Savoring Every Second

So here it is, Tuesday. School starts in 1 week. Last week we tried to do everything on the Summer 08 List that has kept getting push off. Starting with the Cousins Sleepover.Jess and Kennedy stayed and were both a lot of fun. Kennedy had a few rough spots, but she's only four and really did well for her age.
After a very musical visit with Jason's Aunt Barbara and Uncle Paul from Cali, we decided to jump in to the world of the Ukulele. Seriously, we got on ebay that night and started hunting for good deals.Since Jason already plays guitar, he caught on rather quickly and can already play a few of my favorite Jack Johnson songs. He is teaching me, but I am a lefty so he has to teach me the chords upside down. If you were wondering, mine is the sea turtle one;)
The kids are wild about them. Look who else is a Lefty!!!
Summer has a few chords down. Right now she's into writing her own music.
Don't worry Teagen, You'll get your turn. (Don't tell, but Daddy is getting each of you your own for Christmas!)

Inspired

Did a layout for the I Inspire Me challenge blog. The theme was stationary. I found this cute card while browsing etsy and got an idea right away:
Pretty cute! Used some old Doodle Bug paper that I've been hanging onto for-ever! The "tea" is flocked(fuzzy) and is so much cuter in real life.

The next three I did at the crop I went to last Friday with Mya and Miranda. I really like this crop, it was at Scrapbook 101 and they do a $5 crop every Friday. Very relaxed and fun. Great new owner of that store. If there is anything you want, he will try to get it in for ya.


As always, my photos do not do these papers justice. There is a lot of shimmer and sparkle that just doesn't show up. I need some pointers on shooting layouts!

Getting Ready

Yesterday Summer had her yearly check up, of course she's perfect. I love that now that she's a bit older the doctors stop speaking to me and only ask her questions. "How much TV do you watch? Do you wear a bike helmet? Do you wear a seat belt?Do you eat fruits and veggies? Do you drink 3 glasses of milk everyday?" Never once looking at me,knowing they would get more honest answers from a 7 year old. Thank God all of those things are kinda important around here ( I did let her go without a helmet at the campground a bit) and she probably watches too much TV, but she's lucky to see 1 show a day once school starts and she's usually awake before me, so I guess I will try to ease my guilt with those excuses.

After the appointment, we went school shopping with the $$ from the Yard Sale( $300 thank you very much!!!) I need to keep school shopping pretty simple. If I buy too elaborate outfits, I never let her wear them and then its like a total waste. Go for the basics. OK, so I know there are a few Momma's reading thing and please tell me if ya'll are having the same troubles I am. Summer wears a 6x-7. What I find are appropriate clothes up to size 6 and skanky streetwalkers apparel for the 7-16 crowd. Ugghh. How many Hannah Montana shirts does one girl really need? Penneys ,Yonkers, even Sears...like 4 racks of all Hannah garbage. Listen people, if I wanted any more of that junk, I would go to Walmart where I can get one of her crappy tees for $6.(I know this because we have several)

So basically, I bought everything at the Childrens Place. Any other fed up mothers will have also gone there and I will know because they will be dressed the same as my girl. (kinda small selection) At least its age appropriate. My other favorite is Gymboree and their sale starts Thursday. So might try to find a total matchy-matchy outfit there. Again, their clothes are suited for young children. According to my sister-in-law (Laura) it only gets worse. She has an 11 year old girl and is running out of options. I want my girls to look their ages. Not like miniature teenagers. I don't really even want my teenagers to look like teenagers, but thats for another worry-fest.

However, we did come home with 3 pair of satin undies for Summer and proceeded to give Jason a bit of a heart attack....:)

Oye

This has nothing to do with my post but.......I'm feelin a little snarky and this made me laugh. Found it on Etsy. I think its a card. The artist has a bunch of them, some were very naughty;)

I really should be sleeping, but its just not happening for me. Its only 11pm but the kicker is I gotta get up @4:30am with the Hubs to set up the yard sale no one wants to have(but I cant find it in me to just give everything to Goodwill without trying to get a little $$) I need his help hauling some big stuff and he goes to work SO early, so gotta get up with him. Wahh. Don't feel too bad for me...the littles have been sleeping till 9am lately, so I'm not hurtin for sleep by any means. I am setting the coffee pot. That should help.

Jason promised Summer she could have a lemonade stand for this stupid yard sale, but I am being a total Grinch about it. Ya know the spilling and all the guilting into buying and all that. Somehow, I am sure I will be doing most of the work on that. Jason did make her purchase all her supplies. But the girl down the road is also having one and she's got one of those fancy store bought set-ups. Her sign says 50cents a glass. We're walkin in like Walmart and going with 25cents. Oh yeah, we are totally like that. Watch, she'll probably have keg cups.

Wish us luck...Jason swears nothing is coming back into the house. I hate yard sales. Having them, going to them, all that. Its weird having people look at your stuff. It weird looking at other peoples stuff. Thank goodness I get to escape and go scrapbooking later on Friday!

Whatcha Readin'?

I just finished this.... It may be the last of the Twilight books so I really drug it out over a couple of days. It was SO fantastic. I simply cannot explain it to someone who has not read any of them(there are 4 book)For real the best love story I have EVER read. I read a lot. And I know I have said it before, but it just hangs with you for a while. Breathtaking.

And I just ordered this:

I know, funny, right? Now if I had 3 martinis at a playdate, I would probably forget where I was and possibley who my children are. But actually I have heard some great reviews on this one. I just couldnt resist.

And since summer is winding down I leave with some cute photobooth shots from Great Wolf of the fam minus the G-Man. Goofy people!

Sum Sum Summertime

This right here is why I LOVE summer! I have alway had a strange addiction to blueberries, but it got out of control with Grady's pregnancy. See, for me, in the good ol' 3rd trimester, I always craved fruit. in large quantities. and beverages too. Also in large quantities. But that summer I was due with Grady it was blueberries around the clock. Poor Jason was being begged to stop at roadside stands on his way home from work regularly. But the thing is that the craving never left. My quantities are much smaller(usually) but I just love them. Jason brought home 5 lbs and I had great plans for them in muffins, pancakes, coffeecake,etc...but they never made it. I passed the love to my dear son and he is an eating machine!

Anyway, aside from blueberries, we are trying to enjoy the last weeks of summer. Working on a yard sale for next weekend. Jason is working the next 26 days straight, so that puts a little damper on things but what can ya do? Enjoy what we got, right?

And for the music fans, I added a bunch more songs that I have been loving on my ipod lately. Got a few winners in there! Check it out....

So now we're back, from outer space...

I know, I keep disappearing. But this is it until Wheatland. We will be living the last weeks of summer close to home. Goodness knows, we'll be busy enough with that. We spent Thursday through the weekend at my Aunt Julie's in Mason. They came up for a lake day last Saturday and took Summer back home with then. I made the 2 hour drive with the littles on Thursday morning. By the way, I understand that its cooler here on the lakeshore, but wow it was so much hotter there! At least 10 degrees warmer. Everyone stayed cool in the pools and sprinkler.
The Ingham County Far was going on right down the road and summer (and Amy and Kristy) got free passes from the library's summer reading program. Even though it was HOT, we had fun going through all the 4-H exhibits and petting zoo. Summer spent 20 minutes talking to an MSU Vet student about xrays and instruments. I know lots of kids want to be Veterinarians when they grow up, but Summer is serious about it!

Amy, Summer and Kristy lovin' a Llama.
And sweet Lisa took one for the team and rode the Himalaya with Summer. I cannot go in circles like that anymore without being ill. Lisa's 18, she can take it!

To Julie, Jim and the girls, thanks for a wonderful time and taking such good care of us. We were lucky enough to also spend some time with my Grandma and also my Aunt Linda. It was so fun see you both again and I will be really looking forward to Cookie Day!