Summer, Take 2

Here we sit at week 2 of summer, and we have been running around having a blast!  For our activities, here is what we planned.

Monday, we dashed over to the new SOKC library for story time.  The girls sang and danced and listened to the stories and rhymes.  Once nap time arrived, Logann and I mixed up our bathtub paint.  We found the recipe here (from Pinterest, of course!). She added and mixed the ingredients.  Then, she meticulously selected a color or a mix of colors for each individual slot.  Logann had tons of fun painting, but once we added Merritt to the party, the paints got dumped over in just a few short seconds.  It was fun while it lasted!

Stirring

Selecting her colors

The finished product

Trying it out

Tuesday, we joined our Junior High youth girls to go visit some residents at Legends Memory Care Center.  We chatted with the ladies in their rooms at the care facility and gave them each a poster created by the girls.  They were so excited to have visitors, even though it was for just a few minutes.  After our visit, we headed to the house of a Sunday School teacher's brother for a swim party.  We chowed down on sandwiches and spent lots of time in the water.  Both of my girls were like fish...splashing and playing until I had to pull them out of the water.

That same evening, we went with the whole youth group to Bricktown to watch an Oklahoma City Redhawks baseball game.  Merritt's favorite part was riding on the bus to the ballpark.  She also loved the fountain across the street from the ballpark and seeing "Ruby", one of the mascots for the team.  Logann chowed on some ice cream, and she couldn't get enough of the Center Field playground's tire swing.

Admiring the water

Ruby!!



Cheering at the game

It's baseball, Dada!

Swinging

Center Field Fun!

Taking in the scene

This week, I tried to add in the activities from the local library.  Since our house sits between two libraries, we get double the fun and the choices.  This causes complete chaos in my brain and on our calendar, but the girls LOVE, LOVE going to the library!  Wednesday was a movie day at the SOKC library, so Logann watched Toy Story 3 while Merritt ran around the computers and the puzzles.  She did stop a few seconds here and there to pound the "hammer" puzzle piece on the table.  It even found its way into to proper slot on the puzzle a few times.  Here's to hoping that all the running around the library will produce a love for reading someday when she figures out that the library is for books and not just for races.  Again, once nap time arrived, Logann and I concocted our snow cone syrup. (The recipe can be found here.) 

First, we dissolved the sugar into the water and let it boil for one minute.  Then, we added in the Kool-aid and let it cool.  Once we were ready to eat, we crushed up some ice in the blender and drenched it with our syrup. 

It was really good!  Logann thought it was a bit too sweet, but Merritt and I devoured all of our bright red snow cone!

The finished product

Yumm!

"It's coldy, Momma!"

For "Thoughtful Thursday", Logann drew pictures and mailed them to a few friends in Texas.  She decided that she wanted to write to her friends Andrew, in Ft. Worth; Faith, in Terrell; and Maw-Maw, in Terrell.  By this time in the week, I'm pretty much done entertaining, so sadly we weren't very thoughtful this day.

Friday was more of a hum-drum day because our activity didn't happen until the evening.  Logann's friend Ashton is playing Cinderella at a nearby children's theater, so we went out to dinner and went to watch Ashton's play.  She absolutely adores Ashton, and she LOVED, LOVED the play!

Cinderella in her wedding gown!

And to conclude this crazy symphony of a week, here is Logann doing what I feel like doing!!

Keeping it interesting around here!

While Jeremy is out out of town, I always try to think of fun things to do so that we can get out of the house.  I have to really give it to single parents.  It is a hard, hard job!  Even when I have to do it for a day, I feel totally closed up inside a little box.  This is where our adventures come in.  They help get me out of the little box and out into the fun world of kids activities!  Yay for me!

This week, Jeremy went on a baseball trip to watch the Red Sox play in Kansas City, and Logann was out of school on Monday.  So, my planning went into overdrive and we did lots of fun things all crammed into two days!

On Monday, we raced over to the library for story time.  They do a great job of reading, singing, and playing games for 30 minutes.  If I were a kid, I would totally dig story time!  As the parent, I totally dig putting on my running shoes and to getting out of the house with the kids.  (The running shoes come in handy when Merritt decides to ram herself into the cardboard props used for the final story or for when she decides it's computer time but changes her mind and decides it's puzzle time but then rethinks it and heads over to rearrange the furniture.)

As soon as story time ended, we threw on our socks and headed over to JumpZone to jump ourselves silly.  Logann mastered the flip inside the bouncy houses and Merritt managed to climb in and out of every toy One Million times!  They laughed and played for a couple of hours before our tummies got hungry and we just needed a McDonald's burger!


Climbing the ladder (but not to the top)

Giving a ride "to the library"

Learning to do the tire swing

 Since Logann was out of school, we took the time during Merritt's nap to create a yummy, "healthy" snack.

We sliced 2 bananas

topped them off with peanut butter

dipped them in chocolate

and froze them to make a popable treat!

On Tuesday, I took Merritt out to run errands while Logann got to enjoy a WHOLE day of kindergarten.  Apparently Merritt had enjoyed so much juice that we had to check on out at Hobby Lobby and change her clothes in the car.  We had to make one more stop, so she paraded into Kohl's wearing clothes that didn't fit over her little belly, but she wore them proudly!

That evening, we cleaned up after dinner and headed to the park to fly a kite.  This was our first attempt, there wasn't much wind, and our kite was from the "Dollar Spot" at Target, but it turned out pretty successful.  We were able to launch it several times, and Logann giggled as she ran around the park with her pretty kite soaring over her head.

so much fun

happiness



trying to push sissy on the swing

giggling girl

 We enjoy our fun times together, but we are sure glad when our Daddy gets home!

You make me proud

The saying rings true that all parents find that their kids win the contest when looking for the cutest kid in the picture or the best athlete on the team or the sweetest kid in the class or the smartest kid in the school. Honestly, this is the truth at our house. I'm sorry to break the news to the rest of the world. I have the cutest, smartest, nicest, most athletic children in the world, and that's no secret. I am a PROUD mommy!

As a parent, and frankly as a person, I struggle with being proud of myself. I often compare myself to those around me. I've done this as a kid, and I continue to do it as an adult. This comparison causes unnecessary struggles and an unhappy attitude that I constantly strive to undo. I don't want these struggles to cast a shadow on my children's perception of themselves or of their mommy. Daily, I pray that God will give me positive words and affection (another area in which I struggle-that's another story) to lavish on them so that they know they are loved and cherished and adored and admired and sought after! So, even if I struggle every day, here is a list in which they can always refer to know that their mommy thinks beautiful thoughts about them every day!

Logann-I was so proud of you when worried about where the contestants on "Biggest Looser" were able to go to church. You have a heart for God, and I pray that you serve Him with it everyday of your life!

Merritt-You made me smile with delight when you were the only kid in the nursery who was able to keep your cup of Cheerios in the upright position. I cheered quietly when you were appalled that the other children would eat Cheerios off of the carpet. You left the herd and sat alone to enjoy your clean cup, and that made me proud.

Logann-You make me so proud when you talk and answer Merritt's constant questions. You don't mind couting school buses in your best Sesame Street "Count" voice. You are the best big sister. I have always wanted a sister, and I really miss the sister I don't have when I see how good you are to your sister. If I could pick a sister, I would pick you becuase you are the best!

Logann-I celebrate your sweet spirit when you came home from church telling me about how you helped a boy in a wheel chair. You didn't mind missing out on your activity because you wanted to wheel him inside and play with him so that he wouldn't be alone. I couldn't have been more proud of your sweetness!

Merritt-I am proud to take you everywhere because people always comment on how well you talk and how cute you are. Even when you sport a mullet hairdo, your blue eyes are stunning! As a baby of 20 months, you can tell me what you need or want. You are a beautiful genius!

Merritt-Your manners make me so proud! I've never harped on you to say "please" and "thank you". But anytime Dad or I tell you that you look pretty, you respond immediately with, "Thaaank Yooouuu!" I can ask you a question and without delay you say, "Yes ma'am!" I think you were just born sweet!

Logann-I am proud of your reading in kindergarten. Ever since you were 3, you would tell me that you could read, then you would proceed to make up the words on every page (if I could get you to sit down long enough to look at a book). Now, you read to me, and you listen to chapter books. You are a good reader, and I hope you learn to LOVE reading!

Merritt-I am proud to pick you up from the nursery every time we attend church. The teachers always tell me how sweet you are and how smart you are. They love that you work every puzzle on the shelf and you sit and read all the books. I am proud to drop you off at your class because I know you will entertain your teachers every time!

Logann-I'm proud of your independence when it comes to fashion. You are confident in your choices of outfits, even when you look ridiculous! You know what you want, and you are not afraid to pull it off. You are a fashionista, and I love you for it!

Logann-I love the way you clap along with every song. Even when you are off beat, you keep clapping until the music catches up to you.

Logann and Merritt-I love watching you dance. My favorite activity is to turn on the music in the living room and watch you, Logann, choreograph a song and you, Merritt, spin in circles. This makes me happy!

Logann and Merritt-I am proud of you for stating your opinions. Even when you disagree with me and I have to make you mind ME, I am proud that you are not afraid to speak your mind. I hope that never changes.

The list to be continued...

I heard a song on "American Idol" tonight that made me think of you both. It said, "Pretty, pretty please don't you ever ever feel like you're less than perfect, less than perfect. Pretty, pretty please if you ever feel like you're nothing, you are perfect to me." You both make me proud every day to be YOUR mommy. I am proud to call you MY daughters, and I am so amazed that you call me MOMMY! You make me proud!