Look Ma! No Training Wheels!

And She's Off. 

We didn't exactly make it down the street with perfect balance, but HEY, we made it!

 I gave her some valuable advice beforehand...

...Passed down from my mother when she was teaching me how to ride a bike without training wheels.  

And this is how it goes, "Alexa, you are going to fall.  But when you fall, you have to get back on the horse, and try, try, try again."

So, I began with Jacee-Kay, "Jacee-Kay, you are going to fall, and-" 

I was interupted by Jacee-Kay looking at me in horror.

I continued on with the saying as I remembered. 

I think she truly appreciated the truth, but maybe my mom had the right idea by just pushing me down a hill and seeing how I would do. (yes, I fell miserably into a patch of rocks and gravel). But, I learned where I went wrong.

  Anyway, I could NEVER do that to my Jacee-Kay.  She did great, although we didn't go very far, however we DID practice falling.  

And that's an important skill too.

Guess what, she got back on the horse every time.

 

Proud Mommy I am!

Jacee-Kay Graduation Video. (My Favorite)

How Great is this! My child the performer! Gotta love a rock n roll type of Graduation.  

Jacee-Kay is the one on your far left.

Tye Dye.

So, occasionally I will ask friends/acquaintances, ok pretty much anyone I know for their favorite past time activities they do with their kiddos.  I love to hear what other people do from project to project to tradition to just their family "THING".

My favorite kind of people to ask though, strangely enough, are not even parents yet. They are college students.  I love to hear what kind of things they remembered when they were kids.  So, I'll ask, what did you do for this holiday, this special time, were there any projects that just stand out to you more than others, and you'd be surprised at the kind of random things they remember doing as a child with their parents.

How wonderful to have these memories as a new adult-starting to find your own way through life.

So, these sweet college aged students are my favorite people to ask when I'm planning projects for the weekend with my girls. Luckily, I happen to have two great student workers at the office right now.  They have great ideas. They are better than googling anything.  Hands down their amazing ideas are so simple, and work everytime.

And maybe my girls will grow up and remember "this one time, my mom and I, we......".

Tye Dye Project:

sharpee markers
t shirt/socks/whatever you want to tye dye!
rubbing alcohol
spray bottle/cotton balls/q tips
cups
rubber bands
Total Spent on project: est. $20.00

For my two year old I let her use q tips dipped in rubbing alcohol, for my six year old, I allowed her to use a spray bottle. This is seriously one of the easiest projects I've ever done.  And surprisingly, NOT MESSY.  I did wash the shirts the day after they wore them, alone by themselves in the washer with regular detergent, and they did not wash out.  They did fade a little bit, but I thought it looked even better with a touch of fade.

Here are our pictures =)

And Yet, Another Camp Creek Adventure...

I think the pictures speak for themselves.  

We had a great time. 

Complete with Grammy's roasted corn.

OOO, and I tried sour kraut for the very first time. 

I liked it. =)

Maybe your taste buds do mature every seven to ten years after all.

We loved spending time with all of our sweet family for Memorial Day weekend.  

How much fun to slip and slide, swim in the lake/pool/boat ride and even attempt to catch fish!

Of course naps were thrown in sporadically, which is always my favorite. 

(the nap part, and the sporadically part)

Check out the rest of the pics at: 

https://plus.google.com/photos/107043582514143758715/albums/5749470006385389201?authkey=CKaU7Mex0vDCgwE

25 Things I will miss as your mommy when you grow up

I completely stole this idea from someone else. 

It got me to thinking how there are so many things I will miss when my kids are no longer ‘little’.

Maybe something to do with the fact that my oldest ‘little’ graduated from Kindergarten yesterday. 

I kinda feel like time went by just a peanut size too quickly, but more importantly I feel that the time was definitely cherished. 

I sometimes don’t cherish all the day in day out duties that I have, but I really cherish special moments I have with each of my sweet children.

I have loved every second of being “Jacee-Kay’s and Blakelynne’s mommy”. 

My cup runneth over.

25 Things I will Miss 

As your mommy when you guys are no longer considered ‘little’:

1)         I will miss picking out your school clothes each night before school-complete with coordinating bows/socks/bracelets/tights.  I love doing this for you, and one day you will not want me to do this anymore. But I sure do love it now.

2)         I will miss hearing the tip toe of your little feet making their escape from your own bed to mommy and daddy’s bed.  I sometimes get a little agitated when I haven’t had sleep for a few days (because of the excessive bedtime trips) However, I will really miss it when you both do not want to make a plan and run across the house in the dark just to cuddle with me.  I love snuggling with you guys so much.

3)         I will miss chocolate chip pancake family morning breakfasts. Not that we can’t always have this Saturday/Sunday morning tradition, but I will really miss this weekly tradition when you are all grown up. 

4)         I will miss driving you both to school every day when you are old enough to drive yourself.  Sure, I could let you take the bus ride to school each morning, but isn’t it AWESOME and nice to get the mommy time?! One day you will probably not think so, so for now I will enjoy EVERY SECOND of our car rides together. I plan on making this one stretch as long as I can.

5)         I will miss doing your hair every morning. Yes-You both fight me. You both have tried to bite me at points. You two have struggled with more tangles and rat nests that lay in curly hair more than any other little curly headed kid. EVER.  But I will really miss being able to brush your hair everyday and hug you when I’m finished.         

I will even miss the tears associated when you see the hair brush coming for your head! Why I will miss this so much, I am not so sure.  (You both know I’m a little crazy ;)

6)         I will miss the Questions: How, What, Where, When, and Why?

            Where do babies come from?

            Why aren’t there dinosaurs anymore and will one come to the playground today?

            How old are you?

            What are you wearing with those pants?           

            When are we leaving?

           

            You know how to ask me the hardest questions.  And usually have impeccable timing when asking them.

7)         I will miss bath time is splashy time. And how you take a bath together and play and play and play.  One day you will want your own bath time, and I will miss our fun times playing Barbie hot tub together.

8)         I will miss baby massages with baby lotion.  This one I’m already starting to miss.

9)         I will terribly miss rocking you to sleep.

10)       I will miss having such an easy daughter (Jacee-Kay) to cook for, asking ever so politely for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich everyday. Shaped like a heart. With the “Crustard” cut off please.  I have never known someone to eat more pb&j than you.

11)       I will miss you- Blakelynne- drop whatever you are doing when I pick you up at school, run over to me with arms spread out wide with big puckered lips lunging right for my face.  You probably give me  100 kisses before we even make it to the car.  I will really miss when you don’t do that anymore when I pick you up from school.  Please don’t stop doing that!

12)       I will miss our family trips to the park.  Jacee- you on training wheels trying to stop with your shoe and Blakelynne- you trying to walk the dog while you stroll in the stroller, along the way picking up every flower.  I’m panting because sometimes I have to push the stroller, bicycle, balance Blakey on my hip and yell at Jacee-Kay constantly to watch out for cars.  These trips are not always the most pleasant, but we did make it to the park didn’t we? ;)

13)       Night time reading. I love to read to you both.  I love how you both like to sit in my lap when it’s your turn to read the book you picked out.  Jacee-Kay, you already are reading on your own, and don’t let me read to you that much anymore.  I am already missing this one a lot too.

14)       How you both sing LaLaLu to your baby dolls.  It’s the song I sing to you both every night when I put you down to sleep (in your own bed that you never stay in).  When I hear you sing it to your dolls, it makes my heart smile.  Sometimes I skip a verse if you are falling asleep, but you are so golden and tender hearted that you never skip a verse to your dolls.  I love you for that.  And I will miss it when you do not want me to sing to you at night night time.

15)       I will miss saying “night night time”

16)       Perryoke.  Need I say more?

17)       I will miss putting sunscreen on your tiny little noses. I will not miss either of you complaining about how it burns, when I specifically bought the kind that is for sensitive skin.  It does not burn!! But I do love you for trying to voice your complaints.

18)       I will miss how you both have to have a new pair of tennis shoes every other month because you play so hard at school that you create holes and scuffs that are beyond repair.  I love seeing your shoes in that condition because it tells me that you had yet another good day on the play ground….

19)       I will miss driving through ANY drive through and hearing the words: FRENCH FRIES. The Bank, The Cleaners, The Car Wash, and The Oil Change.  They all wish they had French fries for you.  There are normally epic melt downs associated with not getting French fries from the cleaners.  But, I will nonetheless, miss the fact that you both think every drive through has the ability to sell mommy French fries.

20)       I will sincerely miss your innocence.  I like that you do not know how cruel the world can be. I want you to be smart someday, but am not ready for you to let go of that childhood innocence.  I will really miss that right around the time you both turn 13 and become instantly smarter than I.

21)       I will miss getting ready for work in the mornings and you two sitting at my feet playing with your own makeup.  I’m glad we can get ready together.  Sometimes there is a lot of stress associated with mommy getting dressed in the morning.  (I know my flaws, and eyelash curlers are among them, especially misplaced eyelash curlers) I’m sorry if I snap at you without considering your feelings. But I will miss this special time together no matter how brief our makeup session is.

22)       Waking you up in the morning with a song.

23)       You two laugh at everything. To ya'll everything’s funny.  I love that about each of you. I will miss hearing laughter coming out of a room followed by squeals and giggles and sometimes a heroic bang. I love the loudness, and welcome that more than the silence. I will really miss both of you laughing together.

24)       How you must sit in my lap when I am eating. I mean, really?! You just ate. I’m starved. But I secretly welcome you both to do that anytime. I like feeding you from my plate. Sometimes I won’t let either of you sit with me, and I know that I will miss you trying to climb up my leg when you get too big to sit in my lap.

25)       Butterfly Kisses, Eskimo Kisses, Sugary/sugar/shu-ghee Bears, Kisses for my misses and hugs for my bugs.  All the ways we say 'kiss me' to each other, I will miss.

I love you both.

Kisses to my Misses and Hugs for my Bugs.