Good Morning, Campers!

It's that time of year again - time for us all to question my Mom's sanity as she embarks on a camping trip with 8 of her 9 grandkids. E1 is the oldest at age 11, nephew D is the youngest at age 4. I enjoy sharing this information with people just to see their astonished reactions.

In their absence, I've got one closet cleaned and another to go...but can't work up the motivation because I'm in the midst of a migraine. There has got to be a connection between my scheduled free time and my migraines...they can't all just arrive ill-timed by happenstance, right? It needs to go away by tonight because we've got plans to see Harry Potter and it will be ever so much more enjoyable without a stabbing pain in my head. Hear that, migraine? ctrl+x already.

School supplies have been purchased, registration is next week; E3 begins Kindergarten this fall. No, I still don't have a good answer for the frillion million dollar question, "What are you going to DO with all of them in school?" I still, naively perhaps, hope to do some major de-cluttering and housecleaning. A little June Cleaver? Maybe, but I can only imagine that it will be immensely easier to unload some junk and forgotten things without a chorus of, "BUT I WANT TO KEEP THAT! I LOVE IT!" I want to be able to go on the many field trips that our Kg classes seem to have - everything from the post office to the St. Louis Arch - and to volunteer in the Kg classroom like I did with the other two girls...and I may add in the role of lunch room helper for E3's Kg class, at least until I feel like they've got a handle on things with her peanut allergy, and then there's the school library and all the help it desperately needs...I only got the majority of the junior fiction labeled with call letters (on the book and in the computer system) last year and there are a lot more books to go...and of course there's always that last wish for all the children of the world to join hands and sing together in the spirit of harmony and peace...maybe I'm going to become Steve Martin now that all my kids are in school.

I've been working with our Superintendent to determine what the school's peanut policy will be. We've discovered Sunbutter, and there's a good chance they'll be offering it in the cafeteria instead of peanut butter. The Super has seemed eager to go 'peanut-free', but E3's allergist is not in favor of that - sets up a false reality, etc. BUT- one of the Mom's at E3's gym class is working on a research paper about peanut allergies and school policies (the coincidence!) and said one of the schools she interviewed said they have a 'peanut controlled' lunch room. They don't offer peanut products and if kids choose to bring in something with peanuts the have to sit at the peanut table...the theory being that it's easier to control the peanuts if they know where they are and who is eating them. I like it. We'll see what the school board thinks, I guess. So maybe my last wish will be for all the children of the world to join hands AFTER THEY'VE WASHED THE PEANUT BUTTER FROM THEIR HANDS and sing together in the spirit of harmony and peace.

I Need To Add A Category

I'll title it: "MAH PRESHUS BAYBEE IS GROWIN UP!!!"

She lost her first tooth yesterday.

Please ignore the grubby fingernails...

Opening Night, The End Is In Sight

Last night was Opening Night for Alice in Wonderland Jr. at the community theatre. E2 declared it was just like dress rehearsal, only with more people watching.

By next week, our nights should be a little free-er (is that a word?).

Desperately Seeking Artist

Our Captiva vacation home was filled with a lot of whimsical artwork, and on our last day there I walked around snapping photos of some of my favorites just to share with you, my lovelies.

This one, to my untrained eye, looks like oil on canvas and it's embellished with shells. It made me think of my crafty friend Glenda.

This hand-painted shelf was near the front door and would be a handy place to keep a small brush and any other thing you'd need for last-minute touch-ups before heading out into the world...or in this case, a good place for sunglasses, spf lip balm, and a spare tube of sunscreen.

These two oil paintings were on the wall in the kitchen right where the hallway started.

Is it just me, or does this painting groove? It has movement...groovy movement.

This hand-painted bulletin board was in the kitchen. It has sea shell-shaped push pins, and the wording around the blue area includes phrases like 'Carpe Diem!', and 'Make a list!'

Another hand-painted item...this time a metal clock, perfect for chomping up all of your vacation time.

Chomp Chomp!




And then there are these things.....

There were multiple pieces by this artist - all carved wood, painted in festive colors, giving a whimsical flair to every room. But for the life of me, I could not decipher the artist's signature.

Casey? Causey? Carsen? Buehler?

I've Googled every possibility I've thought it could be.

See? Whimsy.

E3 likes this one.

I suspect these were made by a local artist, but I'm not sure. I hope someone will recognize the work and clue me in - I'd love to know more about this style, and the artist.

Perfect Weather

The weather here in the Midwest is so much better! No longer steamy, it's like we're being treated to the Spring weather we should have had back in June. During the day it's warm but there's a nice breeze, and at night it's been getting down into the 60's...last night at E2's play practice I wore a sweatshirt!

Unfortunately, (really, I'm not trying to be one of those 'never happy' people) this means there probably won't be any water fun at our party this weekend. Once again it's time for the party celebrating our move to this home and we've got a big ole water slide ready and waiting...but the kids used it last Sunday and this past Wednesday and complained about being cold the whole time. Tomorrow's high is projected to be 78 degrees so...I don't think it's worth the blue lips and goose bumps to set everything up in the front yard.

Bummer.

We could have been great, waterfall!

Steaminess Noted

(email from the ALS association)

Walk to Defeat ALS Heat Advisory

The Walk to Defeat ALS will be held tomorrow June 27th in Forest Park across from the Education and Visitor Center. The forecast is predicting extremely hot weather. We are asking our walkers, patients and families to use precautions in planning for this event. Our activities will take place in the morning and should be over before the hottest part of the day. However, if you feel the heat will be too difficult for you to manage safely, please know you do not have to physically walk to participate. We will have staff accepting registrations and donations Saturday morning as well as in the office on Monday.

Steamy

We didn't walk.

The temperature and humidity conspired and gave us some weather to rival New Orleans. It's steamy and steamy with all the steaminess. For a short time, we considered just participating in the 1-mile walk (as opposed to the 3-mile walk)...but then we'd be driving an hour to walk for a half and hour...and it just didn't make sense. And it's hot and steamy. Did I mention the steaminess? Why must the walk be in June? June is steamy.

Our off-line donations were brought over by my brother and his wife, and if we get t-shirts anyway I'll still give it away. If not, I've got last year's - washed, but never worn (I prefer v-neck to crew neck) that I'll give away instead.