Proof I'm not a Texan

Mid afternoon I decided to go check the mail. I didn't think twice about the fact I was barefoot and it was in the upper 90s today. The mailbox is probably 150 yards away, if that much.

About halfway there, my feet were a bit hot, but there were shady spots along the way that provided relief. Then I hit the last third of the way that has no shade. The sidewalk was HOT!

I get the mail and decide on the way back I'll walk in the grass on the curbside of the sidewalk to give my burning feet a break. Two steps in, I have two feet full of stickers. Trying to get the stickers out, while standing on the burning sidewalk I drop all the mail.

I collect the mail and hobble home on my burned, full of splinters feet. I think, as of midnight, I've finally removed all the stickers/splinters.

Did I mention their was someone sitting in a car on the opposite curb from the mailbox? I'm sure he got a really good laugh.

It is kind of funny, I guess.


Jenn- Posted from my iPhone

Too Funny

Charlotte, Ruby and their friend Kennedy are playing a pretend game. In the game, Charlotte and Kennedy's characters are arguing over which one is Ruby's true mother. Charlotte exclaims, "She's my daughter! How else do you explain my stretch marks!"

I can't stop laughing.


Jenn- Posted from my iPhone

Runny Nose

Me: Ruby you've got a runny nose.

Ruby: I know. Every time I sneeze snot comes out and I never bothered to got a tissue.

Oh, how I love this girl.


Jenn- Posted from my iPhone

Another Eliza Claire First

Last week Eliza Claire became the first kid in the family to have teeth pulled. Charlotte will argue that she was first as the orthodontist pulled one of her front teeth that just required a bit of wiggling. It did not have to be pulled he just did it because she was there and it was really lose

EC went to the dentist at the end of June and we learned she had an abscess and would need at least two teeth pulled. I told her that if she wiggled them a lot she could probably get them out before her appointment. She said, "No! I want Dr. Watts to pull them!"

The morning of the procedure she told me her "tummy felt a little nervous."



Dr. Watts staff was amazing. They were so kind and patient and nurturing.



She did a great job.






Now I just have to get used to the gapped tooth smile.






Jenn- Posted from my iPhone

A Reason to Save your Empty Milk Jugs

My girls are going to day camp this week. Camp requires them to have a disposable lunch that will be put in a community cooler.

I was trying to decide what to put their lunches in so they wouldn't get smushed. That's when I remembered something I had pinned on Pinterest! I have mentioned how much I love Pinterest, right?

Anyway, I remembered I had pinned milk jug lunch boxes. I had not necessarily planned to use them as lunch boxes. I had thought there were many, many things they could be used for.




Luckily, I have been saving milk jugs so I have enough for camp this week.

I packed their lunches in a gallon size zip top bag and then put the entire thing in the milk jug box and duck taped it closed. I think they turned out pretty cute.

I could not find my original pin today. A quick search on google led me to several sites with the directions. I think today I glanced at lifehacker.com to double check my memory. I don't do the scoring they suggest and mine work just fine.

Jenn- Posted from my iPhone

Cauliflower Wraps or Pizza Crusts

Yes, like everything else in my life right now, this came from Pintrest.  How did I ever get anything done prior to joining Pintrest?  Ah, but I digress.

I try to eat a pretty low carb diet most of the time. It just works for me.  One problem is finding a good bread substitute.  There are times when I need a quick meal I can eat on the go.  A lot of my go to low carb meals do not fit the bill.  So I when I found this recipe  and this recipe I thought they would be perfect for when I need a sandwich or it is family pizza night.

Like with any other recipe, I made changes.  Here's my modified version

Cauliflower Wraps
1 bag frozen cauliflower, thawed
3 eggs
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
2 Tbsp ground flax seed*

Place cauliflower in food processor.  Process until very fine.  Add Parmesan cheese and seasonings, pulse until well combined.  Pour mixture in a bowl and mix in eggs.  On a parchment paper lined cookie sheet make 6-8 inch rounds.  I made mine pretty thin, probably 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.  Bake at 450 for 10-15 minutes.  Flip them over and bake another 5 minutes.  Cool on wire rack.  Mind did not come out crispy.  But the flavor is good and they make a perfect sandwich wrap.  I plan to freeze them and grab them as needed.

*One recipe called for ground flax seed which I intended to add but forgot.  Next time I plan to add it.

Jenn

Fifth Grade Graduation

Walking the halls to the cheers of the parents and students

 Our graduation ceremony is held at a local park where they do a bridge crossing ceremony. 

 

 

I stayed and had lunch with Rehm.  I was surprised he wanted me to, but he did so I was more than happy to hang out with him.  I apparently left too early though, as I missed him singing "Sweet Caroline" during the karaoke fun with two of his teachers

Wow, middle school! 

Update on the Dog Treat that Wasn't

In case you were wondering, a terry cloth soap pouch can hang out in a dog's stomach for a week before said dog decides to barf it up.  The good news is, he barfed it up.  It would have been one expensive soap pouch had it gotten stuck and had to be surgically removed.  Not to mention, it would have been a very painful experience for the dog. 

I can honestly say, I've never been happier to clean up dog barf than I was yesterday.  I'm sure it is directly related to how thrilled I was that the silly thing was no longer in his system and a threat to his health and my pocketbook.

Note to self, don't leave the ivory soap where the dogs can get it.

Jenn

Time Travel Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time Travel Day happened sometime in May and I never got around to uploading the pictures.  The kids came home from school one day talking about what they wanted to be for time travel day, which was coming up two days later.  Rehm wanted to be a Roman emporer, Charlotte wanted to be a goddess and Ruby and Eliza Claire both wanted to be cave people.  My first thought was, "Good luck with that!" and then for some crazy reason I decided to indulge them and try to make costumes.

Rehm and Charlotte thought they were going to use their sisters white bed sheets to make their costumes.  I knew this was a really bad idea as I knew the state the sheets would come home in.  I got the crazy idea that I could sew costumes!  Yeah, I know, crazy thinking, especially since I had not had the sewing machine out in at least 10 years. 

I came up with a plan for the costumes and headed off the the fabric shop.  When I left the fabric shop with way too much money in supplies I had that crazy sinking feeling "Crap! Now I have to actually do something will all this stuff!" Suprisingly, they all turned out exactly as I invisioned. 

The good news is, the next time anyone needs a toga, Egyptian, goddess costume, I've got it covered.  Ruby had me cut the jagged edge off of her dress and hem it so she can wear it this summer.  I'm sure we will get a lot of use out of these costumes.  And, even if we don't, they were worth the time and effort to be "The Coolest Mommy, Ever!" for at least a day.

Oh, Rehm got to school and someone told him it looked like a dress.  We had to look at pictures of statues of Roman emperors, who were all wearing white drappy things, then he came to terms that he really was appropritately attired for his character and was fine with it.  Gotta love the internet.

Moving On Up

  

Last Day of School

Rehm and Mrs. Kirby.  She will be teaching at his middle school next year.  He is thrilled and hoping to have her as a teacher again.

Rehm and Ms. Sills.  He had such a great year in her class. 

 

 

 

I can't believe it is the last day of school and Summer is finally here.  What I really can't believe is that Rehm is heading off to Middle School in the fall!  He is ready but I know he will miss many of his friends and many of the teachers and staff at the elementary school.

Did you notice that Eliza Claire is in her PJs?  She came down with a stomach bug last night and did not get to go to school today.  I did take her up briefly at the end of the day to say goodbye to her amazing Kindergarten teacher.  We have been so blessed to have Mrs. Johnson for all four kids.  I'm sad I'll never have another child in her class.  Maybe she'll decide to teach a different grade :)

Not Dog Treats

What is this you ask? These are cute little terry pouches that hold a bar of soap. I got the idea from pinterest, of course.



After making cute pool bags for the girls, I made several of these out of the scraps for the kids to use at home and for travel.



It appears that the dogs like the taste of ivory soap because I found them fighting over the remains of one of my filled soap pouches. When I went to separate them and take it away Baron swallowed the pouch! He is now regretting his latest doggie treat and has an upset stomach. Cross your fingers he's feeling better soon and the pouch passes without incident. I guess he'll at least have fresh breath for a fee hours.

Jenn- Posted from my iPhone

My Trusty Companion for the Day

This guy is older than me. I think it was the first sewing machine my Mom bought. When the kids came home from school they all exclaimed about how old it was. Rehm even commented on how few stitch choices there were. I told him that 99% of the time a straight stitch or zig zag was all you needed.
It may be old but it feels sturdy and reliable. And who am I kidding, no more than I sew it definitely meets my needs.
Jenn- Posted from my iPhone

Miss Pearl

I love that most of the time Miss Pearl's tongue sticks out.

Enjoying some outside time after being banned from the back yard for the last week due to a downed section of fence.  I'm thrilled we've had rain but am really glad to have use of the backyard back.

Getting some energy out playing her most favorite game - fetch.

 

Yes, half the yard is just dirt right now.  I'm blaming the drought.  Though why it has only affected half the yard is beyond me.  I think it probably has more to do with the sprinkler system but that is a problem for another day.

I'm so glad Pearl is part of the family.  She is a unique girl that always makes me smile, even when she is being bad, which luckily isn't very often.

Jenn

Rehm's Independent Study Project

Rehm did his project on the stock market. He was very excited about his topic. He even interviewed an expert via email as part of the project. As usual he did a great job getting up in fro t of everyone to speak.

He had no help with his project from his parents. He did it all himself. He did get it done a bit sooner than previous years but ran into some familiar obstacles. Time management and staying in task being the biggest. Two weeks into the project I asked how it was going. He informed me he had "found some great note taking web sites!" He came up several great ideas for work product, but never implemented them. Rehm is definitely an idea man but unfortunately not great on follow through.



He is so amazing speaking in front of groups. For his 15 minute presentation, he had a very simple single page outline. He stayed on topic and moved from point to point well. In fact his teacher finally had to tell him his time was up. He would have kept talking all day long if she would have let him.

Overall his project was fine. I would just like to see one that showed his best effort because it would be amazing.

Jenn- Posted from my iPhone

Craftiness

The last few weeks I've been feeling crafty. This is my latest project.

When my mom was visiting in January, I fell in love with a piece of fabric at a quilt shop and insisted we buy a yard to do something in Ruby's room.

My mom took it home with her. She sent me back two throw pillows made completely out of the fabric and a wall hanging that used the rest. The corduroy brown fabric with flowers was the piece I insisted we buy.

The only problem was the wall hanging was small and my rod to hang it on was very long, as I usually hang much larger quilts there. I needed to find some way to make the quilt look better on the rod.




Here is what I came up with. I was lazy and used glue dots to secure the loops on the ribbon. It is not holding so I will need to stitch the ribbon or find a different glue. I'm thinking hot glue will do the trick. And I'm still debating trimming the ribbons a bit at the bottom.




Ruby loves the new addition to her room and one day when it is actually clean I'll take pictures of the entire room do you can see how well this goes with the rest of the room.


Jenn- Posted from my iPhone

Independent Study: Whale Sharks

Charlotte chose to do her Independent Study project this year on the whale shark.  Second graders all chose an ocean animal.  She did a great job.  I think Michael videoed her presentation.  If so I'll add it later today.

Pointing out the life cycle

Close up of Charlotte's Whale Shark Habitat

I have to admit we stole the idea for the habitat from Rehm's second grade IS project on the wobbegong shark. It was a hit again this time. 

Moving Out

My oldest daughter has decided that she does not like living with me. Apparently, I am horribly mean and impossible to live with. So she's moving out.

Earlier today, I told her I would take her to her friend's softball game as soon as she finished cleaning her room. She came back a few minutes later to yell at me, "You are completely and totally to blame if I miss her game." She punctuated by a foot stomp.

I reminded her that I had not been in her room and thus could not be responsible for any mess that might be in there. Not so politely, I informed her that she would need to talk to me a bit differently if she expected to have any privileges including attending the game once her room was clean.

She did finally get her room clean but then decided she didn't want to go to the ball field after all. What she really wanted to do is play dress up with her Sunday dresses. I told her "no" as the last few times they did this every dress the girls owned ended up in a heap in the bottom of a closet and no one would clean up.

I have told her and her sisters that to have the privilege to play dress up they have to prove that they can consistently clean up after themselves. Since this is not happening(major understatement), there is no dress up.

She thinks I am horrible and unreasonable because her room was cleaned an hour ago, before she changed her mind about going to the game. In her world she should now have any and all privileges she can dream up. She has already forgotten the drama that went along with cleaning her room and is completely missing the "show me you can clean up after yourself point."

So she has decided she should move out. Move to somewhere she is more appreciated. I have wished her well and offered her room to one of her sisters. Now that they are no longer hysterical that she may really leave, Ruby has called dibs on her room.

I wonder if I'll have to follow her around the block before she comes to her senses?

Ah, there's never a dull moment when you are a horribly mean mommy.
Jenn- Posted from my iPhone

Crazy, Dusy Day

Oh my word, what a crazy day! I am so tired I can't see straight. It was such a busy day that I don't even have one picture to show for it.

Here is the day in a nutshell:

Michael left the house at 6:30 am to go run his first 5K. At about the same time Ruby crawled in bed with me.

I left with all the kids at 8:30 to take the bigs to choir dress rehearsal. Then I took the twins to my in-laws to meet Michael. He showered and then took the twins to a birthday party.

While they were at the party, I went to breakfast, my last quiet moment of the day. Then I did our much needed Sam's run. I loaded the cooler with all my bounty and went to pick up the bigs.

We met Michael, the littles and the in-laws for lunch at Chuy's. After lunch Michael took Charlotte to warm up for her team's second tournament game of the day. She missed the first due to choir.

I made goodies for the cookie party that follows the musical. I made Cake Batter Fudge because it is quick and easy to make. Unfortunately, it does not hold up well to sitting out in 90 degree Texas heat for even a few minutes. We kept it refrigerated until the kids were ready to eat. I have some ideas on how to make it more heat resistant. When I try them out, I'll let you know the results.

I intended to fix my hair and put on make up before going to Charlotte's game but realized it would be a complete waste of time given the temperature.

Charlotte's team won their game which meant her team would play again at 8:30. We left the ballpark and headed to church for the Children's choir musical.

The kids did a great job. The musical this year was Are We There, Yet? It is the story of Moses. Rehm played Pharaoh. I think he might have enjoyed being the bad guy a little too much. He did an awesome job. Charlotte led the frog plague. And Ruby and Eliza Claire were diseased cows. Yeah, I know. They were adorable diseased cows.

After the musical the kids got to gorge themselves on cookies and then we all headed back to the ballpark for the game. Both teams played a good game. Unfortunately we lost. It was a really close game.

We made it home at 10:00 pm. The kids are now all in bed and I am beyond exhausted. I honestly can't believe everyone got everywhere they were supposed to today, that we didn't lose anyone, and that I didn't yell once.

I'm now blogging from my phone because the router needs to be reset and I'm too tired to go upstairs and reset it.

I don't plan on leaving the house tomorrow and if I'm lucky wont be getting out of my pajamas!

If you happen to have any pictures of my kids from today, please let me know. I'd love to see them and possibly post a few, with permission, of course.

I really want to do my nails as they are a chipped mess but I don't think I have the patience for that tonight. Maybe I'll read for a bit...

Goodnight!
Jenn- Posted from my iPhone

Crazy Hair Day

Today is crazy hair day at school. No one had a specific hair style in mind but the all wanted something crazy and not like their siblings.
Here is what we came up with for everyone.




































Jenn- Posted from my iPhone