Life in Our House

Life with three young kids keeps life moving quite a bit. Some days are a bit frustrating, but some days are quite amusing also. Tuesday was a day that brought a few laughs my way. At one point, the kids emerged from our playroom downstairs all dressed up, "all fancy". Poor Xander. I really need to invest in some additional boy dress up outfits. He has some cool fireman hats and a cowboy hat, but he is really no match against his sister's princess clothes.

However, he is still all boy. As we were getting ready for bed, I went in to help him pick up his cars. This is what I found.

He had lined them all up, creating a parking lot (as Craig called it). He was so proud of what he had done. He was very sad to have to pick up his cars, but I told him that he could line them all up the next day and he was okay with that.

Craig's Surprise

Late last week, Craig turned to me and said, "Do you think we could find a sitter for Saturday afternoon?" He wouldn't tell me anymore and I tried not to ask too many questions. We decided to have his parents come up to watch the kids (yeah, we really had to talk them into that) and tie in my birthday dinner with them with their visit. Saturday morning came and I was getting very excited about my surprise. As I was getting ready, Craig told me that jeans would be fine, but I would probably want tennis shoes instead of flip-flops or tevas. I was very curious because it sounded like we'd be moving a bit, but we would be inside. On the way, Craig mentioned that we were going to the public library. I was completely confused - were we going on a tour of the library? What was he planning?



We arrived and found our way to the right room and the mystery was revealed. He had planned for us to take a Latin dance class!!! It was so much fun ~ and free!!! Unfortunately, there were a few more females than males, so the leader wanted the guys to switch off, but we figured that it was our date day, so we chose against switching. We had a blast. We were taught the Salsa and the Bachata. We spent a lot of the time laughing and trying to remember the steps. Since then, we've been able to find a couple of Latin stations at home and have even been able to practice. We are already looking forward to this week's class - the ChaCha and Swing. Anyone want to join us?

Trinity's Slumber Party

On Friday, Trinity headed off to her first slumber party. It hasn't been that I've kept her out of slumber parties, the opportunity just hadn't come up. She has spent the night at her grandparents' homes, but this was the first time at a friend's house. She was really looking forward to her night at Kara's house.

Kalyn was just a bit sad that she could not be a part of the party. We've been trying to teach our children that we are not here to make sure that everything is equal for them. But we did take Xander and Kalyn out to dinner to the grand place of Burger King to let them have fun on the playarea. They had a great time climbing and sliding together. Poor Xander is just not quite tall enough to do all the climbing though. It doesn't slow him down too much though.

The next morning, we got a call at 8 AM from Kara's mom. Trinity was complaining of a stomachache and an earache. Knowing that sometimes Trinity has a flair for the dramatic, I decided not to stress too much, but just simply go pick her up. We got her in the car and I could tell she just wasn't herself. I began asking her about the party, partly to take her mind off of her pain. She told me that they had eaten pizza, birthday cake and popcorn. I asked her a little bit more about the party and then she looked at me through the rear-view mirror and said, "Mom, I just don't want to talk." I knew that she was really sick then.

We arrived home and put her to sleep. She slept for about three hours and was feeling fine by the end of the day. I think it was just a combo of late night goodies and simply a late night. Nothing major. I believe that she still had a great time and has already asked if she can have a slumber party for her birthday (in February).

Randomness

My children love to talk. They also love to argue, but that's a different story. Most of the time, their conversations are just between the two or three of them. However, in the car, everything is heard.

We were driving to a friend's house just as the sun was going down. Kalyn was looking out the window and said, "It looks like heaven is in that cloud." What a precious thought!! I was so glad she shared.

Party Day

Saturday the 11th began our weekend of parties. The morning was filled with all that last minute cleaning and errand running for our party that night. It was a lot of hard work, but it was so very worth it!!! I love the look of my clean house - it doesn't happen very often, but I love it when it does.

That afternoon, the parties kicked off with a Sunday school outreach gathering at a nearby park. It was targeted for the for families whose kids came to our VBS. Unfortunately, there wasn't a big turnout of visitors, but we had a great time hanging out with our friends. The kids had a blast running around the park and playing on the huge playground.

Xander and Gavin have at each other

Yes, Kalyn found the cupcakes

That night was the big festivities - my birthday party! We decided to do an adult-only party which worked out really well. We grilled out burgers and hot dogs and asked everyone to bring a side item. We scheduled it late enough for the weather to be cool enough to eat outside (on the new gravel) without everyone sweltering. I loved the chance to catch up with all my friends and simply chat with everyone. We all had tons of laughs throughout the night.

The highlight of the night had to be the big surprise following the "Happy Birthday" song. Craig brought out my cupcake and candles and lead everyone in the song. At just the perfect timing - right after I blew out the candles, fireworks went off just over the roof. Craig had scheduled it perfectly with Steve in the front!! It was such a great touch.

It was a truly amazing night!!!

Birthday!!

Friday, the 10th, was my 35th birthday. Even a week later, I'm still not too sure how I feel about 35. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to feel about 35. I've never really been too impacted by my age. I simply do what I want, no matter my age. I had thought I wanted to go sky diving for my 35th, but maybe that will have to wait a year. (I still want to do it sometime.) I had told Craig that I wanted a party. After reading my blogs, you should know how special my friends are to me and how much I truly treasure the time I have with them. That was our big plan for our weekend. However, Trinity asked me what we were doing for my actual birthday. So, we had an awesome family birthday day.

It began with Craig bringing me breakfast in bed right after I finished my devotion time. He also had the girls singing with him as he brought it in. Trinity had made a card for me. Kalyn wished me a happy birthday and then slyly began looking around the room from something to give me as a gift. It was very cute to watch her eyes travel across my dresser and find a pretty trinket and give it to me. When Xander woke up (more appropriately as Craig woke Xander up), he walked in, still rubbing his eyes and mumbled out "happy birfday mommy." Too cute!!

We met a few of my MOPS friends at the mall playground for a fun and relaxing playdate. Trinity was actually very concerned that she was too tall for the playarea, but I told her that as long as she wasn't too wild or it wasn't too crowded, she would be okay. The kids had a blast running around with their friends and with each other.

Then, we travelled to Chick-Fil-A for lunch. It was not just a normal day for Chick-Fil-A. It was cow appreciation day. Now, I must pause and I say I wasn't sure how I felt about Cow Appreciation Day and my birthday coinciding, but I dealt with it. Here's the bottom line - if you dressed up like a cow, you got a free meal. One thing about my family, we are always looking for deals, so we were on this one like . . . . well, spots on a cow. The kids had decorated their cow shirts that morning, we had ears, tails and our "Eat More Chikin" signs. And for our efforts, we got five free meals. (Craig met up with us.) Now, remember, we are cheap when it comes to eating out. We bring drinks for our kids and most of the time, we simply buy one adult meal and split it up among the kids. So, when I handed Trinity her own bag, she looked at me with wide eyes and said, "Is this all for me?"

Creating the cow costumes

That afternoon, we headed to the gym for a workout and a swim. Nothing like running a treadmill 5K to celebrate the downturn to 40 (ugh). A great time was had at Lifetime!! Since we got such a deal for lunch, we decided to do the same for dinner (different Chick-Fil-A). Another set of free meals. Plus, we took the kids' toys and turned them in for free kids' ice cream. We are all about the free!!!

Cow Family

What a wonderful birthday with my family!! I couldn't wait to celebrate with friends!!

The Return of the Children

Sunday, after church, we headed to Craig's parents' house to pick up the kids. It had been fun without them, but I was glad to have them home. Kalyn ran right up to me to give me a huge hug as soon as we saw her. Xander on the other hand, ran right by me to get to Daddy. We spent the afternoon with his family which included lots of yummy food and lots of fun in their pool. Craig's aunt Rita was in town, so we got to catch up with her a bit during her visit.

Relaxing on the back porch
The kids looking cute in their matching 4th of July shirts

The week after we returned home with the kids was a fairly quiet week. We spent many hours reminding the kids that they were not at Gendy's and Papa's and that they did actually have to do what we asked them to do. It wasn't too bad, but there was some readjustment that needed to take place.

During the week, we tried to get back into a routine, but it didn't work well. However, we did get to have a fun family night with sprinklers. Since Georgia has been in a major drought the past few years, our kids have not had the fun running through sprinklers as I had as a child. So, we finally had the opportunity to get the hoses out and run around in the backyard. Xander and Kalyn had a blast from the get-go. Trinity was a bit more hesitant. However, eventually, they were all having a blast.

Flower Power

We spent most of the week preparing for our upcoming party on Friday night. We cleaned out the backyard and added lots of gravel to our backyard for a wonderful mingling space. It was a lot of work, but very well worth it!! Who needs the gym when you've got pea gravel to shovel out of a trailer? More about the party later.

Before:

And after:

Being married to a landscaper does have privileges!!!

Happy 4th of July

The fourth of July was our final full day with the kids at the grandparents. We had almost nothing planned and it was wonderful. We ended up going to the gym that morning and then both of us getting haircuts. That afternoon, we joined a few friends for a relaxing cookout. We had some delicious burgers and some great fellowship. Plus, the fact that we got to simply chat without having to keep track of where the kids were was a small bonus. Thanks Steve and Erica for opening up your house!!

Steve and Craig making homemade ice cream - YUMM!!

After the food, we headed back home and tried something new for the fourth. Our city does a community fireworks show at the high school about 2 miles from our house. This year, we decided to actually walk up close to the display and watch it. We found a huge spot on land that had less than 30 people on it. We set up our chairs and asked one of the other families if we were in a good spot. They said that we were in a great spot. We simply sat there, waiting for the sunlight to completely disappear and the show to begin. We could hear the music from the main festivities at the high school. It was yet another chance to simply sit and enjoy each other's company.

Then the fireworks began!!! And we quickly discovered that all the explosions were happening right behind the one big tree in front of us. So, as smoothly as we could, we picked up most of our stuff and moved over where we had a better spot. From then on, it was great.



However, my photographer mind was creating a picture that I had to try and figure out how to do. Luckily, the picture in my mind matched what came out -


We hope that each of you had a great day celebrating the freedom we have. Yes, there are things that happen I don't like, but I am so thankful that I am free to have my opinions. I am thankful that I can worship freely and openly without fear of who may report me for praising God. I am thankful that I can be a part of people that try to change our government. I am so thankful for my freedom!!

Kid Free: Part 2

Thursday, we spent the afternoon at Stone Mountain. We think the kids will like it one day, but we just weren't sure what all was offered there. So, we used it as a little bit of a scouting trip, too. We walked up the mountain and enjoyed Sky Hike - both of which we couldn't have done with the kids. Sky Hike is a great ropes course, but Trinity would not be too thrilled about it and Kalyn's below the height requirements. We took in as much as we could, including a half-round of golf (which I won quite decidedly) and then sat down for dinner and the famous Laser Spectacular. It was a great display of light work and fireworks! We even got to simply relax and wait for the crowd to leave before we got up to head home.

on the way up the mountain

what an amazing view - the walk up the side of the mountain was worth it

putt-putt in front of the train (we would NOT recommend the train ride)

ready for Sky Hike
(unfortunately we couldn't take any pictures while we were actually Sky Hiking - something about they don't want anyone to drop their camera on someone's head down below)

dinner, mountain and your love, what more could you ask for?

loved the laser show

Friday was a slightly more relaxing day. Craig had some small work jobs to do, so I went with him. That afternoon, we hit one of the outlet malls in a hunt to find me some new sandals and shorts. (My beloved Teva sandals broke last week - after many years of wear and great use. I needed replacement ones.) Unfortunately, I have come to realize that "outlet" does not mean "discount". It now simply means "gathering of stores". One hour drive up there, two hours walking around, one hour back - no luck. That night, we headed over to our local mall area for a quick round of shopping. I thought I had found a deal on my replacement Tevas - I would order them online (after finding they were out of stock at the local store) for only $30. As we were heading to dinner, Craig suggested one other store. Well, we hit the jackpot, not only were they on sale for $24, but they were last year's model, which meant an additional 25% off - for a deal of $18!!!! I was pretty excited. As an added bonus, I found two new pair of shorts, which I love for less the $25 together!!! All those bargains, only 15 minutes from our house.

Our other bargain of the week was our $10 movie rental - as many rentals as we want for one week for only $10. Not a bad deal considering one rental is $5.30. In a week's time (with another day still to go), we've seen Don't Mess With The Zohan, Knowing, Pink Panther 2, Taken, Wanted, Eagle Eye and Valkyre. All have been good. It's been good to simply come home and watch a movie without having to flip through channels and discuss what we want to watch.

Kid Free = Fancy Free (without the Fancy-ness): Part 1

Over the past few summers, Craig's parents have offered to take the kids for a few days during their vacation. This was the first year that all three have gone. Craig and I were very excited about having Wednesday night through Sunday afternoon all to ourselves. We had a blast trying to decide what we would do during our kid free vacation.

Wednesday night (after I met Craig's parents for lunch for the switchoff), we took in a Braves game. It was 2-for-1 Wednesday, so we got two tickets in the outfield bottom section for only $22. On the way down, we met two families - the first was a couple who was visiting from Holland. Leah and Tony were about to move into the area and had just made an offer in the city right next to ours. We chatted the whole Marta ride down to the stadium about their move back to the US, our kids and we even invited them to church. One the bus from the Marta station to the ballpark, we met a family on their vacation. They had three little boys with them and I told them I admired their "gumption" to bring three kids down to the game! We had great conversations with both of them.

After all that chatting (and travelling), we finally got to the field. We got there early enough to watch batting practice, enjoy a yummy bbq dinner and walk around Turner Field. For each game we've gone to, we've tried to make it early enough to watch BP, but this is the first time we've actually made it!

batting practice - what a beautiful afternoon

aren't we cute?

Chipper up to bat, Prado at second - ready to score the first run of the game

We had really good seats. Thanks to our binoculars, we could see everything very well and we weren't in the sun. The tickets we had tried to get (before they ran out) were in the direct sunset line for about half the game. Mental note - in Turner field, choose the 3rd base line seats. The game was great - a huge braves win 11-1 over the Phillies!!!! As we were boarding the buses to take us back to the Marta station, we found ourselves right behind our Marta buddies, Leah and Tony!!

A great kickoff to our time alone.

Birthday Bowling

Following a wild and crazy week of VBS, we got to enjoy a birthday celebration of bowling. The party was for a friend of Trinity's - Davis. The girls and I headed up to Cumming for the party while Craig and Xander stayed home - it was Xander's nap time, but I think Craig took advantage of the quiet house for a nap of his own.

This was the first time the girls had been bowling and it was quiet entertaining. First of all, it took all of their strength to get the ball from the top of the alley to the pins. More than once did Kalyn's ball stop halfway down - in fact once, it began rolling (ever so slowly) back up to her. To try and give her some more power, I had her sit down and try and simply push it down the alley. It worked a little better. About midway through the first game, Kalyn became more interested in the music playing over the speakers than the actual game (not totally out of character). She was having her own party dancing to the music. I told Trinity to help Kalyn when it came her turn. It was great to see them actually working together. Trinity was very much into it. She even managed to get a couple of spares!! Way to go, girl!!

Part of our parting party bag included a game card for the arcade. The girls went in and made the big splurge together to ride the motion-simulation roller coaster. It was so funny to watch them enjoy themselves so much!!!

It was an fun afternoon! Thanks Davis for giving us a reason to celebrate!!!! Maybe we'll try and get in another game of bowling with the whole family this summer.