Under Construction

Everywhere we go in town we run into construction.  Since it was a light winter this year, construction season started months ago.  Road construction, building construction, sewer construction, bridge construction, and the list goes on.  I know that construction is good in that fact that it proves much needed jobs in this hard economy, but boy can it be a pain in the putootie to get anywhere at times.  A five minutes wait here and a ten minute re-routing there, changing the direction of traffic here, and do not get too close to the gaping hole where the median use to be there.  I think I need to take to notes so I remember all of the new changes around town. Ha ha ha ha!

So in honor of construction season, I figured I would do a bit of construction myself and do some work around the blog.  I have updated the title graphic.  Two of the pages found below the title graphic have also been update (Meet The Family page and Recipe Archive page).  I have also created a new Book Archive page that lists the books that I have talked about on the blog.  I just need to update Favorite Reads page and construction should be complete for a while.

Speaking of books the local library's summer reading program starts on Friday.  I'm really excited!  The kids and I should have quite a few reading adventures this summer!  I am sure that some of them will find their way onto this blog.  I already have two books on hold from one of my favorite authors, Nancy Moser.  Pumpkin will be entering kindergarten in the fall and Princess might start preschool too.  So I have electronically requested some children's books that were recommended by the local schools for the summer months, too.

If you have any ideas about books to read, things you would like to see more of on the blog, or some fun summer adventures for the kiddos let me know in the comment section.  Thanks!

A Picture . . . .

. . . . Is Worth A Thousand Words.

First Bike


Poison Ivy


Sleeping In


Playing


Sedges Have Edges


Princess of the Ladder


Sleeping In


Had Fun With The Sprinkler

Yay!


Nothing Like Ice Cream


Memories With Mom

Remembrance

Memorial Day is a time of remembrance.  It is a time to remember our fallen heroes.  It is a time to remember those whom have gone before.  It is a time to teach our children about their heritage.  It is a time to show our respect.

Today we visited three local cemeteries and decorated seven graves of loved ones that have gone before.  My mom, my maternal grandpa, my paternal grandpa, my paternal uncle, hubby's maternal grandma, and hubby's paternal grandma and grandpa.

Princess and Grandma decorating maternal grandpa's grave.

Grandpa was an industrial arts teacher.  

Grandpa loved his rose garden.

Grandpa created beautiful stained glass windows.

Grandpa passed 22 months ago. 

Mom's grave.

Mom loved flowers and her garden.

Mom loved spending time with her grandchildren.  

Mom passed away 21 months ago.

Pumpkin refusing to have his picture taken.

Princess checking out my paternal grandpa's grave.

Grandpa served in World War II.

Grandpa serviced large appliances.

 Grandpa passed away when I was five.

My uncle's grave.

He was eleven.

Below you will find the poem In Flanders Fields.  My Sunday School teacher served in World War II and every Memorial Day Sunday she would read these verses for the church congregation.  She past away while I was in graduate school, but she and her fellow heroes are not forgotten.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead.  Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

 

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

John McCrae, 1872-1918

Nothing Like a NEW Book!

 

Reading is great!  Reading helps me keep my sanity.  Reading takes me to places far away from home.  Reading is so freeing.  So, yay for reading!

The most extraordinary feeling is reading a new book.  You are the first one to open the pages.  You are the first one to breath in the heavenly smell.  You are the first one to finish the book.  You can take your time or read as fast as you want.  

Usually I go to the library or get second-hand books, but earlier this month I ordered a brand new just off the presses book.  I ordered the book on April 29th and it was released for distribution on May 1st.  I had the book in my hands a few days later.  What an amazing feeling to have a book so brand new!

So without further delay. . . . . I read the brand new hot of the presses book Garden of Madness by Tracy  L. Higley.

This book is part of the Seven Wonders of the World series, which I discovered last summer during the summer reading program at the local library.  The Seven Wonder that is featured in this book is the Hanging Garden of Babylon.  The heading on the back cover gives an excellent introduction: "The Untold Story of King Nebuchadnezzar's Daughter."  

This is a very good historical fiction book and I did have trouble putting it down.   The main characters include Tiamat (Nebuchadnezzar's daughter), Pedaiah (Tiamat's brother-in-law), Amytis (Tiamat's mother), and Daniel (Nebuchadnezzar's confidant).

Garden of Madness draws you into the world of Babylonians and their Jewish captives through illustrations of the lives of both groups of people.  The plot of this story deals with a potential overthrow of the Babylonian Kingdom during the seven years of madness of King Nebuchadnezzar with Princess Tiamat thrown into the center of the unfolding events.  The book definitley has suspense until almost the very end.  

Well off to read another book!

Whirlwind . . . . . .

Sorry to be away for a while.

We have been awful busy in this household lately.  

Highlights of the last few weeks include:

1) Pumpkin falling into the water fountain at the neighboring cemetery last night bike and all.

2) Visits to dad's house.

3) I have read a few good books (hopefully some posts coming soon).

4) Battling the constantly moving ant invasions.

5) Visits to paternal grandma in the hospital. 

6)Princess being able to see (now that she has glasses) has definitely made life more interesting and she has been getting into more mischief than normal.

7) Going to Pumpkin's last Family Fun Night at preschool.  Princess loved the pink grocery cart obstacle course and Pumpkin liked the coloring with sidewalk chalk and hop scotch activity.

8) Family dinner nights with auntie and maternal grandma.

9) Princess falling into the pond on Monday. It took several washings to make the pond smell go away.

10) Church and Sunday school.  For Mother's Day they made a candy pot for me.  A flower pot lined with rocks, then candy sticking out on colored popsicle sticks.  Really cute!

11) I made a jelly jar basket during a workshop.

12) I visited Pumpkin's preschool class and taught his class about bugs.

13) Me spraining my knee last Friday.  Leave it to me to find a camouflaged root knob stick out of the ground.

14) Pumpkin had his kindergarten screening.  Both of the kindergarten teachers took turns screening him. First Teacher: "I just wanted to let you know that (pumpkin) was wiggling around in his chair.  And he fell off the chair and hit his neck on the table.  But, we knew he was fine after we gave him a glass of water and he finished it with a loud burp. He definitely has a large personality."  Oh boy!  

15) Pumpkin and daddy have caught fish coming from the pond's overflow pipes.  At one point we had 50 little green sunfish in the kids kiddie pool.  On Mother's Day we had the Great Fish Release back into the wild!  

Out of the mouths of babes

Pumpkin:  Carrots "Go".  Chocolate cake "Whoa."  Bananas "Go".  Candy "Whoa."

Mommy:  "Are you talking about foods that are good to eat and foods that we should not eat as much of?  Did you learn that at school?"

Pumpkin: "Yes"

Mommy: "Well auntie made chicken, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob and fresh strawberries last night and you did not eat any of it.  Those are "GO" foods."

Pumpkin: " I know, but God made me special so I don't have to eat those foods."

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Princess Finally Gets Her Glasses

On April 10th Princess was diagnosed with nearsightedness and astigmatisms.  It took 17 days to find frames for her narrow face and another 7 days to get the lenses.  Yesterday we picked up her finished glasses.  So, it took a grand total of 24 days to get our little 3-year-old daughter a pair of glasses.

She was really excited to get her "princess" glasses.  

Below you will find a simulation of what her vision would be like without the glasses.  It is based on her prescription, which is accentually 3/4 of what she needs.  We will be returning to the eye doctor's office in October to strengthen the prescription a bit more. 

 Normal vision on the left.  

Princess's vision simulation on the right.

http://www.billauer.co.il/simulator.html 

  

At first she was not too sure about the glasses.  She wanted to show them off, but was not sure that she wanted to wear them all the time.  

We stopped by the cemetery and showed grandma and great-grandpa the new glasses.  Then we went by daycare and showed our glasses off there to the other kids.  Then we saw auntie and daddy at home and great-grandma drove over to see the new glasses.  Hopefully later today, we can model our glasses for a few more family members.

Last night we went back and forth with wearing the glasses.  She watched Cinderella and Peter Pan last night without standing in front of the television screen. We have yet to try to read a book, but hopefully this afternoon.

This morning there was no trouble getting her to put the glasses on.  We have had a few revelations today.

1) At breakfast:  "Mommy!  I put water all over my glasses!"-  Ugh, out came the cleaning cloth.  "Princess, try to not get your glasses wet.  If they are wet you cannot see very good."

2) Grocery store:  "I want CINDERELLA!"  "No, that is cake gel.  We don't need that today."  Lots of tears, poor great-grandma pushing the shopping cart.  A little later:  "I want CINDERELLA!"  "No, that is lip gloss.  We can't get that today."  Kicking and screaming and lots of tears on the way to the check-out.  Well, to look at the bright side at least she is seeing better. Hahahaha

3) In car after grocery store:  Screaming from the back seat.  "Take it off!  Take it off!"  What is it????  Pumpkin placed a banana sticker over one of the lenses.  So we had to pull the car over and get the sticker off.  Then I had to talk to them about why we do not put stickers on Princess's glasses.

Oh, I also forgot the surprise from yesterday.  Princess could see so well last night with her new glasses, that she took pruners from their shelf in the garage and cut the sensor wires for the garage door opener in about four places.  So until we replace the wiring, we will be manually opening and closing the solid wood garage door.  Well, I guess I should be happy that it was not anyone's hair. 

I can not wait to see what happens this afternoon.  Hopefully when the newness wears off, things will calm down a bit.  Until then, I'm sure we will be having quite a few laughs.