Weekend Happenings

Good Friday morning!

The Gallery Pics are from a day at the pool. There's nothing unusual about the photos... just the same things I've always seen at the pool. I'd miss them if they were gone, I think.

CONTEST! CONTEST! CONTEST! - Today's the day! Enter the Butt Naked Candle Contest beginning today, JULY 1, by leaving your name in the Comment Section of the blog, on my Facebook page OR e-mail me at mfaulkner1306@charter.net. You have until midnight, Tuesday, JULY 5.

The winner will be announced Wednesday morning, JULY 6. Don't forget!

RANDOMNESS - The Faulkner Five Epic Summer is so different from any summer we've ever experienced before. It's not bad. It is just totally here, there and everywhere.

For those of you not yet living with teenagers, I thought I'd take the time to post a "Top Ten List of Things You Do During the Summer When All of Your Kids are Teenagers or Young Adults." (I know. It's a ridiculously long title, but I'm working on less than six hours of sleep this morning. Work with me.)

10. You make lots and lots of plans to spend quality family time with your teenagers and young adult children. They, in turn, make lots and lots of plans to spend quality time with their friends. Although you have your plans written in ink hanging on the refrigerator for all to see, their plans are somewhere in cyberspace and they use words like "hang out" and "see you this afternoon" and "later." NOTHING has a specific time attached to it. NOTHING!

9. Because some or all of the teenagers and young adult children are working shift work, one or two will be leaving when one or two are coming home. You will immediately have to wash the uniform of the arriving worker, knowing you will have to do another load as soon as the other worker arrives home eight hours later.

8. Supper is always up in the air. Who will be sitting down at the table? Who will have already eaten? Who will be eating later? Rule of Thumb... The bigger the dinner you cook, the less likely anyone will be home to help you eat it. My Suggestion... Just bake a chocolate pie for supper. I know I'll enjoy that!

7. Because you never know who will need to get their car out of the driveway at any given time, only two cars can go into the driveway. All other vehicles have to park in front of the house. It looks messy, but there's no way around it... literally.

6. Teenagers and young adult children do NOT go to sleep before midnight if there are no specific plans the next day. It goes against everything in their being. They watch movies, wrestle, play X-Box, read and talk. Because of the energy and activity in the house between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and midnight, as a parent of teenagers and young adult children, you feel the need to participate in some of their late night activities. Last night, I played Farkle with The Boy at 11:45 p.m., and when I finished, I walked into my bedroom where Mikie and Roxie were watching ONE MORE episode of NCIS. Austin and Josh then watched a television show together before heading to bed around 1:00 a.m. Mikie and I went to bed, but Roxie was at the foot of our bed finishing her detective show until 12:35 a.m. (Mikie and I are NOT getting much sleep... and he is half a century old now... and I'm fast approaching that age, too.)

5. One of my teenagers isn't driving yet, but she is incredibly socially active. That means she still needs me, but only for my Big Gold Van. This doesn't hurt my feelings. I accept it and am thankful for the "need."

4. Teenagers and young adult children do not eat lunch during the summer. They have breakfast between 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Thus, they want dinner around 5:00 p.m. If you haven't fixed anything by that time, they make other arrangements.

3. Teenagers and young adult children do not put on "real" clothes, shower or brush their teeth before noon if there are no specific plans for earlier in the day. I won't sugar-coat it. It is gross.

2. Teenagers and young adult children may not finish all of their chores before 4:00 p.m. (and that includes making their beds). It's okay though. I take what I can get.

1. Teenagers and young adult children do not like to play in sprinklers any longer. When they do, in fact, go outside, they are showered, dressed and holding car keys in their hands. The urge to run through a sprinkler is gone... and will not return until they are around 50 years of age. (I rarely pass up a sprinkler these days.)

These are the facts. They aren't meant to discourage you or warn you. It is what it is.

If you have little ones, enjoy your summer! And if you have teenagers and young adult children, go ahead! Enjoy your summer, too!

Weekend Happenings

It's the 4th of July, so holiday preparations will be made at some time during this weekend. EVERYONE is pitching in. EVERYONE doesn't know it yet, but I'm sending out a memo as soon as I finish posting. They'll be thrilled, I am sure.

Tonight, we're doing the drive-in thing with Roxie to watch Cars 2. I cannot wait! I haven't been to the drive-in this summer, and I love watching movies in the great outdoors.

Josh is working tonight and going to the movies tomorrow. Austin is going to the movies tonight and working tomorrow. (It's hard to get them on the same schedule lately.)

Sunday, Josh will be packing for a church camp his high school choir teacher recommended. He is VERY excited, and I'm happy for him. I'd be much happier if he had a point and shoot digital camera to take with him to document his week at this camp, but as we all remember, he LOST that camera on his last church trip this past week. (I know I still sound bitter. It may be because I am. I'm going to try to get over it in the next year or so.)

On Monday, we'll be celebrating the 4th of July at Faulkner Farms (circa 1842) AND Grandmother's birthday. Actually, her birthday is today, but she changed it a few years ago to coincide with our 4th of July celebration. Her theme is usually "Red, White and Blue." This year is no exception. Roxie and I are making a cupcake tree with red, white and blue decorated cupcakes, and we're going to use lit sparklers instead of candles when it's time to sing "Happy Birthday."

As is the norm, we'll try to spend a couple of hours at the pool, then head back to the house for homemade ice cream and a fast-paced game of Bunco! Good times. Good times.

I hope and pray you and yours enjoy your holiday weekend. The Faulkner Five will take time to thank God for the men and women (and their families) who have fought, and are still fighting, for the freedom we enjoy in this country. It is not to be taken lightly, or taken for granted.

Take care, and I'll talk to you Monday morning.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda