Lessons from the Loom

The boys attended VBS this past week, which was fabulous. Truly, this was one of the best Bible Schools I have ever seen. The theme was Galilee and the church went all out. We were encouraged to attend as a family so I stayed and hung out with the kids. (Look for pictures with a narrative later this weekend -this post is really about my little weaver.) One of the stations was set up by a group of weavers who brought a couple of large looms and a spinning wheel. To say Nathan was mesmerized is an understatement. He LOVED the weaving station. The first night, he headed directly to the loom and of the 1/2 hour he had in the market place, he spent all but 5 minutes there. I thought he'd get frustrated because weaving is no easy task especially with the motor skills of a 6 year old so initially, I decided to "help". He was having a little problem going in and out with the shuttle so I, in my infinite mommy wisdom, "helped" by holding on to his hand and the shuttle and "helping" him weave in and out.

"Don't stop Nathan, you're doing a good job," this crazy mom exclaimed.
"No, Mom you are doing a good job, could you stop helping please!"

Could the message be any clearer? Step back, Mom and let me do it, succeed or fail I want to do it. So, I stepped back. (then took some terrific photos of my very cute, very independent son, which I will post later)
What Nathan will take from this experience is the joy of weaving... it takes patience and attention and is a really fun activity but the lesson for me was much more profound. He still needs me but he is growing up, maturing. We are entering a new stage in life, in our dealings with one another. Backing off a bit is not a bad thing. Letting him work it out for himself can be a better teacher than a thousand words from me. It's definitely a better teacher than me doing it for him. So I'm learning to let go a little, offer support then wait until it's needed- until it's asked for. And I am extremely proud of his determination, his perseverance, and his independent spirit.

And he's already asking if we can buy a loom!

Did I tell you we live in a small town?

At Puppy Kindergarten tonight we were talking to Lu-Lu's owner and found that she lives right across the street from Uncle Chris! Part of the play-time Duke was on leash to give the smaller puppies a chance to play and Lu-Lu shunned those small, boring dogs and went straight for Duke. I may have mentioned earlier that they are well matched. We're hoping to get the two wild dogs together to tire them out. I must be thinking we don't have enough play-dates for the kids so we have to plan play-dates for the dog too.

Say Tomato

We finally went out to pick our tomatoes this afternoon. Actually the boys picked while I took pictures then I went through to get those they'd missed. I can't wait until our "regular" big tomatoes turn red. We have several and they are getting bigger every day but all are still green.

How to Occupy an Unruly Dog

Wordless Wednesday

Masterpiece

Here are two of the pictures the boys worked on last week during their art classes.

The seascape is Nathan's handiwork and the portrait is the one Sully did and didn't like. I think he did a fabulous job. Both done in watercolor, which isn't the easiest medium to work with.

Things are looking up...

the scale is going down. One pound to be exact. That makes 6 in all! I started a week long "detox" diet yesterday -mainly fruits, veggies, rice and some lean protein. It seems very healthy but what a shock to the system! Yesterday my stomach protested and today my head but I slept better last night than I have in a really long time. I'm looking forward to benefits later in the week. I don't know that I'll stay on such a restrictive diet much longer than a week but I really needed another kick-start as well as to purge my daily consumption of junk food. I was having a hard time allowing myself "just one" candy or cookie when 3 looked so much better. So, for this week... I'm on the wagon! I was also really bummed to find out that my Pilate's classes have almost doubled in cost- too rich for my blood- and next Monday will be my last class. My instructor looking to get out on his own especially after losing several clients due to the price hike- hopefully something will come together soon for him but until then we may look at joining the Y as a family. I've been slacking on walking but I plan to pick that back up this week as well. Perhaps I'll even pull out the exercise tapes.

Free Movies, Art Camp and Ice Cream

I'm slacking on the posts here- it's been almost a week!
Our days last week were filled with art. (At least the kids' days were filled with art, mine were filled with the blessing of a quiet house.) The boys participated in art camp in the village where they painted and drew some fun pictures. It turns out the instructor is our neighbor and the last day was party day at her house where the kids had cake and ice cream and got to swim and canoe. We were able to walk down to the party and then some of the other moms came back to our house with me for a little "mom party"... you know, a little food and a lot of kids NOT running around yelling.
This summer must be slated for art classes because there is a weekly class running at the corner church and the boys attended the first one last week and will continue throughout the summer. Nathan's class is working with clay and they are making some really cute tiles- I think of the Garden of Eden. Sully's class is working on watercolor portraits I could really see the effort in his first painting. He didn't like it but he's awfully hard on himself. I'll try to remember to take photos of their artwork to post tomorrow.
For our weekend treat, Kevin drove us down to Ben and Jerry's where we all indulged in a little ice cream. We entertained ourselves with the pictures on the wall of the Vermonster and those who'd attempted to eat this monstrosity (pun intended).
Tomorrow, bright and early, we'll be heading down to the local movie theater to catch a free showing of Charlotte's Web. It's a great way to spend a hot summer morning and I understand that there are theaters all over that offer the same kind of free summer movie program. Our local bowling alley has a free summer program as well where the kids can bowl one free game per day all summer. We haven't been down there yet this year, but the summer is still young.

Dog Redeemed

Puppy school tonight was much better than last week. Duke, although still a little (okay, a lot) wild, was less obnoxious. He performed his puppy push-ups perfectly! (How do you like that alliteration?) He only barked once or twice, he played nicely with the other dogs and he did an almost flawless "recall", a task, which I truly thought he'd fail miserably due to the distraction of the other dogs. Progress, definitely a good thing! The best part of class was that we started the lesson on walking nicely on leash!!!! Finally!!! We're going to have to practice but again, even with the distractions, he didn't do a terrible job. The boys were a little disappointed that they didn't get to work with him much tonight because everything was new and the difficulty level is higher than in the previous classes. They'll be able to practice this week and "show off" with him next class. They have been really good at working with him during the week and he actually listens to them most of the time.

A Day Late

... a dollar short and nary a pound has dropped. In other words I maintained again this week, which is actually a good thing. I'm aiming for another pound lost next week- again, exercise, diet and more water are my goals.

Happy Father's Day

To all the fabulous fathers out there especially those whom we know and love. We appreciate all you've done and continue to do for us. We, as a family, are blessed to have several fathers and grandfathers, here and in heaven, who are all irreplaceable.
As for Father's Day at our house, Kevin enjoyed presents and breakfast in bed this morning- made by the boys who did an excellent job. He's now grilling out, a favorite weekend pastime.

Also, a special hello to my dad who (of course) is the greatest dad around! Love you Dad!!!!
Now for the photo montage...

Here's Dad way before kids and grandkids.

And although this didn't scan in as well as I'd have liked, here's my dad as I remember him when I was small... he was always the one behind the lens, and rarely in front of it.




And here he is as Grandad... as we get to enjoy him now- at the park, Busch Gardens and the zoo.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DAD!!!!!

Ingenious Organizing Strategy...

... or REALLY dumb idea- you decide!

I'm not sure what made me think organizing Lego's would be a great family activity but here we are.

Kevin pulled out the camera to record our fortune in Lego's but after looking at these pictures I feel the need to explain the gross multitude. First, both boys love Lego's thus they are a popular request for Christmas, birthdays, and outings with grandparents as well as the end to the "I'm saving my money for" goal. So a portion of this pile is a 7 year collection. We were also blessed to be the recipients of a huge (and by huge, I mean HUGE) bin of Lego's from our former neighbors when their son went away to college.
We worked and sorted for a little over 4 hours (no I'm not kidding), the boys were getting tired and I was Lego-ed out but believe it or not as we were picking up Nathan asked if we could sort Lego's again as soon as we get up in the morning!!! Oh my! Needless to say we are not finished yet but the ultimate goal is to put all (or most) of the sets together, decide if any are past their playing prime and then have access to the favorites to hopefully end (or greatly decrease) the "I can't finds". We'll just have to see if it happens as soon as we get up.


I also want to point out the not-eating-Lego's-dog in the background. Good boy Duke!!!

Kid and Dog Stuff

How's that for an original title? I'm probably too tired to be blogging but I'll use that as an excuse if anything sounds lame or incomprehensible. What have we been doing this week? Well... really nothing all that exciting. The boys have both been plugging away doing school work- after our crazy year we (okay I) decided it would be best to school through the summer. We usually do some school work during the summer but we have a little heavier load this year. They finished early this afternoon and went next door to swim with the neighbor. Funny, we've been here 4 years and the pool next door has seen more action in a month under the new owners than the past 3 1/2 years under the previous owners. Kids! Ya'd think they like to swim or something! My boys are very fortunate that they have been invited over numerous times.

And the dog... trouble on a leash! Puppy Kindergarten this evening was exhausting. So much energy in one room! Duke did well but is very distracted by the other dogs and while he behaves "perfectly" while doing puppy push-ups in the comfort of our kitchen, he's a little harder to control with the temptation of play to the left, right and basically all around. We worked on sit, stand, down, roll-over and added "off" this week but I'm eager to get to the "stop pulling on the leash" class. He's really not terrible compared to Jesse who was all but unwalkable (a cougar might seem walkable compared to Jesse) but he's not a pleasure to walk yet. It's not too much to ask for a "pleasure to walk" type of dog, is it? I know they are out there... I've seen them. Grandma Kate and Wally have one! Hi Murphy, the boys miss you!

I think that's about it for this week so far... Father's Day is Sunday so the kids and I will be out shopping tomorrow. Hope everyone is having a good week!

Weigh in Week ???

I've lost track of the weeks!!! I haven't gained anything but this week was a week of maintaining. I did see a lower number earlier in the week but at weigh-in this morning I'm the same as last week. I'm not displeased (could be worse) and I know where I can do better for next week- weighing after the weekend is a killer!
Since I didn't post goals last for last week and I wasn't as successful as previous weeks, I'm going back to posting a few goals... if it's in print I'm less likely to fudge.

1. Exercise- Pilate's twice, 5 minutes daily on the mini trampoline, 3 short walks, 2 long walks
   
2. Diet- watch those darn sweets! Replace them with fruit. Pre-plan meals.
   
3. Water- drink more... at least a glass before each meal.
   

Simple Fun

After reading this post over at Musings of a Housewife, I was reminded of all the simple things we used to love to do when I was a kid. Feeding the ducks, tossing rocks into the creek, climbing trees... So today was a day of simple fun...

Sprinkler fun...
Running...

Jumping...

And it wouldn't be complete with out a crazy pose!

Then there was serious sandbox fun...
Scooping...

Digging...

Dumping...

Then there's the "I'm 12 and too cool for the sprinkler or sandbox today but ask me tomorrow because I may just change my mind" fun...

Clear for Take-Off

Shuttle went up yesterday and the boys drove up with Chris and Cori to watch it from across the river. Kevin got some good photos- too bad that pesky tree was in the way!

Yummy Brunswick Stew

I'm posting a low fat recipe for the recipe swap over at Tales from the Scales where I'm participating in the Weight Loss Challenge.

I'm not sure if this counts as traditional Brunswick Stew but it's really yummy and easy! I'm also guessing on the ingredient amounts as I've adapted this from different recipes and use the eyeball method here.

Chicken Broth -homemade or canned (to cover 1 inch above ingredients)
2-3 Chicken Breasts (cooked and cubed) -leftover chicken works well too
1/2 bag frozen corn kernels
1/2 bag frozen cut okra
1/2 onion chopped
bay leaf
1/4 tsp thyme
1 can petite diced tomatoes juice and all
1/4-1/2 cup katsup (or substitute tomato paste)
salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in a stockpot bring to a low boil then turn down heat and simmer, covered on med-low for about an hour. This soup gets better the longer the flavors are allowed to meld.
Other Brunswick Stew I've had includes lima beans but I'm not a big fan. If you like lima beans, however, you could bulk this up by adding a small package of frozen beans.

Can't we go to Puppy Class EVERY day?

Here's the tornado now...

...snoring LOUDLY

First Day of School

Puppy Kindergarten, that is...
The whole family took Duke for his first training class this evening and what an adventure! He was the biggest goof and started out by making a spectacle of himself- barking and jumping at the other puppies.
Then class got started. We began in a circle with the dogs on leashes but directly after introductions the trainer said, "All dogs off leash, no one touch the puppies." I was sure she didn't mean our huge beast as he easily out-weighed every dog by at least 20lbs. Boy was I wrong! After a few nervous minutes of anticipation, thinking Duke would make a puppy pancake, I began to relax. He actually started to calm down a little and found a friend in the Boston Terrier, Lu-Lu. She put him in his place and they had a grand old time.
Notice the tiny, scared puppies in the background of these photos.



Next came Puppy Push-ups... these are the sit, down, stand and roll-over commands. Duke did an excellent job... He's gifted. The boys got in on the action and he listened to them amazingly well. After that, we traded puppies so they'd get used to being handled by different people and while watching Duke do sit and down for other people (one being a young girl) I decided there is hope for him yet. He's been very rotten around the house lately and I was beginning to wonder if we'd acquired a canine tornado that would never be tamed.
Here is Nathan demonstrating "stand" and Sully showing "sit".

After class Duke played with a Chocolate Lab who'd skipped the first playtime. Scooby was a little intimidated and Duke was obnoxious!

All in all a really good thing and we'll go back next week.

Trouble in a Chair

Wordless Wednesday

... and yes, I did kick him out as soon as I took the picture.

Weigh in Week 4

Woo-hoo! Down 3 for week 4!!! That brings the total to 5 pounds lost.
Did well with my goals last week and while I didn't actually count points I did keep them in mind when choosing what to eat. My goals for this week mimic last week's with the addition of not eating after 7pm and cutting down on foods with high fructose corn syrup.

Boy Scout

Sully was recognized tonight for earning his scout badge. He received the patch almost a month ago but the Court of Honor was held tonight. Way to go Sully!!!

Encourage Your Husbands

Sarah over at In Light of the Truth has invited us to join in on a 30 day challenge to encourage and bless our husbands. It's day four but it's not too late to sign up- go check it out.

Where the Boys Are

My hardworking husband...




This is what happens when you've been up all night at a sleepover....




Bee-bop, Hippity-Hop watching TV...




Staying out of trouble! Here's "crate-dog"...




And the guinea chillin' in his cage...