Of Blueberries and Birthdays

Summer is just rolling along for us. I can’t believe I am already seeing back-to-school stuff in the stores. It seems like we just finished. I thought summer might produce a slower pace for us, but it seems to just be flying by like the rest of the year.

 

The Monkey List

I have this list that I like to call the Monkey List.  It’s a special to-do list of those things that are really bugging me that I want/need to get done, but haven’t been able to.  What usually prevents me from getting to this list is the regular daily to-do list.  I call it the monkey list because they are like little monkeys on my back, jumping up and down, making crazy monkey noises and demanding my attention.  When my monkey list gets too long, I find that I get overwhelmed to the point that I am no longer productive.  I feel like a computer with too much stuff crammed on my hard drive and I can no longer function properly.  In order to do so, I have to ‘clear up some memory’, if you will. The only way to do that is to attack the monkey list with a vengeance.

 

I’m a Georgia Voter

Yep, I went by the library yesterday and voted in our county elections and got my peach sticker.  That’s a sticker I’m proud to wear.  Exercising my freedom to vote always makes me smile, even when the candidates don’t.  There were actually several good candidates in our county elections -  it’s the upcoming election that may leave me feeling at a loss.  

 

Just a Teenager

A couple of months ago, my fifteen-year-old and I were doing errands and we were listening to the songs on her ipod.  The majority of the music is Christ-centered, but we do allow her to put some secular music on it if it is not offensive or too lovey-dovey. We like a lot of the same music, but not all, so I try to listen to her music periodically so I know what she is taking in.  She had a peppy little song on there called “Teenager”.  It was upbeat and fun and I wasn’t really listening to it until I caught a few of the lyrics, then I began to listen closer. I’m sure they seem pretty harmless to some, but they made me sad. Check out the lyrics first and then I’ll tell you why:

 

Got me some bangs

I went to the stylist the other day in need of a trim.  I knew I needed to do something about my baby chick hair.  This is what I call the phase of hairdos that comes after you’ve had a baby, after you shed frightening amounts of hair and the new hair starts to grow in.  You get little fuzzy patches that remind me of baby chickens, except it doesn’t look nearly as cute as they do.  So you have thinning hair on top with super-short pieces sprouting out of the front.  It’s one of my least favorite side-effects of giving birth.  I mean, can we not keep something from our pre-pregnancy days??

 

Driving Rain

I was coming home last night from filling in for Bill at his Financial Peace small group and it started to sprinkle, then rain, then all out pour.  It had been so long since I had driven in pouring rain that I almost forgot how :)  I was ‘treated’ to an awesome display as the lightning put on a show that seemed to take place at the end of Ridge Rd. 

I had to say a prayer for the two members of the class who left on motorcyles.  I hope they made it home before the bottom fell out!

 

States Update and a recommendation

So far we are enjoying our states unit.  We’ve taken a break this week to do a much needing clean-out upstairs, which is going to conclude with cleaning the carpets :P   I am looking forward to jumpin’ back in at the end of the week by starting in the New England States.  We have some fun activities to do like making a New England boiled dinner, learning about whaling, clams and other cool things up north. 

So far in our postcard collection we have: 2 Florida, 1 New York and a Georgia that we picked up at Lookout Mountain. We have promises for several other places from family and friends and we’re looking forward to getting those. 

 

Care for a Game of Tag?

I’ve been tagged by my friend Michele at Life As I See It.  Since I got interrupted before I could finish this, and others have already responded, I’m not sure if I have enough people left to tag.  But I will try to find five unsuspecting souls

The Rules:

1. Post the rules at the beginning
2. Answer the questions only about yourself
3. At the end of the post, tag five people and post their names, then go to their blogs and leave them a comment so they know they’ve been tagged.  Ask them to read the sender’s blog.
4. Let the person who tagged you know you’ve posted your answer

 

Potty training and solid foods

The past couple of weeks I’ve been tackling two milestones - potty training and solid foods - and no, not with the same child :)  The toddler has shown interest in the potty for a few months, so we have had her ’seat’ in our bathroom so she could get to know it.  I am ready to move past that and to the mastery stage.  Two things I’ve learned about potty training, though, is that each child is different and they do it when they are ready.  Her siblings have been watching a movie called Potty Time with her.  It’s about a boy named Bobby who is having a birthday party and he has also been successful in his potty endeavors so they are celebrating that, too :)  So now, everyday without fail, she will burst out with Happy Birthday, Bobby!  Which, of course sends her sibs into hysterics. 

 

Taco Salad Recipe

Last night I brought a taco salad to the ladies bible study at Kim’s. I promised a couple of the women that I would post the recipe.  I love taco salad and this is a favorite version that has a little twist.  It has been a favorite of mine since I was in girl scouts and Pam, who co-lead our troop with my mom, used to bring it.  It’s easy and it’s great for summer because the only thing you have to cook is the taco meat.  You could do that early in the day and leave it in the fridge until you’re ready to put it all together.