Pepper Power

 We picked about 5 monster peppers from the garden today...these suckers have to be prize winners.  They were enormous...just goes to prove you can grow amazing produce organically!

The kids were in rare form today...it was one of those days where you just had to laugh to keep from crying, they were so bad.  Reese skipped her nap again, of course, so that certainly didn't help.  We've desperately been trying to get her to potty train but she's not making it easy at all.

Today we had her in "big girl underwear", hoping this would provide some extra motivation.  Didn't happen.  She had two accidents, the second was poop and that was pretty much the end to a perfectly crazy day.

Reese continues to talk up a storm.  Her silly comments for this weekend:

"Oh my GOODNESS!!!"

"Carter peed on a weed."  (after I let him pee in the grass on Wednesday...apparently this left quite an impression on her since she's still saying it.)

Last night we took the kids to see the Pittsburgh Riverhounds play soccer.  I had won 4 free tickets and it was really a fun time.  The kids somewhat cooperated for about an hour...I guess that is all you can ask for.  Carter was quite the inquisitive little guy during the game...the dialogue went something like this:

Carter:  Why is that man wearing a green shirt?  And why is he holding that flag?
Me: He's the referee and he waves the flag if the ball goes past that line.
C: But why isn't he kicking the ball?  Why is he running back and forth?
Me: Because his job is just to watch the line.
C: Why?
Me: Because if the ball crosses the line, that means it is out of bounds and the other team gets the ball.
C: What happens if the other team gets the ball?
Me: They will try to score a goal.
C: Why do they want to score a goal?
Me: So they can get a point.  Whoever gets the most points wins the game.
C: Do they have a point yet?
Me: Yes they have one point and the other team has zero points.
C: What happens if the other team gets a point?
Me: Then the score will be tie.
C: Where are the ties?  I don't see any ties.  Can you show me where the ties are?
Me: ?????????

"Super Carter" holding his Super Pepper

Living Treasures

We took the kids to Living Treasures Animal Park today...definitely worth a visit.  They really got a kick out of being able to feed so many of the animals and it was fairly impressive how many exotic creatures were there, considering it's out in the middle of Nowhere, PA.  There were lions and tigers, and bears...oh my!  Sorry sorry...I know that is super cheesy but I couldn't help myself.  They loved feeding the deer.  Derrick fed this cow with an ENORMOUS tongue...quite brave, really.  (see picture below)

After the park, we took the kids "hiking" at McConnell's Mill.  The actually did pretty well walking on the paved portion of the trail and really enjoyed seeing the waterfalls.  Carter walked the whole way himself.

After that we took the kids to grab dinner at McDonald's.  Carter got a Happy Meal which had a smurf toy in it.  He thinks he got a "murf."

Not sure how he can even hold his head up with those horns!!

Cow with big tongue....

Two cows with big tongues

Little Miracles

I was thinking, as I watered my very dry garden this afternoon, about God's attention to detail.  It is easy sometimes to assume God doesn't care about us...as humans we tend to put our trust in the tangibles...things we can see, hear, grasp.  But as the water shot from my hose, the sunlight shone through the water droplets, forming a mini-rainbow.  And I watched and realized, even something as mundane as water droplets and a little sunlight are working together to form a rainbow.  I overlook things like this every single day.  A tiny hummingbird with almost imperceptible wings stops for a drink at my deck feeder, my row of sunflowers literally grows 6 inches overnight.  The lightning fast pace of life keeps us from noticing these things all too often.  Then something goes wrong and the first thing we think....God doesn't care about me, (or I've done something to fall out of His favor).

I think instead I need to focus, day in and day out, on all the ways God is constantly showing me how very much He does care.  He leaves little traces of His love in every aspect of Creation.

Perspective

I read an excerpt from the book, No Wonder My Parents Drank by Jay Mohr last year and it had me laughing harder than I think I've ever laughed at any book.  So I found it at the library today, and thought this quote from the foreword was worth sharing:

"Much like the circus, being a parent seems to be going out of style.  I don't mean the celebrity "bump watch," fancy baby shower kind of parents.  I am talking about the good old-fashioned, hands in the dirt, covered in spit kind of parents.  We are all so busy with our lives and our BlackBerrys and our hybrid cars and our organic diets and our jobs, our jobs, our jobs.  We have to slow down at least a little.  I know I do.

Pretty soon the circus packs up and leaves town.  Sure, we'll have pictures.  And they will come and visit at Thanksgiving.  But mostly you will have the quiet.  You will hear the music and laughter in the distance on some faraway backyard, but for you the circus has moved on and there's just one big empty space where the Ferris Wheel and the high chair used to be. How could all of those endless years have flown by in an eyelash's flutter?  Why was I in such a hurry?  Where did it all go?  This "Greatest Show on Earth"?  Why did I ever complain?  I liked being the ringmaster..."

Yea and who can't use a little perspective...yea I could on a day like today.  Like when we were standing in the library lobby this morning and I involuntarily flashed all of the library patrons.  Why would I do such a thing, you might ask...oh maybe because my wonderful daughter couldn't keep her hands off my skirt for some reason...had been tugging at it all morning and when I finally snapped and told her to cut it out when we were checking out our books...her response was to hike it up to my waist.  Oh the embarrassment...

Splash Pad

 I took the kids over to this AWESOME splash pad today.  There was hardly anyone there...it was free...they loved it...what more could you ask for!?!?

There are a bunch of different water features, many of them suitable for young kids.  It is the best discovery we've made in a long time.

Reese loved the "mushroom" water.  Her little friend had the same swimsuit as her today...so cute!

Dry Spell

Reese's Motto for the Day:  "You can never have too many babies, (or pandas, or blankets, or deflating balloons, or Buzz Lightyear Dolls) in one stroller!"

I was starting to gaze affectionately at the weeds growing on my hillside this morning because they were the only things still alive in my yard!  It has been SO hot and dry here for the last month...but finally, some nice storms came through today and it's been raining on and off all day.  The grass almost looks like it is a little greener already...

Life has it's dry spells...in more than one way.  Summer can be a difficult time for me to stay on the wagon of reading my Bible or challenging myself spiritually.  Some friends and I met a month or so back to write prayer cards to use every day.  I have to say this has really been helpful to keep me on track with my prayer life, lately.  I also recently started reading The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis.  Not a light summer read, in any sense of the word, but it has some really great points I wanted to share. (a couple)


"By the goodness of God we mean nowadays almost exclusively His loving kindness; and in this we may be right.  And by Love, in this context, most of us mean kindness - the desire to see others than the self happy; not happy in this way or in that, but just happy.  What would really satisfy us would be a God who said of anything we happened to like doing, "What does it matter so long as they are contented?" We want, in fact, not so much a Father in Heaven as a grandfather in heaven - a senile benevolence who, as they say, 'liked to see young people enjoying themselves," and whose plan for the universe was simply that it might be truly said at the end of each day, "a good time was had by all."  Not many people, I admit would formulate a theology in precisely those terms: but a conception not very different lurks at the back of many minds."




"It will be noted that the man takes all these pains with the dog, and gives all these pains to the dog, only because it is an animal high in the scale - because it is so nearly lovable that it is worth his while to make it fully lovable.  He does not house-train the earwig or give baths to centipedes.  We may wish, indeed, that we were of so little account to God that He left us alone to follow our natural impulses - that He would give over trying to train us into something so unlike our natural selves: but once again, we are asking not for more Love, but for less."


Is there a point I'm trying to make here?  Usually, yes. :)   I guess I would have to say, don't settle for the weeds.  You know there is more to life than that.  You know it might take a little rain on your parade (or trip to the playground) to get there...but God has so much more in store for us than we could possibly ever imagine.


In a totally different track...just sharing a couple projects I hope to try, perhaps while I watch the Bachelorette tonight.  I know...I KNOW!  I can't believe I got sucked into watching it again either...but I did...so there you are.  Maybe if I can be semi-productive, I can sort of justify it???  I want to try a tiered skirt like this for Reese...and this flower belt is adorable!!  There, now I've made myself accountable to do something worthwhile rather than glazing over in front of the tube all night.  :)

The Pink Fairy

Carter, to me today: "I hope my room doesn't turn pink when I'm sleeping."
Me: "Why?"
Carter: "Because I really don't like pink."
Not sure if he thought the pink fairy was planning to pay him a visit overnight and repaint his room??

Derrick to Reese while she was riding the glider with Carter, "Reese hold on tight."
Reese - lifts both hands immediately over her head and also takes her feet off the foot rests...while swinging...ugh!!!!

While walking in the woods night, the kids saw a bunny up ahead.  Carter took off running to chase it.  As he was tearing into the grass, we both screamed, "STOP!!"  There was a 6-foot long black snake on the ground that he didn't even see...he ran right over it.  Didn't step on it...thank goodness!  It was a big one.

Too hot to handle

Pirate Carter...arrrrr!

 With temps topping out at 96 here today and the heat index at 105...I decided to keep the kids indoors and take them to the Children's Museum.  We had a fun time, as always...it was NOT crowded at all...amazingly!  And there were new things to see...the new Dora exhibit and the newly remodeled 2nd floor which they really enjoyed.

Bottle caps with changing lights...ingenious!

Big Marble Shoot!

Where'd it go?

Who knew birdseed could be so much fun!?

Aspiring young artists

I had never taken the kids into the art area before because it's hard to handle two of them in that kind of environment.  But today we did it and the LOVED it!  They enjoyed painting on the big easels, a fun magnet game, they made their own paper, played with modeling clay and we silk-screened their names onto paper...so much fun!


On the way home, I asked Carter if he enjoyed seeing all the fun things at the museum...his answer...  "What fun things?"  Sigh...and I try because?

Silk screening the kids names onto paper...super cool!

What did they say??

Carter to me:  "My eye is bothering me."
Me: "Oh what's wrong with it."
Carter: "Well, my eyeball popped out, but I put it back in and it's ok now."
Me: "Your eyeball popped out???"
Carter: "Yup but it's OK now."

As we sat down to share dinner last night, Reese was chanting on and off the whole time:
"You're driving me crazy.  You're driving me crazy.  Momma you're driving me crazy.  Dadda you're driving me crazy."

Did I mention before that Reese has started using the potty now?  Well, she has but she definitely has ulterior motives.  Whenever she decides she wants a piece of candy she yells, "Pee pee on the potty.....EASTER CANDY!!!"  Yes, sadly we do still have Easter candy left in our house, but I think any candy is "Easter Candy" to Reese.

Between you and God

Quote by Mother Teresa, found written on the wall in her home for children in Calcutta

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. 

  Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.  

   Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
  Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.  

   Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. 

   Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.  

    Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten. 

    Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. 

   Give your best anyway.

 In the final analysis, it is between you and God. 

 It was never between you and them anyway.

7 years

Happy 7 Year Anniversary to my wonderful husband!!!  Wow, we look so young...how things have changed in 7 years...

Redecorating

"I love what you've done with the place!"  is not a phrase a parent of small children expects or aspires to hear...at least not for at least the next decade or so.  No, my house is now "decorated" according to the toddler code...aka: my dining room is now a train depot, my family room is the daily site of a superhero battleground, and my guest bathroom looks like a rainbow plastic toy wonderland. Reese's room is baby central, Carter's room is a menagerie of puzzles, books, and various vehicles.  My house is clean...I'll give myself props for that at least...but to say the decor is stylish...well I guess it depends who you are asking.  ;)

Perhaps when you are spending your time sitting in my restroom, you'd find it convenient to have a small rubber ball, an Ariel Barbie, and two books to keep you occupied.  I mean, it can get pretty boring in there.

And, maybe while you are washing dishes, if you get a little lonely, you could just stoop down and pick up a baby doll, lying on the floor by the sink, and give her a little hug.  It might make the drudgery of dish-washing seem more pleasant?  

Maybe you'd do a better job staying on track with your diet too if, every time you opened the fridge door, you had to delicately open it, just so, so as to avoid magnets and various colored pictures falling down on your feet.

You'll never be bored again if you get caught in a traffic jam...or hungry for that matter.  You can find all manner of small plastic creatures hiding in my car and there is never a time when a snack of goldfish or animal crackers is  not present.

At night when you are a little groggy and you awaken to check on a stirring babe, a toy train or metal car underfoot is sure to get your eyes open wide and jolt your senses into the waking world.

My deck, which I just finished repainting after months of hard work, now has the kids names and other various squiggles and lines permanently etched into it.  We must have colored on it with chalk before the paint was 100% dry and now the chalk won't wash off.

No you won't be seeing my house in Better Homes and Gardens any time soon...but such is life when you have kids and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Weekend Fun

 The Firetruck Parade is one of the highlights of the kids' summer.  They really enjoyed it this year and we were well-prepared with ear protection...the sirens are ridiculously loud.  It was 25 minutes of firetruck after firetruck after firetruck driving just feet in front of us with sirens blaring.  Good times!

 This morning we went blueberry picking again.  The kids had fun "picking"...let's just say the majority of what was picked by little fingers went straight into little tummies.

 Carter to Derrick today, "I don't want to have a birthday."  Derrick: "Why?"  Carter: "Because I don't want to go to the doctor and get a shot."  (Reese had to go for her 2 year check up this week and got 2 shots...guess that traumatized Carter more than her.

Expect the unexpected

 Well, I had my day all planned out today...we were going to get professional photos taken for Reese's 2nd birthday, but when Reese fell face first on the sidewalk yesterday and got a huge bump on her forehead I panicked and cancelled.  It turned out to be not nearly as bad as I'd expected, but still, she was up at 6:30 am and pretty crabby today so it was probably for the best that we postponed the pictures.  I tried a side braid on Reese's hair today and it actually turned out somewhat OK.  Pretty sure she'll NEVER sit that still again for me to do it a second time.


While Reese was sleeping, Carter helped me water the garden and rid it of pests.  We caught a tomato worm that was seriously 4 inches long...he did some serious damage to our plants I am sure but then the kids did some serious damage to him once Derrick got home from work...that's paybacks!  Carter and I had him in a jar all afternoon to show Derrick and Carter called Derrick at work to tell him about it.  He said, "Dadda we got a HUGE worm in a jar.  I  saw it and I couldn't believe my eyes!"

As organic gardeners, it's really sad how much our lives revolve around pest control these days.  It seems we are constantly battling some new bug that is trying to destroy our crop.  This year, so far, it's flea beetles eating my eggplants and arugula, squash bugs have returned on some of my delicata squash plants, the usual tomato worms on our tomatoes, and pill bugs have been chowing on our root vegetables.  I did take advantage of our basil today and tried a new recipe.  I made this pesto, with some help from Carter, for dinner tonight.  Very tasty...nice easy dinner served on pasta!   This one's a keeper

This evening we took the kids to a fun park nearby for a little hike.  They made it about half way around the path before they were both asking to be carried.  Oh well...better than nothing I guess.

 So our day didn't go quite as planned...but we still managed to have lots of fun.