Mother's Day Weekend

So for Mother's Day Brunch, Brenda, Bret, Lily, and I started early on Friday. We made party hats out of wrapping paper, tape, and tissue paper flowers.



"Victoria" sat at the table with us this year for her first Mother's Day. She was my present to myself from the Art Walk the night before.



We made tissue paper flowers, stick animals/monsters, planted flowers in planters, made lots of finger sandwiches, fruit plates, tortilla wraps, punch for our wine glasses, and set the table up fit for a queen (or at least a mother.)



We hung up our Cinco De Mayo flags for added color and decoration. We celebrated by designing mini "prayer flag-esque" flags with our own personal symbols to share with eachoter. We played games, shared time, laughed and really made a great time of it.



Little Callie and Brittany. She has surpassed the 8 lb mark now. Thankfully the doctors say she is out of the hot water now. They will start treating her as a normal baby. AND she is as heavy as my smallest baby I ever birthed. Haha. We are glad she is doing so well. She even cracks a smile and laughs every now and then. Not bad for being three months old, after 10 weeks premature.

Our Late Night Out with the Girls

I took the girls out to the Art Walk at Essex studios. They feature 20, 30 or more artists that have studios in the building and their artwork. We had a real great time looking at all the different kinds of art. There was food and candy and wine at every studio, and lots of great art work to be seen and had. We were REAL fond of this artist...
www.juliryansart.com

The building also features a Sign Museum. There are tons of signs from all over the states and as old as the 1800's. Big Boy is there. Arby's. And so much crazy signs and history, we had fun just figuring out where it all came from. They do tours, for anyone interested in seeing the great sights.

Plus I bought something for myself for mother's day. And when we came home (at almost midnight) Brenda tattled on me. That little weasle! lol.

When I Came Back Downstairs

After Brenda and I made her hat, I came downstairs to the smell of burning wood. Bret had started a fire for us!! And just in time too, because I had just bought some big marshmallows. So we hung out together around the fire pit to end our Mother's Day together. It was real nice. Me and my wine, them and their marshmallows. :-)

A Little bit of Imagination and Viola...

This year, when we sold Cookies at the Cookie booths, we handed out coupons for milk. The coupons had a picture of a milk gallon with a green sash and a green beret on top. Brenda has been jonsing for that beret ever since. We went to the Girl Scout store only to find out they don't sell those hats and that hat was made just for the picture. It has been years since Junior's had berets.

I had Gaige drive me to the store today so I could buy the fleece. Then I found a pattern online, cut the fabric and showed Brenda how to sew it up. This is easy enough for any of our Girl Scouts to make if they want one too. And I figure they will all want one too. There is probably a badge in this somewhere...

Time to Paint Again!!! YAY!

Mother's Day gifts at Home Depot Kids Workshop. They had a special class today for Mother's Day gifts. Of course we were there with friends! And I have Wheel Barrel flower holders to paint now. YAY FOR ME!!

Next month, mini foosball game. Then a periscope is July. I love Home Depot. Support businesses that support children!

Ready for the big day

So I am sewing all the vests, sashes, new patches, badges, etc. Getting the girls all ready for the bridging ceremony in a week and a half. Why don't the parents sew on their own girl scouts badges? Yea, well I tried that last year. The girls came to meetings with their badges stapled on, in all kinds of random forms, all out of order, and mostly their sashes didn't even show up with them.

So this year I changed the plan. I sew all patches and badges. I collect all sashes and vests. This way whenever I want them to be wearing their garb, I have it all ready for them, neatly sewn and ironed.

Maybe I am anal retentive. A little bit. I suppose I am living vicariously through my children. Reliving the Girl Scout experiences I never had. haha.

Bret is giddy with excitement about bridging. Just a few more days available for sewing. And I am almost done. Then summer camp, and I get a break. (Yes, after Troop Adventure Camp, the girls are off to camp for the first time WITHOUT ME!!) What will Lily and I do... Hmm.

Claymaking at Home

Bret and Brenda made animals, Lily made a igloo, and I made beads. We should be painting them soon.

Lily Posing...

In her dandilion garden.

Catalpa Worms

Brenda has been a badge working maniac lately. She has earned four badges on her own at home in one week. One was wildlife. She had to watch different forms of wildlife and notice what they do, what makes them... them. She and her friend came to me to tell me the catalpa worms were up in the tree in a spider web and they were taking them out of it. It took me a few minutes to realize the "spider web" was their nest. They had to put the worms back, and were reminded the difference between "watching" and "disturbing". Marley cried because she wanted one for a pet.

Atari??

The girls found an old Atari joystick. I don't know how we ever functioned with that thing when we were little. They had so much fun trying to control the joystick, playing all our old games.

We marveled over the stick figures, the basic designs. And how far we have come to now where the video game people look like people, rockets look like rockets, and guns shoot and destroy. The sound effects (or lack thereof) made us all laugh.

Added Bonus to the Water Quality Study...

As part of the water study program, the Mill Creek Restoration Project hosts a day at the zoo for the students who participated in the study. The date in next Monday, May 10th at 9 AM.

Admission for the students is free. Adults (if you don't have a membership) need to pay to attend ($10). They give the participants lunch (pizza from Larosa's) and t-shirts and have activities for them to do at the zoo.

What Great news!!

Results From Our Water Quality Study Last week

(Editor's Note: This same Water Quality Study was done this fall in a different part of the same stream by the same group of homeschoolers. The water quality was not as good as here. No macroInvertabrates were even found.)

"Below are the results I sent in. From my intrepretation of the results, this stream is in excellent condition, I will let you know if I hear differently."

Date: Wednesday April 28, 2010
Time: 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM
Air Temperature: 63 degrees
Weather: Sunny no clouds

Fecal coliform:
We only have purple colonies (there can be purple, green and blue)
We have 19 purple colonies which indicates excellent

All of the quick coliform tests (from the younger kids kit) turned mt dew color/foamy yellow-green.

MacroInvertabrate Study:
Group A:
Water Penny Larva (a)--found 3
other snails (a)--found 1
Group B:
damselfly nymphs (a)--found 3
dragonfly nymphs (b)--found 11
sowbugs (a)--found 3
Group C:
aquatic worms (a)--found 2
The kids also found a frog and 2 salamanders which I know aren't on the sheet, but I know they are an indicator of water health. We also found tons of snail and salamander eggs.

Water Temperature:
Temperature (group 1): 12-12=0
Temperature (group 2): 14-12=2
Temperature (group 3): 10-10=0
Official average temperature change: less than 1 = excellent

Biochemical Dissolved Oxygen:
Three groups had a result of 0
Two groups had a result of 2
Overall BOD: less than 2 = excellent

PH:
Three groups had a result of 7
Two groups had a result of 8
Overall average is 7.4 = excellent

Total Phosphate:
All 5 groups got a result of 2 = good.... we had a hard time interpretting this result as it looked more yellow than pink....we went with 2, since it wasn't clear.

Turbidity:
All 5 groups got a result of 0 = excellent

Nitrates:
3 groups have 0
2 groups have 2.5
Average would be 1.0 =excellent

Brenda the Photographer

Temps

Kinda OT for my homeschooling blog but...

Yes that is Gaige behind the wheel, learning how to drive. Wheeeee! Who knew I was getting THAT old?

Home Depot Kids Workshop

Here is Brenda and her friend working together to make a fence flower pot, Home Depot's Kids Workshop project for May.



When we got home Brenda and Bret were off to Swim Team. Lily and I came home to paint our projects. Bret gave hers to me to paint so Lily and I painted together.

FYI - next weekend (mother's day weekend) Saturday is another Home Depot Kids Workshop for Mother's Day. It is sure to be a great one.

The Camel

"Look Mom, I'm a camel!"

campers ahead

Parents met to fill out registration forms and order t-shirts. Lisa went over camp protocol with them while I took the girls to plan for their camping experience. we started with a team building activity. then it was time to pick activities. candle making, egg drop, water color painting, orienteering, cookout, creeking, hiking, archery. We will earn 3 badges, maybe play some sand volleyball.

The sleepout was all or nothing. Either everyone voted yes, or we wouldn't sleep under the stars. So it is a no go.

Water games replaces a free swim so the water games got voted down too.

Thank goodness for coleaders who can stay up late and wait for the girls to fall asleep. That is not my department.

It is just weeks away now.

Fun times together

Lily spending quality time with her niece. Aren't they a couple peaches?



Brenda and Lily having a moment of not-killing-eachother. That is nice, isn't it? We visited the caves, the ice age, two museums of fun together. It can get a little overwhelming trying to give everyone what they "need".



Big Bret taking a moment to rest up from all the fun.



I dressed Lily up in the atire from the India area of the museum. Bret and the girls were at the Omnimax movie while we hung out together and spent some much needed quality time together.



One of the activities for the day... origami. Bret made a tapeless wallet, and Brenda made a... box I think. We also got to make cherry blossom trees. We have done that before but no one remembered but ME. Weird.

It was nice for Bret and me to take the girls out to the day and let them spread their wings. Exhausting but nice.

Bowling With the Troop

What does it say for me if I cannot bowl 100 while using the 3rd graders' bowling alley bumpers? I think it just says that I am out of practice... or something.

So two hours of bowling, pizza, soda, cupcakes, and tons of fun. That is what those little girls were made of.

It seems like every day now...

It seems like we are at the tennis courts every day. Either I am there with Bret, or the girls ask me to take them, sometimes they bring friends. Sometimes friends show up. The girls have decided they don't want to take friends anymore because it cuts into their tennis time when they have to entertain other's needs. Interesting observation.



When they need a break from the tennis courts, they head to the park across the way. So there is something for us all to do all the time.

COSI overnight

We stopped for McDonald's on the way, because it was cheaper AND more food than the $8.00 meal COSI offered. We arrived on time and the fun began.
We played with slimy snot
Examined our yucky bodies in the Grossology exhibit,
Conquered space,
Rode the tight rope unicycle,
Played with Gadgets,
Learned about Progress,
Saw an IMAX about Jane Goodall's Chimps,
Learned about the weather,
Explored our inner psyche,
Had a one hour dance party,
and so much more.

Back home, cranky, ready to go on with life...

The Most Amazing Brownies at Dairy Queen

Awww. Most of my Brownies will be bridging to Juniors in a few weeks. I have a new leader that would be interested in joining our troop to lead the Brownies that don't bridge over so we can stay together. That is good news.

My Adult Helper, because I am the ONLY leader of the troop for now. Well I AM thankful to have an Adult Helper in my troop. Her daughter was snack leader today. She called me up to see if it would be ok to take the girls to Dairy Queen for snack. We decided to bring the whole meeting to Dairy Queen. We earned our badge while sipping on slushies and blizzards. Bret says it is tied between this Dairy Queen meeting and the puppet meeting for the best of the year. But what fun the girls had. I LOVE Girl Scouts. I wish I was a Girl Scout with a cool leader when I was little!!!!! (Yes I am living vicariously through my kids. But so far they don't seem to mind.)

Wild Women Unite Again...

So when I head to the studio, each time, this is my favorite thing to see... it is the amazing genie. I know, right? Totally inspiring.



Jenny made the face. Jessie, her daughter, made the fairy.



Kim's gorgeous flower, and Charlene's dancing girl inspired by her spirit doll she made at my and Donna's December Circle.



The piece with the om sign on it is Betsy's of course. Total DUH to that one. Mrs. World Peace Yoga Guru!!!! Donna, the mother I wish I was and aspire to be, hers is the green one with the heart shape with streamers. Mine is the flower happily enduring the wind. Those are butterflies flying up into the sky. That flower looks just like me doesn't it?? It does. So there!! I am a painting genius! hahaha. Well it was fun!


The drum will sit on top. The border around the bottoms will be a drum too of course. It IS circle. And the moons will be differnt phases when completed. But what a work of art already!

Six red TOES... what a sweety!

Can you see that sixth toe attached to her pinkie toe? Not a great picture for the view. But what a sweety with her red painted toenails. That is what happens to kids with teen parents. LOL.

The Sculpture and Marley

So I have had this "scupture" since I was a teenager. I think it belonged to my sister once. A few years back, when we were only married for a couple years, Bret had it fixed for me because it had a crack in it. It used to hang on the wall but it is too heavy now. It just sits on my dresser here. So I finally got to cleaning off the mess of papers and toys and such on my dresser and there it sat all prim and proper. Marley saw it. She looked at it for a minute then said, "Um Mom, where am I??" lol. So when I put it on the bed to dust the dresser she lay down next to it and put her arm around the sculpture. "Look Mom, I am with you and Daddy now!"

My ad for a Healthier and Happier YOU...

(Bret and I after a tennis match together.)

Ladies (and men too), you might say how can afford the time/money/energy whatever to spare for exercising on a regualar basis. I am so busy working/raising kids/taking care of the house/blah blah blah. I submit to you, how can you afford NOT to?

"One of the most overlooked things that people can do to make themselves happier is to exercise regularly. Vigorous regular exercise is a pretty good anti-depressant, and it just helps you feel better about yourself and your life overall. When you exercise regularly, you tone your body and metabolism, regulates stress hormones like cortisol, and promotes the release of endorphins (morphine-like substances that your body naturally releases when you exercise)."
http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=28510&cn=288

I wanted to take a moment to recite 10 real great benefits of strength training, and exercising in general...
1) Increased Metabolic Rate- adding muscle increases our metabolism naturally.

2) Increasing and Restoring Bone Density- prevent and fight osteoporosis by building strong bones.

3) Increased Lean Muscle Mass- each pound of lean muscle mass burns 35-50 calories per day.

4) Injury Prevention- a solid foundation strengthens our bones, ligaments, and tendons.

5) Improved Balance- strong leg and core muscles help stabilize us.

6) Decreased Risk of Coronary Disease- strength training can reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

7) Aids Rehabilitation and Recovery- the best way to strengthen and recover from an injury is to slowly build your strength around the injured area.

8) Enhanced Performance in Sports, Exercise and Life In General- climbing stairs, carrying the kids, or walking with your spouse becomes more enjoyable.

9) Aging Gracefully- strong muscles build a strong body. Strength training and fitness can help keep aging bodies in well-working condition.

10) Feeling Better and Looking Better- strength training reduces overall body fat, it tones our muscles and it builds confidence.

Take a moment or two from your day and exercise. I go with a friend to the gym 3 times a week. It is a great time for us to catch up on our lives, and cause eachother a little pain and sweat at the same time.

Aren't we just the coolest cats ever? Or something like that...

This is my piece of the puzzle from Circle. It is a work in progress obviously. But what better time than a bunch of good friends getting together with paint and wood? Really? Well we do more than that. But let's not talk about the potions and spells. (haha. Just kidding, Deborah. :-)



Here is the art "puzzle". None of it is finished yet. We are so magnificant that it takes time for this kind of genius. lol. Brenda, Bret, and Lily are always jealous when I leave for circle since they got to attend the one in December at my house. December will come again soon enough. Well not soon enough for them, maybe.