Adventures with Rachel and Sara

So when Sara and I were 5 and 6 respectively, we lived on Randolph Street in Riverside. Our mom had started decorating cakes and on one particular evening, when she was in the middle of decorating a big wedding cake, she had to go out. She left everything on the counters; frosted but undecorated cakes and bowls of creamy white frosting.

She left my dad in charge with strict and precise instructions to all of us, "no picking in!" Mom left, Dad went into the den to watch T.V., Sara and I went into the kitchen to eat some frosting.

I'm pretty sure mom never decorated a cake with red sprinkles but I like this picture.

After and hour or so it was time for bed and that was good because we were full by then. Dad called us into the den. We went in to say goodnight. Dad said, "Have you two been picking into the frosting?" "No." We assured him sweetly. Then I looked over at Sara. To my shock and horror I saw that Sara had a big glob of frosting on the side of her mouth!!

Oooh! We got such a spank.

That experience has been on my mind because I am a little bored with the frosting I have been using forever so I have been experimenting with different recipes. I am looking for a specific consistency and lightness and flavor and I'm not sure how to get there. I have tried 4 different kinds so far. If I don't get it this morning I am going to go back to my tried and true.

Every time I stick my finger into the bowl to taste what I've made, I think of that night and how Sara ruined my plans of misbehavior without consequences . . . she still does that.

Oh what do you do in the summertime . . .?

School gets out on Friday and I am so excited to get going with all our summer plans!

At our house, I plan an activity for each morning of the week and then the afternoons are free time for the kids to play with friends, play video games, do projects on their own . . . etc. For example: Mondays we clean and then go to the library. Tuesdays we swim. Wednesdays we have a field trip (zoo, museum, park . . . etc.). Thursdays we do a project. Friday is cooking or baking.

To be honest my plans usually last through the first month and then things loosen up about week four. Because of sports camps, scout camps, girl's camps and our own traveling, we get sidetracked. It is hard to get back into the routine after interruptions but it is still nice to have a plan in place when we do want to use it.


I have had so much fun planning this summer. I found this really great book and between endless projects in there and some wonderful projects I have seen online, I have planned projects all the way through July. I have all the stuff to do this and this and this and we're going to make some of these garden markers.

Aside from projects, we will swim and spend lots of time at the library and I would really like to work in something else I have been thinking about. My sister Sara wrote about sibling relationships last year on Design Mom and I want to do a version of that as well.

Oh my goodness!! It is going to be such a good summer! I can just feel it!

Focus . . . or the lack thereof

I have been working with the moms of several of Robin's friends to put on a grad night party. Most of them have only one child, although a couple of them have two; and I have learned two very important things.

1. The most difficult and sometimes frustrating part of having a lot of children is that it is impossible to give them each my constant undivided attention.

2. The the best and most healthy part of having a lot of children is that it is impossible to give each of them my constant undivided attention.

God is Nigh

~These are the words to Taps.
~ I like the first stanza the best.
~Taps is played on all army posts every night at 10:00pm and at military funerals.
~Happy Memorial Day~

Taps
Day is done,
Gone the sun,
From the hills,
From the lake,
From the skies.
All is well,
Safely rest,
God is nigh.

Go to sleep,
Peaceful sleep,
May the soldier
or sailor,
God keep.
On the land
or the deep,
Safe in sleep.

Love, good night,
Must thou go,
When the day,
And the night
Need thee so?
All is well.
Speedeth all
To their rest.

Fades the light;
And afar
Goeth day,
And the stars
Shineth bright,
Fare thee well;
Day has gone,
Night is on.

Thanks and praise,
For our days,
'Neath the sun,
Neath the stars,
'Neath the sky,
As we go,
This we know,
God is nigh.

Times tables, Spanish and the Wooden park . . .

Another thing my mom did well, and something that I copy, was how she took advantage of our summers. We did all the normal summer things like swimming, baseball games, camping, the beach; but she also planned things each day to keep us busy and working throughout the summer.

Mom and Gabby in Riverside about the time of our first summer school.

~She would help us set goals to work on while we were out of school; times tables, typing, and sewing were some of the things I remember working on.

~She would organize neighborhood summer schools and for a few weeks we would go to different houses in the neighborhood and learn different things like baking or how to write poetry. Most of the Spanish I still know comes from what I learned at Suzanne Gonzalez's house when I was 8 and I learned how to lead music at the Jennings', during another of our summer school sessions.

~One summer we studied the Old Testament scripture stories in depth and I know them well because of that.

~She helped us put on plays with the neighborhood kids.

~And then sometimes we'd all pile into the VW Van and we would go on field trips to museums and parks (the wooden park was our favorite) and orange groves. I remember once, standing in the office of the Riverside City Mayor and thinking that my mom must be really really something to get us in to meet someone so important.

Oh my goodness! Look at that list! Love it!!

We didn't do all of those things every summer but as you can see our days were planned and well used.

I am so thankful for the pattern she set and the good things she filled our summers with.

Happiness is . . .

I think I need an updated picture of these two together.

. . . sitting between my two harmonizing baritones at seminary graduation, while we sing God Be With You Till We Meet Again.

Guess who's getting married again!!

Congratulations mom!!

We are so happy for you and we can't wait to meet him!

Mother's Day Haiku

To Her Children

Culture packed summers

Reading to us before bed

Two of mother’s gifts

I love you mom. I'll be thinking of you this weekend.

Motivated

I was really really discouraged after I rolled my ankle last summer. Ever since I hurt myself I have had a hard time pushing myself to make goals, to better myself or to do extra things for the kids or the house. That is unlike me and for months I've been feeling a little lost or maybe I've just been lazy.

Last week I faced some things that were very scary to me and took care of some things that I have been putting off. It was good and I think I at least I found the path back to where I want to be.

Monday I started my running again. I ran a very slow 2.75 miles and I was so happy all day. It felt so good to run without pain after almost a year of it being otherwise. I've missed being out in the fields with the sounds of the cows and horses, the feeling of cool morning air all around me and, the best part, the overwhelming smell of a million honeysuckles.

I'm not exaggerating about the million, in fact there are probably more. There is this road on my route that it is lined by an old fence covered with heaps and heaps of honeysuckle for a full half mile. It smells like heaven. Yesterday I ran a new route that takes me through the honeysuckle twice. Mmmmmm! The green, the sounds, the cool, the smells it all just feeds my soul and makes me feel like anything is possible.

The Tyler Half marathon is in October and with that, among other things, I have some direction again and a hard goal to work on again.

Big Red Piano Player

Me, the day after the piano teacher sent home the recital sheet music to memorize.

"Sara! I'm not going to say it again! Stop learning everyone else's recital pieces!"

I promised her that she could learn them all after the recital, next Saturday.

Need a laugh?

Click to here to read a very funny post by Mindi at Word to Your Mother.

Family Pictures by Design Mom

Gabby posted the best blog post ever on getting her family ready for family pictures. It is really worth reading. Gabby does everything so well that sometimes she makes it look like she isn't even trying. I have to admit that I was relieved to hear everything she did because in my mind~~~

Gabby woke up the day of the shoot, rolled out of bed, woke her children with a song and told them to get dressed in "something cheery". As she and Ben dressed in perfectly complementary and cheery outfits themselves, the children each went to their closets and picked things that would best fit their mother's definition. Throughout the morning the family encountered only two problems, the first, that there was only one giant red flower and three little girls who wanted to use it and the second, they had to wait because Oscar had to change his tie several times until he got it just right.

This post reminded me that a lot of work and thought goes into everything Gabrielle does. I love hearing about her thoughts and how she used every resource out there. I am so proud of her.

Crazy Chicken Bread

My Grandma Stanley hated store bought white bread; she called it crazy chicken bread. She said that when the chickens were fed those bread crumbs they would go crazy because there were no vitamins in it.

Whenever we left her house we were given a big bag full of the best turkey sandwiches, on wheat bread of course, and we would eat them all the way home.