Mom's Gone Wild During VBS

This year the boys are in Vacation Bible School again, they really have fun with this program at our church. It's a week long and during the evening for some end of day, night-time fun. My football feine, also known as Stink, enjoyed it so much the first day that he actually considered missing his game so he could go to VBS the next day... but of course realizing what he said a nano-second later, "Well, I think I will just go to my game."

So the other night before picking up the boys I am starting to walk out the door and go to grab my stuff off the counter. In doing so I knock a "glass" glass (of course full of milk) all over the place... milk & slivers of glass... everywhere. Plus I have noticed lots of crickets outside and they were starting to try and creep their chirpy way in the house. So last minute cricket killing and cleaning in the kitchen before I pick up kids is what fun I had. Benny says to me when we got home over late-night strawberry shortcake, "Mom, why don't you do good stuff when we are gone?" Wanting to know more what he meant by that, "Hunny, what do you mean?" "Well mom, you do bad stuff. You break my cups and let crickets in the house."

Chef Benny

Most of you know that Benny loves to help in the kitchen, well he is now an official chef in the making. He is in chef school, learning the ins n' outs of cooking. Last week he made fritatas that were oh-so-tasty and this week some apple-waffle cookies. As you can tell by the look on his face, he enjoys it. This is "his thing". It's so important to bring out the talent's and interests that God gives to your children. So, have at it sunshine... mama loves sampling your creations each week.

My Human Cotton-Ball

That hair of yours I like to cuddle, smell, and kiss...

Oh Benny, I'm in love...

The Carlsons Rocked Carlsbad

We took a family vacation to California, one of our favorite vacations spots because it's so close and of course who doesn't love the beach?! Well, we do... everything about that deep blue is just pure mesmerizing and relaxing. When getting to cali approaching the waters, we love driving up and looking at the end of the street, which you can't see because it's endless ocean- then rolling down the windows and feeling the salty moist air in the cool sea-breeze, ahhhhhh. This year we tasted a different side of California, we went to Carlsbad. Our trip started out something like this: Out of my mouth goes, "You wanna act like a *bleep*, because I can be a real *bleep*". Gotta love those occasional chunks of marital bliss, especially right before vacation. Despite our bumps that we have (just like everyone else) it was a good break, a much needed one for all of us. We decided to fly, because the boys really wanted to experience an airplane ride and this would be there first trip on one that they would be old enough to remember. So flying we went. The looks on their faces during take-off were of course completely worth it. Stink goes, "Mom, what happens if the wing breaks off?" Trying not to scare him, but fear is in the air with an honest answer, "Well, we would crash." "Oh" he says while I could see his wheels spinning upstairs, then he's over it. And then there's Benny. Who just wanted to talk about farts and poop on the plane, which he did, and announced his brothers smelly gas every time he let one loose. Poor passengers amongst us, they didn't know what they were in for.

So, we stayed at a hotel right off the ocean, it was perfect. Our stay was 3 nights, 4 days. We hit the beach pronto when we got there. First though, most importantly we got our beach gear: chairs, sand toys, football, frisbee, paddle-ball, and boogie boards. Boogy boarding: my fav. The boys after this trip know that mommy goes out "real far" so that was what they said was one of there favorite things to do on the trip, go out real far with mama. Real far to them isn't really the real far in my book, it can get treacherous out there. I experienced a doozy. After diving into a wave out there (the true real far) I came up for one of those huge gulps of air. Little did I know there was a ginormous wave in front of my gulp of air so I not only got a salt-sinus wash, I coughed up sea-juice the next hour, bleh. Riding those waves though, totally worth it. Steve didn't really want to go way out. He hung with Stink who's concrete favorite was running routes on the beach with dad. I volunteered to do some and I got, "mom your not really a good quarterback." Benny and I made a sand-house, and played beach baseball. We buried each other in sand, laid out, ate greasy/fattening mexican food by the ocean, and just chillaxed. Our nights were filled with bowling, miniature golf, and more fattening foods and sweets. We did that for 3 days, then the last day before going home we took the boys to Lego Land. We have gone once before, but this Lego Land trip was by far more fun. The boys could go on everything, even the roller coasters. I am proud to say they rode them with style and even put their hands up on coaster descent.... coaster etiquette. It was sad to leave, we what if'ed about cancelling overtime and how many extra days we were going to stay, but home we are. We love our home, but by the ocean together is a great home-away-from-home.

Swim Lessons

The boys started swim and dive lessons last week and they are having a good ole' time in them. So, the dive boards were introduced to them last year physically, and of course their eye balls have been fixed on those things for longer than that. So I let them loose on them and every time we go to the public pool they flip, dive and cannon ball off of those dive boards. I would have really liked to get them both in dive lessons, however you have to be 6 years old to start... poor Benny. Whoever made those inane (but probly scrupulous) rules obviously don't know my boys. He is enjoying his lessons on swimming strokes and dives off the edge of the pool though. They are having so much fun in these classes that I got the "mom let's do this again" advise... so session II, maybe.

It's Summertime!!

We love, love, love AZ summers... most of the time. It gets super hot here as an understatement, so there is no other option for us because we take pride in our sunny state... we enjoy it! I also enjoy my children so much more because I get to see them more often and get that good quality time with them. So the kids are officially out and on summer break. We have our season packed with activities, new hobbies, trips and lazy days (which by the way are the best). My boys are wild, my boys are crazy, so it's a must to keep them busy! Stink and Benny love each other, but too much of anything is no bueno. So here is the low down on our summer mix: We have Harkins summer movies every week, water park season passes, football team (go Browns, yay Daddy for coaching), Carlsbad, Legoland, cooking school, swim lessons, vacation bible school, summer reading program at the library, oh my. Yes, we've been having some fun and increased our refereeing in our house by 75%. More to come as our Summer adventures unfold...

Gloomy Morning

Today is Benny's last day of pre-school. We were so excited for today, he went to school in his PJ's with his pillow and blanky for a movie day... the last hoorah. Then it hit me as I was driving him there- this is my last preschooler. It was a combination of the rain, Benny's excitement to move on and looking back at him realizing he's growing up. I stayed strong until I kissed him goodbye at the door of his school. I got in my car and wept the whole entire way home. I'm sad today. There is a part of me that doesn't want my kids to grow up, and they are... too fast. I remember how everyone told me this would happen and yeah yeah I thought, but how true it is. I miss my "babies".


So today after school Benny and I are going to go have a special lunch to celebrate the ending of a chapter and beginning of new adventures. I will stay strong...