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Showing posts from June, 2015

Happy Happy Birthday!

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Happy Birthday to the love of my life, Brian!  We were supposed to have baseball all day today, but knowing in advance we were due heavy rains I made plans.  When we got the cancellation for baseball this morning we turned off the alarm and slept in....til almost noon!  My younger daughter came in wondering if we were all dead or something because I especially am never asleep that late!  Wow, it felt great!  We had coffee, relaxed then my son went to pick up a 1/2 bushel of crabs as my birthday treat to my husband.  We are going to eat them and relax some more and then he is going to get him mom for a simple, but favorite spaghetti dinner and maybe a family movie.  It doesn't take a big party or a lot of people to make a day special and I hope this simplicity and being around some of his family (the girls had to work today) will make it a terrific day.  I love you!

It's Not Easy Being Me

I had a rough evening and an even rougher day because I didn't get much sleep last night.  My heart was hurt, which happens to me more often than to most.  I know that turning 50 in a few weeks is a milestone and in lots of ways I have been preparing in good ways for the "second half of my life".  I am less critical of some things and more critical of others.  I cry rarely these days, but hurt more.  I want more than anything to feel appreciated and yet I feel like the men in my life only notice my existence when they want something I have not provided.  I have a 22 year old son living at home who used to think I walked on air and did no wrong.  Now that he has a Ms. Right in his heart, however, and she is at home in another state for summer break from college, he is extremely moody and often lashes out at me.....something he never did in his 21 years prior.  He is all wrapped up in his future and I am just along to watch.  I am criticized if I don't have the answers

I Have A New Blog

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If you have a toddler or preschooler and are interested in a website with more comprehensive ideas about the themes I do with them including book lists, websites and songs, please visit  http://startingwithtwo.blogspot.com/       I enjoy working with preK aged children and since my daycare baby is three and my oldest granddaughter just turned four there is plenty of fun to be had.  If you visit, leave a comment and let me know how you like the new blog and what you might like to see there in the future!!

Two Kinds of Fun

I have 2 preschoolers today, 1 toddler and 4 "big kids" ages 10, 10, 12 and 7.  The big kids have been allowed to hang out in Dakota's room this morning playing video games until 10.  It's gorgeous outside just now so they are outside jumping on the trampoline and I am ready to give them a Nature Scavenger Hunt from wwwthetaylor-house.com .   My son, of course, had to pout and run his mouth, but he's going to live through it.  He looks back on his summers so fondly, but at almost 11 getting him to act like he enjoys things is a challenge. We are still waiting on the other preschooler so right now my 4 year old granddaughter has watched the Sid the Science kid DVD on insects and is not watching Magic School Bus Gets Ants in It's Pants.  Our current theme is Bugs and Butterflies and today's focus is ants.  It's hard when I don't get both preschoolers at the same time because now one has probably slept in and the other is going to be tired soon and

Summer Fun Begins

Today we had our first day of summer camp 2015.  Dakota, Lindsey and little Brooke had a waffle bar for breakfast with jellies, blackberries, butter and syrup.  We packed up and headed to the free summer movie which was Mr. Peabody and Sherman.  Not a bad movie at all and the historical references were entertaining and educational.  Afterward my older son met us at Sorrentos for pizza and french fries for lunch and then I took the Dakota and Lindsey to the library near our house where they participated in Tinker Tuesday, making and launching paper rockets while I browsed for books.  They got an hour or so to just hang out inside when we got back to the house, as the 100 degree heat made even swimming unappealing.  Now it's early evening and nasty storms are rolling through.  I am going to work and watch the newest Night At the Museum movie together and have a late dinner.

Summer 2015

This week Dakota and I are "off".  No required math or reading.  No fun work packets.  No field trips.  Just home and doing our things.  For him that means sleeping in, staying up late and more video games than I am comfortable with.  For me that means one less thing to squeeze in the day, but also the chance to get ready for our summer fun days, filled with friends, field trips, movies, library activities, picnic lunches, long weekends away.  I am do not have my grandchildren on Tuesdays and Thursdays so those are the days I know I can do "big kid" things with my son and his friends or go on trips and not have to take more than 1 little one.  We will go almost every Tuesday to the Hollywood theater in Arbutus to see the free movie there and then have lunch out or a picnic, depending on the heat and then I will either take the kids to the Arbutus library or the Lansdowne library where they have daily activities for kids their age.  My "tweens" have outgrow

As Spring Turns Into Summer

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       As spring turns into the summer of 2015 I am pleased with our fun activities so far.  It is weighing a bit heavy on my heart that my youngest is 10 years old, soon to be 11.  Only 4 more years to homeschool him.  Only 5 1/2 more years til he can drive.  I want to make the most of these years and give him memories to last a lifetime.  Some things we do just him and I, some with him and his dad, some include his older brother (22) and some include his sisters.  Quite a few include his little nieces, ages 4, 20 months and 3 months currently!         So we started off with a big bang going to Disney World in April.  The two boys and I drove down, stopping in North Carolina on the way to spend some time with my sister in law.  We spent April 19th through 26th in Disney and then came home by way of Boiling Springs, South Carolina, where we spent the night with my sister and brother in law.         Once home our travel baseball games kicked in and we've had lots of games at n