Simple Pleasures

We have been vacationing in North Idaho at the home of my parents this week. The weather has been HOT. It is amazing how those extreme heats....and high humidities...make live s l o w down. It has been nice not having an agenda to hurry here and there to. I love just sitting sometimes and enjoying the simple things in life.

One of the most simple of pleasures is playing in the sprinkle. Clean, honest fun. I remember as a kid that it would seem that I was impervious to the cold. Not so much now that I am getting up there in years. I get a little jealous when I see my kids playing with wild abandon, completely impervious to the cold water.

Tim got some great pictures of my kids, and my niece and nephew playing in the sprinkler and enjoying some of the simple pleasures in life.




My niece has found some modern-day simple pleasures. Our society has created wonderful ways to stay close....even when you are far away. She misses her friends. I wonder if she gets finger cramps from texting.


She did enjoy showing Luke the pleasures of tetherball. She's got her volleyball form down well.


Tim had the fun idea of bringing balloon rockets for the kids. He probably spent over an hour blowing up balloon after balloon. At least he had one of those hand pumpers. Though, I kept wondering if he was going to get blisters galore. The kids had the best time with those rockets. Alyssa even managed to be enticed into the fun. Of all the pictures that I took of that....none of them really do the event justice.


But by the end of the evening, the kids were laughing and having a grand ol' time. That was when I was really struck with the idea that sometimes it is the simple things in life that are truly the best.

Twelve Already????

It is a strange thing. I won't divulge my age, but I tell you that I don't feel nearly as old as I am. Lindsay says that I'm not old....so...I'll stick to that. Even so, I know that the years are sneaking up on me faster and faster the older that I get. Before I know it, I will be an old lady with grandchildren grabbing at my ankles.

Today, Tim and I celebrate 12 years of marriage. I swear it was another one of those "I blinked" moments. It seems like it was yesterday that I was putting on my beautiful wedding dress and Tim was decked out in his hot tuxedo. (Hot in more ways than one, if you catch my drift.) Our wedding day was one of the best in my memories. To be princess for a day is every girl's dream come true.

It has been a good 12 years. I won't say that they were perfect, but they have been good. When I look back over the years...and where we have come from...and where we are now....I truly feel like I am blessed. We have been blessed. To find a man who loves God as much as I do...who has the same values....I feel so very fortunate. I pray for my own children to find a partner such as this.

I couldn't let this day pass without marking the day here on my blog. To be blessed, what more could I ask for? I love you, TimJ and I look forward to many more years with you. To the good. The Bad. And the Ugly. We'll have an adventure for sure.

My Sentiments Exactly

Rising to the Occasion

Our church has been doing Vacation Bible School this week. It really has been a fun program that we have used. The kids really seem to be enjoying themselves. Even though I am envious of the other moms who drop their kids and run, I am enjoying myself as well.

Lately, at my church, I have been noticing people who have spent some time sitting in the pews participating in worship but not participating so much in the work of the worship, rising from their pews and joining in the forces. I love that I am surprised by this. I am not sure what the current energy vibes in our church are right now that is causing these subtle changes....but it is kind of fun to watch. I am anxious to see what God is going to do with all this. He really seems to be doing some work in our church. Fun.

This week, I've watched a certain young man be placed into a position that was totally out of his element. The first day or so, I could tell that he wanted to be anywhere else than where was that day. It was such a stretch for him. Bless his heart. Yet he has been faithful, faithful, faithful this week. Each day I saw him grow a little more.....a little braver, a little more relaxed, and a little more confident.

Today was particularly exciting to be a casual observer on the side. This young man has been a helper with Luke's age group. He had been coming, helping his mom. I'm sure it was more due to his mom's urging than being there because he wanted to. Either way he got there, God's been working on him. And it is so fun to watch.

Today, his mom wasn't with him. Two other ladies were subbing for her today. Yet this young man still came and did his job. The other two ladies did such a wonderful job deferring to his knowledge of the kids and how their group had been functioning this week. I noticed this morning that he wasn't so sure about that. I am sure he was mumbling some choice words under his breath. Yet through the day, as these ladies encouraged him, asked his opinion, and basically placed him in a point of leadership...and value....I watched him take on a persona that I had never seen in him before. Can I just say it was the coolest thing I have seen in quite some time???

Unfortunately, I am sure that as VBS becomes a memory of the past, and the glory of the moment fades, this young man will probably mouse back into the boy he was. I'm not sure what, if anything, I could say or do to keep that openness in his spirit there. I think I will need to pray on what to do about that. But, it was so cool to see him taking pride and value in something that he knew no comfort or experience in before.

To rise to the occasion when someone places the expectation before you....now that is awesome.

Peeping Toms....Again....

I was going to post this comic the other day when it showed up in our newspaper. Still trying to figure out the silly scanner and editing program. Thanks to my TimJ for helping tonight. I think I might be able to do it on my own the next time....we'll see.

When this comic showed up on Sunday....it was totally how I was feeling that day.

It felt like I hit a wall that day. It does good to see that someone...somewhere...gets it. Kind of eerie, though....I swear they keep peeking into my life.

Thankfully, TimJ gave me a couple of hours last night. I went and had a pedicure, picked up some dinner, and found a quiet spot in the church parking lot to read....all by myself. Delicious time. I so needed it.

Thanks, TimJ....I love you.

The Joys of Summer

Tonight as I was puttering around in my yard, I couldn't help but think of all the great things that come with summer. After a long, cold, wet spring, summer has finally made its very welcomed arrival in our area. I must say....this week has been perfect weather wise. If I could live in these temperatures all the time....I would be in pure heaven. Love it.

Anyway....I thought that I would list some of the things that I find joy in because they speak summer to me. A.k.a: the Joys of Summer.....

• Fresh picked strawberries. I picked four cups of them out of my little patch tonight. I can hardly wait to eat a bunch tonight. Yum. The only thing that would make them better would be to have shortcake and ice cream with them. Pure heaven.
  
• Days spent outdoors. I totally spent way more time outside today than inside. It was just that good. On days like today, it is almost a pity to be inside.
  
• Flowers. I love my yard in the summer. I love how things look....especially after I have put a little bit of labor into it. It feels so good to look and take pride in my labors.
  
• Days at the park. Fun. Friends. Sunshine. Fun. What more can you ask for??
• BBQing. I think I could eat a bbqed burger every day of the week. There is just something about eating a yummy burger while sitting around enjoying family and friends.
  
• Playing in the sprinkler. Pure, clean, honest fun. A timeless classic.
  
• Lots of daylight. Oh how I love the longer hours of summer. Totally makes me feel like I got a good, long use out of the day.
  
• No socks. I love it when it becomes sandal weather. One of my least favorite tasks is sorting socks. Flip flops....yahoo!!!
• Summer mornings. I love waking up to the bright, perfect coolness of a summer morning. Seems so fresh and full of possibilities. I think those are the only mornings that are really worth facing. Otherwise....Boo to Mornings.
  

I am sure that if I sat here longer, I would come up with other joys of summer. Anyone care to add to my list?

Welcome to Summer! At last....

Pride and Thankfulness

I've been mulling over these two words for a couple of days. I've been meaning to sit down and type out some thoughts. I'm finally getting around to it.

Yesterday, as I sat on my back porch enjoying the calm, peaceful evening. I was just overcome with feelings of pride and thankfulness. They really are good feelings to have. Though, sometimes I wonder where the point of pride becomes too much. But, I won't go there. I will just pray that I will be able to keep my pride in check and channel it wisely.

Daria played in a soccer tournament this past weekend. As I watched her zip around the field, I sat amazed. Where did she get all that skill? It seems like she does things with such ease. Every time she plays, I swear that I see her getting better. I was just so proud of her this weekend.

I was proud of my boys this weekend, too. We rode our bikes to church yesterday....and they managed to do it without any melt downs. I see them growing up and becoming sweet little men and I was just so proud of them. My children, to me, are beautiful. They are amazing in the things that they learn, do, and say. I was just so proud of them.

So, as I sat on my porch last night, and I looked at my pretty yard...and as I thought over my children and their health and accomplishments....I was so thankful and so very proud.

What a fun feeling.

Yeah, Right.!

After a long, busy day, the family and I were sitting on the couch watching the USA Olympic Gymnastic trials. Those girls are some amazing athletes. Wow. The things that they can do is absolutely mind blowing. I can only begin to imagine the thousands of hours they have worked to get to the level that they are at.

My kids were pretty impressed with the gymnasts. Luke was even attempting his own gymnastic moves here in the living room. Yikes. The real kicker of the evening was when we were watching several young gymnasts whip their bodies across the floor doing their floor exercises. Luke kept asking me: "Mom, Can you do that?"

Uh. No.

"Well, just practice."

Then pretty soon...."Mom....can you do that?"

Uh. No.

"Well, just practice."

I'm not sure what to think of my little man's advise. It seems like he thinks that I can do just about anything. Either that....or maybe he is actually hearing me when I tell him that he can do such and such...or so and so...if you just practice.

Crazy little man.

My Boy...

The day is almost done and I haven't taken the time yet to say Happy Birthday to my Sweet Caden. Today, He turned 7 years old. It was another one of those times that apparently I blinked. When am I going to learn to stop doing that! I swear that it was yesterday that he was this sweet little bundle in my arms.

We had a full day today celebrating my little man's birthday. It was fun actually having his party on his birthday. He was having a grand time milking today for all that it was worth. So, now that all the partyers have left....quiet reigns and I can take a few minutes to honor my Caden.


When I found out Caden was going to be a boy, I was a little nervous. Growing up, it was just my sister and I in the household, and I really had no idea what it would be like to have a boy. But what a blessing having a boy was! Who knew that boys could be so much fun?

Caden is a fun-loving boy. He loves to play games. He particularly loves to win. Who doesn't? In new situations, he tends to be a little quiet....but once he feels comfortable....WATCH OUT. He can be quite the character. For the last two years, I have been praying about his "quietness" in the classroom. What a joy it has been to watch what God has been doing in Caden's life. Even my fellow Moms In Touch moms notice it....and we all rejoice.

Caden is also a good student. It is fun to watch him growing and developing his skills in school. Though sometimes I worry, Caden, and God, often prove that to be unnecessary. You'd think that I'd learn. He received a glowing report card this last term....and I rejoiced.

Caden is also a pretty talented little boy. He has developed a love for singing. I think he does pretty good. He use to never sing with his class during church....but now I often hear him singing songs. That is so fun. He also loves to play soccer...and does pretty good. I think his goal is to play better than his sister. I think that he would be able to succeed at anything he put his mind to.

The last seven years with Caden has been a joy. Full of love, laughter and adventure. I look forward to the years ahead with him, watching him grow into the young man that God is calling him to be. I'm pretty sure that God has great things in store for my Caden. I'm going to enjoy watching God's plan for Caden unfold through the years.

Happy Birthday, Caden. I love you, precious man.

Tad Bit Exciting

There isn't much that lights my fire much in the realm of cleaning house. I clean because it makes me feel at peace. Nothing better than a clean house. I've been cleaning my house for Caden's birthday party tomorrow. I've learned not to go too overboard before a party.....everything goes to pot during the party anyway....but we did need clean bathrooms. That is a necessity!

A couple of months ago, I overheard a tip on how to get the hard water ring off a toilet. I hate that ring. My toilets never look totally clean....even though I know they are clean. I finally got around to getting that mystery tool. AND IT WORKED!! Like a charm.

I keep going back to look at my clean toilets! Crazy...I know. But they look so nice. So, I am a little excited.

I am going to post what it is so that if I ever lose the package, I will remember what it is. If you feel a need to use it on your own toilets....feel free. I used drywall screen.

Love it when I find something that makes life a little easier. Sorry for the goofy post....but I needed a little humor and excitement. :p

Examples from Everyday Life

I eat a lot of oatmeal. Since I eat a lot, I buy it at Costco and get the mongo sized box of it. The bad part of that, is that the oatmeal comes in bags. Not real great for storing purposes. To remedy that problem, I purchased a container at the dollar store in which to store my oatmeal. It works pretty good.

I have learned, though, that to truly use this container, I have to be a little aggressive with my oatmeal. When I just pour the oatmeal in there loosely, I probably only get about half to two thirds of the bag of oatmeal in the container. The first time this happened, I was a tad disgusted. Who wants a partial opened bag of oatmeal in the cupboard? It is like a disaster lying in wait. So, I began to pack the oatmeal down. I got in there and just packed, packed, packed. To my amazement, I was able to finally get the entire bag into the container. Cool.

Last night, I was refilling the oatmeal container. As I was packing the oatmeal, I thought of Luke 6:38: "Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap." I had the perfect example of what a measure, pressed down, looked like. When I pressed down the oatmeal, I got almost twice the amount of oatmeal in my container.

Isn't that just like our God? Extravagant. Pressed down...so that more can get in there. Shaken together....no air pockets. Running over. Overflowing. I needed that picture last night. I'm pretty sure that I don't need to say any thing more about it.

Jesus said it best....first.

It's Late

I've been laying in bed for a while. Decided it was pointless.

Not liking myself so much tonight.

That stinks.

My Dad

How do I even begin to give tribute to my dad? How do I sum up 30-something years of influence into just a few paragraphs? There is a part of me that wants to say something like if the ocean were filled with ink and the skies made of parchment.....

I think the highest calling of an earthly Father is to emulate our Heavenly Father. Kind of a daunting task, don't you think? I am not saying that my dad was perfect, but he did a pretty good job fulfilling that roll as a Dad. I remember boundless patience, teachable moments, love, laughter and acceptance. I must not have been the best of students because I wish that I had an ounce of the patience that he displayed.

Dad did an awesome job making memories when I was a kid. I loved that my parents were educators, thus we had summers as a family. I miss that part of an educator's lifestyle. We made lots of memories camping, hiking, fishing (retrieving canoes that had floated away from shore....oops), riding bikes, swimming, etc....etc...etc. I also remember there being chores in there, too....we didn't play all the time. But we did have a lot of fun. I'd have to say that I had a pretty idyllic childhood. It inspires me today to try and make memories with my own kids.

Dad, you continue to be an example to me as I have become a mother. To see how you overcame the obstacles in your own life to become the man that you are today is inspiring. I remember someone asking me once if I was half the person that you were.....I think I responded that I hoped so. I think, today, I would have to answer that question the same way. If I can end my life being half the person that you are, I would be satisfied.

I'm looking forward to our vacation together. I love that my kids consider their Papa their best friend. I love seeing my kids desiring to be like you. I love that they listen to your instruction. I love watching my kids play with you. I think we will have another week of making memories. What a lot of fun that will be.

I love you, Dad. Happy Father's Day. Wish I were there to be with you.....but we will be there soon. We can hardly wait.

xoxoxox!!

(cheesy picture of me....but great one of Dad!)

Thankful Thursday

Today has definitely been a back-to-reality kind of day. Even though I say that, we all adjusted fairly well. We are all a little tired...thus we aren't as sweet as we were yesterday. Even so, I would have to say we did pretty good today. For that I am thankful.

Even though we stayed around home today, we still managed to have a full day. Daria had a friend over all day. Three boys came over and played for a couple of hours too. Later in the day, another friend came over for an hour or so to watch a movie. We were like Grand Central Station around here. Sometimes that feels wearying....but when I stop and think about it....I am thankful. Thankful that I am home so that friends can come and go. To remember to look on the flip side of things is a good skill to learn. I need to remember that little trick.

Daria also had an hour and half of soccer practice tonight. I was thankful that the sun was out from behind the clouds and things were warm. Tuesday's practice was downright cold. In fact, Tuesday's high temperature was a record low for the month of June. March in the month of June. Ugh. I was very happy to see the sun today....it seems to make like feel a little cheerier. I just sat there soaking up the warmth. It was so lovely. My arms got a little pink today, too.

Finally, I am thankful for sleeping children. Sleep has been a bit dicey around here the last couple of nights. Luke decided to have a tough night last night. He seems like he might be getting sick. I think he might have been having a fever tonight. Sent him to bed with some motrin....and hope for the best. Even so, I am very thankful that I can care for him when he needs me. It does a Mommy heart good when she is needed. Feels a truckload better than feeling like the maid. Ha!!

Slightly different feel to my Thankful Thursday post....but all that matters is that I am thankful. For lots of reasons, spoken and unspoken, I am very thankful today.

Very thankful indeed.

A Remarkable Day.

We made it!! And we had a remarkably good time at it, too. I would definitely say that our Adventure to the Zoo was a rip-roaring success. Kudos to God for all His grace and provisions! I'm feeling a tad victorious right now....so I think we may have to tackle an adventure another time. So how do I even begin to summarize such a full and fun day?

We left the house this morning a little after 9:00. I was amazed at how well the kids' attitudes were. We didn't have any grumbling as we walked out the door....even when they knew they had to walk to the bus stop. I did have to negotiate with Luke though. He had loaded up his toy travel bag with toys to take with him. Yikes. I knew who would end up carrying that in a very short amount of time. I finally negotiated him down to one toy cell phone that fit well into his pocket. Whew!

Here they are waiting for the bus this morning. It was a tad chilly....but the excitement kept them warm in anticipation.

The God thing for the day was the bus driver of our first bus. When I bought our tickets at Albertson's last night, they only had adult all day passes. It cost me a bit more...but the convenience felt worth it. The bus driver was not too thrilled with how much I had paid. He only took one of my tickets and gave me 4 in return. I was so flabbergasted that I didn't know what to say. He told me: "I'm giving you a break on the tickets....now go sit down." Alrighty then. Pretty cool, though...except now I don't know what to do with the 3 other unused tickets. Guess I will have to come up with something! He was also helpful helping me find our connecting bus. I felt like he was a real blessing for this Suburbanite Mom. As you can see....the kids thought that the bus was totally cool!
I was a tad amazed at how well behaved Luke was on the bus. I expected to be all over him about climbing over everything. He did very well....and I was very pleased.

Even waiting for the MAX to arrive was a little exciting.....though we did have to cross the tracks a couple of times to make sure we were going to get on going the right direction. More for the adventure, I guess!


Finally, we arrived!
There was so much to see....so much to do. Everyone had their favorites that they just had to see first. I guess that is one good thing about the zoo being so large....you have to follow the paths or you will wear yourselves thin real fast. When I was packing last night, Tim said to take lots of pictures and not worry about the number. So....since there is a lot to see....I took a lot of pictures. Over a 140 if I remember right. So, I just picked out a few to highlight the day.

Probably my favorite exhibit of the day was the polar bears. Usually, we catch them snoozing....but this morning they were just having a grand time. Swimming here, rolling around there, zooming by us time and time again. It was so much fun.

We stopped in one final time to peek at the polar bears on our way out this afternoon. You guessed it....snoozing. Ho hum.

Luke's favorites were the rhinos. The first time we went through, we didn't see them. Luckily we did catch them on our way back through so that everyone could see their favorites one last time. Yeah, God.


On our first time through the African exhibits....we did see the hippos. I had to add this picture because Luke's face just cracks me up. You may have to click on the picture to see it better....but the hippo has this MOUNTAIN of poo behind him that was just a tad shocking. Ha ha!

Then, of course, we had to see the monkeys.


Nuf said.

The penguins were also a hit. We made it there right about feeding time and that was a lot of fun to watch. Greedy little buggers. The kids found them particularly exciting after I told them that their cousin, Alyssa, use to call them "Pink Ones." They giggled about that for quite some time.


I heard Caden tonight telling his dad what his favorite part of the day was. His response: cotton candy. Gag. I think that stuff is so incredibly nasty....it looks like they're eating insulation...and it tastes....blech. But as he was stuffing mounds of it into his mouth, he declares: "I've now had my cotton candy fix." What???


Many of the parts of the zoo were under construction. For some reason, I was a little surprised. I was thinking that this would be entering into their "high" season and they wouldn't want to disturb that in any fashion. Yet, with all the construction, and the new parts that I hadn't seen before, I had to take a picture of the tigers. I remember coming to the Oregon Zoo when I was a kid visiting my "Oregon cousins." I think of those times every time I see the tigers. The exhibit looks pretty much the same.


Another huge blessing of the day was that our attitudes, even mine, stayed remarkably pleasant throughout the day. We weren't perfect....but...considering the length of the day, the excitement, the tiredness....we did great! Caden did get a little grumpy when I let Luke have a turn taking pictures with the camera. I told Luke to get a picture of Caden's grumpy face, which made Caden scowl and growl all the more. Incredibly, Luke not only got the scowl....but it is a pretty good picture to boot.

That pretty much highlights our day. I couldn't have asked for a better time. I was hoping to capture a picture of sleeping kids on the bus on the way home....but amazingly they were still a little jazzed on the way home. I kept waiting for the crash.....but it never really came. Except for come bedtime. They went to bed with nary a peep. I know for sure that the boys are down for the count....haven't checked on Daria. Luke walked most of the day....and for him....that was amazing.

It was a good day....and I give God the glory for that. I guess that my kids and I are really growing up. Who knew. Here are a couple of pictures that I thought were nice of my kids. They actually look like they like each other.






This last picture is just as we were saying goodbye to the zoo. Can you see? They are still smiling....and not shoving each other off the statues. What other proof do you need?

Going on an Adventure!!

I think that I am getting awfully bold in my old age....or at least in my kids' older ages. Ha. For spring break, I take my kids for an adventure to the beach. Now...for school being out, I decided to take my kids to the zoo....while we ride the bus and the MAX. Yikes...what am I thinking???

It has the potential to be a lot of fun. My kids have never ridden the city buses...much less the MAX. Hopefully, the zoo won't be terribly busy since the rest of the public schools are still in session. The weather should be a tad nicer than it was today....so that is hopeful, too. Though, when I peek outside the skies still look pretty dark. Brrrrr

So, if we survive, I will hopefully post some pictures of our grand adventure tomorrow. Hopefully we don't kill each other. Hopefully nobody gets lost during bus/MAX transfers. Hopefully nobody loses anything important. Hopefully we won't freeze our toes off. Hopefully we will make a memory for a lifetime.

A Day of Hope. Cheers!!

Isn't it Great?

Isn't it wonderful that when your body feels tired and broken down, and your spirit feels a little tattered....that God allows a person to give you a morsel of encouragement? A morsel that you rise with in the morning, chew thoughtfully, and feel a tad more refreshed than you did a moment before.

God is good.

Thankful Thursday: End of School Style

This school year has gone by so very fast. I can hardly believe that today was the last day of school. Once again....I blinked. Gotta stop doing that.

So, today I have much to be thankful for.

• I am thankful for a wonderful third grade year for Daria. She had a wonderful and creative teacher. I admired her teacher's creativity, dedication, and support. It was a wonderful year. In this picture, Daria is accepting her Stepping Stone....sitting down as a third grader to rise up, accept the stone, and enter Fourth Grade. Wow.
  

Thank you, Mrs. B. for a wonderful year.

• I am thankful that Daria has some wonderful friends. The girls in her class are very close and they are fun to watch together. What a blessing to have good friends.
  

• 

• I am so very thankful for the wonderful year that Caden had in the first grade. He has come so very far this year. He has opened up so much socially. He conquered a tough spelling program. He became a reader. This year has been so very good.

• I am thankful for Caden's two wonderful teachers. Mrs. J was his main teacher who left in March to have her baby. She really did a wonderful job with him. She encouraged me, encouraged him, and now Caden is a wonderful speller. For all my worries and prayers, God blessed us with Mrs. A. to finish out the year. She really fit into the class well and the kids adapted so wonderfully. It was a great transition. She was a joy and I was so very thankful.
  

• Finally, today I was very thankful for the wonderful things that my kids' teachers had to say about my kids. It really does a Mama's heart good. I wish that I could remember all that they had said.....but they told us that it would be in their reports cards. I guess I will just have to wait.
  

We had our End of the Year Party this evening. It was a wonderful time....in spite of the rain. The kids had a good time....so did we. I would post some pictures....but it is late, I'm tired, and that would require more out of me than I have left. I guess I will just save that for tomorrow.

Thank you, Jesus, for a wonderful school year.

Bravado:

Bravad0: A disposition toward showy defiance or false expressions of courage.

Luke is such a ham. He is also the cockiest little man I know. He loves to run the show, thinks he can do anything he want, and he'll tell you so. The only thing is, he is still only 5 years old. He is still learning to control is body, his thoughts, his words. He has a lot to learn.

When he was younger, he scared me. He showed no fear in accomplishing things. He would climb up on furniture and such and jump with no apprehension at all. I thought for sure he would be my first child into the emergency room with a broken bone. (Amazingly, Daria beat him to that accolade!)

Now, at 5 years old, I am finding my son a complete oxymoron. He is bravado defined. He is so full of guff I just could pull my hair out. He acts so confident....as long as he is in complete control....and he knows he is in complete control. When things, activities, skills, etc. that challenge him are thrown into his path, he stonewalls faster than I can blink.

Tonight, I could tell he was full of something or other when he asked to have his training wheels taken off. It is about time. When he rides his bike, the training wheels hardly ever come into effect. He didn't want his Daddy to help. He wanted me to help....to hold on and never let go. I guess that he knew that his dad couldn't be trusted.

So, we took a couple of twirls around the cul de sac. He was really doing it on his own. I think his problem was that he kept looking back to make sure I was there. I was doing my best to encourage him that he really was doing it on his own. Then his dad took over.....and Luke really was doing it on his own.

But could we convince him of that. No. He was so not pleased with our words that he demanded that the training wheels get put back on....NOW. Tim put them on...but he put them on a lot higher. We then took a ride around the neighborhood. Luke was so not a happy boy. Stupid bike (heard that more times that I cared to.)

I sure do not know how to motivate this boy. He shuts down so tight when he feels challenged. I am really worried about next year when he starts kindergarten. I am praying about that now. He, no we, will need all the help that we can get. It was sure interesting to watch him tonight. Daria and Caden just took off when riding that bike. It was empowering to them to realize that they had done it on their own. Don't know what to do with Luke.

God sure has His work cut out for Him!

My Week.

As the kids have been having a blast at outdoor school, I have been having a pretty good time of my own. It is nice that some of my activities that take me away from home have died off for the summer. I love that feeling of "no pressure" to go, to be, to do.

Just so that you aren't feeling too terribly sorry for me, I haven't been completely lonely. Luke is still my daily companion; and, we have a good time hanging out together. On top of having my Little Man with me, I have also had a couple of new companions to hang with.

For roughly 5 days, we have had the pleasure of dog-sitting for a friend. We've watched Dakota (I call her Dakota May) before and she really seems to fit in well.

Even Tim seems to tolerate her pretty well. Personally, I think she flirts with him every time he comes home. The kids have been thrilled to have her around. I think they overwhelmed her a little on her first day or so....but after they realized that she was more like to come "visit" their laps when they were quiet, they settled down some. They totally think we need to have a dog now. I sort of agree. I don't think Tim is quite there yet. Besides...we need a fence first. Dakota went home to her People today.

Starting yesterday and ending tomorrow, I have had the sweetest little baby in my home during the day. Her name is Helen.
Isn't she just the cutest little thing? I'm watching her during the day for Daria's teacher. Her husband had a schedule change for the summer and she needed someone to watch her this last week of school. Helen is a complete joy....a very easy and laid-back baby. Luke seems to ignore her most of the time....thought he asked me if we could keep her for forever....and then give her back. He was none too pleased to see my arms full carrying her into the YMCA when he was wanting to be carried. Sometimes it is tough growing up! Needless to say, we are having a lot of fun having Helen in our home.

So, see? I'm not bored. Not at all. Tim seemed a little relieved last night. He informed me that now that I have had my dog and baby fix, I should be set for a while.

He wishes.

Bummer, dude.

The kids were fixed to go to Tilikum today. I have been oh-so-excited for them. What a great place to go....for school. The forecast has been downright icky....but I kept hoping that God would do His awesomeness and do a great surprise weather-wise.

Woke up this morning with it just pouring like crazy. The forecast was saying that the rain would decrease and change to showers. Well, at 8:00 this morning, I dropped the kids off and was informed that they weren't going to Tilikum after all. They would be staying at the school and doing something. I will be interested to hear what that something was.

The other disappointing thing, for me, is that I had convinced Tim to take the day off and be a chaperon today at Tilikum. I have been so excited for my kids that he was going to do this. As far as I know, Tim is still with the kids at school. I dropped them off together today and no one has called to be picked up. But, I am disappointed that Tim's chaperoning experience isn't what it was cracked up to be. Hopefully it won't scare him away from maybe doing this again some day. Either way, I am sure that the kids are excited for him to be there. Caden was beside himself today with anticipation.

Right now, as I write this, the sun is breaking through.....a little. Still lots of darkish clouds. Oh well.

Go figure.

June

I can hardly believe that June is here. It seems like just yesterday that it was September and school was just beginning. How is it that it is now June and the End of the School Year is looming so largely? I swear I blinked.

The kids have a great last week of school ahead. Outdoor school!!! I remember going to Camp Magee for outdoor school when I was in the 6th grade. I remember anticipating it for a couple of years after my sister was able to go. It was fun. I don't remember how long we were there, but I do remember that it was overnight. It was particularly cool because I was in a cabin without a counselor. Sometimes it pays to be responsible!! What a blast.

When I think about it though, it was such a brief amount of time in the blip of school years. The cool thing about my kids' school is the week of Outdoor School. The last three days of school are wrapped up in these glorious outings. What hands-on learning they scram into those days....as well as all the memories they will make!!

To be truthful, I really wish that I was able to go with the kids this week. It has been a hard year for me in finding someone to watch Luke for me so that I could be involved in them. When Luke joins kindergarten next year, I will have more freedom to do those kinds of things. That will be fun. Thankfully,Tim gets to take the time to go with them on Tuesday.

I do get to have some fun this week, though. Daria's teacher needed someone to watch her one-year old daughter this week, so I agreed to do that. I can at least be a help that way. I can watch her and Luke at the same time. We should have a fun time.

So....the kids' week looks like this:

Monday: Magness Tree Farm. It is a beautiful place...and the kids should have a lot of fun.

Tuesday: Tilikum!!! Fun. Fun. Fun. I am so jealous......

Wednesday: Tualatin River Keepers at Cook Park in Tigard.

Each day sounds like it is going to be a lot of fun. The only downside is that forecast. Not looking so good. The kids were told to bring swimsuits and towels for Tilikum. Last I knew...the temperature is suppose to be in the high 50s.

Brrrrrr.......