Not so crafty Monday

I feel like I should be making, sewing, or building something, but I'm not.

The kids' last day of school was last Thursday and we are trying to figure out our new summer routine.

I can say this, the garage has been cleaned out, laundry is being busted through, we have been to the health club, some shaggy little boy got a much needed haircut,

Before:

After:

lunch has been served and now the kids are reading (my one daily requirement).

Maybe tomorrow I'll show you, tell you or teach you about something fantastic but until then, we'll just work on finding our "new normal".

Until then, here are a few pictures from our baseball weekend:

Professional ~

(Random Fact ~ I think I tear up every time I hear the national anthem)

and

7 year old ~ 

And actually, I do have something fun to teach you (even better if your kids are still in school ~ if not bookmark it for next year!) So..... come back later this evening!

Embrace the Camera ~ Last Day

Today is the last day I will be standing next to a 4th grader and a 1st grader. ☹

(YIKES! We're all looking a bit tired this morning and me, well I'm in my workout gear.  

Because as soon as the kids are on the bus, Smiley and I hit the gym!)

☼

I can't believe another school year is done.  They've learned, grown (and not just physically!) and made new friends.  And I have I have to say, I am ready for the low key summer that is coming our way.

☼

See for yourself:

September 2010:

This Morning:

(Holy Moly someone NEEDS a haircut!)

Also,  I would like to pat myself on the back, because never ONCE did we miss the bus this year, and this morning, Action wasn't taking any chances (he had about 7 minutes to wait yet ~ ha!)

  

Watch out 5th and 2nd grade ~ these two are coming your way!

The Talk

Last week, I drove into the parking lot and began to pull into one of the few empty spots left.

As I was pulling in a young boy between the ages of 13-14 ran into my parking space and motioned for me to roll down my window.  It was obvious to me that he was in a hurry.  I quickly rolled down my window.  He mentioned the name of the person he wanted to see and wondered if he was in the right place.

I told him he was.

He took off in jog.  Then turned around to me and yelled, "Where is the entrance?"

I told him the entrance to the church was just down the sidewalk and would be on his left.

He was only 20 yards from entering the church that was holding the funeral service for a young girl his age.  Was he her friend, a classmate or family?  I will never know.  I do know he was alone, upset, and the middle school the young girl had attended was only blocks away from the church.

The night before, her death was talked about on the local news, a friend of mine (who would be singing at the funeral) had posted a link to the news story on Facebook.  It seems this young, bright girl had died "playing the choking game"

Which is basically when a person strangles themselves with either their bare hands, scarf, belt or other object for a period of time.  "When they release the pressure, blood that was blocked up floods the brain all at once. This sets off a warm and fuzzy feeling, which is just the brain dying, thousands of cells at a time." ~ www.gaspinfo.com

I just happened to have to go to church that morning to pick something up in the office.  I didn't know this young girl.  I knew her name and when the funeral was because of the news story and Facebook message.  But I couldn't help but cry for her.  A life cut so short, because of what?  Trying to get high, without using drugs or alcohol?  And I couldn't help but cry for that young boy who lost his friend.  And I did, I sat in my car and cried.

These past few weeks, Sassy and I have been reading this book (I also pulled out my old college anatomy and physiology text books).  We've been discussing the changes her body will be making as she keeps growing up, and a bit of the birds and the bees.  We've been talking about "not trashing your temple." You know, no drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and taking care of your body with diet and exercise. But NOTHING about suffocating yourself to get high.

I'll be honest here; I wasn't excited to go into this with her.  And the only reason I did when I did, was because they were going to discuss the female and male bodies at school.  Not just parts, but periods and all that jazz.  I wanted her to hear it all from me first.  What she needs to know and what we believe.

I am not perfect and I'm sure I missed some important things.

I didn't talk to her about the "choking game" but I will be.   And these conversations will be ongoing, because new things come about everyday, new questions and new experiences. There will always be stories to learn from, questions that will arise and feelings that she has yet to feel.  But the door has been opened and the conversations have begun and as a mother I can only pray that I have taught her enough.

For more information regarding "the choking game" check out this website.

"We're having a heat wave, a tropical Heat Wave......"

Yep, that is an old song, but it is so true today!

Check it out, this is what the thermometer looked like earlier today:

And that was in the shade!

So, we pulled out the kiddie pool for the first time this season (outdoor public pools aren't open until Friday) and tried to cool off:

Rhubarb Strawberry Pie and the 8 stitches that went with it

Ah, rhubarb season is in full swing where I live.  And nothing beats a yummy piece of rhubarb strawberry pie.

I wouldn't want you all to feel left out, so here are the recipes I use:

Lets start with the pie crust.  (This recipe makes a double pie crust.)

2 ¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
5-7 tablespoons ice cold water

1.  Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl.
2. Cut in shortening using a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs

3. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time (I usually end up using about 5 tablespoons) ~ mix after each addition.  Add water until mixture is evenly moist and clings together.

4.  Divide pastry in ½ and shape into ½" rounds.  Wrap in saran-wrap (or similar), refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.

Rhubarb Strawberry pie filling

1 ¼ cup sugar
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2" pieces
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 Tablespoon butter
Pastry for a double crust pie (see above)


1.  In a large bowl stir together sugar, cornstarch salt and ground nutmeg

2.  Add rhubarb pieces and sliced strawberries.

 gently toss to coat.

3. Let mixture stand for 15 minutes
4.  Meanwhile, roll out your prepared crust.
5.  Line a 9" pie plate with half of the crust (one of the rounds if you use the above recipe)
Pour the fruit mixture into your pie crust.  Dot with butter and place the other crust over top.

6.  Cut slits into the top crust to allow steam to escape and, if you want to  be fancy, you'll take any extra crust, roll it out and cut fun shapes out of it for the top (Sassy chose to use tulips).  I also brush beaten egg on the top crust and sprinkling it with a little sugar.

7.  Bake at 350° for 1 hour.

This pie is delicious, but having a little ice cream on the side is like icing on the cake!  However, as the title insinuated, this can be dangerous.

Ready for the story?

WARNING:
If you're eating you might want to stop!

I had place a piece of pie on each plate.  My hubby was in charge of giving each one a scoop of ice cream.  He was using a scoop similar to this one except there was a seam between the scoop part and the handle (not this actual scoop or brand)

(source)

The ice cream was hard (it was a gallon bucket) so he put it in the microwave for 30 seconds.  Took it out and began scooping.

The next thing I knew was this:

My husband began yelling, "Get something! Get something!"  I looked over and all I saw was dark stuff all over his arm.  I just stood there thinking, "Ha aren't you a funny guy.  Not so funny when you are cleaning up all that chocolate sauce.  Jokester anyway!"

Except it wasn't chocolate sauce, and it was all over his arm and splattering all over the kitchen floor.  It was blood.  And lots of it (not an exaggeration)

Here's what happened:

The metal handle of the ice cream scoop separated from the actual metal scooper part as he was scooping.  Ended up that when the handle separated and gave way, it went straight into his opposite arm causing a huge gash ~ a trip to the ER and 8 stitches kind of gash.

Moral of the story:

Dessert can be dangerous!

Check your ice cream scoops ~ who would have ever thought?

But, the pie is STILL delicious!

Embrace the Camera

Me and my Girls

 as reflected in the side mirror of a golf cart

"Wendy you have no idea"

While we were on our little family trip, I was fortunate enough to be able to find a few moments between fishing, swimming and tending to my kiddos to enjoy a little conversation with some amazing women, my husband's grandmother and 3 of her friends (of which I would like to call mine as well).  Anyway, my husband's grandpa passed away the day Action was baptized ~ almost 7 years ago.  And one of the other women, "D"'s husband "J" passed away this past February.  They both had cancer.

"D" said some words that I will never forget.  She was speaking about love and the love she had (has) for her husband when she looked straight at me and said, "Wendy, you have no idea."  She explained that her love for him changed as he continued to get weaker.  It became "a more, respectful love."  Respect for him, for his life, for the journey he was on, for what he gave others, what he gave her, for his pain, for his strength......

She continued on and explained that Her and "J" loved each other, and they both knew it.  But this last year of his life they had said the words to each other so much more.  And they held hands.  They held hands probably more than they ever had.  

And I just sat.  Listening. Taking in every word she spoke; thankful to be sitting amongst such brave and amazing women.  


And I am reminded that all to often, I don't give my husband my time or "show him" my love.  By the time the supper dishes and homework are done, the kids have been driven here or there, bathed, prayed with, read to, tucked into bed, kisses doled out, I am done.  I want to take my time card and check out, put my feet up, read a few blogs, maybe write one of my own, read a book or maybe watch a little TV.  

But is this why I married him?  So I could quietly sit next to him in a room and do my own thing.  Not that doing your own thing is bad, actually it's good for you, however telling my husband and showing my husband how much I love him shouldn't feel like one more thing on my to do list.

So those amazing women, well they are so right.  I DON'T have a clue!  I don't know what it is like to have the love of my life become so very ill.  I don't know what it is like to have a man who was once so strong, become so weak and dependent.  I don't know what it is like to wake up alone every morning knowing that I will never be able to physically touch my husband again.

But I do know this, I am an imperfect wife.  I make mistakes.  I get frustrated.  But I don't want to wake up some morning regretting that I should have held my husbands hand more, or given him one more back rub instead of reading a friendly strangers blog.  I want to take the opportunities we have now and enjoy every minute of them ~ even if it is snuggling up while he watches a baseball game on TV and I have a book in my hand.  What matters is that we are together and we are connected.  So tonight, when he gets home instead of continuing to standing over the stove making dinner or helping with homework, I will stop what I am doing, if only for 1 minute, but I will stop and welcome my husband home with a kiss, because I can not imagine a world without the sound of his footsteps walking into our home and I want him to be reminded daily of how much I love and respect him!

To love someone deeply gives you strength. 

Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage. 

~ Lao Tzu