What I Loved About Last Week 10th Edition

Here's what I loved about last week (May 21-27)

1. Monopoly.  I have mentioned before that Monopoly is like my very most favorite game to play.  Ira must have inherited my affinity because we've played it 4 times since school got out.  I am impressed with his math skillz while we play.  He does a great job adding up the dice, paying for properties/paying rent (took him a couple games to learn that one - he loves to get change - so he would pay $18 rent with a 500 dollar bill if I let him), and giving change.   He's still not the greatest at bidding in an auction (like, the bid is at $50 and he bids $200, but that's a pretty advanced concept I guess...)

2. Piano Lessons.  Back in the day, I taught piano to a handful of students.  I haven't taught for 3 years, but Ira mentioned something before school was over about learning to play the piano.  I told him that I would teach him if he really wanted to learn, which he said he did.  I ordered this set through Amazon.  It is what I taught with previously and really liked a lot.  It starts very simply and builds piano knowledge in a very methodical manner.  I also liked how it tied other subjects (math, history, reading,) into learning the piano.  We had our first lesson on Wednesday and I'm not sure who is more excited about him learning piano, me or him!

3. Old MacDonald.  That silly Old MacDonald.  Or at least according to Ruby.  These are the things that Old Mac' has had on his farm this week: a goosy pig, a stinky diaper, and a "gerk."  Who knew?

Now, we will proceed with things that I did NOT love about last week.

1. Hand. Foot. and Mouth. Disease.  OH. MY. GOODNESS.  Ruby came down with it on Tuesday after her nap (started with a 101 Fever.)  Wednesday morning, I noticed the sores in her mouth and by Wednesday night we had determined that it was Hand, Foot, and Mouth.  Let me tell you, it. was. horrible!  Thursday was probably one of the worst days I have EVER had as a mother.  Grumpy does not even come CLOSE to describing Ruby that day.  Miserable would have been a cakewalk compared to what she was.  ALL DAY she screamed (yes, truly, angrily, screamed) at Ira and I.  She wanted Gatorade, so I gave her Gatorade.  She took a drink, spit it out (because it burned her mouth) and screamed that she wanted milk.  So I gave her milk.  She took a drink, spit it out (burned her mouth as well.) And screamed that she wanted Gatorade... rinse... repeat...  It was like that the WHOLE day.  Every time Ira said anything, she yelled at him.  Every time I tried to help her, she yelled at me. It was awful.  And truly, I really do understand where she was coming from.  She had about 5 huge red canker sores on her tongue and probably a dozen or more sores on the roof of her mouth/back of her throat.  I cannot imagine how badly they hurt.  However, just because I understood where she was coming from did not make it easy to deal with.  Andy had to work late, so by the time he got home (after the kids were in bed) I collapsed into a puddle of nervous breakdown.  I was seriously fearful of waking up the next morning because I couldn't imagine living another day like that.  Words truly cannot describe it.

Thank heavens Friday was a lot better.  She never did get sores on her feet.  Had a few red spots on her hands and quite a few on her bottom, but none of them ever turned into gaping sores like the ones in her mouth.

Since HFMD is highly contagious, we quarantined ourselves in our house for the entire week.  Definitely hard.  Definitely not an ideal first week of summer vacation for Ira, but we survived and I did LOVE that fact!

So what did you love about last week?

What I Loved About Last Week 9th Edition

Here's what I loved about last week (May 14-20):

1. Birthday.  Monday was my birthday and Andy found the most awesome card by one of my favorite children's authors, Sandra Boynton.  On the back it says "Boynton!  Trying to think of a motto since 1973."  If you haven't seen any of her books, you seriously need to go buy one right NOW.  Some of our favorites are "Moo, Baa, La La La," and "The Bellybutton Book."  Andy also made my day by having flowers delivered.  It was such a sweet surprise and totally made my day.  We took the kids to a Japanese Steakhouse (where they do tapanyaki cooking right there at your table.)  Although initially scared by the fire, Ira recovered nicely and said "awesome; that is so cool; and, how did you do that?!" for the rest of the dinner.  Ruby was pretty enthralled too.  They both had fun using chopsticks with little helpers on the end (plastic pieces that made them almost like a clothespin.)  I hadn't been there since my 20th birthday (long long ago) so it was fun to go eat some delicious food and see a fun show again (and of course the mom in me loved sharing the experience with my kids as much as anything.)

2. Fieldtrip. I helped chaperone Ira's kindergarten class' trip to the zoo.  It truly was a ZOO!  I only had 3 kiddos in my group (Ira included) but the zoo was so busy with other schools' fieldtrips that about the only thing I did all day was make sure that I hadn't lost one of my kids.  By the end of the day, I had a killer headache and a backache to boot, but it was fun getting to see Ira with his friends.

3.  We went through some boxes at my parents' house last week and found our old Geo Safari with about half a dozen sets of cards.  Nobody else wanted it, so I snatched it up thinking that it would entertain Ira this summer.  Boy oh boy, is it entertaining!  We've been learning all kinds of things from Geography to Spanish and Landmarks to Puzzles.  He loves playing it by himself, but we've also had fun playing 2 players.  I foresee the Geo Safari getting lots' o' use this summer!

4. Rubyisms.  Sheesh, this is becoming almost a weekly feature, but I tell you what, the girl cracks me up.  Her latest are: pree-dee-ah-school (preschool - we drive by her cousin's preschool on our way to pick Ira up from school.)  And then there's this: We duh duh duh cleem uh def uh Lord, we da cleem uh resuhrehtion, an you not tome a din, an you not tome a din!"  (The Mystery of Faith that we sing at church "We proclaim your death oh Lord, and profess your Resurrection, until you come again.")  She is also really into singing "O Saving Victim" at the top of her lungs all throughout the day.  It's a hoot that I've yet to catch on video (because although she sings it at the top of her lungs, she gets all shy about it when you start paying attention to her.)

5. Schooooooooooooool's ooooouuuuut for Summer!  (did anyone else's mom sing that on the last day of school each year?.... just mine?.... hmmm...)  Ira finished kindergarten on Friday and (surprise of surprises (to him at least)) he gets to go to 1st grade next year!  I am SO excited about having him home for the summer!  We have plans to do a little learning and a lot of playing and swimming and I CAN'T WAIT!

6. Lawn and Garden. We spent all day Saturday outside work work workin'.  I weedeated and mowed the WHOLE lawn (we have a BIG lot - like over 1/2 an acre.)  The weedeater must have rattled every muscle in my body because I'm achin' like bacon right now (does bacon ache?) but the lawn sure does look nice.  While I lawned (should totally be a word), Andy gardened (see what I did there, lawned... gardened... forgive me, I'm apparently a little loopy today.)  He built structures for our cukes, tomatoes, watermelon, and cantaloupe to climb.  It turned out pretty awesome and we can't wait to see how it'll work out this summer.

The garden all but done (just need to put straw down between the last 3 rows.)

Not really a picture of our lawn, but look at how big my flowers are getting! 

 7. Kids in the same bed.  The kids had (because they broke their streak last night) gone to bed in the same bed for the last 3-4 nights very well.  It helps that we completely wore them out all weekend.  I guess we'll have to see what this week brings to see if it was luck or learning that led to those 4 nights...

With that, I'll bid you adieu!  Thanks for hanging with my goofiness this week!

What I Loved About Last Week 8th Edition

Whew, it's been kind of busy 'round here, but it's not really going to get any less busy this week, so I decided to get up early so I don't miss posting this week.

Here's what I loved about last week (May 7 - 13th):

1. Allowance.  We actually started this LAST week, but I forgot to write about it, so I'm including it now.  Since Ira is 6, we decided to start giving him an allowance of $1 each week.  (I know, inflation, sheesh, when I was little, I got a quarter a week.)  A friend's book review got us talking about it awhile back.  We liked her idea of dividing out the amount amongst jars, so here's how we have Ira doing it: 4 jars; one for tithing that has 8% written on it; one for charity with 2% written on it; one for saving with 50% written on it, and one for spending with 40% written on it.  We give his allowance to him in change and he has lots of fun (and good math practice) divying it up between the jars.  Our hopes are that this starts him down the road to a good understanding of money and finances and that this makes it easy for him to tithe as he becomes older and the amounts grow larger.

2. Rubyisms.  Ruby has been wearing disposable diapers a lot lately (rash issues, stink issues with the cloth diapers) and the other day she kept asking for "Buzz Affinity Beyond" wipes.  It took me the longest time to figure out that that's what she was saying.  Although we normally use cloth wipes, we do have a tub of wipes that has Buzz and Woody (who she is VERY familiar with because of Ira's toys) on it.  What cracked me up is that "Infinite Beyond" wipes actually sound like they could be a real product.

3. "Motshell." or "Muhshell"  Another Rubyism.  One that I love to hate.  She's been calling me by my first name lately.  Don't know what wild hair made her decide to try that (although with her personality it doesn't really surprise me.)  Not a habit I want to encourage.  At first I told her that I would listen to her when she called me the right name, now I've taken to ignoring her request until she calls me the right name.  And you know what, she gets it.  She'll correct herself now when she notices me ignoring her.  Even just over the last few days I've noticed her doing it less.  Thank goodness!!

4. Watering system.  Andy had the genius idea of running pipe underground from our well head to our garden (so that there doesn't have to be a hose strung over the ground that we have to move every time we mow or need it elsewhere.)  Let me tell you, it is the most awesome system.  He ran pipe to the garden, but then also ran it across the front of the garden and put a pipe and a valve up to each bed.  All I had to do was run a soaker hose through each bed.  Now we can turn each bed on and off individually.  It is a really nice system!  My hubby is so smart!

5. Mother's Day.  Andy and the kids REALLY exceeded my expectations this year.  They treated me like a queen, letting me sleep in, fixing me french toast and orange juice, spoiling me with sweet, thoughtful presents (several new varieties of Stash DeCaf tea, new hotpads and oven mitts, dark chocolate, and a homemade trivet and poem from Ira), letting me take a nap in the afternoon, and taking care of bedtime/cleaning up duty so that I could watch the series finale of "Desperate Houswives."  I know, seriously, I watch that crap.  It was such a nice, relaxing day.  More than anything, I just felt blessed to be a mom to two sweet, precious, amazing kiddos here on earth.

Love sweet Ira's face in this picture.  He probably hugged me and told me "Happy Mother's Day" no less than 50 times during the day.

My new trivet (which I'll hang to avoid scuffing/fingerprinting up any more) and my poem which reads:
"My mom is Michelle
She likes to cook
She always talks
Sometimes she plays with me
The best thing about my mom is that she is my mom."

What I Loved About Last Week 7th Edition

Here's what I loved about the week of April 30th - May 6th.

1. The scent of roses wafting through the house.  When we have the windows open, I often catch the smell of the rosebushes in the front of the house.  I don't like the smell of rose-scented things (lotions/soaps/perfumes) but there is nothing like the smell of a fresh garden rose (our yellow ones are especially fragrant.)

2. My Kitchen Aid Mixer.  It was our wedding present from my parents and although it's almost 7 years old, it still works (and looks) like it's brand new.  The kids and I used it this week to make pretzels and it made the whole process SO simple.  Well, as simple as baking can get with a 6 year old and a 2 year old bicker over pouring in every. single. ingredient.  Not that that frustrates me or anything.

3. Mulberry Vinaigrette.  Andy was feeling all hunter-gatherery and foraged some Mulberries from a vacant lot that backs up to ours.  Then he made them into the most delicious vinaigrette to eat on our home-grown lettuce.  Pretty cool if you ask me.

4. Ira. Ira. Ira.  One morning before school, he was looking at some papers on the desk.  One of them was a sign up sheet for Room Mothers.  At the bottom it said "Please circle which grade you would like to serve" then had each grade listed out: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.  So he says to me, "Mom!  Look what the teachers are doing this year!  What grade do you think I should be in next year?  I'm pretty smart."  And in case that isn't clear as mud - he thought that he was going to get to pick what grade he'd be in next year.  Love that kid!

5. Diary Fieldtrip.  Each year Andy's mom's kindergarten class takes a field trip to their dairy farm.  Before Andy was in Kindergarten, he got to go along.  Before Ira was in school, he got to go.  Now Ruby gets to go.  Marilyn delights in showing off her grandchildren and her students love getting to meet the kids behind the stories she tells at school.  Not to mention it's just a little more in-depth of a look at the dairy than we get when we go to get milk each week.  The kids get to see a cow being milked, feel a milker, feel fresh, warm milk, see and learn about the milk tank, bottle feed a calf (pronounced "kev" for those who've never been around a dairyman), take a hay-rack ride, climb in a tractor, a combine, and a swather, and eat an ice cream sandwich.  Ruby was a little shy at first, but after awhile she was marching around acting like she owned the place.  She put her finger in the milker twice (that's a big deal, a lot of kids are scared of that) and ended up being in each of the 3 kindergarten classes' pictures (with "Crampa Beel")  She's such a goose!

6. Swimming.  It was hot on Friday, so I set up the kids' pool for the first time.  They LOVED playing in it.  Seriously, they were in there for no less than 2 hours.  I foresee LOTS of swimming this summer for those two.

7. Cream in my tea.  I've been skimming the cream off the top of our milk and using it in my tea in the mornings.  It adds such richness!!  I always wondered why my friend Jolene's tea tasted so much better than mine (despite the fact that we had the same tea.)  Turns out, cream vs. milk makes a BIG difference.  Yummy!

8. Playing Monopoly.  Monopoly has LONG been my favorite game to play.  When my younger sis and her hubby come over, we like to play games.  We usually rotate between Canasta, Pitch, International Rummy and Monopoly.  For the longest time we avoided Monopoly because it took FOREVER.  Well, it turns out, if you play by the REAL rules (not house ones like putting money in free parking, selling houses/hotels back for the same price you bought them, giving immunities when trading properties, etc.) it actually doesn't take any longer than any other game.  So we played on Friday night.  My brother-in-law royally trounced all of us, but it was still tons of fun.  I got out first, so I made the pizza (because it's not a get-together with my sister if we don't make a second dinner at 11pm.)  Life is good!

9.  Saturday.  It was just a great day.  Andy and Ira got up early and went fishing.  They brought home enough fish for lunch.  After lunch, I got to go shopping for new clothes by myself!  Andy watched the kids and put in the rest of our garden (tomatoes, peppers, herbs, melons, cucumbers...)  I shopped 'till I dropped and for once had WONDERFUL luck.  I feel like a new woman!  It's so nice to have "pretty" clothes to wear each day.  Maurices and Vanity were where I got most of the clothes.  Those stores just "get me."  I never have luck at the department stores because I feel like all the clothes are either way too young (and tight and short and skinny) for me or way too old (and baggy and dull and big.)  Although I did pick up a few pairs of shorts at the dept. stores (and another 2 lightweight cardigans - that I now have 4 of because I love them SO much - the picture in the link really doesn't do them justice) I got about a dozen (I really needed clothes) short sleeve/sleeveless shirts between Maurices and Vanity.  Vanity also had some really GREAT camis/layering tank tops that were both long and had modest necklines.  I am excited that all the clothes I found are both stylish and modest.

10. Birthday party.  We celebrated my Mother-in-law's birthday on Sunday and had a wonderful time.  The kids got to play with their cousins, we ate lots of delicious food, and just had a great time in general.

What I Loved About Last Week 6th Edition

Lots of things to love about last week (April 23rd-29th)!

1. Ruby. doing. puzzles.  65 piece puzzle.  Perhaps 2 pieces? connected together that actually go together.  So funny!

2. Ira's Baptism Anniversary.  We celebrated with cookies and one of his favorite meals (fried chicken with mashed potatoes) as well as a Renewal of Baptismal Promises.  It was the first year he seemed to really understand what was going on with the renewal and that was cool!

3. Spring Music Program.  Ira's school held their second concert of the year.  His class sang 5 great songs.  One of which I cannot get out of my head! ("Never Polka with a Porcupine.")  The whole concert was very well done.  I am so impressed with the way that their music teach has them singing (enunciating, breathing, holding notes, and dancing.)  It was a very enjoyable program.

4. Cleaning.  Got my car washed/vacuumed, cleaned our disgustingly dusty/sheetrock-muddy oscillating fans, and cleaned out closets and cabinets throughout the house.  Not fun tasks, but definitely feels good to have them done!

5. Confession.  Needed it.  Did it.  Got grace.  'Nuff said!

6. Date night!  Sweet Andy surprised me with a much needed date night on Friday night.  We ate dinner at our favorite Thai restaurant that we hadn't been to in probably 5 years, then went out for ice cream and coffee after that.  It was so nice to spend some time together away from the crazies kids.

7. Visitors.  Ira got to meet with a very special lady on Saturday who sends him postcards from all over the world.  It was wonderful to get to meet her and have her meet Ira.  She is traveling to Hungary/Austria/Slovakia in July and we are excited to see the postcards and stamps from those countries!

8. Garden.  We FINISHED the 6th and 7th beds.  All told, we moved between 35-42 tons of dirt by shovel over the course of 3 weekends.  I. am. SO. DONE! with that!  

9. Professional Pictures.  We got 2 and 6 year pictures of the kiddos taken as well as family pictures.  Although I've had better experiences, I think Portrait Innovations still did a great job on the photos.

Look at that Farmer's Tan!!!

9. Sleeping kiddos.  The circus that is "going to bed in the same bed at the same time" is mildly improving.  They both slept in the big bed all night twice this week.  We have a "zero-tolerance" policy on Ruby getting out of bed/goofing off too much.  That's really seemed to help her understand the boundaries and to be successful twice!  Hooray!

10. Shout out.  A  dear friend of mine started doing her own "What I Loved" posts.  I always enjoy her perspective on things.  Can't wait to see more posts from this beautiful woman!

Have a GREAT week!