Our little getaway

We look good Amish, don't you think?

We had a great time on our little getaway. The shows were fantastic. I mean seriously fantastic. If you ever have a chance to go to Lancaster, I highly recommend going to Sight and Sound Theater. Wow. Just wow. It wasn't our first time there, but they wow us every time.

I don't know how to get the link in here directly but go to www.sight-sound.com to check it out.

The kids did really well in the car. I always dread car trips - but they didn't even give me a headache this time. ha. I had a lot to keep them occupied - plus the DVD player. How did our parents ever do roadtrips without one???



We kept ourselves busy doing touristy things but also found some time just to relax by the pool. Five minutes after getting there, the kids were swimming in the pool while I had a margarita pool-side. It doesn't get much better than that. Well, except there weren't any palm trees!

We don't get many family photos so we really tried this time. Not too bad! At least no one is picking their noses or poking someone in the ear. I really wonder what the trick is, though, to get everyone to smile - and look - at the same time???







No vacation is complete without ice cream! There was a gorgeous Amish teenage? early-20's? girl working at this ice cream place. I can only imagine how beautiful she'd be if she wore makeup and American clothes. (Not that makeup and clothes make a person, but you know what I am saying....) Usually it is hard to see their faces under their hats but she really was striking.



We saw both Psalms of David and Joseph. Psalms of David was more like a dancing / music show and they had these ribbon things. Luke LOVED them and had to buy one at the souvenir shop. Please don't tell him they're for girls - he has no clue!! I can't get away with this kind of innocent stuff much longer, I'm afraid :(



We also went to a farm. It is still a working farm (didn't see that part) but they have transformed a lot of the fields to a play area. It was really fun! Can you see our faces on the slide? Too funny!











What a great memories.

Random Ramblings

August. How is it August already? I can't understand how February goes by so slowly and the summer flies by!

Luke is already worried about going back to school. I think he misses it, I really do. But a new school year brings new apprehensions. He is also concerned that he will be away from me for so long and that he'll miss me. I'll miss him too :(

Emma is getting excited about preschool. I think she could skip preschool, kindergarten, and probably first grade and head straight to second grade with Luke. It is hard watching Luke struggle academically while Emma so easily picks things up.

Emma's room still isn't done. I couldn't find a duvet cover that I liked so I decided to make one. I practiced on the pillow sham and it turned out okay. Just don't look too closely. ha. But then I got nervous about the duvet because it is so much bigger! And so the fabric has just sat on her dresser, waiting to be used and my sewing machine sits on the floor because I don't want to put it away since I'll be using it "soon".... One of these days I'll get the courage to attempt it.

Luke is loving hockey. He plays on the driveway every day and is still playing organized Deck Hockey too. He is getting better but still has no clue about the rules of the game. He has no idea what icing means or why you get a penalty. He knows how to play his position - but doesn't really think out of the box yet. But he's getting tough :)

We're going on "vacation" soon. We'll only be gone for 4 days but the kids are excited. Our real vacation was in March when my brother got married in Miami. But a summer isn't a summer without a vacation. So we decided to go to Amish Country for a few days. The best thing about Amish Country is it is commercialized. ha. We are staying in a resort with a pool (that's all the kids care about, really!), we'll see a couple shows (They're amazing! - The Bible comes to life on stage, very cool!), and go to an amusement park. Now that's Amish Country the way I like it! I suppose we'll see a few horse and buggies and maybe even eat Smorgassboard-style while we're there just because we're going to Amish Country, right?!?!

Football season starts soon so that means I will be a football widow again. Joe has already started practice 2 nights a week, but the full-blown football practices will be sooner than I'd like. Although there have been some days this summer when I wish he had football..... ;) It's just feast or famine. He is here with us all summer and then disappears when football and school start. Well, maybe school will start... there is talk of a strike since they haven't settled their contracts yet....

And that is about it around here.... Enough summer ramblings for one day.... I like this blogging thing - it is an excuse to talk to myself. ha. Is anyone listening?!?!? ha ha ha.

"My Sorry is Lost"

I almost feel guilty typing about all the things Emma says - you think Luke would say something every once in awhile too, but.... ;)

Luke just came down the hallway crying uncontrollably.

Me: "Luke, what's wrong? Are you okay?!"
Luke: "Emma is making my feelings hurt!"
Me: "Oh, she is?"
Joe: "Where do your feelings hurt, right here?" as he tickles his belly to try to divert the situation. Doesn't work.
Luke: "She is saying mean things to me!"
Me: "Really?"
Luke: "Yes, she is saying she doesn't love me, that she is better than me - and she even said she is better than God and that isn't true, mommy, because no one is better than God!" Sob, sob, cry, cry.
Me: "Well, you know that isn't true, so why are you believing her?"
Luke: cry, cry, cry, hug me, hug me.
Joe: "Emma, come here."
Emma appears from her room.
Joe: "Did you say those things to your brother? Tell the truth."
Emma: "Yes."
Joe: "Then you need to apologize to your brother, what you said isn't nice."
Emma: "I can't."
Me: "Why not?"
Emma: "Because my sorry is lost!" Cry cry cry.

Joe and I just looked at each other, trying not to laugh. How do you handle that answer?!?!

Design on a Dime

What ever happened to that show? They'd redo a room for under $1,000. Which is a LOT for me! I just redid 2 rooms for around that much - including new furniture! I didn't really redo everything. So maybe it doesn't really count. ha. But it was fun regardless :)

Luke and Emma both got updates in their rooms. This idea started when I realized Emma couldn't stay in her crib forever. Granted, it was a convertible crib and we had her in the toddler bed. But, she is only getting older, so... And Luke had been asking for bunk beds. So I figured I'd do both rooms at the same time.

So here is a tour of Luke's room. (Changed 3 times in 4 years, wow!) I am still working on the fabric in Emma's room. Hopefully hers will be ready soon :)

When Luke came home, he was 3. So he had a toddler bed and a cute almost-baby-boy room.





When we adopted Emma, she needed the toddler bed converted back to a crib, so Luke got Joe's old headboard and twin bed. We went from an ABC theme to a sports theme.





And new - just this week - is Luke's loft bed. We thought we were going to buy him bunk beds but when he walked into the store, he fell in love with the loft bed. I think this means he is officially a big boy :( I think a teenager lives in that room and not a 7 year old! The good news is, hopefully it will still be okay when he is a teenager - too bad if it's not because it is here for the duration!





We bought the loft bed on clearance. Didn't need a new comforter since the twin one actually fits (the loft is a double). Had the lamp from Emma's old room. Gave him the chair that was in my bedroom. The rest he had. Design on a dime :)

The paint color hasn't changed - it just looks different in some pictures because of the lighting.

Now if I can just figure out how to make his bed.... Not so easy.... Hum.....

Being 4 is Funny

It is so funny to listen to a 4 year old develop her vocabulary. We went to an animal park last week and Emma was calling the camels - cannibals. And the zebras were sa-rebras.

It is also funny to watch a 4 year old develop her self-confidence. Luke and Emma have been going to a summer camp from 9:00-noon this week. When we picked them up today, she said, "Mommy, not one person told me I had pretty hair." I thought she was going to cry.

It is also funny to watch her develop into the woman she will be (according to Joe, all women are like this!) - "Wuke, wisten to me. I am the boss of you!"

It was funny to hear her prayer tonight: "Dear God, thank you for my pretty new beautiful room." (We just redid her room.)

And her deep thoughts: "When I am a grownup, I will still love horsies and cats. And oh yeah, deer too." Deer? Seriously?

And the way she encourages her brother: "Wuke, I know you are getting frustrated, Wuke, I know that. But you are doing a good job buddy! Slow down and take your time. Wuke. Wisten to me. Wuke. You can do it. Wuke, try your best, bud, you can do it! Wook what you can do when you do it!"

And her excuses. Me: Emma, how did you get black marker all over your legs?" Emma: "The marker did it, mommy." Technically, she is correct :)

And her explanations. After she wet her pants: "Mommy, I tried to make it to the bathroom but my legs wouldn't listen to me, they just didn't want to walk to the bathroom."

The joys of raising a 4 year old girl :)

"Do you want to work out?"

This morning when I woke up, my thoughtful husband didn't say "Good morning!" Oh no. He said, "Do you want to work out today?" Isn't that kind of like asking me if I want to do laundry or clean the kitchen? Does anyone ever really want to work out? If so, that is honestly a foreign concept to me. Working out is not my cup of tea. Can't say I ever crave it or even think about it. Or actually do it.

Now I will say that I asked him at the beginning of the summer to try to get me going. I don't work out - but as I creep closer and closer to 40 - I know I should. My bones and body don't feel the way they used to. They're a bit slower and they sometimes creek. I have a few "fun" workout videos that might not be too bad - if I actually put them in the TV and push play. ha. But for now, they just accumulate dust, sitting there on the shelf looking at me every day - but I look the other way. tee hee.... ;)

And so I suppose I should quit procrastinating... I think he is getting the kids involved too. Oh great, gang up on me why don't you!

Happy Anniversary to us - I think!

Joe and I had our 14th anniversary 2 days ago. I had to stop typing and do the math :) I guess once you've been married as long as we have, the big day kind of slips by. We went furniture shopping that day (for a new bed for Luke) and as we were sitting in Olive Garden having lunch with the kids I said, "Hey, what is today's date?" and Joe said, "I don't know, why?" I said, "I think it's our anniversary!" We tried to figure the days out and we realized it was. Joe said, "I honestly thought tomorrow was the 29th. Whoops." So we quickly kissed - right in the middle of the restaurant :) - and then went on with our day.

Maybe one of these days the grandparents can watch the kids and we can do something fun together - or maybe even go away together, we haven't done that since we've had kids! But for now, we just skipped it. Whoops!

It's not that we're not in love or we don't appreciate each other. We do! Joe is a teacher and I am home with the kids, so we are both home all summer. We honestly had no idea what day it was! And it honestly snuck up on us - where are all the summer days going anyway?!?!?

So one of these days, we'll celebrate. A bit belated, but that's okay. We just want to make it last longer :)