when hosting a sleepover

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Things I've learned from holding one too many sleepovers this summer:

(source)

1. Clean up right before the mother drops off her child, but leave the empty mop bucket in the corner so it looks like you didn't try too hard.  She'll think you're an awesome housekeeper and must clean all the time if the bucket has a place of honor next to the kitchen table.  Or, she'll see you for the farce you are.  No matter!
2. If said child and parent are to arrive at 5, start drinking at 4 and hide the glass in the cupboard when they knock on your door. The ensuing buzz will ease the transition quite nicely, but the mother will never know you're a drunkard.
3. Arrange the sleepover on a night on which you must go out for a meeting or some errands, leaving your child and his friend with your loving husband for a few hours.  At the very least, you won't have to listen to their whining.  Better yet, hire a babysitter.  Believe me, it will be money well spent.
4. When you return home, randomly shoot nerf guns in their direction, shouting "duck, duck, goose!" and "hit the deck!" at the top of your lungs.  The poor kid will think you're so crazy he won't dare cross you.
5. For dinner, serve a traditional turkey with fixings.  You'll have leftovers for days, when you're too worn out to cook, and the kids will crash before you know it.  Just make sure it is cooked all the way through, or else you'll have vomit to clean up, too.
6. Bake cookies, from scratch if possible, and fix a hearty breakfast so that the child goes and tells his mom that you are a much better cook than she.
7. Arrange for the children to sleep outside.  Call it camping if you wish.  This way, you won't have to listen to their whispers and laughter all night long.
8. If they are still too loud or sleeping in the backyard is impossible, ear plugs will become your best friends.  Use them liberally.  Duct tape, too, if necessary. 
9. Show the child your morning face.  You know, the no-makeup, hair un-brushed, sleepy-eyed look.  He'll never want to come back.
10. When the child finally leaves your house, wholeheartedly agree that they must have your son over sometime soon, slam the door, and collapse.  Send your own child to nap or clean up the mess he and his friend made and go rest.  Congratulations, you survived!  Now, will you take my own kid for a night or two?
    
    
    

floatin' with the fairies

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This past weekend, we visited Fairy Stone State Park with some friends.  We've been there before to camp and hunt for fairy stones, but this time we just visited the swimming area at the lake.  We had a great time playing in the sand and water, diving from the dock, and floating around in a pair of paddle boats.  The beach area features a kiddie swimming zone with spray toys and floating platforms, while the dock further out in the lake has a diving board and water slide.  There's a sandy area for digging and sand-castle building, as well as two volleyball nets and a large grassy lawn.  Nearby is a playground for those who get bored in the sand and a boat-rental dock with paddle boats, canoes, rowboats, and something that looks like a water bike.  For a small admission fee, we had a great day and look forward to returning next year.

when will this road end?

hittin' the beach

time to take a ride

katie was a bit timid

view from the water

all smiles

yummies

 

there's something about summer

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sunny days, lots of play, cuddles and snuggles, and rolls in the hay

beach trips, camping, hiking, and more

what will the next day have in store?

never-ending, but goes too fast

then soon the days are in their last

memories, and parties, and late nights galore

become the tales of last summer's lore.

seasons roll on, kids grow and change

tokens and photos and ticket stubs remain

reminding us of those sun-kissed days

during which we would all frolic and play.

Beach Bums

Water Play

Havin' Fun

The Great Outdoors

Gone to Camp

This post was inspired by Mama Kat's Writing Workshop.  The prompt I chose was:

5.) What five images paint a perfect picture of summer to you? Put those five images together in a piece of writing.
(inspired by writingfix.com)

 Okay, so I used more than five.  I hope you'll forgive me.

The Bee's Knees

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Katie is a huge fan of bees.  I'm not really sure how this happened.  One day, she came home from my mother's house and could say, "Bee" and "Big Bee" (pronounced "beeeeeg beeeeee").  Alex says that Katie was stung by a sweat bee that day, but I have my doubts as to the origin of her vocabulary.  Unless, of course, Grandma panicked about the bees.


Baby Kate could also have a fascination with bees due to the appearance of a hungry bee in her Peekaboo Baby book.  The famished little bee sticks out his tongue for food while the baby in the book eats with a spoon and says, "Yummy."  Did you know that Katie also likes yummies?


Regardless, during a recent trip to the NC Zoo, we toured their Honeybee Garden.  Both of the children were enthralled by the giant bee and hive, live bee exhibit, and honey-tasting table.  Katie, in particular, ran in circles shouting, "Big Bee, big bee."


At one point, we were playing peed-a-boo around this giant bee hive.  Katie would run in, squeal as I hollered, "Where's Katie?," and peek through a tiny window in the side.  She then popped back around the corner as I feigned surprise.  In the midst of our fun, as I was singing, 

"Where is Katie?

Where could she be?

She was here a moment ago...

Where is Katie?

Where could she be?

We've been looking high and low..."

a snotty-looking woman glanced at me and said, "She's right behind you, I think."  Why thank you, snotty-looking woman.  I had no idea where my not-quite-two-year-old daughter was.  I'm that irresponsible, as to let her completely disappear in a busy attraction.  Furthermore, I'm going to crouch behind a large fake beehive and sing about it.  Yep, that makes complete sense.  Any fool could see I was really in need of assistance there, lady.  You are a genius.

So anyway, up pops Katie and we go about our day, singing and playing and watching out for bees.

Determination

This picture was taken by a wonderful photographer, L. Thomas Bryan. 

The Lightner Museum

While in St. Augustine, I had the pleasure of touring the Lightner Museum, housed in the old Alcazar Hotel.  The museum contains collections of antiques, oddities, and everyday items from long ago.  The first floor, full of scientific and natural displays, features a mummified child, a shrunken head, and the preserved lion that once belonged to Sir Winston Churchill.  While exploring other levels, we came across a huge display of cut glass, Tiffany glass, urns, porcelain knick-knacks (including that of a cross-dressing clown), and very old, amazing furniture.  Additionally, one can tour the original steam baths and rooms of Henry Flagler's great hotel.

This seashell wreath (left) is on display in the Science Room on the first floor of the Lightner Museum.  Hundreds of shells have been placed in a fine artistic pattern that features flowers at its center.  This is no dime-store, junk-shop find, ladies and gentlemen, though it reminds one of the shell wind chimes hanging at every tourist trap along the Atlantic Coast.  I have to wonder what sort of glue was used to hold all the shells in such intricate detail.  This is a neat idea for a display of all the shells one collects while walking on the beach, but I don't think I'd like to have it to hang year-round.  It is a very pretty piece, nonetheless.  

This button display (right) can also be found at the Lightner Museum.  Another neat idea for an ordinary object, the display allows one to gaze upon buttons as more than mere fasteners.  The photo is taken at an angle because the buttons are hidden in a very narrow hallway that is filled with framed button collections that span years and trends in the art of buttoning.  State seals, animals, family crests, flowers, and more align the walls in a dizzying array of colors and sizes.  This big-little display would be hard to miss if you were rushing through the museum, but of course we chose to dawdle.  
My favorite button designs are the teapot and the bouquet of flowers.  The pot was constructed of many different metallic buttons, forming a rich, yet delicate, appearance.  How inviting, I would love to have been welcomed into this lady's home for a spot of tea.  The bouquet, full of rich colors and interesting textures, reminds me of the button bouquets one sees in so many trendy bridal magazines today.  Imagine, this collector was ahead of her own time.  Or, perhaps, the button bouquets harken back to a more simple time.  Regardless, the effect of each is absolutely stunning. 

Specimens of the Sea

The Palm Coast of Florida is alive and well with sea life of all sorts.  It is a wonderful area to visit with your children, providing many opportunities for learning.  While vacationing in the area, we came across man o' war, jellyfish, sea turtles, mating crabs, starfish, and numerous little fishies swimming in the ocean.  Not to mention the newts, frogs, and signs warning of alligators and nesting rattlesnakes around the hotel-- yikes!  It was if we had stepped into a veritable jungle compared to our typical crowded, unruly Myrtle Beach experiences.

We found a purplish starfish on our last beach day

First Rides

Journal of One Traveling Housewife

on the road again

So, I just returned from a beach trip to Florida, next week I set off for a half-week of Scout Camp with my son, and in a few weeks I might be traveling to Erie, PA for a meet-up of some dear, dear friends (sorry girls, I still don't know if I'll make it...)  As a result, this blog is going to turn into a travel journal of sorts.  Given that it is my all-inclusive blog of sewing, crafts, homemaking, parenting, and so forth, I figure this is okay.  Eventually, I'll have little tabby-thingies up top so that you can jump to just what you're interested in.  For now, bear with me as I reveal all the fun and crazy times I had on my latest trip.

Cheese!

Katie is finally at a point where she will willingly smile for the camera.  Here, she cheeses on the back deck while taking a break from playing in sand and water.

A Week Away, One at a Time

I never thought I’d have to deal with sibling rivalry, at least not with the pair of kiddies that I have now.  I really didn’t.  My children are seven and a half years apart.  I figured that my eldest, now age nine, would be mature enough to handle the changes that come along with bringing a baby into the house.  I also figured that my youngest, not even two, would always adore her older brother.  Alas, I had forgotten about the possessiveness an older child feels when his territory has been invaded, as well as the terrible toddler tune of “mine, mine, mine.”

You could say that my household has been in frenzy ever since Katie learned to walk.  Even more so since she learned to run.  She and Alex are constantly getting on each other’s nerves.  He antagonizes her and she steals his toys.  Typical childhood antics, I suppose, but I never thought I’d see them in my house.

As the long winter faded into spring, I had had enough.  I cooked up a plan to ship off each of my children for a week this summer.  The catch was that they wouldn’t be going away together.  This allowed me to have a solid week with each child to myself. 

However, I didn’t count on the fact that they would actually miss each other.  Having been an only child, I didn’t quite understand the depth of the sibling connection.  According to Nana, who has had the joy of having each child for a week, Katie called out for Alex more often than me or my husband.  What a surprise!  Furthermore, Alex asked if Katie could stay at the grandparents’ with him during his week because he was going to miss her.  What a shocker!

Of course, when reunited, they were quick to begin their daily spats.  And that’s okay, because I still have next summer.

A Poppin' Good Time

When I was a child, I asked my father how people started calling things the words that we use.  Why is a dog called a dog?  Why is a door called a door?  The history of language has the potential to be a very interesting topic for me, but for today I am enthralled with my daughter's love of all things that pop.

How would someone have come up with such a silly little word?  Something that is so short, and so fun to say, must have been used by a funny little fellow, don't you think?  According to merriam-webster, "pop" is an imitative word.  People would have been recreating the sound that they wished to describe.

For my little girl, it is a word of excitement, fun, and play.  Pop!  go the bubbles.  Pop! goes the popcorn.  Pop! goes the weasel.  For each of these things, we are rewarded with a squeal or a grin.  Mistress Hull is gaga for all things that pop.  Popcorn, ice pops, bubbles, jack in the box, pop goes the weasel, pop! pop! pop!  She even covets my off-limits soda pop.

 Enjoying Popcorn During Spring Break Movie-Time

Oh, to be a child and take delight in the littlest things.  Isn't it wonderful that, as parents, we can recreate that wonder through our children?  Take a moment today and experience something through the eyes of your little one.  Won't it be delightful?