Projects

Moving, in our part of the world, doesn’t just mean packing all your stuff and unpacking it in your new house.  It also means fixing lots of things.  So far Marvin’s had a full project list filled with things like fixing our toilet, building shelves and installing safety features to keep Judah from falling down the stairs.  I am thankful for his willingness to figure out how to fix things.

My job is doing all the unpacking.  So as I was getting the boys room set up I came across Micah’s name I printed about a year and a half ago.  So decided it was time to finish that project.  (Did I ever mention I’m really bad about starting something and not finishing it?  Well this is a prime example.)

So of course I had to make the other boys something too.

Judah’s was easy.  Fun fonts, play with the color and it was done.

Calvin’s took more effort, but he loves it and I love how it turned out.  It was a fun project.

Whenever I start projects like these it always give me lots of energy when the creative juices start flowing, but the hard part is finding the energy to start a project.  I still have quite the list of projects to tackle in their room.  So one of these days when I find some energy I’ll finish a few projects already started and start, and finish a few more on the list.  One day. 

How we Camp: 2014 edition

Because we are crazy and because we promised our kids we’d take them camping this year and because they would not stop asking about it, we carved time out and spent the weekend out in cabbage country right before our move.

This area is famous for cabbage and it’s abundant.  I love seeing all the little summer home gardens with fields full of cabbage.  (And if you think summer home sounds glamorous think shack, no running water, electricity or gas and you get to use an outhouse.)

We found a great spot, with a water source nearby to help rinse dishes.

Here’s how we roll when we family camp.  Air mattresses, potty tent, and a schedule for the cooking.  Which means you don’t have to do it all, which is nice.

Our boys were in heaven.  The older boys brought their cool gadgets like their knives, and were kind enough to make a few arrows for Calvin.  He wore his bow the whole weekend.

Micah decided to dig one day, no reason at all, but he dug for over an hour.  As happy as can be.

We took a little hike as a family.  Micah did such a great job he said his little legs were tired but he kept on going.

AND we spotted fresh bear tracks.  Exciting!  Yet sort of freaky at the same time.  Our area isn’t known for having much wildlife.  But the bee keepers we met down the road told us they had spotted a few this summer.  (yes it’s normal to meet bee keepers, and shepherds, and guys cutting hay by hand.)

We decided to try a cookie over the campfire one night.  I wasn’t impressed, it tasked very smoky.  I’m not a fan of smoky cookies.  We probably won’t try that again.  Thankfully I brought brownies too just in case.

Marvin hiked up the big hill one afternoon with a friend and made it to the top.

Judah was fond of his first camping trip and was pretty flexible when it came to napping, but he was one tired baby the next couple of days.

Then we tore down and headed home, ready to pack up our house and move 4 days later

This is usually how the ride home looks like.

Camping tends to help kids sleep very well.

Calvin's Ninja Turtle Pary

The last party in birthday week was Calvin’s.  He wanted a ninja turtle party this year.  We also invited a very of his classmates.  I was so relieved to see a few of them show up.  PTL.  We had 6 local friends and 2 other American kids.

We sent invites with Calvin to school and then invited the girls who are in his class that live in our building.  I have no idea if that is what we were supposed to do but it’s what we did.

I had lots of activities planned and I am glad a few of the rambunctious kids were late because I’m not sure I could have survived 2 hours with some of them.

So we colored throwing stars when the kids first arrived, and decorated masks that we used for pin the mask on Donatello.

We played toss the throwing star game,
a punch game when the kids needed to choose a circle in hopes they would find a turtle egg (Kinger eggs), knock down the bad guys with a turtle hand that shoots things (we eventually used their Nerf guns, pin the mask on Donatello, and who could toss the pizza into the box.  I had prizes (candy) that the kids could choose if they won.

We ate pizza, mac & cheese, a couple veggie trays that were suppose to look like Michelangelo and Raphael and a cracker chip mix.

We sang happy birthday and ate cake then the kids played a bit before it was time for parents to come pick them up, and the ones who stayed left right as we were finished with cake.  We sent the kids home with a mask and some "turtle food".

Calvin had fun, felt loved his friends came, and I was thankful that it concluded birthday week.  So for me that was totally awesome.

It was fun to celebrate my big 7 year old in a special way this year.  I love all that creative energy he has and it is a blessing to do fun things for him.