RECRUITED: Farmer's Market Sales

On a recent trip to the doctor's office, we unexpectedly came upon a lovely little farmer's market.  After visiting a particular vendor's tent to buy some yummy vegetables, PQ and Sugar ended up winning the hearts of the owners.  PQ and his fondness for food made the owner's smile and they were completely taken back when he drank a small sample cup of homemade vinegar.  (Yes, you read that correctly...he DRANK a small cup of vinegar.  What can I say???!!??  PQ and I LOVE vinegar, so it didn't surprise me in the least.)


Sugar decided that garlic scapes were her new favorite snack.  And of course, smelling garlic on my baby girl's breath was not something that I had ever experienced, so it was entertaining for me as well.  The owners said that both of the kids were their 'favorite customers of the day'.  PQ's salesmanship won their approval, as he boasted about their homemade vinegar to a potential customer who was checking out their goods.

Because of his salesmanship and wonderful personality, the owner's invited PQ to the farmer's market on Saturday to help them out.  They thought PQ's testimonials would be beneficial to their sales, and that's all PQ had to hear.  He immediately jumped in full force and made the commitment to be there to lend a helping hand.

Stay Tuned for pictures from tomorrow's Farmer's Market adventure!

Who knows what the kids will fall in love with at this market!

PQ Day 2012

As you all may know, June 26th is a designated 'holiday' in this house.  When PQ was younger, he asked why mother's had their own special day, why father's had their own special day, and why PQ didn't have a day.  So a few years back, we opted to designate June 26th as PQ's day.  On his special day, he gets to select the days activities and what kinds of food we will eat.  2012 ended up being a little different than years past...

PQ typically chooses to go to Grampa H's house for PQ's day.  This year, however, he was not able to do that because Grampa H & Grammy Jo Jo were working on June 26th...afterall, PQ's day fell on a Tuesday this year.  He really wanted to go but he knew that it wouldn't be much fun to go there without them!  Due to the bump in his plans, he opted to stay close to home. 

The weather was a little icky yesterday for PQ's day so swimming was not an option.  (Plus, the salt still needs to be added to the pool.)  PQ opted to spend some time playing Webkinz online during the morning hours.  His hopes of going miniature golfing were cut short by some behavior choices which landed him in his room for a little while.  By the time he came out of his room, it had started to rain again.  Oh, the dilemma's!  Even though the rain storm passed within a short amount of time, PQ had to get ready for his final baseball game scheduled for 5:30pm. 

The menu for the day consisted of:
*BREAKFAST~ Cinnamon Roll Pancakes, per PQ's request

*LUNCH~ Breakfast Pizza, per PQ's request (after Grammy stopped by with LOBSTER for his special day)

*DINNER~ We were supposed to have Chicken Sandwiches, per PQ's request.  But with PQ's game scheduled for 5:30pm, we just couldn't make it happen.  Instead, we each had a quick PB&J before the game and then had ice cream at the local shop after his game.  YUM!

All in all, it was a good day.  It didn't quite go how he had hoped, but let's be honest...what day ever really goes the way we plan it to go??!!??  HAPPY PQ's DAY!

Say What??!!??

While running errands this evening, I reminded Papa H of one more stop that we had to make...

Me to Papa H:  "We need to stop at the Dollar Tree so I can pick up your pads."

Oh boy!  It's no wonder Papa H quickly asked me to complete the sentence.  We needed to swing by the Dollar Tree and pick up the pads for his eyeglasses...hahaha.  Papa H said that no man should ever have to hear their wife say that they were going in to a store to pick up pads for them. 

I'm still laughing about it...hahahaha

Smiles, Sickness, and Swimming Sensations!

 Blogging once a week seems to be my mantra lately.  I'm not impressed by my delays in the least bit, so I am hoping to be better about it as the summer days unfold.  Feel free to call me out on it, if you notice that I'm recapping more than usual. 

It's been an interesting week, to say the least.  We started last Saturday with a visit from Grampa H, Grammy Jo-Jo, and Great Gramma H.  They came up to see PQ play baseball and we were delighted to see them.  We don't see them nearly as much as we would like so it's always a special treat when we see them!

After the real game, the boys played some more.

Great Gramma kept me smiling all afternoon.

Grammy Jo-Jo was busy crafting.

(I wish I was as talented as her!) 

The H Gang! 

The next few days were ROUGH, to say the least.  Little Miss Sugar was coming down with some sort of sickness at the start of the weekend, but the next few days were BRUTAL!  Sugar was miserable.  She cried non-stop (unless she was being held by Mama).  At night, she screamed and battled an ongoing fever.  By Monday, she had developed another rash so we headed in to see the doctor.  Sugar was diagnosed with yet another viral infection and we were told to 'let it run it's course'.  OY!  We stayed at home and let her crawl around, as she wanted.  And as you can see, she mastered another crawling technique. 

Introducing the 4 Legged Crawl.

Once the virus seemed to disappear, we spent some time with Twirly and her kids by the lake.  It was gorgeous.  It was fun.  And it was stressful (for me).  You see, PQ knows how to swim but he is not a strong swimmer at all.  To be completely honest, it terrifies me to think that he would fall in the water and not be able to swim.  So when PQ was asked whether he wanted to go kayaking, he immediately said 'yes' while I sat back and felt nauseous.  Thanks to Twirly, she helped me to rationalize that PQ was wearing a lifevest and that he was safe.  Deep down I wanted to believe that he was safe but I still had this pit in the bottom of my stomach.  (Of course, I'm happy to report that everything was fine.  Nobody got hurt and everyone had a blast.  *wink*)

Before heading into the water, Duck Egg gave PQ a quick lesson. 

And then it was Twirly's turn.

She literally flipped PQ and the kayak over so PQ would know how to get out, if anything were to happen.  (Thanks again, Twirly...Whether you know it or not, you helped me process through some of the emotions by doing this with PQ.) 

Don't be fooled...Sugar was not impressed with the cold lake water.

She prefers warm water in the tub.  *wink* 

At this point, the kids were having a BLAST while I panicked by the shoreline. 

I eventually paddled out to check on PQ using my own kayak...and Twirly kept Sugar entertained on the paddle boat.

Christmas Story, anyone??!!??

Now this is more her speed...snacks and socialization! 

PQ had a BLAST with the gang at the lake.

Thanks again for having us! 

Apparently anything can be used for a sword fight!

Back at home, Swiper wanted to go on the Zip Line. 

I love how FEARLESS she is... 

...WAY TO GO SWIPER!!!!

The heat and humidity has been unbearable this week.  Even though we have 2 air conditioners and a few fans going in the house, it didn't feel very comfortable at all.  Sugar spent most of her time in a diaper (and nothing else).  As you can see by this nap time photo, she didn't have a care in the world.

Hot, Hot, Hot... 

And because I was a bundle of anxiety earlier in the week, I got thinking about how I could curb my fears.  After processing what my exact fear was, I realized that I even though PQ has had swimming lessons, he has never had a consistent amount of swim time.  His trips to Titi's pool have been limited and his swimming lessons have been for short durations of time during the winter months.  In my own opinion, he hasn't had enough practice to really feel confident with his abilities.  So, my thought process was simple.  We needed a pool at our house!  If PQ could have more water time exposure, his confidence level will increase...and therefore, my comfort level with PQ near the water will also increase.  Plus, it makes for a really fun time on those hot summer days. 

A BIG thanks to Papa H for setting it up!

It's bigger than I anticipated, but that's FINE by us!

PQ is one happy little man...and I'm one less-stressed Mama!

We had a great week indeed!  It was a week of growing and learning.  And it was a week of healing and helping.  A HUGE thank you to everyone that we spent some time with over the week.  We love you lots!  XOXOXOXO

I love you, Papa H!

Happy Father's Day, Papa H!

(PQ's necklace was dangling on Papa's forehead...)

WE LOVE YOU!

XOXOXOXO

Housewife Highlight

For the first time in my entire life, I have a clothesline.  For some, it might not be that big of a deal.  But to me, it's proving to be my favorite part of the summer so far!  A HUGE thank you to Papa H for building me a line recently.  I had no idea how rewarding it would be to bring in load after load of clothing from the line.  I feel giddy about it, to be honest.  After all these years of paying to dry our clothes...it's ridiculous, actually.  Never in a million years would I have expected to feel so thrilled by something so simple.  

Of course, there are items that I refuse to hang on the line.  In my opinion, our underwear and bras do not need to be on display for all to see.  Those are private.  And our towels are not hung out to dry.  Not because I don't want random people scoping out our towels, but because I can't stand a crusty towel!  I know the verdict is still out on this one for many families, but for our house we like to use soft towels when we step out of the shower in the morning.  A nice warm shower followed up by a dry, crusty towels just doesn't appeal to me at all.  *wink*

As the summer months are upon us, I am bodly predicting that nothing will highlight my summer months as much as my clothesline already has.  I'm in love with this simple, free, energy conscious resource that is at my fingertips!  Who knew something so simple could bring so much joy!

What will be the highlight of your summer?  Has something already swept you off your feet?  If so, I would love to hear about it! 

I don't think I'm ready for this...

Oh yes...let the fun begin.  After a short nap, this is exactly what PQ and I saw.  Little Miss Sugar is officially pulling herself up to a standing position.  YIKES!  I'm don't think I'm ready for this!! 

Mama Sunshine~ When you get back into town, do you want to come over and lower her mattress?  We all know how much you love putting together cribs.  *wink, wink, nudge, nudge*

Our Two Blessings...

PQ's Math Goal

A few ago, I went to the MassHOPE Homeschool conference with Mama Sunshine, Twirly, and Fletch.  My goal for the trip was to secure quality curriculum for next year and over the past week, I've received confirmation that the Math program that I chose for PQ is exactly what I was looking for. 

At the beginning of our homeschool journey (a mere 6 months ago), PQ and I were battling when it came time for his math lessons.  We opted to continue using the curriculum that his prior school was using, to help with the adjustment of homeschooling.  It would take him almost an hour to complete a simple math worksheet that should only be taking 15 minutes or so to complete.  He would get every question right on his paper, but it took him forever and a day to complete it (because he would spend the time looking around the room or doodling on his paper) .  Day after day we struggled to make math time enjoyable. 

After attending the homeschool conference, I came home with 2 curriculum choices that I thought PQ would enjoy.  He is a visual learner so both of the programs had lessons (either via CD or DVD) that PQ could watch before completing the assignments.  I let PQ see both programs and I gave him the option to choose which program he thought he would learn the best using.  Immediately upon display, PQ chose Teaching Textbooks which is a CD based math program. 

Before purchasing the curriculum, we had PQ complete an online assessment to determine which program he should begin with.  Because of the struggles with math in the prior months, we wanted to ensure that he was in the most appropriate grade level for math based on his ability, even if that meant repeating the math for grade 3.  Much to our surprise, our struggles were not being caused by anything other than sheer boredom!  PQ tested out at the 6th grade level for Math.  It's no wonder math time has been such a nightmare!  He was bored with his math and he needed a challenge.

So without any hesitation, we bought the 6th grade program for PQ to use for next year.  But here's where the story gets good...He LOVES the new program and has been asking to do it each day for the past week.  He ASKS if he can do more math.  Seriously, this is a big deal for a girl like me.  I don't enjoy math at all, so for him to ask if he can do more math is awesome in my eyes!

PQ has set a goal for himself.  His plan is to work on math throughout the summer and his goal is to complete Math 6 and Math 7 by the end of this upcoming school year.  He hopes to work on the Algebra program during 5th grade.  I'm completely blown away by his interest in math.  I'm impressed by his skills and I am proud of him for being so motivated to learn more.  This has been such a Proud Mama Moment!

Twinkles...

Yesterday was Sugar's 9 month Wellness Check Up and we are happy to report that she is a healthy little girl that's growing right on target!  She currently weighs 16 pounds 8 ounces (which places her in the 11th percent for her weight).  She is 27 inches long (which places her at the 25th percentile for height).  And her head circumference is 43.5 inches (which places her at the 30th percentile for head circumference). 

The doctor was impressed by Sugar's abdominal muscles (which PQ likes to refer to as a 12 pack of soda).  She said that we should expect to see some tempers continue to flare (yes, they've already started) and that they are quite age appropriate, even at 9 months old. 

For months, Papa H and I have been talking about having Sugar's ears pierced after the adoption was finalized.  Considering the 9 month wellness appointment does not involve any type of shots, we opted to have her ears pierced during yesterday's visit.  And I must say, I LOVE THEM!  They look adorable!  She was a champ when it came time to have her ears done.  The doctor pierced one ear at a time and once it was done, Sugar snuggled up on me and was fine with the whole ordeal.  It went much better than I imaged.

So, without further ado...

Stay tuned for her real Twinkles

(which PQ would like to save for her birthday-GREAT IDEA, BUDDY)



They ARE for REAL!!!

Over the past several months, I have had the opportunity to get to know Miss Bri.  She is a sweatheart of a young girl and she always seems to have something to say that makes me giggle.  Just last week, I almost pee'd my pants after one of her comments.  In all actuality, it wasn't really a comment...it was a reaction!  To a parking meter...

You see, Miss Bri had NEVER seen a real life parking meter before.  In her eyes, they're only found in movies.  HAHAHA.  No, no, Miss Bri...they ARE really real!

I love your innocense...and I love being a part of your life.  XOXOXO

Up All Night = Sleepy Girl During The Day

Little Miss Sugar has been sick for the past few days.  She spent the majority of last night awake, crying, and battling a fever.  Today during naptime, I went in to check on her and this is what I found.  A very tired little girl trying to sit up but overtaken by sleep. 

Hey, it happens to the best of us!  We hope you feel better soon, Sugar!  XOXOXOXO

A Wordless Week In Pictures