Field trip #2

our local county museum. Wednesday June 10th.

I had no idea what to expect but WOWZERS! I couldn't believe the amount of stuff they have packed into that morton building!! There are no pictures from there because the trolley was late picking the kids up & I had to get another from his house on my way with the van & then unload 4 from the van while waiting on the trolley-hoping it really did make it to them, so the camera was forgotten in the van. but when we went from the building to the old school house then the log cabin, I grabbed it. To only take 3 photos LOL  oh well, such is life, the kids had fun, I have a fabulous friend that did a wonderful job pointing things out to the kids & making them think about the changes that have taken place.

 old bridge planks + old telephone poles = walking bridge to connect the 2 sides of the property, not very maneuverable by the stroller

 them checking out the bug collections in the old school house. BIG thanks to Stacey for making them think!!

the morton building that houses a ton of stuff!! 

Field Trip #1

On Friday, we had our first official field trip of summer! I say official because I sent 4 of them on the trolley on Wednesday to visit Dan Wardell from IPTV at our local library for a couple of hours yet, I kept the majority of the littler ones home.  So, today we had a mini boot camp at a local gym. AWESOME!!! the owner/instructor did AMAZINGLY with my group! they loved it & the boys want to go back & do a harder one :)  From there they walked across the street to a path that leads to the nearest city park  & I drove the van w/3 littles, picnic & other miscellany supplies, around the corner & into the park.  We had just finished unloading when the bigs arrived. TA DA! looooved it! they loved the independence while I appreciated that I could trust them to do what they needed to to get where they were supposed to be, so I could get the rest of supplies there as well. We then played & picnic'ed until 12:30, when the trolley arrived to return them.  

looking forward to the county museum tour on Wednesday & then an entire day on Friday of a different park! 

Friday 5: Summer week 1

1. I have an A.MAZ.ING. group of kids! my bigs have been my anchors this week.  This is the first week of summer & our helper is on vacay to kick off her summer break from college, so she isn't able to help here. This coinciding, I have been awarding any & all of the following awards daily; 'matched time' rather than the 2 minutes of reading=1 minute of electronics, free electronic time & water paints at nap time .  I admit I was a bit concerned about how I was going to safely handle everyone at once on my own, but they reminded me that I don't have to. 
2. This one is teething. Teething in the summer is miserable for all, but at least its not hot yet and we've had some new distractions this week with all the bigs filtering in & out daily.
3. Thursday I finally followed through with a to-do.  We made homemade ice cream.  I had bought heavy cream from the food coop 2 weeks ago and kept putting it off, well getting more coop groceries last night, I decided to do it yesterday. 10AM.  Stop making everything so much harder than it needs to be, just do it.  so we inserted the canister & top, did the ice+salt layers by instruction of a 5 year old professional ice cream maker, plugged it in the outlet on the front step, & let 'er rip.  30ish minutes later we had amazing chocolate ice cream, to eat, before lunch. ahhhhh summertime! 
4. coffee + kombucha- its how I am getting by this week. I am physically dragging but I think its more of the mental game I play that 'I can't handle them all on my own anymore' that weighs the body down unnecessarily. not sure what my excuse will be next week-ha! 
5. I get to help some friends at their market booth tomorrow. Downtown Farmer's Market! YEAH BABY! I am excited! I love the buzz of the market, the excitement in the air, the sights, the sounds & even some of the smells :) Also, I love to help people out.  

This might be a fun little series to try to keep going... Are you on summer break yet? how did your week go?

Just What the doctor ordered!

Yesterday, I Was having a grumpy morning, I felt like I Was grouching at Everyone for every little thing. :( Yuck! 

I Was so very thankful it Was Wednesday. Wednesday= park day! Whooooooo-Hooooooo!  2 hours of freedom for all of us. The extra space & Different environment Does amazing things for Our brains, hearts & souls.  Not to mention that the different environment is OUTSIDE! Then, When you throw in a friend who brings her kids within Our age range it makes everything better!  A collage from the few shots i took today.

To say I am Not ready for school to start, sending the bigs off every morning, being 'stuck' in the house all day, & back to a predictable routine, is pretty mild. But ask me again in a couple of weeks.. it usually turns around pretty quick.

 

5 on Friday

Summer at home.  I have done several posts on my favorite things of summer over all.. so this one will be summer at home. In phone pics.

Laundry on the line.

  This ivy plant that is amazing.

Dogs soaking up some sun. 

 Baby feet in the green grass.

The cat on the garage roof @ sunset.   

Summer Fun

Even tho I Haven't done well at documenting it, we have been enjoying our summer freedom! I love that we don't have school schedules to follow, trolleys to watch for (to get them to preschool or back), & can do lunch pretty much any time we want!  so far we have had a few park days, a few library days & a couple of Friday Fun days!

in the past, I have sent those ages 4 & up to the library on the trolley w/the helper & I have kept those younger ones at home.  This gave me a chance to do some one on one w/the smaller ones or get some baking or laundry done if they were busy entertaining each other. This year, I have been better about going along and taking all ages. Yes, less baking is getting done & the laundry is getting put in the dryer more than I like, but WOW they sure impressed me at this magician's show! they all sat so good & soaked it all in!

 Then of course we got to run around outside w/the Feehan boys afterward while we waited on our trolley. And I couldn't pass up a chance for a group shot!

 

They also loved the Dan Wardell show last week! here is our group shot after it.

 

 

 

Random (garden) Friday

sheesh! I hope to get a better routine going for blogging this fall! I always have big dreams, but follow through is not my strong suit sometimes...

So anyway: a happy random post with garden photos!

gorgeous lilys:

corn in our garden! a first in several years. yummmm

Tomatoes... lookin' good, now w/a the recent shower, hopefully they will start to turn a little faster so the bottoms don't get burn up...

watching a bee doin' his thing in the zucchini blossom:

still pretty stoked about how tall the corn got! you can see it from the street over our privacy fence :)

& this is the complete over-view of the garden area, oh the changes & extensions we are making for next year!

How does your garden grow?  What do you enjoy fresh in the summer?

5 on Friday

5 BIG REASONS this girl is ready for SUMMER camping weekends...
(not in any particular order-HONEST)


1.  COCKTAILS TO PARTAKE OF

2. FRIENDS TO BE ENJOYED

3. ADVENTURES TO BE HAD

4. PLAYING WITH THE CAMERA IS MY ONLY PRIORITY

5. AMAZING SCENERY EVERYWHERE TO BE ENJOYED

ALL ARE PARTS OF A FANTASIC WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!
(photos from 2009 Memorial Day Weekend)

YIKES

it became clearer to me last week w/each passing day that Summer is 1/2 over :(( I am so not ready for the cold that comes soon after Summer leaves .  BOO!!!  The countdown has begun, the countdown to be sure we suck every bit of goodie out of what is left of Summer!

1. 3 more camping trips
2. at least 4 more boating trips
3. country fair, state fair trips
4. homemade ice cream at childcare & the park
5. 4 more Friday Field Trips
6. lots more mornings & afternoons in the yard
7. more picnics in the yard
8. more evenings spent on the deck
9. more trips to the local parks for play & picnic
10. more early morning runs
11. more garden-learning
12. more weekend mornings on the deck
13. less time inside
14. less computer time
15. more blocking out the upcoming holidays
16. more ignoring of impending school starting

another Friday event

Last Friday we got to tour an ambulance for our Friday Field Trip! They weren't very excited about going, & I think its because an ambulance usually means something bad, dangerous or serious in nature that makes most adults slow down, stop a moment & take note.

but they warmed right up w/our EMT's open, chill approach to our visit.  They opened the doors, told the kids to pile in & let them ask any & all questions they could come up!

 AWESOME EXPERIENCE!!!

AND we got tatoos :) SCORE!!!

HAPPY HUMP DAY!!!!!!!!!!!

THE LAST WEDNESDAY OF SUMMER VACATION! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK... I am really not ready for school to start :(  no real reason:

1.  just not quite ready for the shift in gears-tho its all good
2. don't feel like we did enough this summer-even tho we left the house almost every single Friday & some week days, saw 3 movies @ the theater & did library 2x each week for 5 weeks
3. don't feel like we had enough outside time-tho we walked 3 mornings most weeks, went thru 3 gallons of bubbles, 4 boxes of sidewalk chalk, ran the sprinkler 4x most weeks & all have tan lines to show we were out there
4. didn't send home a single craft project all summer long
5. only had the paints out 2x
6. playdough was out several times-usually during lunch prep on rainy or post rainy=muddy days
7. there was no reading or quiet game playing under the tree *sigh*
8. no playhouses set up w/dishes

how sad!!! & this is only the childcare summer fail list!!! :(  my personal one is way worse LOL
ok off my sob story & on to the positives of the start of school:

1. new grades, new teachers, new routine
2. only littles in house 7:45am-3:15pm
3. almost guaranteed quiet time daily
4. grocery bill goes down-the littles eat a lot less than the bigs
5. more house work can get done -more time inside
6. more paperwork can get done - more time inside
7. the bigs are happy to see the littles after school -  absence makes the heart grow fonder
8. preschool starts the following week!!!!!!!
9. a new family starts here next week

ok so they pretty much balance each other out & shoudl quit my whining b/c its here whether I want it tobe or not! :)

what did you accomplish this summer (or not)?

woops!

its been a busy week but nothing really to write about .. summer is closing up & I am having mixed emotions!! I am not ready to be done w/all of our outside activities, I don't feel we got enough in, went to enough parks, or had enough picnics :( we may just have to schedule more than one activity each week for the next 2. :)  today is our last official field trip friday event... the vet clinic!! yay!! then we are going to a little city park that's reallly nice & almost new -my only complaint is no potties :( boo! 8 kids & no potties..not cool numbers!

personally, I have a ton to report!!! 

I am in full on ScrapPink organization mode!! whohoooooooooo  registrations are out & coming back in YIKES!  I need to get on some prize donations now!!  The Tshirt guy is working on a print for us-love having original shirts for our events!!

I have created a team & registered for my Second 5k in October! YIKES!! Come join my team & if you can't, please donate to the cause :) (My team will have both walkers & runners on it) I walked it last year & it is a very cool experience. I was humbled by being passed by running cancer survivors when I was walking w/no excuse other than being lazy & unfit to run. This year I am running!

I have located, printed & shared today the registration for my First 5k for September! AHHHHHHHHH now to send it in so I can't chicken out! :)  I am hoping to ease my mind a bit by going over & running the course b4 the race.. is that cheating or being prepared? maybe I should find out first! eeek.

I am back in QRS prep! I think all I need to do is find some quiet time HA & go thru my paperwork. I better get on it.. it takes a while to get our stipend back & that's what I plan to use for Christmas shopping money.

I did w6d1 of the c25k program Wednesday night & will do d2 over the weekend.  I think it might be contagious as Tim did w1d1 then w2d1 unintentionally.. somehow he didn't know how to run my mp3 player & did both of them back to back LOL the goof!  I was involved in my dvr'd shows so I didn't notice he was running longer than he should have. 

Yup.. personally, I have been & plan to be B.U.S.Y.  I guess maybe, I have taken this summer for childcare kind of slow to make up for the busy mind & evenings?   Right now its time for breakfast & picnic prep!! Have a great day & weekend everyone!!!

Another Summer List

:) You all know by now how much I love a good list ... the feeling of accomplishment when I check things off *contented sigh* So when I read Rachel's fun list this morning over @ Smile and Wave I just couldn't resist making one of my own.

1. make seedless raspberry jam-berries are picked-1/2 way there :)
2. can veggies from our garden -if it ever stops raining so they can grow
3. take the kids on an outing every Friday
4. take some time @ the water's edge to chill -hoping this will be a beach @ the lake but since they are all underwater I'll take a quiet boat ramp, I try not to be picky
5. hit up a zoo- Rachel reminded me that we haven't been in SO LONG & we used to love a good zoo
6. keep taking pictures-I have unintentionally stopped or at least slowed to a crawl since I haven't been scrapping
7. have coffee on the deck-this would mean getting up before Tim is rearing to hit the road on whatever our plans are on a home weekend
8. get better about getting the paper recycling out- the plastic & tin I rock every other week on curb pick up, the paper: not so much (the glass and cardboard go to the recycling dumpster)
9. read on the deck @dusk-meaning quit running around before 9pm
10. enjoy the camping weekends away -use them to recharge for the next week
11. host my family 4th of July dinner after the parade -even if it is on the 5th :)

WOW oddly I had to struggle to get 11 fun things & not ones that would look like chores. (& some are questionable but at least they are easy)  hmmmm time to think about fun instead of all work :) 

what are your fun goals for the summer??

Happy Hump Day!!

And so far its a good one!!! :) 

First: Sammy Slept All Night!!! hip hip hooooray!!!  Gus didn't but that's ok b/c he goes right back to sleep.. Sammy wants to stay up & play.

Second: I weighed in today @ the same thing I've been weighing for 3? weeks! time to get consistant w/the exercise!!!!!!!!

Third: speeking of exercise... last night I took both dogs for .5 mile walk then headed out on my own quiet mile. I decided to walk their .5 mile in reverse so I'd do the majority of the walk w/the sun in my face. GLORIOUS!!!  I ended up doing 2 full miles in total last night then came home& ran the north stretch of fence w/Sammy 6 times :) hmmmm maybe that's why he slept so well LOL

Fourth: I picked lettuce from my own garden last night! WOW!!!!!!! I washed it up & its chilling for lunch YUMMMMMM

Fifth: THE SUN IS SHINING so we are planning to walk this morning & probably play on the elementary school playground! YEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Sixth: first childcare event on Friday.. a bit nervous! but more excited :)

Seventh: crazy Saturday planned... City Wide Garage Sales, Farmer's Market, canning class in WDM, Sammy's puppy check up, father's day bonfire/weinie roast @ mom's for supper, birthday party invite to the south, wanting to visit friends & socialize the pups. thinking Sunday will be a big ole nappin day :)

offfffffffffffffffffffffff weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee goooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!

Hump Day!

means we are over the hump on our way to the weekend!! :) yahooooooooooo

Had a good educational training last night!!  SIDS, PURPLE crying, & Shaken baby Syndrome. all things we can't learn enough about!! then ended the night w/GREAT give aways :) that always makes for a good training.

today was weigh in day @ the 'hood & I have to say I stayed the same or gained one. I have yo-yo'd alot the past week & don't remember exactly what last week's weigh in weight was.  With last week's eating issues, I was down to a new set of numbers I haven't seen in MONTHS then w/in a couple of days I was back up to where I am now. but it totally inspired me to get my hiney moving & get back down there for REALS!!!

Today is a busy day for our child care!!  briefly its like this: breakfast x2, Shrek @ the local theater, back for lunch, lay down for a movie/quiet time, send bigs w/helper to library on trolley for craft time, snack when they get back + littles get up & then starts the end of the day. *whew* going to need a work out tonight!!!

time to get breakfast started! off & running!!! :)  have a great day!

YAY!!

I can post today!! Thanks blogger!! it wasn't letting me get this far yesterday :S so much in my head today going to attempt to organize it w/a list:

• Seriously pumped about our childcare Friday events this summer!!! something every Friday June 18-August 6!!!! ROCK ON!!! movie, fire station, farmer's market, animal shelter, vet clinic, train depot, conservation board, nurse consultant, even another provider's home for 4th of July craft!! GET OUT!!
• Today is the first official day of Summer Vacation! Whohoooooooo it started w/a pretty big thunderstorm & an inch of rain! LOL welcome to Iowa twenty-ten.
• I have childcare 'baby training' & dinner tonight, food training in Creston on the 22nd, need to go thru my QRS paperwork & see what needs done to turn in by 7/1
• helpers start tomorrow
• My body teased me w/a weigh in on Sunday that made me squeal. of course I gained it back in the past couple of days but hope to work it back off this week!
• I did 42 wii fit minutes + 2 new 10 minute target workouts on Sunday.. LOVE them!!!
• Have to miss the Farmer's Market tonight :(

now time for True Confessions:

1. living on water & string cheese last week helped the scale look good
2. but it threw my body into starvation mode & it stored what i ate on Sunday & I gained 3# back
3. at least that is my interpretation of the scale roller coaster I am on
4. I am still under my #5 button  :)
5. seeing that new number on the scale lit a fire I haven't had for a long time!
6. it was 1# shy of a 10# button!!
7. I was even too tired to eat all of my supper last night
8. then totally sabotaged everything by napping on the couch after supper for 2 hrs! 
9. boo!
10. today its raining cats & dogs already
11. so there will be no outside time *sigh*
12. yoga for kids & maybe a 10 minute session or 2
13. depending on how cooperative the kids are...
14. it is their first day of summer vacay after all!!

what are your confessions?? be honest! :)

happy friday!

another busy weekend ahead!

we definatly earn our weekends@ the lake w/all that we pack into our weekends @ home :)

last night we worked in the garden :) THAT IS SUCH A JOY to see what is growing!! loooooooooooove it!!! cukes, green beans, tomatoes, lettuce (that I think is close to picking), radishes, onions, a few corn, & tim's pepper plantation! fuuuuuuuuuunnnnn!  Last night I also broke down & bought some wave petunias from walmart(ick) for hanging baskets on the deck.  I filled 2 baskets, a funky antique metal pot/pitcher, a small stone pot & a medium bucket w/pink & white petunias & a couple of german ivy's I hadn't planted yet from the nursery. 

tonight I just have to finish tidying the deck for the Tastefully Simple party tomorrow afternoon & it will be all ready to go! thinking we might even take time to do some garaging in Winterset after our Osceola Farmer's Market visit TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!

our summer events are coming togther! YAY! that is such a relief. I was afraid I'd put some work into it & it would flop. (I always think that with everything I do)

small group of 4 today so we are off for a walk this morning & some more productivity to check off that list this afternoon during nap time :)

what are your weekend plans??

busy busy busy!

a group of Thursday Threes today

 

CHILD CARE:

• setting up weekly field trips for the summer
• organizing Thursday in park
• scheduling helpers for summer

HOME:

• squeezing all we can into the weekends & evenings @ home
• getting gardens going
• keeping house & yards kept

SHRINKING:

• we walked 2.5 miles last night
• I did 18 fit minutes
• I am down another # today

SUMMER:

• local farmer's market opening day Saturday!!
• garage sales-I haven't been in YEARS
• 4th of July celebration

 *whew* off & running today!!!  have a good one :)

Summer :)

I love the change of seasons!! Each one has its own novelty that keeps is oh so special from the others (in Iowa anyway). Summer is our season of activity around here. Lawns need mowed, flower gardens need added to, weeded & loved, planters need freshened, the veggie garden needs tilled, planted & tended, outside projects GALORE! Not to mention our camping/boating weekends *dreamy sigh* Looooooooooooooooove them!!! With those fun weekends comes the prep, upkeep & planning of the boat & supplies on the off weekends & evenings. Our local Farmer's Market starts next Saturday!! Oh how I love the Farmer's Markets!! Summer also means no school so I have to try to keep the kids from getting bored. Last year, I was able to plan a few morning movies @ the local theater, this year I am planning weekly events! Every Friday we are going somewhere & doing something & during the week we are hitting at least one local park paired w/a picnic lunch! My favorite holiday is the 4th of July! I love the local parade, patriotic decorations, traveling carnival that comes to town, hosting my family BBQ after the parade & catching up w/Tim's family @ their annual gathering, fireworks, all.of.it. August brings the Iowa State Fair! With it's concerts, food, walking, animals, food, walking, art, food, walking, friends, food, walking, displays, food, walking, OK you get the picture! We used to joke that I eat my way thru it :) *whew* It really is no wonder I am ready for Fall when it arrives :)

Along w/all of this I have a 'few' special projects I'd like to complete sometime this summer. I have printed some plans from Knock off Wood I'd like to build, I'd like to disassemble & paint the handmedown desk I use in the childcare, I have a pile of frames in the hallway I'd like to hang, I'd love to get some color on these walls in the childcare, and I plan to explore at least 2 new farmer's markets. This is just a tiny list of 'want-to-do's' for this warm season ahead. This list I have on a jumbo stickie hanging on my calendar, you should see the master list I have in word :)

What are your summer plans? Please Share!

crazy busy week.

that will be best described in list form:

• 2 child care visits--food program & DHS spot check
• 1 nurse visit (finally remembered to fast:))
• 1 chiro visit
• followed the next day by a headache that took way too much ibu to kick
• finales almost every night!! Castle, Grey's, The Mentalist, Medium, Private Practice (online from last week)
• rain 2 days
• outside 3 days
• no treadmill
• completely organized 3 field trips & started 6 others- not sure if we have that many weeks of summer vacay:)
• worked on organizing Thursday night in the Park for Early Childhood-Stacey do you girls want to do a table for your ps?
• cutting things from the weekend plans to leave breathing time. sometimes it just has to be done!
• field trip today -rain or shine- singing for senior citizens CANNOT be skipped! :)
• made granola bars/cereal, banana bread, 1/2 wheat choco chip cookies, 4 loaves of homemade bread
• haven't transferred photos from camera from LAST weekend yet haha
• hoping to sleep in tomorrow!
• wishing you a WONDERFUL weekend!!!