Instagram Wrap Up

Now that I'm using the tablet to take tons of pictures but don't want to be in Instagram-posting crazy person, I'll have to dump photos here instead. 

The kids and I went to Albany on Saturday leaving David with a quiet morning at home before he left for work.  I came home to the CUTEST EVER little garden box for my herbs.  I said to David, "We should leave you home alone more often!" and he said, "I'm very productive when you guys are gone but I would miss you. "

Well, isn't that nice. 

Still, I got an herb garden out of the deal.  Right now it has two basil plants and a stevia.  I'm super excited to see what I can do with a stevia plant.  And the most recent issue of Hobby Farm Home had an article with great tips on storing basil over the winter, so I would like another plant or two to keep me from having to buy basil ever again. 

I've been doing a lot of this in the past few days:

Lest you think I spent hours in a strawberry patch, I actually did not.  Last week we were up at our favorite grocery store where they had flats of day old strawberries from one of the local farms for dirt cheap.  I paid $14 for 30lbs.  Can you even believe it?  Then Grandpa hooked me up with a few more buckets on Saturday, so basically I am a lady of leisure this year with the strawberries. 

I just get shivers of happiness when filling the freezer and cupboards with fruit for the winter.  Shivers.  I get giddy thinking about blueberry season starting up.  And then peaches and pears!!!  Wahoo!!  (Simple minds, simple pleasures, that's what my dad always says.)

While working on strawberries my kids destroy the kitchen. 

I made this Tomato and Basil Frittata last week.  It was so, so, so good, but will mostly only be good if you like basil.  I left out the ham because we had sausage on the side, but the recipe is easy and fast and would be a good crowd pleaser.  For people who like basil, of course. 

Our church's VBS is this week.  It's the first event that I've taken Daphne to and dropped her off and left.  She's done BSF and Sunday School, but this is her first Big Girl/School-Like event.  I took lots of pictures this morning for her send off, and then her separation anxiety was at basically -10% when I dropped her off, so I'll have to share pictures later and her reactions to her week.  I have a feeling she's having the Best Time Ever and will never want to come home again. 

Father's Day Weekend at the Beach (Plus Photo Overload!)

We got back last night from spending a couple days at the Washington beach.  Daphne is still there getting to camp in Grandma and Papa's trailer, one of her most favorite things to do.

I like sleeping in rooms with beds and showers, so David, Christian and I stayed at what is now my most favorite little motel ever.  Actually, I think 'inn' would be a better descriptive word.    Cutest place I have ever seen and ridiculously cheap.  I hope we can go back sometime and stay longer.

Fireplaces and full kitchens!  I think we paid $86. Cheap.

trying to escape off the deck.  there are firepits and picnic tables down there

wow! checking his face out on the tablet

It took Christian a few minutes to decide if he wanted to touch the sand, but once he figured it was safe he was off and running.  Even the water didn't scare him (until he got run over by a few waves). 

messy

love when you can drive onto the beach

kite flying

catching some rays

aren't we just the cutest

 Now today it's just us with Christian.  This morning we took him on a mini hike on Mt Tabor that ended at a playground, and while he climbed and slid and spent a great deal of time driving a fake Gator (or maybe it's a Jeep, now that I think about it?  That would make more sense),  I got to sit and read my favorite magazine with a cup of coffee from a favorite coffee shop.   Taking not-babies to the playground is the best thing ever.  It is also helpful to take along a husband. 

 

not kidding: most wonderful/useful magazine ever

First Ever Instagram-Based Post

IMPORTANT UPDATE #1:  My sliver has healed itself.  From now on I am never, ever going to try to get a sliver out.  I kept an anti-bacterial oil on it and after 3 days the sliver is gone and you can't even tell it was there.  Miraculous sliver news.  I've always hated slivers, so that's why this newly learned information is very exciting to me. 

IMPORTANT UPDATE #2:  I can now use Instagram pictures in places other than Instagram.  This is why I'm posting two days in a row, because now I can share the pictures from Tuesday's Shriner's trip.  Which is actually nothing exciting because basically every Shriner's trip is the same.

When Daph needs new shoes we make a visit every other week for 8 weeks to get the shoes fitted and made.  This happens probably every 3 months.  Sometimes I feel like doctor's appointments rule our lives.

C trying to escape the tiny room.  Note the face of angst.

Looking out the window provides 30s of distraction

Sabrina is just fabulous to Daphne.  Daphne loves her and paints her pictures and looks forward to getting to go see her.  Sabrina lets Daphne draw on her shoe molds and even took us on a tour of their lab a few weeks ago.  There were a lot of legs and feet all over the place.  (Fake ones.)  This spring Sabrina did a presentation with Daphne and her crazy feet as the focus.  I wish we could have gone and given her a standing ovation. 

This week's visit was extra special, though, because the hospital had had a toy drive and each little patient got to choose a new toy at their visit.  Part of me feels badly when Daphne benefits from these types of events, because I guess I feel like the toys are for 'needy' children?  And D is hardly needy.  I mean, she feels like her life is pretty hard because she doesn't have her own tiny vacuum cleaner, but other than that she has everything she needs to make it through each day.

Then I think about how many hours she spends sitting in tiny doctor's offices and I'm thankful for those who donate to these drives so that she can have something fun to help make the hours fly faster. 

After Shriner's we went to The Spaghetti Factory for lunch because I had realized I haven't been there in 8 or 9 years.

We let the kids run along the riverfront for awhile in the hopes of getting some wiggles out before lunch.  It didn't really work.  Christian was a mess and ate his crayons.

David said, "We should come here sometime without the kids.  I think that would be more fun."

I do believe that he is correct.

Instagram is for Smart People

This week I took a major jump in technology and joined Instagram.   It feels like attempting rocket science trying to figure it out.

We don't have smart phones (we're not smart enough) but David has been wanting a tablet for ages.  We were chatting with one of his work friends, who owns a computer shop and is our adviser on all things computery, and he recommended the Samsung Galaxy.  Then what do you know but the very next day, that same tablet was on Groupon for mega % off.  It's like God was telling us to buy it.

Now David spends hours playing Star Wars Angry Birds and I try to figure out how to make Instagram work.  So far I don't know how to erase the pictures I don't want to share, and I don't know how to share pictures anywhere else (like the blog), but just a few minutes ago I accidently found that people were patiently waiting for me to approve them as followers and I just had no idea they were waiting.  It's been a pretty wild ride so far.    

Word on the street is that it is very uncool to take pictures with a tablet.  If our kids were older they would be so embarrassed of us.  Still, despite the embarrassment, we took the tablet to Shriners yesterday because it's way easier than hauling my DSLR around.  But since I don't know how to share pictures I don't get to show them to you.  They are really good pictures though, so at least you'll have something to look forward to in the future.

Meanwhile,  I can share camera pictures.

Like of Daphne, who likes to memorize books and then 'read' them to Christian.

This afternoon I got out the little Ikea finger puppets and she put them on her fingers and started telling stories for us.

She's really good at story-telling, something I know she gets from David.  Although we did have this conversation at bedtime tonight:

Daph: "Can you tell me a story about when you were a little kid?"  (This is her most recent addition to our bedtime routine.  I ran out of stories like 3 weeks ago.)
Me: "I don't know any more stories."
Daph: "Well Daddy knows stories."
Me: "I know, he's better at telling stories than I am."
Daph: "Daddy is NOT better than you!"

That's right, girl.  Preach it.

Wednesday morning around 8:45 is Christian's favorite part of the week: Garbage Truck Time.  This fall we have to be at BSF earlier on Wednesdays than we have the past few years so I hope we won't have to start missing this thrilling weekly event. 

My sister took a few photos at Christian's baby dedication on Mother's Day.  It was fun to get to dedicate Christian with dear friends who were dedicating their daughter, Truth.  Truth's big sister is named Daphne as well, and I like these pictures because I think they were taken when Ken was sharing how we both had Daphnes, and then how Truth's and Christian's names go together as well if you're thinking in a Biblical/Jesus/God way.  I had never even thought of that connection before.   How special of us to be so name coordinated. 

The kids can use these pictures in their wedding slide show someday.

And something that I didn't take a picture of...I got a big, deep sliver the other day that I just cannot get out.  So I've done what any other logical person would do and just stuck a band-aid on it and am basically waiting for my thumb to die and fall off.  I'll let you know how that goes.

That's all for now.  Let's see if I can go figure out any more of that Instagram business. 

How Many Times Can I Say "We Love Summer?"

Skinned knees and dirty feet.  It seems that's what little boys are made of.

45 minutes in her bed for a rest time, just because she wanted to.  She finds her room to be a peaceful, restful place.  Exactly what it's supposed to be.

Pretty fingers and toes.

A morning in the park, because Daddy had to work until 6 A.M and could probably use a quiet house to sleep in.

You say, "ready! set! go!" and he takes off running.

Hide-and-Seek in the bushes.  

It's not even summer yet and it's already my favorite of all the summers. 

We Heart Summer

This weather!  It's so glorious to feel like summer is here.  We've been eating lettuce from the garden and have had like 10 strawberries so far. 

BSF has been out for two weeks now.  I got to be a part of such a great group this year and already Wednesdays don't feel quite the same without them.  This morning we organized a little play date at our house and I'm sure we couldn't asked for better weather, or for the group of kids to play together so well.

except Daph: miss bossy pants

Speaking of Daphne, I love this picture from the other day when we were playing baseball in the front yard.  She hit Christian in the head with the bat resulting in the bat being taken away from her.  She had a little meltdown about it and David said, "Well, raise your hand if you're the one who hit Christian in the head with the bat?"

She was so quick to raise her hand, tears and all.

Even with playing outside so much, and eating almost every meal out there, we do come in for art projects sometimes.  It appears that Daph can't live more than a day or two without having a 'special project' to work on.  Last week we did polka dot painting with q-tips.  I was surprised at how diligently and quietly Christian was working until I looked up from my dishes and saw that he was swirling the paint-covered q-tips around in his hair.

He thought he was SO funny. 

This afternoon we're going to try something really crazy:  I'm going to take my book outside and see if they will play while I read.  What do you think?  Will it be reading for the win?  My guess is no, but it never hurts to dream big. 

Let's Make This Post Really Long

A few issues that need to be addressed:

1.  Sunday while driving to church a HUGE SPIDER the size of my head walked across the door millimeters from my arm.  I kept my cool and very slowly unbuckled myself and climbed up onto the center console.  It took David a ridiculous about of time to decide to pull over for me; I was basically sitting on the steering wheel before he did.  Once I was able to open the door and stomp the spider dead, we continued on our way and the kids really had no idea what had happened.  Anyways, I tell this story because I feel like spiders/scary insects crawling around inside your car and startling you while driving should not happen.  God should somehow strike that form of persecution from our lives.  It seems to be the type of terrible thing that serves no purpose.  Plus, people could die.  

2.   David told his partner at work that I think the black market is a real place.  What?  This is not true.  I know all about how the black market works.  David is under strict orders to undo the damage he's done to my reputation. 

3.  It wasn't until I was married that I learned that 'sherbert' is actually 'sherbet.'  I've tried these past few years to say it correctly, but I've just decided I don't want to try anymore.  I would like to start a petition that we officially change the name to 'sherbert.'  Yes?  Maybe if I ever decide to be political, I will try to really do something about that. 

Anyways.  Now that I've gotten that off my chest.

Christian is obsessed with basketball right now.  David bought him a little Nerf hoop to hang in the house, but I gotta say, the flaming orange fire on the backboard was hurting my eyes.  It needed some sprucing up, so I raided my scrapbook paper supply, grabbed my X-Acto knife and some double sided tape and set to work.  You see where this is going?  Are you slightly horrified?  Because David was.  He thought it was just a little too crafty-nutso of a thing to do.

before = ugly

But look how much prettier it is now!  No more orange flames staring me in the face.  It's important to me that things are pretty. 

I found this giant red bat at Salvation Army half price day the other day.  Christian is surprisingly good at playing baseball.  He hasn't hit the ball yet, but at least he swings at mostly the right time.  Daphne isn't quite as skilled: the ball pretty much hits her in the face before she remembers to swing. 

such natural form

Christian loves it when David mows the lawn.  How sweet are these pictures?  Daddy's little shadow.  (I'm glad one of them is properly clothed.)

Check out the fabulous Pinterest-inspired pallet yard organizers David has put together recently:

I've heard it said that some husbands cringe at hearing from the wife, "look what I found on Pinterest today!"  Not so, David.   He recognizes a good thing when he sees it (obviously, since he married me).  I'm very thankful that he's a go-getter type.  Once he has a bee in his bonnet, like recognizing the benefits of these lovely pallet organizers, he gets right to it and gets 'em done.  He did the outside one yesterday afternoon after I had just shown it to him the morning before.

It almost helps soften the blow from the black market misunderstanding.