#20: Go for a JOG!

Another thing to check off the list.  This was definitely one that I wanted to get off my list --- not to be done with, but to get that first time back out over with! 

I... I did it!  I went for a jog!  and... it... was... awesome!  I seriously had forgotten how to fold up the jogging stroller - that's how long it's been, but it felt so good!  Plus, I jogged almost our whole walking trail, which is kind of a big deal to me since it's been so long.  I did have to stop half way through because M was ready to get out and walk, oh, about five minutes in.  So I let her take a walking break while I took a water break, and then back in she went.  She had to jog too, which was super cute.  Here are some pictures I made JJ take to prove we were out and about:

And guess what?  We went again this evening!  Woohoo!

#18: Loving the Library

M loves the ladies in our apartment's business center.  She walks in there like she owns the place and settles herself into this one special chair (at someone's desk for potential clients) no matter what is going on.  One time there was a potential client in the other chair and they were discussing apartments, but M paid no attention and settled herself in to HER chair.  It was hilarious.  The ladies often have a sticker or treat for M.  Anyways, the other day we bopped in and one of the ladies asked M what she was up to and where baby brother was.  She said, "Mommy and M went to the library.  Baby brudder home with Daddy."  She's quite the conversationalist, it's pretty cute!  Anyways, the lady was just delighted.  She was like, "NO ONE goes to the library any more!  I think that is just awesome!"

Is going to the library really a quaint, antiquated thing?  If it is, then people are missing out.  M LOVES the library and so do I.  She helps check in the books (who doesn't love throwing books down a shoot?), then she knows just where the kiddo section is.  Currently she just goes down the aisles and randomly pulls about twenty books off the shelf (more if I would let her).  We settle in to the cute tiny chairs and peruse them, whittling our stack down to the top five.  Sometimes we get to Mommy's section---I'm addicted to cookbooks currently.  We've also checked out movies from the Library, but I have to go in knowing what we'll be looking for -- M is too quick to open case after case pulling out DVD after DVD.  Then I help her sit on the check out desk (everything is automated at this library) to scan our choices.  She helps me hit the button on the computer to "email our book due date".  Then it's a quick trip home to delve into our treasures.  We have a strict three-book maximum at sleepy-times, and it quickly becomes apparent which books from the library are M's favorite because they are chosen again and again.

So go!  Go visit your library!  It is so much fun for kiddos -- and you might find something for yourself too!

#9: Host a Dinner Party

We're going strong with the To Do List!

So while I DO plan on doing this more than just this one time, we did have a friends from Church over for dinner last night and it. was. a. blast.  Yes, we just need to do that more often.  It always seems like we meet these fabulous people at Church but then have to run out the door with lunch and afternoon naps and hungry babies and kids tugging us this way and that that we just don't really get to KNOW people.  I'm so glad that JJ enjoys having people over, too.  Oh, and I'm so glad JJ enjoys cooking fancy food!  He came up with a fantastic menu the night before and we left our friends (the R's) in charge of desert.  JR came with a fantastic pound cake, complete with strawberries and whipped cream!

The whole day M was just giddy with excitement for her friend coming over.  Then they got here and the shy pants came on.  It was so funny.  One girl would run into the "tea room" and the other would come back out!  M had the first spill of the night at supper time (our table only seats four, so when we have friends over, we have to eat in the living room on TV trays -- we're all about the fancy here in the J house), when she knocked my whole TV tray over (my plate and juice).  Anyways, the main thing is that we got to know this fabulous family a little better and we can't wait to meet up again!

Here are some tantalizing pics of our food.  YUM!

Delicious sirloin steak...

...with asparagus and provolone cheese...

...wrapped and pan-seared!

Kiss the cook!

And polenta!!  We also had broccoli and bacon salad.  Delicious!  This meal was over-the-top good!!

I wasn't good at taking pictures while they were here, but I did get one picture of the M girls on the "couch".  Aren't they adorable?  Can you say purpleicious??

#1 - Botanical Gardens

That's right friends, number 1 is off the list!  I know this is my summer to do list, but seriously, it is summer here.  The weather is hot.  JJ and I were both home this week.  The only thing nagging in the back of my mind is going back to work next week.  BOO.  But, I just keep telling myself -- it's only for two weeks!  I can do this!

Anyways, I entitled this post Botanical Gardens because I have a tough time spelling "Arboretum", which is what the place is actually called.  : )  Botanical Gardens is ALSO in the name, so I wasn't breaking too many rules, right?

We had a fantastic time checking out the Arboretum!  Some musts for us -- go early in the day before it gets too muggy and go early in the year before it gets too buggy!  It was absolutely beautiful, but I do think we need to go back because a) we missed the Children's Garden!  (oops!) and the Monet Garden with water lilies and such and b) the flowers weren't all blooming.  This place is open year-round, so actually I think we need to go during each season.  Oh, and that's totally possible, because did I mention this place is free?

A new thing for me with this blog will be to post some pictures, so here you go.

Just taking a stroll in the gardens...

Do you see the turtles sunning themselves?

Posing like the statue!

C and Daddy were there too!

 

My To-Do List

A few years ago (or maybe last year?) my SIL made a summer to-do list on big chart paper with her kiddos and then crossed things off as they were accomplished.  I loved LOVED that idea and have promptly stolen it.  Done and done.  I made a list of 40 things I'd like to do this summer (and the list is growing).  I'm going to post it here and hopefully blog about some of my accomplishments!

1. Botanical Gardens
2. Help M catch a fish
3. explore St. Louis
4. ROAD TRIP
5. Nelson-Atkins Art Museum
6. berry picking
7. buy food from farmer's market
8. cook something from America's Test Kitchen
9. host a dinner party
10. go to KC Zoo
11. make a meal from Freezer cookbook
12. Zona Rosa
13. outlet mall
14. prep for VBS
15. eat corn on the cob
16. teach summer school
17. Hallmark Visitor Center
18. visit Library
19. Shatto Dairy Farm
20. go for a jog
21. ride my bike
22. scrapbook
23. check out an audio book from the Library
24. read a book
25. organize an Estrogenfest
26. attend a cooking class
27. mini-golf
28. go to a summer concert
29. go to a farm
30. Chip's Chocolate Factory
31. playdate with friends from work
32. swim with M
33. spend less than $100 at Target!
34. Geocache
35. facebook FREE week
36. make a smoothie
37. read a book of the Bible
38. workout at fitness center
39. try a new food
40. figure out/use Walgreens coupons

Any ideas for other things I should add?  *We accomplished #1 yesterday - post with pics to come!

She's Thrifty!

We only have a few channels (have I mentioned this before?) and a ton of them are PBS stations (which have some GREAT programming - seriously!).  One of the shows is called "She's Crafty!" and is definitely set in Canada.  Anyways, the theme song is kind of rocker punk riff with a singer belting out, "She's Crafty!" at the end.  That's what's going through my head with the title.

Wow.  That was a long intro on just the title.  Back to me being thrifty.  I just have to tell you about my fabulous finds this weekend.  Happy Mother's Day to ME!  I love finding deals!

Friday morning a friend at work told me I HAD to stop by this rummage sale because the lady who walks her dog has a 4- or 5-year-old who is super cute and they are getting rid of tons of clothes.  Done and done.  There WERE super cute clothes, and they had evidently had the sale the weekend before also and were just ready to be done.  The guy told me the deal was I could load up a brown paper bag with clothes for $15.  Sweet.  I went through, but the biggest size was 3T (the smallest size I'm shopping for for M), and so I picked out some clothes (filling up a reusable bag I had), and the guy charged me $3!!  Yippee!  My model is even wearing two of the pieces from the sale:

 That evening I headed out to a Scholastic Books Warehouse sale.  I planned to take M but she was in a mood and not fit to take out of the house!  Luckily JJ is up for Hubby of the Year and let me go. by. myself.  It turned out to be a good thing because the sale was HUGE!!!  I walked at a fairly brisk pace and went down *most* aisles in an hour.  Each aisle had books for shelves high, and I generally missed the top and bottom shelves unless I was in an area I was interested in (preschool, cookbooks and Christian were biggies for me!).  Everything was 50% off unless otherwise marked (then up to 80% off).  Plus, I had a $10 off of a $50 purchase coupon.  Here's my loot (oh, and I spent $39.70-something --- almost exactly $50 before the coupon.  Woot, woot!).   So excited about the freezer pleaser cookbook, you have no idea!!  Puff the Magic Dragon also came with a CD.  Can anyone say road trip this summer?

Speaking of books, I visited my friends at school on Wednesday (with both kids AND brought/ate lunch!  Booya!).  My school is currently having a Book Fair, and everything was buy one get one free plus each teacher got one free book pick.  After being assured that my long term sub also got to choose a free book, M and I went to town.  I chose a new Llama Llama book (Llama Llama Misses Momma), she chose a Thomas the Tank Engine book and a princess book (what can I say?  She's a girly-girl tom boy!) all for the whopping grand total of $4.99.

Ok, and then Saturday a friend from work was having a garage sale and she has a BOY.  What she didn't say is that it was the whole TOWN's rummage sale.  Oh my stars!  I reined it in and went to the ones on her block, but I scored big.  It helps to shop at friends' sales!!  : )  Look at the CUTE stuff for the C-ster!

 
 On all of these clothes and shoes (oh, and I'm missing a book, game, and hat), I spent $30.  Now you may be thinking my kids don't need this many clothes, and you'd be right, but with deals like this, I couldn't go wrong!

Uuuuncles!

M has been absolutely positively in seventh Heaven with the parade of family that has been coming and going through our house lately.  I love it.  Last year at this time she was still in that clingy stranger-danger mode.  Now, well, let's just just say she's over that!

M also adores uncles specifically for some reason.  She is just plain smitten with Uncle W, A, CP (let's call him P to not confuse him with brother C, m-kay?), and B - this lucky girl DOES have nine uncles to choose from!  (To be clear, the uncles not listed here just haven't seen her recently!)

When Uncle A was here with his family, for example, she enjoyed some uncle cuddle time.  I don't know how she managed since Uncle A has three kiddos of his own, but she somehow wiggled her way onto his lap more often than not!  When they were apart while we were driving home from swimming, she remarked, "Uncle A misses M.  Uncle A loooves M."

Out with the Fargo Js and in with the WC ones.  Uncles P and B came down to meet the C-ster and hit up a Twins game.  Oh my word.  From the moment she woke up until the time she went to bed, she was playing with at least one uncle, or at the very least talking about them.  Right after a nap, M opened her door enough for her lips to stick out and she called, "Uuuuuuncles!!  Time to play with M uncles!"  Really, the only way to GET her to take a nap or sleep at night was to say that she needed to rest so she could play with her uncles again when she woke up.  On our way to the park for a picnic, she also declared, "M is Uncle P's favorite girl."  Uncle P later confirmed it : ).

Uncle W is on his way next (Memorial Weekend for C's Dedication) , so the uncle parade continues!  

BABY BASH!

There are tons of fun things to win currently on Take It From Me... but don't take my word for it... check it out yourself!  If it's not me, I'd love for it to be you winning some cool stuff!

1. Scarves -- I've only worn functional winter scarves but as I'm generally cold (when I'm not pregnant or nursing...) I think I could get into this!!
2. UV Skinz -- just in time for summer!
3.  Creativity for Kids -- cute projects for kiddos!
4. InnoBaby -- mostly feeding products for baby
5. Baby Swaddles! -- SO cute!  Love the two different weights!
6. GumDrop pacies -- I've always thought these were cute and now that C is a paci-man, I pay more attention to pacies.

Thoughts...

I'm going to tread carefully here because this is a) a very emotionally charged topic, b) I don't believe I have any answers and c) I'm trying not to take sides or put one person's viewpoint ahead of another's.

So here we go.  Sunday evening JJ and I were watching Celebrity Apprentice -- not because we faithfully watch it or anything - just because we were lazing on a Sunday night and that's what was on.  All of a sudden a newsflash came on saying to stay tuned because the President had an important impromptu announcement.  That kind of thing does not just happen all the time, so it got our minds racing.  What could it be??  News crews seemed to be scrambling to put together a broadcast and eventually it came out that the news was about Osama Bin Laden.  And the next thing was that he had been killed.  Wow.  Pretty crazy.  My mind went to the future.  As I held my sleeping baby, I pondered what would happen in the future because of this.  I also thought about the military men and women we know (and the ones we don't) putting their lives on the line and how this would affect them - particularly the ones deployed.

I didn't actually see the President's briefing (I fell asleep - oops), but I was interested to see what others had to say about it the next day.  I checked my school email because I wanted to see if anything official had come out about what to say to kids, etc. but found nothing.  Here's what was buzzing about on Facebook:

Great speech, good work Mr. President! I rarely agree with you, but I'm proud of you tonight. To all the troops: celebrate a hard fought victory. You're the reason for our freedom. God Bless AMERICA!  --Friend JP


But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, -Matthew 5:44  --Friend KS
  
I'm struggling to celebrate as so many around the world. I'm so thankful to be an American and so proud of our military, however I battle with if the Lord is celebrating the death of someone who will most likely spend eternity in hell. I'm thankful that this specific threat is no more, but praying for the days to come. Please keep the deployed men in women in your prayers! Just my thoughts...  --Friend SS
  
Must say, I was very proud of President Obama last night for ending his speach with "God Bless you, and God Bless America." Kind of taken back by it, especially from a Democrat.  --HS classmate PS


And then two people that I look to for guidance (Pastor PK - our Pastor from GF and Pastor CK - our current Pastor).  
 
Sometimes the offense against humanity is so severe and heinous by an individual that the only way to respond in a way that exhibits the beauty and value of life is to admit that the individual has forfeited their right to continue to live. --Pastor PK
  
Christians have a unique opportunity today to show what's different about their faith. Someone died without Christ - how can we dance in the streets? The Gospel was rejected - how can we call that a victory? Yes, crimes were lawfully and justly punished, but grace was rejected. A true victory would have been to actually be able to call a lost sinner my brother. --Pastor CK

Looks like I'm not the only one interested in what others have to say about this.  I just came across a news article written on Yahoo News regarding what some celebs have to say.

"I am way too close to this whole episode to be rational about this in any way, shape or form," he said. "Last night was a good night, for me, and not just for New York or D.C. or America, but for human people. The face of the Arab world in America's eyes for too long has been bin Laden, and now it is not. Now the face is only the young people in Egypt and Tunisia and all the Middle Eastern countries around the world where freedom rises up. Al Qaeda's opportunity is gone." --Jon Stewart

"President Obama single-handedly came up with the technique in order to pull this off," Limbaugh said on Monday. "You see, the military wanted to go in there and bomb as they always do. They wanted to drop missiles and drop bombs and a number of totally destructive techniques here. But President Obama, perhaps the only qualified member in the room to deal with this, insisted on the Special Forces. No one else thought of that. President Obama. Not a single intelligence adviser, not a single national security adviser, not a single military adviser came up with the idea of using SEAL Team 6 or any Special Forces."  --Rush Limbaugh, which sounds a little too pro-Obama because it was meant tongue-in-cheek


What are your thoughts on this momentous news?