In search of good deals, I have come across 3 "swap" groups on Facebook that are exclusively for the county we live in. There is an all encompassing group, a women's group and a kiddie group. People post things for sale and you can negotiate the price. Kind of like Craigslist except I love this format more. You can quickly discover the frequent buyers by their posts. People joke around on there so it is entertaining as well.
I am currently in the market for fall/winter shoes and jeans for the kiddos. I was a few hours too late for a pair of barely worn pink Nike Shox shoes for Samara. They were priced for $5. Uh, yeah. Bargain. I don't want to miss out on another bargain like that so I keep checking every chance I get for updated items.
Hope I don't lose a lot of sleep over these groups =)
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Now That's Just Plain Hot!
I was finally feeling back to my normal self yesterday; I can say that I have fully recovered from last week! The plan for the day was to clean the house top to bottom because it needed it. At 9:30, I was getting ready to start on the list when James texted me that we had a house showing at 6:15pm. Wonderful! I had plenty of time to get all the deep cleaning that needed to be done. I wasn't rushing around, but I wasn't going at a snail's pace either.
Then at 11:42, James calls. We have another showing for today. But this one is at 1pm. A little more than an hour away! I was pretty far along on the list, but still was not close to being finished. I rushed and got the basic tasks completed. James came home and was on dog poop removal patrol in the yard. I was so thankful for his help. Unfortunately, because of the time constraint, the kiddos did not get to eat lunch before the showing. Nor did I have time to get their swimming gear so we could go to the water park. I hurriedly packed a few snacks with water. At 12:40, I was in the process of finishing the vacuuming when the prospective buyers showed up. Are you kidding me?!? They really only gave us an hour to get ready. They all stood outside by the porch while I was finishing the foyer rug. I didn't get to do the "once over" that I normally like to do right before I head out.
Once everyone was loaded into the truck, we headed to the park. We are very limited to where we can go since George has to come with us. We sat in the gazebo while we ate and drank. IT WAS 115 DEGREES...no I'm not exaggerating. It was really 115 degrees. Of all days, why would 2 people be out house hunting in this miserable heat?!? The poor kiddos would play for a few minutes and then come back for more water. Their faces were red from the little amount of activity they did. I could not wait to get back home.
Since I had ran around for the first showing, there were just a few things I wanted to do before the 2nd showing. It was a much more relaxed atmosphere (well until I was finished and then the kiddos kept getting things dirty or moving something out of place!) For this showing, we made it to the water park. It was only 108 degrees now and for most of the time, we were the only ones there. Hmm...no one else wants to be outside when it's that temp??? The kiddos had fun splashing, I had fun cooling off with some water, and George roamed around the park in search of treasure.
We made it back home and then I had a sinking feeling. Because we were going to the water park, I didn't want to bring my purse. And I had forgotten to lock the door because we were rushing. My purse had my keys in it. My set of keys are the only ones that has our house key on it (James' is in the lockbox). We were locked out. GOOD. GRIEF. So James called our Realtor and she hastily came to unlock the door for us. Thank you Realtor Lady!!! To my dismay, the Realtor who showed our house was the same Realtor who came to measure carpet and thought our house wasn't stable and recommended we low-ball the price to get rid of it. So my hopes aren't really high for anything to come from the last showing! Oh well, life goes on =)
Then at 11:42, James calls. We have another showing for today. But this one is at 1pm. A little more than an hour away! I was pretty far along on the list, but still was not close to being finished. I rushed and got the basic tasks completed. James came home and was on dog poop removal patrol in the yard. I was so thankful for his help. Unfortunately, because of the time constraint, the kiddos did not get to eat lunch before the showing. Nor did I have time to get their swimming gear so we could go to the water park. I hurriedly packed a few snacks with water. At 12:40, I was in the process of finishing the vacuuming when the prospective buyers showed up. Are you kidding me?!? They really only gave us an hour to get ready. They all stood outside by the porch while I was finishing the foyer rug. I didn't get to do the "once over" that I normally like to do right before I head out.
Once everyone was loaded into the truck, we headed to the park. We are very limited to where we can go since George has to come with us. We sat in the gazebo while we ate and drank. IT WAS 115 DEGREES...no I'm not exaggerating. It was really 115 degrees. Of all days, why would 2 people be out house hunting in this miserable heat?!? The poor kiddos would play for a few minutes and then come back for more water. Their faces were red from the little amount of activity they did. I could not wait to get back home.
Since I had ran around for the first showing, there were just a few things I wanted to do before the 2nd showing. It was a much more relaxed atmosphere (well until I was finished and then the kiddos kept getting things dirty or moving something out of place!) For this showing, we made it to the water park. It was only 108 degrees now and for most of the time, we were the only ones there. Hmm...no one else wants to be outside when it's that temp??? The kiddos had fun splashing, I had fun cooling off with some water, and George roamed around the park in search of treasure.
We made it back home and then I had a sinking feeling. Because we were going to the water park, I didn't want to bring my purse. And I had forgotten to lock the door because we were rushing. My purse had my keys in it. My set of keys are the only ones that has our house key on it (James' is in the lockbox). We were locked out. GOOD. GRIEF. So James called our Realtor and she hastily came to unlock the door for us. Thank you Realtor Lady!!! To my dismay, the Realtor who showed our house was the same Realtor who came to measure carpet and thought our house wasn't stable and recommended we low-ball the price to get rid of it. So my hopes aren't really high for anything to come from the last showing! Oh well, life goes on =)
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Oh Nuts!
Last week James took Malachi to the Allergist to recheck his allergy to tree nuts. When he was 3 years old, I gave him one cashew and he immediately threw up and broke out in hives. Of course it happened at night so, after calling our PCP, I rushed him to the ER. He received steroids to counteract the reaction. A few weeks later we saw the Allergist who performed allergy tests on him. We found out he was allergic to all tree nuts.
By the age of 5, many kids will outgrow their food allergy so we were hopeful that this would be the case with Malachi. It's not always a fun trip to the store when you have to read EVERY label to see if not only they contain tree nuts, but also if they were manufactured in a place that also handles tree nuts. We couldn't buy many generic brands based on the latter. So we were hoping that it would make his life easier as well as cheaper!
But our hopes were dashed. He is still very much allergic to tree nuts. The Allergist also did an allergy panel to test for dust, mold, types of pollen and dogs/cats. He ended being allergic to everything EXCEPT cats! UGH! I have noticed that he rubs his nose a lot and his eyes are watery, but since I don't really like having the kiddos taking meds unless absolutely necessary, I have held off giving him Zyrtec. James and I are still weighing the pros and cons of him starting daily meds. I think we will wait to see if his allergies flare up more when he starts school. Who knows how many years of dust is in that building...we certainly don't want a miserable little Kindergartener.
So for now we will continue checking all the food labels and avoiding tree nuts. Next year he can have a blood test to check for the allergies so we will once again hope that he will outgrow this...
By the age of 5, many kids will outgrow their food allergy so we were hopeful that this would be the case with Malachi. It's not always a fun trip to the store when you have to read EVERY label to see if not only they contain tree nuts, but also if they were manufactured in a place that also handles tree nuts. We couldn't buy many generic brands based on the latter. So we were hoping that it would make his life easier as well as cheaper!
But our hopes were dashed. He is still very much allergic to tree nuts. The Allergist also did an allergy panel to test for dust, mold, types of pollen and dogs/cats. He ended being allergic to everything EXCEPT cats! UGH! I have noticed that he rubs his nose a lot and his eyes are watery, but since I don't really like having the kiddos taking meds unless absolutely necessary, I have held off giving him Zyrtec. James and I are still weighing the pros and cons of him starting daily meds. I think we will wait to see if his allergies flare up more when he starts school. Who knows how many years of dust is in that building...we certainly don't want a miserable little Kindergartener.
So for now we will continue checking all the food labels and avoiding tree nuts. Next year he can have a blood test to check for the allergies so we will once again hope that he will outgrow this...
Monday, August 1, 2011
I Survived Church Camp
A few weeks ago I was approached to see if I could be the elementary camp nurse. Last year James had thought about being a camp counselor so this wasn't a complete shock to think about going. The only down-fall was that it was the week after the kiddos were to get home from Grandma and Grandpa Dinkel's so I wouldn't see them for 2 weeks. James agreed to take off work so he could spend the week with them.
Sunday, after I got home from my high school reunion, I hurriedly showered and packed for camp. I only was home for about an hour and half and then left for the church. We were carpooling up to the camp site which was about 2 hours away. I was nervous. I had never been a peds nurse and this summer we are having such a long, severe heat wave and so I was afraid of what overexposure to the heat might do to the little ones. But, I put my trust in God that He would give me wisdom and strength (and I had a crew back home praying for me, too!)
The group of counselors and staff always go up the night before the campers arrive to get everything set up. We all stopped at Pizza Hut for dinner before making it to the camp. Once we got there, I took inventory of the first-aid tub and bag. From what I could tell, I was pretty well stocked up. I had brought my stethoscope along just in case (which came in handy later on). The pastor had been told that there was an apartment that was really nice for the staff so he arranged for me and the craft/music staff to stay there. We were in for a rude awakening, though. It was DIRTY, smelly and had huge spiders in it. While not wanting to complain, I just decided that I would spend as little time as possible in there.
Monday morning all the 3rd-5th graders arrived. They were pumped for camp. I went through each of their health history to make sure I had everything and also checked to see what meds they brought with them. There were several who needed meds given either in the morning, night or both. I made a daily check-list so I wouldn't miss anyone. The pastor had earlier warned me that I would probably be bored because,in the past, there hadn't been much for the nurse to do. Uh, this week was the big exception!
Monday morning started off with a male jr. counselor running a fever and was just feeling yucky. I gave him meds, sent him to get some rest and then set my phone alarm for every 3 hours to check on him, give more meds, if needed, and push him to drink fluids (well, not literally "push", but strongly encouraged!) There were tummy aches, headaches, every time I turned around someone was complaining of some medical issue. By the end of the day, I was tired. I thought that surely it wouldn't be so busy for the rest of the week. I was ready to relax and catch my breath. I was getting ready to leave the dining hall late that night when my fellow roomies came to tell me and the pastor that they killed a gi-normous brown recluse spider. They asked if they could possible move into the big cabin where all the other female counselors and campers were staying. The pastor readily agreed and so I moved into a cabin with 3rd-4th grade girls (they were super excited to have the nurse in their room!)
Tuesday morning was busy, but I was able to get away for a little bit and watch a group boys go through the obstacle course challenge. It was hilarious to see their little minds problem-solve. Early in the afternoon, I went with a group to go tubing. Now let me tell you, I am NOT a fan of lake water. I am repulsed by the squishy bottom of the lake and things floating next to you while you're in the water. I like my water crystal clear. But, I thought I would suck it up and go on the tube. After the campers and jr counselors had gone, it was a female counselor and my turn. We both kneeled in the tube and held on for dear life. We screamed, laughed, and had a great time. I was happy that we didn't flip! There was time for everyone to go again. When it was our turn, I stressed to them that I didn't want to get thrown off. That ride was way more bumpy than the first; I remember hitting a wave and then I was thrown in the water, but I was still hanging on. I pulled myself back on the tube, but was never able to fully recover from that wave. I eventually had to let go and was thrown from the tube. Somehow I lost my left contact during that incident. The female counselor was able to barely hang on and wasn't thrown off. What a ride! I'm still not convinced that there wasn't a conspiracy on board the boat to get me thrown off the tube =)
The jr counselor who had previously been sick felt better on Tuesday, but towards the evening, his fever came back and he felt really sick. He really needed to go home. The problem was that his mom was a female counselor and so someone needed to fill her spot. That's where I came in. The room I moved into the night before was this counselor's room so I volunteered to take her spot as the counselor so she could take care of her son. I was a little worried because I was still crazy busy being a nurse and I didn't know how I was going to manage being a counselor as well. The lady in charge of crafts had also moved into the room with me so we both decided that we would tag-team it when needed. I was also blessed with an amazing jr counselor who was a tremendous help.
The rest of the week was still non-stop. I would get calls late at night regarding campers who needed medical attention. The only really scary moment, though, came late Wednesday night when I received a call that a boy camper was having a hard time breathing and the counselor thought he heard some wheezing. I rushed to the dining hall to grab my stethoscope, first-aid bag and also the boy's home phone number so I could call the parents on my way to the cabin. They told me he had no history of asthma or allergies. Once I got there, I noticed his nose seemed pretty plugged up and when I listened to his lungs, I did hear some wheezing. He was talking a mile a minute, though, without needing to stop for a breath so that was reassuring. Since I was very limited to what I could do to treat him and many campers' allergies were acting up because of the dry, windy conditions, I gave him some allergy medication and asked the counselor to keep a close eye on him and call me if anything changed. I slept with my phone right beside me in bed that night and prayed that I wouldn't get a call.
The next morning this little camper came up to me right away and told me that the medicine I gave him worked and he was feeling ok. I listened to him and could not hear any wheezing. My heart was relieved!
Thursday afternoon was "Water Fun". We played a relay game, had a water balloon toss, and then the counselors/jr counselors started an all-out war with some buckets filled with water. I had just filled up a bucket and was on my way to get someone when a jr counselor asked if he could see it for just a minute. Not thinking too much about it, I gave it to him and he dumped the whole thing on my head. Absolutely frigid, but considering how hot it was outside, it felt refreshing, too. I got the bucket back, filled it up and got a male counselor soaking wet. He threatened to call my cell phone every hour that night. I think the teens and adults had more fun with the water than the kids!
One of the most moving moments was Thursday night. We were supposed to be outside at the amphitheater, but because of a storm, we had to be indoors. The pastor washed the feet of the staff, jr counselors, and counselors and then the counselors/jr counselors took turns washing the feet of the campers in their room. The lights were dim, a jr counselor played worship music on his guitar and everyone was silent. So powerful...
The next morning we packed up our belongings and headed home. But first, we all had to stop at the DQ and partake of a Dilly bar. What a great way to end a fabulously, tiring week!!!
I was greeted at home to 3 kiddos who talked non-stop for about an hour. I finally told them that I needed a nap so I went upstairs, but little Miss Samara would not let me out of her sight so she played in my bed while I slept. I took a 2 hour nap that day and went to bed early. Then on Saturday, I slept in until 10 which is amazing for me. I am still a wee-bit worn out, but I'm hoping I'll be back to normal by tomorrow.
This experience was exhausting, but uplifting at the same time. I want to definitely do it again!!!
Sunday, after I got home from my high school reunion, I hurriedly showered and packed for camp. I only was home for about an hour and half and then left for the church. We were carpooling up to the camp site which was about 2 hours away. I was nervous. I had never been a peds nurse and this summer we are having such a long, severe heat wave and so I was afraid of what overexposure to the heat might do to the little ones. But, I put my trust in God that He would give me wisdom and strength (and I had a crew back home praying for me, too!)
The group of counselors and staff always go up the night before the campers arrive to get everything set up. We all stopped at Pizza Hut for dinner before making it to the camp. Once we got there, I took inventory of the first-aid tub and bag. From what I could tell, I was pretty well stocked up. I had brought my stethoscope along just in case (which came in handy later on). The pastor had been told that there was an apartment that was really nice for the staff so he arranged for me and the craft/music staff to stay there. We were in for a rude awakening, though. It was DIRTY, smelly and had huge spiders in it. While not wanting to complain, I just decided that I would spend as little time as possible in there.
Monday morning all the 3rd-5th graders arrived. They were pumped for camp. I went through each of their health history to make sure I had everything and also checked to see what meds they brought with them. There were several who needed meds given either in the morning, night or both. I made a daily check-list so I wouldn't miss anyone. The pastor had earlier warned me that I would probably be bored because,in the past, there hadn't been much for the nurse to do. Uh, this week was the big exception!
Monday morning started off with a male jr. counselor running a fever and was just feeling yucky. I gave him meds, sent him to get some rest and then set my phone alarm for every 3 hours to check on him, give more meds, if needed, and push him to drink fluids (well, not literally "push", but strongly encouraged!) There were tummy aches, headaches, every time I turned around someone was complaining of some medical issue. By the end of the day, I was tired. I thought that surely it wouldn't be so busy for the rest of the week. I was ready to relax and catch my breath. I was getting ready to leave the dining hall late that night when my fellow roomies came to tell me and the pastor that they killed a gi-normous brown recluse spider. They asked if they could possible move into the big cabin where all the other female counselors and campers were staying. The pastor readily agreed and so I moved into a cabin with 3rd-4th grade girls (they were super excited to have the nurse in their room!)
Tuesday morning was busy, but I was able to get away for a little bit and watch a group boys go through the obstacle course challenge. It was hilarious to see their little minds problem-solve. Early in the afternoon, I went with a group to go tubing. Now let me tell you, I am NOT a fan of lake water. I am repulsed by the squishy bottom of the lake and things floating next to you while you're in the water. I like my water crystal clear. But, I thought I would suck it up and go on the tube. After the campers and jr counselors had gone, it was a female counselor and my turn. We both kneeled in the tube and held on for dear life. We screamed, laughed, and had a great time. I was happy that we didn't flip! There was time for everyone to go again. When it was our turn, I stressed to them that I didn't want to get thrown off. That ride was way more bumpy than the first; I remember hitting a wave and then I was thrown in the water, but I was still hanging on. I pulled myself back on the tube, but was never able to fully recover from that wave. I eventually had to let go and was thrown from the tube. Somehow I lost my left contact during that incident. The female counselor was able to barely hang on and wasn't thrown off. What a ride! I'm still not convinced that there wasn't a conspiracy on board the boat to get me thrown off the tube =)
The jr counselor who had previously been sick felt better on Tuesday, but towards the evening, his fever came back and he felt really sick. He really needed to go home. The problem was that his mom was a female counselor and so someone needed to fill her spot. That's where I came in. The room I moved into the night before was this counselor's room so I volunteered to take her spot as the counselor so she could take care of her son. I was a little worried because I was still crazy busy being a nurse and I didn't know how I was going to manage being a counselor as well. The lady in charge of crafts had also moved into the room with me so we both decided that we would tag-team it when needed. I was also blessed with an amazing jr counselor who was a tremendous help.
The rest of the week was still non-stop. I would get calls late at night regarding campers who needed medical attention. The only really scary moment, though, came late Wednesday night when I received a call that a boy camper was having a hard time breathing and the counselor thought he heard some wheezing. I rushed to the dining hall to grab my stethoscope, first-aid bag and also the boy's home phone number so I could call the parents on my way to the cabin. They told me he had no history of asthma or allergies. Once I got there, I noticed his nose seemed pretty plugged up and when I listened to his lungs, I did hear some wheezing. He was talking a mile a minute, though, without needing to stop for a breath so that was reassuring. Since I was very limited to what I could do to treat him and many campers' allergies were acting up because of the dry, windy conditions, I gave him some allergy medication and asked the counselor to keep a close eye on him and call me if anything changed. I slept with my phone right beside me in bed that night and prayed that I wouldn't get a call.
The next morning this little camper came up to me right away and told me that the medicine I gave him worked and he was feeling ok. I listened to him and could not hear any wheezing. My heart was relieved!
Thursday afternoon was "Water Fun". We played a relay game, had a water balloon toss, and then the counselors/jr counselors started an all-out war with some buckets filled with water. I had just filled up a bucket and was on my way to get someone when a jr counselor asked if he could see it for just a minute. Not thinking too much about it, I gave it to him and he dumped the whole thing on my head. Absolutely frigid, but considering how hot it was outside, it felt refreshing, too. I got the bucket back, filled it up and got a male counselor soaking wet. He threatened to call my cell phone every hour that night. I think the teens and adults had more fun with the water than the kids!
One of the most moving moments was Thursday night. We were supposed to be outside at the amphitheater, but because of a storm, we had to be indoors. The pastor washed the feet of the staff, jr counselors, and counselors and then the counselors/jr counselors took turns washing the feet of the campers in their room. The lights were dim, a jr counselor played worship music on his guitar and everyone was silent. So powerful...
The next morning we packed up our belongings and headed home. But first, we all had to stop at the DQ and partake of a Dilly bar. What a great way to end a fabulously, tiring week!!!
I was greeted at home to 3 kiddos who talked non-stop for about an hour. I finally told them that I needed a nap so I went upstairs, but little Miss Samara would not let me out of her sight so she played in my bed while I slept. I took a 2 hour nap that day and went to bed early. Then on Saturday, I slept in until 10 which is amazing for me. I am still a wee-bit worn out, but I'm hoping I'll be back to normal by tomorrow.
This experience was exhausting, but uplifting at the same time. I want to definitely do it again!!!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Nostalgic
So last weekend was my 10 year high school reunion. It doesn't seem like I should be this old yet it seems like another lifetime ago that I walked down the halls of Sumner Academy of Arts and Science. I loved high school. I cherished the moments because I knew that it was a special time in life and before long we would be adults in the real world. Call me nerdy, but I loved learning. I wanted to do my absolute best.
I would get to school early so I could either study a little more for a test or to socialize with my friends before classes began. While I had my "go to" group of friends, I was truly friends with pretty much everyone in my class. There isn't a single person I can remember who I disliked.
I was involved in activities that pushed me to be a more well-rounded person. I ran track and cross-country, was in debate and choir, earned a spot in the NHS 10th-12th grade and was an officer my Senior year.
There are days that I wish I could go back to the simplicity of life that was high school. Don't get me wrong, I love my life now; it's just a little sad to think that those days will never come around again.
So needless to say, I was happy to hang out with my former peers. Friday afternoon I drove up to KC and met the gang at a lounge in the Power and Light District. My favorite high school teacher and his wife were there. He taught history, but it wasn't just a lecture. He brought artifacts, showed pictures and really made the stories come alive. We ate appetizers while catching up.
Afterward, the group walked down to the Lucky Strike bowling alley. I am a terrible bowler, but I was in good company! The next afternoon there was a family lunch at a community center followed by the main event that night. The reunion committee rented out a nightclub from 8pm-11pm. We ate dinner, drank a special "blue Sabre" drink, and jammed to some old school music. It was nice to see everyone dressed up and having a good time. I rode with a girl I had known since kindergarten. A little after 11pm, we decided to go back to her apartment and we talked for a few hours. The next morning I skipped out on the breakfast because that afternoon I was heading to church camp to be the nurse (I will dedicate a post to that experience!)
Isn't it amazing how 10 years can bring about such dramatic life changes? I am married, graduated with my Bachelor's in Nursing, have 3 kiddos. It's kind of scary to think about the changes the next 10 years will bring!
I would get to school early so I could either study a little more for a test or to socialize with my friends before classes began. While I had my "go to" group of friends, I was truly friends with pretty much everyone in my class. There isn't a single person I can remember who I disliked.
I was involved in activities that pushed me to be a more well-rounded person. I ran track and cross-country, was in debate and choir, earned a spot in the NHS 10th-12th grade and was an officer my Senior year.
There are days that I wish I could go back to the simplicity of life that was high school. Don't get me wrong, I love my life now; it's just a little sad to think that those days will never come around again.
So needless to say, I was happy to hang out with my former peers. Friday afternoon I drove up to KC and met the gang at a lounge in the Power and Light District. My favorite high school teacher and his wife were there. He taught history, but it wasn't just a lecture. He brought artifacts, showed pictures and really made the stories come alive. We ate appetizers while catching up.
Afterward, the group walked down to the Lucky Strike bowling alley. I am a terrible bowler, but I was in good company! The next afternoon there was a family lunch at a community center followed by the main event that night. The reunion committee rented out a nightclub from 8pm-11pm. We ate dinner, drank a special "blue Sabre" drink, and jammed to some old school music. It was nice to see everyone dressed up and having a good time. I rode with a girl I had known since kindergarten. A little after 11pm, we decided to go back to her apartment and we talked for a few hours. The next morning I skipped out on the breakfast because that afternoon I was heading to church camp to be the nurse (I will dedicate a post to that experience!)
Isn't it amazing how 10 years can bring about such dramatic life changes? I am married, graduated with my Bachelor's in Nursing, have 3 kiddos. It's kind of scary to think about the changes the next 10 years will bring!
Dinner Time Prayer
Malachi: "Thank you Jesus for a good day. Please help Daddy study harder and study faster. Thank you for healing our sins. Amen."
*James has been studying all weekend for his final in his grad level genetics*
*James has been studying all weekend for his final in his grad level genetics*
Friday, July 29, 2011
Playing Catch-Up
I'm SO sorry that I have neglected my blog! I was (and still am) having issues with uploading pictures and I wanted to have the pics to go along with the stories. But, I am just going to proceed without them and once the problems have been resolved, then I'll have a post full of the pictures.
Towards the end of June, the kiddos and I spent a few days up in KC with Grammie and Papa. We had water-gun fights, a trip to the Dollar Tree where the kiddos had $5 to pick out anything they wanted. The boys bought swords, helmets, and shields. Samara bought a headband with fake hair, a Barbie doll, a necklace/bracelet set, a tutu, and a baseball bat with a ball. They were thrilled with their purchases!
A few days later Matt (James' older brother) had us up for a trip to the Topeka Zoo. His work hosted a night there and he wanted the kiddos to enjoy the event. Before we went, though, he surprised the kiddos with a trip to the movie theater to see Cars 2. It was Samara's first experience at the movies! During part of the movie, all 3 of them were nestled close to Uncle Matt...it looked like he was being smothered. We all enjoyed ourselves at the Zoo. They were so excited to see the animals and the boys went down the inflatable slides there. We ended the night by stopping by Kristen and Nick's house for s'mores (a wee bit hot for a fire, but it was still yummy.)
For the 4th of July, we enjoyed a quiet celebration. I planned a yummy menu of grilled hamburgers, homemade potato salad, watermelon, black-bottom cupcakes, and chocolate strawberry pie. For fun, we played in a kiddie pool that I bought for them. On the evening of the 4th, we went to a friend's house. They live close to the lake where there's spectacular firework display. There were several "ooh's and aah's" over the pretty colors in the sky. Close to the end, Samara needed to go potty. There was no close bathrooms and it was too far to walk back to the friend's house. So she had her first experience of squatting in a field. At first, she was freaked out by it, but the need to go was too great so she did the deed and went on to enjoy the rest of the night.
The next weekend, Cousin Sofia celebrated her 3rd birthday up in KC. It was a Princess Tea Party theme. Following the party, we stayed the night at my aunt and uncle's house. It had been a long time since I got to hang out with them and my 13 year old cousin. On Sunday, we went swimming in their Mickey Mouse shaped pool. At first, they were hesitant to get in the water, but it was such a hot day, they soon were enjoying the cool water.
The next day started VBS at our church. It was at night so we had some late bedtimes that week! James and I were both crew leaders for a group of kids (I had 1st-2nd graders and he had 2nd-3rd graders). This was Isaiah's first year of being able to be in a VBS group; he went back and forth on whether he liked it, but ended up enjoying it. We love how it's a family event and not just a place where we drop the kids off and then pick them up when it's over.
After VBS ended that Friday night, we drove up to James' hometown because the next day Matt was in a BBQ competition in Hays. We got there around 1:30am and were so exhausted. At the competition, the kiddos had fun playing with squirt bottles filled with water. They would ask everyone if they wanted to have water on their legs/arms. Matt did great; he took 4th overall! Once we got back to my in-laws, my mother-in-law and I took the kiddos to their new community swimming pool. They had a slide in the shape of a fish that all 3 of them could slide down on. Malachi was tall enough that he could go down the big slide. He did it one time, but didn't want to do it again because it was scary. We stayed there for a few hours and had a blast.
The kiddos stayed the next week with Grandma and Grandpa Dinkel while I went back home. James had a college roommate and his wife needing a place to sleep that Sunday night because they were moving from Washington back to the Dallas area. We all stayed up until 3am talking and catching up. They are a fun couple so we enjoyed having them.
A week without kiddos...it's nice at first, but I really missed those little dears. I actually had a pretty busy week. Well, it was a different kind of busy! I had lunch a few days with some friends and then I went to a local Goodwill store to find some deals for back to school clothes for Malachi.
Speaking of school, last Friday I enrolled Malachi in Kindergarten. Say what?!? Seriously??? YES, I am now a mother of a Kindergartener. Tear. He is not excited about school because he is scared to learn how to read. I keep trying to encourage him, but I think after the first day, he will see how fun school is.
After enrolling him, I drove up to KC for my <clears throat> 10 year high school reunion. Oh. My. Goodness. How on earth am I that old??? Tomorrow I plan on posting about that weekend.
Hope I remembered everything that happened in the past month...as you can see, it's been insanely busy, but fun =)
Towards the end of June, the kiddos and I spent a few days up in KC with Grammie and Papa. We had water-gun fights, a trip to the Dollar Tree where the kiddos had $5 to pick out anything they wanted. The boys bought swords, helmets, and shields. Samara bought a headband with fake hair, a Barbie doll, a necklace/bracelet set, a tutu, and a baseball bat with a ball. They were thrilled with their purchases!
A few days later Matt (James' older brother) had us up for a trip to the Topeka Zoo. His work hosted a night there and he wanted the kiddos to enjoy the event. Before we went, though, he surprised the kiddos with a trip to the movie theater to see Cars 2. It was Samara's first experience at the movies! During part of the movie, all 3 of them were nestled close to Uncle Matt...it looked like he was being smothered. We all enjoyed ourselves at the Zoo. They were so excited to see the animals and the boys went down the inflatable slides there. We ended the night by stopping by Kristen and Nick's house for s'mores (a wee bit hot for a fire, but it was still yummy.)
For the 4th of July, we enjoyed a quiet celebration. I planned a yummy menu of grilled hamburgers, homemade potato salad, watermelon, black-bottom cupcakes, and chocolate strawberry pie. For fun, we played in a kiddie pool that I bought for them. On the evening of the 4th, we went to a friend's house. They live close to the lake where there's spectacular firework display. There were several "ooh's and aah's" over the pretty colors in the sky. Close to the end, Samara needed to go potty. There was no close bathrooms and it was too far to walk back to the friend's house. So she had her first experience of squatting in a field. At first, she was freaked out by it, but the need to go was too great so she did the deed and went on to enjoy the rest of the night.
The next weekend, Cousin Sofia celebrated her 3rd birthday up in KC. It was a Princess Tea Party theme. Following the party, we stayed the night at my aunt and uncle's house. It had been a long time since I got to hang out with them and my 13 year old cousin. On Sunday, we went swimming in their Mickey Mouse shaped pool. At first, they were hesitant to get in the water, but it was such a hot day, they soon were enjoying the cool water.
The next day started VBS at our church. It was at night so we had some late bedtimes that week! James and I were both crew leaders for a group of kids (I had 1st-2nd graders and he had 2nd-3rd graders). This was Isaiah's first year of being able to be in a VBS group; he went back and forth on whether he liked it, but ended up enjoying it. We love how it's a family event and not just a place where we drop the kids off and then pick them up when it's over.
After VBS ended that Friday night, we drove up to James' hometown because the next day Matt was in a BBQ competition in Hays. We got there around 1:30am and were so exhausted. At the competition, the kiddos had fun playing with squirt bottles filled with water. They would ask everyone if they wanted to have water on their legs/arms. Matt did great; he took 4th overall! Once we got back to my in-laws, my mother-in-law and I took the kiddos to their new community swimming pool. They had a slide in the shape of a fish that all 3 of them could slide down on. Malachi was tall enough that he could go down the big slide. He did it one time, but didn't want to do it again because it was scary. We stayed there for a few hours and had a blast.
The kiddos stayed the next week with Grandma and Grandpa Dinkel while I went back home. James had a college roommate and his wife needing a place to sleep that Sunday night because they were moving from Washington back to the Dallas area. We all stayed up until 3am talking and catching up. They are a fun couple so we enjoyed having them.
A week without kiddos...it's nice at first, but I really missed those little dears. I actually had a pretty busy week. Well, it was a different kind of busy! I had lunch a few days with some friends and then I went to a local Goodwill store to find some deals for back to school clothes for Malachi.
Speaking of school, last Friday I enrolled Malachi in Kindergarten. Say what?!? Seriously??? YES, I am now a mother of a Kindergartener. Tear. He is not excited about school because he is scared to learn how to read. I keep trying to encourage him, but I think after the first day, he will see how fun school is.
After enrolling him, I drove up to KC for my <clears throat> 10 year high school reunion. Oh. My. Goodness. How on earth am I that old??? Tomorrow I plan on posting about that weekend.
Hope I remembered everything that happened in the past month...as you can see, it's been insanely busy, but fun =)
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