Blog Linkage day AND I'll have a date or two for these hot summer days and nights on A Simple Life. I have a little more wisdom from my favorite chapter of Calm My Anxious Heart to share. I also have the new number of gifts Mikie has received to date. I know you're tossing and turning all night wondering about that one!
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
The Gallery Pics are totally unrelated. The first is a new flag my friend, Lana, gave me last week. It flew proudly on Mikie's birthday. It's quite festive, isn't it? I see no problem at all with the flag except perhaps it's lack of a Pooh Bear. (But Pooh Bear or not, I still love it!)
The second photo is of Josh's new football cleats. Is it just me, or are these things HUGE? That's my foot beside the shoe, and let it be known, I have a pretty substantial foot. I remember 14 years ago when Josh's shoe of choice was a Spiderman Velcro number... but things are in a constant state of change around here and this is the new number one choice!
RANDOMNESS - It would appear my "hot flash" was a false alarm. From what I have gathered, most hot flashes last from 30 seconds to two minutes. (Mine lasted four hours and 32 minutes.) This makes one of three theories much more plausible... (1) Mikie has pulled an "Al Gore" and started setting the thermostat on 82 degrees after I go to sleep in order to save an extra buck or two; (2) I had a raging fever for four hours and 32 minutes; or (3) it was a combination of (1) AND (2).
Whichever scenario you pick, I was pretty cranky all day... another symptom of Menopause, having a fever, being way too hot, etc. Self-diagnosis is very difficult sometimes.
I'm thinking I probably need another "supplement" to add to my ever growing collection of fish oil, Vitamin D, calcium and fiber. If you need me today, you can find me in the vitamin section of Wal-Mart reading vitamin supplement labels. I'll let you know what I decide to add to my collection!
TOPIC OF THE WEEK - FAULTY FOCUS
Yesterday I mentioned Chapter Seven of the book I'm currently (slowly) reading, Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow. While many of the chapters have caused thought-provoking stress, I LOVED Chapter Seven, and I wanted to share a little with you throughout the week.
This chapter was all about preparing a personal life purpose statement. (Read yesterday's post.) The author used four women as examples, and all four used a different method to prepare their statement. I was drawn to the first woman, Phyllis, because it seems we think alike.
She wrote, "When I had children, I remember thinking, 'Are my children now my purpose?' I realized that my children were my platform, not my purpose. My purpose for life is continually in progress. I began with a verse, and years later God gave me four words that clarified my purpose." Her four words were "purposely," "faithfully," "creatively" and "paradoxically."
Right off the bat, I loved her first word because I USE THAT WORD, TOO! Her third word has been used by others to describe me, but since I consider myself a "copycat," I have never agreed with that one. I had no idea what her last word meant, but I was anxious to find out.
After she had her four words, she wrote a paragraph describing what the word meant to her and her life purpose. I'll share two of them with you this morning.
"I want to live my life very purposely, regularly reviewing and praying over my purpose in life, love God intensely, cherishing and inspiring my husband, praying for and keeping connected spiritually with my children, loving women and seeking to lay spiritual foundations in their lives.
"I want to live paradoxically. I want to go against my selfish nature, against our culture, giving a little bit more than I feel like giving, going the second mile, being like Jesus."
Again, these are not vague in the least. They are very, very thoughtful and concrete in nature.
Now, I am in the process of finding my four or five words. With all due respect to Phyllis, I am going to use "purposely," too. After all, I've definitely mentioned it before!
I know I want to use the word "balance," because I strive for that daily. God, family, others.
I also wanted to use a synonym for "not too busy," because I try very hard not to fill my life with a lot of little "busy" things. Too many "busy" things keep me from the task at hand which in my mind is "balance."
When I tried to find the perfect word for "not too busy," the examples which popped up on the computer were less than complimentary. Here are a few for your perusal... asleep on the job, careless, delinquent, derelict, dilatory, disregardful, dormant, dull, easy-going, idle, inactive, inattentive, indolent, inert, lackadaisical, lax, lethargic, neglectful, permissive, regardless, remiss, slothful, slow, slow-moving, sluggish, stagnant or tardy.
NOTE - I'll be the first to admit these words describe me very well after a four hour and 32 minute hot flash, but I do not want them to be inscribed on my tombstone... so I'm throwing them out!
I'll keep thinkin' and lookin' for my last two words. I'll let you know when (and if) I find them.
Wednesday Wisdom - Since we're in the midst of football mania in the Faulkner household, I wanted to share some football quotes with you. Lou Holtz was on the Rick and Bubba Show last week, and he was so inspiring. I looked up some of his quotes, and there are too many to use, but here are a few to get ya going today!
"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it."
"It's not the load that breaks you down. It's the way you carry it."
"The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely the one who dropped it."
"If what you did yesterday seems big, you haven't done anything today." (I REALLY like this one!)
"If you're bored with life, you don't get up every morning with a burning desire to do things. You don't have enough goals." (I cannot wait to hear one of my kids say "I'm bored!" I'm going to "Lou Holtz" them so fast it will make their heads spin!)
I'll have to use some more of Mr. Holtz' quotes this fall when football really gets cranked up, but for today, this will have to do!
The Last Splash
The following ideas and thoughts came from the website www.poollifemag.com. The person interviewed, Jennifer Trainer-Thompson, has some very specific ideas about family traditions. (I like her. I like her a lot!) Although the traditions described are for the end of the summer season, they do need some planning, so I wanted to go ahead and share the ideas so you would have plenty of time to prepare!
In an increasingly busy world, traditions are extremely important. "Family traditions really help ground us," Thompson says. "We’re all connected in our 24/7 world, but we’re often disconnected from what’s immediately around us. Traditions are a way to reconnect, to build histories and create memories." (I changed my mind. I LOVE her!)
Traditions don’t have to be momentous occasions. "People tend to think of traditions as monumental events, like Thanksgiving, Christmas or Hanukkah," Thompson points out. "But it’s often the littlest, quirkiest traditions that are the most meaningful."
For that reason, pool owners are especially lucky. After all, swimming pools are full of opportunities to create great memories.
1. Host a back-to-school soiree. For your kids, the biggest bummer about summer’s end isn’t the shorter or colder days. It’s school. In order to ease the transition, Thompson suggests hosting an annual back-to-school party for your children and their friends. "On the eve of school starting, invite the neighbors and their kids over for a ‘last splash’ and a cookout," she says. Like your annual trip for school supplies and clothes, a "last splash" will give your kids something to look forward to every year before they hit the books.
2. Have a family swim meet. Of course, you don’t need to host a party in order to have a tradition. If you want to privately and quietly commemorate back-to-school season with your children, Thompson suggests a family swim, followed by a poolside dinner and an annual family meeting. At the meeting, discuss your family’s goals for the coming year. Maybe you want your kids to get better grades. Maybe you want to take a family vacation somewhere. Maybe you want to finish your basement. Whatever it is, having a set time every year for planning and reflection will help your family bond.
If you don't have a pool (which we do not), plan an afternoon at the lake at the end of the summer season (boating, swimming, fishing, cooking out, etc.). Give it a name ("The Last Splash" is fine), talk it up, and make sure it is an annual event the kids (and you) can look forward to each season. You can do it with your own family, or you can include other families as well.
It's never too late to start a tradition. Start this one the end of Summer 2010!
Have a lovely Wednesday. I hope you are somewhere cool and refreshing today. (I hope I am somewhere cool and refreshing today, too!) Thursday is Blog Linkage day AND I'll have a date or two for these hot summer days and nights on A Simple Life. I have a little more wisdom from my favorite chapter of Calm My Anxious Heart to share. I also have the new number of gifts Mikie has received to date. I know you're tossing and turning all night wondering about that one!
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Strawbernut Ice Cream
Good Tuesday morning!
The Gallery Pics this morning are courtesy of the Zac Brown Band. Well, actually, they are the photos I took of Hannah and Roxie before they left for the Zac Brown Band concert Friday night. They are rockin' those cowgirl hats, aren't they? (But with a humidity level at nearly 100%, we just used them for the pics, and then left them in the car. I believe professional photographers call them "props.")
PANIC ATTACKS - Well, this has definitely been "Panic Attack Week" for me. Last night I couldn't even sleep... and I can ALWAYS sleep. (I love that about me. I think I'll have to put that on my list of "Physical Attributes I Like About Myself." I'm a sleeper!)
This morning, I got up and Googled the correlation between Panic Attacks and Menopause. (Yes, from now on "Menopause" will be capitalized on the blog... like it's a person or a country or something.) I stopped Googling symptoms over a year ago because it really made things worse for me. However, after a "Sleepless in Seattle" type night last night, I told Mikie what I was going to do (so I would be held accountable), and I looked up two websites.
Guess what? There is a HUGE correlation between the two. It is unexplained, but Panic Attacks and Menopause go hand-in-hand in many women... especially women who are already prone to having the attacks. Eureka!
You would think those facts would make me feel better, but alas, another symptom of Panic Attacks is NOT feeling better... even when faced with the facts.
I am also almost 100% sure the book Kim (my walking buddy) and I continue to read (Calm My Anxious Heart) is helping to escalate the attacks. Unlike any other illness or disorder, Generalized Panic Disorder does NOT get better by talking about it. Venting, being honest and upfront tend to aggravate the symptoms. However, it makes me angry enough I refuse to be silent. There has to be a way to desensitize myself from this insidious (great word, by the way), joy-sucking condition which has been my constant companion for three and half years now. I just haven't figured it out yet.
I did want to share some insights I gained from this week's chapter though. Let it be known, I DID enjoy Chapter 7 very, very much. It has "The Enchanting Belinda" written ALL over it!
It was about writing your very own life purpose statement. It gave FOUR very specific ways to do this. I love that! I don't like vague suggestions... "You should really write a life purpose statement, you know?" Always, always TELL ME HOW!
Of course, out of the four specific ways to write the life purpose statement, I immediately connected with one girl, sort of connected with another girl, and did not care for the last two girls' way of doing it AT all. It's okay. We don't think similarly. (I was just lucky Girl Number One thought the same way I did!)
This is the definition of a faulty focus... "Many women today are nearsighted, not in their eyesight but in their life focus. They don't know why they're here or where they're going. They drift like a ship without a rudder. Dr Swenson says that aimlessness is common. 'Americans are notoriously shortsighted. We live in a state of myopic mania that blurs the future. The horizon is never visible in the middle of the dust storm. But we must have a vision that extends beyond tomorrow. Living only week to week is like a dot-to-dot life.'"
It doesn't sound very fulfilling does it? I didn't think so either. (Fun fact for you... I was reading this in the eye doctor's office yesterday waiting while Josh had an appointment. Coincidence... perhaps!)
I'm sorry, but other than Randomness and the regular summer stuff I'll be sharing this week, I want to talk a little more about the life purpose statement... so I guess that will be our Topic of the Week. Well, that and the fact I think I had my very first hot flash last night. (I'll be calling some friends today to see if I have self-diagnosed myself correctly.) It could be a very long week on A Simple Life.
I would like to share a verse I loved in this chapter (and will be repeating over and over and over today). "Live life, then, with a due sense of responsibility, not as women who do not know the meaning and purpose of life but as those who do. Make the best use of your time, despite all the evils of these days. Don't be vague but grasp firmly what you know to be the will of the Lord." Ephesians 5:15-17.
I especially love, "Don't be vague." I do not like vague. I never have. I never will.
Avoid the heavy stuff, if you must, but do NOT skip the following recipe. That would be a horrible, horrible mistake.
Strawbernut Ice Cream
This recipe was given to me by my friend, Evelyn Crenshaw. Evelyn got the recipe from her Mom, Pat Moore, who in turn received the recipe from her sister, Carolyn Hinkle. (See how I NEVER take the credit for things I had nothing to do with?)
You will need the following:
1 can sweet condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
2 cups sugar
2 or 3 cups strawberries
1 banana
1 cup pecans
8 ounce Cool Whip
Enough milk to fill container
1. Blend and chop the strawberries, banana and pecans.
2. Mix everything together before putting in ice cream freezer.
3. Add milk to Fill Line in ice cream freezer.
4. Follow manufacturer's instructions.
Evelyn insists this is good stuff, and I have to admit, I am intrigued. It looks like a Strawbernut kind of week over at the Faulkner Five household. Oh, and she said you could use peaches instead of strawberries, too. (We'll just call that Peachnut Ice Cream.)
Have a terrific Tuesday. Enjoy this day the Lord has given you, be kind to others, plan something with your family and have pizza for dinner tonight. After all, it's summertime and the living is supposed to be SO much easier!
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting and Slightly Warm Belinda
The Gallery Pics this morning are courtesy of the Zac Brown Band. Well, actually, they are the photos I took of Hannah and Roxie before they left for the Zac Brown Band concert Friday night. They are rockin' those cowgirl hats, aren't they? (But with a humidity level at nearly 100%, we just used them for the pics, and then left them in the car. I believe professional photographers call them "props.")
PANIC ATTACKS - Well, this has definitely been "Panic Attack Week" for me. Last night I couldn't even sleep... and I can ALWAYS sleep. (I love that about me. I think I'll have to put that on my list of "Physical Attributes I Like About Myself." I'm a sleeper!)
This morning, I got up and Googled the correlation between Panic Attacks and Menopause. (Yes, from now on "Menopause" will be capitalized on the blog... like it's a person or a country or something.) I stopped Googling symptoms over a year ago because it really made things worse for me. However, after a "Sleepless in Seattle" type night last night, I told Mikie what I was going to do (so I would be held accountable), and I looked up two websites.
Guess what? There is a HUGE correlation between the two. It is unexplained, but Panic Attacks and Menopause go hand-in-hand in many women... especially women who are already prone to having the attacks. Eureka!
You would think those facts would make me feel better, but alas, another symptom of Panic Attacks is NOT feeling better... even when faced with the facts.
I am also almost 100% sure the book Kim (my walking buddy) and I continue to read (Calm My Anxious Heart) is helping to escalate the attacks. Unlike any other illness or disorder, Generalized Panic Disorder does NOT get better by talking about it. Venting, being honest and upfront tend to aggravate the symptoms. However, it makes me angry enough I refuse to be silent. There has to be a way to desensitize myself from this insidious (great word, by the way), joy-sucking condition which has been my constant companion for three and half years now. I just haven't figured it out yet.
I did want to share some insights I gained from this week's chapter though. Let it be known, I DID enjoy Chapter 7 very, very much. It has "The Enchanting Belinda" written ALL over it!
It was about writing your very own life purpose statement. It gave FOUR very specific ways to do this. I love that! I don't like vague suggestions... "You should really write a life purpose statement, you know?" Always, always TELL ME HOW!
Of course, out of the four specific ways to write the life purpose statement, I immediately connected with one girl, sort of connected with another girl, and did not care for the last two girls' way of doing it AT all. It's okay. We don't think similarly. (I was just lucky Girl Number One thought the same way I did!)
This is the definition of a faulty focus... "Many women today are nearsighted, not in their eyesight but in their life focus. They don't know why they're here or where they're going. They drift like a ship without a rudder. Dr Swenson says that aimlessness is common. 'Americans are notoriously shortsighted. We live in a state of myopic mania that blurs the future. The horizon is never visible in the middle of the dust storm. But we must have a vision that extends beyond tomorrow. Living only week to week is like a dot-to-dot life.'"
It doesn't sound very fulfilling does it? I didn't think so either. (Fun fact for you... I was reading this in the eye doctor's office yesterday waiting while Josh had an appointment. Coincidence... perhaps!)
I'm sorry, but other than Randomness and the regular summer stuff I'll be sharing this week, I want to talk a little more about the life purpose statement... so I guess that will be our Topic of the Week. Well, that and the fact I think I had my very first hot flash last night. (I'll be calling some friends today to see if I have self-diagnosed myself correctly.) It could be a very long week on A Simple Life.
I would like to share a verse I loved in this chapter (and will be repeating over and over and over today). "Live life, then, with a due sense of responsibility, not as women who do not know the meaning and purpose of life but as those who do. Make the best use of your time, despite all the evils of these days. Don't be vague but grasp firmly what you know to be the will of the Lord." Ephesians 5:15-17.
I especially love, "Don't be vague." I do not like vague. I never have. I never will.
Avoid the heavy stuff, if you must, but do NOT skip the following recipe. That would be a horrible, horrible mistake.
Strawbernut Ice Cream
This recipe was given to me by my friend, Evelyn Crenshaw. Evelyn got the recipe from her Mom, Pat Moore, who in turn received the recipe from her sister, Carolyn Hinkle. (See how I NEVER take the credit for things I had nothing to do with?)
You will need the following:
1 can sweet condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
2 cups sugar
2 or 3 cups strawberries
1 banana
1 cup pecans
8 ounce Cool Whip
Enough milk to fill container
1. Blend and chop the strawberries, banana and pecans.
2. Mix everything together before putting in ice cream freezer.
3. Add milk to Fill Line in ice cream freezer.
4. Follow manufacturer's instructions.
Evelyn insists this is good stuff, and I have to admit, I am intrigued. It looks like a Strawbernut kind of week over at the Faulkner Five household. Oh, and she said you could use peaches instead of strawberries, too. (We'll just call that Peachnut Ice Cream.)
Have a terrific Tuesday. Enjoy this day the Lord has given you, be kind to others, plan something with your family and have pizza for dinner tonight. After all, it's summertime and the living is supposed to be SO much easier!
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting and Slightly Warm Belinda
Monday, June 14, 2010
Anything With a Bow Party
Good Monday morning!
The Showcase Pic today is of Roxie and Josh. We took Mikie to Milo's (a favorite) for his birthday lunch, and I got a few shots, but I liked this one... a lot.
The Gallery Pics are from the rest of Mikie's celebration. Although it is a WEEK-LONG party around here, these photos were taken on his actual birthday. I'll be adding as the week progresses.
Weekend Review
We may have to start a Movie Review section on the blog. Between the five of us, we are seeing most of the summer blockbusters. Josh and friends saw Prince of Persia Thursday evening and really liked it. Last night, Austin, Josh and Roxie saw Karate Kid... and really, really liked it! Of course, the opening of Toy Story 3 is fast approaching, and several of the Faulkner Five are making plans to see that one. (I'm sure it's safe to say we're going to really, really, really like that one!)
Pool parties, mowing yards, sleeping late, working at the Chick and being lazy described our Friday and Saturday... which was exactly how we like it! But Sunday... Well, Sunday was an event in our household. Mikie turned 49 years-old! I know. I am married to such an old man!
He had a fun day... which will turn into a fun week... which will end next Sunday on Father's Day and another birthday party at his Mom's house. I'm pretty sure his 50th birthday party will pale in comparison. (Not really! I've already started planning next year's monumental milestone! You should be receiving a "Save the Date" card in the mail within the next week or so!)
Mikie's party is featured below, so I'll be going into "beyond boring" detail in just a second.
It was a good weekend, and I'm hoping for a good week. We don't have much planned except for a lot of pool time and summer football begins for Josh. We'll be gearing up for my baby sister's birthday party scheduled for next Saturday. (Did I mention June and July are BIG birthday months in our family? Well, they are!)
I hope your weekend was safe and fun and time well spent with family and friends.
Anything With a Bow Party
Let's face it. When birthdays start getting on up there, coming up with something new, exciting and fun gets a little harder. Okay. So it gets a lot harder. The Surprise Party has been done on the 30th and the 40th and will probably be repeated on the 50th and 60th. All those little years in between can easily get forgotten in the "busyness" we call life. But sometimes (not always, but sometimes) it's the grown-ups in our lives who might need something fun or silly or exciting.
Guess what? I have a suggestion!
Mikie will have 49 "gifts" this week. That's right. That is a big number, isn't it? And I know what you're thinking? "HOW MUCH MONEY DOES IT COST TO GIVE SOMEONE 49 GIFTS?" Surprisingly, if you follow the rules, not much. Not much at all!
When Mikie woke up yesterday morning, I told him he would be receiving 49 gifts over the next seven days. He moaned and groaned... a lot. The money issue was weighing heavily on him. But I quickly wiped away all of his worry.
Not everything was expensive. In fact, many (if not most) of his gifts cost $2 or less.
The only rule... If there is a bow attached to it, IT is a gift!
Yesterday, he received eight gifts. I quickly attached a bow to each and every card and package my family brought in yesterday. His special birthday dessert (peach cobbler and homemade ice cream) had a bow attached to it. His Milo's hamburger had a bow attached to it. And so on, and so on, and so on.
Today, he will receive five more "things" with bows attached to them, and I will have some of them pictured as the week progresses. (I can't go into great detail right now since he hasn't received the rest of his "gifts," but I'll be letting you know as the week moves on.
Again, just use your imagination. Acts of kindness (a nice clean car), a funny card each day, favorite treats left on their pillow at night, unexpected notes or visits from friends and family just to say "Hi. I was thinking about you today," etc. can all be considered gifts. If you can stick a bow on it, it counts!
Have fun with this one. Do NOT spend a lot of money, but let your loved one's birthday week unfold with bow after bow after bow.
(And just so you know, Mikie... I'M going to need more than 49 bows in August on my special day to cheer me up. Just saying!)
Have a wonderful Monday. I have a GREAT homemade ice cream recipe for you tomorrow (donated by friends). I'm pretty sure you haven't tried this one before! And as always, you never know what else might pop up on A Simple Life, so visit again.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
The Showcase Pic today is of Roxie and Josh. We took Mikie to Milo's (a favorite) for his birthday lunch, and I got a few shots, but I liked this one... a lot.
The Gallery Pics are from the rest of Mikie's celebration. Although it is a WEEK-LONG party around here, these photos were taken on his actual birthday. I'll be adding as the week progresses.
Weekend Review
We may have to start a Movie Review section on the blog. Between the five of us, we are seeing most of the summer blockbusters. Josh and friends saw Prince of Persia Thursday evening and really liked it. Last night, Austin, Josh and Roxie saw Karate Kid... and really, really liked it! Of course, the opening of Toy Story 3 is fast approaching, and several of the Faulkner Five are making plans to see that one. (I'm sure it's safe to say we're going to really, really, really like that one!)
Pool parties, mowing yards, sleeping late, working at the Chick and being lazy described our Friday and Saturday... which was exactly how we like it! But Sunday... Well, Sunday was an event in our household. Mikie turned 49 years-old! I know. I am married to such an old man!
He had a fun day... which will turn into a fun week... which will end next Sunday on Father's Day and another birthday party at his Mom's house. I'm pretty sure his 50th birthday party will pale in comparison. (Not really! I've already started planning next year's monumental milestone! You should be receiving a "Save the Date" card in the mail within the next week or so!)
Mikie's party is featured below, so I'll be going into "beyond boring" detail in just a second.
It was a good weekend, and I'm hoping for a good week. We don't have much planned except for a lot of pool time and summer football begins for Josh. We'll be gearing up for my baby sister's birthday party scheduled for next Saturday. (Did I mention June and July are BIG birthday months in our family? Well, they are!)
I hope your weekend was safe and fun and time well spent with family and friends.
Anything With a Bow Party
Let's face it. When birthdays start getting on up there, coming up with something new, exciting and fun gets a little harder. Okay. So it gets a lot harder. The Surprise Party has been done on the 30th and the 40th and will probably be repeated on the 50th and 60th. All those little years in between can easily get forgotten in the "busyness" we call life. But sometimes (not always, but sometimes) it's the grown-ups in our lives who might need something fun or silly or exciting.
Guess what? I have a suggestion!
Mikie will have 49 "gifts" this week. That's right. That is a big number, isn't it? And I know what you're thinking? "HOW MUCH MONEY DOES IT COST TO GIVE SOMEONE 49 GIFTS?" Surprisingly, if you follow the rules, not much. Not much at all!
When Mikie woke up yesterday morning, I told him he would be receiving 49 gifts over the next seven days. He moaned and groaned... a lot. The money issue was weighing heavily on him. But I quickly wiped away all of his worry.
Not everything was expensive. In fact, many (if not most) of his gifts cost $2 or less.
The only rule... If there is a bow attached to it, IT is a gift!
Yesterday, he received eight gifts. I quickly attached a bow to each and every card and package my family brought in yesterday. His special birthday dessert (peach cobbler and homemade ice cream) had a bow attached to it. His Milo's hamburger had a bow attached to it. And so on, and so on, and so on.
Today, he will receive five more "things" with bows attached to them, and I will have some of them pictured as the week progresses. (I can't go into great detail right now since he hasn't received the rest of his "gifts," but I'll be letting you know as the week moves on.
Again, just use your imagination. Acts of kindness (a nice clean car), a funny card each day, favorite treats left on their pillow at night, unexpected notes or visits from friends and family just to say "Hi. I was thinking about you today," etc. can all be considered gifts. If you can stick a bow on it, it counts!
Have fun with this one. Do NOT spend a lot of money, but let your loved one's birthday week unfold with bow after bow after bow.
(And just so you know, Mikie... I'M going to need more than 49 bows in August on my special day to cheer me up. Just saying!)
Have a wonderful Monday. I have a GREAT homemade ice cream recipe for you tomorrow (donated by friends). I'm pretty sure you haven't tried this one before! And as always, you never know what else might pop up on A Simple Life, so visit again.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Friday, June 11, 2010
Weekend Happenings
Good Friday morning!
The Gallery Pics are of Roxie... happy because we were going shopping. I did NOT take the pictures of Roxie frustrated because we couldn't find exactly what she wanted. Or of Roxie mad because the stores DO NOT make what she wants. Or of Roxie eating a pretzel and drinking a Coke Zero trying to calm down. Or of Roxie finally happy again because she found an outfit she really, really liked and she bought it. Or of me because she had shopping money, and I didn't have to spend a dime (except for the pretzel and Coke Zero). It was an exceptionally good shopping day!
I also took a picture of the biggest bag of Gummi Bears I have ever seen (supplied by Will). Josh and friends went to see Prince of Persia last night, and Will showed up with a six pound bag of Gummi Bears to take to the movies. No, really. SIX POUNDS! A few Ziploc bags here and there, and they were set to go. (Don't worry. They more than supported the theater by buying $6 Cokes and $25 popcorn and $95 tickets. We are all about stimulating the economy!)
RANDOMNESS #1 - I drove over 100 miles yesterday... and I went absolutely nowhere.
RANDOMNESS #2 - I was absolutely thrilled this morning when I saw the news. They found the 16 year-old girl who was sailing around the world ALONE alive and well somewhere between Australia and Africa. She was 2,000 miles from land on either side. I cannot imagine that, can you? I cannot imagine being the parent who would let their child follow their dream to that extent... and I cannot imagine being the child in the middle of the ocean alone... with whales. (You know whales eat small vessels and the people on them when there are no cameras around, don't you?)
I'm 48 years-old and I call someone to let them know I arrived home from Wal-Mart safe and sound! Just saying.
RANDOMNESS #3 - On Sunday, Mike will officially be 49 years-old. I find that truly amazing. I cannot believe I am married to a man who is almost 50. I'm also finding it hard to believe he is married to a woman who will be 49 years-old in a couple of months. (Well, not so much "hard to believe" as just totally depressing.) Must to Roxie's dismay, all mirrors are being removed from our home (FOREVER) in honor of my 49th birthday. I think that's the best gift I could give myself. (I wish I had thought of it sooner!)
REMINDER #1 - Although I will not be posting on A Simple Life this weekend (as is my practice), I will be posting pics on Project 365 today, Saturday and Sunday (as is ALSO my practice). Don't forget to check them out!
REMINDER #2 - I'm going to have a "How To" Birthday Party Class in my home Tuesday, June 15 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. for mothers of young girls (ages 3 to 6). The party themes for this class will be a Luau Birthday Party and a Princess Birthday Party.
Each class will cost $10. The $10 will cover the following:
A handout for two specific parties for boys/girls in this age category (3 to 6). Each handout will include a schedule, an arrival activity (a craft), three or more games, cake ideas, invitation ideas, a FUN devotion and an ending activity.
I will have two baked and iced cakes for each class, and I will show you how to quickly and simply decorate these cakes.
I will have supplies, and we will decorate an invitation for each party. (Your birthday child will be able to do this with you for his/her party.)
We (the MOTHERS) will actually play each game, make each craft and listen to each devotion.
I will have a fun door prize for one lucky attendee, as well as two bonus birthday party gift ideas you can use for ANY party your child attends. (Affordable, memorable and unique!)
Each birthday party lasts only 90 minutes (instead of two hours), and will be fun, organized and enjoyable (for the kids AND the parents).
The cost to throw these parties in your home is minimal (no more than $25 to $30... and it can be even less if you plan in advance).
I have had all of these parties in my home, and they were very successful.
If you are interested or you have a friend who is interested, please contact me to reserve a spot via the Comment Section, Facebook or e-mail. There are only 15 spots available.
Tuesday, June 15 (GIRLS)
6:30 - 8:00
Luau Birthday Party
Princess Birthday Party
If these classes are successful, I will be having the following classes in the near future:
Preschool:
Farmer Party (BOY)
Thomas the Train Party (BOY)
Little Mermaid Party (GIRL)
Dora the Explorer Party (GIRL)
Elementary:
Camping Party (BOY or GIRL)
Indian Party (BOY)
Fishing Party (BOY)
Dress-Up Party (GIRL)
Nancy Drew Mystery Party (GIRL)
Craft/Scrapbook Party (GIRL)
Pre-Teen:
Football Party (BOY)
Digital Scavenger Hunt Party (BOY or GIRL)
TOPIC OF THE WEEK - NEIGHBORS
I miss my neighbors. I knew when we moved into this neighborhood almost nine years ago, we wouldn't have a great deal of time to spend with them since they were already approaching (or in) their 80s. Losing five sweet neighbors in only eight years is very, very sad.
We could have kept our distance and had a cordial relationship, but they didn't believe in that. Mr. McAllister brought us fresh squash from his garden from time to time. Mr. Joe kept the boys busy in the yard. Miss Mary, Mrs. McAllister and Mrs. Legg would call to me from the end of the street when they were talking and invite me over to chat.
We sang Christmas Carols to them, gave them pumpkins and Easter lilies on occasion, and they returned the favor by giving my kiddos GIANT candy bars for Halloween before we would leave to celebrate at Grandmother's house.
It's not the same. It will never be the same again. But we are so much better for having known our neighbors and making memories with them.
And it makes me happy to know one day we'll be neighbors again.
Weekend Happenings
Mikie will be working much of the weekend. It's that time of year for him. Roxie and Austin have plans with friends tonight, so if Josh can stand it, he and I may go out for a bite to eat... his pick.
Saturday I'll be getting ready for Mikie's birthday party Sunday afternoon. He'll be having two birthday celebrations this year... one Sunday with my side of the family, and one next Sunday with his side of the family which will be a combination of Father's Day and Mikie's birthday all rolled up in one. He'll be receiving his favorite red velvet cake next week from his Mom, but this week he has requested Peach Cobbler and homemade vanilla ice cream. I think I can manage that!
As far as the kids go, Austin will be working at the Chick, and Josh and Roxie could be anywhere. Plans have not been nailed down as of this moment.
On Sunday after church, he will receive cards and gifts from my side of the family, and if things go exceedingly well (and I'm hoping they will), he and I will have a date Sunday evening. Nothing spectacular, but fun nonetheless.
And that's it for us.
Have a fantastic weekend. I hope all of your weekend plans go well, and that you get to spend a lot of time with your loved ones. For my friends leaving for Ecuador this morning, I hope your next few days are exciting, rewarding and safe! Next week, I'll be talking about Father's Day and the 4th of July and other summer"y" things. Join me again, please!
Take care, and I'll talk to you Monday.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
The Gallery Pics are of Roxie... happy because we were going shopping. I did NOT take the pictures of Roxie frustrated because we couldn't find exactly what she wanted. Or of Roxie mad because the stores DO NOT make what she wants. Or of Roxie eating a pretzel and drinking a Coke Zero trying to calm down. Or of Roxie finally happy again because she found an outfit she really, really liked and she bought it. Or of me because she had shopping money, and I didn't have to spend a dime (except for the pretzel and Coke Zero). It was an exceptionally good shopping day!
I also took a picture of the biggest bag of Gummi Bears I have ever seen (supplied by Will). Josh and friends went to see Prince of Persia last night, and Will showed up with a six pound bag of Gummi Bears to take to the movies. No, really. SIX POUNDS! A few Ziploc bags here and there, and they were set to go. (Don't worry. They more than supported the theater by buying $6 Cokes and $25 popcorn and $95 tickets. We are all about stimulating the economy!)
RANDOMNESS #1 - I drove over 100 miles yesterday... and I went absolutely nowhere.
RANDOMNESS #2 - I was absolutely thrilled this morning when I saw the news. They found the 16 year-old girl who was sailing around the world ALONE alive and well somewhere between Australia and Africa. She was 2,000 miles from land on either side. I cannot imagine that, can you? I cannot imagine being the parent who would let their child follow their dream to that extent... and I cannot imagine being the child in the middle of the ocean alone... with whales. (You know whales eat small vessels and the people on them when there are no cameras around, don't you?)
I'm 48 years-old and I call someone to let them know I arrived home from Wal-Mart safe and sound! Just saying.
RANDOMNESS #3 - On Sunday, Mike will officially be 49 years-old. I find that truly amazing. I cannot believe I am married to a man who is almost 50. I'm also finding it hard to believe he is married to a woman who will be 49 years-old in a couple of months. (Well, not so much "hard to believe" as just totally depressing.) Must to Roxie's dismay, all mirrors are being removed from our home (FOREVER) in honor of my 49th birthday. I think that's the best gift I could give myself. (I wish I had thought of it sooner!)
REMINDER #1 - Although I will not be posting on A Simple Life this weekend (as is my practice), I will be posting pics on Project 365 today, Saturday and Sunday (as is ALSO my practice). Don't forget to check them out!
REMINDER #2 - I'm going to have a "How To" Birthday Party Class in my home Tuesday, June 15 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. for mothers of young girls (ages 3 to 6). The party themes for this class will be a Luau Birthday Party and a Princess Birthday Party.
Each class will cost $10. The $10 will cover the following:
A handout for two specific parties for boys/girls in this age category (3 to 6). Each handout will include a schedule, an arrival activity (a craft), three or more games, cake ideas, invitation ideas, a FUN devotion and an ending activity.
I will have two baked and iced cakes for each class, and I will show you how to quickly and simply decorate these cakes.
I will have supplies, and we will decorate an invitation for each party. (Your birthday child will be able to do this with you for his/her party.)
We (the MOTHERS) will actually play each game, make each craft and listen to each devotion.
I will have a fun door prize for one lucky attendee, as well as two bonus birthday party gift ideas you can use for ANY party your child attends. (Affordable, memorable and unique!)
Each birthday party lasts only 90 minutes (instead of two hours), and will be fun, organized and enjoyable (for the kids AND the parents).
The cost to throw these parties in your home is minimal (no more than $25 to $30... and it can be even less if you plan in advance).
I have had all of these parties in my home, and they were very successful.
If you are interested or you have a friend who is interested, please contact me to reserve a spot via the Comment Section, Facebook or e-mail. There are only 15 spots available.
Tuesday, June 15 (GIRLS)
6:30 - 8:00
Luau Birthday Party
Princess Birthday Party
If these classes are successful, I will be having the following classes in the near future:
Preschool:
Farmer Party (BOY)
Thomas the Train Party (BOY)
Little Mermaid Party (GIRL)
Dora the Explorer Party (GIRL)
Elementary:
Camping Party (BOY or GIRL)
Indian Party (BOY)
Fishing Party (BOY)
Dress-Up Party (GIRL)
Nancy Drew Mystery Party (GIRL)
Craft/Scrapbook Party (GIRL)
Pre-Teen:
Football Party (BOY)
Digital Scavenger Hunt Party (BOY or GIRL)
TOPIC OF THE WEEK - NEIGHBORS
I miss my neighbors. I knew when we moved into this neighborhood almost nine years ago, we wouldn't have a great deal of time to spend with them since they were already approaching (or in) their 80s. Losing five sweet neighbors in only eight years is very, very sad.
We could have kept our distance and had a cordial relationship, but they didn't believe in that. Mr. McAllister brought us fresh squash from his garden from time to time. Mr. Joe kept the boys busy in the yard. Miss Mary, Mrs. McAllister and Mrs. Legg would call to me from the end of the street when they were talking and invite me over to chat.
We sang Christmas Carols to them, gave them pumpkins and Easter lilies on occasion, and they returned the favor by giving my kiddos GIANT candy bars for Halloween before we would leave to celebrate at Grandmother's house.
It's not the same. It will never be the same again. But we are so much better for having known our neighbors and making memories with them.
And it makes me happy to know one day we'll be neighbors again.
Weekend Happenings
Mikie will be working much of the weekend. It's that time of year for him. Roxie and Austin have plans with friends tonight, so if Josh can stand it, he and I may go out for a bite to eat... his pick.
Saturday I'll be getting ready for Mikie's birthday party Sunday afternoon. He'll be having two birthday celebrations this year... one Sunday with my side of the family, and one next Sunday with his side of the family which will be a combination of Father's Day and Mikie's birthday all rolled up in one. He'll be receiving his favorite red velvet cake next week from his Mom, but this week he has requested Peach Cobbler and homemade vanilla ice cream. I think I can manage that!
As far as the kids go, Austin will be working at the Chick, and Josh and Roxie could be anywhere. Plans have not been nailed down as of this moment.
On Sunday after church, he will receive cards and gifts from my side of the family, and if things go exceedingly well (and I'm hoping they will), he and I will have a date Sunday evening. Nothing spectacular, but fun nonetheless.
And that's it for us.
Have a fantastic weekend. I hope all of your weekend plans go well, and that you get to spend a lot of time with your loved ones. For my friends leaving for Ecuador this morning, I hope your next few days are exciting, rewarding and safe! Next week, I'll be talking about Father's Day and the 4th of July and other summer"y" things. Join me again, please!
Take care, and I'll talk to you Monday.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Father's Day Dates
Good Thursday morning!
The Gallery Pic is of my newest Kitchen Willow Tree Angel Roxie so generously bought me on her trip. Isn't it sweet?
RANDOMNESS #1 - I LOVE iCarly. I actually laugh out loud... often. My sense of humor is that of an 11 year-old girl (much to Roxie's mortification). Sad, but true.
RANDOMNESS #2 - I am not enjoying Life as much as I did Planet Earth. I'm not sure why because I usually love ALL animal shows. (Maybe it's because Oprah keeps pronouncing "capuchin" wrong. It's really getting on my nerves.) Perhaps after I watch Episode 4 tonight, I'll have some more insight.
RANDOMNESS #3 - I'm thinking about making creme brulee' in the near future. Not because I enjoy creme brulee', but because I would need to own "ramekin" bowls (which, as of this time, I do not), and I would need to purchase a baby blow torch to brown the top of the brulee'. (I'm really wanting a baby blow torch right about now.)
TOPIC OF THE WEEK - NEIGHBORS
This is a short and sweet story about Mrs. Legg. Mrs. Legg passed away last week. She was the last of our neighbors on the end of our street, and she was a strong Christian woman. She excelled in raising boys... son, grandsons, great-grandsons. Yes, there were girls in the mix, but boys were abundant in her life.
One day, there were seven or eight little boys playing football in my yard. As the football bounced into Mr. Joe and Miss Mary's yard, the boys gravitated there for a little while. I was watching from my big living room window, hands on hips, ready to intervene.
As far as seven or eight boys playing goes, it was relatively calm... no fights or disagreements. However, it was loud. It was really loud. It was ALWAYS loud.
As happens when the ball bounces, they were in my yard again and then in our neighbor's yard on the other side of us. Always moving within a few minutes... never still. Then the ball bounced into Mrs. Legg's yard. I continued to watch. The boys continued to play, but for some reason they settled in Mrs. Legg's yard. I was a little uneasy about them being in her yard for so long, so I started for the front door to tell them to take the game to the lot at the end of the street. (Code for I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO WATCH THEM BY STANDING ON THE PICNIC TABLE ON THE BACK OF MY DECK, BUT HOPEFULLY NO HARM WOULD COME TO ANY OF MY NEIGHBORS... OR NEIGHBORS' YARDS.)
Before I could get to the door, Mrs. Legg was standing on her porch, and very sweetly told the boys they were going to need to play somewhere else since she was going to lie down for a little bit to take a nap. Being boys, they couldn't comprehend someone taking a nap willingly in the middle of the afternoon, but I put in my two cents and told them to head for the lot, which they happily did.
I walked over to Mrs. Legg and told her I had been watching, but they just weren't moving. She laughed and said it wasn't a problem, and assured me she wasn't getting onto my boys. Actually, she wasn't really getting onto any of them. It was just time for a little rest.
"They are incredibly loud. And as they day goes on, the louder they get," I said, more to myself than to her. "And they aren't even angry or anything... just LOUD."
"You're going to miss that noise one day, Belinda," Mrs. Legg told me.
"I know. I know. They're going to grow up before I know it, and they'll be starting their own lives, and I'm going to miss it." I repeated the phrase well-meaning people had been saying to me since I first held Austin in my arms.
"You will, Belinda. The 'quiet' is hard sometimes. But you're going to miss the noise and the mess and the running in and out. Don't ever take the noise for granted." And then she went inside her house to take her rest.
I catch bits and pieces of the "quiet" now. I still have plenty of noise, but there are periods of time when the noise is gone. I find myself enjoying it, but I remember what Mrs. Legg said, and I wonder if I will find it enjoyable day after day after day after day. I think I know the answer.
Quiet is highly overrated.
Mrs. Legg was a very wise, sweet woman... and we are going to miss her.
Blog Linkage - I don't have anything life-changing in the linkage department today, but definitely helpful. Check out these websites for useful information if you're traveling with small kids, or you want something fun and FREE to do WEEKLY with the children and their friends.
1. If you are going on a road trip, check out http://playspacefinder.kaboom.org/. This is a great tool to plot rest stops for kids to stretch their legs. It's a playground and park locator for cities across the nation. Some even have reviews and in-depth descriptions of what the park has to offer (pavilions, types and numbers of slides and other playground equipment, etc.)
2. Don't forget to go to www.kidsbowlfree.com and sign your kids up at the Vestavia Bowl for two free games of bowling Monday through Friday. All you pay is shoe rental which is $3.30. (After you have filled out the information, the website will send you directly to a page advertising a Family Pass. Go to the bottom and SKIP this page. You will still be eligible for the free bowling.) Don't forget to get your coupons weekly off the Internet. (The Kids Bowl Free program is for children 15 years-old and younger.)
Father's Day Dates
Since Father's Day is right around the corner, I thought I'd give you Father's Day Date suggestions the next two Thursdays. If you have more than one child in your home, let each child take Dad on an individual date. Since we're starting early, you have plenty of time to plan! These ideas came directly from The Bargain Mom's website. She is a wealth of information, I tell you!
1. Southern Museum of Flight will honor Dads June 19 with FREE admission (They are closed on Sunday.) Dads will also get a FREE gift from the pilot shop as well. Admission price for adults is $7, students get in for $6 and 3 and under are FREE.
2. Sweet Bones Alabama is offering Dad a FREE dessert on Father's Day June 20. They will receive a serving of their new fried banana pudding FREE with any entree purchase that day. (Dessert is free, but remember entrees start at around $22, so this is not an inexpensive date. It's a good date, but not a freebie!)
3. On Saturday, June 12, DeSoto State Park (Fort Payne, Alabama) will host Edible and Interesting Plants Workshops for kids at Campfire Talk. Children can learn about plants with some very interesting ways of surviving and even some they can eat! Event lasts from 8:00 until 9:00 p.m. and is great for all ages. Seating is limited, so bring camp chairs just in case. And it is FREE. For more information call (256) 997-5025.
4. Celebrate your Dad at Vulcan Park and Museum June 18 through 20 (Father's Day weekend). Buy one daytime adult admission and receive EITHER one daytime adult admission 1/2 off OR one daytime child admission for FREE! Spend the day at Birmingham's biggest attraction and show the "Iron Man" of your family just how special he is!
I'll be adding more Father's Day Dates next Thursday, so be sure to check in for some new ideas.
Have a blessed Thursday. It's unbelievable how fast this week has flown by, isn't it? I'll end the week with another Neighbor Story, some Weekend Happenings and a couple of photos from here and there. Be sure to stop by for another visit before your busy weekend begins.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
The Gallery Pic is of my newest Kitchen Willow Tree Angel Roxie so generously bought me on her trip. Isn't it sweet?
RANDOMNESS #1 - I LOVE iCarly. I actually laugh out loud... often. My sense of humor is that of an 11 year-old girl (much to Roxie's mortification). Sad, but true.
RANDOMNESS #2 - I am not enjoying Life as much as I did Planet Earth. I'm not sure why because I usually love ALL animal shows. (Maybe it's because Oprah keeps pronouncing "capuchin" wrong. It's really getting on my nerves.) Perhaps after I watch Episode 4 tonight, I'll have some more insight.
RANDOMNESS #3 - I'm thinking about making creme brulee' in the near future. Not because I enjoy creme brulee', but because I would need to own "ramekin" bowls (which, as of this time, I do not), and I would need to purchase a baby blow torch to brown the top of the brulee'. (I'm really wanting a baby blow torch right about now.)
TOPIC OF THE WEEK - NEIGHBORS
This is a short and sweet story about Mrs. Legg. Mrs. Legg passed away last week. She was the last of our neighbors on the end of our street, and she was a strong Christian woman. She excelled in raising boys... son, grandsons, great-grandsons. Yes, there were girls in the mix, but boys were abundant in her life.
One day, there were seven or eight little boys playing football in my yard. As the football bounced into Mr. Joe and Miss Mary's yard, the boys gravitated there for a little while. I was watching from my big living room window, hands on hips, ready to intervene.
As far as seven or eight boys playing goes, it was relatively calm... no fights or disagreements. However, it was loud. It was really loud. It was ALWAYS loud.
As happens when the ball bounces, they were in my yard again and then in our neighbor's yard on the other side of us. Always moving within a few minutes... never still. Then the ball bounced into Mrs. Legg's yard. I continued to watch. The boys continued to play, but for some reason they settled in Mrs. Legg's yard. I was a little uneasy about them being in her yard for so long, so I started for the front door to tell them to take the game to the lot at the end of the street. (Code for I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO WATCH THEM BY STANDING ON THE PICNIC TABLE ON THE BACK OF MY DECK, BUT HOPEFULLY NO HARM WOULD COME TO ANY OF MY NEIGHBORS... OR NEIGHBORS' YARDS.)
Before I could get to the door, Mrs. Legg was standing on her porch, and very sweetly told the boys they were going to need to play somewhere else since she was going to lie down for a little bit to take a nap. Being boys, they couldn't comprehend someone taking a nap willingly in the middle of the afternoon, but I put in my two cents and told them to head for the lot, which they happily did.
I walked over to Mrs. Legg and told her I had been watching, but they just weren't moving. She laughed and said it wasn't a problem, and assured me she wasn't getting onto my boys. Actually, she wasn't really getting onto any of them. It was just time for a little rest.
"They are incredibly loud. And as they day goes on, the louder they get," I said, more to myself than to her. "And they aren't even angry or anything... just LOUD."
"You're going to miss that noise one day, Belinda," Mrs. Legg told me.
"I know. I know. They're going to grow up before I know it, and they'll be starting their own lives, and I'm going to miss it." I repeated the phrase well-meaning people had been saying to me since I first held Austin in my arms.
"You will, Belinda. The 'quiet' is hard sometimes. But you're going to miss the noise and the mess and the running in and out. Don't ever take the noise for granted." And then she went inside her house to take her rest.
I catch bits and pieces of the "quiet" now. I still have plenty of noise, but there are periods of time when the noise is gone. I find myself enjoying it, but I remember what Mrs. Legg said, and I wonder if I will find it enjoyable day after day after day after day. I think I know the answer.
Quiet is highly overrated.
Mrs. Legg was a very wise, sweet woman... and we are going to miss her.
Blog Linkage - I don't have anything life-changing in the linkage department today, but definitely helpful. Check out these websites for useful information if you're traveling with small kids, or you want something fun and FREE to do WEEKLY with the children and their friends.
1. If you are going on a road trip, check out http://playspacefinder.kaboom.org/. This is a great tool to plot rest stops for kids to stretch their legs. It's a playground and park locator for cities across the nation. Some even have reviews and in-depth descriptions of what the park has to offer (pavilions, types and numbers of slides and other playground equipment, etc.)
2. Don't forget to go to www.kidsbowlfree.com and sign your kids up at the Vestavia Bowl for two free games of bowling Monday through Friday. All you pay is shoe rental which is $3.30. (After you have filled out the information, the website will send you directly to a page advertising a Family Pass. Go to the bottom and SKIP this page. You will still be eligible for the free bowling.) Don't forget to get your coupons weekly off the Internet. (The Kids Bowl Free program is for children 15 years-old and younger.)
Father's Day Dates
Since Father's Day is right around the corner, I thought I'd give you Father's Day Date suggestions the next two Thursdays. If you have more than one child in your home, let each child take Dad on an individual date. Since we're starting early, you have plenty of time to plan! These ideas came directly from The Bargain Mom's website. She is a wealth of information, I tell you!
1. Southern Museum of Flight will honor Dads June 19 with FREE admission (They are closed on Sunday.) Dads will also get a FREE gift from the pilot shop as well. Admission price for adults is $7, students get in for $6 and 3 and under are FREE.
2. Sweet Bones Alabama is offering Dad a FREE dessert on Father's Day June 20. They will receive a serving of their new fried banana pudding FREE with any entree purchase that day. (Dessert is free, but remember entrees start at around $22, so this is not an inexpensive date. It's a good date, but not a freebie!)
3. On Saturday, June 12, DeSoto State Park (Fort Payne, Alabama) will host Edible and Interesting Plants Workshops for kids at Campfire Talk. Children can learn about plants with some very interesting ways of surviving and even some they can eat! Event lasts from 8:00 until 9:00 p.m. and is great for all ages. Seating is limited, so bring camp chairs just in case. And it is FREE. For more information call (256) 997-5025.
4. Celebrate your Dad at Vulcan Park and Museum June 18 through 20 (Father's Day weekend). Buy one daytime adult admission and receive EITHER one daytime adult admission 1/2 off OR one daytime child admission for FREE! Spend the day at Birmingham's biggest attraction and show the "Iron Man" of your family just how special he is!
I'll be adding more Father's Day Dates next Thursday, so be sure to check in for some new ideas.
Have a blessed Thursday. It's unbelievable how fast this week has flown by, isn't it? I'll end the week with another Neighbor Story, some Weekend Happenings and a couple of photos from here and there. Be sure to stop by for another visit before your busy weekend begins.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Create a Care Package for the Troops
Good Wednesday morning!
The Gallery Pics are from the pool AND dinner last night. While sitting UNDER the pavilion for a few hours, I did some "recipe research." Thus, the photos are my rendition of Chicken Spaghetti from The Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook AND the Blue Cheese Rolls from Julie Tuggle... who sat with me and visited under the pavilion. That girl is a wealth of information, I tell you!
RANDOMNESS - I found the smallest, cutest, roundest watermelon the other day. It was called a Bambino watermelon. I couldn't resist. "Are you just buying food now because the name is cute?" Roxie asked. Yes. Yes, I am.
TOPIC OF THE WEEK - NEIGHBORS
I hinted in yesterday's post today's story had something to do with Austin being 11 years-old... in a tree... with a chainsaw. Don't worry. I'm not going to change my mind. That story is STILL going to be told today!
Whenever I sent Austin or Josh outside to do something (work in the yard, wash the car, get the mail, sweep the front walk, etc.), it wouldn't take long to realize they had been gone a little TOO long for the task at hand. It would take me even less time to realize they had been recruited by Mr. Joe to help out a few minutes with a chore or two.
Mr. Joe was a teacher by nature, and while he might have asked them to do something they had never attempted before, he was patient and explained everything step-by-step. And since he was also a man, he let them try things I would never have imagined. But it was okay. Nervous, over-protective mothers rarely a "manly man" make! That's why it's good to have grandfathers, dads, uncles and good neighborhood men in the mix.
I really believe that, but on this particular day, I had to put my foot down... or in this case, I let Miss Mary put it down for me!
Austin was Missing in Action after having been sent to the van to fetch my sunglasses. I looked out the front door. Nope. No sign of Austin and Mr. Joe.
So I made my way to my back door. Nope. Still no sign... but, wait! Was that Mr. Joe on the other side of the tree in their backyard? Yes. Yes, it was. And why was he craning his neck back and looking up into the top of the tree? Could it be Austin was in the top of the tree? Yes. Yes, he was.
I stepped onto my porch where I could see (and hear) a little better.
"Hi, Mr. Joe," I called.
"Hi, Belinda. Don't worry. Austin's helping me with a few limbs."
"Yes, sir. I can see that." By this time, I could make out Austin's head and his big grin.
"Mr. Joe says I can use the chainsaw to get the limbs down," he yelled.
My heart stopped. Literally. Call 911. Stopped!
But then I saw "her." Little Miss Mary, hands on hips, feet planted, letting Mr. Joe know in no uncertain terms an 11 year-old boy was NOT going to be turned loose in the top of a tree with a chainsaw. And she MEANT IT!
Okay. My heart started again... slowly. Breathing still difficult though.
"Mary, the boy is more than capable of cutting down a couple of limbs with a little chainsaw. It's not even that heavy," Mr. Joe argued.
Heart beginning to stop again. Paramedics still haven't arrived. Probably waiting until 11 year-old boy actually drops running chainsaw on elderly neighbor's head.
"This isn't up for discussion, Joe. Austin, can you just use a little saw and cut the dead branches?" Miss Mary asked a very disappointed 11 year-old boy.
"I guess so, Miss Mary. It's going to take a lot longer though," he told her, still hoping for the power tool.
"That's okay. We're not in a hurry," she said. She turned around and went into the house and came back with a small, manageable, DULL little saw.
Heart pumping at a semi-regular beat. Breathing shallow, but getting better. Paramedics called and cancelled.
Austin made pretty quick work of the two or three branches that needed to come down. He was royally paid for his services. Miss Mary declared him a "good boy," glared at Mr. Joe and made her way back into her house.
I almost felt sorry for Mr. Joe and Austin. It was very difficult to tell which one was the most disappointed. Austin stayed a few minutes and talked with Mr. Joe, as he always did after a "spontaneous" chore.
It wasn't until Mr. Joe's funeral a few years ago I realized how much Mr. Joe had taught my kids. We were looking at all the pictures set out on tables at the funeral home. "Look how handsome and young Mr. Joe was in this picture. I didn't know he was in the military," I murmured.
And with that one little sentence, the boys and Roxie began telling me about Mr. Joe and where he had served and some of the stories he had shared with them "out in the yard." He had taught them a great deal, it seemed.
He was a living and breathing example of patriotism... a long, lasting marriage... not being a whiner even though he was in a great deal of pain with his gout during the time we knew him... laughing easily and often... and always, always teaching.
He was a lovely man... and we miss him.
Wednesday Wisdom - In honor of Betty White (the last surviving Golden Girl), I wanted to share some of the quotes from the show today. Blanche was played by Rue McClanahan (who passed away last week), Rose was played by Betty White and Dorothy was played by Bea Arthur. Classic!
Dorothy: Oh c'mon, Blanche. Age is just a state of mind.
Blanche: Tell that to my thighs.
Rose: My mother always used to say: "The older you get, the better you get, unless you're a banana."
Blanche: You know what the worst part about getting older is?
Dorothy: Your face? Rose's hands?
Rose: I just had a thought...
Dorothy, Blanche: Congratulations.
Miles Webber: I'm a college professor, Rose. What did you think when I said I taught Hemingway?
Rose: I thought you were old.
Rose: Can I ask a dumb question?
Dorothy: Better than anyone I know.
Rose: Now, I know no one wants to hear any of my stories right now...
Dorothy: That's always a safe bet, Rose.
Rose: But you need to hear about my cousin, Ingmar. He was different. He used to do bird imitations.
Blanche: Well, what's wrong with that?
Rose: Well, let's just say you wouldn't want to park your car under their oak tree. (By far, my favorite!)
Rose: You know what they say: You can lead a herring to water, but you have to walk really fast or he'll die.
Good stuff!
Create a Care Package for the Troops
Since the 4th of July is fast approaching, use this patriotic holiday to begin a new tradition. Many of us get together with family and friends some time during the day. If that is the case in your home, celebrate the 4th by making a care package for someone serving our country overseas.
Let our troops know we appreciate their sacrifice and hope they will all return home safely soon.
When you send out your 4th of July party invitations, include a note to inform guests about what you plan to do and include suggestions on what they can contribute. Make sure you cover the basics.
Toothpaste
Toothbrush
Floss
Mouthwash
Baby wipes
Deodorant
Travel size hygiene items
Body wash
Hand sanitizer
Foot powder
Lotions
Candy (heat resistant)
Fruit Breezes (throat drops)
Twizzlers
Writing paper
Envelopes
Pens
Coffee (instant)
Coffee creamer
Gatorade
Powdered drink mixes
KoolAid Bursts (to freeze)
Sugar packets
Beef jerky
Canned fruit (pop top cans)
Cereal (small boxes)
Girl Scout Cookies
Granola bars
Gum
Oatmeal (instant)
Pop-Tarts
Ramen Noodles (any flavor)
Ravioli (pop top cans)
Tuna kits
Board games
Checkers (travel size)
Chess (travel size)
Crossword puzzles
Playing cards
CD fanny packs
CDs
Tapes
DVDs (new and used)
Hand held electronic games
Sudoku books
Books (novels, short stories)
Newspapers (local)
Magazines
Nose spray
Eye drops
Hairbrushes
Nail clippers
Q-Tips
Razors (disposable)
Sunscreen
Tissues (heavy duty)
Tylenol (individual packets)
Plastic spoons
American flags (small)
Baggies (with zip lock)
Batteries (all sizes)
Bug spray (must be packaged in zip-lock bag)
Duct tape
Disposable cameras
Flashlights (mini-mag lite, extra bulbs, lots of batteries)
Fans (battery powered, small with extra batteries)
Fly strips
Fly swatters
Pre-paid phone cards
Shoe insole cushions
Socks (cushioned white calf high)
To donate items to ship, you can mail them to the following address:
Operation Shoebox
P.O. Box 1465
Belleview, Florida 34421-1465
For more information, you can also visit their website at www.operationshoebox.com.
Along with the supplies, ask each person to include a note of thanks for the soldiers. On the day of the party, set up a big table to display all of the donations and take a picture of it with everyone gathered around it. This is a wonderful way to let the troops know we're thinking about them!
It's never too late to start a NEW tradition, and this one is very worthy!
Have a wonderful Wednesday! Thursday is a day of dates and Neighbor Stories and Randomness. Thursday will be a good day! NOTE TO EVELYN - Please remember to e-mail the Strawberry Homemade Ice Cream recipe to me for next Tuesday's post. It sounds SO good!
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
The Gallery Pics are from the pool AND dinner last night. While sitting UNDER the pavilion for a few hours, I did some "recipe research." Thus, the photos are my rendition of Chicken Spaghetti from The Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook AND the Blue Cheese Rolls from Julie Tuggle... who sat with me and visited under the pavilion. That girl is a wealth of information, I tell you!
RANDOMNESS - I found the smallest, cutest, roundest watermelon the other day. It was called a Bambino watermelon. I couldn't resist. "Are you just buying food now because the name is cute?" Roxie asked. Yes. Yes, I am.
TOPIC OF THE WEEK - NEIGHBORS
I hinted in yesterday's post today's story had something to do with Austin being 11 years-old... in a tree... with a chainsaw. Don't worry. I'm not going to change my mind. That story is STILL going to be told today!
Whenever I sent Austin or Josh outside to do something (work in the yard, wash the car, get the mail, sweep the front walk, etc.), it wouldn't take long to realize they had been gone a little TOO long for the task at hand. It would take me even less time to realize they had been recruited by Mr. Joe to help out a few minutes with a chore or two.
Mr. Joe was a teacher by nature, and while he might have asked them to do something they had never attempted before, he was patient and explained everything step-by-step. And since he was also a man, he let them try things I would never have imagined. But it was okay. Nervous, over-protective mothers rarely a "manly man" make! That's why it's good to have grandfathers, dads, uncles and good neighborhood men in the mix.
I really believe that, but on this particular day, I had to put my foot down... or in this case, I let Miss Mary put it down for me!
Austin was Missing in Action after having been sent to the van to fetch my sunglasses. I looked out the front door. Nope. No sign of Austin and Mr. Joe.
So I made my way to my back door. Nope. Still no sign... but, wait! Was that Mr. Joe on the other side of the tree in their backyard? Yes. Yes, it was. And why was he craning his neck back and looking up into the top of the tree? Could it be Austin was in the top of the tree? Yes. Yes, he was.
I stepped onto my porch where I could see (and hear) a little better.
"Hi, Mr. Joe," I called.
"Hi, Belinda. Don't worry. Austin's helping me with a few limbs."
"Yes, sir. I can see that." By this time, I could make out Austin's head and his big grin.
"Mr. Joe says I can use the chainsaw to get the limbs down," he yelled.
My heart stopped. Literally. Call 911. Stopped!
But then I saw "her." Little Miss Mary, hands on hips, feet planted, letting Mr. Joe know in no uncertain terms an 11 year-old boy was NOT going to be turned loose in the top of a tree with a chainsaw. And she MEANT IT!
Okay. My heart started again... slowly. Breathing still difficult though.
"Mary, the boy is more than capable of cutting down a couple of limbs with a little chainsaw. It's not even that heavy," Mr. Joe argued.
Heart beginning to stop again. Paramedics still haven't arrived. Probably waiting until 11 year-old boy actually drops running chainsaw on elderly neighbor's head.
"This isn't up for discussion, Joe. Austin, can you just use a little saw and cut the dead branches?" Miss Mary asked a very disappointed 11 year-old boy.
"I guess so, Miss Mary. It's going to take a lot longer though," he told her, still hoping for the power tool.
"That's okay. We're not in a hurry," she said. She turned around and went into the house and came back with a small, manageable, DULL little saw.
Heart pumping at a semi-regular beat. Breathing shallow, but getting better. Paramedics called and cancelled.
Austin made pretty quick work of the two or three branches that needed to come down. He was royally paid for his services. Miss Mary declared him a "good boy," glared at Mr. Joe and made her way back into her house.
I almost felt sorry for Mr. Joe and Austin. It was very difficult to tell which one was the most disappointed. Austin stayed a few minutes and talked with Mr. Joe, as he always did after a "spontaneous" chore.
It wasn't until Mr. Joe's funeral a few years ago I realized how much Mr. Joe had taught my kids. We were looking at all the pictures set out on tables at the funeral home. "Look how handsome and young Mr. Joe was in this picture. I didn't know he was in the military," I murmured.
And with that one little sentence, the boys and Roxie began telling me about Mr. Joe and where he had served and some of the stories he had shared with them "out in the yard." He had taught them a great deal, it seemed.
He was a living and breathing example of patriotism... a long, lasting marriage... not being a whiner even though he was in a great deal of pain with his gout during the time we knew him... laughing easily and often... and always, always teaching.
He was a lovely man... and we miss him.
Wednesday Wisdom - In honor of Betty White (the last surviving Golden Girl), I wanted to share some of the quotes from the show today. Blanche was played by Rue McClanahan (who passed away last week), Rose was played by Betty White and Dorothy was played by Bea Arthur. Classic!
Dorothy: Oh c'mon, Blanche. Age is just a state of mind.
Blanche: Tell that to my thighs.
Rose: My mother always used to say: "The older you get, the better you get, unless you're a banana."
Blanche: You know what the worst part about getting older is?
Dorothy: Your face? Rose's hands?
Rose: I just had a thought...
Dorothy, Blanche: Congratulations.
Miles Webber: I'm a college professor, Rose. What did you think when I said I taught Hemingway?
Rose: I thought you were old.
Rose: Can I ask a dumb question?
Dorothy: Better than anyone I know.
Rose: Now, I know no one wants to hear any of my stories right now...
Dorothy: That's always a safe bet, Rose.
Rose: But you need to hear about my cousin, Ingmar. He was different. He used to do bird imitations.
Blanche: Well, what's wrong with that?
Rose: Well, let's just say you wouldn't want to park your car under their oak tree. (By far, my favorite!)
Rose: You know what they say: You can lead a herring to water, but you have to walk really fast or he'll die.
Good stuff!
Create a Care Package for the Troops
Since the 4th of July is fast approaching, use this patriotic holiday to begin a new tradition. Many of us get together with family and friends some time during the day. If that is the case in your home, celebrate the 4th by making a care package for someone serving our country overseas.
Let our troops know we appreciate their sacrifice and hope they will all return home safely soon.
When you send out your 4th of July party invitations, include a note to inform guests about what you plan to do and include suggestions on what they can contribute. Make sure you cover the basics.
Toothpaste
Toothbrush
Floss
Mouthwash
Baby wipes
Deodorant
Travel size hygiene items
Body wash
Hand sanitizer
Foot powder
Lotions
Candy (heat resistant)
Fruit Breezes (throat drops)
Twizzlers
Writing paper
Envelopes
Pens
Coffee (instant)
Coffee creamer
Gatorade
Powdered drink mixes
KoolAid Bursts (to freeze)
Sugar packets
Beef jerky
Canned fruit (pop top cans)
Cereal (small boxes)
Girl Scout Cookies
Granola bars
Gum
Oatmeal (instant)
Pop-Tarts
Ramen Noodles (any flavor)
Ravioli (pop top cans)
Tuna kits
Board games
Checkers (travel size)
Chess (travel size)
Crossword puzzles
Playing cards
CD fanny packs
CDs
Tapes
DVDs (new and used)
Hand held electronic games
Sudoku books
Books (novels, short stories)
Newspapers (local)
Magazines
Nose spray
Eye drops
Hairbrushes
Nail clippers
Q-Tips
Razors (disposable)
Sunscreen
Tissues (heavy duty)
Tylenol (individual packets)
Plastic spoons
American flags (small)
Baggies (with zip lock)
Batteries (all sizes)
Bug spray (must be packaged in zip-lock bag)
Duct tape
Disposable cameras
Flashlights (mini-mag lite, extra bulbs, lots of batteries)
Fans (battery powered, small with extra batteries)
Fly strips
Fly swatters
Pre-paid phone cards
Shoe insole cushions
Socks (cushioned white calf high)
To donate items to ship, you can mail them to the following address:
Operation Shoebox
P.O. Box 1465
Belleview, Florida 34421-1465
For more information, you can also visit their website at www.operationshoebox.com.
Along with the supplies, ask each person to include a note of thanks for the soldiers. On the day of the party, set up a big table to display all of the donations and take a picture of it with everyone gathered around it. This is a wonderful way to let the troops know we're thinking about them!
It's never too late to start a NEW tradition, and this one is very worthy!
Have a wonderful Wednesday! Thursday is a day of dates and Neighbor Stories and Randomness. Thursday will be a good day! NOTE TO EVELYN - Please remember to e-mail the Strawberry Homemade Ice Cream recipe to me for next Tuesday's post. It sounds SO good!
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
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Friday...
Finally, some new basketball action shots.
The JV team had two 40-minute games Friday, so I thought I would just go ahead and start filming now!
And here's the obligatory Bryant Tuggle pic. He's a HUGE supporter of our baskeball team. Always has been... always will be. Well, until he gets his own driver's license!
Saturday...
We spent the day with the cousins Saturday. Monica, Amy, Roxie and I shopped at Brookwood, ate at Yolo's and went to the movies (Pirates 4). It was a great day, but the best part was our celebrity sighting...
That's right! Will Ferrell! (Please feel free to use your imagination. I know we did!)
Sunday...
Mikie's 50th Family Birthday Celebration! Everyone knows 50 year-old men LOVE the Green Lantern...and their wives really like Ryan Reynolds! (How cool would it be to have your picture on a birthday party plate package? Another goal, perhaps?)
What do you give a 50 year-old guys for his birthday? Cards... filled with money, Ricky Skaggs' concert tickets, a True Grit DVD and a Red Devil's Food Cake with Divinity Icing (from his Mom). It was a very good day!
Lovely Melia gave him the True Grit DVD. (I LOVE that movie!)
And it wouldn't be a birthday without a hug from Roxie!