JWalking: The Blog

Tripping the Lights Fantastic

2012-01-12T23:09:00.001-05:00

What seems like long ago on these pages--last summer--were pictures of CJ from a visit to a local treasure, Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. She and I spent a long beautiful morning enjoying the garden displays--inside and out. On the way home, she decided that she would really like to go more often. A membership for Christmas would be a great gift!

And, so it is--already! On Christmas Day, CJ received a family membership to the gardens (plus two, for Grandma and Grandpa when they visit, or other guests). What we didn't know is that it came with four tickets to their annual "Gardenfest of Lights." Since we had plans after Christmas, we looked to early January for a late visit to the show. We were not disappointed!

Even though they look a bit nervous sitting on this butterfly....

R and I both had cameras that night. His pictures are much better, because he had a tripod and wasn't running. I had the camera looped around my hand, running after RJ2, who was pulling CJ by the arm to go fast everywhere! There was so much to see. I knew we would end up making a couple loops around things, just to try and catch a better view.

We started out in the Conservatory. This is the left arm of the beautiful glass domed structure.

That's a view of the right arm stretching straight toward the camera--across the pond.

Inside, there were all kinds of light strings. Not what you'd find on your indoor Christmas tree or outside bush. The pink flowers that this butterfly is sitting on were actually all lights on branches. (Take note, Grandma!) There was a stunning tree where the gardens would usually feature tropical plants and trees. A wall full of lighted snow (see at top of post) came down over a very cool train display, with some very rapidly moving cars! (I'm sure if I try to post that video of RJ2 and the train that Blogger will be mad at me. Another time....)

How about this lighted Christmas ball?

This is the "LOVE" sign. I think it's sponsored by the Virginia Board of Tourism. The idea was to stand in the letters and take a picture of your family to post on Facebook. We didn't think that was feasible, so we hung out in the pavilions that you see in the background.

A hummingbird, checking out some flowers, and a frog whose extended tongue has just caught a fly. The lights on the tongue go out and come back on--so fun!

Just a gorgeous peacock!

A multi-colored dragon fly, and a girl on a swing, who looks very familiar....

The children's area has been expanded in recent years to include a tree house with many ramps and a small fountain park for kids to run through and cool off in the summer. The gardens has a big emphasis on education and garden activities for kids. No surprise that they had a garden planted and growing in January!

Cool watermelon!

Enjoying a rest in the tree house rockers....

How about these lighted stars, Grandpa?

Fun to see these two photos back to back. The stick sculpture palace that was created by a visiting artist was dressed with some a special gelled light that made its branches sparkle!

There was a campfire going that night, and someone was heating up marshmallows for s'mores. It was more for effect the night we went, since it was pretty unseasonably warm. So has been the season here in Central VA!

So much to see. Hold tight; here we go.......!!!!

Time for ring around the rosie!

And I really should stop and chat with these kids!

C'mon, RJ2, let's run through the maze. AAAAAAaaaaa.....!!!!

We may not have seen everything, but we sure saw a lot. And even though the lights will be down by the next time we go back. I think we see just a few crocuses! Until next time....

* * *

And CJ provides the postscript, with "Gardenfest of Lights" Mash Up! (Or, I'm ready for Photoshop....)

When Robbie's Story Met My Story

2011-10-29T14:01:00.001-04:00

I didn't know Robert Wood, Jr., until I met him this past Sunday. I don't even remember how I heard the news about him, though I'm guessing it was somebody's Facebook post. What I do remember is "8 years old with autism," lost in Hanover County park. That resonated pretty hard.

As I looked at the picture of this boy, which was very quickly everywhere in my sights, I couldn't help but identify. North Anna Battlefield Park, where Robbie got lost, was a place we had visited with the girls. A family hike. I remember the picnic tables near the parking lot and the hilly terrain on the trail. There was whining about going too far, and when could we turn around and go home. Lots of trees and not many obvious markers, clearings or obvious rest stops. Years after our walk, we had to drive up to the park to rescue R, who had popped a bicycle tire on a ride in Doswell. He sat by the tree at the head of the park's driveway.

I thought about this child being in this park on a Sunday afternoon. What fun! So many places to explore. The more I read about his account, the more I thought about just what a great playground this was. A river, train tracks, quarries! When I looked at Robbie's face, I thought of two words--curious and resilient. Understanding just a bit of how a child with autism can function, I could see how he could be in the spot he was (to him, having a great time!) and how he could cope with the conditions he was in (because it probably didn't have much of an impact, in his mind).

RJ2 shares a bit of commonality with Robbie, which is why his story hit with particular strength. I could see her running off to explore. Even when you explain safe boundaries, every place you go is considered new. What are the rules? Are they the same? Being in the outdoors is about as free as life can be. Maybe there are no rules? When so much of the rest of your life revolves around schedules and sameness, being in a beautiful outdoor environment is extremely enticing. There's just so much to see. So much trouble to get into, if you only knew it was trouble.

I said to a friend that we have lost RJ2 in the house! I have no doubt that she would have spent hours at the river, and probably would have had too much of it to drink! I was hopeful that Robbie was doing the same thing. RJ2 wouldn't hesitate to pick up something that looked like a food container--used, on the ground, crushed...so what. Maybe Robbie's fascination with containers landed him some nourishment. RJ2 loves to sit in the dirt or sand and just sift it through her hands. The quarry would provide ample material! One place would lead to another, and if she got bored in one, she would probably go to the other. Very much like Robbie, she doesn't understand all of the dangers in her environment. She can be really quiet when she's in her world, which is what happens in a playground, sometimes. Robbie is non-verbal, but he definitely had the means to verbally communicate if he wanted to. He must have been content for awhile.

It certainly did get to be a long week, though. Wednesday morning, while on my way to two medical appointments, I put on the radio. A woman was talking about how she had to go to work and couldn't help in the search efforts for Robbie, but she still wanted to help. She mentioned that the local fire station near the park was serving as a receiving place for donations of food for the volunteer searchers. It was a no-brainer to help in that way. With time in between my appointments, I ran to the grocery store and filled the cart with trail snacks, water and juice. I had just enough time between my last appointment and school pickup to bring the items to the fire station.

I pulled into the parking lot with another woman. She got her bags out of the car as I was unloading my trunk. My hands were full, and she closed my trunk for me. We walked in together and volunteers met us and took our bags, thanking us for our donations. We thanked them for what they were doing. As we walked out, this woman and I shared with each other just how much we had wanted to do something and were so very hopeful that the news would be different at the end of the day. Complete strangers, yet, somehow not. Have you been there? As I got in my car and stared at the local TV trucks across the fire station lawn, I cried. Just overwhelmed at all of these folks who were coming together doing whatever they were moved to do, yet still wondering how long before there was something new to say.

The rest of the week brought more volunteers with every day. The calls for prayer continued to go out. Hanover County officials remained positive and encouraging, even suggesting that Robbie would best be found at night, even with all the help. By Friday, the weather had started the bad shift we knew was coming. What would happen today? Why hadn't they found something, anything of note that would change the news. It was hard not to get humanly practical, talking about how this search-and-rescue mission could turn into a missing persons case file by the weekend.

I picked up RJ2 from school and was driving back home close to 2:30. I looked up and saw a helicopter heading north, following the path of I-95. I had been hearing helicopters all week and with each one would wonder if Robbie would be discovered. Within the half-hour, the news came out that Robbie had been found, alive and doing well--and a helicopter was air-lifting him downtown for medical treatment!

I haven't been glued to the TV over anything in a while. As TV folks were waiting for the hospital news conference, my old media relations hat came back on, waiting to hear how the hospital would describe Robbie's condition. I watched the emergency physician talking, being guarded as to how many details he could share. He could not talk about medical tests they could be running--keys that could point to how Robbie survived almost a week in the wilderness. The PR person had written statements from the parents. I knew how important keeping their privacy was and how very difficult in such a high-profile story this will be for them to do.

I'm not sure I would say that I was surprised that they found him. I really believed that this wasn't going to end with nothing. But that Robbie was alert and just roughed up.... That was really amazing to me. I was expecting "critical but stable" condition out of the hospital. But, no, he was really going to be very much OK. His resiliency definitely went beyond the scope of what I had thought, and I was so thankful!

After I posted the TV news blurb about Robbie being found, a friend posted that he was "surrounded by protecting angels." Brings some familiar words to mind:

"Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come. 'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far, and Grace will lead me home."

Robbie's story reminded me that there are definitely dangers, toils and snares, and that we have come through a lot of things. We're still on the learning path as far as understanding autism. We still wonder--a lot--about where things are going. But his story also reminds me that Grace kept him safe, and Grace led him home.

Grace is amazing!

Bowling with Barbara Manatee

2011-08-12T18:12:00.007-04:00

We're wrapping up our week at home in which we had no company, no camps, no summer school, no R--no-thing!

We ran some short errands, to keep RJ2 venturing out into new places and to take care of things that needed to be taken care of--like back-to-school supply shopping and spending CJ's birthday gift cards. Oh, and Sweet Frog (frozen yogurt)! There was one more thing on my list--take the girls bowling.

RJ2 had such a wonderfully successful moment when she went bowling with the day camp group. CJ and I had a nice morning outing bowling, too. (Except for the Josh Grobin that they were playing that day--a whole album! Really... bowling to Josh Grobin?!) Could we all go bowling together and could this be something we could do as a family? And with cousins on our upcoming "Cousin Tour" road trip?

We are fortunate to have AMF based here in Mechanicsville, and our bowling lanes are top-notch. The company has done a lot of work to make the bowling experience family-friendly and nice. We bowl in a prototype center, really, and a corporate support center adjoins the lanes. Overall, pretty cool!

On a Friday morning, there's no league play, so things are not too busy. They assign every other lane to customers, so you don't feel like you're playing in a narrow closet. We were fitted for balls and shoes, then off to lane #26!

RJ2 was reliving her camp experience and doing a great job until we were actually ready to start bowling. She lost it for about five frames of bowling, but then recovered as if nothing had happened. I think the issue was that she needed to bowl with her new best friend....

Barbara Manatee!

Who is Barbara Manatee? Well, she's a complex character, all right. See if you can follow these threads. (It's like playing the Kevin Bacon game!):

Barbara Manatee originates with a VeggieTales' "Silly Songs with Larry" called "Endangered Love." Larry the Cucumber, watching a soap opera, sings back to his television to the lead character female in distress--singing a tango--Barbara Manatee.

For some reason, RJ2 decided to name the turquoise bear Beanie Baby Barbara Manatee. Mind you, this particular Beanie Baby bear is a special edition bear named Ariel. This Ariel was Ariel Glaser, daughter of Paul Michael Glaser [of the Starsky and Hutch TV series, circa 1975] and Elizabeth Glaser, who passed away from HIV, and the bear was named in her honor and with her artwork. CJ first received Ariel bear at her second Christmas, so the bear has been around for awhile. The Barbara Manatee name just happened a few weeks ago and led to lively discussions with RJ2 about the difference between manatees, dolphins and bears (Oh, my!). So, that's the story!

Once Barbara Manatee started bowling, things were great. AMF has ramps for the kids to use,
the computer keeps the score. We flew through two games!

The three of us are getting ready to bowl. That's actually my hand holding the ball underneath, while the other hand is driving the ramp into position. You can see Barbara Manatee's ear just over the ball.

Set.... GO!

CJ is developing a very stylish approach! (Thank you, bumpers!)

Looks like an 8--All right!

Even though the computer kept score, we weren't keeping score. With Barbara Manatee bowling, and Barbara Manatee and RJ2 bowling in my spot, and CJ bowling when RJ2 didn't want to bowl a frame, it made actually scoring kind of pointless. (HA!) And, really, who cares!

WE WENT BOWLING!!

And was it excellent?

Everybody did excellent!

Camping it up with the JGirls

2011-08-08T08:48:00.005-04:00

It was a mixed-weather Sunday. We did have sprinkles, even though Weather.com had the timing all wrong. We did have thunder. Lots of thunder. More thunder than rain, perhaps, though it did manage to pour a little bit. Every little bit helps!

What are the JGirls to do to cap off the weekend--with no summer school or any obligations on Monday?....

Camp-out in the Family Room!

No, that's not a television evangelist on the screen. That's Bobby Flay from Food Network. One of CJ's favorite shows is "Food Network Star," and Sunday night's show was the "Final 4" episode, leading up to the finale next weekend. Camping, Food Network AND staying up late to watch the whole show?!

She could hardly wait.

Even though she spent her earliest days in front of "Emeril Live," RJ2 is not a big fan of Food Network, nor of most television in general. She prefers to watch kid programs on her computer, "rewinding" as often as necessary to her favorite parts. So, she opted to have "Crazy Hair Day" with her Play-Doh friends...

...who then have to take the bus to school.

We started turning off the lights at 8:30, with the last ones out at 10...

(--after they let Mary Beth Albright go--Boo hoo! But the food writer just couldn't cook well enough to hang in there for the finale. Oh well. I think Food Network General Manager Bob Tuschman should use her as a companion commentator with Kevin Brauch for "Iron Chef America." Yeah, yeah, it's one more star/idol competition show that I wasn't supposed to be watching....)

Shortly after 6:20 a.m.

RJ2 was up first, very quietly whispering to her beanie baby bear, Barbara Manatee. Then came the click of the flashlight and CJ opening the pages of a book. This was followed by my turning on the light and grabbing the....

...which lasted for about five minutes, until RJ2 emerged from the tent with a mission to create pillow structures. The first was a pillow stack at my feet. Then, it was "Fort Mom."

After being pressed by pillows, it was time to press some coffee!

A good night was had by all. (And a dry tent indoors is much more fun to put away than a wet tent outdoors.) Nice job, JGirls!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

2011-08-01T20:21:00.004-04:00

So, when I left my last post--after the Water Country USA experience--I thought for sure the girls were on their way to bed. "Ha-ha-no-no-no," I thought, in my best Tim Taylor head voice.

No. About the time I was wrapping up my last words, CJ decided it would be a great time to launch her own hair salon.

She's tough to say "no" to when she comes with all her products.

But, it was all about RJ2 agreeing to have her hair played with, and that's not something that comes easily all the time. Most days, you have 15 seconds to get through tangles! Her sister has the right touch, apparently, and RJ2 received a full treatment.

Hair clip bonanza AND glitter nails?! Too bad this was all right before bedtime. No sooner had I snapped these shots than we were taking the clips out of her hair and brushing teeth.

The creative play rolled right into the next day--when Mom and Dad were definitely not up for doing anything.

CJ has had a thing for blanket tents for a very long time. One year for Christmas, I decided to assemble a "kit" for making blanket tents. I had seen one in a catalog and thought I could put one together for a bit less with no shipping costs. She got two shower curtains with extension hooks (which I sewed out of leftover bias tape), nylon rope and clothespins.

Most of the designs she tries out in her bedroom. The last one involved her sleeping in her closet with curtains overhead, fastened to her dresser. She hasn't had an elaborate one downstairs until this weekend.

"Yes, peek-a-boo back at you. And, no, you can't sleep here tonight!"

We have been moving bedroom pillows, stuffed animals and blankets up and down the stairs for three days, now. But, "girls don't seem to care...." to quote a Steely Dan song, and we find them here regularly--talking, reading, singing, arguing, playing with toys, watching videos off the computer....

"Please, Mom...don't make us take it down...."

(Sigh....So cute!)

Livin' in the Country

2011-07-29T18:47:00.002-04:00

Water Country USA, that is....

Back in June, CJ celebrated her birthday and received a very special gift--passes to Water Country USA, a dedicated water park (owned by SeaWorld) in Williamsburg. CJ and R went last year and discovered a sweet deal for residents of Virginia who return to the park after a visit: Free entry! (minus parking and any extras). So, they had a second visit, and CJ has talked semi-nonstop about the place ever since.

Especially, just before her birthday this year. (Hint! Hint!)

She counted down the days 'til the opening of the 2011 season, even writing the numbers on our kitchen blackboard and "Opening Day!" when that rolled around. Needless to say, receiving a pass to her favorite summer attraction made her birthday. But it wasn't just a pass for her. It was a pass for all four of us! Wow.... We were all going to the water park this summer. Yeah! Uh-huh. Oh....gee....

Water Country has spectacular features. If you like going down steep hills on rafts, inner tubes, foam mats or just your bathing suit, you will love the assortment of attractions. For someone brand new to the water park experience, not a swimmer and not a fan of going into new places, Water Country loomed as one more "dark, spooky closet" to check out for RJ2. Still, water rat that she is, we figured she love it.

R and I picked a date with time in advance to prepare. We told RJ2 we were going the week of. CJ took the visual schedule one step further and prepared a PowerPoint presentation on the park. [Would I ever kid you? I would post if Blogger had that option.] So, RJ2 had ample preparation for the big day. We laid out her swimsuit the night before. It's not every day you wake up and put on your swimsuit right after breakfast!

Of course, because this is how things happen in life, the afternoon before had brought one of our worst neighborhood pool outings this season. Too complicated a series of events in dynamics to explain, let's just say, we left early and no one was happy--no one! Was seriously hoping that today was a new day--in every respect!

We left the house in great shape--picnic lunches packed, suits on, sunscreen waiting to be applied. Got to the park in great time and spirits. Made it to the front gate. Then, a stumble! Even though we had told RJ2 there would be no "going inside" and it was only a gate, we were stuck. She could not get passed the blaring soundtrack coming through the loudspeakers. Steps away from fun--even access to the quick lanes, with our passes--but we couldn't budge.

We regrouped, moving to a less loud position and offering to cover her ears. She wanted so badly to just get beyond it. Then, as she has proven so many times this summer, she just said OK. And, screaming most of the way, we went through the gate. [Breathe....Breathe!] It was smooth sailing from there.

Today was supposed to be 101 in central VA. Crazy day to have picked to be at the water park! Lots of other folks had the same idea. But, it worked so well. We arrived at the opening, so we had our pick of the pools to play in, and everyone had a good time. R and CJ went off to ride on the larger flumes. RJ2 loved exploring the different pools, their mini-slides, little boats. Fountains, not so much! The freedom to explore shallow water was just the best.

After a trip down the park's Lazy River--two-person blow-up boats that move very slowly around a segment of the park--we broke for lunch. Then, we closed out the afternoon with the Hubba Hubba Highway and the wave pool. The wave pool has calm water for 8 or 9 minutes and constant waves for another 8 or 9 minutes. Cool! Then, we returned to the car, five hours from when we had started, and left for an uneventful drive back home. We figure the girls will soon fall asleep [yeah, right!], being so tired from a long, exciting day, while we're wondering how we are still awake--because we are tired--and why our legs and knees ache!

Looking back, by far, we had the biggest smiles on the Hubba Hubba Highway. Unlike the Lazy River, we donned life vests before entering this river ride, as the current moves at a strappin' pace! Jets shoot water from the sides--to keep the folks moving around the very long track--as well as from the bottom, occasionally and surprisingly! [Insert slightly embarrassed giggle here. Think Fraulein Maria sitting on the pine cone in the Von Trapp dining room.]

Various types of squirting devices and misters spray water on the participants as they quickly pass by. Signs, a la Burma Shave days, cover the sides of the track. We had the best time, zipping along, grabbing hands when we could, trying to steer against the current. Even RJ2, by the third time around, didn't mind getting rained on! She loved the feeling of freedom, even as she was moving much faster than she could control things.

I was really hoping that our adventure would turn out to be special family time. We don't get to go to "big" places together very often. But our time on the Hubba Hubba Highway--and spending a super-hot day in a wonderfully cool, wet water park--together, will be remembered and talked about for weeks to come.

Although there were so many "picture perfect" memories, we didn't want to bring a camera into the park. Just too much to think about with doing that. So, there are no actual pictures of our visit. But, since it's hard for me to blog without a photo....

I made one.

Greetings from Water Country USA! 'Til next time....

Crumblin' Down

2011-07-18T18:51:00.005-04:00

Artwork by CJ

Last week was so incredibly busy! The whole family was split up!! Even though R traveled more miles by flying, I felt like my east side-west side-all around the town pick-ups and drop-offs surely must have come close. Wow.... Things didn't really come to a pace of relaxation until after Sunday's bell-playing concluded. Enjoyed a very "regular" day today. Whew!....

Amidst the bustle of our busiest week this summer, there was a lot of cooking done last week. The gluten-free pantry was a bit bare. Even though I complained about having so much bread in the fridge, I copped the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" attitude and made some gluten-free bread! Helped to finish off some cold cuts and condiments. (HA!) The best part about this was deciding to try the King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Bread mix--the best gluten-free bread I have had so far. Loved every single slice--especially toasted, but, not necessarily. That's how good it was! (Now, today, I made a mistake and bought K.A. G-F FLOUR mix. OOPS! Fortunately, K.A. has directions for making bread with the flour mix on their website. Of course, it's not as good as the bread mix. Doh!!)

R left us three of his bananas when he left town. RJ2 helped me make some very tasty G-F banana muffins--half with chocolate chips. She eats one of those every day!

And with the cool breeze blowing--yes, this was last week, when the cool breeze was blowing, and I was cooking like it was Fall outside!--I peeled up the last apples from the beach trip and whipped up a crumble. Because, any day can be a crumble day! (And I think some of last week's truly were. "Crumblin', crumblin' -- dowwwwwnnnnnn.....")

Grabbed the last of the strawberries and tossed them in. (I love this gadget! I asked for a strawberry huller for my birthday, and this crazy syringe-looking thing is the coolest huller ever. Works great on tomatoes as well. And, since strawbs season is wrapping up, it's getting much more use with tomatoes now.)

Last of a bag of frozen raspberries? Sure, why not. Dried cherries. Oh, yeah!

And the crumble part--G-F oats, brown sugar, butter....

You know when it's done when the juices overrun the sides. No, not really, but.... YUM! Have been enjoying it with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt--trying to use up both, actually. What really makes it is being able to heat it up, to re-live the just-out-of-the-oven experience. Unfortunately, the microwave is shot, and I just don't feel like heating up one more thing on the stove at the end of the day. But, it's fine cold, too. (Gosh, we really did used to heat up things without microwaves once. So spoiled!)

* * *

One more apple story....

Our neighbors planted an apple tree in their front yard a couple of years ago. It is a really nice tree now but, they have struggled with keeping their fruit. No, not a bug problem. Not a mold/fungus problem. Not even a kid problem! No, the squirrels have pretty much claimed the tree theirs. Most nights, while we're eating dinner, I spot a squirrel with a huge chunk of bright green in his mouth. You would think he would dine at the source. But, no, it's take-out, every night--on top of our swing set!

We have since found parts of apples stashed all over the yard. I found a large uneaten one buried under a pile of leaves! But, the funniest find so far has been the one that was left on the swing set the other night.

Mrs. Cardinal, enjoying herself some apple crumble....

Rainout at the Diamond

2011-07-15T09:43:00.005-04:00

One of the small nuggets of excitement in this town in the past few years has been the return of minor league baseball to Richmond. The Richmond Flying Squirrels have provided great evenings of fun since making their...um...nest here in central VA. Recall last summer's awesome Fourth of July fireworks night in which we received Chick-fil-A coupons for sandwiches when a Squirrel hit a ball into the "fowl" pole. Sweet!

Last Friday night, R and CJ had tickets for the game. They were hopeful to see Bryce Harper, a young phenom who has been playing for the Harrisburg Senators--a farm club of the Washington Nationals, our root-root-root for the home team. The Senators were to play the Squirrels, and Friday night was the start of the home stand. Except for this....

Even though the P.A. announcers were optimistic that baseball would be played, the radar map suggested something quite different. No, there would be no baseball. In fact, many hours later, R would discover that Bryce Harper was not even at the Squirrels' ballpark on Friday. He had been whisked away by management to another event on the west coast! Even if a pitch had commenced, Bryce Harper would not have been there to take a whack at one.

The Friday night outing was not a total loss, however, as ice cream was enjoyed in the stands, under that umbrella. And, CJ was inspired to write something really special....

Flashing lightning is the spotlight
for raindrops that dance in tap shoes.

tip-tap-click-tip-tap-click

they perform on a silver Acura
frozen at an intersection with a taco bell and a drug store
a sign flashes with a discount for shampoo

tip-tap-click-tip-tap-click

she sighs inside the car,
wrings out a pair of socks
and remembers:
waiting in a pair of green seats
for a game to begin that never will.
Under the shelter of a white and green umbrella
as more performers stream down from the heavens
their entrance proclaimed by drum rolls of thunder
climbing up dirty waterfalls on the stairs
"MAKEUP GAME JULY 23rd"
wading through pools of puddles by the golden light of cars....
the light turns green
the stage moves elsewhere.

Know When to Fold 'em

2011-07-14T09:19:00.003-04:00

It was the best of days. It was the worst of days.

Dickens knew something of the range of human emotion. But, what did he know about playing cards?

At the beach, I was "forced" into a hand of Texas Hold 'em--a kind of straight poker, but the dealer deals the cards to all to consider, not just to you. "Forced" in that someone in the family who was playing had to attend to another matter, and I was a body who walked into the wrong place at the right time. I'm not a good card player. And, those games that I have tried to learn recently have rules that completely conflict with straight poker, which I haven't played since, probably high school. Anyhoo....

In poker, there are very few rounds in which to make decisions. You are dealt a certain hand and have to decide how many rounds you will stay in to make the best hand possible when it's time for the big reveal. As Kenny Rogers sang, "You've got to know when to hold 'em. Know when to fold 'em." Sometimes, you have to end your game early. "There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done."

If you're following me on Facebook, you know this has been a bit of a tough week. The girls are both in summer programs, which were meant to be fun. CJ absolutely loves her creative arts classes at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond. She finishes up her studio time on Friday afternoon, and it will be a sad "so long" until we can find another something to send her to downtown. She is so full creatively, and I'm thinking this burst of energy will carry her straight into the start of school, so long as she continues to use what she has learned. She has lots of materials and ideas. Writer's block? Maybe never again! Good stuff!!

After summer school, RJ2 has been attending the county's day camp program. Things have not worked out as well, unfortunately. High highs--like walking into the bowling alley and bowling for the very first time! But, low lows, too. Things are new. People are new. Same environment, but different schedule. Just not able to work things out in this short time span. Last night in my FB post, it boiled down to those lyrics.

The dealer had given out the cards, and I know what makes for a winning hand. But, RJ2 is chance. The first cards had not even a pair. The dealer laid down the next card. An ace of hearts, for sure, in a hand that showed promise for raising. But, again, RJ2 is chance, and the next card left an empty hand once again. No one else was raising, but did it make better sense to fold, leaving with what chips we had earned this week or to stay in and look at the next card?

Decided to fold and walk away. Not run.... Lots of people had made an investment into this week, and running wouldn't be right. We're going to finish out the camp week--with ice cream today. But, the uphill learning curve, the anxiety, the lack of happiness on everyone's faces.... It was time to fold and walk away.

Hard for me, being the one just playing the hand. I can't see over the dealer's shoulder much less direct chance by seeing the cards in the stack. But, I still have to hold the cards and play the hand. Sometimes, the best move for all really is to fold and walk. I still struggle with that, because it seems like I really have left the game early. But, there's a cost to consider, and I decided it just wasn't worth it, this time....

There will be another chance to ante up sometime. There are lots of tables at which to play. Not looking for one with better odds, necessarily, but one at which we can all play and leave with a few more chips than at the table we played before.

Mayo-nnaise

2011-07-08T08:09:00.005-04:00

As much as I try to prepare for going away--lists and multiple errands and such, there are always things I have in mind to do that don't get done. Like, washing the windows or cutting the girls' hair.

Really, the haircuts should have been moved up closer to the top of the list, given how much hair you see on the floor! (And that's only RJ2's hair!) By the end of our time at the beach, her hair was almost completely covering her eyes.

Yeah, you mean there are eyes under there?

Not a fan of the haircut, RJ2 did get to pick which room in the house she wanted her hair cut, and picked the empty dining room. (CJ, on the other hand, always picks a room in which she has access to the TV. "Chopped" during her, um, chop, I guess.) RJ2 definitely does not have my hair, in that hers is super thick. It takes a long time to do it well (that being a subjective term).

After I brushed her off, she quickly ran to the bathroom to look in the mirror. Then, in her way of styling, put water on the front pieces to part and flatten as she likes it. Hmm..... So glad it's trimmed for the summer, finally!

CJ's is trimmed, too. Long, long, long--as in, almost time to consider a send-off for donation. Having hair more like mine makes it a little quicker to cut. But, it's harder to make it a smooth look all the way around when you don't have as much hair to play with. She would rather I just leave it all be until donation time. A little trim every now and again will help it meet that 8-inch requirement sooner. I'm thinking she might make 10 inches this next time. Woo!

Besides still trying to get the house back together, I've been trying to find ways to clean out the fridge. When we return from the beach house, our house is the place that receives the leftovers from the beach fridge. The leftover meal items tend to go quickly, as do pantry snacks and any desserty items that weren't consumed at breakfast on check-out day. The problem is with the accumulated condiments. If I tagged my posts, I could find the one that talks about condiments. They are a challenge.

As much as I don't want to make too much new food, sometimes it's a necessity, just to finish off the condiments--which, I have been told by my sisters, do not last forever. ("Don't put those in a box and bring them to the beach next year!" I sense some kind of George Carlin bit developing here....)

So, I made potato salad for dinner, with leftover mayonnaise and mustard, and fresh rosemary from our little herb collection. Nothing spectacular, but it used up a half-finished jar of mayo--yes!! I also made RJ2 homemade cinnamon French toast sticks out of the plethora of bready items that have accumulated. This is when being gluten-free is really tough. So much bread. So many leftovers I can't finish.

"Throw it out!"
"No!"
"But you can't eat it."
"So. I can make it into...something someone else can eat."
(The look)
"I can make bread...cookies! Yeah...."

Watch me! (gulp!)

Crafty Fun

2011-07-06T14:08:00.003-04:00

Settling back into routine after another amazing family vacation week at the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Ah.... Mounds of dirty laundry folded and put away now affords me a few minutes to sit down and recall yesterday.

RJ2 has started summer school, which, after two days--and two alarm clocks that have gone unanswered in the morning--is going as well as can be expected. She starts Parks and Recreation camp next week in addition to school, so she's got lots of fun and busy days in store.

CJ and I went to church yesterday to help with the "Mix as Usual" program. "Mix" is a neat thing. Older women in the church mentor younger women in crafty endeavors, like sewing, knitting and card-making. They also enjoy food and fellowship time. During this past year, I was one of their childcare helpers, freeing up the moms to fully participate unencumbered by leg-huggers.

The summer "Mix" offering is open to moms and their kids. CJ and I each facilitated a craft table, two of five presented to the group. CJ operated "Crayon Cupcakes," her well-known project of turning broken crayons into recycled cupcake-shaped crayons for giving to the Free Market--an outreach program benefiting an impoverished segment of Richmond needing a hands-up with basic needs. CJ wants those children to be able to be creative, and she hopes these crayons are a tool to help them.

I manned an origami table, using all of CJ's resources! Actually, when CJ's table wasn't busy--and, even when it was--I asked her to come over to demonstrate some origami projects I hadn't prepared but the kids requested doing. She was WONDERFUL in handling all of these kids' requests. Such a fun demeanor she has with these little ones--even making paper airplanes. (Hard to believe that's actually in the origami book!)

A great time was had by all who came out. Moms were peeling crayons and pretty much exhausted CJ's supply. You can see the results above, to be added to a collection CJ has already started. I helped two girls make several different projects, and then sent links of helpful origami sites home to the moms for more fun.

The best moment was when a young boy asked to make a rocket. Had no instructions for an origami rocket. But, the instructions for the frog had a picture halfway through that resembled a rocket. What a wonderful display of creative thinking in this one. He took the instructions that far and had a great rocket! A made-my-day moment!!

OK. Thunder is picking up. Still some laundry to fold. Off for now....

Friday's mail is here!

2011-07-01T23:02:00.003-04:00

Quick update, since there's not much time left in today....

Fridays are always great. The schedule gets lax, though, as we spend an extra long time with everything--beach time, pool time, meals, family pictures, and the dreaded packing up to go home. So, I have to keep it short and get ready to pack up some food and stuff!

RJ2 enjoyed another splendid day at the beach--sitting in a bed of shells (which she really, really likes!) and throwing wet sand into the ocean. CJ was on the board and really didn't want to get off it! That's her with my Dad in the video. (As for me, I have video of my boogie board run on my Facebook page, thanks to a link from my sister.)

Like I said, keepin' it simple. I'm beat!! Slow trip home tomorrow.....

Thursday's mail is here....

2011-06-30T22:00:00.002-04:00

Warmest water at the beach so far this week. Too bad I was too tired to fight the waves today. But, as you can see, there was much fun to be had hanging out in the sand.

If you remember from yesterday, we're still working on "48-hour Family Restaurant Challenge." You could feel it was boys day today, as Grandpa sent the guys to the beach in the morning, so they would be ready to cook in the afternoon. The attack forts and safety moats went up quickly! RJ2, meantime, was enjoying a sand bath!

R and I got to go on a lunch date. The "Tailgate" dinner the boys prepared was a lot of fun and crazy delicious! (Even gluten-free breaded chicken! My family is spoiling me with gluten-free entrees and specials this week.) Kids finished out the night drawing chalk pictures on the driveway.

CJ went out shopping with the girls this morning; brought home a sweet bracelet (and some kind of tattoo!) RJ2 lost a tooth! She was so proud to celebrate. "Everyone, give a hand!" as she likes to say. And everyone did.

As I probably say every year, I can't believe it's the last full day at the beach tomorrow--already!?!! Looking forward to going all-out on the hottest day to come....

Wednesday's mail is here!

2011-06-29T22:38:00.003-04:00

If you have read my beach posts before, you know my family is pretty creative when it comes to having fun at the beach. (I know. As if the beach isn't fun in and of itself!)

We are playing "48-hour Family Restaurant Challenge." A bunch of Food Network fanatics we are! This isn't a competition, but the exhibition is just as exciting. Grandma took the girls and Grandpa took the guys. Each team of kids is to create their own restaurant--complete with decor, staffing and, of course, menu items for dinner. They have to cook and serve!

The girls were on tonight. We all enjoyed dinner at "The Salty Dog Cafe," and the service was terrific! (CJ opted to write a review of the dining experience; perhaps we can post that later.)

Otherwise today, one crew went off crabbing while the rest of us went back to the beach for an afternoon of excellent boogie-boarding. (I took one wave all the way into shore, baby--yeah!) Kids got ice cream off the truck. A morning shower was a welcome period of downtime. It's been a wonderful week so far.

OK, guys tomorrow night....

Tuesday's mail is here!

2011-06-28T21:47:00.005-04:00

My brother-in-law started the day with homemade French toast and bacon (not that I could have the French toast, but it looked great). He and my sister finished with these amazing kabobs! The family food has been marvelous. The weather is crazy warm, but the breeze kicks in every now and again.

Tuesday will go down in my memory as the day I rode the boogie board for the first time! It wasn't the old raft that we used to take to the Jersey shore in my pre-teen days. But, the technique is all the same, and it really did all come back like riding a bike. I had the best time!! As I was bringing the board back in, R asked, "Had enough?" I said, "Well, actually, it's kind of addictive." I'm hoping to venture back out into the waves tomorrow. Freeing and fun!

Monday's mail is here....

2011-06-27T22:53:00.002-04:00

The water continues to be warm and the surf continues to be vigorous for excellent boogie-boarding! Discovered that we can watch the family's surfers in the ocean while eating lunch at the counter in the home kitchen. Excellent! Hot-tubbing and a storm today. More warm water on the way!

Sunday's mail is here!

2011-06-26T22:20:00.003-04:00

Golly, is it beautiful here! Water temperature is perfect, which is good since every kid seems to be further and further out to sea! Growing up and playing hard!! It's fun to watch. Lots of swimming, too, and another fantastic sunset. Looking forward to more of the same for Monday....

Saturday's Mail

2011-06-26T00:11:00.004-04:00

My anklet is securely fastened. Trip down went great. Beautiful house with a marvelous view of the ocean. Kids went night swimming--all 9 of them! Can't wait to feel the sand and surf in the AM!

What a Friday!

2011-06-24T22:28:00.004-04:00

Best blueberry picking ever! 20 pounds in about 45 minutes. Really superb crop (at Swift Creek Berry Farm) and good-enough conditions (as in, not sweltering!). My niece has just finished up baking two blueberry pies as I'm writing this. Gluten-free blueberry coffee cake (a la Chatty Kelly) tomorrow morning.

The cousins did a great job.

We had a water break at the car before heading off for something really cool....

No waiting at the Short Pump Sweet Frog. Everyone enjoyed some yummy treats. And, we found out that frozen yogurt places seem to be sweeping the country, with everyone mentioning the name of a different place! Bring it on--more places to visit, in more places!

Today was the very, very last day of Wild and Wacky Waterworks. CJ was invited to come back to help next summer as a junior counselor. She'll have this lovely photo to remember her experience.....

Note the special jump rope they gave her. Not sure how I'm getting today's spitted dirt out of her shirt. (Spitted out of a super soaker. Don't be gross!)

The cousins couldn't wait to get together to play dance games on the wii. The video of this is much better than the still. They have amazing coordination for not practicing together. (And if you accept RJ2 as a soloist.)

Later on, RJ2 and cousin M sought out a new place to play--the open hatch of the Volvo, being prepared for packing for the beach. Ah, if only we could drive down to the Outer Banks with you two in the back....

The driveway is completely covered with greetings, name lists and fun phrases. You can just sense the [over-]excitement everywhere. It must be time for vacation.

And as the sun sets on Friday, we know that the landscape come tomorrow will change dramatically. Can't wait. If technology goes in our direction, we'll give you a peek. If not, we'll see you in a week!.....

Company's here!

2011-06-23T23:05:00.004-04:00

Time's up! Company's here!!

It's been a long day. Started out great. RJ2 was feeling super-responsible. "Mom, can you take my picture while I'm brushing my teeth?" What? You're brushing your teeth?! Yeah....

She was such a charmer this morning, carrying on lots of conversation over breakfast with a newly-come-home R. She knew company was on the way, and she couldn't wait!

I was wrapping up lots of things. Trying to make as much room as possible for guests' things. (The Expander is about half capacity right now. Gotta crank it up tomorrow!) Ironed up my niece's gift so she could open it up tonight.

This was not an easy shirt to make! The fabric was perfect for the application, but I am obviously not used to handling anything outside of cotton! It was very difficult to make it behave. It should be really comfortable, though. And the colors remind me of her.

CJ was back at water camp for day #3. They shot "stuff" out of super soakers. Slimy goo "stuff". Didn't know they could do that! They played tug-o-war with shaving cream on the rope. She just loves this kind of thing. Very last day ever tomorrow. I'm sure she's looking forward to it--even though her cousins are here.

The schedule experienced a major shift, with a big shopping trip messing up the dinner schedule. Couldn't get RJ2 to come this time and it would have been a tough deal if she had. My niece and I shopped for quite awhile, trying to get things taken care of for the next 2 days, before our trip. Fun times! She could have driven me to Kroger now if she wanted to. Oh my goodness! I purposely wore the T-shirt she made when she was a year old today. Now, she's driving!! We had fun, and she's probably still laughing over us trying to self-checkout with a full cart and an aunt who packs slimy chicken in bags, only to have her take it out for swiping!

It was a tasty--albeit late--dinner. Girls enjoyed time watching Food Network together. In the AM, we're off for fresh blueberries, southside. Looking forward to bringing lots of "big blues" to the beach.

Huge day Friday. Cooking for 16. Hope to get here for at least a picture post. If not, I might be eating blueberries somewhere.....

Wednesday, already....

2011-06-22T21:33:00.004-04:00

Gee.... What happened to that rainy Monday we had? I looked at the internet weather, and it said there was an advisory. I was hoping for a morning T-storm or something. Nope. One of those "bad air" advisories. Don't go outside because it could be bad for your health. OK. Got lots to do inside. (Although CJ still had water camp today. Lots of water, she said.)

RJ2 is keeping her wake up-and-play schedule, beginning some time after 6 a.m. Today, she went for the kitchen chalkboard and wrote out the alphabet, erasing tonight's dinner plans. That was OK, because CJ was integrally involved in dinner--

Spaghetti sauce is definitely her specialty, and she cooked up a fresh batch today. While she was chopping, sauteing and simmering, I started in on a new cookie recipe.

It's a Family Fun recipe for Orange Cornmeal Crisps. It's not a very appetizing name for a dessert cookie, but that it's mostly made with cornmeal--masa harina--is appealing as a gluten-free treat (with some modifications). RJ2 helped me juice the orange for the glaze.

Fresh zest, too, of course. The smell was incredible! Had to toss in a pinch of cloves.

And now, freshly glazed, they don't even look like cookies. They have been transformed into something that looks like an orange-glazed Grands biscuit! Having tasted one, I can tell you that the glaze is definitely needed. The cookie itself has very little sugar, and cornmeal needs a kick in some direction. They are all bagged up and ready to take to the beach next week!

We have more cookies to make, but, as has been the case this week, we've run out of supplies. I told RJ2 that we would have to make a store stop. [Remember, repetition of concept is good.] Today, we went to Kroger! I gave her the option to go back to Wal-Mart or try Food Lion, but she said Kroger, even though she almost immediately added that she didn't want to go shopping.

Kroger is tough. It's a very large store. She doesn't like the echoey sound in there, and they play music, too. We made it into the vestibule and we stayed there for quite awhile today. She said something about covering her ears. I said that would be OK. She still couldn't take the step inside. She knew, though, that there would be a donut at the end of the shopping visit. Two summers ago, I shopped with both girls in the morning, and they would be treated to donuts at the end of the trip. I reminded RJ2 about that a day or so ago; she remembered!

Eventually, some kids went through the vestibule doors, and their mom said Hi! to me. I said Hi! as she passed through, and then I realized I was alone in the vestibule! RJ2 had walked in and was waiting for ME to join HER! We made our way to aisle 9 (again!) and got some sugars and chocolate chips for baking tomorrow. Then, rather than push the limits in going for cream cheese and limes--the outer extremes of the store--I said, "Let's check out." She said, "Let's go get a donut!" Hardly slaying the dragon, but at least we made our presence known.

All the laundry is done, thanks to CJ, and we will start some packing tomorrow. The house has a million things to be picked up, but, oh well. I have taken the house expander out of the attic. We'll get that plugged in and....

What's that you say? Expander? Don't you have one?? It works on the same principle as one of those jumpy castles, only it blows up your home so you can house more people than you generally have on a regular capacity day. We'll have 16 people soon. Hope the expander survived the winter OK. (Repairing leaks is no picnic!) Maybe there's an Independence Day sale coming up and you can get a good deal.

Wow, almost Thursday already. Time to go do something useful, like sleep, maybe....

First? Day of Summer

2011-06-21T21:31:00.004-04:00

We've been on Summer Vacation since last week, and it's felt like summer--on and off--for the past several weeks. Still, stop by that calendar and look, and it shows you "First Day of Summer." A lazy, hazy, crazy one at that. Hmmm.... Not too crazy, though.

RJ2 is getting up regularly in the 6 o'clock hour. But, I applaud her for waiting until a minute or two after 7 to come into the bedroom to wake me up. As suggested in last night's posting, the day started with French pressed special roast, waffles and fruit.

Yeah, it's like eating at The Jefferson every morning around here...NOT!

The shared literature would probably have Tom heading out the door to his crops. But, I love it when RJ2 brings in a book to present and then changes up the whole thing to feature extended family members. "What a sad day Uncle Dave had!" She's looking forward to seeing family.

Speaking of books, had to laugh out loud when the phone rang and it was the library. Recall, we were there just yesterday afternoon. They picked RJ2's name in the week's raffle! Less than 24 hours after (almost not) signing her up for the Summer Reading Program, she wins a prize. And we make another trip up to the library for her new book:

Not Norman. A Scholastic book. Didn't get to read it tonight, because CJ read from her actual library books. I suspect it's not the fish the kid has grown to know and love. Maybe I need to pre-read this one....

As if a second trip to the library in two days wasn't enough, RJ2 walked into Wal-Mart with me this afternoon! We are running out of "chocolate cereal" (aka, Special K Chocolately Delight, Grandpa's favorite!) and "treats for going into the store well," as she would say. I said that if she wanted to have more of these things, then we would have to walk into a store. After several "I don't have to go's" since yesterday, after her library visit, she decided Wal-Mart would be the store of choice. More than the usual hesitation at the front doors, but, after greeting several customers--and being asked by a customer if she was the greeter today--she walked in.

Aisle 9, cereal, fruit snacks, PopTarts and Goldfish, and we were out! And she got a "treat for doing well at Wal-Mart." OK, so, who needs something picked up from somewhere tomorrow? She's ready. ("I love this car, don't I, Mom?")

CJ was not downstairs much of the morning, but she had a productive afternoon. Today was her first day of Wild and Wacky Waterworks camp, sponsored by the Stretch 'n' Grow folks, from whom she has taken many classes. This is her third year in this week-long program of getting doused, having fun with shaving cream, and, generally, getting extremely wet. (Did I say that this was a water camp?) She will become a "graduate" this year--being too old for eligibility next summer. The small class size this time around will probably afford her the most fun she could ever have.

Here's the "before" shot:

And....

Yep. Definitely wet! She looks so much happier, too, than in that first picture. She was covered with shaving cream and cheese balls, apparently, at some point during the afternoon. Wouldn't have guessed. She says it was "all the easy stuff" today. Guess they're saving the heavy artillery for Friday!

CJ also wrote some rules for using her computer for guests who come to visit. CJ loves to have computer time with cousins and friends, but even she can sometimes notice when things have gone too far or for too long. So, she's hopeful that some rules will help guide everyone's time, so they can enjoy themselves away from the technology, too. Good for her! We'll see how well she does with policing and enforcing. Nice that she's keeping up with folding the laundry, too. Of course, youth group nights at Cici's start up again in July. Helps to keep your coffers full when you eat megaloads of pizza!

Oh, and what came today?! Her first issue of Food Network Magazine! Is that "money" or what?

By the way, I finished my video. It's off for approval. Wish I could share, but not yet. I like it :-) ....

Still writing too much per post. I have another blog to write for posting tomorrow. It will serve as a nice reminder of what we were up to all summer, anyway. Next week, it's postcards from the beach! And I mean postcards...really....will try....

No Business Like Show Business

2011-06-20T21:19:00.003-04:00

Rainy days and Mondays. Always get me...wet!

The weather played a little havoc today, in that it caused CJ's "Wild and Wacky Waterworks" camp to be cancelled?!!? Due to it being "too cold" for the activities?!!? Even CJ said early on in the day that it would ruin the shaving cream to have things be too wet. (Yes, they throw shaving cream!) In the end, though, by afternoon, the sun had finally broken through for good and things warmed up nicely. Oh well.... If anything, there could have been a lot more slipping than usual. So, she has a make-up session on Friday afternoon.

RJ2 stayed content by orchestrating field day for Princess Dora and the other subjects of the Crystal Kingdom Castle. She trode the wet Croc-kets (tee-hee...that's for R) out to the sandbox and unearthed the Barbies from their overnight sand wraps. They are now sitting around the completely sand-filled pool (nevermind that I emptied it yesterday), chatting about Ken, Brad and Rick and, somehow, not choking on the grains falling off their faces. Those girls are amazing....

With the change in schedule, we opted for a library outing. The middle school library won't open again until July, and CJ desperately needs reading material. RJ2 hasn't been to the library since.... Exactly.

We had a GREAT trip! CJ took her recycled bag and loaded it up with goodies, including something she called a graphic novel that physically looks more like the dictionary. But, as she showed me, there are a lot of pictures--that's the point--and the font is large. I slipped a couple books for RJ2 into the bag, since she was too busy trying to talk to all of the other kids, parents and library helpers. She preferred talking over playing with the Thomas trains. I think it's all about relieving her anxiety over visiting new places. It seems to be working for her.

I learned how to use the self-checkout, and the librarian insisted that I sign up for the summer reading program. It was her second attempt that afternoon, and she really wasn't giving me a choice. "We're just keeping numbers on the adults. We won't call you for any other reason. I think the prize is a T-shirt." OK.... But, I get to read about 15 minutes a night--outside of whatever few minutes I can read into RJ2--before whatever I'm reading puts me to sleep. It's all about "the numbers." [Is the library going to close if I don't register?] The girls registered, too, so maybe we can have an organized reading time.

[Yeah... We'll see. Still remember barely being able to read seven books that one year my sister read like 109 Nancy Drew books in a row. Just don't do summer reading well....]

I did get caught up on some sewing, which was good, and dinner was leftovers, because we still had one special outing left to do. We went to meet RJ2's helper for Parks and Recreation camp. The sponsors had a meet-and-greet night at the middle school. Had been talking it up all day with RJ2 (and desperately hoping that they hadn't changed the person who was supposed to be helping her). Made it to the front door of the school and got stuck for a few seconds. Would we go in?

Fortunately, someone from RJ2's school was in the hall and gave her and CJ big hello's. We zipped right in! And, we proceeded into the busy cafeteria, full of other kids, parents and helpers. RJ2's helper came over to say Hi! and RJ2 started in with a huge smile and greeting and--there's no other word for it--show! That girl sang and danced and monologued and led her helper and CJ (but not me) in "Simon Says." Who is this girl? I'm never quite sure any more. But, again, I think she's working out her anxieties over new situations. If it takes a show.... It works for a lot of folks.

Now, with girls in bed, it's time to get back to the video I'm editing for the new Wednesday night program at church. If I can get it together and approved this week, you just might see it by the end of VBS next week--part of the Pandamania....

Better Editing Through Decaf.... [but, more likely, will finish over pressed "special roast" in the morning, when I'm a little more with it!]

Fill Me Up!

2011-06-19T19:28:00.008-04:00

It was not the most pleasant of days--warm and muggy here in Central VA--but we enjoyed a late-afternoon short shower, which was a welcome visitor. Before the clouds turned dark, I grabbed some "outside" Barbies (as opposed to those Barbies that will never know what it's like to have sand stuck in their joints and forever clung to their strands of hair) and headed for the sandbox. RJ2 was right on my heels and plopped herself right back into her dune from yesterday.

I watered a few flowers and bushes before making my way over to the sandbox with the hose. "Can you put water in it, Mom?" Oh, yeah!! Blogger is not letting me post the video tonight. But, if you could hear the sound of the hose dripping water into the pool, it would sound like my one and only trip to the spa. If it didn't cost money and involve electricity, I would install one of those recirculating water fountains.

I finished watering the rest of the backyard and popped back to the sandbox to see how things were going at the pool.

Not at all to my surprise, the pool was full of sand! I wasn't expecting the sand "wraps" the Barbies were receiving, but RJ2 was having a wonderful time! (And now you know why these will be, forever, "outside" Barbies.)

Back inside, it looks like cake, but it's waffles--cinnamon walnut granola waffles. A double batch! Our annual family reunion beach trip is right around the corner, so I opted to make some for the freezer. One less gluten-free appliance to bring to the beach!

Ready for honey and fresh strawberries, or Grandpa's fresh-cut pineapple!

Had a little more framing work to do today. This is the alligator RJ2 made that got hung up in the school hallway. It was a great study in texture, but, for RJ2, the best part was fingers in the paint! The girl loves to paint. Tricky framing, since I decided to do it myself--an 8-1/2 x 22" frame. Michaels will let you buy the parts a la carte, which I did with another super coupon. But there's no backing or glass, so you do have to fool with it a bit to make it all work. I did get it eventually, and it was great to hang it up in a tailor-made space in the girls' sea life art bathroom gallery.

RJ2 did a second "under the sea" piece, which I framed in a recycled art frame from Goodwill. ($4.25 beats any Michaels' coupon!) It's so much cooler in person. I think they must have used glitter paint or something.

And here it is on the wall, which is pretty much covered now.

Of course, today is Father's Day. We celebrated over breakfast, because this is a travel day for R. RJ2's banner set the tone. And you can't have a dog without naming it Kibbles!

Besides some yummy salsas, R also got a variety of perennial grasses. (The kind you don't have to cut weekly!)

I get to see my Dad in a few days. Looking forward to a week at the beach (as long as he makes the dinner coffee....) He may send really small E-mail photos, but he always sees the big picture.

That's some pretty old artwork from me under there. Wonder what the girls will do with my picture and their artwork in 30+ years....

Summer Vacation: Day 2

2011-06-18T21:13:00.007-04:00

OK...I'm sure I'm setting myself up for failure with that title, so I should just stop it! Ha! Ha!!....

* * *

"Mom. Maaaaa-om. Mom?"

Wait. I've heard this before. It was 2-something or 3-something this morning, but it was much more panicked. Why is it that the only word RJ2 can say between bedtime and wake-up time is--

"Hi, Mom."

She walked into the bedroom at 6 on the dot this morning. Saturday. No school. (Sigh.) This, after that earlier wake-up--due to rowdiness before bedtime and staying up too late [Called it!]--which put her right back to sleep again and me up for an hour or so. Needless to say, as she went to play "Curious George" on the computer, I went back to sleep on the sofa.

Turns out, I would not be the only one going back to bed today.

The door to CJ's bedroom remained closed between 9:45 and 1:30. Apparently at last night's lock-in at church, she "forgot" to sleep! Managed an hour of sleep "in a chair," I was told at her 9 a.m. pick-up time. Much fun was had, however, playing hide-and-seek in the dark and having a peanut butter--clarification: chunky peanut butter--facial that turned into a game of throw the Goldfish on my PB'd face! Wow... Makes me want to stay up just thinking about it! It was a blast, I guess, and she can now claim that she did her first night without [much] sleep much earlier in her life than her mom [AdLab, senior year of college].

Meantime, RJ2 and I checked out the pool for awhile. After lunch, I started a marinade for dinner. Fresh lime juice with sour cream. I'm sure they were having an interesting time mixing it up together....

The girls spent some time playing together in the afternoon, and I embarked on a project I've been talking about doing for weeks. It's a reinvention of the sandbox. R built the open-frame box while the JGirls were away on a trip somewhere. It's been so long ago, I'm not sure how many JGirls there were at the time. But, it has been a traditional sandbox, a productive bakery and a popular Hot Wheels raceway complex.

Today, it was just a big mess!

I spent some time cleaning out the old, broken plastic; the leaves, dead bugs and not-so-dead bugs; and the pine cones, and raked the surface even. Then, it was time to put in the four brand-new bags of sand, which was RJ2's favorite part, as she had to have her toes right underneath the spewing sand!

I was excited to show her my creation... Barbie Beach!

Sunken pool with sitting rocks. Oversized Adirondack chair. Drying-off area (no tanning allowed!) adjacent to a stone patio. Even some greenery!

Her response was to bury the greenery under a few inches of new sand! Clearly, when she heard me talking about creating Barbie Beach, she heard 'beach' and not 'Barbie'. I honestly think she wants the beach to herself! HA!! Oh, silly mom.... I suppose if I had actually had the Barbies, then maybe it might have gone differently. It was too late by that point to get them, much less fill up the pool, which would also have won her over completely. So, we'll unveil the whole thing again tomorrow, weather-permitting. I have already resigned myself to the fact that the pool will be full of sand and we'll have to rename it Lake Barbie. No prob!

It was another good day, though, albeit 6-o'clock AM girl definitely lost some steam early. Closing out with a new eat for us--flank steak. Hear about it on Food Network all the time but haven't tried it. [I couldn't even find it in the store!] It's all about the marinade (now featured as a sauce at serving time). Really delicious soft steak taco, and loving the fresh tomatoes and avocado!

Not ready for a Throwdown with Bobby Flay, but...Who makes a better Barbie Beach?!

On the First Day of Summer Vacation, My True Loves Gave to Me....

2011-06-17T19:45:00.004-04:00

It's the time of year when everything comes to a close. I have been saying goodbyes, addressing cards for thank-you gifts, or writing my own thank-you cards for gifts since May--not to mention making my last outings to stores sans girls! I have experienced this "second Christmaslike" season enough times to expect it, anticipate it and plan accordingly for it.

But, if you talked with me in the last week or so, you know that I have been crazy stressed because of the high-voltage, ear-splitting, patience-zapping "bomb" that is The Last Days of School!! I don't know who has been living here most of this week, but I don't recognize them. I'm not sure why I haven't expected, anticipated and planned accordingly for it. There is no such thing as a disarmament treaty for this, apparently.

The girls really love school. [No, now is not the time to interject with a "But....," CJ.] There is nothing better than having a regular flow to your day--in school and out of school. Something happens in June, however, that's like a rug being yanked out from under your Crocs. Both girls have struggled with getting through these last days--exams for one; Field Day, Pajama Day and all kinds of special fun days not usually on the schedule for the other. And, you know how it goes--all's well until you get home. Then, "it" comes out!!

* * *

But, now it's Friday, and there were no alarms or backpacks or buses. Everyone was in PJs until 10. The morning agenda? A celebratory beginning-of-summer outing to Michaels.

CJ received an extremely generous gift card for making origami flowers last summer. She had her shopping list and bag--and a 50% off coupon from me!--and came home with...treasure! Lime green duct tape, gum and erasers, among other goodies. Nervous at the checkout, she awaited the final total from the cashier. Wow! Only $15! The [Our] agony of the days prior completely dissipated. She happily stowed her treasure and proceeded to clean out her desk drawers!

RJ2 was the real reason we were at Michaels today. If you follow me on Facebook, you know that RJ2 had to buy a present for a friend's birthday. She had to be brave and go INSIDE the store to pick out something. She not only went in the store that day, and picked out a great gift, but she had the best time ever, talking about it for days. I promised the girls right there in the kids' section that we would come back the Friday after school finished.

A true sensory girl, she picked out a bumpy cucumber, a purple tentacled bracelet, a "finger aquarium" and Swedish Fish. She had to wait in several places, but she handled the store amazing well once again. "Just one store," she reminded me. We're still a one-store visitor, but, we're planning to make that "one store" a Target next week.

Not to be left out, I had my own list of things (that I didn't buy the day before--and I have all these coupons!). Now that the girls' artwork is finally coming home, I have the chance to make some selections and to frame some of my own treasures. Can you tell who that is?

CJ was in full-blown multi-media mode in her art class this past semester and made a self-portrait. This photo doesn't do the art justice. There is all kinds of texture and technique going on here. I just love it, and I love how she stuck with her own thoughts, even as fellow classmates were saying, "You're doing it wrong," [as if you can do art "wrong"!].

The girls enjoyed a really nice afternoon--organizing, playing, relaxing. CJ is at a middle school girls lock-in tonight at church, and I baked those yummy chocolate toffee cookies I make a lot. It was so pleasant to hear the happy hum of happy girls!

And, after the cookies, I moved on to something I could eat--gluten-free granola, from scratch! I baked the gluten-free oats with a little oil, honey and cinnamon, then added coconut, macadamia nuts and cranberries. Oh my goodness! Why have I been buying this stuff for so long? Crazy goodness!! The recipe actually calls for coconut oil--that would be truly outrageous and decadent. [It's expensive!]

Chocolate chip pancakes and bacon for the girls' dinner tonight. Yes, school must be over, for sure, now. Happy and thankful, they were! Five o'clock brought on some traditional, regular grouchies, but I told them to sit at the table with their sketchbooks and color or write until dinner was ready to serve. RJ2 drew pictures and provided captions that CJ wrote in. Once CJ gets a writing implement in her hand, then she just has to use it:

[A note on the "no spend attitude": CJ likes to save all of her money. Unless she knows she has to spend it, like to buy breakfast at Chick-fil-a, so she can eat with the rest of her small group. We've been talking about the importance of using your gift cards when you get them.]

She started by drawing the picture of the girl, complaining that all her people don't look like people. [Huh? They do so.] She asked who I thought it looked like. I said it looked like her. From there, she drew the entire background and all the details, adding the extra frames and captions. "OOPS! Only problem is, I drew it in RJ2's sketchbook." Thinking tomorrow night's sketch will be back in her own book!

So, the day finished with CJ off to her lock-in. RJ2 and I watching deer frolic in the field across from church, with an amazing sunset behind them. Then, with Mom and Dad all to herself, RJ2 had a Q&A session with fill-in-the-blanks (ala, "Don't forget the Lyrics") followed by stealing Dad's Nats' cap and a massive giggle fest. [Wonder if she's asleep yet? I know CJ isn't.]

Glad that Friday was a new day in the truest sense of the word--the first day of the new season that is Summer Vacation. [And, perhaps a few more blogs????.....]

"WOO!!!" Nellie

2011-04-26T21:21:00.004-04:00

"It's Tuesday--WOO!!!"

I'm not sure who started it first--RJ2 or me--but the proclamation of the day with a "WOO!!!" is definitely a bright point in the day (when she remembers to "bring it!"). She usually remembers in the car on the way to school. Helps me to not take the getting-to-school traffic so seriously.

But, the best part about this little ritual is that it works wonders with any day of the week. Try it yourself.

"It's Wednesday--WOO!!!" (And you get an alliteration kick with that one!)

"It's Friday--WOO!!!" (Proven winner; been around for decades....)

"It's Sunday--WOO!!!" (At first, I thought I might not like this one. Can you "WOO!!!" the Sabbath? But it brings such a smile to your face and joy to your heart. God works through a "WOO!!!")

"It's Monday--WOO!!!" (Oh....you just try it in a few days....)

Can you be "WOO!!!"'ed into your day??

* * *

By the way, if you're wondering what RJ2 is wearing, it's an in-the-door puppet theater. She may not always want to see the show, but she definitely likes to BE the show!

A Little Fiction...But Not Much

2011-04-02T21:33:00.004-04:00

I'm not sure if I have ever written a fictional entry on this blog. I'm just not a fiction gal. Don't read it; don't write it. Well, until tonight....

* * *

The Body Company is known for its steady contributions to day-to-day life. In season and out, its production was strong. Occasionally, some external fixes were required for maintenance and general wellness. Internally, it ran with consistent precision. That is, until the day when longtime manager of internal mechanisms, T. Roid, got into a scuffle with the brains of The Body Company operations, Mr. Pit.

For as long as The Body Company had been established, Mr. Pit and his upper-level directors guided the activity of T. Roid's division. It had been a very happy working relationship. When it was time for the division to take action in an area of the company, Mr. Pit messaged T. Roid, who then sent out his messengers to the necessary locations in the company to take care of business.

One day, T. Roid had a shakeup at work. The Body Company never knew what hit it. But, suddenly, T. Roid became ill--ill in that strangely power-hungry kind of way that it consumed him, affecting his ability to do his job properly. Mr. Pit would send his requests for jobs to be done, but T. Roid decided that he was in charge and he would create the work. He wanted his division to do more--MORE! And not just more, but faster--FASTER! His actions put The Body Company at risk.

All on his own, T. Roid managed to severely increase the output of his division, which was an effort not duplicated throughout the other divisions of The Body Company. In fact, the other divisions were starting not to be able to keep up. The bottom floors were swollen with work. The midsections could not process their work as they usually did. Every hand in the company was trembling! The whole place itched for a change, but Mr. Pit was unable to stop the production of T. Roid, who actually managed to generate new office space within the confines of The Body Company!

As if that wasn't enough trouble, The Body Company was independently audited. But, for Mr. Pit, it was the best outcome he and the upper-level directors could have hoped for. T. Roid was found guilty of running the company amuck. The auditors slapped The Body Company with a dose of their own medicine, in the hopes of appealing to whatever ability T. Roid had left. But, it was too late. The independently wild pacing of T. Roid would soon be tamed and managed by outside consultants.

It is hoped that the right team (and a gluten-free cafeteria) will bring The Body Company back to its steady, consistently precise nature so that it can continue to be a positive influence in the world.

* * *

In other words, better living through chemistry....

Looking for The Sound of Music

2011-03-16T21:22:00.003-04:00

"When are you going to post another blog?"

It's becoming a perennial question at the homestead. Of course, I do publish a blog every Wednesday, just not here. (See my sidebar.)

I'm posting a blog tonight to let you know about my latest adventure in music. I'm now facilitating a middle school boys praise band at the K-8 school that meets at my church. I'm having a difficult time coming up with a title for myself, and 'facilitator' seems to be the best word for now. (Something just shy of referee)

I've taken over the job that was previously held by the Minister of Music and Arts at our church--Facilitator #1. He has a lot of personal things going on and wisely felt it best to take himself out of the school responsibility. Having worked with the school last Spring--filling in for the music teacher and facilitating (there's that word again) the drum circle--I was excited when they called upon me again, asking if I would take on the band.

I came to it with some caveats. I haven't played in a praise band and I haven't worked with middle school boys much. But, with my many years directing handbells and exploring music with younger kids, I offered my "ensemblizing" skills. The boys auditioned and were taking lessons outside of the band. If I didn't have to teach them how to play, it seemed like something I could handle.

The first meeting, last Tuesday, I thought had gone fairly well. I asked them to tell me about themselves and their experience playing. We talked about things we could work on for the remainder of the semester. OK. When it came time to play, the boys said they had no music--it had all come from the last facilitator. Next week, then. And I'll be prepared.

Tuesday came. I had labeled folders and printed out music parts. It's amazing that you can find free chords for guitar and keyboard as well as drum parts for songs on the 'net. We got ready to play through some music, and that's when reality really hit.

I was told that the boys came to the band with varying levels of experience and talent. That couldn't have been more clear on Tuesday. Even with A-minor written on the music, the keyboardist wasn't used to playing chords and didn't know how to make an A-minor chord. He can play anything he has figured out on his own beautifully. The guitarist couldn't make the A-minor chord with much speed and become flustered. The bassist didn't have an amp, so he decided not to play. The percussionists were doing their best, but I had to tell them to stop, as no one else was getting it--at least, not at the same time.

Directing a middle school band is not like directing a bell choir, with everyone learning together and working on the same instrument. And middle school boys are...middle school boys. The drama is what left me shaking my head, leaving the class for the day. "Don't you all just want to play?!" I wanted to scream at them.

I'm putting my teacher hat on now. (Tired of facilitating.) Taking a page from handbell directorship training. Your ensemble will only be as good as your "least common denominator." So, I'm scaling back the number of songs to less than a handful. Working up basic chord sheets and guitar fret diagrams and drum arrangements. Taking next Tuesday at a snail's pace, just to keep us all together. The final goal come June is two songs and a rap song/video.

Could be a long 11 weeks, but, as I told the school's director, I'm up for the challenge.

However, hints on dealing with the drama are appreciated!

Photo: flickr.com

A County Champ

2011-02-28T08:47:00.006-05:00

Yesterday, CJ captured 2nd place in the literature category for middle-schoolers at the Hanover County Reflections competition. The National PTA sponsors the annual art and literary contest for students. Individual competitions are held at schools with winners progressing through various levels up to the national level--much like the National Spelling Bee. (And, you probably remember my involvement coordinating the effort at CJ's school last year!)

CJ won for her school and then took 2nd place among the county's middle schools. Needless to say, we're very excited and proud of CJ's achievements. Her language arts teacher is overjoyed with CJ's work and is her biggest fan (after us!). It is so wonderful to have an encouraging mentor and a cheering fan as your teacher! When I asked CJ if I could share her work, she said, "Sure, if it brings in more crayons." So, read and enjoy--and let me know if you have crayons!

* * *

Together We Can....
Turn Crayons Into Cupcakes

Peel. Scratch. Peel.

Crayon shavings litter the table, creating a colorful rainbow of paper. Silver muffin tins glimmer like shiny quarters. If you look amongst the peels and scraps, you'll see my mom and me talking and laughing as we rip off crayon wrappers and sort the crayon into little piles. This might seem like a chaotic scene to you, but to me this is one of our favorite charity projects: Crayon Cupcakes.

It all started with a charitable organization in Virginia called the Free Market. The Free Market lets poor people in Richmond pick out a certain number of items for their house, kids, and themselves so they'll have the things they need to live, work, and play. When I heard about this cause, I wondered how many children had art supplies. I wanted those kids to express themselves, too! So I set up an ad in our neighborhood paper, collected all the crayons I could, and started Crayon Cupcakes. We take old, broken crayons, melt them down, and donate them to the Free Market. Crayon Cupcakes got its name from the shape the muffin tins turn the crayon wax into.

The first part of the process comes when we sort the crayons. This is one of my favorite parts, because I get to see all the unique names for one color. There's no yellow, but there is lemon, sunshine, or electric light. There's no green, but there is evergreen forest, spring shrubbery, or lime. I bundle up groups of crayons from all around the color spectrum into Ziploc baggies and store them away in my closet. There they sit patiently, waiting until the day of melting.

Next, we wait until Mom remembers to purchase muffin tins at Kroger and pick a day to start our crayon fest. When the time comes, we haul all the broken, abused crayons out of hiding and perform what I think is the most tedious part of the process--PEELING. I put up a good fight with the stuck-tight wrappers that proclaim, "I am Crayola! Buy me!" But I remember where these Crayon Cupcakes are going and fight till the end. Later, Mom and I will mix and match crayons to make ocean blue or greenish yellow tan. Then it's off to the oven for baking.

While the crayons melt and slowly morph into their cupcake form, I doze off on the green couch in the family room next door, wondering about the families who will get these crayons. Mom tells all kinds of stories about how grateful kids are for the school supplies they've received through the Free Market. She once said a girl was so happy once that she opened up the box and sniffed the crayons! Will my recipients act the same? I ponder these questions and more until I hear Mom call, "I think they're done!" from the kitchen. Then I'll race in to check on our brand new cupcakes.

As the cupcakes cool, I'll marvel at the intricate web of color in each melted mass. Next, we stack the crayons and put them on separate wax layers in a box, usually decorated with signs that say "Crayon Cupcakes! 38 unique, original colors!" Finally, we leave the crayon cupcakes at our church's "Drop Spot" for Free Market donations. As the crayon box slides into the bin, I'll realize that I'm not just giving back to the community, but I'm getting something else too: the satisfaction of giving to others.

And that makes me feel good!

Friday Night Means Basketball

2011-01-29T09:20:00.003-05:00

RJ2 started playing basketball with the Upward Challenger League at a neighboring church. Last night was the official first practice and game. She plays for the Comets. (There's a celestial theme for the four team names.)

This church has designed these basketball nights to be very much like professional basketball games--peppy warm-up music, Upward cheerleaders and even one of those very expressive basketball public address announcers, who announces each child's name as he or she enters under the tunnel of cheerleaders and onto the court. (Will try to record the lineup announcements next week.) All of which are extremely stressful for someone like RJ2, who really just likes to bounce the ball in place and then run the court.

But, she has a perfect helper, Sara, who is a special education Kindergarten instructor at another school in our county. Sara handled all of RJ2's responses to the overwhelming atmosphere and ran with her step for step the whole night. (They played four 6-minute periods.) And the two of them laughed and laughed, high-5'd and hugged. Made a tough first night a joy to watch. We know RJ2 is going to have even more fun next week.

Go, Comets! Go, Upward!!

Sleigh Ride

2011-01-12T22:28:00.003-05:00

As promised, here is Part II of our exciting Winter adventure in New Jersey: Sleigh Ride!

As Brian Setzer says at the end, "What kind of sled is that?!" Slick bobsled-like track, all right! And our toboggan got some great use, too.

Our legal department is saying that we need to add this before we sign off for the night: No one was hurt in the process of making this video. (That kid who flew off the track was O-key-dokey!)

2011-01-12T14:28:00.002-05:00

We had the best time over Christmas break visiting with my Mom and Dad in New Jersey! It brought back so many wonderful memories....of sledding down the driveway!!

The J Girls joined their Maryland and Massachusetts' cousins in doing everything my sisters and I used to do--backyard and front!

This is video Part I: Snow Day! Part II, Sleigh Ride, is on the way. ENJOY!

O Christmas Tree

2010-12-26T19:22:00.002-05:00

Museum Deja Vu

2010-11-10T21:35:00.005-05:00

I know what you're thinking: Is this a new blog post or did you just edit the last one?

No, it's new. It just so happens that we went back to the Children's Museum tonight and I'm blogging about it. What delight to find out that museum night was to be on the same day as our visit to....the dentist!

RJ2 has known about this dental appointment for months. Let me remind you, she does not like going to the dentist! Dr. Chris is one of the most understanding dentists. A real put-you-at-ease kind of guy, while, at the same time, delivering the bad news. RJ2 really doesn't dislike Dr. Chris. But the thought of having someone else brush her teeth with that horrid rubber toothbrush is just too much to bear (which is why she had full sedation at her last visit).

So, RJ2 has been preparing for this visit. She's been reading all the books, reciting all the lines, chatting with friends over lunch at school about their dental visits and, basically, just psyching herself up. Of course, an hour before it's time to leave, she starts to break down. She doesn't want to go. As we get closer and closer to the office, she starts tearing up and saying that she's ready to take 3 deep breaths.

I remind her that after the dentist, we have a dinner date at McDonald's and a trip to the Children's Museum. It helps. She knows the drill....um....schedule.

As we usually do, I sign the girls in and RJ2 waits in the outside vestibule. Today, CJ has the large waiting room all to herself. I think the blaring Nick Jr. on the TV keeps RJ2 waiting in the wings. But, the hygienist calls us quickly, and both go back willingly, for a few steps. RJ2 starts breaking down again. But, with no other kids waiting in the back room, she calms down, sitting in the exam chair next to CJ and starting to brush her teeth with the base of some dental instrument, talking non-stop.

The hygienist decides that it will be better for RJ2 to be in "her" room, so we make our way over. Things are going well. RJ2 grabs the rubber toothbrush and places it on her teeth. This time, I got smart and brought a large hand mirror, so she could see what was going on in her mouth. Definitely helped! I had her "spin brush" with me, but the hygienist wasn't up for using that.

Had very high hopes that RJ2 was going to allow the hygienist to put the toothpaste on and the two of them would start brushing together. But then, we had a surprise. The hygienist started to raise up the chair before telling us her plans. The jolt got RJ2 (and me!) up all too quickly and made her completely out of sorts. Bummer!

She managed to calm down, but any thought of brushing was gone at that point. Dr. Chris came in and commented on RJ2's loss of teeth, and that things looked good in there! He had to do some scraping, but RJ2 had completely calmed (and was looking seriously into the mirror again). He had to apply that liquid fluoride varnish, which was a sufficiently yucky note upon which to have ended the visit. But, all in all, she took another small step forward in conquering the dentist's office.

And she knows her next visit is in May. (I'll have to make a note to have the hygienist use hand signals or Pig Latin when announcing the next 6-month openings....)

* * *

Chicken nuggets for dinner?! She had a Chicken Select piece tonight. Girl is full of surprises....

* * *

On to the Children's Museum for another "Special Night." The girls seemed to be the only returnees in the small crowd. But they had lots of fun!

RJ2 doesn't look thrilled, but it was her idea to have CJ climb into the farm truck with her.

The girls had a blast in the toddlers' area tonight. But, who wouldn't with all the fun foam stuff to walk on and climb through.

CJ on the museum's version of the "Big Comfy Couch." She's not feeling 100 percent, with a seasonal sinusy thing kicking up this week. But, didn't stop her from making the rounds....

Last time, the water activities ruled the night. Tonight, the museum had a special Thanksgiving heritage focus. We walked in and were immediately invited to crawl into a Powhatan Indian style tent. The staff also put together a great sensory exhibit in which the Powhatan figurines were buried in some 15-bean soup mix. We came back to this table again and again. The "10 Fat Turkeys" story time and the make-a-turkey-out-of-a-paper-bag exhibits, however, did not draw but a glance.

Lots of cool fidget balls and awesomely huge bean bag chairs were cool finds tonight, as well as being reunited with "Miss Megan." I chatted with her about the possibility of a "Bells and Boomwhackers" night. I may get the call for their January session. We'll see.

A really long day, but it closed out with 3--yes, 3--very tired girls. (Why am I still up?)

Nite-nite!

OOH, almost forgot. We went shopping again! Now I just need to splice in a few shots of Kroger and a cool soundtrack..... then, maybe, we can go!

Special Night at the Children's Museum

2010-10-13T21:43:00.003-04:00

It's not often we get to attend an inaugural event. Tonight was such a night.

The Children's Museum of Richmond hosted a "Special Night for Children with Special Needs." The museum opened its doors for two hours and hosted some kids who might have difficulty going to the museum during regular hours...like us!

We weren't sure RJ2 was going to walk in the doors. She has a really tough time entering unfamiliar places. We browsed lots of cool pictures of the museum's exhibits online at home, but you never would have guessed that as we approached the doors. We waited patiently and stared into the big glass-paned windows. Then, a museum employee came out to see us.

"Miss Megan" could tell we were having difficulty. She brought a big smile and said, "Hello!" which immediately cheered up RJ2 and got her talking. (She also brought a "social story" about having fun at the Children's Museum!) "Miss Megan" did her best, but RJ2 was reluctant. As "Miss Megan" returned inside, we all thought it might be time to head home.

But, after waiting a few more minutes, RJ2 walked to the doors and said, "All right, let's go inside." Of course, then she couldn't open the very tight doors! We did make it in, ever so slowly, and the warm welcoming smiles of staff inside--and "Miss Megan" taking RJ2 directly to the exhibits--made for the start of a great night!

We pretty much saw everything! CJ has been itching to go to the Children's Museum for weeks, and since siblings were invited, it was the perfect opportunity to go together. She was our tour guide for the evening, and a good cow milker!

RJ2's very most favorite activity (and calming place) is this fountain, which comes at the end of a large river exhibit filled with plastic boats and one really huge rubber duckie!

There is a "backyard" at the museum, which is filled with sand toys, climbing toys and musical instruments. And this flower that my folks and sister have growing at their houses.

CJ insisted that RJ2 check out the cave exhibit, complete with (stuffed) animals, like that orange snake (far left) that you might find in a cave. RJ2 grabbed the snake and started running with it. I feared she might bring it back to the water fountain. "He lives in the cave," I said. (Whew!)

The museum has a very cool shadows exhibit. An image of plastic balls is projected on this screen. But, if you jump or move your arms forcefully--as if pushing the balls--the balls move across the screen! It's a perfect place for shadow dancing and, for RJ2, singing "Kibbles' Rockin' Clubhouse." ("It is time to clap your hands....")

A grocery store is almost a must-have for a children's museum. I didn't think RJ2 would have any interest in here, since she can't take a step in the grocery store these days. Wow! Not so.... She grabbed a cart as soon as she saw one and started right in shopping for fruit and garlic! Then, she got baked goods from the bakery. Finally, some staples, like Gushers and plain spaghetti, from the back shelf. CJ scanned her items and I bagged her groceries. "Miss Megan" came by to shop with us, and we learned that she used to teach 3rd grade in our school district!

Finally, in honor of Uncle Jeff, we had to drive the ambulance! This was another highlight. No sooner had she left the wheel than RJ2 went out the back of the ambulance and right back into the driver's seat! Not a bad fit....

One last visit at the fountain, then it was off to the entrance again. "Miss Megan" was waiting, seeing off other children. RJ2 had a last goodbye for her, which, no doubt, made her night. She certainly made ours! For thinking we might have spent the night in the car driving to and from without ever entering the museum, we all ended up having way more fun--and we have a pass for 3 more free visits on Special Nights!

Does this mean we'll be shopping at Kroger again soon? Only if we can get a little cart.... and maybe Miss Megan....

All Around the Town....

2010-10-03T21:29:00.005-04:00

With summer being so hot this year, it was difficult to think about planning short-term excursions anywhere. Sure, we did the long trek in August. It's tradition! But we didn't make many day-long picnic/hike/park outings locally. We're making up for that as the Fall season is just getting started.

A week after we hiked Zoar State Forest, we took a short drive to downtown Richmond and visited one of our favorite river stops--Belle Isle.

Belle Isle is right on the James River. You take a wonderful pedestrian bridge to reach it. (That's Route 1 above.)

It provides for spectacular open views and gives photographers a nice perch for those great cityscape shots they put in the tourism brochures. (It was worth hanging out on the bridge for a few minutes to wait for the train. Never-say-die PR person....)

There are some days when the James is mighty frothy and kayaks are aplenty. The drought has calmed things down considerably. But, the people definitely came out to enjoy a warm Sunday afternoon on the river rocks.

If you come down to the river
I bet you gonna find some people who live
And you don't have to worry if you got no money
People on the river are happy to give.
Rollin' on the river....

The James is full of rocks, which is why it can be a bit dangerous some days. On our outing, it was fairly tame, although kids maneuvering from rock to rock means you need to keep on your toes (and not taking pictures!).

Besides climbing on rocks, there is a long trail, part nature/part historical--that leads around the island. The trumpet lilies from Zoar also found themselves in a thick patch of vines near this swampy lake...

with a turtle!

We enjoyed sitting on the rocks for quite awhile. We also met some puppies. The trail is a very popular spot for people to bring their pets (for a swim!). Overheard a man talking with some other dog-walking visitors about his teeny tiny gray-furred pup that he found. This little puppy wouldn't stop coming over to us for a nuzzle. Tried to follow us back onto the trail. [No, we're still not getting a dog...really...but it was starting to tug on some old heartstrings.] Anyhow, his new owner called him back--"AWOL. Come here, AWOL!" Of all the names....

Although we ended up coming home really muddy (and somewhat damp, in some cases), we had a good time.

* * *

This past weekend, we went to a local carnival, "Celebrating Families." A local church has put on this event for the past 3 years for special needs kids and their families. This was the first year we decided to venture out and take in the sights.

As soon as we pulled in the parking lot, RJ2 spotted the jumpolene. Oh boy! Would she ever leave?!

We did manage to pull her out for a bit. Had to check out the cool trains running around the parking lot. Waiting on line, we discovered one of RJ2's classmates from preschool with her mom and sister. Wow! Fun!! All aboard....

Little red caboose
Little red caboose
Riding behind the train....

As we were walking through the array of stations, CJ noticed the gigaballs. She spent most of her time at the carnival either inside one of these or helping to push someone else who was inside one of these. Definitely not for me, but the kids found it quite fun.

Of course, we had to make one last stop back at--you guessed it--the jumpolene. Practically shut it down with RJ2 inside. We decided to make the carnival a stop for next year, for sure, and we'll have to make it a date with our old friends.

Into October now, with a middle school dance, a big anniversary, birthdays and trick-or-treating still to come. Hoping our delighfully cool weather sticks around for a bit and that the girls will entertain their mama's wish to go back to Zoar one more time in the changing leaves. We'll see....

One thing's for sure, the new interest in hand-clapping games will keep these girls giggling and playing together for awhile, yet.

The Fresh Beat Band went to the store
Here's what they spent their money for....

Zoarin'

2010-09-12T13:47:00.002-04:00

We went on a hike through Zoar State Forest yesterday. Enjoyed beautiful blues skies, a mixture of trees and sweet-singing birds. The recent drought hasn't helped the marshy environments within the forest, but perhaps last night's rain will provide some small relief.

Looking forward to going back in a month to note changing leaf color. Plus, there are two nature trails near rivers still to be explored.

Such a swell find. A gem in the "backyard," if you will....

And....They're Off!!

2010-09-07T08:13:00.003-04:00

One, clearly ready for the challenge of middle school. Yea, CJ!

The other? Well....

It's OK, RJ2.

Actually, by the time she was dropped off at school, she was leaping for joy out of the car and dancing her way into the building. Go figure!

Yes...They're off!

Summer Send-Off

2010-09-05T21:14:00.005-04:00

Tomorrow marks the official end of summer. OK, well, summer is not officially over, technically. You will still find several days before we get to Autumn on the calendar. But, you know, it's Labor Day and school starts on Tuesday [finally!]. So, since there's one more day to go, what a better time to check out the end-of-summer vacation pics!

We spent a really amazing afternoon at The Discovery Museum of Acton, MA--Massachusetts being the first state stop on "Cousin Tour 2010." RJ2 is sitting in front of a roadway on which the kids can ride bikes and trikes, or set up play road signs. We enjoyed a picnic lunch and some time in a very large sandbox before heading inside Part #1, the Children's Museum.

This is part of the museum's water display room--this exhibit, explaining how water travels down a river. A recirculating pump that the kids can control sends the water back up to the top. Plenty of duckies! RJ2 and cousin, H, had a great time.

I just love the realism in the museum's diner! RJ2 and H are cooking up lots of things in the kitchen. The glow you see comes from lit-up burners on the stove--great touch! CJ is waiting for her food in this swanky stylin' booth, complete with jukebox. (Wish they actually worked; great way to take in some extra money for the museum....although it would probably cost a fortune to pay the rights to play the tunes in the first place.) The murals throughout the museum are wonderful! Really fun....

When we finished our time at the Children's Museum, we walked across the parking lot toward Part #2 (the Science Museum). But, being the excellent kid-friendly place it is, the museum set up some great exhibits to play with along the way. This is a Slap-a-Phone! Although the kids seem to be looking into the holes as if this was a multi-manned periscope, they should be slapping the PVC tubes, making cool sounds. (Their own version of "Blue Man Group.")

As if that wasn't enough, they had a whole music room inside, complete with this PVC and wood block xylophone! I took a bunch of pictures, thinking, in my silly ole head, that I will craft one of these for the backyard. Remember that scene in the movie, Big, in which Tom Hanks dances on the giant foot piano with such childhood glee? That was me, here. They had to drag me away while I was trying to play the theme from The Flintstones. (The museum had the music there. How could I not try it?)

Wall of shadowboxes. I'm thinking I have new inspiration for the playroom....

Next stop on the "Cousin Tour" was, actually, Grandma and Grandpa's house! But, we did see more cousins there, so that worked out nicely. CJ joins her cousins on a tube. There was lots of cross-ball, jumping, splashing, etc. Just like old times....

RJ2 enjoyed the swim. We swam both days we were there--one day in a light rain and the other day clearly overcast. Didn't bother anybody!

CJ had the special privilege of trying out Grandpa's SCUBA equipment! It was not as fun breathing from an air tank as she thought it might be. But, she really enjoyed scoping out the pool below the surface with the full face mask and snorkel. (Fins came later.)

The water theme continued into warm (not hot, for a change!) Ohio. We have enjoyed some activities that are now tradition when it's August in Ohio and the J Girls are in town. The plastic pool came out along with the super soakers, and everyone had fun spreading water every which way.

Cooling off with games indoors. (And making Cousin Studios' latest video productions!)

Camping out in the backyard! This is a "before" shot. By the time morning came, only three of the five cousins were still in the tent. For RJ2--buried and asleep in the LOVE sleeping bag--this was her first campout, and she made it all the way through. Although CJ is a backyard campout veteran, a pesky round of congestion brought her inside before midnight. Next year, perhaps, they'll get me out there.

And Bella the dog--the REAL Bella the dog!--showed off her soccer (er....volleyball-setting?) skills for us before we left for Virginia.

We returned home, some 2,000 miles later, and have had these past two weeks to unpack, resettle and enjoy some take-aways from our trip. Aunt Ed gave RJ2 some cool new Sesame Street cards on which to trace letters and numbers. RJ2 took it one step further, adding her own characters and even one card with a sentence: "Mom says no." (Yea!...sigh)

CJ received a birthday present from Grandpa--a fantastically made 'tween mirror. How can you not look sharp in that?!

All in all, 10 days of amazing fun and good times with the family! Fun photos and videos to view. Cherished memories now on file, to add to those already stored from summers gone by. Talk of next summer already begun (and "Can we stay longer?!?!").... Thanks, guys, for EVERYTHING!

P.S. Decided just to shoot the front cover of the Herald-Progress with CJ's theater camp story. She would be the speared one on the far-right.

Bye, Bye Summer!

It's all blending together

2010-08-01T18:36:00.007-04:00

Happy August!

August marks a shift in the schedule of the past three weeks. Although there has been much to celebrate and enjoy, we could all really use a change of pace!

Who's that girl?

CJ just had the wrap-up party for three weeks of theatre camp. (Yes, they use the British spelling. It is the theatrrrrrrr, after all!) The afternoon camp included sessions on make up, costuming, the psychology of color, stage combat, improv, commercial scripting and production, headshot photography, and music (and other things I've probably forgotten that CJ will probably mention on her blog).

Last Friday night at the camp Showcase, CJ demonstrated her stage combat skills in the recreation of an historical battle scene.

The young warrior is the first to take her position on stage.

The battle begins.

A duel--and dual--hit!

And CJ becomes the battle's first casualty, leaving her duel partner blinded, but still able to participate. (Apparently, she dies the following day. Fortunately, this was a time-lapse recreation!)

CJ also was a lead "cuckoo" in the Showcase's finale, "So Long, Farewell," from [Mom's] favorite musical, The Sound of Music. We played her rehearsal CD in the car to and from camp for two weeks, giving RJ2 ample opportunity to memorize the song, which she now sings all the time!

If you asked CJ what her favorite part of camp was, I'm fairly certain she would point back to week #1, in which small groups of kids brainstormed ideas for a commercial. They worked with a director to script the commercials and to gather the necessary props, rehearse the lines and more. (It was also nice to have an Emmy-winning commercial producer on hand to supervise all the projects!)

CJ really loved everything about the process. This is the closing scene from her commercial--in which she is the lead narrator/product endorser (for chocolate). When we receive her camp DVD, perhaps she'll post the actual commercial. [It's very good, and I'm really not being biased!]

Many kids from the camp go on to participate in a full-blown musical in a production that is separate (yet related) to the camp. CJ wasn't ready for that step this year. But, so she can see what next year might hold, we will go see "Willy Wonka" this Friday. She might come home dreaming about next summer....

* * *

RJ2 has delighted everybody in the house with her sudden attachment to a pet dog.

She calls him Kibbles, which is the name of the dog on a video that she watched frequently at school. Kibbles is really a human in a dog costume who teaches kids about issues that can be socially challenging, like understanding feelings. Although Kibbles is much larger on the video screen, I suppose we can see the resemblance in this dog.

This dog, by the way, is a golden retriever puppy that I gave to my husband more than 20 years ago. [And his name is Humphrey, after Bogart! Oh well....he is well-loved.]

Kibbles comes for breakfast pretty often. He gets lots of snuggles, enjoys nighttime reading with RJ2 and keeps his barking to a minimum.

It's all terribly cute! [No, we're not getting a dog.]

Funny, too, is that the other large stuffed dog that we have in the house--the one who used to be called Rusty--is now called Bella, my sister's family's dog. [I'm totally serious about not getting a dog. Really....]

* * *

I'm in the midst of making selections for the JuBELLees concert schedule this year, which kicks off September 5th! Hey, look--it's the concert in Central Park! HA!!.... (sigh) Much work to do, still.

Looking forward to our upcoming travel and visits with family. One last break before we flip that calendar toward September and say, "So long, farewell" to summer!

Fall In To The Gap

2010-07-24T14:24:00.002-04:00

We have been preparing in these last two weeks for the departure of RJ2's top middle tooth. We've been reading lots of books on the subject, featuring many favorite characters. Although RJ2 has lost two teeth, we have had problems with holding on to them for any length of time. (Tooth #1 was lost under the sofa for a while. Tooth #2 went 15 miles down the alimentary canal.)

We pondered when the day would come, as the tooth had bucked out about as much as one can.

Well....

Today was the day, and she wasn't happy about it!

"Her tooth came out!!!!!" yelled CJ, from upstairs.

We all ran up and started to ask where it was (and to look on the ground, figuring it was going to be lost on the floor). Fortunately, CJ had been playing with RJ2 at the time and noticed that she ran into the upstairs bathroom. RJ2 only uses the upstairs bathroom for her shower, these days, so she clearly had another agenda.

Sure enough, RJ2 had thrown the tooth in the trash.

Those storybook authors really don't talk about what happens when the tooth literally falls into your hand. What do you do? Of course, we have been prompting her to give the tooth to a grown-up when it falls out. In the stress of the moment, though, all logic escaped.

We were all very happy to see this tooth come completely out, as its hanging out was becoming a difficult sight to view. It's now in the tooth fairy pillow, awaiting proper placement tonight.

And the girl with one less baby tooth is all smiles!

There is a hole in my mouth now.
It will fill up. Do you know how?
A brand-new tooth will take its place.
A brand-new part of my old face!

from My Loose Tooth, by Stephen Krensky

What To Do When Your Tooth Is Loose

2010-07-20T08:46:00.003-04:00

"My tooth is loose."

From the picture above, you'd think that RJ2 had already lost a tooth. But, no. That is the gap in between her loose tooth--the middle right one--and the one next to it. That gap continues to widen, and that middle tooth can't be holding on by much.

What do you do when your tooth is loose? Plenty!

When she's not in extended-school year, RJ2 has enjoyed playing the electronic keyboard. She knows the tuba part to the "Veggietales Theme Song" but she won't let me play the Larry the Cucumber's vocal line on top of that. I'm sure she'd rather do it herself, and, with enough time, she will play that by ear, too. She also enjoys listening to the "built-in" songs (at fast tempos!) and setting the "voice" to all percussion instruments.

It has been fun to listen to her sing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" this summer, because she learned what it was like to sing it in a round. When Grandma and Grandpa and the cousins were here a few weeks ago, they sang it that way around the kitchen table. RJ2 was captivated hearing all the voices, although she had trouble participating. Now, she sings what appears to be a disjointed version of the song, because she's singing all the parts! ("Row, row, row your Merrily, merrily, merrily, Row, row, row," Etc.)

Still wiggling.

RJ2 has been reading consistently, just not enjoying the new library fare I bring home. But, she is refreshing the home library classics by substituting familiar characters with real people and changing up the plot lines. (Mrs. Combs, Gigi and Cici have become common subjects in the Little Critter books, along with CJ and the cousins.)

We're also trying to keep up on her word cards from Kindergarten, to stay fresh before the launch of the new school year (all too soon, really). And, we sent off a card to her babysitter who is working at a sleep-away camp and requested mail.

With weekends in the pool, time visiting favorite kid websites, listening to music and story CDs and helping bake treats, RJ2's summer has been busy and fun. But no matter how many books we read about loose teeth, this one isn't coming out too soon.

Or is it?

(I know you're hardly waiting to see what that gap looks like when that tooth finally does pop out! A blog post for another day...in the future....)

Trying to Try

2010-07-16T10:41:00.002-04:00

Summer can often be a time of relaxation. I discovered a bit of that during the family beach trip this year. But, since we've come home, it seems we're on a faster pace than maybe even during the school year.

RJ2 is in extended school year, mornings, Monday through Thursday. CJ is in afternoon theater camp Monday through Thursday. We get 40 minutes for lunch in between travel time, and that zooms by. When we all do get home, there's an hour or so of wind-down time before dinner prep and the close-of-day activities.

I'm really glad to have the time to spend with each of the girls individually. But it does go fast!

At the start of the week, CJ had requested to play Monopoly. She loves Monopoly in all forms. Started with the Junior version. Advanced to the "regular" version last year. Played Pokemon Monopoly at the beach house. She even designed "Summeropoly" herself (which highlights activities she loves to do with her cousins in the summer) and transferred it, this summer, to a "real" game from a make-your-own Monopoly kit. (And, no, Mom is not allowed to play that version!)

So, we played Monopoly yesterday. But, not the regular form of the "regular" game. We played the "Speed die" form! We had two hours to play, and Monopoly can be a really REALLY long game with just two people. Still, I reluctantly said OK, and CJ launched into the directions (which we didn't quite follow to the letter, because it was new).

At the end of two hours, she had racked up $1500 in $100 bills, all of the railroads, many properties and a "yellow block" covered with houses and two hotels. Despite my attempts to dwindle her reserves and make deals for key properties that would allow me to conquer, I mean, build, she had me beat.

As for the "Speed die," it may have sped up the pace of the game in the beginning and definitely created some new move opportunities, but, in the end, we still hadn't finished after two hours of play. We did agree, though, that it was a fun time and a good game.

* * *

CJ and I have an ongoing discussion about the difficulty of change--embarking on new "projects" or changing what you have done all along to something slightly different. She has such a new project on her plate right now, and it's been hard to get started, even though she is fully capable of not only handling it but thriving through it.

I said that she isn't the only one who struggles with change. Probably more than half the world has a tough time with it.

She quickly brought up yesterday's "Speed die" game and my attitude about playing it. Can't say she's wrong. I didn't like the idea of Mr. Monopoly showing up on a die face and requiring me to consider a property purchase I didn't want to make, or having me advance to the next property space and pay the property owner what was due when my "regular" dice didn't put me on that space!

I may not stamp my feet and stammer "No!" any more, but reluctance over trying something new, even subtle, is still reluctance.

But, back to CJ, now that I have tried "Speed die," I am in an informed position of having an opinion. (And, I'd still rather play without it, even though the "on the bus" feature is cool!)

As RJ2's book that we read nightly (Todd Parr's The Okay Book) says, "It's okay to try new things." Chocolate-covered ants, "Speed die" Monopoly or .... ?

We have to try, though.

"Now"

2010-07-13T11:22:00.004-04:00

Summer days bring the opportunity for special mornings out. RJ2 is in extended school year and CJ now has mornings free. (Afternoons are filled with theater camp--this week, writing and producing a TV commercial!)

This morning, I had to visit the dermatologist for a quarterly checkup. (Good news is that I'll be moving to 6-month visits in October instead of quarterly visits. Woo-hoo!)

As CJ and I waited outside the opening elevator doors at the doctors' office building, a man was inside the elevator waiting to exit. When he saw CJ, he smiled and said something to the effect of, "I'm the father of all girls. Those were great days."

I'm sure he was referring to her tie-dyed shirt and freshly washed hair at 8:30 in the morning, escorting mom on her summer outing.

Making up for the stay in the waiting room (CJ even got the boot from her seat at the fish tank when the tank cleaner came to do his job!), we headed off to Krispy Kreme. It's always a good time, especially when the "hot" sign goes on as you're watching the glaze spill over the 9 o'clock donuts!

We enjoyed one "hot" one, because you can't NOT have a "hot" donut at Krispy Kreme, even when you want something else. We each had this month's flavored donut, the lemon Kreme pie donut: a lemon-cream filled donut, dusted with powdered sugar and topped with a lemony pudding squiggle. YUM!

CJ made a rest room stop, and a woman at the next table, who had likely been listening in a bit, struck up a conversation with me, as if she had known me for years. This was rather interesting as my bloggy friend, Kara, was just sharing on Facebook that she had had a similar experience happen to her and her daughter just yesterday with an older gentleman. I felt bad for this woman, who shared her struggles in keeping close with her daughter and family in another state. She apologized for the intrusion into my time with CJ, but I said it was not a bother at all. She was sitting in front of a box of 8 donuts, and I was glad that she left not having eaten all of them in front of us.

It all made my morning out with CJ just a little more significant.

"Now...."

We LOVE the Beach!

2010-07-12T21:23:00.009-04:00

There's just something about going to the beach. This was the 9th year my folks hosted the reunion at the beach at the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The girls can only think "When?" as in When do cousins arrive? When do we leave? When can we walk to the beach? When can we swim in the pool?

I always anticipate the first journey to the water's edge: making the short walk from our beach house, onto the boardwalk, and up and over the bridge on the dune to the hot sand and that first dip in the Atlantic. This year, it was a warm welcome!

The surf was quite lively, which made for great times for the kids and slightly tense times for those life-guarding on the coast.

It wasn't all that long ago when they were so afraid of the ocean that they wouldn't venture in at all! Now, with board fastened to wrist, it's hard to get them out. (Note CJ's new profile picture.)

But, the temperature of the water did change for the cooler.

My niece appears to be smiling, but she's actually rather upset that she got caught in a cold wave!

Fortunately, there were lots of opportunities to enjoy the beach outside of going in for a dip.

R led the sand castle-building.

CJ got to be a sandy stegosaurus.

We had one 24-hour rainy period, which was a nice break in the week, actually. The kids were all too happy to play games, Pokemon Monopoly being one of the most popular of the trip.

The littler girls--who are getting all too big--had a doll fest on the top floor and a 2nd one on the bottom floor.

RJ2 earned the new title of "Dog Whisperer"

Card games enjoyed a resurgence, especially solitaire and a shorter-form game called Dutch Blitz.

Grandma taught CJ how to shuffle and "make a bridge."

Last year, we ventured out for a nature trail experience. Since some of the group didn't get a chance to go last year, and those of us who did go didn't finish out the full trail, we decided to go back.

We actually managed to miss a trail marker on the trip back to the cars, so the kids got a lesson in what to do when you get "lost." Two of the three grown-ups took the trail in opposite directions to figure out which way we needed to go. Upon reuniting, we explained to the kids what a great opportunity we had just had in learning about how easily mistakes happen on the trail, even one as well-marked as this one.

We started out again, only to make the exact same mistake. "And just in case you missed the lesson the first time...." (We laid branches in the place that looked like the trail to close off the alternate route.)

Plenty of other silly stuff....

Cups, for instance.

And plenty of the same old thing--

Like delicious family-cooked theme dinners, topped only by ice cream bar treats, special desserts and very special coffee....

Late-night cards with Mom and Dad, complete with strange iPod mixes and yummy chocolates....

Colored-day clothing and late-night tie-dyeing....

Saturday morning check-out breakfast in which everything goes, including the last night's leftover pizza and ice cream, deli meat, cookies, cereal, salsa, whatever....

Volleyball on the back court. Wimbledon on the TV court ("Hey, who turned on the TV?!")....

And sisters on the beach....

For the most part, it was as if the sky were smiling down upon us.

And a grand time was had by all!

New Blog (sort of)

2010-07-12T08:30:00.002-04:00

Hello!

Announcing the "new" blog: "JWalking: The Blog"

For almost two decades, I have sent out a family Christmas newsletter under the title JWalking. As with most family newsletters sent out around the holidays, JWalking features the happenings of the family over the course of the year. Folks have enjoyed it; we produce over 100 a year, now. (Taxes our printer every December.)

My blog in this place has needed a major jump-start for a while. (We've gone from moldy to downright rancid!) My pondering has led to the decision to make this a family blog rather than the mixed-up writing blog that it has been for more than two years.

So, if you continue to want to read about happenings at the J household--in the sporadic fashion that things tend to get posted here--this is the blog for you! (Followers, feel free to leave if it's not for you. No offense taken.)

My Bible study blog continues at In-Between Time for those of you who wish to follow me there instead. (We're doing Jonah all summer. Join in any time! We're on the slow boat to Tarshish....)

If I'm led to start another writing venture, I will let you know.

Welcome to "JWalking: The Blog"! A post about this summer's beach trip can't be far behind....

Book Published!

2010-05-23T21:45:00.003-04:00

I didn't write a single original word for this book. But, I'm pleased to say that I did get it published!

This is the Reflections BOOK. The next-to-last act in my service to the PTA--next to turning in my Reflections binder for the next chairperson--is to have put the 85 student entries from this year's competition into a book for the school library.

I shot photos of all the pieces, entered in all the names (which have been removed for privacy purposes here), typed in all the submitted literature pieces and laid out the pages (with the help of Wal-Mart's online photo book software).

It was an amazing feeling to hold a hard-cover version of what all these kids had done. I'm not sure the librarian at the school fully understood the significance, but, that's OK. She hasn't spent the past year on this project, either.

Blogger offers a service for making a book out of posts. Not sure I would want one for "CREATE" posts, but to have all my "In-Between Time" posts as a reference book might be really helpful.

* * *

I think some changes are in order for this blog. Not sure I'm quite ready to launch them yet, but....it's in the thought process.

May Day!

2010-05-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

Happy day!
Happy May!
Not much to say.
Watching the Nationals play.
Don't know how long I'll stay
My sleep (and blog posting), I would delay.

Now, it's Saturday
And come what may
Will keep the allergies at bay.
Could get hot, but, hey,
Outside's the way.
(Sunscreen to block the sun's ray!)

Hope you have fun today!

* * *

While this could go on and on, I really am rambling late this night. I just don't have the rhymes in me at the moment. (I'm a morning girl at heart!) But, was inspired by MyADHDMe, having enjoyed her recent post and lunch out together!

And, the new "Cinco de Mayo" artwork needed a post to go with it. It's almost margarita and guacamole season! Ole!!

Georgia...was on our minds

2010-04-15T21:10:00.006-04:00

Hey there... Long time! I know.

If you could have seen the blue-markered kitchen calendar for March, you would understand why I've hardly been here. And then, there was my parents' 50th anniversary surprise party, which had been in the planning for almost a year. (It was awesome!)

And then....Spring Break, which had us traveling south to Tybee Island, Georgia!

...in the car. Through Virginia, North Carolina, [South of the Border (tourist trap), which is like a state unto itself], South Carolina and into Georgia.

Crossing this bridge into Savannah.

And onto Tybee Island. This would be the Tybee Island Lighthouse
on the north end of the island. We stayed on the south end.

Tybee Island is the backdrop for the new Miley Cyrus movie, "The Last Song." I'm sure the presence of a movie crew and stars made this small beach community jump last year. The movie opened the weekend we were there, though I don't recall seeing a movie house on the island.

But there was definitely an ocean!

And a cool (honestly, quite cold!) surf...

And the building of many long and winding trenches, water pools and sandcastles.

We discovered real moats built around nearby Fort Pulaski.

...complete with underground passageways,

above-ground turf walks to view the nearby waters that harbored the enemy (Civil War), and a mid-level journey through the cavernous rooms housing cannons, ammo and officers' quarters.

(It looks like you could bake a pizza in there!)

A tour of the grounds off the fort, via a 2-mile trail, led us to the lighthouse of Cockspur Island at low tide (and lots of washed-up jellyfish--ew....).

We spent a lovely morning driving and walking through historic downtown Savannah. I'm convinced that there are "moss fairies" who come in the middle of the night and laden the trees with this special airy dust! It's classic old-time South!!

And the flowers were popping everywhere! (Little did I know that things were also exploding back home here in Central VA....)

Besides the beach, the girls also enjoyed the (again, frigid!) waters of the pool at the rental condo where we stayed. It had a huge square hot tub, which was usually filled with kids (who couldn't take the (again, frigid!) water temperature of the pool.

CJ enjoyed a walk on the pier (and R found some good fish tacos
during a weekend Seafood Festival).

And both braved a ferris wheel ride at a carnival set up in the hotel parking lot across the street from our unit. (Thankfully, the festivities didn't go much beyond 10 p.m.)

RJ2 chased the gulls.

I chased after decent photos of tropical plants I won't ever grow here.

And we had a whole lotta fun in the sun (with our 50 SPF sunscreen and/or clothing!)

And when the sun came up a week later--seems the sun didn't take much of a vacation while we were there--it was time to drive home.

* * *

I've got to say that I'm spending more time over at In-Between Time these days. Catch fresh blog posts every Wednesday (except last week when we didn't have Internet at our place--oops!) over there (link at the top of this blog).

An Article of Inspiration

2010-03-04T09:22:00.007-05:00

In the saga that is "the red room," there is no major update to report. I have been applying some touch-up paint to some spots that needed it, post-blue tape removal. We are in a quandary over whether to go with new carpeting or new flooring, thus the furniture is not moving back yet nor has the "reveal" photo shoot been scheduled.

But, I did purchase a new pillow! Kelly, who bravely opted to shop with me again--despite my aversion issues--will tell you that she tried to get me to buy two. But I insisted upon one. At Steinmart prices, she thinks I'm missing out. But I'm not ready to go hog-wild. Complementing color choices and textures are important as we move forward with figuring out how we'll live in our boldly colored room. [And Steinmart's not going anywhere.]

How did I managed to pick out a pillow? Following the guide of so many home decorators, I took with me an article of inspiration. My Mom made CJ a scarf, and the colors are rich and bold and...red! Earthy greens, browns, grays; brilliant red; even a touch of surprisingly cool purple. It's a great palette.

Got me to thinking about 'inspiration'--what it is, from where it comes and why it's needed.

* * *

Have you thought about words you know with '-spir-' as a root? In the dictionary, now:

Aspire--To be ambitious to do something lofty or grand (to breathe upon)
Conspire--To plan or work together toward something (to breathe together)
Expire--To breathe out, even to the point of one's last breath (to breathe out)
Perspire--To sweat (to breathe through)
Respire--To breathe, in and out (to breathe back)
And, Inspire--To breathe life into, to have an influencing effect upon, to direct or guide (to breathe in)

All of which brings us back to '-spir-', which leads us to the Latin spiritus from which we get our word spirit. Spiritus means "breath, courage, vigor, the soul, life." Breathing involves movement or activity. The prefixes of our English words clarify the motion of the breathing--upon, together, out, through, back or in--what brings something to life, gives it energy, movement, vigor--love that word!--soul, or the lack thereof, as in expire.

So, inspiration...an article of inspiration....something to breathe life into "the red room." Something to determine a comfortable collection of colors, fabrics, textures that will create a pleasing home living space. One that invites the family to be comfortable, spending time together (conspiring!). One that allows for the things that are important to us to be seen and shared--like pictures of our family, creations from our family. A place in which life will be shared in conversations with friends, in books with the girls, in a home movie night for the parents (please!!!!).

Off to a good start....

* * *

No surprise to learn that I'm in the midst of a study on the fruit of the Spirit. Happens to be Beth Moore's take on the Galatians 5: 22 & 23 passage. What is it that gives you true life in every day? What allows you to have the vigor to tackle what is on your plate? The soul that reaches out to others in relationship? The courage that it takes to face that new dawn when it comes?

She makes a wonderful observation about God-ordained human behavior: "We were created with a desire to be full." [Living Beyond Yourself, Beth Moore DVD, Viewer Guide, Session 1] Explains why we eat. Why we fill our calendars with places to go and things to do. This is why we sometimes perspire (or come close to expiring?!).

God wants us to live full lives. "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.... I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10: 9 & 10, emphasis mine).

But, do we fill our lives with the Holy Spirit? Do we fill ourselves with the real source of life-giving, courage-stepping, vigor-instilled breath? To Whom do we aspire to become? Are we merely respiring or do we live our days with purpose? What is our inspiration today?

Inspiration is part of getting your house in order.

Transpiring thoughts? (Breathed across)

Chocolate-Toffee Cookies

2010-02-24T07:50:00.004-05:00

Since the response to the cookies was so overwhelming (honestly and truly, this isn't a full-time cooking blog!), I'm sharing the recipe.

This is something I clipped from Today's Christian Woman at some point along the way. It's super-easy and makes a lot of cookies! Enjoy....on this 100th day of school, for some of us.

*****

Chocolate-Toffee Cookies

From the Kitchen of Andrea Schmidt

2-1/4 C flour

1 t baking soda

1 C butter

1/4 C sugar

3/4 C brown sugar

1 t vanilla

1 small package of vanilla instant pudding

2 eggs

12 oz chocolate chips (Really, any kind of chips work here)

1/2 bag toffee bits (Find 'em in the chocolate chip aisle)

Sift flour and baking soda. In separate bowl, mix butter, both sugars, vanilla and vanilla pudding. Mix until smooth. Beat in eggs. Slowly add flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and toffee bits.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

The Best Mess

2010-02-16T12:53:00.005-05:00

There really is such a thing as a "best mess".

Letting the kids get themselves deep into a painting project is that kind of mess. But, the kids are in school today. (Praise the Lord!!)

For me, a favorite "best mess" is...well...my kitchen this morning.

Recipes, measuring cups and ingredients scattered.

Pots and pans boiling and browning.

Kitchen Aid churning out dough and well-conditioned pans yielding chocolate-toffee cookies.

A sink of which you can't see the bottom.

Because a friend's family has now grown to seven!
And even though a baby girl doesn't eat much, her big brothers do.

Today, that's definitely a "best mess."

The "Love Day" Report

2010-02-15T14:14:00.005-05:00

RJ2 has spent a good amount of time, lately, on the Nick Jr. website. One of her favorite stories to watch is a Blue's Clues episode on "Love Day." She has figured out that after her birthday comes "Love Day." (Cards, but no singing or candles!)

We had another enjoyable "Love Day" this year.

Dad and RJ2 exchanged cards. (I was so proud of RJ2 writing without help!)

Dad and CJ exchanged cards. CJ and RJ2 got a fancy homemade card from Grandma as well.

Cards and TULIPS! How Springlike!!

Chocolate for Dad, from the girls. Girls got chocolate from Dad.
(Mom got coffee! Dad got beef jerky!)

Lots of chocolate from Grandma and Grandpa!

And, of course,

Heart-shaped pizzas!

Lots of love on "Love Day"!

Happy Birthday, RJ2!

2010-02-09T09:54:00.004-05:00

A day off school was yet another day in the kitchen.
But we had a special purpose for baking on Monday.

Cupcakes!

Now, would school be on or off?

Would the cupcakes actually make it to their intended destination?

YES!!

Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!!

Wiped out!

2010-02-08T15:15:00.003-05:00

Exactly....

Ode to the KitchenAid

2010-02-07T07:12:00.007-05:00

(Kara has been waiting for this post for over a year now!)

A friend postulated in a post the other day that there probably is many a KitchenAid mixer gathering dust. She actually wants one, because she's a big baker. (And we have enjoyed many a good cookie by her hands!) I quickly responded that it was time for a blog post on the subject, because in our house, this definitely is not the case.

(Not Grandma's basement, but this sure looks like her mixer.)

The KitchenAid is as much a family tradition in my family as the recipes we cook up using the KitchenAid. My sisters and I remember going into my Mom's mom's basement to do any cake mixing, because Grandma's machine was so big, and there was no working counter space in her kitchen. We did all of our prep for any cooking on her kitchen table. (Then we'd eat in the dining room because there wouldn't be room on the kitchen table to put dishes!)

My Mom has a KitchenAid. We grew up mixing lots of birthday cake batter, icing and Christmas cookie dough in there. Hers is white and has the control dial on the top. A glass bowl! It has a great design in that it twists into place at the base. I'm not sure how this never broke or cracked in all the years of use. Of course, if Mom had a ceramic sink (like we do), she may have needed a few replacements.

As we sisters grew up and got married, it was Grandma who wanted to buy us all KitchenAids for our wedding presents. Who could say 'no' to that? We even got to pick out our own colors. Mine is on the far left. Only one chose a color other than white. (And that blue has to look awesome in your new red kitchen!)

It was my "blue" sister who decided a year ago to make my Mom a special cookbook with some of the classic home-baked KitchenAid recipes that we grew up with and the "next generation" of recipes that we girls are baking today. It was a huge hit!

We helped her personalize it with photos of our machines and some of the things we remembered about baking with Mom (like the cookie jar with the elf lid; the old yellow cookie tin--which I have and continue to pack Christmas cookies in when we visit my folks; and, my Mom's aluminum staple canisters, with the sugar scoop that has no handle and always stays in the canister).

Here at the homestead, CJ and RJ2 have made their share of cookies, "breakfast cakes" and muffins with the KitchenAid. I got the meat grinding attachment, though I've used it most to grind down pumpkin meat for pies. My "blue" sister passed along her shredding attachment. Many a block of cheese has passed through for tacos, mac/cheese and pizza. The dough hook helps us make bread for teacher appreciation days and accompaniments for dinners for friends.

Harking back to the last post here, why we talk about food is because food is never just about the food. There is so much that goes into the preparation of food. And it's not just pulling the ingredients! Making good food takes time--time to chop, mix, bake. One learns how to pass time productively and joyfully.

If you've ever baked cookies with little ones, you know, deep down, how much fun it is. (Suspend thoughts of your messy kitchen for a minute.) Kids show you how creative they can be. They talk while they bake! They ask questions. They learn, slowly, about how to cook. They take ownership of what they make and get a charge out of serving it up to somebody else. And they remember all of these things. You'll hear about it if you don't make gingerbread dough!

You see, CJ, it's not always about what you cook. It's more about the cooking--and what's cooking with you! It's about remembering special times and occasions and family moments. It's not just about the food.

Now, since we're home again today, what shall we make?

Chicago Italian Beef Sandwiches

2010-02-05T18:28:00.005-05:00

Last December, CJ got mad at me because, "All you post are recipes!" I was excited to share some of the recipes for the goodies I had served at my Christmas brunch. Edie provided a thoughtful response to CJ--something along the lines of, "We like food." We like to talk about good food, too, and exchange recipes for good food.

And, every food post here has a story:

When we lived in the western Chicago suburbs, we came to know a treat called Chicago Italian Beef. This was about as far from an East Coast cold roast beef sandwich as you could find. Portillo's, a hot dog giant, also made this delicious hot sandwich in our town. It wasn't long before we wanted to make our own and save the trip to the restaurant.

But, as I said, this is no typical roast beef sandwich. I remember getting a recipe and trying to make it with purchased supermarket deli sliced beef. Never tasted right. Tried to make our own roast, but we could never slice the meat thin enough by hand.

Enter Mom and Pop J! I remember Mom J asking me one year what we might want for Christmas. My husband and I must either have been talking about the sandwich or eating one, but I mentioned that we might like a meat slicer, so we could make our own Chicago Italian Beef. And, we do! And lots of other sandwiches.

At first, the slicer seemed like a luxury kitchen item. But we quickly discovered that buying a larger quantity of meat, cooking and seasoning it yourself, and slicing it as you go, makes for many a good dinner and, later, a lunchtime sandwich. The recipe we use comes from "The Frugal Gourmet" Jeff Smith, who we used to watch on the PBS station in Chicago early Saturday evenings, often with dinner on trays.

This recipe makes enough for 4 to 6 sandwiches. The photos that I took today show a half-recipe. Get a slab of beef before the next snow storm, and enjoy a taste of Chicago!

Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich 4-6 sandwiches

Ingredients:
1 4-pound sirloin tip roast
Salt and pepper to taste
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme

3 T olive oil
6 cloves garlic, sliced
2 large red bell peppers, cored and cut into 1" strips
2 large green bell peppers, cored and cut into 1" strips
2 medium yellow onions, sliced

2 C beef stock
1-1/2 C chicken stock
1/2 C dry white wine
2 T chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

4-6 individual Italian poor boy rolls

Season the meat with salt and pepper, oregano and thyme. Place on a rack in a roasting pan and roast in a preheated 375-degree oven for about 2 hours or until the meat reaches 130 degrees in the center. Remove and allow to cool. Deglaze the roasting pan with a little water and place the juices in a 6-quart pot.

Heat a large nonstick frying pan and add the oil, garlic, red and green bell peppers, and onions. Saute for 5 minutes and add to the pot.

Slice the cooled meat very thinly across the grain. (You will need an electric meat slicer to do this properly; call me if you're local.) Place the sliced meat in the pot along with any meat juices that may have accumulated during cooling.

Add the beef stock, chicken stock, wine and parsley. Cover and simmer gently for 1 hour and 15 minutes. (Watch the snow change to sleet and back again; keep pace with Boardwalk-hoarding daughter at Monopoly.)

Stir the pot a couple of times while cooking, and add salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat and allow the pot to rest, covered, for 15 minutes.

Dip each roll in the broth in the pot so that it is saturated and heavy. Fill the roll with plenty of simmered beef and vegetables. Enjoy! (We did!)

She's Making a Run For It

2010-02-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

CJ has lamented not having enough time in the snow. She felt kind of icky over the weekend and just couldn't stay outside very long.

By Tuesday, she was ready to play. Of course, by yesterday, some of the snow that had been there on the weekend was no longer. The toboggan run was starting to show a little green underneath.

I didn't say, "Buck up, little camper," (a line made famous in Kelli's posts), but she needed some positive encouragement that there was enough snow to make it fun out there. Knowing that 7 to 10 (or more?) inches are on the way for this weekend probably cheered her up the most!

She makes an excellent run here and helps keep that toboggan run slick for another day...maybe....

Promise you'll help me make that ending go longer, OK? Maybe to the neighbor's driveway....

Sendin' Some Love

2010-02-02T00:00:00.001-05:00

With all the excitement, fuss and waiting out the aftermath of the snow, it has been hard to think of much else around here. School has been called again on this Tuesday. Time to get creative with something!

Fortunately, I had shopped in Michaels a few weeks ago and stopped at their Valentine's display. With such a large class of friends to send Valentine's cards, RJ2 could stand to start making hers early.

[I am a fan of these new foam kits that they have created for class projects and such. However, I'm not ecstatic about the pricing! I went with a lower-priced base kit and scoured their "a la carte" foam/felt sticker wall for appropriate accoutrements.]

RJ2 is not a big fan of writing, so addressing cards would not go over well. Peel-and-stick is definitely more her speed. And, I have to say, she had amazing patience with these.

They were not easy to peel!

This one became a puppet for a little while.

She kept at it and finished more than half of the girls' cards. (Mom still needs to buy some candy hearts to really call them done.)

The boys' cards are still to come. And what boy won't love a lily pad heart with a froggie!? I'm sure we can find some kind of lizardy, buggy candy to go with these, too.

With a couple sick days coughing, "professional development" closings of the school and the snow days, RJ2 hasn't been in Kindergarten for almost a week. Not sure exactly what her teacher has in mind for celebrating Valentine's Day. But, at least RJ2 will have some cute cards ready for her friends. More cards today!

Will you be my Valentine?

Igloo for Rent: Daily Special

2010-01-31T13:25:00.005-05:00

One of the Winter memories I have of growing up in New Jersey is an igloo that Dad created for us. It was big enough that at least two of us could sit inside. I'm remembering two entrances and possibly a "skylight" hole in the roof.

I'm thinking that we must have been awfully small girls at the time, because making an igloo for CJ and RJ2 to fit inside is pretty tough.

Since I didn't shovel the side drive yesterday, I worked from the pile of snow I had left there. It is melting rapidly today, so there's lots of good wet packing snow to work into a mound. Unfortunately, Edie, unlike the video you posted, this is not good Eskimo snow. But, a garden trowel works similarly to an ulu, and I could scrape out the middle of the mound (to a point, anyway. It was definitely too small of a structure for me!)

This is the inside! Wish you could have seen how the sunlight turned the inside walls a greenish-blue color. It was magical!

Alas, RJ2 lasted about 10 minutes in the snow, and CJ is not feeling herself this weekend, so there weren't many igloo dwellers. And with the snow melting as it is today, there may not be much of an igloo left to dwell in tomorrow.

But, that's why you make something of today, isn't it?

Inspired for Chocolate

2010-01-29T13:31:00.005-05:00

A Facebook friend commented last night that she was making Rice Krispie treats. I said that we make the Chocolate Scotcheroos version of the snack. Today would be a great day to make this simple and yummy treat with the girls.

So, in typical Sue J. fashion, we dive into making a treat before we check the pantry.

"Light corn syrup. We should have that." (Er.... half that.)

"OK, we'll make half a batch."

"Rice cereal, chocolate chips.... [Pause] Butterscotch chips. Uh oh!" (Er...substitute for butterscotch chips.....)

"Oh, we can use the caramel sauce in the refrigerator! It has to melt with the chocolate chips anyway."

And off we went from there.

Peanut butter in the melted sugar, then add the cereal.

Press mixture into pan. Pour and spread chocolate/caramel sauce on top. Let stand (away from hungry girls) until set.

The gooey chocolate made me think of an unfortunate incident for a tractor-trailer truck riding on I-95 yesterday. The truck, full of candy, tipped over! (Thanks for the tip, Kelly. I mean, not that you did the tipping or anything. Though, if you actually got some chocolate, you might have tipped them....)

Slice and EAT!

Lick fingers and lips multiple times.

Yummy good!

'Forever' in Blue Jeans

2010-01-28T12:19:00.006-05:00

If you have been following my blog for awhile, you know that I'm a little funny about my jeans. I don't believe they have an expiration date.

I buy jeans with my own lifetime guarantee. They should last for my lifetime.

Now, this doesn't mean that I believe jeans never change. We all need to change and grow...become worn, even.

I spend a lot of time on my knees, because it's best to talk to little ones on their level. And they all have a ways to go before they see straight across into my eyes. Just the action of bending--to get baking items out of the lower cabinet, to see if that vacuum is picking up the dirt under the bed, to weed out the green varmints in the garden--causes wear on the fabric.

Worn jeans, even if they sprout tears, are still worthy for wear, per my guarantee. But, they are not always practical to wear in that condition, which is why I also believe in patches.

Not satisfied with the store brand iron-ons (which don't provide the kind of coverage I need), I started making my own heart patches and embroidering them on my jeans. This involves ripping out the outer leg seam of the jeans and putting it back in. Using multiple functions on the sewing machine gives it a good workout!

Unfortunately, even the best intentions sometimes fall apart at the seams, or the patches. Sometimes, you have to take that last-resort option: Throw them out.

My dear friend Kelly offered me solace. "They have stores for that."

She would know. She helped me buy jeans the last time I went to the store. Showed me that I could remember the size and style I bought and find the same in other stores. Wow, what a concept. But that meant shopping.

If you have been following my blog for awhile, you know that I'm a little funny about clothes shopping. I don't shop well...for clothes...for me. But, this particular blog is not about my shopping aversion therapy treatments. [Kelly is laughing!]

There had to be an alternative. A way to get new jeans but not go to the jeans store for them. Thinking...thinking...sewing machine needs a workout. AHA!

A custom-fitted pair of jeans. $5 in fabric and supplies (at Wal-Mart on a regular trip).

Ah, patches. Parting is such sweet sorrow.

(And two pair beats one, even outside of Atlantic City!)

Winter Wonderland Celebration II

2010-01-23T00:00:00.007-05:00

The 2nd Annual Winter Wonderland Celebration was a huge treat! Just the fact that I can say there was a 2nd one shows you just how huge this was.

The weather would reach a balmy 56 degrees by the time the afternoon came, but that didn't stop us from enjoying lots of cold-weather treats and thinking about cold-weather fun.

Here's a sampler:

Four moms and eight girls, and we had a delightful time. What delicious treats! Kelly brought these adorable snowmen on a stick.

Food as art! (And, she says she's not crafty.)

This picture is from the website with the production details that you can find at this link.

Mrs. Patterson5 (with some help from her husband) created white-icing cupcakes topped with marshmallow snowmen. They "melted" so fast, it was almost impossible to get a picture. (That is a snowflake tortilla next to Frosty.)

Mrs. S. brought the best donut for the occasion: white-powdered (of course!). She also gave the girls a hieroglyphics quiz. They solved the puzzle about as fast as it runs on the video.

The J Girls provided for craft time. We made a 2nd mitten swag; the one from last year brought back memories. Hardest part is having to color a mitten to "leave behind." Some girls made two so they wouldn't have to do that. We decorated foam snowflakes, too.

We also made a retro snowflake. Lots of prep in that you need 10 rings of cardboard each hole-punched in four places. But the stringing of the rings with pipe cleaners was easy. Check out the details here. [Edie][And note that the beads were a test project of mine. They worked.]

CJ had a great indoor game idea--a "green" snowball fight. She created two forts and recycled some "snowballs", and the girls had a battle in the "red room." We also played the "Pin the Accessories on the Snowman" game. Last year's break-dancing snowman got trumped by one who was doing the limbo in a blizzard.

It is always nice to be surrounded by friends, even as your ice ornaments melt onto the front lawn! The girls really enjoyed themselves, and the moms got to sneak in a few moments of chat in between the activities of the morning. There was no more wassail punch by the end of the day, though we did have chocolate chip whoopie pies!

Will there be a 3rd Annual? The big girls are getting big. Too big for sweet munchies and crafty snowflakes? Maybe I can start asking God now for a big snow next January. Then we won't have to "pin" anything!

* * *

On behalf of the J Girls, thanks, friends, for all your goodies and being such gracious guests! It was a wonderful morning!

A Slice of Life

2010-01-21T00:00:00.001-05:00

Couldn't resist the chance to introduce you to Daniel. RJ2 brought him home from Kindergarten yesterday. Isn't he adorable? (I'm not sure how he survived the bus ride here.)

Daniel has very dancin' legs! And look at that smile!! Of course, he is standing next to a cookie jar! Daniel's complexion has a few rough patches, but that means someone is eating apples, so that's OK. He's obviously not bothered by it. His head does fall off occasionally, which can't feel very good.

Daniel joined us for afternoon snack. (Gulp! Try not to picture it!!) Later, RJ2 wanted him to listen to "Playhouse Disney" shows on the computer, and I suggested he could hear just fine from the kitchen table (even lying down). I was very relieved to hear RJ2 say, on her way to get washed up, that "Daniel doesn't go in the shower."

I suspect Daniel will look a little...more mature?...as the days go on. I hope he continues to have that smile, even if life takes a nibble out of him.

There's a thought for today....

* * *

I know many of you are waiting for the Winter Wonderland Celebration post. It's in the works...might even be a movie! With craft directions!!