How Hot Was It?

It was so hot at Grant's Farm today that I wore my pajama shirt because it's the only tank top I own that doesn't make me look like a street walker (this is true).

It was so hot at Grant's Farm today that the elephants were begging to go back to Africa where it is cool.

It was so hot at Grant's Farm today that the Baptists were drinking the complimentary "adult beverages" from the hospitality room just to stay cool (this is not true--well, it might be).

It was so hot at Grant's Farm today that the Clydesdales were putting their manes in pony tails.

It was so hot at Grant's Farm today that the policeman pulled me over, not for speeding but because he delusionally thought we were the ice cream truck (this is not true--well, not all of it).

It was so hot at Grant's Farm today that the sprinklers were more exciting than the animals--even to the adults.

It was so hot at Grant's Farm today that Little Sissy started to drink the baby goats' bottle to quench her thirst (this is true).

It was so hot at Grant's Farm today that my cousin wore her swimsuit coverup instead of a shirt.

It was so hot at Grant's Farm today that my cousin who lives in Malaysia was complaining of the heat.

It was so hot at Grant's Farm today that I let the kids run through the sprinklers again 5 minutes before we left, knowing that they would be mostly dry before we got to the van.

It was so hot at Grant's Farm today that I got sunburned even with 2 rounds of sunscreen.

It WAS hot, but I would do it again.

Nature Craft

Doing this MOPS newsletter is going to force me to try some activities with my own children. They need to be "field tested," right? This is a good thing--forcing me to get creative (although this idea came from someone else's website). This is the craft we did to get a picture for the first issue. It is made of leaves, flower petals, a stick, a rock, and "weed tops" for the eyes. It turned out so cute--except I couldn't find a glue strong enough to hold the stick on. Maybe I'll be a crafting mom after all.

Permullet

What does it say about me that my favorite websites are ones that make fun of things (ie. cakewrecks, fail blog)? Probably that I'm not an intellectual. I just enjoy a good laugh. Now I've been introduced to a new one. Check out http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/ and join me in my tears of laughter. This one is "the permullet," which I finally figured out is 2 words put together. I told you I'm not an intellectual...

Horton Would Be a Great Volunteer

We are in the middle of VBS at church. It's been exhausting, but so fun. My "job" is to direct the games for the preschoolers. It's a little over an hour of nonstop movement while the 4 different groups rotate in. It's good exercise--even for me!

What I'm realizing, though, is that this is so much more than leading games. This is ministry. So the games don't always go as planned with this age, but the important thing to me is that everyone has fun, no one gets hurt, and that they learn a little bit more about God's love. Every stage in life is another building block. More important than explaining rules and directing traffic, I've been comforting the sad, encouraging the shy, cheering on the anxious, listening to the troubled, challenging the weak. You would call this ministry if they were grown, right? As Horton (from Horton Hears a Who) so eloquently stated, "People are people, no matter how small." Well said, Horton.

Chanting our mantra for the week: "Fear Not!"

I included this because she reminds me of me when I was a little girl (and now--who am I kidding)--catching the ball with her eyes closed.

I love her enthusiasm and intensity.

Listening to a rather unbelievable tale.

Everyone "getting it" and playing so well. A proud moment for me.

Miss Maggie in Bible time. She does such a great job.

King Little Buddy

This is what happens when you have girls first, then your boy. I'm not worried, though. My little brother has 3 older sisters and is a healthy, well-rounded man who does not wear makeup, enjoys sports, but is also refreshingly comfortable hearing about breastfeeding, cramps, and eyebrow waxing. I think little brothers make the best husbands!

Stop The Ride

Is there anything you really love, but sometimes you need a break? Like the merry go round at the carnival. What fun to choose your horse, see the sights around the fairgrounds, hear the music playing. After a while, though, you need a break to get your feet on the ground, see another sight, smell another smell, hear another sound. That's how I'm feeling about mothering right now. I love, love, love my kids, but I just needed to step off the ride for a little while and get my feet on the ground. This weekend my sweet sister allowed me to do just that. She kept all 3 kids on Friday night, and then just the girls again on Saturday night. I didn't think I could still sleep in, but YES I CAN. Friday night we went to dinner and a Cardinals game with our friends the Paschals (and a lot of other people from our church). Our Saturday went nothing like we had planned, but it was so nice and relaxing. I feel like a new woman.

Hubby and I at the game

This is Cara, my oldest friend in the whole world. We talked the entire game, but didn't we look cute in our Cardinals shirts? I'm pretty sure we covered all the important topics: Food Network, favorite bras, books we're reading, music we're loving, trips we're planning. Occasionally we did look up to check the score.

Cara and her dear hubby, who I didn't meet until college. We were literally in the top-most seats in the stadium. The good news about bad seats is that you can see the arch in the background of the pictures.

Now the merry go round begins again. Vacation Bible School started tonight, and goes through Thursday night. Then Friday I leave for the MOPS Steering Team retreat, then my cousin comes to visit from Malaysia. It's all good, but I'm thankful for a day to get off the ride so I can enjoy it again.

Good Ideas for Moms

Sorry I've been MIA from the blogosphere. I have been unusually tired for some reason (no, I'm not pregnant) AND I've been trying to get some things together for MOPS next year. I've agreed to be the publicity person for the coming year, so my job is to get flyers out, do the newsletters, and help with the information folders we pass out at the beginning of the year. Next weekend is our steering retreat, so I'm trying to have some flyers ready and a sample newsletter to present. I'm trying to come up with things that moms would find interesting to read about every time, and one thing that keeps coming to mind is "good ideas." This could be anything--organization tips, cleaning tips, discipline tricks, healthy snacks, rainy day activities...

Here are some examples:

Wash each child's socks together in a mesh lingerie bag to make them easier to sort later.

Keep empty cardboard boxes of all sizes for the kids to build with.

Laminate snapshots of family members, attach a magnet, and keep them on the refrigerator to help little ones practice their names.

Keep a basket of "special books" in the bathroom while potty training that are reserved for toilet time only. (Thanks to granny2five for this one)

I'm looking for LOTS of ideas that I can put in newsletters. What are some good ideas that you've come across?