RANDOMNESS #1 - The 4th of July came and went this past weekend.
I have been hosting the 4th of July Celebration for my side of the family for the last ten years now, and while some of the get-togethers have been memorable, fun and "just right," I will have to admit this year's festivities fell a little short in my mind.
I've made a list of the "good" and "bad."
And I even have a little "ugly."
The Good
1. The food was very good. (Spicy Pop Pulled Pork Pioneer Woman-style, potato salad, baked beans, deviled eggs, potato chips, brownie birthday cake for Grandmother and red, white and blue ice cream sandwiches.)
Yep. The food was definitely not on the "bad" or "ugly" list.
2. Two out of four of the activities were good. Four out of four would have been good if you had a younger crowd, I think.
3. The weather was unbelievably great.
4. MamMa was able to come.
The Bad
1. The decorations were red, white and blue, but that's about all they had going for them. I didn't bring out the "big guns" in the Decoration Department.
I'll do better next year.
2. Mikie had just had surgery (details below) the Tuesday before the 4th, and he was good, but not his usual 4th of July "self."
That was understandable. We'll try not to schedule surgery for him next year.
3. I didn't take many pictures... good or otherwise.
The Ugly (Paint/Water Balloon Tablecloth)
I wanted to do a Pinterest thang and make an heirloom 4th of July tablecloth for years and years to come.
I squirted red or blue paint into each balloon and then filled them to bursting with water.
I prepared them just like the plain ol' water balloons of yesteryear.
I bought thicker balloons than regular water balloons because I didn't want them to bust inside the kitchen while filled with blue or red paint.
Because I bought thicker balloons, when the guys HURLED them onto the white tablecloth, they kind of just bounced away.
It took a lot of throwing to bust all the balloons.
Instead of a fun activity, it kind of turned into a chore.
And the end result was a pink, ugly sheet.
Oh, well. Now I know.
That's it in a nutshell. I'll go ahead and post the other things we tried, and you can try them yourself if you think they would work for you and yours.
2014 4th of July Activities
1. Yogurt Mountain - I gave each of the guys $5 and told them to go to our new Yogurt Mountain, make a patriotic yogurt concoction and take a picture of it with their phone.
The most patriotic dessert would win a Yogurt Mountain $5 Gift Certificate.
My guys went to Yogurt Mountain, but they didn't necessarily use red, white and blue toppings.
Which was fine.
Really.
2. 4th of July Catchphrase - Using the following words and phrases, play a patriotic game of Catchphrase.
America
American flag
American independence
American spirit
Banners
Barbecue
Country
Declaration of Independence
Eagle
Family picnic
Firecracker
Fireworks
Flag
Forefathers
Founding fathers
Fourth of July
Freedom
Holiday
Independence Day
Land
Liberty
National anthem
National holiday
Parade
Patriotism
Picnic
Respect
Sacrifice
Salute
Soldier
Sparklers
Speech
Stars
Streamers
Stripes
Summer
Tradition
United States Flag
United States of America
United States
Veterans
Victory
War
We ran out of time to play this one because of the next planned event.
3. Dollar Movie (Captain America) - How patriotic can you get?
Now, I get to look at everything on the list and tweak it for next year...
Menu - For our family, the menu was perfection. I probably won't tweak it at all.
Patriotic Tablecloth - Didn't work, and I won't try it again.
4th of July Catchphrase - I think it would have worked, and I'll try it next year.
Yogurt Mountain Patriotic Dessert Contest - People who love chocolate and marshmallows do not want to sprinkle red, white and blue stuff all over their yogurt. I totally understand and agree.
Patriotic Movie - This will always be a hit or miss because some years there will not be movies out with titles like CAPTAIN AMERICA!
But when such a movie is showing, we need to enjoy it, don't we?
It only looked easy.
Zac.
When it was finally all over.
The ugly final product.
MamMa and Bev.
Bonding on the love seat.
Too easy!
RANDOMNESS #2 - Mikie had a neck fusion last Tuesday.
He was having a lot of pain and discomfort in his right arm due to a pinched nerve, and while we originally thought he would have surgery the first of June, he waited until July 1.
He was pretty miserable the morning of July 1, and as we drove to the hospital for his fusion, he was at the point of "more than ready to have the surgery because it had to be better than the pinched nerve."
I, myself, have never had a pinched nerve, so I took his word for it.
Everything went great, and he stayed overnight for observation (which was fine by me). I am not a "nursey" type person, so anything that has to do with tubes, stitches, recovery, etc. is best left to the professionals.
As you all know, I do enjoy the hospital, so instead of one of our infamous Emergency Room Dates, we had a Post-Surgery Date.
It was lovely.
Lovely because Mike did so well, and we were so relieved.
And lovely because when we were able to go home the next day, we weren't nervous or scared about the recovery process. (I kinda learned from our overnight stay what to expect.)
And lovely because, except for hourly nurse visits, we got to spend a lot of one-on-one time together.
And lovely because Mikie is even sweeter than normal when he's coming off anesthesia.
Good times. Good times.
NOTE - I want to tell you about our last Emergency Room Date which we went on June 2, but I'll wait until Friday.
It deserves it's own section.
Quotable Quote
"I miss being a kid. My only responsibilities were running around and laughing a lot. And someone else was in charge of my hair." Anonymous
Way Back When...
Slumber Party Date
This was first posted in July of 2009...
This is easy, but it requires Mom to be willing to follow the Slumber Party Rules set by her daughter. What would your daughter want to do if she had a slumber party with several of her favorite friends? After you ask this question, listen to the answers. They will vary depending on age and interests, but usually it will include a list something like this:
1. Have pizza delivered.
2. Paint fingernails and toenails.
3. Try a different hairdo.
4. Wear a facial mask.
5. Have a makeover.
6. Pick one or two movies. (Remember, their choice).
7. Plan a snack menu. (Make the snack with her, if possible.)
8. "Sleep" in your favorite pajamas in the den on air mattresses with sleeping bags and pillows while you watch your movies.
9. STAY UP SUPER LATE.
10. Work on scrapbooks.
11. Get in the car around 10:00 and go for milkshakes at a local drive-thru.
12. Play flashlight tag in the front yard.
13. Jump on the trampoline at 11:00 at night.
14. Tell scary stories.
YOU GET THE IDEA!
And then, whatever is on the list, JUST DO IT! Just you and your girl! If you have more than one girl in your family, make sure to schedule their Slumber Party Date for the next weekend so there will not be major jealousy problems. Close the door, and pretend you're a little girl again who has been invited to a wonderful slumber party. Remember the excitement, the anticipation, the thrill of being able to "stay up all night."
Be flexible and have a great time. (Plan it for a Friday night, so you can catch up on your beauty sleep Saturday. Remember, you're not a little girl anymore! Our "bounce back" ability is definitely limited the older we get. Mine is virtually non-existent.)
If you have boys, they would enjoy the same type date with Dad. Their list will be a little different from the girls, but a Slumber Party Date is just as much fun for your little guy as it is for your little girl.
Pinterest Stuff
Simple Ways to Encourage Your Husband
1. Be kind.
I know, rocket science, right? It’s the first item on our house rules and as I say to my kids, “If you follow the first rule, you won’t have to worry much about the others.”
2. Listen to him.
3. Take care of a nagging issue without being asked.
Does the oil in his car need changed? Does it need vacuumed?
4. Smile and kiss. Then kiss some more.
5. Text or leave a voice mail.
6. Pray for him.
I can’t say how important this is!
7. Schedule and plan a date night.
8. Find a new activity to enjoy together.
9. Cook his favorite meal or favorite dessert.
10. Give him a no-reason-I-just-love-you card.
12. Give grace.
"I give grace because I so desperately need it." Lysa TerKeurst
13. Provide support for his dreams and pursuits.
14. Leave a note in his bathroom cabinet or under his pillow.
15. Have lunch at his work.
16. Take his favorite drink outside when he’s working.
17. Make a cup of coffee for him.
18. Give a back rub.
I bet I know what you're thinking.
"This list is beyond simplistic!"
I agree. It is indeed a very simple list.
But I think simple is good and doable and important...
Just like encouraging your spouse!
Have a fantastic Tuesday. I'll be back Friday with another fascinating post, I am sure.
Take care, and I'll talk to you the end of the week.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
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