Good Cheap Summer Fun!

JJ, Isaac and Aubry watching the sharks

First stop - Chattanooga Aquarium!  (only cheap this time because we had already purchased the annual pass), but anyway good, cheap fun this time.  We decided to only go to the the ocean building this time so we would have time to play in the fountains. 

Kids touching the sting rays

Aubry caught a butterfly in the butterfly garden

Don't be shocked - yes that is Aubry and Isaac sharing a butterfly.

After the aquarium we headed outside and stopped by the car to change the kids into their swimsuits.  Then first stop, the waterfall stairs that lead to a big pool at the bottom.  Bonuses for me - viewof the Tennessee River and shaded.

Aubry in pool at bottom of waterfall stairs

Isaac, JJ and Aubry

Then we went up the stairs the another place to play in the water.  Unfortunately my phone battery died so I didn't get any picture - (and yes I do take most of my pictures with my phone - someday on my wish list is a nice camera - but that will be down the road).  The kids loved following the path of  water with rocks - very cool looking - someday we'll go back and I'll get some pics.

Isaac, JJ and Aubry

Kids had a great time and got worn out - which is always a plus. 

Gotta love summer!!!

Summer Campfire Food - Yummy!!!

 

We had a delicious campfire last night!  With yummy fresh veggies and fruit from the market.  And I'm all about simplicity - so the easier and more relaxing, the better.  So here is our menu. 





Grilled Corn on the Cob.

Take sweet corn and remove the silk and then put the husky things back over corn.  Place over campfire for about 10 minute turning one time.  Pull off husky things (and I even lived in central Illinois for awhile, but I still don't know all the technical terms) - and leave on the stem - this will be the handle for holding the corn (then we don't have to wash all those little green things we usually put in the end of the corn).  After pulling off the husky things then roll in butter and sprinkle with salt.  Delicious fresh yummy flavor with a hint of campfire. 



Isaac being a typical boy and playing with the fire!



Fresh Blackberries and Strawberries

Buy or pick fresh strawberries and blackberries.  Rinse and Eat.  Yummy and simple - and best of all healthy!!

Aubry stealing some blackberries!

All Beef Hot Dogs with Whole Wheat Buns

I stopped by the Sara Lee Outlet and picked up some Whole Wheat Buns for 79 cents!!! Gotta love a bargain.  Grill some hot dogs and add your favorite toppings.  Ben likes just cheese, Aubry and I like relish and ketchup Isaac and JJ like just ketchup. 

Chow Down and Enjoy Eating outside!!!

Family Time

So many of you know that we spend part of our time in a camper with Ben in Chattanooga.  Well, we went to Chattanooga on Saturday to go to Ben's work family night out at the baseball game.  We had a lot of fun and I was able to meet a lot of people that Ben works with. 



JJ holding on tight because the guide was being sarcastic and said that we were going to go fast and we better hold on.

 On Sunday, we got up and went to the open air market and got some yummy blackberries and strawberries.  We tried these blackberries dipped in white chocolate and I'm not even a white chocolate fan, but the combination of flavors was delicious.  Aubry had a yummy chocolate covered strawberry.  The boys had pretzels from this amazing bread stand. 

After our trip to the market we decided to use our Groupon for the Chattanooga Duck Ride.  The Duck is one of those vehicles from 1944 used in the war that went on land and water.  Kids had a lot of fun especially when we went down the ramp and splashed into the water.  Ben and I enjoyed the history.  The ride was a bit on the slow side, I think the guide said it can go up to 6 mph.  So needless to say Ben didn't get his fast thrill, but we had a nice time. 

After a quick lunch, we decided to go to the fountains to cool off.  I envisioned the kids just dipping their feet in and cooling off, but that isn't what happened.  The cool off resulted in both boys being completely soaked.  Isaac went completely under and JJ's clothes were completely drenched.  It was one of those moments where as a mom I just had to step back, relax and remind myself that a little water wouldn't hurt the kids.


All in all a great family day, with minimal fighting and just good relaxing fun - and thanks to Groupon - very cheap :)

GROW UP - (but don't really grow up)

My daughter Aubry is 9 years old and I have caught myself many times lately telling her to "Grow Up."  I have told her to act her age and while I may mean it for the moment, I would actually like to keep her my little girl forever.  I am not ready for her to be exposed to all the things in this world (I have to be careful what I say because she reads my blog :)) 

So all that to say,  what am I doing to build a relationship with her that is strong enough to weather the hard times that she will experience?   How do I make sure I keep the communication doors wide open?  How do I teach her to be a modest, young girl who will keep her priorities in the right place and keep God and her family the center of her life?  How do I make sure that she has the confidence that every young girl needs?

The answer - I don't know (maybe y'all could give me some suggestions)

Things we are doing right now:

• We have a girls outing every couple of weeks.  We don't even spend a lot of money, but just hang out just the two of us.  It gives us time to just talk about whatever we want to talk about without any interference from the boys.
• We just finished reading the American Girl Doll Book - "The Care & Keeping of You, The Body Book for Girls"   Very detailed book about all the changes that will be happening in her body.  We read this together and I encouraged her to ask questions.  We even got some samples of feminine products for her to see.  I wanted to let her know what will be happening to her body before it happened not after or during. 
• We play games together.
• We clip coupons together and she helps me get them ready. 
• We cook in the kitchen together.

What I need to work on

• Making sure I praise her way more than I point out what she needs to work on.  This is something I really need to work on a lot.  It is balanced the wrong way right now.
• Pray for her.  I do pray for her, but I could definitely be more consistent. 
• Let her have more privacy from the boys.  This is something I have just started.  Since she is doing the diary that goes along with the American Girl doll book that we read, she found out that her brother and his friend had been in her room reading that.  So I decided it was time to set some ground rules, that he is not allowed into her room to play unless she invites him.  Good thing though,  is that she doesn't mind sharing the diary with me  - YAY! 
• Be more open and honest with her.  I have always been one to bottle things up and hide them, but if I'm open with her then that will help her feel like she can be open with me. 
• And many more areas - always room to improve!!!  I truly would love suggestions!!!!

Perceptions (Misperceptions) of Parenthood

Picture of my kids from 2 1/2 years ago

Aubry, JJ, and Isaac

Have you ever just thought you had the only kids that fought every single minute of every day?  Have you ever thought that you were the only one who had a child that knew how to pitch a major fit?  Or maybe you are the only one who has a child who never cleans her room or when she does you just find the mess has moved to the closet or under the bed. 

When we are out and about in life - we don't always see what is really happening in each other's lives.  And some of us are better at hiding the frustrations than others, but we all have them.  I am one of those moms who actually gets a happy feeling when I see other children fighting or pitching a fit in public.  I know that sounds bad, but it reassures me that I'm not alone out there.  Other people's children also misbehave.

I do have a quick story from a couple of years ago.  I was in Barnes and Noble with my 3 kids.  JJ was just a baby and Isaac was 4 and Aubry was 6.  I went there to let the kids play with the train track and just chill for a little while before we had to pick up Ben from the airport.  This was also the time when the littlest thing would set Isaac off and we didn't know why.  (For example, I"m pretty laid back and don't get too upset about things, but Isaac all the sudden would just cry and scream for an hour if he would accidentally spill a couple of drops of water - something I really don't care about.)  Anyway all that to say that out of the blue Isaac had one of these screaming and crying episodes and I don't even remember what set him off, but I remember very clearly "the walk" out of Barnes and Noble. 

Let me give you a visual of "the walk" - Picture a mom with an infant in a sling, a 6 year old walking beside her and a 4 year old in the stroller very  upset and screaming.  I remember a couple of moms gave me a sympathetic look of understanding.  But I will never forget the lady who looked at me and shook her head with disgust.  A look that made me feel like I was the worst mom in the world for not being able to control my child.  A look that made me have to fight back those tears that were about ready to flow freely and would have made for an even more comical scene.  I just kept walking past her as her eyes were watching me and my children the whole time.  Inside I was fighting the urge to go tell her what it is like and that she has no right to judge what she doesn't know.  But I just kept walking...

After things settled down and I was able to reflect and even to this day I will reflect on it, I realize it is all about perception and experience.  This lady was simply looking at me as a mom who couldn't control her child and probably thought I needed a lesson on discipline.  She has probably never had the experience of having a child who had difficulty controlling his emotions.  I know that since I have had these experiences with Isaac, when I see other people with a child misbehaving my perception has changed.  I feel like I can relate and understand what it is like to have a child pitch a fit in a public place.  I feel like many times there is way more to their story than I will ever know and it is never my place to judge another person.

New Bike = Bike Crash

I picked up Isaac's bike today that was for his birthday (a little late).  He had a hard time finding the perfect one, but we finally did.  The guy at the store gave him a quick lesson on using hand brakes and changing gears and sent us on our way.  Isaac tried the hand brakes on the sidewalk outside the bike store and pulled them hard and it threw him forward and he hurt himself a little on the thigh, but that didn't stop him.  We got the bike loaded in the car and headed home. 

All the way home he kept asking if I could drop him off at the top of the hill with his bike at his friend's house.  I decided we should go home and try the little hill down to the culd-e-sac first and then he could ride up the hill to his friend.  So we get home and he hops on and we talked about the hand brakes and gears and off he went.  Very Fast down the small hill to the culd-e-sac.  Then he started yelling - "I can't stop"   - I yelled - "Use the brakes."  He didn't slow down at all and swerved to go in between the houses and kept on going down the hill between the houses.  I was running after him (in my flip flops)  and couldn't see him or hear him anymore.  I get to the the hill between the houses and he is no where to be seen.  I yell his name and there was no answer.  I keep yelling and trying to follow the faint line of his tire track which looked like it was headed into the woods and bushes.  I get closer and he responds "Over here Mom!"  I go over expecting to see the brand new bike all tangled up and Isaac all bloody. 

He was fine - just a couple scratches on his leg from the bushes.  And, he had protected the bike - making sure that it fell on him so it wouldn't get any scratches - a true boy! 

Isaac asked if he could go back to riding his old bike - I said "No, it's getting too small for you and you'll do great on this bike."  He got back on the bike and practiced using the hand brakes and then he took off again up to see his friend. 

What I learned from my son :-)
Even when things are hard or you fall and get hurt - just get back up and try again and in Isaac's words - "I'm getting the hang of it!" 

A boy and his scar...

While at the pool yesterday, I noticed Isaac kept putting his arms over his scar from his liver transplant.  He was playing with some older boys that he had never played with before.  I was wishing I could be a little fly and go over and listen and rescue if anyone would happen to say something not nice about the scar.  First, I decided being a fly might not be a good idea since a fly couldn't actually rescue anyone :)  Then I decided as a mom just to watch from a far and let my 7 year old handle it. 

So I watched, and as Isaac and another boy were standing by the side of the pool ready to jump in, Isaac lifted his arms off his scar and the boy said something to him.  Isaac looked down at his scar and the boy leaned over to get a very close look.   Then that was it and they jumped into the pool and Isaac didn't cover it again.  Later (since I was so curious), I asked Isaac what the boy was saying about his scar.  Isaac in a matter of fact way said he was just asking me how I got it.  I said "Well, what did you say?"  and he replied in a way like it was just an everyday thing "From a liver transplant." When he said that I breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

Sometimes it's the moms of the kids with health issues whose lives have been changed and the kids just view it all as normal because that is all they know.

A little background about Money Summer!

I just wanted to let you know how Money Summer came about.  My middle child, Isaac, struggles with anger and behavior issues.  While at the developmental pediatrician, I was asking for ideas for helping him learn how to manage his anger and frustration.  The doctor asked what things he played with at home.  I replied that he loved to play outside.  She then asked if he liked to play video games or watch tv.  Isaac and my oldest Aubry have never been very interested in tv and video games.  We have both at home, but they will only do either for about 30 minutes a day at the max.  The doctor said we definitely do not want to take away outside play time, so then she asked if he liked money.  Isaac loves money and counting money - so I replied "Yes, he loves money."  She said if it is feasable financially to give him 4 quarters every day.   If he has an anger or frustration outburst to have him give you a quarter.  I thought this was a great idea. 

So, the first day of summer I implemented what I call Money Summer! I got each kid a cute little can from the dollar spot at Target (btw - I love that place)!  Wrote their names on the front with black marker because that was all I could find at the house.  (Art supplies tend to disappear at my house.)  Every day I put in 4 quarters in each bucket and when they get enough they can trade it in for dollar bills or even bigger bills as the summer goes on.  Whatever JJ (the 3 year old) makes, I will put in his bank account since he is too young for this, but I thought it was a good way to save for him. 

So far Aubry and Isaac have lost a few quarters for being sassy, being mean to each other. not listening right away, and not keeping control of anger.  The most they have lost in 1 day is 2 quarters and they each even had a couple days where they lost none - YAY!!  Although, I'm sure my patience level of each day has something to do with this.