Our FABULOUS Day!!!

Yesterday we took a long, overdue field trip to the Strong National Museum of Play and had a WONDERFUL time!!! Oh my goodness it was so much fun! We have never been there before and really weren't sure what to expect but it was absolutely awesome!

My mom (who will be moving to North Carolina at the end of this year) had told us quite awhile ago that she wanted to take us there but things/life kept coming up and we never made it out there. Sooo, my niece, Maddy, from North Carolina (who is the same age as Trey) was up here visiting for a week and my mom said we HAD to do this field trip when she was here and I'm so glad we did.

Maddy is such a character and almost everything she says makes us all laugh LOL. So needless to say, yesterday was even more fun since she went with us. I was also grateful to spend some time with her since she does live so far away and we haven't seen her in almost 6 months. :(

Well it was about a 2 hour ride each way for us and it really wasn't too bad. Cayden (15 1/2 months old) got fussy/stir crazy the last 30 minutes on the way there but still, he didn't act up that much.

I was pleasantly surprised with this museum since it was all INTERACTIVE! They had tons of hands-on activities for kids of all ages to participate in. I could not even begin to describe all of them in this post because there are just too many. Even for Cayden, they had little "pitstop" like areas within the "big kid" sections that you can play with your little one and they can get out of the stroller to stretch their legs, climb on soft mats, and play with toy balls, cars, and other toys. Let me tell you, that was wonderful since we all know how toddlers can get bored just sitting in the stroller watching everyone else run around and have fun. They also had little "guest rest" rooms scattered around that was like a small living room where you could go to nurse your baby, change a diaper, or just "regroup" for a few minutes with your children. There were several "craft stations" in each exhibit for visitors to stop and make different projects. I thought everything was really well thought out.

We were even permitted to bring in our own bagged lunches and water jugs/bottles and eat within their food court. That definitely helped to save on $$$! It was also nice that they had plenty of rest rooms throughout AND they were clean too!!! ;)

One of my favorite exhibits there was the One History Place where the kids could go back in time to colonial-like days and use real items to pretend to churn butter and then pour the butter into wooden molds, use the old wood stove oven to bake loaves of bread and cookies (they even had a LARGE selection of plastic food items in each exhibit area to make the playing/pretending even more realistic!), then pump water from the well (NOT real water though for obvious reasons) into the barrel to wash the dishes and scrub the clothes, then hang them to dry. It was fantastic!

Then they had a "radio station" so the kids could be d.j.'s and broadcast a news announcement, record their own talk shows, or take requests to play favorite songs. They loved listening to themselves on the speaker system as they used the microphones and pushed different buttons which made sounds like a drumroll or applause from a live audience. I was laughing so hard as I listened to all the funny things the kids came up with!

There was a "news room" where the kids could sit at the desk to report the news, point to the large world map as they forecasted the weather, or be "behind the scenes" as the cameraman turning and moving the tv cameras. It was so much fun to watch them act out as well. There was a "theater stage" area complete with a curtain that opened and closed, plenty of dress-up clothes and props to use for their production, and a "sound area" where they operate the spotlights and sounds/music for the performance! In most of these special areas, there were VCR's where you could insert your own video tape to "record" your child(ren) as they were pretending/playing. I didn't know that though or else I would have made sure I brought one.

There was a giant "reading adventureland" where the kids literally ran around as they visited different climb on/walk through scenes such as Cinderella (complete with dress-up ballgown and pumpkin coach), gingerbread house, Jack and the Beanstalk, and so much more...SO MUCH MORE!

There was a very realistic "post office" where the kids could make their own postcards and/or letters and then mail them as they sort other mail and packages, put them on the conveyor belt to be carried to the truck, or place them in appropriate "p.o. boxes"! There were even keys to use to unlock the p.o. boxes to retrieve your delivered mail...such wonderful detail here!

There was a FABULOUS "Wegmans Grocery Store" just for kids!!! WOW! Kids were given a pouch of play paper money to use as they walked in and then they chose a shopping cart to begin shopping. All of the items/products were incredibly realistic looking. They could weigh their fruits and vegetables in the produce section, choose meats from the butcher's block area, pick out breads and pastries from the bakery, and shop up and down different aisles for their groceries. When they were ready to "checkout", they would switch roles as they became the cashier, unloaded the cart and put items on the rolling conveyor belt, and then "scanned" the UPC bar-codes!!! They had real cash registers to "cash out" customers and themselves on. Each order was made complete with a real, printed cash register receipt, which listed their items and shopping total on. It was so neat to watch these kids shop around and push these kid-sized shopping carts!

Ok, in summary, I'll tell you what my favorite exhibit was...it was called the Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden and it was phenomenal!!! I've never experienced anything like this before! It was a separate exhibit/admission but priced very reasonably. After watching a brief video on butterfly etiquette (safety lesson), we were lead into this enormous area which was like walking into a tropical world/rain-forest, and immediately, we were surrounded by butterflies!!! We saw butterflies flying through the air all around us as they'd visit plant after plant, clinging to beautiful flowers as they sipped nectar, sitting in plates of fresh fruit as they ate, or perching in a tree to rest. It was INCREDIBLE!!! Guests were permitted to walk around this indoor garden for 20 minutes while accompanied by the "garden host". The host was very knowledgeable and answered the questions we had. It was a gorgeous garden full of plants and small water ponds...I didn't want to leave! The butterflies landed on us and we were in "awe" of their beauty. They have over 800 butterflies and moths from around the world there! There was even what they called a "chrysalis case where they display and identify the different chrysalises found throughout the garden. In that same case were the newly emerged butterflies resting as their wings dried and strengthened. It was such a memorable experience!!! I just cannot even express how exciting this butterfly exhibit was!

The ONLY thing that went wrong was the fact that we forgot to bring our camera to capture our special moments with. :(

So, even after the 2 hour ride home, I felt so blessed to have been able to enjoy this special day with my family. It was truly a day I hope I'll never forget! Thanks Mom--from all of us! :)

Wordless Wednesday! 6/6/07

"May the Force by with you!"

For other Wordless Wednesday participants, click on Wordless Wednesday

Christian Life

This is a poem my 11 year old son, Kyle, wrote for an assignment in our church's kids' club. I think he did an awesome job!

Christian Life

To live a Christian life
tell others about Christ

How He died for you
maybe they will follow too

Take some tracts and go around
and hand them out without a doubt

Ask your sister, ask your father
and your mother or your brother

If they can help you, hand some out too

If they can't say ok
maybe another day

Don't let Satan take you away
from your loving Lord in anyway

I wrote this poem for a badge
Now that I am done, boy I'm glad!

Works For Me Wednesday: DIY Bird Bath Dripper

This is my first time participating in Works For Me Wednesday. I also hope I’m doing this right!

My only hobby is feeding the outdoor birds and I learned that birds are attracted to the sound of running or dripping water, so I wanted some sort of a dripper for my bird bath in hopes of attracting more birds to my yard. Well, I was surprised at the cost of the drippers (kind of expensive for us) so I had to find an alternative. I had read about this idea in a few different bird magazines and books. It is has worked pretty well for me...as long as I do not tighten the cap too tight.

It is a quart-size plastic jug/bottle that I have hanging over my bird bath dish. (Actually, you know those little hooks that you can buy to hang a hanging plant or feeder from a wooden deck rail? That is the hook I'm using since we don't have a deck...I just planted it into the ground next to the bird bath so the jug hangs OVER the bird bath.) I just used a thumbtack and poked a hole into a bottom corner of the jug, fill it with water and voila! Instant dripper. The flow of the water will depend on how snug you tighten the cap.

I forgot to add if you use a dripper or something to make the water in your bird bath move instead of remaining still and stagnant, mosquitoes won't lay their larva in it...they prefer still, stagnant, non-moving water on which to lay their eggs on.

Not too much

It was a nice day today with some overcast here and there. We weren't sure if it was going to rain or not and sometimes the wind also picked up quite a bit which convinced us even more that it would. However, it never did which is fine with us since Tim had a lot of work to do outside.

Well, the last of all the wood has been split and the log splitter we borrowed from a friend has FINALLY been returned! YAY! Tim is so glad to see that thing outta here! He said he doesn't want to have to split wood again for a very, very long time and I don't blame him. The kids have been such terrific helpers with the wood too. They mostly helped stack the wood or helped pile it onto the trailer to take into the back yard. They took almost all of it into the back and now have some minor clean up to do in the front yard...mostly the wood chips/shreds from using the splitter. I was able to use most of it to mulch my flower gardens this year which was great because it was FREE! Yippee, free is good! :) I'll try to post some pics tomorrow.

Tim had plans to take down a small evergreen tree, which is sort of like a "yew" tree, since it was badly damaged over the winter (1/3 of died and the pine needles are gone from that section), but it is a good thing he looked at it closely before he did anything! After peeking inside of it, he noticed a teeny, tiny nest with a mama chipping sparrow sitting on top of it!!! Isn't that so wonderful? I think Tim knew to check inside since last year there was a nest in the same tree...it may have been chipping sparrows last year and who knows...it just may be the same nest. So, this tree won't be going anywhere until the birds are all grown up and leave the nest. Thank you again Lord for such a wonderful gift for us!!! :)

Payge and I took a quick run to the Dollar General while Cayden took his nap and I finally got a pair of those gardening clogs I've always wanted. I just love clogs! I will try to post a picture of them tomorrow. They are super light and it almost feels like you aren't wearing anything at all. I don't know what they are made out of, but it feels similar to a styrofoam material but I'm sure it isn't made out of that. They are perfect since whenever they get dirty you just rinse them off and let them air dry! I love simple. They are also very comfortable which is a great plus.

After the kids' club classes at church tonight, we took some time out for fun and went to the newly built playground at a local school. It was really nice and the kids just loved it. It's so wonderful to go to a playground that is nice and fresh looking without broken/damaged parts and graffiti all over it! Cayden really enjoyed the swing and each of the middle four kids took turns taking him down the slide on their lap. We had so much fun! :)

Oh, I almost forgot! Yesterday I saw the male Ruby Throated Hummingbird do his "mating" dance/courtship display trying to impress a female hummingbird that was watching from my rhododendron. For those of you who may not know what a hummingbird courtship display is, here is a description I found:

"The male dives down towards the resting or feeding female. Like a pendulum he sweeps past her and up to a point 2 to 3 m in the air, then back along the same path in reverse. He repeats this swinging display time and again, all the while uttering squeaky notes. As he dives past the female his wings hum the loudest; as he swings closer to the female his hum becomes more intense and his speed increases."

So it looks like he is flying back and forth in the shape of a capital letter "U". Honestly it is so fascinating to watch!!! I just love the outdoor birds.

Garden Clogs

OK, here is a picture of my Garden Clogs as promised. I've been wearing them outside ever since I bought them yesterday & I just love them. They are so comfortable and if they get dirty after being in the garden dirt, just rinse off with the hose! I got them at the Dollar General for $6!

Wow, A New Hope!

As I sit here still drinking my morning coffee (being oh so careful to NOT let it get spilled on the computer!!!) I love to visit other blogs and read/learn about different things. Well, I just found this awesome looking organization blog named I'm An Organizing Junkie! and I felt a sense of "hope" come over me as I glanced through it!

You see, once upon a time, (long ago) I used to be a very obsessed organized perfectionist individual who was "on top" of things and managed a very nice, orderly home. Really, I did! I did a fairly good job at keeping an organized home even when having 3 or 4 and even 5 children. However, somewhere between child #5 and #6, something drastic happened and I was completely changed!

Gone were the days of knowing exactly where items were when needed, things that were put away after being used, clothes sorted/purged according to size or season, bills/receipts filed, etc. Rather, sadly enough, I went to the "other side!" :(

Now I'm not proud of this change, in fact, I'm rather disgusted of it, not to mention embarrassed to say the least. Whenever I'd comment on this situation, people would often say "Well, you have 6 kids, what do you expect?" I admit that it has been quite some time since I've expected perfection anywhere in my home but I should at least be somewhat organized still don't you think?

Well, I have been living on this "other side" for quite some time now and I have to admit I wasn't making much any effort to correct this huge change in my life until just recently. Granted there have been some things that came up unexpectedly (another miscarriage which was so devastating and brought an enormous amount of depression with it after the fact, difficulties with my eldest son as he began the transition into teenage hood, taking in a slew of miscellaneous pets from unwanted situations, spending way too much time on the internet trying to "kill" the pain, etc.) but I think I've recently realized that I used these things more or less as an "excuse" and I certainly have NOT managed things appropriately during this time.

So, when I saw this organizing blog today, I decided to click on it and see what it was like and I'm glad I did. It's funny because even two months ago, if I had come across this blog or even the words "organization" or "organizing", I would have run FAR away and FAST!

So, ultimately, I have to give the glory and honor to my Lord Jesus Christ for giving me the discernment to even realize this fault in my life AND to have the true desire to want to change and correct it. Visiting this site has given me a bit of hope and I plan to read through some of the entries there and I hope I'll be able to make a good "head start" at correcting this fault in my life and in my home. I'm both glad and grateful that the Lord has begun to change this in me (and I know my family is too!) :)