Limited Edition Fruitiness

We're still working our way through the Oreo flavors that keep coming out.  And you have to know there's a girl in this house who LOVES that there are some PINK Cheerios!

Anybody out there tried these?

Wordless Wednesday

It's That Time Again!

Yep-- working in the kitchen at VBS!! Here are Monday's snacks all lined up for the kiddies:

B & C had lots of fun yesterday and are looking forward to today's "Tie-Dye Tuesday"!

Tasty Throwback

Before there were Jello Jigglers, there were Knox Blocks (Blox?).   Anyone out there remember?

I have one specific association with these sweet little cubes:  swim meets.  When we still lived in Houston and did summer swim team (the years I was 6-7ish), Sheils would pack up little '70s-orange Rubbermaid containers of finger-food jello for us to munch on at meets.

OBVIOUSLY, I needed to make some for the B-man and his dive meets!

Thanks to the google, we figured out the proper ratio to make 'em:  3 small boxes of flavored Jello, 4 envelopes of Knox unflavored gelatin, and 4 cups boiling water.  The kids mixing the powders:

Ta-da!

Our inaugural concoction was 2 boxes of black cherry with 1 box of lime.  Next up:  peach with maybe raspberry?  The possibilities are endless!  And it's just so fun!

Wait and See

Any idea where this pic was taken?

An hour later, on their way out:

No rotten teeth!  Let's celebrate with sugar at the Starbucks next door!

(You'll notice a summer return to the Peanuts anthologies...)

The kids and I are on the same dental schedule so I had my check-up last week and they were this week.  I'm happy to report that we all came through just fine.  Next time we sit down in the chair, it'll be almost 2017!  CRAZY.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Throwback Thursday

(I was about to title this "Wayback Wednesday" and then realized it's already Thursday!)

Posted June 23, 2009:

And that pool is still going strong 7 years later!!!

Let's Get to Swimming!

Yesterday was the first morning of Pre-Team swimming, where the young'uns each go across the short end of the pool with a kickboard and then, if they are able, without a board, so they can be put into ability-level groups for the daily practices over the next 4+ weeks. 

Miss C waiting for her turn, and then immediately after (you'd think I would have taken a pic of her IN the pool but....oops):

The B-man is actually also going to do Pre-Team even though he's older than all the other kids.  (All his compadres are on the big Swim Team, which has been practicing for 3 weeks.)  Since we're only making one trip to the pool in the AM, however, and B would have to wait for 45 minutes for his Dive Team practice to start, he might as well get in some swimming instruction, right?! 

To recap, we will be spending every morning at the pool from 9:30 to at least 11:00 but probably later than that since the pool actually "opens" at 11 (as in, lifeguards arrive and kids can get in just to play) so the kids will surely want to stay beyond that and splash around with their friends.

Of course, this all changes next week with 3 of us spending each morning at VBS.

Even summer schedules are confusing!  ;-)

Sweet Celebration!!

OBVIOUSLY, we rang in the last day of school with bubble tea!

(and, just FYI, the car was parked when I took this pic and I raised her chest clip immediately after!)

The Wee Lass

Her big brother goes off to his last day of school today (an added half-day in response to the week we missed in January for the blizzard) but Miss C is already having a fun summer!   These days, she...

 ...towers over friends who are the same age:

...loves to spend time outside with her daddy (do you see the swinging ax?):

...blows me away with her craftiness (she constructed this entire outfit--look, there are even shoes!--out of tape and paper):

...and is generally just a proverbial ray of sunshine:

On to Kindergarten!

Friday Fauna

(Okay, actually, this pic is from an early walk down our street yesterday morning but alliteration is cool.)

I don't really think deer are particular majestic or amazing but it's still kinda shocking to see so many, so close-up all the time.   Also bunnies-- lots of bunnies hopping about these days!

Hope all the deer (and you dears) have a faboo weekend!

The Dino PJs Really Sell It

Earlier this year, loyal reader Jill posted pics of her own 2nd grader participating in a "Living History Museum" (or maybe a "Wax Museum"?) at school.  Kids dress up as famous people and recite facts about "themselves" as families pass by and press a "button" to engage the presentation.   I remember thinking at the time that it seemed like a really neat project and I wondered if our school curriculum ever included activities like that.

Um, I don't have to wonder anymore.  As it turns out, it does.  The really fun twist, however, is that it's planned for the last week of school.   What the what?  Haven't curriculum planners read Jen Hatmaker's blog post that still gets passed around even though it's years old??

(Actually, if we're being honest, I will never be a fan of projects that basically get left to the parents to figure out what to create/craft/invent/build.  Didn't like projects the first time (as a student); definitely like them even less as a parent!)

So it turns out that the 2nd graders have been researching their assigned famous person in teams with other students and the culmination of this research activity is the Wax Museum, taking place this afternoon.   Assignments took no notice of gender lines so, based on some convos I've had with friends, there will be at least one female Muhammad Ali and a male Clara Barton to see this afternoon!   The B-man's person required a bit more learning than one of those more household names:  do you know about this historical figure?

I really was annoyed that I even had to spend as much time as I did--THIS LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL--to ensure that he would have some sort of costume.  (There also was not much info coming from teachers so we were all a little bit ??!?!?! about the whole thing.)  We made one $7 purchase that I figure can play a prominent role in the family dress-up bins moving forward, borrowed one item from a friend with 5th graders, found a toy around the house that was applicable, and did a little creative book-covering.

Behold the Brookster trying on his ensemble this morning:

Sun-Kissed Update

Different camera and probably different lighting but there's no doubt that the kiddies have been enjoying some (pre)summer outdoor time!

Kinda reminds me of this pic from just a few years before...

Why Stroll When You Can Chasse!

Miss C is in her third and final week of "camp" run by the preschool.  Most preschools around here end before Memorial Day but this school offers 3 weeks of themed programs in the morning to match up with the public school calendar.  This is C's third year doing it and it's tons of fun-- who doesn't love lots of water play and ending the morning with a frozen treat?

Yesterday was extra exciting because she and I went home with Clara and Co. for lunch and play after camp.  Since their family lives within walking distance of the school, we joined them for some exercise, er, stroller-pushing:

Partway to their house, however, the big girls decided to chassé their way down the street!

C tells me every day how sad she is to leave preschool.  Her brother said (and sometimes still says since, you know, he has to "work" in elementary school) the same thing.  We consider ourselves so fortunate to have had 4 years at this wonderful school!

We Did It!!

The PTA Pres and VP at the end of our first year!

Our fearless leader hosted a huge crowd at his house yesterday afternoon to celebrate a successful year o' volunteering.   The kiddos first played some badminton:

Then Miss C almost won Musical Chairs:

There was also a water balloon toss, a watermelon-eating contest, all kinds of backyard fun, and a LOT of food.  Oh, and some really happy kids:

Into the last full week of school we go....

Friday Faces

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

In The Meantime

Since every day we're at the pool for diving practice from 4:00-4:45 (does it seem like I keep writing that in every post?  Because that mirrors the reality of GOING every day!), the evening can get a little crazy if there are post-pool obligations.

Last night, I needed to go to a meeting at 6pm so we weren't able to hang around the pool after B's practice ended.  We piled in the car and came right home so I could cook dinner for the crew.  The BG got home shortly thereafter and, in the window of time between getting home and eating some chow, the boys in orange worked on homework:

(In an attempt to lessen the orangelicious effects, I went for "pencil sketch" and actually quite like it!)

What did little sister do?  In true C (which stands not only for her name but also for CREATIVE) fashion, she carried all these components to the hallway so she could perform drum solos:

She also informed me that I should make more online purchases (okay, if you insist!) because she needs more boxes "to make restaurants."  This non-creative mind boggles at how she's always crafting, inventing, or role-playing!!

Wednesday Wave!

(From all THREE of us!)

(it was patriotic day at B's school, just FYI)

Diving In!

The B-man is really enjoying his daily 45-minute Dive Team practice!   In one short week, he's gone from only jumping off the board to.........

Mmmm....Sammies!

This past weekend was pretty uneventful.  The BG was gone most of the day Saturday at a football thing and then again for several hours last evening.  (June is the month for constant 7-on-7 passing leagues.)   I'm not sure we even did anything worth reporting, although I am pleased that I finally got all the cold-weather clothes out of closets.  (Not that I've taken the big piles of said clothes to their final resting place so the hallway is currently very, very full with stacks but you know:  baby steps.)

Many of you loyal readers have had the pleasure of enjoying sammies from our fave local sandwich shop.  Our Saturday takeout order involved the two newest creations:  Buffalo Chicken and "The Manwich" (which they already had to change the name of since that's a trademarked name-- ha!) with beef, white cheddar, house-pickled jalapeno, onion ring, and chipotle BBQ sauce.

It was all just disgusting.  DISGUSTING.

;-)

HAPPY FRIDAY!

From some lounging ladies!

6-2 (Throwback)

Today is June 2nd so I decided to open an old photo folder and choose the 6th row, 2nd pic.  Here it is:

Looks pretty tasty, right?  That's a Salade Nicoise from our 10th anni party!   To reminisce about that awesome event, check out this link and this link!!!

(And eternal thanks to AKHG for planning the faboo soiree!)

Active Time!

Although we still have 2 more weeks of school after this one, summer activities are getting underway.  New this year:  the B-man is giving the Dive Team a try at the "neighborhood" pool we joined a few years ago.   Practices are every afternoon until school ends (and then they're every morning) for 45 minutes.  Little sister is going to do the Pre-Team (swimming) but that starts after schools are out so, while brother went to dive team practice for the first time yesterday afternoon, we took her bike out for a spin.

I put "neighborhood" in quotes because it's not actually our neighborhood.  It's the very nice neighborhood where the elementary school is located but we live about 5 minutes away by car.  Our (dead-end) street is very steep (as is our driveway) so our kids pretty much never ride bikes because there's nowhere to go.  But here, she could experience what it's actually like to ride on a flat surface:

Now that we know how this whole practice thing works, Miss C will be going today in a swimsuit so she can play around in the shallow end while the dive and swim teams practice.  Maybe a bike + swim combo?  We shall see.  In any case, I'm quite certain they'll be pool rats* in no time!

(*not to be confused with River Rats, which was the name of the club swim team Carrie and I were on growing up!  LOVE YOU, HOMEY!)