Monday, June 30, 2008

I Quit!

A few weeks ago I gave my two weeks notice.  I don't know why it took me so long to realize this job isn't for me.  At first I loved it.  That was 10 years ago when the group was just two of us.  Since then we have grown into 5 and this change is long overdue!  I was inspired to "quit" after reading an article in a magazine.  The following day I wiped my hands on my apron and haven't looked back.  As of today my job title of Mom (aka, cook, dish cleaner, taxi, doctor, maid, gardener, coach, queen, story reader, wall scrubber, clothes washer, bed maker, bath giver, teeth brush er, floor cleaner, hair doer, vacuum cleaner, yada yada yada...) has been shortened!  Now that I have given my two weeks notice I no longer carry the title "Clean up after my kids"  It's a beautiful thing!  

I use to fill the dishwasher daily with the cute little cups, bowls, and plates.  Everyday was the same thing.  A sink FULL of those cute little people dishes- and a dishwasher FULL too!  My last day at this job I piled all those cute little dishes in a box and put them in the attic, NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN, and taught my kids how to clean their own dishes!  Each child has their own colored cup, plate, and bowl.  If they want breakfast served in a clean dish they better wash after dinner!  You can bet I have a smile on my face when I am sitting at the table and I see my kids clear the table and wash their dish before they run off to play.  The color coded dish identifies the culprit if a one gets left behind.  I know the pink plate outside on the picnic table belongs to Jen, and Jen knows it too!
Ahhh, my job title is getting a little lighter to carry.  My goal this summer is to outsource most of my tedious chores to their rightful owners.  So far I have seen some creative ways to make a bed and hang up clothes, and have been quite impressed with efforts in scrubbing the bathroom, and love the fact that Jace can be dressed with the help of siblings instead of MOMMY!   Why didn't I think of this sooner?    I wonder how I can teach a 5 and 6 year old how to go grocery shopping???


My dishwasher loves me now.  It only runs every other day.

Flower Girl!



This Spring I took on an intimidating task and planted flowers on my own! Don, our GREAT Landlord, has Husted lane blooming with beautiful flowers every year. This year I asked if I could plant the flowers on our Terrace. I spent over an hour in the Garden Center trying to get in touch with myself to learn what flowers appeal to me. Talk about deep self-reflection! I had never paid attention to what type I like. So that night I had to do some serious bonding with the flowers.
I have really enjoyed the time and effort I have had to give to my flower beds. Jace and I are out watering and weeding everynight for about 35 min. It has been the perfect way to end my day.

Growing a Salad


BEFORE

AFTER 1 MONTH

Jace and I are growing tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and basil.   Everynight Jace is by my side helping me water.  It has been really fun to see all this grow.
 Tonight we are going to create our first salad.  A little mozzarella from the Farmers Market and we have a tasty "homegrown" treat!

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Happy 5th Birthday Jennica


Princess Jennica finally turns 5!  It seems like she has already been 5.  I think we skipped the 3rd birthday or something,  She has always seemed older than she really is.  We pulled a quick one on her and celebrated a day early because Sam's graduation was on her actual birthday.  It was her last day of Pre-School too.  She is growing up way too fast!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

I found a Hobbit house!


I wonder if they get any trick-or-treaters??

Best Pout of the year!


My Jennica can pull the most pathetic pout.  On this particular day I found it rather cute.  I think this one was caused by the wrong flavor of sucker! boohoo!

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Church with Flags



I loved the look of this church with all these flags pegged in the ground. Each Flag represents an American solider lost in the war.