What are you growing this year?

Besides a new baby, I have let the kids plant seeds in their gardens, our garden boxes, and of course they each have a few plants.

I am a big believer in letting kids do whatever they can for themselves.  It is both lazy parenting, and an inspiring show of confidence in my children.  Since Roland has helped me several times with the process of mixing composts, I knew he could lead in this project while I took photos from my chair with my foot up.

As you can see, he had lots of (mostly unwanted) help from little people.  Welcome to my world!

Molly at work in her garden beds.  She's not the natural gardener Roland is, but when in Rome, have your own garden.

Lillian has a strawberry plant in her planter, and some nasturtium seeds now.  (Along with other assorted seeds that I won't hold out too much hope for.)

After the work was done, we celebrated by eating copious amounts of strawberries.

You want me to take a picture of what?

Roland really enjoys age appropriate legos, but for pure rainy day with siblings time--Duplos are the way we roll here.

He asked me to take a picture of this structure, for whatever reason.

What else have they done to promote the show?

I know you're dying to find out!

The cast did several promotions, here they are at First Wednesday in Downtown Salem.

The show has been so good last weekend, can't wait for my parents to see it tomorrow!

Is today Joy School

We are happy to announce a new graduate in the house:

Lillian is our newest Joy School graduate!

Lillian and her friends Tevin, Moroni, Tessa and Annelore all crossed the living room to receive their certificates of a year well spent!

She seemed very proud.  She was the youngest in her group by nearly a year, and she grew so much participating in the curriculum and playing with her friends.

I'd like to add a special tribute to the moms who were the teachers this year:  When I broke my foot, suddenly I couldn't keep up my commitment to teach every five weeks.  With no recriminations, they rewrote the schedule, and Lillian was able to keep benefiting from their kindness.  So did I.  I love to be impressed by how kind mothers can be.

What are you doing this year for football?

Due to Roland's great enthusiasm, we decided to put him in summer football with the YMCA.  He requested that we use the money we'd set aside for Cub Scout Camp, and do this instead.  Since he has already earned his Bear (with 6 months left to go), and Cub Scout camp is right before my baby comes (or even at the same time if a miracle occurs and I have an early baby), we happily agreed.  We did ask him to pray about it though, because we want him to get some practice deciding between two good choices, not just right and wrong.

Since I am not a sports photographer with an awesome lens, there are no actual good pictures of his first game, but Roland did well, his team did a good job, and his coach seems great.  Roland even scored 3 touch downs, and grabbed tons of flags.  If he can just keep the daydreaming to a minimum while the coach is talking, he'll probably become unstoppable.

We had a good time on a very hot day, turning out to support our favorite little athlete.

Why can't I make this work?

Why am I always having camera or camera to computer issues?  It makes keeping a blog so much more challenging!

On Friday, the kids did a preview session for their play (opening next Friday!) at Gilbert Village.  That was fun, and some of the little girls were SO excited to meet Sleeping Beauty.  Afterwards the cast had a water balloon fight in Riverfront Park that was very very fun for my big kids.

Here are some photos (sadly, not of the waterballon extravaganza), taken by the director, David Berrier.

Once Upon a Tralalala..

There was a queen...

Roland seems a little bored...this is really between the prince and the princess!

Not really his business at all!

But now the evil fairy, Wisteria is here to liven up the show wreak havoc.

She's so good.  This show should be terrific!  I actually had goosebumps watching Wednesday, and I've seen so much of it so many times!

Lillian came with us (but didn't watch, little punk).  She screamed and ran to me when ever she saw the actor   playing the Falcon (on right).  He's a great guy--maybe it's the beard.

Here is the three good fairies.  (They're just so cute).

Have you heard about this giveaway?

This giveaway is only open to people who blog about it.
It is to celebrate the launch of patchwork-oase.com
A new sewing supply store!

http://shape-moth.blogspot.com/2012/06/giveaway-from-patchwork-oase.html?spref=bl

Go ahead and visit:  maybe like me you're a sucker for quilting supplies!

What happened with Kari's quilt?

Well, I never did teach her to actually quilt...But right before her baby was born last month, I quilted it by hand myself and bound it.  I felt so guilty that I hadn't made sure she finished it.  It was a little late to insist she do so (3 days past her due date).  I finished it before her week late baby was born, but I was scared to give it to her. I know what being over due is like!

However, I was determined that this baby get the quilt intended for her!  I'll teach Kari to quilt some other time.

When is story time?

For us, it was this Tuesday.  Finally I braved a solo trip with Jack (where he left the vehicle).  I explained to Lillian we were going just to story time, not to play (Jack dashes away at the library).  He was strapped into the stroller when we weren't in the story time room (which has a baby gate, bless them!).

I swear, Jack owns other shirts!

Lillian and he were so happy to be back.  I think Jack really appreciated me acting like a mom who takes him somewhere fun.

I was happy to pick up some on reserve books!
Lillian refused to put her shoes back on as we were leaving the library, Jack tried to run away from me on our way to the stroller (I snagged him by his collar luckily, I can't run).  But we survived, and we were happy!

What's wrong?

I have a friend.  She's pretty special to me.  We have known each other since I was born, 8 months after her.  (Our moms are best friends)  We grew up together, were young (er) parents together in Vancouver, and it is my privilege to live in our hometown with her again.

Yesterday we ran out of milk, right before my husband left for work.  Unfortunately, we only have one vehicle right now.  (Plus, I probably am not up to the grocery store with the kids anyway).  Not to worry, we still had some in a sippy cup for Jack, and the rest of us could wait until I took the big kids to play practice.

Play practice lasted until 9:40 (it's getting later because we're getting closer!).  I raced back to my side of town with the twin goals of picking up our prescriptions and grabbing a couple gallons of milk.  Walgreens closes at 10, could we make it?

Yes, I annoyed the pharmacist tech, got my prescriptions limped (I was pretty exhausted at this point) to the dairy case, grabbed the milk, and headed out toward the register with a minute to spare.

Then I dug fruitlessly through my bag several times--Wesley had taken my wallet out of it to get something, and returned it to the top of the refrigerator instead of leaving it in their.  I was pretty devastated.

I went home and collapsed, upset because I knew it would be a milk free morning for us, but powerless to do anything about it.

This morning my husband left bright and early, we muddled through a milkless breakfast, everything was fine until 10 o'clock when Jack found an old (thankfully drained) sippy cup of milk, and he proceeded to cry, scream and sob for half an hour. I called three friends who live very close, and no one answered.  Then I started to cry.  So I called my mom (who I could call while crying).  She didn't hear the phone.

So I called my special friend.  I alarmed her, she was thinking I'd lost the baby or someone had died, but I was able to communicate I just wanted her to bring me some milk.  She made sure I didn't need other groceries, and she packed up her baby and toddler and brought a gallon right over.  By then Jack and I had stopped crying, both comforted that she was coming.

She came in and visited with me, and I felt like a million bucks.  I'm so lucky.

Jack ate four bowls of cereal for lunch.  He feels lucky too!