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Summer fun at the library

Posted on June 18, 2010 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Wednesday was a miserable and rainy day. JSL was going stir crazy and kept asking to get out of the house. Eventually, I asked him if he wanted to go to the library to get some things and play. Yes, I said play at the library. They were open at that point and I knew they had just gotten some puzzles for kids and had a LEGO table with several types of building blocks. I also thought about taking his library card so he could use their computers to try some things on kid websites.

When JSL and I arrived at the library, it was pretty empty. First, we went to get some DVDs and then settled into the kids area. JSL took out a puzzle and then decided he wanted to check out the blocks and build some items. He was playing very nicely all alone. I will spare you the details about what happened when two girls suddenly arrived without any adults. Thankfully, JSL kept playing and was letting the girls take a ton of the items away from him.

As JSL was using his imagination, I sat next to him on the floor and was knitting my current small project. It was nice and quiet, so I could knit and watch the little guy play.

While there, I also realized that in just a few short days both of the boys will be home for the summer. NHL will be going to camp part of the time, but JSL will be home with me until he starts nursery school part time in the fall.

So my questions to you today:

1. When was the last time you went to the library and what did you do or get while you were there?

2. Aside from spending time at the park, playing outside and visiting the library, what other ideas do you have to keep two kids busy during the summer that will not break my bank?

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Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the MckLinky there if you are participating.

Aloha #104

Categories:
Aloha Friday books fun jsl knitting photos play time school summer

Family wedding fun

Posted on June 15, 2010 9:43 am by TheAngelForever

Monday night, only two days after my cousin’s wedding the boys were still talking about the events of the weekend. The best was when NHL asked if we could go back to cousin RB’s wedding again. Both of the boys had a magical time dancing, singing, and enjoying the experience of a wedding. It was amazing watching NHL and JSL as they figured out just what a wedding was about. Sure, NHL had been to my brother’s wedding, but he was so sick that weekend.

Saturday, we arrived at the hotel several hours before the wedding. We went out to lunch nearby and stopped by the LL Bean outlet store where we scored a few items for great prices. Next, we stopped by Target to pick up a few cars for the boys to be able to keep them busy at the wedding. We goofed and forgot to pack any earlier that morning when we left the house. Then we went back to the room where I rested (sinus infection and antibiotics was kicking me in the butt) and the boys played quietly. Before we knew it, it was almost 4:00 and time to get everyone dressed.

Once we were all dressed, we went to wait for Nana and Papa to go to the location of the wedding next door. When we went outside, the groom and our family were there. When it was almost time, we went inside. We were told to find our table number and we would sit there for the ceremony and the reception. My family rocked – they put us on the edge near an escape door. This was actually utilized as mentioned by TechyDad in his post that includes videos of the party boys.

After the actual ceremony, the little guy came back in and the boys were happily snacking on food, playing with their cars, dancing and saying hello to everyone. The one and only photo that we tried to get of the four of us is below. Not the best since the kids were trying to run away. Oh well, better than nothing I suppose.

Of course, after JSL had a few crackers and some fruit, he immediately wanted the wedding cake. Try explaining to a three year old that you have to wait. Thanks to being seated VERY close to the cakes, we kept them next to us and never moved away from them. Not saying that we didn’t trust them, but the cakes certainly could have gotten them into trouble. Thank goodness there was no incident. The boys kept playing with their cars and dancing the night away. Even Nana and Papa were caught dancing.

After a while, it was finally time for cousin RB and KB to cut into the cake. The boys were so excited to be up close and get to watch this. NHL was especially fascinated with the bride and groom and kept asking about them. Then, when it was time to eat the cake, both boys were more interested in the music and everything else going on.

Several hours after their bed time, NHL finally looked at me and said he wanted to go back to the room to sleep. JSL was reluctant, but eventually did not want to stay without his big brother. We got back to the room and NHL curled up to sleep within seconds of his head hitting the pillow.

If you have kids, have they been to a wedding and did they have fun?

As you can tell, my boys had a blast and want to go to another wedding soon! More wedding photos and stories coming later on. Wanted to share some of the memories that we had from this fun family event. Mazel tov again to Cousin RB and KB on their marriage!

Categories:
cousins family fun jl jsl my boys nhl photos road trip TechyDad weekend yummy

Off to a wedding we go

Posted on June 13, 2010 3:59 pm by TheAngelForever

Yesterday morning, we packed up the car. In the back seat was a very excited three year old singing his own little song. In a sweet little voice, he was saying, "I goin’ to a wedding – a wedding!" – over and over. He really had no clue what to expect. To be honest, neither did NHL since the only wedding he has been to was my brother’s just over five years ago.

When I was little, I remember heading out to western NY for long weekends. We would stay at a hotel and go to visit my mother’s first cousin MB and her family. As the only girl in the group of kids, I learned to play with the boys. Here I am in the middle of RB and JB. Not sure where my brother was at this moment (probably too little for the swings).

Fast forward 20+ years and we are all grown up now. I was the first of the bunch married almost nine years ago. Here I am today with my husband, you know TechyDad.

JB was married in December to LB (another teacher in the family). Sadly, we were not able to go to their wedding across the country. I had a nice time chatting with LB several times and look forward to seeing them again soon.

Yesterday, it was RB’s wedding that we went to. He and KB are now husband and wife. Here is a photo of the newly married couple just before they cut their wedding cake.

We had a fabulous time and there is so much to share. Here is one photo of my little guys having a blast at the wedding festivities.

Thank you again to cousins MB and LB for inviting our entire family to be party of this special occasion. Mazel tov again on both of your boys being married!

Categories:
cousins family fun jl jsl looking back milestone nhl photos road trip TechyDad weekend

Burst water pipe blues

Posted on June 8, 2010 1:26 pm by TheAngelForever

Monday morning, I was feeling rather ambitious. I was moving out the clothing that NHL had outgrown, switching out JSL’s fall items for summer and heading down to the basement for laundry/get the next size items for summer. Minutes later, things in my little world were changing. To give you a sense, this was how I felt this morning:

Thank you Keurig machine at Mom and Dad’s house. You are definitely my hero today! Now, back to yesterday.

When I went downstairs, I saw water on the ground. Let me rephrase that, I saw a lot of water! Over 3/4 of the basement floor was wet. It was not deep, but I could hear water rushing. This was not in the usual spot. I immediately screamed for TechyDad to come. Much to our horror we quickly found the culprit. There was geyser of water from a pipe in the back corner of the basement.

I was freaked out and knew it was not good. I called my father and he had someone come over to help us try to stop the flow. Nada – so we called the city. They were at the house in about an hour. By this time, I was already gone. I took NHL to school and went to my parents house since we had no running water.

They eventually came and told TechyDad that it was a pipe running to our main service line and we would likely need to replace that entire line. My heart sank when I heard this. This would be beyond expensive and require a huge section of our yard to be dug up.

To make a long story short, two people came to look. The first plumber I called said they would be there in 2-3 hours. Then, my father mentioned another person to call. He was there in 20 minutes. He gave us a price. I had to get back to him after I heard from our insurance company to see if anything would be covered. Nada on that (mixed feelings after the roof fiasco just a month ago). I told him that we had another plumber coming and not to be insulted. The other plumber came and gave us a better price. The catch – they could not do the work until Thursday at the earliest and he told us we could not wait. So we went ahead, signed a contract with the first person. That check hurt to write.

The saga continued. When they turned the main water off, the water kept flowing. Yes, the river in my basement was still going and going to the drain on the other end. TechyDad went to clean up some with the wet/dry vac and saw more of a mess. As he was sucking water up, more was coming. He called the water department again. Different stories were given, the potential for our bill was getting larger by the minute. I was in tears hearing the story over the phone. Lucky for us, the two men went into the basement and they found something. There was a covered sewer pipe right next to problem pipe. Thanks to TechyDad cleaning that area, they were able to see it and removed the spot and it shot right down there

Below is a view of the leaking pipe area this morning. Looks SO much better than yesterday, but who knows what will happen today as the work progresses.

Fast forward to this morning. After 2 hours of sleep, I took JSL to the doctor and then went to our house. The power company, telephone company and numerous other had come to check in so they would know where it was safe to dig. There were several large vehicles parked outside our house. Before I knew it, this was the scene:

I left the house since it was raining and was told they would call if anything was needed. Now, I wait and see. With any luck, they will be able to fix it and restore the water. The box outside may also need to be replaced will will add a significant amount of additional spending on this project.

On that note, I am off to rest while waiting to hopefully hear some good news about the dig site in my front yard. Once again, I wish that dull moment would come soon.

Categories:
bad news decisions house jl looking back losing my mind photos TechyDad vent

Thank a teacher – Bing Teacher Appreciation Tour

Posted on June 6, 2010 2:30 pm by TheAngelForever

As a classroom teacher, I spent a lot of my own money buying things for my classroom, students and beyond. It may have been a little here, and a little there, but it adds up quickly. Did I mind? Not one bit. To me it was part of my job and helped to make the classroom experience better for the kids.

Many people ask me why I became a teacher. It’s easy, I was inspired by my teachers. I loved how they spent each and every day trying to make us the best that we could be. They were the ones that taught me to read, write and have a fascination with the world around me. Although I am home with my boys right now, I am still a teacher at heart. When we go places, I am constantly thinking about lessons that could be taught. As I take photos, I inventory them for future use when I go back to teaching.

Right after I decided to stay home with my boys, I heard about DonorsChoose.org. This is an organization that works with teachers in the classroom to set up projects that need funding. Teachers submit plans for items that they need, you pick a classroom in need and donate money to them. DonorsChoose.org buys the requested items for the classroom with the money donated and kids and teachers benefit. One of my teaching friends, CityStreams, did a DonorsChoose.org project and wrote about it here. The possibilities are endless. Each teacher can submit an idea and donors help them to make their lesson plan a reality.

If you could take a minute to thank a teacher from your past or one that your child has now, would you? Would you do it if it meant you earned a $5 donation to DonorsChoose.org that you could put toward any project of your choice?

Now that I have your attention, let me tell you you can participate. Here is more about the Bing Teacher Appreciation outreach with DonorsChoose.org:

Starting on May 19th, Bing is encouraging students and parents to recognize teachers who have made a difference in their lives through a new philanthropic campaign focused on supporting kids’ education. Bing has committed to a gift of up to $500,000 and teamed up with DonorsChoose.org to provide both kids and adults with a way to express their thanks to a teacher and help another teacher or school in the process.

Visit www.bing.com/education to post a comment or share a story about a teacher who made a difference in your life (or the life of your child), and Bing will provide you with a $5 donation to DonorsChoose.org, which can be applied toward any classroom project of your choice. Each visitor can leave up to 5 comments, resulting in a total donation of $25. At the end of June, Bing will aggregate the comments and share them with each teacher in the form of a congratulations letter.

It really is that simple. You go to the Bing website, thank a teacher, and soon after receive a $5 DonorsChoose.org code to donate to any current project of your choice. So far I have sent thank you notes to NHL’s 1st grade teacher and the school Nurse Teacher. I will be doing an additional three to make sure that I get the $25 to donate by July 10.

Check out schools in your area. There are a lot in mine that are looking for donations. Right now, I am working with my son’s school to come up with a project. Why? Well, when I signed up for this Blog Tour I received a $100 code to use on DonorsChoose.org. I have donated with them before and seen projects that my teaching friends have accomplished thanks to them. I am looking forward to donating this $100 toward something that my children and others at our school will benefit from.

A big thank you to Bing for supporting teachers and all that we do in the classrooms to help the children that will be the leaders of the world in years to come. Now please do your part and thank some teachers to help classrooms that are in need. Let’s make sure that Bing donates the maximum amount to needy classrooms all over.

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Bing and a $100 DonorsChoose.org giving code to facilitate my review. Mom Central also sent me a thank-you gift certificate.