Weekend Happenings

Good Friday morning!

The Gallery Pic is just one of Roxie and a couple of chick friends. There will be many, many more of these pictures throughout the summer, I am sure (and I hope)

RANDOMNESS - Next week I'm going to have a theme all FIVE days. I'm calling it "Ode to Humidity." That's "humiDity." Not "humiLity." You're probably asking yourself, "How can she write "humidity" stories for FIVE straight days?" (Again, conversation in my head.) It is SO easy. The words are just flowing out of me right now! Here's the "humidity" schedule:

Monday - Humidity and the Raven Concert
Tuesday - Humidity and Our First Camping Trip Ever
Wednesday - Humidity and Gone With the Wind
Thursday - Humidity and the Theme Park (Story One)
Friday - Humidity and the Theme Park (Story Two)

And that's not even ALL of them. I could write "humidity" stories forever... but I will not. However, I did want to let you know the path we would be taking on A Simple Life next week. Come... perspire with me!

REMINDER! REMINDER! REMINDER! If you haven't already signed up for the "How To" Birthday Party Classes coming up (and you have children in this age category), what are you waiting for? We're going to have a lot of fun. On June 8, I'll be teaching the Boy Class (Pirate Party and Super Hero Party), and June 15 I'll be teaching the Girl Class (Luau Party and Make-Up Party). For more information, click on May 24 in my Archives on the left-hand side of A Simple Life.

ANOTHER REMINDER! ANOTHER REMINDER! Don't forget to share your favorite homemade ice cream recipe if you get a chance. It's time to start making this stuff on a regular basis!

HINTS FOR SPECIAL GUEST - Here are a couple more little tidbits which may or may not help you in your quest to figure out the identity of our Special Guest...

3. She is the wife of one and mother of two.

4. She LOVES to cook. That's right... she's a COOKER! And a looker, too.

Well, what do you think? Do you know who's coming to visit?

Weekend Happenings

We were going to try to go camping this Memorial Day Weekend. Except for our first camping trip ever, the Faulkner Five have never been camping in the heat of summer or the freezing cold of winter. We're fall and spring campers. Always have been, and always will be. We were thinking about giving it a try this weekend IF the temperatures were going to be mild, but I have NEVER thought temperatures in the 80s were mild. NEVER. It is better than the 90s, but it's still not doable.

That being said, we've shelved the camping idea... and replaced it with a day at a lake TUBING! That's right. TUBING! I cannot wait. The only downside is Austin has to work tomorrow, so he'll miss our first TUBING outing. But WAIT! There will be more!

On Sunday, Josh is planning on having a friend or two over. And that's it for that day. Roxie and Austin haven't "declared" their plans, but I'm sure they will have some.

We'll cook out, swim, etc. on Monday, but since I won't be camping, I'll be able to tell you in great detail Monday morning what we'll be doing, so I will not tack it onto the end of Weekend Happenings!

All in all, a fairly uncomplicated weekend. Almost boring in nature. (I kind of like that type of weekend... don't you?)

In honor of NOT going camping on Memorial Day Weekend, I will leave you with the Faulkner Five First Ever Camping Trip Story. If you have read it before, feel free to skip it... just this once!

Our First Camping Trip Ever!

We decided to bite the bullet and take our little family camping. Austin was five and Josh was three. Roxie was a toddling baby, so we decided to leave her at her grandparents' house. In my mind, if everything went well, she could start camping when she turned three. (Actually, I was hoping she was going to be a prissy little thing who didn't like camping, and on camping weekends while the guys were out and about, she and I would have manicures and shop and watch chick flicks, etc. That dream never came true (heavy, heavy sigh)... but that's another story.)

With another family who had boys our boys' ages, we planned our very first camping trip. Oak Mountain was our destination... only 35 short minutes from home. We planned a weekend in May (usually a mild month in Alabama). We borrowed the tent and gathered the rest of the equipment from different places.

We arrived at the campground mid-afternoon, picked out our spots and started (for the first time ever) to set up camp. The boys were thrilled. They had brought their box of dinosaurs (a camping must), other various toys and they had each other in the woods. They were happy.

Near our campsite was a large branch which was semi-broken and hanging from a tree almost touching the ground. Our guys were just the right weight NOT to break the branch, and it was like having a tire swing in our back door. They had a ball playing on the almost broken tree branch ALL weekend long.

While we were setting up camp, the three year-olds needed to use the bathroom, and rather than walking all the way to the bathhouse, the dads told them to do what all little boys love to do... skip the bathhouse and find a tree. Life was good.

After camp was set up, we all walked down to the lake to let the boys wade. We hadn't planned on swimming, and we hadn't really packed a lot of extra clothes... Plus, if your three year-old swims that means mom has to be ready to swim. We, as the moms, had definitely not packed our swimsuits.

We were very specific in our instructions "to wade" and "not swim." We even went so far as to explain, "Do not put your head in the water. Do not let the water get above your knees. Do you understand?" There was a lot of nodding going on.

And then, Joshua's partner in crime at the time, smiled the smile three year-old boys smile right before they... go completely under the water... in front of the parents who had just told him "Do not put your head in the water!" He came out the water, and flashed another sweet smile.

We've all been there. You tell your child not to do something, and they decide to disobey you then and there... and smile at you. He was quickly punished, and we were on our way to the campsite. We had handed all the boys water bottles. "Drink it all. Do not pour it out. Do not waste the water." And then, Joshua's partner in crime at the time, smiled the smile three year-old boys smile right before they... pour the water out of the water bottle onto the street.

Sputtering, the dad of this particular three year-old uttered the punishment then and there.

"NO WATER OR DRINKS FOR YOU THE REST OF THE TRIP!"

Don't get self-righteous on me. We've all done the same thing before. I've told my kids they could never go outside again; never have ice cream again; never watch TV again; never... well, you get the picture. Parenting is hard on the best day... and three year-old boys... WHEW!

"What are we going to do?" I asked the other mom as we walked back to camp. "He'll be dehydrated if he doesn't get to drink until we leave tomorrow."

"I know. I know," she replied. I could see the wheels turning, and she walked up to her husband and whispering began.

"We've figured it out," she said as she dropped back to walk beside me.

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

"We're going to give him mercy," she replied.

"Oh. Yeah, that will work," I said. Actually, I didn't know what in the world she was talking about.

When we got back to the campsite, Dad and mischievous three year-old boy went to a picnic table to sit down and talk. A few minutes later, hugs were exchanged and the the little boy came up to me. "May I have a drink, please?" he asked.

"Well, what did Mom and Dad say?"

"They said it was okay. I got mercy," he said simply... and I handed him a bottled water.

Mom and Dad had turned the whole incident into a devotion. Every day we do things we are not supposed to do, and this does not please God. But God has mercy on all of us, sinners that we are, and forgives us when we ask. This little guy had asked for forgiveness and, in return, had received mercy (a/k/a bottled water).

Of course, just like all of us (adults, too), mercy isn't given just once and that's it. We need it time and time again as we go through our daily lives. What a great lesson.

And by the way, the three year-olds ALMOST made it to bedtime before mercy had to be bestowed upon them yet again.

Our first camping trip was short, memorable and it went well enough we were hooked.

Have an exceptionally great Memorial Day Weekend. Enjoy family, friends and SUMMER! During the next couple of weeks, we'll be concentrating on summertime activities, as well as Father's Day tips and treats. Our Special Guest will be making her appearance on A Simple Life Tuesday, June 1. And, of course, there will be pics galore... mostly of wet people as we start visiting our local pool regularly.

Take care, and I'll talk to you Monday.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda