The Hole Gets Bigger

We said goodbye to baby tooth #2 last night.

Looking for a Book to Read?

One of the most beautiful buildings in DC is the Library of Congress.  From the outside it's impressive--huge, gray stone, domed roof.  But inside, it's amazing.  Ornate, colorful, intricate....and filled with books!

There's a new exhibit opening at the LOC on Monday: Books that Shaped America.  According to the LOC,


"This list of ‘Books That Shaped America’ is a starting point. It is not a register of the ‘best’ American books--although many of them fit that description. Rather, the list is intended to spark a national conversation on books written by Americans that have influenced our lives, whether they appear on this initial list or not," said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington.

It's an interesting list, filled with a variety of books (Where the Wild Things Are and The Joy of Cooking!)  I'm glad to see that I've read several, but not nearly enough to constitute a majority of the list.

You can see the entire list on the LOC website, here.

Now, to find some time to actually sit down and read an entire book again....

Father's Day on the Farm

Happy Father's Day!

Years ago, my Dad's first congregation started holding a chicken dinner in the park on Father's Day.  A week or so ago, Dad and I were talking and decided that it would be fun to go this year.  Darren and the boys have never been to Venedy.

(Sidebar...Darren has always tried to claim "small-town" status in our relationship.  His hometown has a population of a whopping 1800 and two blinking lights.  Venedy...population 138 according to the 2010 Census.  And, no blinking lights.)

So we went to the chicken dinner in the park.  I'm happy to report that Venedy is as timeless as ever.  It was fun to be back and to feel like I'd stepped back in time.  Even looking over at the Scanlan's house, I saw the same swingset and playhouse that I crossed the cemetery countless times to play in.  Such fun!

Mom has a nice recap of the dinner in the park here.

After Mom and Dad headed home, we stayed to take the boys for a visit at the farm with Roger and Joyce.

But before we left the park, the boys found some dirt to play in.

They're currently being hosed down with a power washer...but, Boys + dirt = happy kids.

Then it was past the church and down to the farm.

This was great!  For one, the boys have never had the chance to visit a real dairy farm.  Or any kind of farm for that matter.  Second, it was great to visit with Roger and Joyce. When we lived in Venedy, I spent every Saturday morning at their house.  We'd have pancakes and work around the house.  Then on Saturday evenings, I'd head across the street to the Sieving's house for dinner.

As a parent looking back, I see that Mom and Dad were rather clever with this arrangement.  Smart parents!

First, Roger showed us the baby calves.  The one the boys are looking at here was just born yesterday!  The calf was resting inside so the boys just peeked in.

Then it was onto the adult cows.

The boys came up close to some large hay bales.  Christian though this was fun...

While Connor tried to unravel one.

Then we saw some tractors.  Mommy had to climb up first.

Then, we went inside to see where the cows were milked.  Roger helped the boys climb up to peek inside the tank that holds all the milk while it waits to be transported off to fill up the jugs of milk we buy at the grocery store.

Joyce explained the process of how the milk gets from the cows to the tank to the truck to the store.  This tank holds 2700 gallons of milk.

Connor thinks, "Can I have a straw?"

On the way home, the boys both agreed that this was their favorite part of the farm.  They're both looking forward to another visit.

Thanks to Roger and Joyce for giving the boys a great experience today!

Water Play

The boys and I had a playdate at the Botanical Garden this morning.  The Children's Garden is such a great place for kids.  Even better, on Saturday mornings, admission to the Garden is free for STL city and county residents.

In addition to tree houses, slides, gardens, and other fun things to climb on, in, and under, the Children's Garden has a water play area.  Connor loved this.

It was a hot morning...this cooled the kids off in a flash. 

Best part about a morning spent at the Gardens?  According to Christian on the way home, "That was exhausting. Fun, but exhausting."

Catching Up

I was reminded today that I've been neglecting this space (thanks Mary!).  True, I've been absent.  Partly because the summer has gotten hectic, but also because I haven't felt the energy to be near the computer.  Must.find.motivation!!

Anyway, here's a peek into what we've been up to the last week or so.

The boys and I got to have a visit with my Gramma.  The boys love going to visit Great-Gramma.  Partly because she's Great-Gram, but she tends to spoil them (as is a Great-Gramma's privilege).  Case in point: When we arrived at 9:30 am, she greeted the boys with milk and cookies.

They were in heaven!

Great Gramma hugs are the best!

Darren's Dad and brother came to visit for the CCLS Golf Tournament.  The grown-up boys all had a great time golfing, despite the rainy weather.  The trio even place second in their flight.

The boys and I took Papaw and Uncle Doug sightseeing.

First a tour of Busch Stadium.

Then the Arch, the Seminary, and Ted Drewes, where I apparently didn't take a single photo.

The boys all played catch in the backyard.

Then sadly, Papaw and Uncle Doug had to head back to Texas.

So, I took the boys to the Botanical Garden.

 We weren't sure what Connor was doing.

If you get a chance to go see the Lantern Festival at the Garden, go.  It's beautiful.

Isn't he cute?

They potted an eggplant and a zucchini in the Children's Garden.

Christian started golf lessons. 

Darren and the boys just headed out to practice hitting golf balls.  It was awfully cute to see the three boys, clubs in hand, headed out.

Finally, Christian got his final kindergarten report card.  Yay!  To celebrate, we took a family trip up to Ted Drewes (it takes all of three minute to get there...what a burden!)

Roll On

I've been spending more time than usual lately traveling...and traveling by car vs. plane.  As I've been driving across Southern Illinois and Missouri I've been reminded of one big difference between life in the Mid-West and life inside the Beltway.

Semi-trucks.

Where we lived and spent most of our time on the road (a lot of time on the road) in DC we rarely ever saw semi's.  They tended to route around the area, rather than cruising through the heart of the Beltway. 

Here, whether its on Highway 70 or 44, semi's are EVERYWHERE.  I know they serve a good purpose, but wow, I don't like being on the road near them.  I try to avoid getting sandwiched in by them, and hustle past them every chance I get.

On one drive last week I had one semi cut me off, forcing me to hit the brakes in a hurry.  There was another pair of semi's traveling side by side, ten miles below the speed limit--this went on for the better part of ten minutes, I assume the drivers were having a conversation.

The best was the car that had a little dog that clearly didn't like the trucks.  I watched this car as they passed half a dozen of these 18 wheelers.  Each time the car got up next to the truck, the little dog stuck it's head out the back window and barked like crazy.  When they passed the truck, the dog stopped.  Next truck...here comes the barking.  If I hadn't been behind the wheel, I probably would have pulled out my camera to video it, it was that funny.

A Gaping Hole

It was a milestone day yesterday--Christian lost his first tooth.

He lost it while eating a lollipop at Oma's house.  When I arrived to pick him up, he was grinning.  "Mommy, do you notice anything different about my mouth?"

Oh yes!

Recapping the Week

The last few days have been a blur...here's a quick recap in pictures.

On Wednesday, we headed to the Cardinals game to celebrate the end of the school year.

You can't go wrong with Cracker Jack.

Christian spent some time studying his Cardinal's history.  First Enos Slaughter.

 Then Dizzy Dean.

 Can't forget The Wiz.

Thursday, shortly after I came home from work, Christian came to find me.  Very earnestly, he said "Mommy, Daddy needs your help getting our fort inside the house because it's too big to fit through the door.  But don't worry, he has a plan."

Oh, my.

We've been building forts for the boys in the living room.  They love them.  So Darren thought it would be fun to build a more permanent fort structure for the kiddos.

It's HUGE.

But, they love it.  It lives in the basement, and has already been filled with stuffed animals, pillows, sleeping bags, a rocking chair, stability ball, and who knows what else.  My guess is that the covering will change, depending on what the boys are up to. For now, it's just a sheet. 

Last night, we went for dinner with Mom to Hacienda.  Yum. 

Today was a day of work around the house and yard.  Mom gave us several hydrangeas, and I needed to get them into the ground.  Normally, digging a hole in the dirt wouldn't be that difficult, but in our yard, everywhere you put the shovel, you're bound to hit roots, roots, and more roots from all the ivy that is there.  I'm pretty sure I'll be pulling ivy for the rest of my life.  But it has to go. 

Oh, and just as exciting as the hydrangeas, Mom brought us my favorite from Kruta's--a cherry stollen. Yum!

Now, the boys are conked out for "family movie night".  Eating popcorn and watching a movie.

Enjoy your weekend!

The Last Day of Kindergarten

Holy cow, I have a first grader now!

Today was the last day of school for the kids at CCLS.  Why does the last day have to fall on a Wednesday??  I suspect that there are reasons that have to do with the teachers, grades, etc., but for working parents, ending on a Wednesday is a bit of a hassle.

But I digress.

Christian summed up his thoughts about the last day this way: "May 23 is going to be the worst day EVER!"

He loves school.  He loves being with his friends. 

I'm raising an extrovert. (An introvert myself, this is challenging!)

Off we headed to school this morning,

Heading into school.

It's also the last day for Connor, but he has one more year of preschool ahead of him. 

The school year ended like it began, with a chapel service.  The entire school (including Connor's preschool class) was there.  Over 500 kids, many parents and teachers, all joining in the celebration.

What a joy.  I'm sure I wasn't the only parent to be a little teary-eyed during chapel today.

Hey, there's Connor!

After chapel, the kids headed back to their rooms for a final good bye with their class.  Christian's class exchanged friendship tokens.  Christian brought a photo to share as his token. 

Then, at 11 am, it was time to say "see you next year.

Christian loves his teacher.  Mrs. Belsha was such a joy.  We couldn't have asked for a better introduction to the community of CCLS.

After school ended, Christian and I headed out for lunch.  While we were there I asked him what he liked best about kindergarten. His reply? "Well, mostly the learning.  But only a little."  Why, I asked.  "Well, because we were learning things I already knew, like how to read.  I've known how to read for a long time--it's easy for me."

Well...this is true.  Time to keep challenging him over the summer.

Now, we're on to the Cardinals game to celebrate the end of the school year. 

Happy summer everyone!

Rambling

Being a mom isn't easy.  Whether you're a stay at home mom, or a mom juggling kids and a full time job outside of the home, its not easy.  And it's thankless (I'm sure my mom would be the first to agree with that).






But it's also the greatest thing ever.

As a mom who works outside the home, I've experienced that there are times when everything seems to work smoothly.  Schedules are (mostly) in balance, everyone is able to keep up (with the healthy skill of saying no), and things are (mostly) calm.

And then there's the rest of the time.

The times that nothing is in balance. 

The times that your heart and desires pull you in one direction (usually toward your family) but obligations and such pull you in another.

And then the heart begins to ache.

And the stress begins to build.

The month of May, with school ending, and summer break looming is definitely one of those seasons where nothing seems to be in balance.  .

I know that as a mom I'm called to put my family first.  God designed us that way--that is our vocation.  And when I put the family first I'm happier.  Not always calmer but definitely more satisfied.  The trick is putting aside the guilt and worry and stress that comes with knowing other obligations might not be getting my whole head. 

But....

I'm not very good at that.  I worry.  And that worry takes me away from the present.  And that really doesn't help anything.

So, for the time being I'm going to try to figure out how to get things back to manageable.  Balance is impossible, but I can live with controlled chaos.  It's not my preference, but I can live with it.

A Long Saturday

Wow, can Saturday's be really long, yet full, and still lacking enough time to fit everything in.

We started this morning at 5.  There's a cat that roams the neighborhood.  I have no idea who he belongs to, but he wanders around.  We'll often find him scampering away from the car when we come outside.  Well, this morning he got into some sort of screeching match with some animal.  Shriek after piercing shriek, right outside our bedroom window.

Good morning.

Then a few minutes later Connor rolled into our room for a snuggle.  He eventually fell back to sleep, but Darren and I were both awake.

Fast forward to 6 am.  I'm three sips into my first cup of coffee when here comes Christian.  He's all dressed and greets me with "I'm ready to go help you at Soulard."

I'm glad for the help Buby, but Soulard doesn't open til 7.  A few minutes later he tells me "Mommy, I think we want to do everything for you because of all the things you do for me and Connor."

Aww. 

After a while, Christian and I headed to pick up some fruits and veggies (and some herbs) at Soulard.  Then we picked up Connor, headed to get the boys haircuts, followed by a trip to Home Depot.

When we got home, it was only 10:45, but it sure felt like way past lunchtime.

Because it was hot out, I gave the boys a bucket of water, their water guns, and finally hooked up the sprinkler for them.

What is better than a sprinkler for a kid on a hot day?

Christian loves it.

Connor, not so much at first.

"Mommy, I have an idea."

 Ah, that's better.

I worked in the yard...there's more to do than I have time to tackle on the weekends.  Inch by inch.

Then some banana bread was made,

And finally, one boy conked out for a long nap.

What a delightfully uneventful, busy, tiring, happy day.

And, it' not even 5pm yet.

What's next?