Friend Makin' Monday: What do you do? What to you wish you did?

Good Monday morning! It's been a while since I've been here, again. Life has been quite busy. We're currently balancing 3 school schedules, jiu-jitsu, dance, volleyball, and hubby's job. It seems pretty crazy around here right now.

However, more now than ever, I need my friends. They help keep me grounded and give me perspective in the chaos. That's why I was so excited to see Friend Makin' Monday. Even so those of you who read my blog are scattered, it's nice to know that there might be someone out there who has been there, done that.

Friend Makin' Monday is a chance for my readers to get to know me a little bit better. Who am I? What makes me tick? Today's topic is: What are your hobbies? What do you wish you knew how to do?

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What are you hobbies?

* Well, I like to do a lot of things. I generally don't have time for all of them, though. When feeling crafty, I tend to knit & crochet. I'm an instant gratification kinda girl, so most projects are small. BUT I just cast on an afgan, so wish me luck in that I actually finish it.

* Paper crafts interest me: scrap-booking, card making, etc. I'm a perfectionist, though. So, I rarely tackle those types of projects.

* Home decor, I love - my budget doesn't. So, I do with what I have and my friends and family fill in the rest.

* Playing volleyball. Playing, coaching, watching - I love it all.

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What do you wish you knew how to do?

* Paint. I would love to paint something I'd be proud enough to hang in my house and let everyone see.

* Sing. I know many great singers. People who sing high, people who sing low. People who are just plain AWESOME. Me? Not so much. I'm lucky I don't kicked out of the sanctuary during worship at church. Ha!

* Write. Sure, I try my hand at it with this blog. Let's face the facts, though, I have 14 "followers". It's either because of content, quality, or quantity. I know I don't post much, but I believe that's part of my problem as I writer - I don't have time to develop it.

So, how about you? What do you do? What do you wish you did?

Cheers!

Andrea

Can you do some laundry?

I am truly blessed to be a stay-at-home-mommy. I get the joy of seeing my children play, learn, & grow. They get the security of knowing that there is always someone here for them. It's a win/win thing.

Staying home with the kids is not my only job. No. I also manage finances, meals, laundry, dishes, baths, schedules, etc. Don't get me wrong - I'm not alone. My husband and I are a great team; he does help me out. When things back-up, though, the fault lays mostly on my shoulders. I know that keeping house is not my forte. Congestion in the laundry and dishes department happen quite often.

That being said, I had to laugh when my son (age 5, almost 6) asked me today, "Mom, do you think you could do some laundry today?" There was no "tone" in his voice, it was a genuine question - particularly since it was brought on by not having any pajamas in his drawer for this evening. It made me laugh.

Yes, I need to do laundry. I admit it. My son called me on it. Good job, son!

What areas of your home have the most congestion? If you had a 5 year old kid in your home (5 year olds have no filters - they say what's on their minds) what would s/he ask you to do? I'm proud to say that my laundry is going now and little man will have pajamas to wear to bed tonight.

Cheers!

Andrea

Homemade Playdoh

Normally, something like playdoh is reserved for rainy days in our house. It generates an imagination in the kiddos like no other. They build things from Pokemon to Giraffes to Cars. They have endless amounts of fun with the squishy goodness.

Today is not rainy. Today is a beautiful sunny, summer, day. However the kids were needing new stimulation. They've been to the pool, they played in the sun. Each has played enough video games to last them the rest of the year (or more). So, they both asked if they could break out the playdoh. Sure thing!

Uh oh! 75% of the playdoh we had in our containers was dried out. No good.

I could have easily assisted them in finding something else to do, but instead broke out a recipe my mother-in-love handed down to me a couple of years ago. My hands are various shades of pink and purple now from food coloring, but the kiddos are happily playing at the kitchen table AND think their mommy is one cool chick! Bonus!

Want to make your own?

Homemade Playdough From Our Kitchen to Yours

Ingredients:

* 1/2C Salt

* 1C Flour

* 2t Cream of Tartar

* 1C Water

* 1T Oil

* Food Coloring

In saucepan, mix dry ingredients. Add water, oil, and color. Cook over medium heat until mixture pulls away from sides of pan (about 5 minutes). Stir Constantly. Remove from heat, cool, and knead. Store in air tight container up to 1 year.

Cheers,

Andrea

Summer Lovin', Havin' Some Fun!

Summer, sweet, summer.

The kids have been busy taking swimming lesson. I've been busy taking them to and from swimming lessons.

They've done fantastically well. They just started their 3rd session of the summer. While all three sessions have been level 2, they've progressed each and every session. Both kids can now float on their fronts and backs. Amazingly, they will both submerge themselves underwater, too. This is amazing because Kailey has been so reluctant for so long to put her face under water. Now they are both little fish!

Not only has summer been consumed by swimming, but volleyball, too. We've had a blast! The group that we play with is such a blessing to us. Without sounding too "five-year-oldish", everyone plays so well together. We play, we eat, we have fun. It's really helped me have a happier heart when it comes to volleyball. My few friends that read this blog will tell you that I've needed an attitude adjustment. I hope they know that I've been working on my 'tude.

We'll be wrapping up summer activities over the course of the next two weeks. This coming weekend we'll be heading to Boise for a family reunion. Swimming lessons will come to a close the following Thursday. Then....

School starts September 1st! Woot woot! My baby boy starts kindergarten... **sniff**sniff**

How many of you are headed back to school or have you started school already?

Cheers,

Andrea

Once Again...

Once again my blog has gone neglected. The last published post was on June 19th. Over a month ago. Sheesh.

Once again summer came roaring in and has kept us busy for the last two months. Traveling, swimming, playing, visiting. Summer is perpetual motion.

Once again it's 95+ degrees. Yeah, I said it, it's HOT! No, I'm not tired of it like I was the snow. However, much like the snow, it's almost unbearable to be outside. I'm thankful for our air conditioning.....and cold diet Pepsi.

What do you find yourself doing once again?

Cheers!

Andrea

Oh the place I will go...

There are so many bloggers out in the blog-0-sphere that inspire me each day that I thought I'd take a minute to feature them here and hopefully you'll be inspired too!

• A Soft Place to Land: Kimba shares her thoughts, creativity and inspirations of her own.
• Chasing Cheerios: Melissa shares her homeschool/montessori activities she does with her lovely daughter, O.
• Frugal Chic Living: Crystal is a coupon GODESS!
• Infarrantly Creative: Becky shares tales of mommyhood and crafy goodness.
• Seven Matters: Melissa, one of my very best friends, offers her wisdom and insight on keeping up with a family of seven while while making Jesus the center of her life.

My list could go on and on, but I'm going to save more for another post. For now, go check out these lovely ladies and show them some love! They are all uniquely beautiful on the inside and out.

Cheers!

Andrea

Mid-Week Fun

I've been eyeballing the tye dye kits at Michael's and JoAnn's. However, the cost has been a bit out of reach. While wandering through the dreaded Walmart the other day I found a kit - ON CLEARANCE! Woo hoo! The final cost: $7 for the kit + $4 for the t-shirts = priceless fun with the kiddos!

We decided to make our shirts last night. It was a lot of fun. The kids and I all decided to make a swirl pattern on our shirts. This morning we were able to unveil our master peices.

Here they are in all their glory!