A month's worth of busy - or it's never occurred to me I can't do something

I thought about getting on here last week and ranting about how awful a day could be because I proved how awful a day could be! But I decided I needed to cool off before I wrote. Because, who really wants to listen to someone complain on their blog? Not me. Well, I don't mind hearing my self rant because it's me. But that's how I roll. It's been a busy month. I think the last time I posted was Beatrice's Birthday, which was around June 21. So it's been almost a month but I have worked hard to document it in living color. And I will start with these:

Our final set of banners - I think! :) (Ignore the children who appear to be disobedient and running around the platform - it is NOT Sunday morning so they are allowed up there if I am up there. Which, I am not at the moment because I am taking the photo.) I thank the Lord for the hands that made these banners. If it were not for my sister-friends, there would be NO banners! 

Here is some of the best bread EVER! I mean, EVER!! And boy is it easy! I may have posted this photo but I can't remember. 

http://simplysogood.blogspot.com/2010/03/crusty-bread.html

Here is the recipe. It's great. AND easy. I know I said that but it really is.

One of my sister-friends likes to pin these really cute dresses with "easy" tutorials. Bea's dress is the end result of the "easy" tutorial. It was supposed to fit Kristinie the Great. It is not as long as it appears on Beatrice either. But it came out sort of cute and was different from any dress I had ever made. Next time I will use lighter weight fabric and not make such a big swoopy pattern so it's easier to sew together. Beaker is wearing a simple pillowcase dress. Bea's dress was not an "easy" tutorial, by the way.

Her is Rachel, Krsitine, and beatrice dancing to something. I am not sure what. Kristine looks like she got whacked in the face but I think she's laughing.

This picture should be above the others. But I had to sub for my sister-friend at the nursing home two weeks ago and Beaker gets nervous when we go to the nursing home. She doesn't mind the assisted living place but she gets intimidated so she would NOT let me put her down! HA! Is that multi-tasking or what?! :) 

Here is what we saw before the service started. The picture below was what is to the right of this sign. I thought it was pretty funny and I was cracking up. The birds were NOT quiet. But I guess they can't read so they don't know.

We met Grandma at Sawmill Grill. They make the best fried porkchops. But I didn't have that this time. I forget what I had. Dorothy is talking to Kristinie the Great and Rachel.

Here is how we go to the pool. The Clampetts meet Richie Rich!!

After the pool, we went to Orange Leaf, one of a million yogurt places in Wilmington. They are like gas stations now. One on every corner.

Lindsay loved the big bear. 

The week of Fourth of July we went to Myrtle Beach with Mr. Handsome's family. Maddie made a Fourth of July cake. the candy clay (aka stretched flag) was a bit softer than it needed to be. But the cake tasted great!

Maddie was snot expecting a photo but I bet she is thinking, "If I could break that camera and all the cameras in the world, I would do it. In a minute." Our children have been trained from a young age to despise the camera. They are like all kids. Enough with the flash already! 

This is what Myrtle Beach looked like on the night of Fourth of July. Everyone waiting for the fireworks. There was some *guy* shooting fireworks right NEXT to the dune so I went and asked him if he was local. He said yes and I told him that with it being so dry here lately, he probably ought to go closer to the ocean and shoot them. He said OK, Thank you, thank you thank you. He moved TWENTY FEET. THEN a half hour later, set the dune on fire at the neighbor's house! Not kidding, true story. If he did that where he was, he would have lit the house on fire! 

Here is Lily's cake she made to celebrate Maddie and Beatrice's birthday. She did a great job with it, too.

Our family is just an untapped wealth of talent. Lindsay showing off her skills.

Upon arriving home, we had to immediately begin making Maddie's birthday cake. Lindsay and I did this. It is a tie dye cake. But not really, I was afraid to swirl the cake batter because it might have turned bleh.

Maddie rolled out the marshmallow fondant that Lily told us about. She wanted that tie dye too. It was fun to make the cake. 

Happy Birthday Big Sister!! :)

And here is what the inside looks like!

Yes, it is edible. OH - and we were not done on Maddie's birthday. We still had to go to Dorothy's for the present piece de resistance!! I have been waiting all year for her to get this and almost started crying when she opened it and jumped around the room screaming and yelling!! (Just for the record, I would NEVER do that over a doll. A stuffed animal, YES, but a doll, no. But our girls? They love dolls and you will see how much in just a bit.)

Maddie got the American Girl doll Julie. We have always told our children we want them to be what God wants them to be and with that was the freedom to be themselves. So I have not had an influence on their personal likes and dislikes to the point where I wanted them to like what I liked. But it was so sweet to see our Maddie overjoyed to receive this present. 

Maddie's sparkler candles and cupcakes at Dorothy's.

This is Kristinie the Great (on the left) and Uncle Chris working on a set of bunkbeds for her bitty baby twins. YES!! Uncle Chris is teaching ALL OF US (except Mr. Handsome but that's another story!) how to wood work. We put it together in 2.5 hours, with a very brief intermission of entertainment by the Great and Marvelous Oz. He was kind enough to saunter in, tell us it was wracked (twisted for you novices out there - no, I didn't know what he meant either- I thought he said wrecked!) and he picked it up and started whamming it on the workbench. Imagine a short little guy picking up a child's toy and banging it like some maniac on my brother's workbench and you have my dad! Chris and I nearly had a heart attack! We both were trying to get him to quit it and tell him he was going to break it. He did stop and we finally got to explain it was our first one, we didn't sand, we knew it wasn't going to be perfect, but he was already muttering something and left! But Chris, being the talented guy that he is (even though he DOES get on my nerves sometimes), fixed it. He put the bottom on the bed and pushed it in place. Just like that! Kristine was thrilled. Our next project is a loft bed for Maddie. Then two more bunkbeds for Bea and Lindsay. Then a replica of the Taj Mahal. Nah, just kidding about all those bunkbeds! 

We also went swimming - and I had more pictures but I do not know what happened to them. Mr. Handsome bought me a new phone and it is like learning a new language. But I love it! Well, not as much as I love Mr. Handsome but the phone helped me have a stress free grocery shopping experience. I even got a free set of headphones with it and they have this cool little volume control on them. 

This past Friday, Maddie, Lindsay, and I went to Golden Corral. That was LOADS of fun. They had two helpings of cotton candy. That was the only reason we went. (OH - the bottle in the photo is ROOT beer not to be confused with the OTHER stuff.) I only got one helping but really wanted two. Don't worry. We ate dinner first.

And here we are. I tried my camera backwards which was a bit strange looking at myself in a camera. 

It occurred to me some time ago that I am not very adventurous anymore in the areas of skiing (because I don't do that anymore), sports (because I CAN'T do many anymore), and any other fun stuff that puts me in danger. It's not because I don't want to be but I learned that I have an extreme fear of heights. As in, if I am on a tall building I start getting dizzy, the earth spins, my stomach gets upset, I feel awful and all I want to do is stop the feeling. This is how bad it is. Robert and Lindsay were asking me if a person could live in a house with a glass floor on the second floor so you could see through. And while I was explaining that yes you could, and then discussing with them that you could see everything on the second floor, I started getting sick and dizzy!! I told them they needed to quit talking about that. I am a baby. Well, after I had this epiphany, I realized that I may not be able to be the daredevil I used to be but I can do all sorts of things on pinterest. Like learn how to make bunkbeds, make bread, and do all sorts of stuff. So, I am happy to report my adventurous self has not left me, it is just taking me other places with my five children. Hey! Having five children within 10 years is adventurous. Tomorrow is my next adenture: teaching sewing to five excited young ladies. Sharp objects, fast machines. Oh yeah!! Maybe I will juggle the scissors before I being just to impress them!

On another note, I said earlier that Mr. Handsome was not involved in the bunkbed making experience. He was at work. Our children's oldest and best friends came over Saturday and we ate lunch with them. Mr. Handsome was helping them and I was working on my cookbook shelf while listening to them. They were impressed with our bunkbeds and proceeded to tell us about all that their Dad has made. He is very talented and makes things all the time. So, after listening for a little bit, our Beatrice says, "Yeah, my dad is lazy. All he does is sit around and watch TV all the time!" I about fell on the floor laughing!! Mr. Handsome is the hardest working guy I know! And it's true, he does love TV. Well, he LOVES PBS. It's great sleeping medicine for me, thank you very much. 

The Adventure Bus Strikes Again

One of the amazing things about a blog is that it's like typing your diary and anyone can see it. Well, except I don't have a diary, and I don't really have any desire to have one. So, scratch that! Having a blog is a lot of fun. It's my family's daily goings on and an occasional rant by me. God has blessed us beyond measure and last week was no different. Except that, for some reason, our children are becoming a bit unsettled. I will use this term because I think it's temporary but I am not sure how to move them beyond it. I think it's because we are off of our routine now that summer is here and we have been doing something fun every single day, nonstop. So when they get to rest they are unsettled because they are used to going and doing all the time. I am working on this. I bought them all "bridge" books - summer school of sorts. To keep them in school but not "in" school. I have found this year, that the most difficult part of homeschooling is the four to five extra hours we have in our day now. If they went off to school, THEY would have the four to five extra hours, not me! But we all have them and some days filling them is not easy. Friday, I sent everyone to their rooms for about 1.5 hours in the afternoon so they could rest and I could do some things - like get the fourth of July banners completed BEFORE Vacation Bible School starts! And we did it! But I am working in reverse here. Here is how our week began:

Monday morning Lindsay, Beatrice, and Lindsay's best friend made pancakes. Megan had a great time making them I think. She and Lindsay have known each other, and been best friends, since they were babies. I don't have any friends like that near me. My cousin is my age and we have known each other since we were babies, too, but I don't get to see her as often as I like. I cherish the friendships our children have because they remind me of my cousin! It is so sweet to see how much Megan and Lindsay love each other. 

Here they are working together. Too sweet!! I can't remember what Tuesday brought because it was so long ago (just kidding, it was only a few days ago, but I believe one of our events was going to the Kangaroo gas station to get drinks for 25 cents. The children used their allowances to buy big huge 32 oz. cups and they can fill them for 25 cents whenever they want at the Kangaroo store. I am so opposed to any kind of drink with sugar in it! Even sweet tea! (You can shoot me now!) But I agreed with the Lord that they would learn how to spend their money better if I didn't interfere with their purchases. It is difficult sometimes but it is working. If it's my money they are spending, I get to have total control, but theirs? They get total control. It is working because they are beginning to think ahead and determine that they might need to save some money to get something big they want. Maddie and Robert are grasping this concept. Beatrice, Lindsay, and Kristine not so much. They have good intentions but walk in Party City, go down the coin candy and party favor aisle some Friday and it could be bedlam! That would be my children eeking the most they can out of their allowance to buy their treasure.

Wednesday was nursing home day and we were celebrating Beatrice's birthday at Mom and Dad's. We were also picking beaker up from Grandma's. She spent the night there. Each of the children have spent one or two days with my parents which is so thoughtful of them! They have had a great time. Maddie may end up going. She doesn't like to stay away from us - at all. In fact, she is going to camp and I know she is going to doubt her decision when the time to go rolls around. She is very excited about it now and I think she will follow through with it with no problem but she is also very nervous. Anyway, Beatrice is holding our newest addition to our American Girl Doll store, er, family. Rebecca. She is so cute with her. That is all she wanted for her birthday so, of course, Grandma was happy to oblige!

We had veggie flowers for lunch. It was such a great idea Mom had. The kids loved it. AND ate the veggies. Here are their creations. 

Beatrice actually had a chocolate raspberry pie for her birthday cake but the candles wouldn't stay in so we used this part of a cake.

And now to the fun part. Our drive home. I have threatened the kids numerous times to put, in neon pink of course, "Adventure Bus" on our van. And this is precisely why:

I finally figured out how to get my videos from my phone to my computer: a mini sd card. They are sooo cute but very easy to lose. So it stays in my nook most of the time. 

Thursday was really Beatrice's birthday. And we surprised her with two outfits for her bitty baby doll. (also an American Girl doll.) She was ecstatic because she thought she was just getting her bike.

Her beautiful cake! :) She asked me to make it three layers of different sizes. It was kind of tiny but nonetheless she loved it.

Our table decorations.

I mentioned the Fourth of July banners, didn't I? Here they are. They were only up temporarily because we had to see if they were the right length. And they were not crooked. Have you ever tried to sew nine feet of straight seams in four rows? Me either!! It was a new experience.

Here are the wonderfully delicious bread loaves we made. They came from this website: http://simplysogood.blogspot.com/2010/03/crusty-bread.html

It is sooooo easy! I am making it as we speak for tomorrow. I am going to make a bunch of loaves to give to our favorite older people. They do so much for us and we love them and they will love this. Of course, I need to get them out of the house BEFORE we devour them!

One of my sister-friends pinned a cute sundress that someone commented it was "cute and EASY". While it was definitely cute, I wouldn't describe it as easy. It didn't take long but it was supposed to be for Beaker (on right). Instead it fit Bea. It looks REALLY long but it goes just beneath her knees and the top part I cut to long but everyone loved it when they saw it. And Beatrice loves it so that's all that matters. Here is where I got it from: http://www.theribbonretreat.com/blog/lets-fly-a-kite-sundress.html

Sometimes I think I have the best job on the planet. I am so spoiled by Mr. Handsome and he loves me so much that he really loves having me home. In fact, I think I will make a loaf of bread for him to bring to work for his coworkers. 

The Bucket List.... I don't have

You read that correctly. I have been feeling so guilty because so many people have a bucket list. first of all, what is a bucket list? I mean, I have lots of buckets but apparently you're supposed to write all the things you want to accomplish ,or do, or attend, or see. And why bucket? Why not To-Do list? I don't have a bucket list OR a To-Do list. They both encourage To don'ts. If I did have a To-do list or a Bucket list there would only be one thing on both: To see my whole family know for certain they are going to Heaven when they die. That's it. Yep. Not very imaginative or adventurous! I have never written a To-Do list in my life. Nor do I plan to. It's not because I don't want to get things done. I do. A lot. But if I write that list then I limit myself to accomplishing the things in a certain period of time and I will be thoroughly disappointed if I don't accomplish something on the list. If I don't accomplish a lot on the list, I will become depressed, then I will have to rewrite the list and add other things I need to do, thereby creating a LONGER list that will make me even MORE depressed. See the cycle? Now, ask me if I have goals? Yes, I have LOTS of goals. I guess you can tell I was born before 1980, eh? But goals are always moved and adjusted to accommodate where I am at in life. And I don't have to write them down. My lifetime goal is to see our children grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord and have a desire to serve Him faithfully in whatever He may have for them to do. Of course, Mr. Handsome has the same goal so we are working at this together. After they all accomplish that goal, we will go visit each of them for two months and then spend two months at home! That way, Lord willing, no one will get tired of us. OH! I do have a goal that is immediate. It is to really work on having a great relationship with my sister-in-law. My younger brother's wife. I never had a sister. I don't regret it. I had a cousin who is the same age and we were pretty close growing up so it was like having a sister. After our trip to Myrtle Beach, I was talking with the Lord and He reminded me that I have an opportunity here. I think Erin's always known it but I have not been as cooperative about the whole matter. So I have decided to work harder at it. And it has been worth it, that's for sure! She is a great friend, too. And our children love each other. She is also not afraid to tell me when I am annoying. Because I am my dad and mom's child: this means I am an overbearing control freak! God has worked with me on this and I am learning to get better and not think about me all the time. Last week was such a great week. I got to spend a few days with Erin, and some time with my sister-friends. Erin and I worked on making pillowcase dresses for Bea, Rachel, and Kristnie the Great. It was a lot of fun.

On Thursday we surprised two of my sister-friends with a birthday party! Their birthdays are a day apart and our other sister-friend (not pictured) was not going to be in town for them so we had it this past Thursday. It was a great deal of fun. Beatrice made the best, melt in your mouth cupcakes EVER! They were from that mouth-of-the-south world famous chef Paula Deen. I have one of her cookbooks - a kids' cookbook and that is where the cupcake recipe came from. Please don't buy me any of her books or send me any of her recipes. I don't have any interest in her. I know a lot of people LOVE LOVE LOVE her. I am not one of them. I am a Julia Child fan through and through. Anyway, these cupcakes were even better than my sister-friend Amy, whose cupcakes rival a professionals'. Robert made homemade lemonade, too. 

Here is everyone eating.

Here is Beatrice at our friends' softball game with one of the cutest babies in the world.

I just realized my photos are backwards. Ack. Oh well. We went shopping for Beatrices' birthday party, which is next week. Well, THIS week. Her birthday is June 21. She is going to be SIX! I can't believe it. Our Oppy-Stoppy is going to be SIX years old. she chose a cupcake theme. And she is getting an American Girl doll from my parents. We got her a new bike and some outfits for her baby doll that goes everywhere she goes. Anyway, we are in our favorite store! Party City! We love to go there. 

On Friday Lindsay had her best friend spend the afternoon with us. We even got to pick her up from school and that was exciting for everyone since they have never had the experience of even being picked up from school. Well, unless you count the times they fell asleep while doing school and I had to PICK THEM up off the floor. Yes, that HAS happened!! It's easy here. They just redo what they missed. 

Notice that there is one little kid missing! They are standing on the edge of the lake with the sign below near the lake. 

Yes, I am a big chicken. Of anything that could eat me. So while they had a grand time at the pond (right near us by the way), I was a nervous wreck, trying to figure out how to escape if an alligator tried to attack us. I just kept thinking, "Serpentine, run serpentine." I pretty much stayed on the path. I used to be this gung-ho, over the top adventurous person. What happened to that person? I left her somewhere in the year 2000 after I had our first child. From that point forward, the things that never worried me, scare me to death. I can't even get more than 6 feet above the ground without feeling like I am going to pass out, get dizzy, and feel nauseous. I did attempt the halfpipe at Jungle Rapids last year and that was a mistake. I nearly broke my neck. I didn't mind the ocean much, but now I will not go in above my ankles. My knees are pretty far away from the water and a great white could probably bite my legs off if I was in knee high water. I do occasionally go out far but I make sure Mr. Handsome is with me and try to keep close to him and pray something tastes him first. That being said, I do love the beach.

Here is a semi-group picture at the park again. Beatrice is awol. She was grumpy because I made her and Beaker walk around the pond. It is 1.24 miles. They both did it and I was so proud of them. It was a bit warm, though I won't say it was hot. 

The speck on the path is Beatrice, very put out that we still have to finish our walk. If you look past her you can see a pavillion. That is where we are walking to. At this point, we have gone one mile. 

On Friday evening, Mr. Handsome and I went out to eat at one of our favorite restaurants, that has really turned into a drunken sailor bar. Thankfully, they have an upstairs that is rather nice. This was our view. After dinner, we went to Barnes and Noble and we got Maddie her birthday presesnts: a nook case and a nook stylus. She will be so excited. My parents are getting her an American Girl Doll, too. I am really excited about this because, at some point, she decided she wanted to be a tomboy. I say decided because she was the girliest girly girl there was! Then she found out I was a tomboy growing up and suddenly decided she needed to be one. Dorothy was nice enough to regale her with stories of all the things I did. (Unfortunately, Dorothy also has no restraint and obviously still thinks I was the most horrid kid in the world. Thankfully, Maddie has not noticed that yet and I don't take Dorothy very seriously! I am going to be responsible for picking out her nursing home someday so she has to be nice to me!) So Maddie decided she needed to be like me. She is so cute trying! But she is no tomboy. She is as prissy and girly as they come. We don't ever, ever, ever try to change her, though. We love her just the way she is and as long as she is content and comfortable with who she is and she is what God wants her to be, that's all that matters.

Here is the cake Maddie made to celebrate Father's Day, Beatrice's Birthday, Tom's Birthday, and Oz's birthday. She did great and it tasted wonderful!

Here she is with her cake, too.

One of my sister-friends had the toddler nursery today and Beaker loves her. Her son is her best buddy! He gave Beaker a hug this morning and said, "Dis my fwen!" to one of the other little boys in class and he tried to give Beaker a hug but she wasn't paying attention.

Here she is taking a nap. All the little kids LOVE being under the table! They crack us up. And with that, I think I will take a nap - a loooooooong nap!