...so does the time needed to spend on the blog, but it's much more important to have fun with my children for the summer! I promised myself a couple of years ago that I would be diligent in playing with them for the summer and let some other things go... (like housework.) Though my house isn't a TOTAL disaster area, where I could get federal funding for disaster relief, I did let the kids go for FOUR days without cleaning their rooms at the end of the day. YIKES! After that... I had had enough. They totally took advantage of the fact that I didn't ASK them to do it. I thought that maybe they would give in and just do it, but alas, NOPE! So... after the four days or so my feet had had all they could take of Lego's and small Barbie accessories and shoes. ENOUGH! So... I forced them to clean it up. And I had to count to 25 or so by the end of the painful matter, and they have been told that they will no longer be able to go that long, despite me wanting them to take a break, enjoy themselves, whatever. They must have at least some sort of organization to the whole matter if they want to keep their stuff. No more of the scattered-all-over Kingdom-Come look and feel for me. NO MORE!
So... looking at the dates of 15 June to 19 June... is where the content of this post will come from.
After the beach on the 14th, we took it easy on the 15th. We did have 8:30 a.m. swim lessons, and I had piano at 9:30 for a while, and then our swim lesson teacher's sister came over to play for a while, but my children were quite lethargic. YES! I FINALLY wore them out!!!!! Woo-hoo! {Though I must admit that I also wore myself out, too!}
They did some crafts with Emma for a while, watched some TV, played outside for a few minutes, and then we decided to take a walk over to the market place just down and across the street from our house. We wanted to eat at Subway and then get some frozen yogurt from the shops over there. Really... we were just after the frozen yogurt, so we set out on our way. We all walked except Braeden, who rode his bike. The girls had wanted to ride their scooters, but I wouldn't let them do so without their helmets, so... they threw a fit, and ultimately ended up leaving them home. When we got over there, I knew that Ella wouldn't eat a sandwich, but I also knew that there was a pizza place right there and I could get her a slice of pizza!! BUT the yogurt place went out of business... AGAIN! Sheesh! The whole reason we went. So we had a great time at lunch with Emma, played in the fountain over there, and then walked home, invited the neighbors to come with us, jumped in the car and drove to White Lime {another nearby frozen yogurt place... but not so close that we can walk on a hot, HOT day.}
We took Emma home after that and headed over to Anabelle's to return a bracelet she had left at our house when she was over a couple of days before. When we got there to return it, we talked to her mom for a minute and Lexi ended up being invited to go with Anabelle and Meridian to swim in their pool. So... I left her there, she borrowed a suit and a towel, dowsed herself in sunscreen and had a great time! Ella and Braeden were so sad to not get to go, but a girl's got to have some alone time with her friends, right?? ;o)
Thursday came along and we had the early morning swim lessons, then piano at 10 and 2, and then we had Teryn and her boys over, and we went to the pool with them and Theresa and her kids. I ended up being the only adult to get in the super PACKED pool with 8... yes 8... children. The other 2 mom's were watching, but Theresa just didn't want to get wet, and Teryn had really severely hurt her back, so I was it. After the pool fun, we ordered pizza and all congregated at my house again for dinner! Fun times! Then the kids got to stay up late-ish with Daddy and watch a movie. Not a good idea...
Oh yes... and between the 10 and 2 piano lessons the kids went out to play and found a lovely surprise in the garage. NOT COOL, not fun... not funny... just ICK! Fortunately it was just out in open space... hadn't been rotting and smelling... but still. These are the things I cannot handle very well. I can purchase tires and gearboxes for the Gator, take it apart, and reinstall the new parts, and put it back together and still have it work even though I am NOT AT ALL mechanically inclined. Because I have to... because Damian isn't always available. But... this... I gagged... a LOT... and if I'd had a substantial breakfast it would have been all over my car and the rest of the garage floor. Mice... or really creatures of any kind... especially if they're dead... are just not my cup of tea. And I mean it. But... after having the kids go next door to get the teenage boy to help and having no success in finding him home, I ended up having to do it. Lexi thought it was cute... and really, most of the kids that congregated to watch the dreadful matter thought the same, but she wasn't willing to take care of it. So... she took my slot behind the lens of the camera instead.
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| Don't say it! Don't say... "awwww." |
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| I got a bag all ready... and the shovel with the LONG handle... so as to stay as far away from it as possible. |
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| It's "in the bag..." LITERALLY. |
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| Thanks, Lexi, for capturing this lovely image. Wrinkles, no makeup... good thing I don't have to worry about being a lovely "catch." |
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| Notice the thick work gloves, too. |
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| On its way to the fate of the garbage can. I washed my hands 4 times. Even though they were covered and didn't even come CLOSE to touching it. SHUDDER. ICKY... ICK. |
Friday came along, and we had swim lessons a half hour early... at 8 a.m.! Yikes! And it was cold... {it was cold on Thursday, too, but it seemed even cooler Friday morning}... and drizzly... and just painful. The kids were tired, and grumpy. Ella had a cow in the pool and quit early {only 3 minutes early, but still... }. Then we took a few minutes in the hot tub to warm up, and then headed home where Lexi had to hurry in the shower and prepare to go to the Mormon Battalion in San Diego with her Activity Days group! They were gone for a good 5 hours, and had a great time! They got to pan for gold {and got some small chunks of Fool's Gold}, and then they went down to the San Diego Temple where the Sister Missionaries took them on a little tour and talked with them. It was a wonderful experience for them, but Lexi was just completely TIRED when she got back, but we got in the car and headed up to Chino Hills for the evening and a sleepover anyway. They all fell asleep in the car, and Lexi slept beyond the trip here. I hauled her in and laid her on the couch where she was zonked for a while!
Then we came back to Sam's, picked up all 4 of them up and headed to Panera Bread for lunch, followed by play time in the water in the courtyard there at the shops. They have the water that shoots up out of the ground and is timed and varied by the music that is playing. So funny! {And believe it or not... I didn't have my camera in hand. :o( } They had to completely disrobe in the car and cover with the blankets in order to get back to Colleen's. They were literally DRIPPING wet, and I was NOT willing to let them sit there and get the car all wet just to ride home, so I embarrassed them by making them get in the "trunk" of the van, get undressed, and then climb over the back seat and get buckled in their blankets! Haha! I didn't really expect them to get that wet... but then again... I really should have known better.
SAmberie took them to the park again by themselves! Yay! And I helped Colleen get dinner ready. She really did everything... I just helped a little. But I got to reap the rewards from her hard work. It's been a LONG time since I've had her chicken enchiladas and she was making them for John for Father's Day since he is going out of town on Sunday! Oh! They were SOOO GOOD! Shamefully I had FOUR! And I was STUFFED! Literally so full I thought I might... just might... POP! Thanks for sharing, Fehr Family!
And Sunday was Father's Day! We actually got to have our Daddy around that day! Amazing! He came to church with us, and was a GIANT help for my singing time lesson! Then he had decided that he wanted steak, corn on the cob, and other things for the grill for his dinner. He ended up doing most of it himself, with a little help from me, and lots of help cutting vegetables from Lexi! I made him homemade bread, and it was delicious! He's a very good cook. He got the most compliments I have ever heard from our kids, mostly Braeden, HANDS DOWN! We're so lucky to have him as the "father of our home." But we did plan ahead and get him a gift to go along with their picture frame crafts that they made at "Kids' Camp" and each child even pitched in some of their own money to pay for it! Braeden was the most giving in terms of amount. {He hardly ever struggles with his willingness to GIVE. He actually wanted to give more, but I limited him. It was the fact that he wanted to give what amounted to 1/3 of the total cost of the gift that really mattered to me. Not actually how much ended up giving. He has the biggest heart for a little guy!} Lexi... she's working on her generosity for those she knows and loves (meaning she doesn't have a problem with giving to someone she doesn't really know at all... a story I'll have to explain later... or at the end of the post... or... somewhere) but she did give some... just not a lot this time. And Ella gave all she had... which wasn't much because almost as soon as she gets her allowance she either spends it or loses it by mixing it up with her play money. Though she needs some money responsibility tips her willingness to give reminded me of the "widow's mite." It may not have been much, and certainly not more than anyone else COULD give, but it was ALL SHE HAD!
{I just must insert here that this new way of blogging for me is really working to help me understand and appreciate my children MORE! I am more amazed and surprised and PLEASED with who they are and the choices they make and what they DO as I write the text for these posts BEFORE adding pictures and waiting until I've forgotten the stuff I really wanted to remember. I better remember that, huh? Write first, edit and add pictures later... even if it means that this has been written for a long while before it ever makes it on the blog for your viewing pleasure!}
BTW: Daddy got a Quicksilver t-shirt and some shorts (that need to be exchanged) for his gift! :o)
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| I chose this picture because I really do just love this one. It's one of my favorites! Provider, protector, concerned for others, and LOVING! |
Okay... so to explain Lexi's generosity for those she doesn't really know. There is a little girl enrolled as a 4th grader (well... now going onto 5th) that was diagnosed with leukemia when she was in kindergarten at our school. We don't know this little girl. We only know her story because the school, mostly the teachers, have been very diligent in keeping up with her and her well being and her education. She spent the last part of K and pretty much all of 1st grade in the hospital. She came back to school for 2nd grade and actually had the same teacher that Lexi had this past year. And by 3rd grade she was back in the hospital almost non-stop. I don't know how her mother does it. {And get this... it's a kicker... sit down and grab a tissue. Shortly before she was diagnosed with a disease that is taxing not only on her and her body, but also her family's, her dad was in a fatal car accident. FATAL. So... it's just her mom, her older brother, and her. Somehow they make it work so that her brother gets to school, but I honestly don't know how. She is literally in the hospital full time. SO SAD.} So... the school collects empty water bottles to recycle and gives the money to Bethany. They have fundraisers every once in a while where the proceeds go to Bethany. And they had one where they asked the kids to just bring some of their loose change in and put it in the jar in the office. All for Bethany. By the end of the week I'm pretty sure they said that they had raised something like $2400 for her. Just the school children. Just their "loose change" getting dumped in the jar. Well, my Lexi... came home with her paper telling the kids about it, didn't say she wanted to do it... didn't ask me if she could... nothing. Just went over, got out her money, TOLD me what she was doing, and ended up putting almost $12 of her money in the jar the next morning. Now... I know what you're thinking. $12 isn't very much. Maybe not, but when you're my kid and you only get as many quarters as you are old every week for your allowance, then less tithing, and then less what you owe me for not doing your chores and other things I have asked you repeatedly to do, it is A LOT to part with, especially when you have your eye on something special at the store. I was so proud of her. I was actually very humbled by her example. So much so that as she counted it out on the counter BEAMING with delight that she could give some for a good cause tears began to stream down my face! Yay! She's getting it! Yay! She's finally catching on to examples of sacrifice! YAY!!!!!!
1 comment:
Tandy, what a wonderful way to keep up with your family. I just got Braeden's second letter and your note. I love your family blog.
K Shorack
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