Weekend Top Five 8/10/08

A lot of people do long fun posts about their weekend activities. I thought I might do it instead in the form of the Top Five Weekend events.

So here it goes:


5. Garage Sale on Friday...Five kids unsupervised for 6 hours...water in puddles in every room of my house... lemonade stand with over enthusiastic sellers...enough money to go out for dinner.














4. Saturday afternoon in Canadian Lakes with grandparents and Cousins...cheering swimming for Micheal Phelps...pizza on the boat...root beer floats...more swimming in the lake




























3. Beautiful Sunday Morning...hooky from church (for the first time in EONS)...Noah begging to weed around the plants...mommy and daddy edging along the sidewalk for the first time all summer..Noah having his experience with "running away (story to follow later).
















4. Cat vs. Kitten...they're starting to get along...and play...and meow for each other when separated...and still tolerate mothering from the boys






























5. Sunday afternoon at John Ball Zoo...duel membership saved $26...seeing the lions...face painting...lions and goats and apes, Oh My!
































What were your Top Five?

So Why Bother...

you may ask about VBS?





How about 140 kids all begging to go onto a stage to sing praises to God?












How about the big water slide after the closing ceremony Thursday night. Aaron going up while Noah comes down.











How about the joy of watching Daddy be the ONLY adult that goes down the slide with Aaron

Thursday Thirteen #10 VBS (again)

I know you're sick of these already, but VBS really does take over our lives. I have gotten absolutely nothing done around the house all week, and I'm really not even that upset (however, Steve is getting a little annoyed, I think). Even though there is that issue from yesterday, I didn't let it cloud the fun today. And it has been fun. Usually, I am grumpy by Wednesday, but for some reason, this year, I am looking forward to tomorrow.

Here are my 13 Highlights...so far...there's still one more day and the ice cream social/water slide tomorrow night.

1. Our youth leaders have been wonderful, as usual. They really are so much fun to work with and I think without them, there would be much less energy during the music times.














2. Noah's behavior has been OUTSTANDING in general. He smiles every time he sees me.














3. Aaron has gotten to be part of a class this year and loved the pretend fire.



Aaron is the blondie in the navy shirt










Everyone did crafts
4.




Aaron made a hat, and actually WORE it














5.


Noah made a journal











6.


Aaron made a flower pot
















Lots of games

6.


Noah catches a ball











7.




Noah passes water









And LOTS AND LOTS of dancing

8.



Hannah, Noah, and Aaron












9.

Please disregard Noah's pudding stained shirt. Apparently, it jumped right out of the cup and onto his shirt.









10.




Aaron had to show off that he could actually do the motions too.













11.



Noah busts a move (he's the one in green where you can only see the top of his head)










12. Snack time of course




Noah actually knew NOT to take the RED licorice (he forgot about the punch the next day...Deb actually witnessed it's wrath)







13. And so far, my favorite picture of the week

Tuesday Tag: Where Do 15 Years Go?

Chris tagged me for a meme. I have also been tagged for another that I will probably finally have time to get this week. My life looks to be pretty boring this week.

The meme was about how you would describe yourself to someone whom you haven't seen in fifteen years. Let's see...15 years ago was 1993. Sophomore year in college...wow, what a different life. You are allowed ten bullets with which to update your life.

* I married Steve W...most of the people who were in my life at that point knew Steve to be the Phi Mu Alpha hugger. Everywhere you went, a girl was hugging him and no one ever imagined anyone actually snagging him. We are celebrating 12 years of marriage this December.

* I have two beautiful boys. I loved being pregnant and labor wasn't that bad for me. I would do it again if God saw that as the plan, but I love our little family of four and it suits us well. I always thought I wanted girls, but God made the right decision in sending boys my way. I would have been a much worse mom if I had been blessed with girls.

* I did actually teach school music for six years, but then discovered that school teaching didn't work for me. Instead, teaching piano is a much better way to use my education and God given talents

* I have lived in several apartments and one house since that time. In Wisconsin for a year and a half, and then returning to Michigan.

* 15 years ago I was the pianist for the campus ministry. I continued to be a church employee, both as organist at a little church in Wisconsin, and also holding choir director and bell director positions at our current church

* I am much more in tune with my family than I was 15 years ago. At that time, I very rarely saw my brother or sister more than once twice a year. Pretty close to the same with my parents. Now, my sister lives less than an hour away and we see my brother's family close to every month or so. All of our kids consider each other their best friends.

*The friends whom I was closest to 15 years ago are STILL the closest friends today. The first three that come to mind are all fellow bloggers, one of whom will be tagged below.

* We are not as financially stable as I would have thought 15 years would bring, but that is in part mostly to the decisions that we have made for our family. I still have hopes that the next 15 fifteen will see us reach the place for which we aim.

This was much harder than I thought it would be

* I have not gone very many places in the last 15 years. I have only been on a plane trip once since then, and handled it so badly that I don't plan to ever ride one again. I finally made it Disney World 8 years ago for the first time, and we are planning to go again as a family trip next March. I want my kids to have that experience when they are young and not wait until they are 27 years old.

* IN general, I think I am a happier person than I was 15 years ago. Even though we struggle financially, I feel like the support system I have is so secure with my family and friends that I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I do not believe I had a very positive outlook 15 years ago...now I know that the future holds as many adventures as the past has.

I hope I am still blogging in 15 years. It would be fun to see what this meme would say in 2033.

I would like to tag
Beth, Jennifer (if you're not in labor), Queen Mommy, Tammy, and Courtney.

Have fun!

Remember Superman?

I got a lot of traffic from this question about what to do with Superman.

We figured out something to do.

Here's a hint...

A birthday party and a bunch of kids with a large variety in ages lined up nicely...














It might be related to something in this basket...



















Did I hear you say "Target Paractice?"






































Steve got soaked, I stayed dry (hee hee hee)

I think they're all laughing at him















Check out Aaron's form



















After awhile, a free-for-all is just more fun.




Look at that smile on the birthday boy!














And thankfully, poor Superman got left at the park.

More birthday fun to be shared later...

How To Lose 6 Hours

Here's the Equation...

1 Baby, 1 Toddler, 1 preschooler, 2 Kindergarteners, 2 elementary students, 1 preteen, 3 moms, and 1 dad

Six Hours until it's dark and they start fireworks

That's a lot of time...

What should we do?

Throw a frisbee














Throw a football














Open a present














Play with chalk in 3D



















Take a walk hand in hand



















Show off your "coolness" at the park



















Listen to other's shoot off "illegals" and watch Aaron protest



















Dance














Color














Blow bubbles



















Play ring aroudn the rosy














Dance again














Snuggle for a family photo














Get the Daddy to dance














Finally... Settle in for the show




















p.s. There was also a first lost tooth in the mix but that's Deb's story to tell

Thursday Thirteen #5 Noah's Turning Six

Noah will be six tomorrow. It is only fitting that the T13 pictures should be his first five birthday celebrations. It is very likely that next week's will be about this years' festivities.

He came into the world at 4:33 AM, 14 days early and thrilling mommy that he was born on the 4th of July. Notice the shirt Daddy is wearing. He had it on to go to the July 3rd fireworks when we were diverted to the hospital instead.














He looked so cute in his red white and blue hat that was knitted for him by hospital volunteers

















He had the usual mess with this first birthday cake



















His 2nd birthday part stayed pretty low key with a kiddie pool and a kiddie slide keeping the kiddies amused for a long time.














And of course waiting for fireworks at night



















Noah's 3rd year was all about Thomas The Tank Engine















And again waiting for fireworks at night.


I have always loved this picture of the boys. I'm not sure why.










Noah's 4th year was all about superheroes, especially the Incredibles. I must say I outdid myself that year. Instead of goody bags, I made super capes and masks for all of the kids.



Noah is the "Nike" boy in the middle










Mr. Incredible even came to the parade that year.














Last year, we finally decided that we had outgrown our yard for the party. The kids were all getting bigger and our group growing larger so we did the party at a local park instead.














I filled water balloons for a toss contest



















And somehow we even ended up with an impromptu story time













And then a relaxing time at the fireworks with Abby and Hannah (and Aaron of course)



















This year will be the first year that we will do his party AFTER the 4th so I have fallen behind in the planning,. I still have three days to figure it out.