Blog Bio from May 2016

I'm updating the blog bio for all of us, but after reading through the current one I decided I should post this one so that it did not get permanently lost.  Here it is:

This is what happens when two math geeks marry and have four kids!

Jenn
I am a stay at home mom. I love to quilt, sew, craft, blog and read. Sometimes I love to cook, sometimes I hate it, mostly because no one will help with menu planning but everyone complains about what I serve. I hate doing laundry and dishes. I love a good novel, but am not much of a non-fiction or literature reader . I love animals and rescue. In addition to our four two-legged kids, we also have three four-legged kids, plus an extra long term four-legged guest. Having a foster dog or two is not that unusual for us as I am a sucker for an animal in need. I love my kids and being a mom, except for when I want to run away from it all. In my next life I would like a clean house.

Michael
Our crazy leader. He loves all things Texas A&M (whoop!), college football, good beer, coaching kids sports, and his family. He even loves his wife enough to put up with all her crazy ideas, pets, and foster pets.

Sam-I-Am
Our firstborn Samuel Frank who died at birth in 1999. He was our gorgeous, curly, red-headed baby boy. He may not be with us on earth but he is still a big part of our family. We miss every day and love him very much.

Le President
Our oldest son Rehm. He is my walking encyclopedia. He loves politics, band, scouts, friends, school, learning, debating, leadership, and being right about everything, even when he's not. We affectionately call him Captain Oblivious because if there is something happening that he is not the center of he is completely clueless. He is currently binge watching The West Wing and mad that we didn't clue him in to the show ages ago. He only likes to read non-fiction, which I really don't understand.

Latte
Our oldest daughter. She is the most empathetic girl I know. She loves school, swim, dancing (even though she doesn't take lessons but will be part of the middle school team in the fall), performing, and all things social. She is loud and dramatic, mostly in a good way. She hates riding long distances in the car. She is as stubborn as her mother, especially when dealing with her mother.

Rubylicious
Our feisty second daughter. She is very dramatic. Her world is one of extremes. There is never any doubt about how Ruby feels about something or someone. She loves gymnastics, reading, friends, arts and crafts, making a mess, and her pets. Ruby is currently reading the Beverly Cleary Ramona series and the Junie B. Jones books.

DirtOur cautious third daughter. She is very sensitive and likes to do things in her own way and own time. She loves to play sports, any kind of competition, getting dirty, being tough, reading, playing with the neighbors, being in the middle of the action, choir, and scouts. She dislikes change of any kind for any reason. Eliza Claire is currently reading the Little House on the Prairie series and just finished the Percy Jackson series.

Updated May 2016

A Fun Reward

Ruby has been working very hard in gymnastics.  She recently got her front hip circle on the bar.  I would tell you what that is but I can't.  I don't know how to describe it.  Anyway, it was a big deal and she was very excited and proud, as she should be.  She asked if we could go to Bahama Bucks as a reward.  I was happy to oblige.

We don't got to Bahama Bucks often but we all enjoy it when we do.  If you aren't familiar with it, they sell snow cones.  I like it because their birthday cake snow cone with chocolate drizzle tastes very similar to snow creme.  Given I live somewhere it never snows, it is awesome to get a taste of snow creme occasionally.

It seems to take a while for the snow cones to be made.  I guess because they have to shave enough ice off of a giant block of ice to make it and even with a machine, it just isn't quick.  Bahama Bucks has several games you can play while you wait for your order and while you are eating.  My family loves this.  We always have the best family time.

This trip we got to play Headbands.  Hilarious!

30 Days of Mayhem: Beach Photo Shoot

Here are some of the best pictures from our quick photo shoot while at the beach.  Mom likes to have a picture of all five of the grandkids to hang in her living room and needed a new one.  For 20 or so minutes of our time and a novice photographer (me), I'd say they turned out pretty good.

My Nephew Zander

 

 

Photo Credit to Charlotte

My Sister Sherri and Zander

Mom, I have not forgotten that I need to send these to you.  I have not been anywhere to get a flash drive.  Will hopefully do that this weekend.

I think there are two more 30 Days of Mayhem posts (I found pictures of things I haven't posted yet) then I really am done.
Jenn

The Tacky Tourist Picture

My dear, wonderful husband may have rolled his eyes when he caught saw me purchasing this family picture at the NC Aquarium.  I knew he would but I wanted it as a memory of our crazy 30 Days of Mayhem.  I paid the extra $5 to have both the digital and printed copies of the photos.  This might just be the tackiest of the bunch but I love it!

I bought these pictures so that I could put one in a frame somewhere in our house as it has all six of us in it.  We don't get a lot of pictures of all six of us.  All four of the kids, sure.  The kids and Michael, sure.  Occasionally me and the kids.  But I'm usually the one behind the camera or the one shying away from having my photo taken.  I want to remember being silly and having fun with my kids.  And I want them to remember me doing those things as well.

When I looked at this picture today, I realized that it told an even bigger travel picture than being part of 30 Days of Mayhem.  Michael is wearing a Camel City Goods t-shirt.  I bought it last November when I was in Winston-Salem (Camel City) before heading off to quilt retreat with my mom.  For those of you who don't know, Winston-Salem is Camel City as it is the home of RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company - the maker of Camel Cigarettes.  I grew up on a tobacco farm and both my parents worked and retired from Reynolds - I even worked there a summer. We won't get into a smoking debate, we will just notice that this is nostalgic for me.  Rehm is wearing one of his uniform shirts from his trip to Sea Base in the Bahamas with his Boy Scout troop.  Ruby is sporting the 30 Days of Mayhem trip shirt, she might be my favorite child for that.  Charlotte is wearing her Hamilton t-shirt that she bought in NYC a block from the theater.  It represents the trip but also something she is currently passionate about.  Eliza Claire is wearing a Mickey shirt that I made for our 2015 trip to Disney World.  Another great family trip with lots of family bonding and good memories.  Then there's me.  I just wanted to be comfortable.

So yeah, it is a tacky touristy over priced picture, but when I look at it, I hear a story that weaves through the years and interest of my family.  And well its just funny because its tacky.

Yes, I will eventually quit writing about this crazy trip of ours, but I make no promises on when,
Jenn

Day 10 of 30 Days of Mayhem: Connecticut and Dirt and Rubylicious' Birthdays

I guess it's time to let you in on a little secret.  I usually take notes on our days between activities and stops.  I did not do this for a couple of days and I am now regretting it.  Remembering what we did two days ago is not exactly easy.

Over dinner last night Beth and Chuck asked us what we wanted to do while in CT.  My first response was, "I don't know what should we want to do?  We've never been here!"  Then I remembered I had two things I did want to do while in CT.  One was a need to do and the other was just a want to do.  We needed to take Ruby and Eliza Claire to get their ears pierced on their birthday and I wanted to go to RI.  Chuck wanted to know what I wanted to see in RI.  Again I said I had not clue, but when else was I going to get a chance to got to RI?

I woke up with two 10 year olds this morning!  Wow!  I so love these girls and still can't believe there are two of them!  I think they had a good birthday.

We had a nice slow and easy day.  We started off by all going to visit the Nautilus Museum.  It was a great museum about submarine history and we got to tour the Nautilus which was fascinating.  It was especially wonderful to have two such knowledgeable tour guides in Chuck and Beth.  

This was on board the Nautilus.  I should have taken more pictures, but the space was so tight it was difficult to do so.  This was definitely the largest space we saw on the sub - the mess hall.

Back above seeing the top of the sub.

After the Nautilus we split up, the boys went to New London I think and the ladies had lunch and went to the mall and fabric shopping.  Lunch was delicious.  I have been enjoying being far enough north to get perogies.

The girls were nervous but excited about the ear piercing.  We decided that Eliza Claire should go first as she is more tentative and worries more.  We knew if she watched Ruby get her ears done there was a chance she would back out.  We knew the reverse was not likely at all.

I thoroughly enjoyed our trip to the fabric shop and bought too much fabric.  Shocking, I know.  One of the girls asked if we had room for the fabric.  I explained that there is always room for fabric.  Beth agree, though she also showed much more restraint than I did.

I just heard one of the girls call Charlotte's new nick names.  The girls hate it when she tries to "mother" them.  The other day Ruby referred to her as The Mothership, it has definitely stuck for those times when Charlotte is too bossy and in their business.

Beth and Chuck spoiled us with home cooked dinners each night.  It was fabulous!  Beth if you are reading, I need the bean recipe, please! With dinner we had birthday cake and sung happy birthday to the girls.

I think they had a great birthday and first day being double digits.

New Wildlife Seen: Toads, chipmunks, caterpillars - the dreaded gypsy moth ones that are eating all the leaves off the trees this season because CT isn't getting enough rain.

Kids are being horrible, gotta go,
Jenn

For My Dad

Eliza Claire did this at school for Veteran's Day. It just came home this week.



It says, "Veteran's Day is important to me because my Papa was in the military. I think he fought in World War II. I really love him."

He actually fought in Vietnam. World War II was over before he was born. I guess the good news is she knew he fought in a war, even if she didn't know which one.


Jenn

Bingo

We had lunch with the grandparents today. Bingo was the pre-lunch entertainment.









Everyone was enthralled. You would have thought they were playing for prizes or money. They weren't.

I love continuing my family's Sunday family lunch tradition. I think it is good for all three generations involved.

When we left it was raining. This is how my kids reacted.








In other happenings today, I was very proud of Charlotte. She helped Michael lead worship at the 8:15 service. Getting up in front of 60 or more people can be daunting. Charlotte read the call to worship and the prayer of adoration. These are not easy things to read when you are ten and have a learning disability. She totally rocked it.

Eliza Claire came through the house practicing her zombie walk. According to her the key to an authentic zombie walk is dragging your right foot. Dragging your left foot is a dead give away that you are a zombie imposter.

The girls spent the entire afternoon running around outside with the neighborhood kids. I love that Texas winters typically allow for lots of outdoor time. I guess it partially makes up for the six months of the year that being outside is unbearable.

Jenn- Posted from my iPhone

Morning Walk

After breakfast and a trip to the mall to get some wiggles out we went for a nature walk at the Y. I like catching moments when my kids are actually getting along, and there haven't seemed to be many of those in the last few days. I think everyone is ready for school to start back.



Jenn- Posted from my iPhone

A Few of My Favorite Things

My parents arrived a few days ago for a visit.  They brought with them some things from my grandmother's house.  Today I was finding places for a couple of them, 2 tobacco sticks and some well-worn flatware.

The tobacco sticks are very rustic and not really pretty at all.  Anyone who sees them will wonder what they are and why in the world I have them in my house. But, they remind me of what at the time I would have said was one of the worst experiences of my life and now look back on with nostalgia and longing.  I hated working in tobacco.  Getting up when it was still dark on a Saturday was just wrong!  It was dirty, and stinky, and sticky, and boring.  Now I think back to those times and find myself missing it and the people who helped out. 



The flatware reminds me of Sunday lunches with the entire family - grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  I was hand washing it this afternoon.  It felt so familiar to be washing and rinsing and drying these pieces.  Though I did think that to do it properly I should have been using two aluminum dish pans.

That is how my Granny always washed her dishes.  She had a farmhouse sink before it was the latest in kitchen decorating.  She did not find it convenient to wash dishes in.  She always set up two dish pans on the counter, one for washing and one for rinsing and did the dishes there.

On Sundays, someone would wash and a couple of us would dry.  Again, another dreaded chore.  And again, another one I miss.  I stored all the flatware in a flatware box that came with my current everyday flatware.  I have a goal to use it with some frequency.  I'm hoping we will get in the habit of using it at least weekly.






According the Mom the flatware was ordered using box tops off of "something."  She thinks it was cereal because that is the only packaged thing the bought regularly, but she can't believe they bought enough cereal to get all of the flatware.  She remembers helping fill out the order forms when she was a child, probably around the age of 10.

What I have realized with both items, it isn't the actual item that is important.  What is important are the people and memories they evoke.

Jenn