Hot in MN!

So, it turns out it does get hot in Minnesota. Who knew? Today it was actually in the 90's. Depending on which bank sign you go by, it was either 110, 101, or 98 at 7pm this evening. I say evening loosely, given it's 9:46pm here and there is still a little light out that I can see through the basement window.

Although it was hot, and Jamie and Duncan both got super hot running to t-ball, I was very comfortable in the shade. Something that still never happens over the summer months in ol' Gainesville.

I miss the friends, the stuff we had to do to stay busy and knowing what was going on, but Minnesota in June still has Florida in June beat!

Happy Father's Day!

Well, another year goes by and it's Father's Day again. Growing up Father's Day was a bit of a combined holiday. My dad's birthday always fell the same week, if not the same day, and we usually did the two together. Between my brother, Mark, and I it was deciding what to get dad, blank cassette tapes, blank vcr tapes, socks or the rare tie. Men are so hard to shop for and my dad was always the hardest. Men in general seem to only ever want a few things, and typically if they want something, they go and buy it, no regard for anyone needing to shop for them in coming months:) Same ting happened every Christmas.

Now I have a husband of my own that I have to contend with, seeing as we have two little boys that are not nearly old enough to realize Father's Day is coming up, much less do anything about it. There was of course the Hallmark trip to purchase cards. That by the way is one way to really see if anyone is ready for kids, or at least to keep the population in control. Taking two little boys into a Hallmark. Thousands of cards to open, some that play music, lots of things that can be broken and aisles and aisles of people not really wanting to deal with little boys and of course, counters with candy at eye-level to top it all off. Some how we made it through. It always reminds me why I need to buy cards once or twice a year for every occasion, while the boys are in school.

If only they sold Father's Day cards a few months in advance (or that I thought about it before school ended). I think I'll wait until high school before I try to let them pick out cards again.

So, while my own father (love ya Dad!) was hard to shop for, my husband is a bit easier, as he likes golf. Worst case scenario I can always lean on something golf related and get a gift receipt so he can exchange if needed. This year a trip to the Christian Book Store turned out to be very lucrative (for them). I found a nice golf picture with a nice sentiment on it, perfect since Jamie is wanting to replace my Asia pictures in there with golf pictures to complete the golf theme of the basement bathroom. While there, Ben found the Golfer's Serenity prayer, very cute and a golf ball to boot. Father's Day complete.

Oh yeah, and the days activities . . . Jamie got up early to play golf before church, church, lunch, watch the US Open, hit balls at the driving range with family, US Open.

I think this is what they call the golfers version of Father's Day. Only beat out last year by actually going to the US Open on Father's Day.

Proudest Parenting Moment

Ok, this actually happened this past Friday morning, but things have been a bit busy to post it.

Jamie had just come home from golf and was telling me about his round and getting ready to head in to work. We wondered where and what the boys were up to, as they were very quiet, which is always suspicious with a four and six year old boys. Well, off I went searching through the house for them. I thought they were in the basement, or at least they were supposed to be playing in the basement. I went down, quiet, hum. Asked if they were there, they were. Walked down the hallway to their play area. They were both there, sitting together nicely, playing CHESS! Charlie had been asking us to help him learn and Ben I guess finally decided to help him. I immediately praised them both and left. Did not want to risk messing up a good thing.

I think I'm going to have to keep this little tidbit handy for those times that they really drive me nuts. A reminder of why they are great, why I love them so, and that they can't always be in trouble:)

Proudest Parenting

My Pet Peeve

So, I may not be the most environmental person out there, but I try to do at least my part. I use cold water to wash most clothes, I use a lot of vinegar and water as a cleaner, I love Mrs. Meyers lavender concentrate cleaner, I use more rags than paper towels, heck, I even reuse dryer sheets (equal part environment and money for a few of those). I am a huge recycler. I could actually recycle a lot more if my recycle bin didn't fill up way before they came for it. Who would have know that two little bins that I could stack up and put boxes under would in the end hold so much more than one giant rolling bin that they only empty every other week, and I can't put so much in it that it can't shut. Ok, that's not my pet peeve I was aiming at, but I guess it it too.

My real pet peeve is PACKAGING!

How, pray tell, in a work where we are all trying to be more environmentally conscience, can you actually end-up creating more trash? Yesterday I had to get more light bulbs for our basement lights. Turns out, I thought I had bulbs, only had one and I needed 5. Just the idea of needing that many annoyed me, seeing as those things aren't cheap anymore, and they don't grow on trees.

Well, off to the store I go. Look through about a ton of different bulbs, find the environmentally happy twirly ones that are the right size and wattage. Not a great price, but they were supposed to last years and I really don't like taking the whole fixture apart to change bulbs.

I get home, and eventually get a chance to change the bulbs. I open the cardboard package with my 6 bulbs in it, only to find more cardboard. Six individually wrapped little light bulbs. Not only do they each have their own cardboard box in the big cardboard box, but there was more cardboard inside that too. Seriously?! I mean, these little guys are not travelling to the moon. Why can't they be packaged like the old bulbs that used a fraction of the pasteboard these guys consumed?

All I could think was with the electricity I was saving using these environmentally happy bulbs, there would be so much more waste with the packaging not to mention that not fitting in my recycle bin, on top of all the energy needed to make that pasteboard stuff.

I avoid packaging when I can. I don't buy those individually packaged snacks. I am fully capable of putting stuff in little containers on my own. Speaking of, we use very few sandwich type bags. I have turned to the reusable containers for the boys and Jamie's lunch, less trash and less money re-buying stuff you plan on throwing away. I reuse the trash bags from the recycle stuff, since i can't bag that, and use the trash bags for the dogs outdoor waste. Yeah, our community doesn't have yard waste pick-up, so I have to trash that "stuff". Previously I just added it to my yard waste and it went to compost. Now, it goes to some landfill unless I want to haul that "stuff" in my car across town to pay an extra fee to dispose of it. Seriously? How is all this more environmental?

Ok, my one pet peeve about my light bulbs turned into a total rant that sounds like I'm about to strap myself to some tree and refuse to move when the bulldozer comes. I love tress and all, but really? I have way too many chores to do to sit there, although it would be a good chunk of time to read, hum?

I'm signing off now before I go on about tiny cars that wouldn't adequately fit safe car seats, and would prevent school and activity carpooling.

Favorite Things- Part Two

So as it turns out, these will not be in order, so please don't think this is. Also, I hope it goes without saying that my boys and my husband are of course my real favorites, but by definition, they can't be on this list. They are people, not things. With that said, here is another favorite . . .

My Laundry Chute!

What a wonderful creation. A little tube through my house that drops all the laundry from the second floor right into my laundry room. The chute is actually in Charlie's room. While I really was thinking I was going to have to put a lock on it to prevent the boys from dropping who knows what down, they haven't. They are really awesome though.

Now, if only I could reverse gravity and have the clean laundry travel back up. Oh wait! That's what little boys are for!

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Ok, this will be a few posts, but here is my first, Peonies! I love them and actually have a couple peony plants in my yard! Gotta love Minnesota spring flowers. Of course, I found out what this plant was and then the next day Duncan decided most of the buds looked yummy and bit them off. I think I have about a dozen buds left, maybe a bit more, but there were at least 2 dozen he bit off. I got him back though, he was taken in to be neutered today. Just kidding, not about neutering, but it wasn't out of revenge.

So, here is my first real peony, it opened today. It's beautiful and smells as sweet as it looks.

Camping

We went camping this past weekend. Lots of fun. I cannot count the times Charlie told us he loved camping. I need to post pics and write a whole thing about it, just can't now, but I wanted to try to get updated a bit. Ok, better run, chores, library, and little boys call.

I swear I'll get pics on the computer soon!