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