Being a Kid

We all have memories of being a kid. Some good, some bad, but mostly we just remember 'things'. Amirite? I was lucky enough to have a great childhood; I know some aren't as lucky. I wanted to share some of the random things that I remember from being a child. I suppose some of them will feel quite tame nowadays, but hey! that's what happens when you're getting closer to 50. Ahem. I grew up in Southern California and in the mountains of Colorado, so some things might be specific to those areas but I'll bet there are many that are universal, especially for someone around my age.

Things I remember from my childhood:

• We lived on a cul-de-sac and I remember riding bikes long into the evenings, especially in the summer. The greatest part of this memory, though, is that we would practice 'tricks' on our bikes. Standing on the seat, not holding the handlebars, that kind of thing. And, of course, no helmets.
• Watching the fireworks at Disneyland from the corner next to my house.
• Having a crush on the neighbor boy who was a few years older than me. 
• Playing "Pong" on the tv in the basement and thinking it was the coolest thing in the world that we had a video game in our very own house.
• Not having cable and needing rabbit-ears to get even a passable signal way up in the mountains. We watched scratchy tv for so long that I was even used to the static!
• "Party line" telephone lines. We didn't have one, but many of my friends did. That certainly put a damper on talking on the phone for hours for us as teens. 
• Getting a box of Twinkies (or similar treat,) was a BIG DEAL in our house, and saved for a special occasion. Certainly not an every day thing. 
• I thought that disco was the coolest thing/music EVER, and wished I was (more than) a few years older so I could go to the bars and dance like that. 
• I lived about a 1/2 block from my elementary school and don't remember my mom ever walking us to school. (I'm sure that she did at least a few times when we were in kindergarten, but I have no memory of it.) Granted there were at least a half dozen of us from the same cul-de-sac all walking at the same time, but still. (And that's totally ok!)
• We didn't have a cafeteria or hot lunch program at my elementary school. A few days a year we would have a special lunch day that you could pre-order McDonalds. Later, after moving to Colorado, I loved being able to buy hot lunch. Hmmm. Now that I think about it, maybe that is where my dislike of sandwiches comes from!
• One time, in the winter when the mornings were still dark, I thought someone was following me as I walked to the bus stop. Turns out it was just the paper guy doing his route. 

What random things do you remember from your childhood? Share them in the comments!

OK, OK, Maybe I Don't Hate August

I just really, really dislike how busy I am every August. Coming off the relaxing months of June and July, can you really blame me for over reacting? Here are just a few things that I'm busy with this month:

• Kids have school.
• School means homework.
• Football practice 5 days a week.
• Football scrimmages on the weekends.
• Music lessons 2 days a week.
• Keeping up with insurance paperwork.
• Dejunking the downstairs of the house. (Organizing not included.)
• Wedding details.
• The regular stuff: laundry, cooking. Why do my family members insist on clean clothes and eating every.single.day?
• Gardening: including planting flowers and watering them daily. Oh. And the grass too. 
• Writing checks to the school for PE clothes, yearbooks, and school pictures.

Did I mention that HD has been working crazy hours and has, quite literally, only been home to sleep? So I'm doing all of this largely alone right now.

I know I'm being a drama queen about all of this. I know that all (most!) of you are going through the same stuff. I just need a little sympathy so I know that I'm not the only one feeling this way!

Why I Hate August

• Football practice is every day of the week.
• School starts.
• Everything requires a check.
• It's hot.
• Putting the calendar together.
• I don't get to see my friends because of the busy.
• Helping the kid lose weight for football.
• Cranky teenagers because of lack of sleep.
• Getting back to a bed time.
• Hardly seeing HD because of kids going in opposite directions.
• Having to remind a certain child that, Yes, a shower is necessary.
• I can't take a nap every day. 
• I have to make myself observe a bed time.
• Saturdays spent hanging around the house are a memory.
• Catching up on paperwork that I let slide over the summer.
• There are still 4-6 weeks of potential 100+ degree weather.

Summer Fun

Thanks to SUBWAY® restaurants for sponsoring my post about summer fun with my kids. Check out the Kids Eat Free program at any LA area location! Just purchase any two subs, two sides and two drinks, and you can get a kid’s meal FREE!

(Side note: That there is a great deal. Perfect for nights when your family is on the go. But I digress...)

*****

This has been one of the best summers for family activities for us. It actually began back in May with a trip to Las Vegas. Traveling with the kids has gotten so much easier now that they are a little older. (Believe me, moms of toddlers, it really does!) Remember that I got us passes to Knott's? Going somewhere, even for a day, is so nice!

In June, we were able to go out to Lake Havasu with some friends. Now, while not totally cost free, it was a pretty inexpensive weekend for us, and the benefits were immeasurable.  Especially when my kids got to do this:

 And see this:

London Bridge, Havasu, AZ

And do this:

Karaoke, FTW!

Getting out of the house isn't all that we did, though. We had lazy days too. Some of the best evenings were spent throwing the football around in the backyard after dinner with Headless Dad. We also took in a few movies and got to go fishing with the cousins! Learning to cook a few things has also been a highlight of the summer for my kids... scrambled eggs and ramen noodles, anyone? (It's a start, right?)

School has already started and the lazy days of summer 2011 are behind us but I can honestly say that this has been a great summer for family activities around the Headless household. Now, how many days until we get to do it again?

*****

I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Summer

...is kicking my butt.

Busy June, (but not nearly as busy as July,) vacation for 2 weeks, out-of-town visitors. Upcoming scout day camp, football practice, church camp, BlogHer!

And then? School starts. Literally the day after I get home from BlogHer.

BuhBye, Summer.

Vacation Shots #3

For 3 days in a row my boys got to go fishing in the local creek/lake. The local chapter of Trout Unlimited stocks it every year and has a free fishing event for the children-poles, bait, nets, and volunteers that teach and help the kids. (Keetha, I can totally see Fisherhubby doing this!) (Although, the trout at this particular catch were not nearly as big as his! Yikes!) Even my nieces got in on the action and HD taught the oldest of the girls how to gut, prepare, and fry them! The kids caught 7 fish the first day, 7 on the second, and on the 3rd they released everything since we already had so many. Fried fish for dinner on 2 nights of vacation. Free dinner, FTW! (The trout looked really small but were surprisingly meaty. And HD can fry a mean fish.)

Thanks to the Evergreen Trout Unlimited chapter for an unforgettable 3 days on the lake!

Vacation Shots #2

Rockies v. Royals, July 3, 2011.

This game was quite a contrast from the last time we were able to see the Rockies play. We left in the top of the 6th inning because of 1) the awful heat, and 2) the awful performance of the Rockies. When we left it was 12-8, Royals, and the Rockies ended up losing 16-8. Where are the Rocks of April that were kicking some NL a@@?

Still, a bad day at the ball park trumps a good day doing housework.

Vacation Shots #1

This is what greeted me on my first day 'home' in Colorado. Yeah, it sucks to be me.

Ego Boost

Going to a water park can be freeing. You know all those hang ups that we have about our bodies, especially when they are only covered by a few inches of fabric? This is what you'll learn:

1- You are by no means the fattest person on the planet, regardless of what you tell yourself in the mirror.
2- You are also not the whitest person. Less tan than others, maybe, but not the whitest.
3- Your swimsuit, while it may be last year's purchase, is not the ugliest, ill-fitting one in the joint.
4- You are not the laziest person there. That one person that you saw riding the slow-moving inner tube thingy? All day? That person is closer than you. At least you chased 2 boys walked around all day.
5- The cottage cheese on your thighs is nothing. Cute, even!
6- You are not the hottest mama there, either. Sigh.

Lest you think I'm being all Judgey McJudgerson, I'm not. I'm better at judging my own hang-ups than yours. It's just nice to know that I'm not alone in my hang-ups and flaws, ya know? What I do see is a much wider chunk of society than I usually do in my normal home/school/grocery store loop and that is freeing. What do you see when you go to the water park/beach/pool? I'm not the only one that gets an ego boost, am I?

I Lost the Memo...

... that informed me that it's the mom's job to do prepare everything vacation related. Including, but not limited to packing, shopping, laundry, and finding a neighbor kid to help with watering the garden. I am going to need this vacation after all of this prep.

What do you have to do to prepare for a vacation around your house? No really. I need to know so I can make sure I'm not forgetting anything! Help a sister out!

Water. That's the Secret.

You may recall that a couple months ago, (Has it only been 2? Holy cow it seems like 6,) that I bought season passes to Knott's for the kids and I. Our ridiculously cold spring and a less-than favorable schedule has only given us 2 days to go so far. That ended today.

I splurged, (a whole extra $15 per person!) to buy the passes that also get you into the adjoining water park called Soak City. It's finally warm enough to go, so off we went, arriving at the park about 11 this morning.

Honestly. We had such a great day! It was just the 3 of us, and with the water and the slides and the wave pool there was no room for bickering, fighting or punching. Can I get an Amen?

I'm really enjoying this summer, being able to hang out with my guys. It's nice that they're a little older and we can do these kinds of things without strollers or diapers or crying.

We rode the water slides dozens of times, almost drowned floated in the wave pool, ate perfectly acceptable cheeseburgers, and drank cherry colas. There was not one fight. Not one! And now, 4 hours after we got home, they are still playing nicely together. (The fact that they're still up is a totally other issue. Shut up.)

Now I just need to figure out a way to bank roll the gas and parking fee for every day of the week so the fighting will continue to cease and mama can keep the peace around here!

Anti-Climactic

Last week while starting the Pick Your Post week series, I sure did think that this would be a continuing saga. Hmmmm... not so much. Option 1: Headless Boy #2's possibly broken foot.

Doesn't it always happen? When Mama leaves town something BIG happens? Well, that's how it was last weekend when I was in Las Vegas.

I had done all of the 'planning' for the events that were on the calendar: birthday party-gift bought, dinner party with friends-drink cooler prepared, baseball game-uniforms clean and ready. The rest of the time Headless Dad was on his own to figure out food and entertainment for the crew, which meant that they went over to BIL & SIL's house! They have a new pool and the kids were looking forward to testing it out, BIL was cooking, and HG and her boy friend were going to be there, too. Sounds fun, no?

While swimming, my #2 somehow kicked the edge of the pool and hurt his foot. It apparently hurt really bad that night but everyone thought that he would feel better in the morning. It didn't. As I was leaving Las Vegas HD called me to say that his foot was, in fact, not better, and that he was going to take him to Urgent Care. I actually got home before they did.

Urgent care diagnosis: Possible bone chip, follow up with your Primary on Monday for a referral to a specialist.

Greaaaaat.

So Monday I followed up and the office said that they would talk to the doctor and call me back. Then I had to call them back. And they said it was fine. Huh???

HD, who was in with the Urgent Care doctor wouldn't take that answer without follow up, so on Tuesday we went in to see the primary. She explained the different readings of xrays to my husband, examined #2, and sent us on our way with instructions to slowly get back to normal activity. Including football conditioning twice a week.

So see? Totally anticlimactic.

It's Too Bad They Didn't Have Fun

And if you believe that, I've got some ocean front property to sell you.

My boys banging it up in the bumper cars.

It's been a long day, friends. After I posted that we were going I had some work to do. I decided to eradicate another room of the PINK and, of course, I have to do it this week. (Well, we got the tile in and since the dryer is dead and no longer in the house, we I have plenty of room to get the laundry room painted. I even told my contractor not to put the door back on so that I don't just close it and forget. I walk by that room a hundred times a day, if I do it once, and for once a 'get-it-done' strategy is working. Albeit slow, but getting there, nonetheless.) So I slapped a coat of primer up on those awful pink walls. (And yes, it will take another coat or 2 before I can put my color up But! It looks awesome already!)

Once I had showered and gotten dressed I ran down to the school at 11 to get the boys. They had NO IDEA. It was awesome. Once they both made it to the office they were dying with curiosity! I asked them what they thought we were going to be doing and #1 actually thought he might have a dentist appointment, and #2 was just confused. If you don't know my boys these thoughts about what we were doing are e.x.a.c.t.l.y like them. #1 over-thinks and #2 just goes with the flow.

We had to come home for a few minutes to drop their stuff and to grab my stuff and lunch, but we were out the door in less than 30 minutes. Amazing what a little motivation will get you.

Anyhow, we were at the park by around 12:30, got our passes, and were on our first roller coaster by 1 or so.

Funny story: My boys are not really roller coaster riders. There seems to be a year that it clicks with most kids and this is definitely it for #1, for sure, and maybe #2 as well. They have never been on anything more crazy than the Matterhorn or the Log Ride, and were super nervous. So what did we do? We rode the Ghostrider first. ((The link has stats.)) Thank goodness we got on too fast for them to think about it too much because they may not have gotten on it if they had. Both of them emerged with giant grins and remarked that they loved it. Surprised?

Honestly, I think that it was a good thing that it closed at 6 pm tonight because by 5 we were wiped out, and when we got on the road at 5:30 it took us an hour and 20 minutes to get home. (Yes, it was more than double the drive home with traffic. Stupid SoCal traffic.)

That was a good day, my friends. And now I'm going to fall face-first into my pillow. Roller coasters are exhausting, yo.

Shhhhh! It's a Secret!

Later today I'll be taking the boys out of school early. I never do this. We'll come home quickly for a pit stop, then we're going to head to the OC.





We're getting season passes this year-the first time that we've ever done something like this. Honestly, for season passes, they're really reasonable, and it's a place that if their friends don't have their own pass it doesn't break the bank to just go for the day, either.

I'm so excited, I'm jumping out of my skin!

6:30

I am not a morning person. Honestly, if the day routinely began around 9 I would be a happy camper. I prefer my days to last long into the evening, when it's quiet. There is something peaceful about the night that is just not found in the heat of the day. Or morning, for that matter.

Alas, my husband is not. He bounds out of bed around 5 a.m. He commences with head-bobs around 8 p.m. on the couch. Opposites attract, and all that. Hmph.

You might remember that a few days ago he woke me up because of the gopher? Yep. 6:30.

Yesterday, it was for insurance paperwork. Again. 6:30.

Today? It was body lotion, or more accurately, the lack of. You got it. 6:30.

Dear 6:30 a.m.,

You blow.

Sincerely,

Fly Over

July 4, 2010, Coors Field, Denver, Colorado.

Sunday Shots-Memorial Day Weekend

Huntington Beach, California, May 30, 2010.

Remembering Summer

I took this picture on our vacation to Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota. The colors make me smile and remember the sunshine. Today we have rain which in itself is glorious.

Find the sunshine through your rain today!

Rockies, 3, Angels, 4

Who do you root for when your 2 favorite teams of all time play each other?

HB#2 and friend taking in a little batting practice. The friend got a ball, and they both got Angels jerseys.

Fireworks for an Angel's score.

I just love this shot-all wiggly, just like little boys.

Hey, look!
(I'd also like to point out that these boys are almost exactly the same age. Srsly. Look at that size difference!)

The Big A!

This Is My Brain On Summer Vacation

This morning I slept in. The delicious sleep that follows 180 days of school, knowing that today, finally! there is nothing to rise for. The sleep that when you wake and check the clock, you decide that there is 30 more minutes of sleep that you can have, just for the asking. It turns into an hour. I remember hearing the rain pitter-pattering outside of my window.

I rose and wandered downstairs, following the blink-clink of hand-held video games. I found two boys playing nicely, they hardly noticed me, their bellies full of donuts that their daddy had bought, just for today. Good thing. There's none left, save two that I sneak later with my coffee.

I stumbled over to the coffee pot, no longer able to resist the aroma. No matter that it was made hours ago, it is still hot and steamy, perfect with sugar and cream.

I checked my email, my feed reader, my facebook, my stats. Twitter? I can't remember. Did I check that too? I had a second cup, and a third, wandering with my laptop to all of my favorite places to sit. I found a post or two that I shared, that I stumbled.

I fed the children.

I folded some laundry, and washed some, then dried some. Then folded more.

I scrubbed a couple of bathrooms. I showered, even.

Around 3 I decided to look and see if we had anything to make for dinner and came up with red beans and rice, with (shhh, turkey) sausage and shredded chicken. Homemade sweet cornbread that rivals any that Marie Calendar has ever made.

I never saw the outside of my house today, but that's ok. It was raining on the first day of summer break.