Fun at the School Yard

I grew up living down the street from an elementary school and although it didn't have the greatest playground at the time, all the neighborhood kids played there daily during the summer.  My brother and I would tell my mom we were headed to the school yard, jump on our bikes, and take off.

A few years have passed since those days but my parents still live in that same house, down the street from the school yard.  Now though it has a great playground, thanks I'm sure to a thriving Parents Association, and I get to enjoy it with my children.  Plus, what a great way to get rid of some of that energy and tire everyone out so mom & dad can get a good night's sleep.

Here are some pics from our most recent school yard trip.

He's concentrating hard on that ball.  He can dribble better than I can.

On the monkey bars.  She has amazing upper body strength, (wish I did) and can make it across all on her own, repeatedly.

On the fireman's pole.

Twin brother loves the monkey bars too.  

Back up I go to do it again.

They all love the fireman's pole.

A rare still moment.  Just right to get a shot of that smile.

Just chilling in the stroller.

Made it to the top of the climbing wall.

I can do anything Ella can do.

Yes...I made it.

Now it's my turn.

Another rare still moment.  Notice only one of them is still at any given time.

Even Ava and I got a turn on the tire swing.

More than a decade later, the school yard is still FUN for all ages.  Happy playing!

Smile...Life is So Much Easier That Way

Last Friday, Friday the 13th, I attended the funeral of the PE teacher and coach from my elementary school.  And while I was not the sporty kind of girl and didn't play on the school basketball team, he did have an impact on my life both as my PE teacher and later as a businessman around town.  He always had a smile on his face.  He was always happy to see you and greeted everyone with friendly words and a warm smile.  Even when he was no longer "Coach" and I would run into him around town, he always remembered me and had a smile on his face at seeing me.

Over the years I lost touch with this man, as is common I think.  I grew up, went off to college and moved out of state for a job.  But I still remember "Coach" fondly and was shocked when I heard of his unexpected death.  I attended the funeral on Friday in part for myself, as a way to say goodbye.  But I also went on behalf of all the students Coach touched over the years.  I wanted to be there, as one of the many children he touched, in order to honor him and his life.  Printed in the service bulletin for the funeral was a an inspirational quote written by Bonnie Mohr entitled "Living Life."  It read:

Life is not a race - but indeed a journey.  Be honest.  Work hard.  Be choosy.  Say "thank you", "I love you", and "great job" to someone each day.  Go to church, take time for prayer.  The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh.  Let your handshake mean more than pen and paper.  Love your life and what you've been given, it is not accidental - search for your purpose and do it as best you can.  Dreaming does matter.  It allows you to become that which you aspire to be.  Laugh often.  Appreciate the little things in life and enjoy them.  Some of the best things really are free.  Do not worry, less wrinkles are more becoming.  Forgive, it frees the soul.  Take time for yourself - plan for longevity.  Recognize the special people you've been blessed to know.  Live for today, enjoy the moment.

I read these words while waiting in the packed church for the service to begin.  During the service I listened to Coach's brother-in-law speak about Coach and his life.  Some things I knew.  Some things I didn't.  I listened as he spoke about Coach's time as a teacher and the children he touched.  About the different restaurants he had run after teaching.  About the greetings and smiles he gave to everyone every day. About how in times of trouble he was known in the family as the one to call.   How he would drop everything to be there for his loved one in time of need with no questions asked.  And about how he lived every day to the fullest.  Enjoying life and all the joys it brings.  Taking time to remember what is most important and to cherish all the little things as life goes by.

I listened to the words of Coach's brother in law and read the words above and thought about my own life.  I thought of all the times, especially lately, where I have been so caught up in getting things done and so upset and annoyed at one (or more) of the children because of another mess they have made or another problem that I haven't been enjoying my life.  I haven't been taking the time to remember that they are only little once.  And yes, while they make lots of messes and mean lots of laundry, and crumbs, and fingerprints, they also mean lots of "I love you's" and hugs and kisses.  Those same little hands that make sticking fingerprints on the walls are slipping in to my hands because they want to be near me and hold my hand.  Those same little mouths that lately have had a few too many smart alecky comments are the ones that say "I love you mommy" and sing me cute songs they have learned at church or school.  These same children that pick at each other and fight over a toy are the same ones that, when they hear their little sister crying, go running to her room to make sure she is ok, or bring her one of her favorite toys.  Hearing the words about how Coach lived life to the fullest and took the time to enjoy the little things in life make me remember how truly lucky I am.  I am blessed with four, sometimes crazy, frustrating, and ill-behaved, but beautiful, loving and wonderful children.  I am even more blessed that I am able to stay home with them full time.  I get to be here to read them stories, play dress-up, take them to the zoo and to the splash pad, kiss boo-boo's, learn new things and watch them grow up.  I need to slow down and remember all the blessings I have, not just the challenges.

Maybe every funeral makes you think about what your family and friends will say about you after you are gone.  I want them to say I lived.  Because that is a whole lot more important than having the cleanest house on the block.  At least to me it is.

So even in his death, Coach touched me and brought me back to something I knew but had lost sight of in all the craziness of life with four children.  The little things matter.  Live life to the fullest and smile...life is so much easier that way.

Thanks Coach.  You will be missed.

Happy Birthday To You!

It may be Friday the 13th for everyone but today is my brother's birthday.

Happy Birthday John  Robert!

He is an awesome brother to me & my sister, brother in law to my husband, and uncle to my children, as well as being an awesome "doctor man."  (That's what my children call him when I ask what kind of work John Robert does.)

Here are just a few random photos of him with my children over the past few years.  

Here he is taking a nap with John David, his new nephew, just days after coming home from the hospital.

   

 John David loves his uncle desperately and when he grows up wants to be just like his daddy or his uncle.  When John Robert it around, John David is usually right by his side and follows him everywhere.

 

Like uncle, like nephew.

Horrible to admit I don't have any pictures of John Robert with Ava.  I need to remedy that.  Guess that means we need to make another trip to Cincinnati for a visit.

So...happy Friday the 13th and Happy Birthday to my favorite brother.  We all love and miss you!!!

Berry Picking

I remember going to pick berries during the summer when I was little.  My mom took my brother and I (this was before my little sister was born) and the family friends that lived next door and off we went to the berry patch.  Two moms, five kids, and lots of berries.  If my memory is correct, my mom and the mom next door made jelly from some of the berries and then froze the rest, especially blueberries, to use throughout the year.  Blueberry pancakes...yummy!  Every summer since my oldest was born and husband and I moved back home to Arkansas, I have said that I wanted to go berry picking and every year we have either had too much going on, or waited too late in the year, or just didn't want to brave the heat, and so we haven't gone.  Until this year.  This year husband and I took all four children to the berry patch bright and early one Saturday morning.  We intentionally picked a Saturday right in the middle of the unseasonable cool snap in June and went as early as we could get all four children up, clothed, fed and in the car.  What did we pick?  Blueberries and blackberries.  And boy did we have a blast.


Showing off her pink berry picking pail.

Brother had to show me his pail too.

In the blueberry patch.

Working hard.

 

Now it's on to blackberries.

I had to get in one of Ava just to prove she was there.  She had a great time in the carrier snuggled up on my chest.

 And here is one of Ella after the picking was complete and we were on our way home.  Happy but dirty.  Notice the dirt all over her smiling face.

I opted not to make jelly out of our berries but to freeze them to use in pancakes, muffins, and cobblers throughout the year.  We will definitely be going back next year.  It was a great activity for both husband and I and the children.  And next year Ava will be able to "help."  

Stay tuned for more fruit picking fun.  We are planning a trip to the orchard for peach picking in the next week or so.

Happy Picking!

Mommy School

In an effort to keep the three "big kids" happy, active, and from picking on each other or driving mommy crazy this summer and after getting some ideas on the internet and from that awesome idea center that is "pinterest" I decided on having Mommy School this summer.  The kids preschool has a summer program during the month of June, but since were going to be traveling and would miss a couple of weeks, it didn't seem to work for us this year.  So instead...Mommy School.  The whole idea was to give the three older ones something to do each day that would be fun and different and so, give them something to look forward to each day.  I had various "themes" for different days of the week.  Arts & Crafts Day, Cooking Day, Library Day, Field Trip Day, etc.  Originally I had thought, every Monday would be art project day, every Tuesday would be cooking day, etc. all summer.  In actuality I changed which days were what activity based on what else we had going on that week.  That way I could kind of coordinate with friends, family, and other obligations.  So far it has worked for us.  I do think having set days would probably make things easier.  We'll try that next summer.  It just hasn't worked that way for us this year.

So we started Mommy School right after Memorial Day.  Here is our schedule for the 1st week of Mommy School.  It was pretty jam packed with activities.  Every week hasn't been quite so full.

We started the week with cooking day.  As I said, I tried to coordinate our Mommy School activities around our other obligations for the week.  That Tuesday happened to be the day I had volunteered to bring dinner to a family in our church that just had a new baby.  Since we were already going to be making dinner for these family friends and dirtying up the kitchen, I figured it made sense to go ahead and make it our official Mommy School cooking day as well.   

In planning out our first week of Mommy School I had asked John David if there was anything special he wanted to cook with that week.  I thought he might say chocolate chip cookies or cake, but I should have known better. My boy loves fruits and vegetables so what did he ask for.....something with apples.  I did a little searching on the internet for new apple recipes and found two that sounded yummy.  Apple muffins and an apple torte.  We tried them both out. 

Here are our creations.

Apple muffins.  Sorry it isn't a great picture but they were delicious.  

 Apple torte.  Also delicious and gorgeous once I took it out of the springform pan.

I got both of these recipes from allrecipes.com but I have included them below if you want to try them out...something I would definitely encourage.

Apple Muffins (makes 12):

2 cups          All Purpose Flour

1 tsp            Baking Powder

1/2 tsp         Baking Soda

1/2 cup        Butter

1 cup           Sugar

2                 Large Eggs

1 1/4 tsp      Vanilla

1 1/2 cups   Chopped Apples, minus the peel

1/2 tsp        Salt

Topping:

1/3 cup     Packed Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp      Flour

1/8 tsp      Cinnamon

1 Tbsp      Butter

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Grease muffin tin.

2.  Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3.  Beat together butter, sugar, and eggs until smooth.  Mix in the vanilla and stir in the apples.  Gradually blend in the flour mixture and spoon into prepared pan.

4.  Mix together the brown sugar, flour, & cinnamon.  Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbles.  Sprinkle over the tops of the muffins.

5.  Bake for 20 minutes at 375.  Allow muffins to sit approximately 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Apples Torte:

Crust:

3/4 cup           Butter, softened

1/2 tsp            Vanilla

1 1/2 cups       All Purpose Flour

1/2 cup           Sugar

Filling:

2 (8 oz) pkgs   Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 cup           Sugar

2                    Large Eggs

3/4 tsp            Vanilla

Apple Topping:

3 cups            Apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

1 tsp              Cinnamon

1/2 cup           Sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  Mix together butter, 1/2 tsp vanilla, all purpose flour, & 1/2 cup sugar.  Press mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 9" springform pan.

3.  Beat together cream cheese & sugar.  Stir in eggs and 3/4 tsp vanilla.  Pour mixture over the crust.

4.  Combine sliced apples, cinnamon, and 1/2 cup sugar.  Spoon apple mixture over the cream cheese mixture. (I placed the apple slices in a circular pattern over the top so it would look prettier.)

5.  Place springform pan on a baking sheet and bake until the center is set, approximately 50-65 minutes.

Both of these recipes were a huge hit.  We doubled the muffin recipe and included a dozen as dessert in our dinner for our family friends.  

In addition to cooking, our first week of Mommy School also included a trip to the library, making rain suns and rain clouds, complete with falling water drops, and going to the zoo.  We hung the suns and rainclouds up in the house for Daddy to enjoy.  Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures of them (bad mommy) and have since taken them down and replaced them with other art projects.  

On Friday that week we had the best weather.  Highs in the 70's and gorgeous.  Just in case you don't know....70 degree weather in June in Arkansas is unheard of and didn't last long.  The rest of the month has been unbearable with temps over 100.  But we decided to take advantage of the cool weather and head to the zoo.  Yep..that's right.  I took four children to the zoo by myself.  No major problems, although all five of us in a bathroom stall was a bit of a tight squeeze but we made it fine.  While standing in line to get it (since it was a nice cool day I wasn't the only parent that had the idea of going to the zoo) I did overhead a woman talking on her cell phone to a friend about how she had brought her daughter to the zoo.  My guess is the daughter was between John David and the twins in age, so probably 4, maybe an older 3.  Anyway, whoever this woman was talking to must have asked her something along the lines of "Did you bring both children?"  Her response, "Of course not. I only brought Ruthie, or whatever the daughter's name was.  Bringing both of them would have been too much to handle."  I almost laughed out loud.  Now I know everyone's children are different and every parent and what he or she could handle is different.  But all I could think was, "and here I am by myself with four children."  I'm sure she thought I was completely insane.  Oh well.  We all survived with no arguments or trouble making and we all had a fantastic time.  Here are a few shots of our fun at the zoo.

Ava's first zoo trip.

 I think it is impossible to get three little ones to look at you at the same time.  This was right before we really started seeing the animals.  I'm surprised I got them to hold still for a picture at all.  They were excited and ready to see some animals.

 The silverback gorilla.

 The monkey.  He looked like he was checking us out just like we were checking him out.

John David was ready to get in there with the elephants.

 The elephant.

 Rhino

Some relative of a deer but I can't remember the exact name.  John David really liked this one.

The new penguin exhibit.  The kids loved it and it looked like the penguins were having a blast too.  This penguin was very friendly and hung out doing tricks for the kids.

Panther or is it a leopard.  I always get them mixed up.

Leopard?

We had a great time.  The kids loved the animals.  The weather was perfect.  And we met up with Daddy afterwards for lunch.  Plus I got a good story out of it.

A "Toe"tally Terrific Morning

Hope you are having a "toe"tally terrific Saturday morning at your house.



As you can see....Ava has become a big fan of toes lately.
So adorable.

Everybody getting in on the "toe"action.

A smile....just to brighten your morning.

And another one, because you can't have too many baby smiles.

Have a "toe"tally awesome Saturday everyone.