Links I Love, rambling, and chalk paint

Pillow from Target, on sale.  I know Ed was super impressed at this addition to our house. 

He says, "An elephant for a dime is only a deal if you need an elephant and have a dime."

 And this is why our marriage works....

Links I Love:

Overnight success how to be a more patient mom....soooo need this ingrained in my brain.

The pool with Children...by Scary Mommy   - too funny. 

The When Then Syndrome...Power of Moms.  Whether it is the house or the stage your kids are at...so easy to get caught up in this. 

Rambling...I do it so well...

So Miss Sydney rises at 6.  But is ready to go back to sleep at 6:45.  Lovely. 
I am going to try and find the positive in this phase.
I am up.  And the rest of the house is quiet for the moment (granted our house isn't as full as usual).
But Henry, my man, is the man of the house today and he is sleeping in the top bunk.  Yesterday he slept until 8am...might this be a new trend?  I just pray when he does wake he doesn't wake Sydney calling me to help him get down. 

I really should get off the computer and conquer the kitchen floor. 
We did the cottage cheese thing with Sydney again and it is smeared all over the floor by her seat.
The crumbs in there are out of control and I use the excuse that when she is up I can't clean the floor. 
And when she is napping or sleeping it just isn't how I want to spend my time. 
But I know I will be that much happier and relaxed knowing she isn't tromping through that mess and trekking it all over the house.

Or I should shower.
But then Henry might call for me and that wouldn't work.
So that will wait.
I guess I will just sip my coffee and ramble here.

This weekend Ed and Charley, Boy Scout camp rookies, are out there doing their camping thing.
Ed called to inform me that we missed an email that said they could bring their own tent.  So he was going to spend some time killing spiders and cleaning up their platform tent.  It makes me sick to my stomach thinking they aren't sleeping comfortable.  Pissed, I am.  This is Ed's first "camp" experience too and I had such high hopes.  But knowing that they could be being eaten alive all night and that the thought of spiders nesting in tents that are saturated from 9 inches of rain yesterday...well, makes me feel sad for them.  He did text me later in the evening to tell me they would be fine and that he loved me.  So I am trying to just let it go and know that what doesn't kill them makes them stronger!  This is such a special weekend for them.

As for the three of us...well the girls are ruling the house right now.  But Mr. Henry is my top priority.  I want him to feel special too this weekend.  So last night we took off to the pool, even though it wasn't perfect pool weather.  45 minutes at the pool made the boy smile.  Saying he was ready to go home and letting him call that shot, made him smile.  We picked up a RedBox movie for Mama and one for Henry, since it is supposed to rain today.  We grabbed some dinner and returned home where he hung out until it was time for him to slumber in his big brother's top bunk.  I think we are off to a good start to making his weekend, just as special.  I am more determined than ever because I heard Henry say, "No fair, you get to go have fun with dad this weekend."  And Charley didn't respond, "But, you get to have fun with mom."  So I need to make that fact pointed out NEXT time.  Does anyone else ever feel like daddy gets to swoop in with his fresh attitude and patience and special outing moments...and us mamas who have dealt with every bickering session during the day, who signed them up for the special daddy/son experiences, and who makes sure they have clean clothes and three balanced meals (most of the time) presented to them each day, get no credit?  Just sayin'

I need shoes for my brother's wedding.
I would prefer wedges, given that the ceremony and more is taking place outdoors. 
But I am realizing with one week to narrow down my search - I might have to deal with the heel sink thing.  I did get a pair of flats for the dancing later.  And isn't that the most important part.  I am hoping to conquer this today with just two kiddos - and maybe throw in a little dinner out to up the "Mama is fun too" rankings.

Did you know Redbox rents wii games?  TOTALLY keeping that in the back pocket for a rainy day or something for the boys to earn.

Angle food cake is part of the plan today.  And just so you know?  The play dough fossil activity kinda flopped and we did it a day late.  And we haven't done the geocache boxes yet.  Blogging sometimes is my place to set a goal and then live up to that patience mentioned or that activity I have planned.  But if the boys aren't feeling it or I am not feeling it...or the neighbor kids are around and they decide playing in the sandbox for an hour and a half is fun, then it gets postponed.  So often I state what our plan is for the day...but so often it doesn't happen the day I had planned.  Just wanted you to know - there is reality that strikes my blogging plans.  I know all too well that forcing kids to do anything, never makes said activity/experience go well...whether it is potty training or a craft. 

Oh, and reading dilemma.  Charley came home on Monday all pumped for reading program at the library.  He read a TON on Monday and Tuesday.  But the rest of the week has been a struggle already.  That is kind of why I hate the reading program.  It becomes this thing that they feel like they have to achieve but when it takes too long to see the progress they lose interest.  Charley has to read 5 hours to get to the first prize.  And he is totally capable.  I just need to make reading time a routine here I think.  Otherwise, how do you keep up the motivation?  I know if we went to the library he would read daily.  But I can't make that trip daily, weekly - yes, daily- no.  As a teacher, I feel like I should be a pro at this.  But when it is your own kids...It did work yesterday to set a reading amount goal before they could do a screen time choice.  I just loved Monday and Tuesday's reading experience...when I looked around and found him curled up!  I also know that summer takes a week or two to transition into this new less structured and less stimulated routine.  So maybe I should just let it be.  He is a reader.  He loves books.  And yesterday, instead of reading I found him at the kitchen table working on writing a story about his favorite cartoon characters.  And writing is something I really want him to keep doing this summer too.  So maybe there will be a natural swing from reading and writing all summer. 

Okay, can you tell I am totally avoiding the kitchen floor.  No more.  It is time.  Plus my cup of coffee is gone.  I love when I can enjoy a cup without reheating it more than once. 

Too bad we weren't at a coffee shop catching up. 
I would love some rambling comments from you all.  It might be a day with less adult interaction and that always makes me go a little looney. 

 
Oh, Chalk paint.  Always fun.  I have seen so many friends doing it.  So we couldn't resist, and I just realized that I hadn't posted it on our kid activity page.  Sydney loved it.  And I loved that I let her love it. 

Chalk paint:  equal parts water and cornstartch with food coloring to meet your needs. I typically do 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup cornstartch.  It works best with paint brushes and smaller areas.  My kids also love painting rocks with it at the cottage.