4th of July Traditions

Good Wednesday morning!

I'll be exercising TWICE today, so I'll try to make this as interesting and brief as possible, because not only will I be exercising TWICE... I'll be showering TWICE, too. (It's hot out there, Folks!)

RANDOMNESS #1 - Josh is going to be trying the landscaping profession over the next few weeks. After another ten-hour day yesterday, he was officially hired.

He's going to work a couple of weeks for five days, and then his normal schedule will be four ten-hour days a week. (No weekends unless weather becomes a factor.)

Today is his off day, so after he went to bed at 9:00 last night, I was a little surprised to see him already up and about at 8:30 this morning. And when I say "up and about," I mean "feet propped up on the couch... eyes semi-open."

MJ is tired, and I am tired for him. (I may have to take two naps today in honor of his new job!)

RANDOMNESS #2 - Roxie and Austin were home most of the day yesterday... which was nice... except Austin felt it was necessary to make up for the weeks he was away at school nine months out of the year... and he aggravated Roxie.

It may be as simple as an ear thump, or a towel pop, or a pony-tail yank as he's walking by, but within seconds, I am having to pull Roxie off Austin because her retaliation is a bit extreme.

Her main goal when wrestling with an older brother (6'4" and 6'5" and both well over 200 pounds) is to get them on the ground as fast as possible. At 5'7" and weighing over 100 pounds LESS than The Brothers, some would think she was at a disadvantage.

Not so.

Because the initial "tease" is so light and inconsequential, The Brothers are rarely prepared for the "bro rage" that appears within 1.2 seconds of the first thump, pop or yank.

Think Alec Baldwin and the paparazzi.

In other words, they don't know what hit them.

And at 50 years of age, I am tired of rescuing them from The Chick. Much like changing the poopy diaper, I am ready for this particular stage of life to settle down.

Even though I outweigh The Chick... and have maternal authority... and go to Body Pump once, twice or thrice a week... peeling The Chick off The Boy and/or MJ is exhausting. And dangerous.

I'm thinking I may not intervene next time, and just take pictures.

And I'll post them on A Simple Life so you can feel sorry for me.

Yeah. That sounds like a plan.

RANDOMNESS #3 - Roxie was three days LATE washing the beagles, so I gave her and Austin a bonding chore. And it was sweet.













Wednesday Wisdom - In honor of Father's Day this past weekend, I saw this quote on Pinterest and wanted to share... which is what Pinterest is all about.

"Every father should remember that one day his son will follow his example instead of his advice."

Excellent!

4th of July Traditions

I did a little "blog hopping" to see if there were any different traditions for the 4th of July, and I was surprised (and pleased) to find several.

1. If you have kids, do these three things... Raise the flag together. Read the Declaration of Independence. Sing the National Anthem just before watching your local fireworks display.

2. We have a CD of patriotic music playing in the background while we enjoy our 4th of July meal.

3. Go see a blockbuster movie with ALL the family. (You know I love this one!)

4. Make root beer. (I saw this more than once during my "hopping of the blog," so there must be a reason... and it IS different.)

You will need the following:

5 gallons cold water
5 pounds white sugar
1 (2 ounce) bottle root beer concentrate
5 pounds dry ice

Place 4 gallons of the cold water in a large container.

Add sugar and stir until dissolved.

Pour in root beer extract and mix.

Add the dry ice and put the lid on loosely so the gas can escape.

Let it “brew” for about 15 minutes.

Add the last gallon of water and let brew for another 15 minutes.

I'll share our Faulkner Five 4th of July traditions next Wednesday!

Have a fantastic Wednesday. I'll be back tomorrow with Blog Linkage and a Date. And maybe some wrestling pics. All three of the kids will be home most of the day today. There should be some really good matches!

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

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda