Just Heather
5
#23. Let my kids eat cotton candy at the fair.
Jun 08, 2009 | Filed Under: 40x40, Family Fun

img_1759-largeWhen I was a kid, we went to the carnival every year around the 4th of July.  There were rides, games, cotton candy and lemonade shake-ups (which I hate but everyone else seems to love). As I got older, I realized that what carnivals really had were rickety rides, scams, dyed sugar and overpriced lemonade. As I like keeping my children safe, avoid dyes & processed sugars and generally refuse to waste money on overpriced anything, my girls have never been the fair. They have, however, been to Indiana Beach many times. That’s kind of like a carnival, right?

img_1745-largeWhen I set about writing my 40×40 list, it was all about things I want to do but never really have the time, money or opportunity.  The someday project isn’t about obligations. It’s about finally making dreams come true. Because my children’s dreams are also important, I have included two items on my list that I don’t personally care to do. Ever. However, I desperately want my children to have these memories. So, during the last week of school, when I saw a sign in our local shopping center advertising a carnival, I immediately added it to the summer fun list and started getting excited about crossing off another 40×40 item. I think I was more excited about the idea than the girls.

Lemonade Stand

Of course, the overpriced part of the equation was still a problem for me. Funds are tight these days and throwing money away at the fair, even for a good reason, doesn’t sit well with me. That’s when I remembered that the neighborhood yard sale was happening the same weekend. I decided to put together a small yard sale in hopes of raising enough to pay for an evening at the fair. The girls had listed “have a yard sale” on their summer fun list so we got to cross off two items this weekend. Three, since the girls had their annual lemonade stand in conjunction with the yard sale.

img_1760-largeWe made enough off our junk to cover dinner at Steak ‘n Shake, a few rides at the carnival, the requisite cotton candy and one game in which Lorelai accidentally won a fish. Quite ironic, since we had just gotten rid of our old fish bowls in the yard sale. Luckily, I found another fish bowl that had a previous life as a crystal ball for Stacia’s 9th Arabian Nights birthday party. The fish has apparently been named Five, though I have no idea why. That is, however, the cost of the bucket of ping pong balls she used to win him.

img_1766-largeThe girls chose the Octopus, Gravitron (aka Megatron, according to Brenia) and the Ferris Wheel to ride. I also talked Lorelai into riding the Super Slide with me, though on the way up I distinctly remembered why I stopped riding fair rides. We all survived and the girls declared it their “best day ever” so it was definitely worth the rickety climb to the top of the slide.  Brenia has made the Best Day Ever declaration every day this summer. Even though we’re just now starting the second week of summer, I am declaring the summer fun list a complete success.

Read the comments.
3
Crossing Off the List
Jun 03, 2009 | Filed Under: Family Fun, Family Ties, Lovable Critters

Our progress, so far, on the summer list for Wordless Wednesday:

Read the comments.
7
More Summer Fun
Jun 01, 2009 | Filed Under: Family Fun

2003-08-032Today is the first day of summer vacation. I am excited to have the girls home, even as I dread the constant bickering. We have big ideas, a schedule of activities and plans. I have a lot of exciting things coming for me and my series of projects too. As as spin off of my own 40×40 project and inspired by The MacLeods I am starting a new to-do/dream list.

I have enlisted the help of my girls to create a list of things to do this summer.  By the end of July, I’ll have a standard list of things to do before school begins—eye doctor, new backpacks, buy clothes & shoes, stock-up on lunch supplies—but this one is about experiences, not tasks. Some are simple (and already planned);  some will require a bit more effort (not to mention a larger budget than ours).

I’m hoping it will keep us entertained over the next few months, add a new dimension to our relationship, create lasting memories and teach the girls some valuable lessons.  They’ll learn about realistic goals, how budget is a factor and that it’s okay to fall short sometimes.  They were quite ambitious (they didn’t get the memo on the no travel thing) so we obviously won’t get to everything, but I think we’ll have a lot of fun along the way.

  1. Creek stomp. (AKA Play in the mud.)
  2. Go to the fair (double bonus—it’s also on my 40×40).
  3. Play outside in the rain.
  4. Water balloon fight.
  5. Color with Blendy Pens.
  6. Have a big sleepover.
  7. Get a kitten.
  8. Design & create shirts.
  9. Hula hoop.
  10. Fly a kite.
  11. Have a restaurant.
  12. Go to Indiana Beach.
  13. Visit the in-laws lake cottage more. (Hubby’s goal: 5 trips)
  14. Start Sunday Suppers, hosting various friends & family for dinner each week.
  15. Teach the girls to ride a bike with no training wheels.
  16. Go to Holiday World.
  17. Have a picnic.
  18. Go to Florida.
  19. Go to North Carolina.
  20. Visit all Indiana’s surrounding states.
  21. Swim in the dark.
  22. Go to Maddy’s house.
  23. Go to Georgia.
  24. Go to Six Flags and Medieval Times again.
  25. Go to the library.
  26. Go to the movies.
  27. Have a yard sale.
  28. Have a lemonade stand.
  29. Walk to the playground at least once each week.
  30. Shop at yard sales.
  31. Make crafts.
  32. Jump rope marathon.
  33. Feed the ducks.
  34. Build a sandcastle.
  35. Grill pizzas again.
  36. Have a movie marathon.
  37. Visit the Farmer’s Market.
  38. Make homemade ice cream.
  39. Play board games.
  40. Teach the girls how to play Four Square.
  41. Run through the sprinkler.
  42. Celebrate a random holiday (Go Skateboarding Day doesn’t count; he does that already).
  43. Go to camp.
  44. Pick apples & drink apple cider slushies at Stuckey Farm.
  45. Take friends to the Children’s Museum.
  46. Plant a butterfly garden.
  47. Build a living room tent.
  48. Have a PJ day.
  49. Eat lunch outside.
  50. Scrapbook our summer of fun.
Read the comments.
4
Wet & Wild Weekend
May 27, 2009 | Filed Under: Family Fun

An amazing abuse of alliteration for (nearly) Wordless Wednesday:

Read the comments.
0
Summer Reading List
May 26, 2009 | Filed Under: Book Worm, Family Fun, Movie Madness

The free summer film festival starts at our local theater in less than 2 weeks.  I’ve already gone over the list with the girls, allowing them to choose which of the 2 movies we’ll see each week.  Sure, we could see both but Wednesday is Water Day so a 2nd movie is only our rainy day backup.  Sometimes, they pick the same movie; sometimes, they pick separately.  That’s fine now that Stacia is older.  At eleven, she’s nearly babysitting age (which she reminds me constantly) so she’s perfectly capable of watching a movie in the theater next to mine.n506119855_1100465_5097

It appears they’ve picked several books turned movies this year. That means I have a lot of reading to do. I’m kind of obsessive about reading the book first, even when it’s ordinarily an author I wouldn’t choose. It doesn’t make a lot of sense, really, because it tends to make me hate the movie. Since I could never really hate anything that features Will Smith, I have learned to view them as separate entities. That helps a lot, as does lowering your expectations. If you go in expecting to see a beloved book come to life, you are bound to be disappointed. However, if you go in expecting to find a director has ruined your favorite story you may just be pleasantly surprised.

Still, a trip to the library is in order, and soon. I’m worried I’ve left it too late to snag copies, if they have any popularity at all. I have only 2 weeks to read Inkheart before the free showing, but over a month to finish Nim’s Island in time to watch with the girls. I may insist on a family reading of Charlotte’s Web before the kids see the movie again, but I have read it more than once. I guess I better get busy, even as I hope to talk them into a few selectionsthat don’t require homework.

4
Happiest Place on Earth
May 04, 2009 | Filed Under: Busy Bees, Girls' Night, Living Montessori, Making Connections

We moved to this city, an hour away from all my friends, nearly 10 years ago. In that time, I’ve made very little progress in making new friends and done a crappy job of keeping up with the old ones. Part of that was being a stay-at-home mom. Where was I supposed to meet people?

When Stacia started school, I thought I’d finally have the opportunity. I met plenty of other moms, but that’s when I realized something—I am was a young mom. Stacia came along in my early 20s. As in, I turned 21 when she was 2 months old. That put me at a disadvantage in the making friends department because there was such a divide between the other moms and me.

Now that Brenia is in school, I have met several moms like me (that’s moms who are like me, not MomsLikeMe, though I’ve met several of them too). There’s a connection between Montessori Moms and natural living that I was not aware of when I researched schools. This has been quite helpful in meeting people who share my interests and lifestyle. Plus, now that I’m an old mom the age gap has been erased.

One of the moms I met was Angie. Angie was smarter than I when she became a mother in a new area and she has what I’ve been craving. She inspired me in ways she could have never known (except she will now!). I set out to find it for myself. I started a Bunko group and invited all the women I kinda, sorta knew from school, Scouts and IndyMoms.

To be honest, we rarely play bunko. Mostly, it’s just a group of women who share cocktails once a month, laugh, share stories and commiserate. Our group is small, but I cling to our monthly girls’ nights like a lifeline. I didn’t realize how much it meant to me until last month, when our regular night fell on Good Friday and we failed at scheduling a new date.

Last Friday night, my friend and I decided to go out anyway. It was exactly what I needed. I wore a little black dress, but not the little black dress (that’s still 40×40“>on my list) and we hit the Indie Lounge theater to see Ghosts of Girlfriends Past starring my fictional boyfriend. We thought the movie was hilarious, but were apparently in the minority. Did I mention this theater has a bar? Clearly the other attendees should have taken advantage of the fabulous concession stand.

A chick flick, cocktails and girl time—obviously a new necessity.

Read the comments.
0
End of an Era
Dec 18, 2008 | Filed Under: Living Inexpensively, Media Matters, My Biz

It’s been an odd month. Actually, it’s been a rough year. It gets capped off this week with fabulous news from the station. My executive producer called yesterday to talk about my segment. The Tribune Company (which owns the station) filed bankruptcy this week which results in budget cuts. The want to keep my segment, but no more than once per month. They already canceled me for tomorrow and I have no idea when I’ll be back on.

It sucks because we had really begun to rely on that money. We’ll be okay, for the most part, but there goes any fun whatsoever. I’m also really going to miss doing it. I loved the creativity of it all, and I’ll admit the recognition was nice to. My dad was finally proud of something and now it’s (mostly) gone.

I was just getting ready to put a deposit down on the Buy 4, Get 3 free Disney resort for a summer vacation. That’s not likely to happen now, though I’ll probably put down the $200 just in case we can come up with a way to replace the income. Of course, part of me hopes the station changes their mind down the road. The segment has been a huge hit and I’ve been told my several viewers that it is the only reason they tune in.

0
Retreating
Jan 25, 2008 | Filed Under: Almost Crafty, Glamorous Life

I’m off to a local B&B tonight for a weekend scrapbook retreat. I’ll have my own bed (with a roommate) plus a full table in a workroom complete with a fridge and microwave. I’ll be bringing plenty of snacks & soda to survive the weekend, plus my own lunch & dinner rather than add to my expenses by eating out. The B&B does serve a hot breakfast (thus, the name) each morning that includes many, many things I can actually eat!

I will be taking over 400 pictures and 5 different albums to work on throughout the retreat. I’m not insane enough to think I can actually get through it all, but I know me and my habits. I’ll need variety to get through the weekend. If my eyes get tired or my creativity bottoms out, I’ll have the opportunity to switch projects. I’m also planning to bring my laptop and Gilmore Girls Season 4 to keep me company when I am the last one in the room.

I also have to pop on over to Conner Prairie across the street to pickup a bonnet for Pioneer Day. Even when I’m away, the mom duties come first.

« Older
Newer »