RANDOMNESS #1 - Sparkle isn't very active these days. It's hard being a beagle in Alabama during the Summer. Very hard, indeed.
Yet the beagles do not want to rest in their nice, cool basement room when it is offered. They WANT to be outside... in the 104-degree-heat-index-type-weather... wearing a fur coat.
I do not understand.
But my job isn't to understand. It is to keep their water bowl filled with ice cubes.
When I see her like this, I revert back to "newborn Mommy mode," and I hold my fingers under her nose to check her breathing. And then she snaps at me because it is very disconcerting to wake up with fingers under your nose.
In case you cannot tell from her expression, she's getting a little annoyed with me. I'm wasting time taking pictures when I should be popping ice cubes into her water bowl.
I know. My priorities are all messed up.
RANDOMNESS #2 - In case you've ever wondered what the best Ben & Jerry ice cream flavor is, I will tell you. It is Cherry Garcia. If you are tired of trying all of the different flavors trying to decide for yourself, you can just skip ahead and buy only Cherry Garcia from now until death do you part.
The second best flavor is Chunky Monkey.
You can thank me later.
RANDOMNESS #3 - Mikie and I found this little restaurant in our travels last weekend. It's right in the middle of a residential neighborhood. We're going to eat there soon!
It even sounds delicious.
RANDOMNESS #4 - The Adventure of Life - Part Two - I came to realize the real Adventure began soon after the kids were born. Everything before their arrival paled in comparison to the Adventure which took place each and every day.
Going out to eat at a new restaurant was an "adventure."
A trip to the Zoo to see the baby gorilla was an "adventure."
Fishing off the pier (while wearing two life jackets AND floaties) was an "adventure."
The first day of Kindergarten was an "adventure."
The first day of FIRST GRADE was a tremendous "adventure." (One from which I have never quite recovered, I'm afraid.)
But as the kids grew, the new adventure was letting them try different things. Cringing and eye-covering became part of my new identity, and I finally began to understand and appreciate the phrase, "Ignorance is bliss." And I wished my kids didn't feel the need to inform me of their daredevil antics when I, for some reason or other, was mercifully absent.
While some might have seen true adventure as jumping from an airplane or bungy jumping, I could honestly say day-to-day life with kids was much closer to the real thing. The "not knowing what's going to happen next" aspect could drive you crazy... or for the really good Mom, it could give you that adrenaline rush you experienced when you were a little younger and having your own adventures.
As I sit here this morning, I absolutely know what my To-Do List says, and in that list I take comfort.
But another part of me knows any second the phone could ring, a group of kids could rush through the front door or the "plans" which were once set in stone could change... drastically.
I looked forward to the future knowing my days of adventure and thrill-seeking would soon come to an end.
But then I turned 50... and kids graduated from high school... and menopause began... and some kids started talking about moving away and beginning their own lives... and I started to wonder if my life adventure was ending... or just beginning a new chapter.
Hmmm. I'll let you know tomorrow.
Wednesday Wisdom - The following isn't deep... but it is very, very wise.
"Let's begin by taking a smallish nap or two." Winnie the Pooh.
Is it any wonder he's my favorite? We think alike. When in doubt, it is ALWAYS prudent to "begin by taking a smallish nap or two."
Summer Slumber Parties Ideas
Since Summer Slumber Parties can pop up out of nowhere, here are some unique ideas I found while blog-hopping. And "unique" simply means I've never heard of them before today!
Keep in mind, some of these ideas are for younger kids and some would work for pre-teens and/or teens.
1. Put a note inside a balloon marked with a time, and do what it says at that hour (10:00 p.m. - Bake Cookies, 2:00 a.m. - Play a Game, etc.).
2. After dark, take all of your guests outside. Assign one child to be the "Ghost," and have him or her stand at a designated "Home Base."
To begin the game, the Ghost must count off the hours out loud ("One o'clock, two o'clock," and so on, up to "twelve o'clock") while everyone else runs and hides.
After saying, "twelve o'clock," the Ghost should start looking for people. If the Ghost spots someone, that person can try to run back to Home Base to avoid being tagged. (All players are safe once they reach Home Base.) Also, whoever spots the Ghost coming can yell, "Ghost in the graveyard! Run! Run! Run!" to warn the other kids.
If the Ghost tags someone before they reach Home Base, that person becomes the Ghost for the next round. (Just playing in the dark in your pajamas would be fun and a little scary.)
3. Have a sleeping bag race. The kids have to wriggle across the floor in their bags to the finish line.
4. Make up a line dance to a hit song and video. Watch the "music video" before everyone leaves the next morning.
The Enchanting Belinda says: If it is really good (or funny), make sure you burn copies to give to the girls as a party favor!
5. Play Piggly-Wiggly. Everyone puts out their sleeping bags. Choose someone to be "It." They must leave the room. Everyone else hides inside the sleeping bags (not their own). When they are ready, "It" comes back. She sits on one of the sleeping bags and says, "Piggly-Wiggly." The person inside says "Oink, Oink." "It" must guess who is inside the bag. If they are right, the person in the bag becomes "It."
6. Use frosting to decorate a graham cracker so it looks like your sleeping bag with you in it!
7. At the end of the slumber party, sit in a circle and sign beach balls with a waterproof marker. Write all about the good times you had together at the sleepover.
8. Think of unusual places to sleep (the attic, a tree house, a tent outside in your backyard, a trampoline).
The Enchanting Belinda says: I LOVE this one. How much fun would it be to sleep in the attic?
9. Have a shaving cream fight... outside.
The Enchanting Belinda says: This goes against everything I am and have always been. That being said, if you're the go-with-the-flow kind of Mom, I know the kids would love it!
10. Have each chick write something nice describing each girl at the party on a slip of paper. (Roxie is SO funny, Mary never says anything bad about anyone, Lisa has the prettiest hair, etc.). Have decorated bags set out with each girl's name on the front. When the girls finish writing their "compliments," have them put the slips of paper in the appropriate bag. Give the bags to the girls as they leave. It will put a big smile on their face as they drive home from an evening of fun with their friends.
Have a lovely Wednesday. I'll be back tomorrow with Blog Linkage, a Date and a few more pics.
Take care, and I'll talk to you in the morning.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
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