Sick of It

I caught myself saying that phrase too many times that I had to do something about it over the summer. I'm referring to the TV. It annoys me when it's on at length... like fingernails on a chalk board. It's great every once in a while and we all need some down time... plus it is a nice go to, at the proper moments. However... it will not be the first thing that gets turned on when we come home or wake up to here. There is SO much more to do.

This little thing used to house Nutter Butter cookies and is now dressed to be our TV token box. It could have been prettier and I sense a makeover in the near future... but I needed a fix, quick. Each son of mine receives 3 tokens at the start of the day. I can take them away just as easy as I can give them out. Each token represents 30 minutes of TV time. It is genius. The boys choose when they want to use them and just simply place them in the token box. Family movie time is excluded from this and holidays are free days.

They are saving their tokens and not really watching much TV at all because they have found more joy in other things. The shows that are being watched are now thoughtfully decided on. The same episode of "Jessie" isn't being watched 3 times. Instead...

-We have swam outside more
-Made creative snacks
-Dug deep into the toy chests
-Designed games with imagination
-Used craft supplies to make a wrestling belt
-Bike Rides
-Played more with Letty
-Increased our face to face convos

Which all... are more important to me and encompass play that I want my children to balance with.

Texas

A hot and humid place where your always at your skinniest because your water weight is displayed on the outside rather than inside. To add any life to your hair, you must use a thing called a tortoise tail to tease it Texas style big. A place where my original friend Chelly Beans lives... and where we took our family vacation this summer.

It was off to a rough start... but we were much enthused. I didn't know that ahead of me the 15 minutes of snoozing which occurred on my couch before our transportation shuttle arrived was going to be the only sleep of mine in 28 hours. We had a major flight delay and what was supposed to be a fun and quick night flight had turned into a lengthy overnight and morning at the airport. We arrived and this sort of sick fun continued on. These troubles I sewed seamless to the boys so thankfully it was all grand to them. The rental car upgrade was a jolly break in this phase of the trip. Then we were back to that fun as soon as we hit Texas roads... which are terrible. Everything goes in circles and I think I test drove on all of them... a time or two. Now I was cranky... and hungry. I spent most of my energy and sacrificed my body plus any possible rest to ensure that my babies were comfortable enough to get a good night's sleep up to this point.  It was raining and my vision was brightly spotty with a migraine aura in the midst on these lovely roads. It was time to stop and eat something, drink something. As soon as we arrived to Chelly Bean's house my son could tell what I needed. He snuggled me like I did him, for my turn at rest. As soon as I fell asleep he wiggled out of my arms to go play and I woke up hours later. Then... the kind of fun I like began.

We all love thrill seeking rides whether it be gliding down a steep and curvy water slide or falling on chain cranking coasters.

We first set our tootsies on the grounds of Six Flags. Mom has serious theme park stamina and I get as excited if not more so than the boys. We were there from about open to closing time. It was a bit muggy out but the lines weren't too bad. Texas weather is as fickle as Arizona during monsoon season... it could rain at any given or non-given moment. It started to sprinkle and the park cried closed for 30 minutes. During this time half of the crowd left and we decided to play some games. I gave the boys a certain amount of money that they could either play games with or spend in the gift shops. Benny chose games where receiving a prize was absolute and walked away with a superman cape and a stuffed Dalmatian. My Sergeant on the other hand took a chance at a basketball game to try and win a ball of his own. He was crushed when he was out of money, out of chances, and out of a souvenir. Some sweet Texan watched my son's play that left him in a mopey trance, walked up and gave him his ball that he had won. True kindness that touched my spirit and brightened the face of my boy. Benny spotted that the rides were back open so we hauled it to the high demand areas where there was no wait times, not even for front rows!














Front rows are very important to Stink... he would wait at length to get the hot seats. Benny is a little more cautious with the speed, dips and loops on things and properly analyzes his choices. Then mom encourages him to go for it. There was one particular backwards speed roller coaster that Ben-Ben was on the fence about. I sat with him for added comfort and just before taking off he said he wanted out and changed his mind. Both he and I heard the click to secure all riders in their seats and we knew that wasn't happening... he had 2 seconds to cry, and did... then the ride was over and he wanted to do it all again. The boys left the park that day tuckered out with two big Slurpee's in cups they were able to refill the rest of our trip. Every time were out on another Texas mission we stopped for a brief sugar buzz if we spotted a 7/11.

Mom is a planner. I make the most of everything. I like to plan the big things prior to trips because I find it is less hassle and allows me to thoroughly enjoy all the merry moments that much more. It eliminates those annoyances that may "come up" and makes room to handle things that just do. Plus those planned excursions happen to lead into unplanned trip filler... which I enjoy just as much!

I booked a room at what I now call the best family resort that I have been to with my children... Great Wolf Lodge. I reserved a special room. The last time we were visiting Chelly Beans in Texas we spotted a water slide tube coming out of a building and figured out it was some water park treasury exclusive to resort members and determined at that time it would be incredibly amazing and that we would go their our next visit. The boys had a Wolf Den Suite where they nested in bunk beds in their own secluded area located in front of all the snacks they wanted from mom's packed goodies to replenish from serious water park play. It was just amazing. When we weren't playing on slides or with each other in the water we were at the arcade or hunting for clues in our Magiquest. Magiquest came in handy too as a nice alternative to watching mom get ready, pack and unpack. It was a game played with a special wand that when activated and set to target would reveal clues in hidden pictures and objects located throughout the resort on all floors needed to complete each mission. The boys enjoyed that so much we had to return as non-guests to complete all the quests.

We had a memorable time exploring Lake Grapevine before our resort portion of the trip. I rented a boat for our family and the company of Chelsea and her family. Grandma Leslie was so sweet to bring all the treats and cut up fruit for our fun in the sun plus rented a tube to haul all of the kiddos in. I first had to feel comfortable and master driving a boat before I towed any child behind, which I have never done before. It was incredibly easy and so much darn fun. I lost my most favorite hat with a short and omnidirectional gust of wind along this way. We all saw it a while later and even had our kids jump in after it to find out that my hat was a big, lake stained men's hat... that wasn't mine. My forehead scorch was worth it.











It was a perfect day with loving people. The sky was clear with a damp breeze in the air coasting on clean water with my babies. Who had an unforgettable time. Stink liked getting air in the tube rides and I (at his request) loved driving him going super fast for this air. Benny was a calmed rider on the tube desiring a different speed, relaxing and taking every ounce along the way in. When we got off the boat the boys each caught freshwater mussells that we cracked in hopes of finding a shiny pearl inside. No pearls, but what a day.

When we weren't active in mom's planned events we were with wonderful people bowling, skating, Baseball Gaming, BBQing, swimming, laughing and having good talks. Of course squeezed in some movies and then fireworks for the near holiday. We stayed in a small place but a home with a lot of love and everything we need plus each other... so it felt like home. My favorite in all of this was the peaceful blanket I felt over us and the uninterrupted quality time spent with one another.

And thanks to Chelly Beans for having the heart, hospitality and patience the size of her state she lives in. I love you. I love your company, your sillies and our sillies we make together. I will never forget running in the rain with you when we were little. I won't forget running through a splash pad with you as adults. And I will now, never forget you biffing it at the end.

It was yet another amazing Family trip...

Back to The Babies

A little girl time is always needed once in a while to switch the style of my current speed. I don't ever feel complete without my children. I was ready to see them. When it's been a few days I develop a thirst like I'm in the middle of a stranded desert for those two.

They walked through the door early at my request. I kissed and clenched them with a few squeals that may have escaped my lips. Before we examined each other the boys go to their rooms to see what I've placed on their beds. It's usually clothes that I have folded. They rummage through my purse or anything that they spot out that's different around their home. Then it's snuggle time. This is where I kiss and see what they have been doing all these days without me. Sometimes I point out any new freckles I see. I can tell if they have been brushing their teeth. I look at the length of their nails. Most of the time I just love and hold them.

I can be smothering.

It's usually okay unless I've been to that thirst creating desert. Then they tell me when I'm a little much. But I would rather be over loving than under... so I don't mind the gentle reminder that they need to breathe. We had a night swim and pajama party with left over Kona Grill. Then, I had a feeling this was coming up. The "Root Beer Shower" stick was drawn from the summer fun box.

I got the goods today along with some bird houses for us to finish. It was so wholesome in the beginning... I made a new dinner dish and as my creation was set to a simmer we all sat down to paint these:

I really got into it. It didn't take too long for the boys to finish, but I was on a crafty hyper focus. Hours passed and the boys came to me from playing legos to see if we could move on to the root beer shower. I sprayed the houses with varnish and declared my spiel of how this other spray needs to be done at the park. Well, we didn't quite make it as planned. It turns out some sort of reaction happens with the soda right when the mentos is added. I thought you would have to shake things up first. The reaction is explosive and it happened inside my house on my counter top before we could get out of the door. Half of the root beer two liter was blasted throughout my kitchen and part of the living room. It got on blinds. Cabinets. Inside the dishwasher somehow. All over papers and my fruit in the fruit basket. On my shirt, soaked through my sports bra to my skin and drizzled all the way down. All over the floors. In my hair. On my face. I stood there as my boys were lapping up pop from the sugar pool that lay in front of me.

I just stood there. You know that feeling when your froze and your just trying to process what happened, you hope that it isn't real but know it is and you wish that any force out there could just take it back really quick. Then I looked at Stink as root beer dripped from my chin and asked him who told him about this. I knew by the outcome this was a recommended activity that has been trialed before. The Sergeant declared that he didn't know it would go like this... and he didn't. But it did, and it took 45 minutes to clean up the 3 second high fructose corn syrup bomb.

I still have random spots that I find myself sticking to in the kitchen... a few stiff brunette strands of hair... and my desert thirst has been overly quenched today.

 

Summer Ready (just about)

I woke up super early this morning... earlier than my usual. I fell asleep embarrassingly premature watching silly videos with my boys who wanted to snuggle and sleep in mom's room last night. Those boys have been a little more clingy with me than usual lately. I just soak it up.

I lay in my bed early this morning or in the middle of the night, whichever you want to call it. I gave my body 30 minutes to decide if this is really the start of my day. I rarely wake up in the middle of the night anyway so I had a good idea this was the start. Then, there was no turning my head back to the pillow... I began thinking and getting really excited.

Summer is here. Not only is summer here but this is my last full day to prepare my home, finalize some plans and remember that patience is a virtue for this two month event. I have already gotten a request to drag the summer fun box out early... The babes can't wait. Here is last years:

Benny asked if we could add a root beer shower to it. When I asked what this was Stink chimed in and said, "It's where you take a menthol (Mentos) and you shake it up in the root beer then open it up and watch it spray." When the boys saw me think about it in silence for two moments or so they wanted to know if maybe just a root beer bath would be better. They explained to me that they could just swim around in it then take a sip whenever they wanted. I think it would actually be fun... the shower. I am going to put it in the summer fun box. I don't know if it will be chosen, but that will give me some time to figure out and teach my children that we have to do this in a very special place or mommy just might lose it.


Another excitement that thrust my body out of bed during wee hours are my bike shoes I just purchased. My heart, soul and feet are now locked into the pedals of cycling. I can feel those endorphins of mine attaching to this now. However anytime there is something new for me I always get giddy about using it. Whether it be a new shade of lipstick, dress, or hair style... if it is something that helps portray the beauty on the outside, I will wake up extra early to tether it out.

So bring it on- Get Ready... Set... Cycle/Clean/Plan. That and now I must squeeze in a nap today.

Monkey Business

When I was a little girl my best childhood memories are from the summers that I would spend with my grandparents at their lake-house. I remember I would pick out my most favorite clothes at the current time with shoes and lay them out days ahead before I went on the plane to visit. I couldn't wait.

I couln't wait to run around in my jammies at night on the deck in the cool dewy breeze and catch fireflies. I would wake up early when the peace in the air only captured the naturous sounds of insects, wind through the trees and water sloshing from the lake to the shore. I would catch night crawlers with my Grandpa. We would jump on his fishing boat and fish with the poles he used to make me out of bamboo. My Grandma would make delicious food... and I still to this day remember the very comforting smell of her cups in the cabinet. She would give me the best tickles with her gorgeous natural nails that put me right to sleep.

I would ski... jet ski... ride in a tube on the back of the boat and be frightful about going over the white edge. If I fell off any of those I would be afraid that a giant fish with teeth was going to nibble my toes or something else, until someone came to the rescue. My brother and I would bury each other in the sand. I pranced around in my swim suit all day... never really liked to wear too much clothing.

There was one more thing a bit scary to me located in the basement. There was a stuffed Gorilla just randomly laying around. I never knew his purpose or where he came from, just that he creeped me out. Anytime I needed to go down there I would pause then holler from the top of the stairway to my brother, "Come on Dustin!"

My Grandparents had picked up a replica at a garage sale recently and left him with us before they set forth back home. He puts the same scare in the boys as I had once. They tried to dunk him in the pool for a swim. Great Grandma said it was going to have little gorilla babies now that he got wet. So the boys have decided the only place for him is outside. He has now become a family joke with the hint of spook that won't leave. We would find him hanging out in the chair in the back of the yard... found him on a wall... he's welcomed the boys home from school in the driveway. 

I haven't seen him for a while. This was up until I went to trim a bush in the front yard yesterday morning. Benny hustled outside barefoot digging at the bush and I raced him back into the house to finish his morning routine. I went over to see what was so great about this bush I had just cut back and there our frightful friend was... someone had stuffed him in that hidden foliage for all this while. The boys fessed up at breakfast who locked him up in the branches. Scarlet and I kissed the muffins goodbye for school and a few minutes later the doorbell rang. I honestly didn't think it was my babies. It wasn't, but I have a feeling they may be behind it in some way. Only because this is who was there. ;)

My Day, as Sweet as a Nif-Kiss

Mommy needs a vacation... amongst a few other things.  Times have been an accumulated tally of tough lately. I have been adjusting to the dark side of management at work. Every position, every job has an ugly alley and I'm tasting mine in the current moments. I still like it. I developed a back injury I think from trying to keep up with a new fitness instructor prancing around with a bad form and too much stimulant in her system. Let me state that back injuries affect EVERYTHING. I'm stiff and feel trapped with having to constantly think about how I move. I'm slow and it's irritating. I have been a sweet low without my running endorphins. In fact, I was told I couldn't run for a while. I felt like I was breaking up with a good boyfriend, seriously. So I have decided to work out smarter and get back to cycling, then pick up Bikram Yoga for a while. The only positive thing out of this deal was the five pounds I gained to get my badonkadonk back. My children have noticed. The Sergeant ran up to my backside today and acted like he was pounding on the conga drums and Benny remarked how it jiggles... He even goes, "Look Mom!" like it was some sort of show. Those boys of mine have been treading on thin water with Mom. It's creeping towards the end of the school year and they are feeling summer freedom around the corner.

I made the mistake of taking them to the salon recently to get my hair done. I thought it would be okay. After all they were getting theirs done as my new beautiful dark richenend in color. I prepared and brought homework and books to keep the two occupied. I even separated them in the hall. Benny forgot his AR book at school and brought a preschool level reader in place, which didn't fly by me too smoothly. Benny kept running down the hall touching and teasing his brother, shouting out "No" to me as I sat helplessly in the salon chair. He even called me a monster when I declared his punishments as I chased him in my cap when I was loose. As if that and the stylist's looks he gave me while my naughty acting children continued on wasn't enough, I was hit with a doozy before walking out. I approached my son Stink, who is one of the most well behaved and self disciplined children I have ever met. And there it was... he had over-doodled in pencil the words "Poop and Pee" on the salon sofa. I was pissed. Mortified. Mostly... disappointed. He had to confess to the stylist what had happened and I walked out with my dark head a little lower than the height it was entering. My boys were silent on the ride back. Benny went straight to his room reading a real chapter book when we arrived home. I cried a little out of disappointment while my Sergeant became patchy and held back tears of his own watching me. I marched S. Stink back up to the salon with a bucket of water, soap and a rag. He scrubbed with a happy little heart until the marks were gone. I get it- not a place for any kid during any lengthy period of time no matter what materials are brought. Lesson engraved.

Times are now better, will be best after vacation, and today was yet another magical Mother's Day. Saturday I let my heart rate and body run loose in the midst of my workout without fear of injuring something. Sure sign I am feeling better. My boys told me that they have surprises and that I couldn't come out of my room on Mother's Day morning until they said so...

I awoke, before my muffins and just as I thought I was going to have to run the show this morning the boys got up and whipped out a carb-loaded breakfast for mom... in bed. They drizzled the waffles in syrup and me in their love with kisses, a poem, mommy coupons, and earrings. I knew a sappy poem was coming because as I was putting curls in my hair when Stink yells through the door, "How do you spell violets mom?!" I joked with my two handsome men that they need to do this every morning because they actually had breakfast done quicker than me. Their secret: freezer ready foods. My breakfast was delicious only because it was made with true love. What really snagged me is that they put on cologne before their presentation... I so love those two.

I shooed them into the big church service with me. Benny always compares my hands to his during this time... they are getting closer in size and before I know it his mittens will be bigger than mine. I massaged those little hands of my boys while I still can and soaked in the Mother's Day message. Every so often I would lean over to give them what I call a nif-kiss. It's where I smell their sweet scent as I simultaneously give a little kiss. Benny's prime spot is right on top of his head... The Sergeant's is right by his left ear. As we left Benny opened the car door for me... he did this all day. I taught my boys to open doors for people especially women. He got it, and I didn't even have to ask today. We had a delightful picnic after church at the school park and played back-stop together. I finished my book under a shady tree in the breeze. Scarlet puked up a sandwich and got ants on her nose from getting into things we had thrown for the birds. We got home tired and I wanted to go to the movies... but instead got an even brighter idea to put on a movie at home. We all piled into my bed for snuggles and sprawling you can't get in theatre chairs. I still worked in motherly duties even on a day such as this... dishes, laundry, school project.

I told my boys that I don't ever mind doing these things, but please just let me know I'm appreciated especially today and every so often. Which, I am. I went to mow the lawn and Stink stopped me, told me it didn't really need to be done. I think the boys were ready for our next adventure. I listened to my dear son and we came in from swimming so the muffins could put together their Annual Mother's Day Pizza. Mom loves her pizza. This year the kids wanted to try and replicate my BBQ Chicken Pizza. I set them up for success... just as any mother should for her kids in any situation. Help your babies with the things you know they could struggle with and encouragement in all the rest. The day before I chopped the cilantro, sliced the onion, grated the cheese and marinated the diced chicken. All ready to go for them... my Sergeant actually helped and declared his delight in this creation. Big difference from last year.

It came out delicious.

Just before I had to take them to their Dad's they wanted to make Sundae's for dessert. The ice-cream wasn't quite thawed enough just yet and they had a hard time getting scoops out of the carton. My nails were drying from my freshly applied polish so my assistance wasn't an option. I could feel their end of laborious day frustration at this point just as I sometimes get. I threw in a couple of tailored requests for my dish as my son hurried in his makings and gave me the eye. As I kissed them bye, it was a good heartfelt one with remarks of how nice our today was. It really was. No where else I would want to be other than home... with my family. Where our love and comfort rest, and sweet memories are made.

I came back home and saw that my baby forgot to put his pillow away and there it was, still on my bed. I already missed them. So I smelled it, clenched it and slept with my head on it... all night.

 

The Blog & Basil Are Still Alive

It's a beautiful gorgeous day. I had some time today to buy a new outside corn broom that has been on my list of things to do for underestimated months. My old nubby one was worn down to the cross stitches. I decided a few hours ago even though I have some other things I would like to do,  I would instead create some time to blog today.... it is on my important list.

I will post my updates of each muffin below, but haven't gotten to write as much because I have been engrossed in an incredible book, The Glass Castle. I can't both read and write wholeheartedly on top of my other requirements... it would leave me in total seclusion. My book is about a girl who grew up in a way of living she couldn't wait to get out of and seldom look back upon. This bringing up showed her what she never wanted to be, but instead became something incredible that SHE chose. I was at the chiropractor today undergoing spinal decompression when I got to a part that I knew would bring tears so I had to stop. Her father, an alcoholic who loved her dearly and promised a castle made out of glass to her as one of his ongoing drunken stories confessed his days were numbered. The two shared a special love for one another despite his problem. That's where I left it... and little now to continue until the end. I thought that I would actually have it finished by now. I planned on completing the pages I had left during the lengthy bus ride to the Grand Canyon chaperoning for Stink's field trip. Which, by the way rocked. The bus didn't have working lights on them at night along with the broken TV's.  So I huddled with my phone light and book until the battery went out on my phone and I had to stop.

The Sergeant had never been to the Grand Canyon, and I don't really remember ever going now that I was there and viewed it's sight. Ranger L lead the class at the start to the view of the gorge in two linear lines with a few rules: The kids were quiet with eyes closed and a gentle hold onto the person in front of them. The class didn't know where they were going. Some peeked. When the Ranger said to open their eyes they were in front of Arizona's top state sights.

Wondrous! We were about to dig into that wonder and learn about the different rocks and Canyon development with activities. I was worried about the kids getting too close to the edge and during one part my mother mode kicked in around a particular corner. As concerned as I was I think someone else was even more so. Stink kept his eye on me the whole time, held my hand and around this narrow corner told me that he didn't know what he would do without me as he gave me his friend's souvenir walking stick for protection... which wouldn't save me but he thought it might.

I have always respected the honesty of children. 
On our class hike I listened to a clever song about farts in the wind developed by one in my group and another that broad casted the zits on this mans chest that walked along by with his shirt off. I really felt old during the bus ride home when I fell asleep, then awoke to the girls passing around notes as I once did. So I decided to pass something along myself from back in my childhood day. Jacob's Ladder string trick. The girl behind me had a string and I told her I would show her. Before I knew it her seat was replaced with another that wanted to learn... then another.... and another until there was a girlie group together trying to master the trick. By this time my fingers and body were tired... It didn't help that my DTaP vaccine decided to spark my immune system this very evening. I was ready as I took my old self, Sergeant and my third son home to where Benny awaited.

Benny is out of tape. This became a crisis when he wanted to build a fort in the living room yesterday. He resorted to building a back-seat car fort instead. Benny found a blanket in the car and rolled the window up on one end of it while doing the same to the other side on the other end of the blanket. His skills are still alive even without tape and so is something else of his... Benny's Basil! We all thought that this hardy plant was a goner during the winter freeze. I got rid of the remains with sad emotions quite some time ago and it was nothing but a large, dry, dead bush. I found the green sprout a week ago. Our homemade pesto days are NOT over.

So here my day continues in it's weatherous delight...

my children are going to come home
I will kiss their mouths then fill them with lemon snaps
take the frozen cranberries off of my back
go on a tape run to the store 
BBQ some baby back ribs
watch my babies as they swim and play