Way Back When-esday: Declaration Decoration

Dateline: July 4th, 2008
Twins' Age: 6 and a half

Our pair of petite patriots decked out our cake contribution to last year's Fourth. Oh, and we plan similar sweet treats for later this week. Between sparklers and sprinkles, July Fourth is one of our favorites.

What memories make your mid-week wonderful? Dive into those digital photos or scan a scrapbook find and play along with Way Back When-esday. Be sure and link back to participate in the web-wide reverie...and leave a comment when you do!

PS - Five Random.org selected participants in Way Back When-esday this week will win a copy of the incredible text, The Optimistic Child. Play along!

Two for TWOsday: Brotherly Love

Twin-style. (Ironically, we were at Friendly's...)

What two-fer have you to share? Go do it at Two for TWO-sday, being guest hosted today by Debi at Who Says 8 is Enough?

Makes My Monday: Mare-y Miss

After her year as a "Little Tiger," tae kwon do lost its allure.

Parent-proffered suggestions a'plenty followed: Dance classes? No. Gymnastics? No.
Art classes? Well, I can do that on my own...

Then, the book fair. Sarah's selection? Me and My Pony. She read it cover to cover. She took the tests at the conclusion of each chapter. She asked for a pony. In the denial of that request, she asked for horseback riding lessons. That, we can do.

Seeing Sarah in the saddle Makes My Monday!




What's brightening your week's beginning? Post a picture. Tell a tale. Share what Makes Your Monday web-wide...and glean a little extra goodness by visiting other participants' posts. When you do, be sure to leave a comment...they're Monday Makers!

Baby Picture Sundays: The H is O

Darling Debi of Who Says 8 is Enough? hosts a weekly return to the days of reaalllly little ones. This week's theme is "The Heat is On." No summer shot for us...when did I truly feel the "heat?" The first week home with our babies!
[And a happy---albeit adrenaline fueled---heat it was!]

Now go over to Who Says 8 is Enough? and see tons of other teensy tots!

Saturday Snapshot: Sugary Sweet

The morning meal. (Yes, I put a good portion of sugar on the common corn flakes in the right-hand bowl.)

Share a scene of your Saturday morning! Here's to a great weekend, All!

Scenes from the Sick Bay

It's 8:45am.

You're scheduled to swim today at daycare...one of your very favorite activities. You've been a crabcake all morning; but regretfully, that's not all that atypical. You have your bag with your towel and dry underwear packed. You've piled in the van and made the drive. Your mom has checked you and your sister in using the computerized system. You're walking out the back door to greet your fellow campers. You can't fake it any longer. You feel like you're going to spit the iccky. You admit it. You'd better go home.

You have a couple of saltines. You watch Hong Kong Phooey.
You keep your swimsuit on. You feel like Dino looks. You start to feel a little better---or at least pretend you do---when Mommy says you better go in for a throat culture. You even ask for some computer time. (Mommy has two up and running for goodness' sake...)
You endure the culture. You giggle like mad when the pediatrician probes your tummy. Your test is negative. You're deemed A-OK. You're a bit confused by why Mommy is so amused with her coffee cup pilfered for her return to work tomorrow. You haven't seen this side of the cup.

Way Back When-esday: Darren Doolittle

Dateline: August 2006
Darren's (and his sister's) Age: 4 and a half

On the last day of the twins' first Vacation Bible School experience (it was farm-themed), a menagerie was brought in for the attendees to appreciate. When it comes to animals, Darren knows them with an inexplicable wisdom and empathy...he always has. This picture---one moment captured in what must have been a fifteen minute 100% silent session wherein the wee creature was entirely relaxed, and so was Darren---speaks volumes.

What memories make your mid-week wonderful? Dive into those digital photos or scan a scrapbook find and play along with Way Back When-esday. Be sure and link back to participate in the web-wide reverie...and leave a comment when you do!

In-Utero Influence?

Maybe watching The Sopranos when plurally pregnant wasn't such a good idea.

Sarah (with the conviction of a trial lawyer): "Barnes & Noble is black-mailing children."

Mommy (incredulous): "What are you talking about? What do you think 'black-mail' means?"

Sarah (condescendingly): "Black-mail is when someone makes someone else do something they may not necessarily want to do. When they [the someone else] do what the black-mailer wants, then they [the 'black-mailed'] get something for it."

Seems she's figured out the Barnes & Noble Summer Reading program.

What Makes My Monday?

Remembering the giggles that accompanied the taking of this picture...my Monday is made!

What's brightening your week's beginning? Post a picture. Tell a tale. Share what Makes Your Monday web-wide...and glean a little extra goodness by visiting other participants' posts. When you do, be sure to leave a comment...they're Monday Makers!

Vegans, Avert Your Eyes

Double Daddy digs some meat.

In a faith-bolstering manifestation of what goes around comes around/live by the Golden Rule/Put Good in-Get Good Out/karmic fashion, on Father's Day eve, as a Daddy and husband par excellence, Scott was invited to a men-only, meatfest.

The internet sleuthing for the ideal piece to pot luck was extensive; but before too long, my beloved (cholesterol controlled by Lipitor) man had unearthed a caveman's delight: The Bacon ExplosionTM. Yes, this cavalcade of carnage is so impressive, its creators logged it legally via trademark.

As any meat-loving man with male offspring would do, he brought his seven-year-old son into the preparation process. With this bacon-y behemoth, the "cooking" was closer to a craft project. [Again, now would be the right time for any vegetarians to look away. Truth told, it even gets to me a bit...]

It began innocently enough---simply frying up a panful of pork bacon...

Then, it took a wicked turn with a weaving on wax paper (please note the greasy thumb)...

Using the mat of meat as a base, he then pressed on two pounds of sweet sausage and sprinkled the crumbled bacon on top, along with an amazing cinnamon sweet rub.

The uppermost meat mass was then rolled into a sausage "snake."
(Wonder how many web-surfers will be disappointed Google Search brought them here with that phrase...) Sarah thought this stage much resembled a bed.

You know what happened next...and it required four hands on deck.

The house does smell amazing...and I'm guessing it will for quite some time. Although I do wonder if all the rumored bears in Richmond will now be drawn to our doorstep...

Happy Father's Day, All!

Saturday Snapshots: Morning MCs

What were Daddy and Sarah rapping about? (In rhymes, of course...)

Darren's dislike for getting dressed, all-day affection for his robe.

Share a glimpse of your Saturday...play along!

Color My World

When a seven-year-old throws a gauntlet my 44-year-old way, out of sheer respect for the youthfully exuberant, overly confident, upstart nature, I typically accept the challenge.

No chess or jumprope this go 'round, Sarah's most recent call to competition: Crayola crayons.

Extracting two randomly selected pages from a Curious George (one of my personal favorites, making a declination of the duel even less-likely) coloring book, she whispered her plan out of ear shot and sight line of her book-absorbed brother. We each color the sheet to the best of our ability (she made a point to tell me not to sign my work). Upon the pages' completion, they'd be shown to the objective arbiter, Darren.

The contestants:
The decision:
The winner:

Way Back When-esday: June Bubble Bugs

Dateline: June 2006
Twins' Age: 4 and a half

With first grade's conclusion yesterday, thought a revisit of summer vacation days of years past

was in order. Here---fresh outta preschool---Sarah and Darren happily get their bubbles blowin'. [Even now, bubbles are a happy pasttime.]

What memories make your mid-week wonderful? Dive into those digital photos or scan a scrapbook find and play along with Way Back When-esday. Be sure and link back to participate in the web-wide reverie...and leave a comment when you do!

The Last of First

Farewell, first grade homework folders...

Later, first grade lunch boxes...

Bye-bye, first grade backpacks...

Thank you, Mrs. W!

Thank you, Mr. D!

Happy Last Day of First Grade!
See you soon, Second Grade....