Operation Ass-Kicking Overdrive (which is just a tough way of saying "Responsible Parenting" but what fun is that?)

It's been awhile.  It was nice to take a little break from this here bloggy boo.  When it feels like a chore, it's time to step away for a bit.   But wait.... I shouldn't say that because then this whole post is a huge waste of time!!

I'm feeling inspired today.  I've been editing some things in our lives Here at the Hive.  While editing, I found some things that reminded me of the energy and creativity that has been dorment for awhile.   My summer goal is to wake up that sleepy energy and foggy creativity and revisit my old self.


Today, I finalized the Summer Chore Lists for the children in this household.  For those that asked, I am posting them here.  This is generally a very successful program for us.  So, here goes.  Sorry it's long.

The 8 year old's Chore List

1. Feed the dog everyday.

2. Scoop dog poop. (Mon,Wed,Fri)

3. Pick 2 slips from the Chore Jar everyday.

4. Make sure your room is picked up daily, including the closet.

5. Sort, Fold and Put Away your laundry.

6. Decide on one Family Activity for the week.

7. READ, READ, READ!

8. Sweep the kitchen floor everyday.

The 12 year old's Chore List

1. Mow the lawn weekly.

2. Plan and Prepare one dinner a week with your sister.

3. READ! READ! READ!

4.  Clean your bathroom once a week.

5. Decide on one Family Activity for the week.

6. Dust, Vacuum and Straighten your bedroom weekly.

7. Sort, Fold and Put Away your laundry.

8.  Write a letter to one person of your choice once a week. Mail and wait for a response.

9. Choose 3 rooms to vacuum other than your room once a week.

10.  Work with Mom and Dad on home improvement projects. 

11. Vacuum and Detail Mom's car once a week.

12. Pump gas into Mom's car at each fill-up

The 15 year old's Chore List

1.  Keep your room clean and organized.  Re-organize your closet.

2. Plan and Prepare one dinner a week with your brother.

3. READ! READ! READ!

4. Clean your bathroom weekly.

5. Pick one Family Activity for the week.

6.  Participate in Driver's Education and get Driver's Permit.

7.  Learn basic car care, operation and gas pumping.

8.  Babysit, Pet-sit or any job outside of our house.  Invest in your savings account.

9.  Memorize your Social Security Number.

10.  Sort, Wash, Fold and Put Away your laundry.  

11.  File paperwork for Mom and Dad.

12.  Take an art class.

13.  Assist Mom and Dad with home improvement projects.

14. Pick one room other than your bedroom to dust weekly.

The Family Activities can be anything from going on a hike to roasting marshmallows.  It is my hope that the ideas they come up with will be creative and not cost much or any money.  I put this one in because as parents we feel like we play "Cruise Director" a lot.  We want the kids to take on some of this responsibility.  Oddly enough, Ladycakes announced that the Family Activity chore is the hardest one on her list.

The Chore Jar is something that I learned from my mom.  Years ago, she made a chore jar for herself.  It was her way of doing those odd chores that you don't always think of or aren't part of the regularly scheduled chores.  When my kids were little, I made a chore jar to introduce the idea of chores and to help us with activities for the summer months.  It felt more like a game if you had to reach into a jar!

Chore Jar Examples

Sweep the front porch

Clean out the coupon folder

Wash the dog

Set the table for dinner (make it fancy!)

One thing Mr. Handsome and I are realizing is the shift that is taking place in our parenting.  Of course, as parents our styles and methods change as often and as quickly as our children grow.  However, we have been in a pretty comfortable routine for quite a few years now but we see a need for a change.  Because we are parenting a teen and tween, we are becoming more aware of the life skills they need. The things that come naturally to us as adults (pumping gas) are totally new to them.  You forget this when you are living the daily grind.  So, if some of the things on the list seem strange, stop and think.....Does my kid know how to do that?  You might be surprised.

Happy Summer Peeps.  We won't be "choring it up" all the time. We plan to kick back and have some fun and just enjoy each other's company!

Add "Working 9 to 5" by Dolly Parton to my Life Soundtrack.

Putting Lipstick on a Pig

It's a funny thing, remodeling a kitchen.

It requires a lot of patience.

It requires a good sum of money.

It requires a lot of decision making and then flexibility in those decisions.

And then once complete, it requires you to wear blinders when looking at the rest of your home.


Mr. Handsome and I discussed this when we first threw around the idea of remodeling the kitchen.

           *He said, "You know it will make the rest of the house look like shit."

           * I said, "Maybe, it will inspire us to work on some other plans for the rest of the house."

           * He said, "Really?  You know you are going to want to change everything."




Hrrrrumph.


I totally want to change everything.   However, we are flat broke.  There is no more cabbage.  The wallet chirps like crickets upon opening.  It's goose eggs in the ol' bank account.  Nada, no more.  Gonzo.


So I have to make cheapo changes.   Like, re-arrange vs. re-do.  clean-up vs. demolition.  vacuum vs. replace.  spray paint vs. re-frame.  All oldies but goodies and most can be done for Zero Dollar$.


Let's start here shall we?  This is Elvis's closet.  Elvis is a hoarder.  Elvis will perhaps be on a TV show one day about kids who never really learned the fine art of "playing."  Just the fine art of dumping every bin of toys they own into a giant pile.  You could not even open the door.  Frightening.

So in an effort to keep me from calling in the contractor to build an elaborate set of shelving and then bringing in the professional organizer to set up a system that works for the average hoarder, I dove in with a trash bag.

Truth be told, it's a rare day that I "call in"  the experts.  I have a very high regard for my skills and blindly believe I can pretty much take on any task.  Seriously, maybe it's too much HGTV, maybe my self-esteem is better than I lead on but I'm willing to tackle a task before consulting an expert.

Open heart surgery, anyone?


With garbage bags full and vacuum plugged in, I am proud to say, this is how it looks now.

And then I went and did this.

Tomorrow I shall paint.  Because I have it in the garage.  So essentially it's free.  And it will be fresh and new and I will be happy.  

On a side note,  the kitchen is nearing completion but not complete.  Once it's done, I promise to provide a final reveal.   

It's like Cupid on Crack.

Valentine's Day is once again upon us and I,once again, achieve to over-achieve.  Elvis, the first grader, of course, is first on the list because let's face it.... 5th grade boys have no interest in creating valentines because "it might send the wrong message."  And in 8th grade, you are either making out or you aren't, and thank my lucky stars Ladycakes aren't!

So Elvis is just slightly, mildly.....okay, overly obsessed with a video game (I swore I would never introduce them or guns as toys, I failed on one.)  Skylanders.  If you have a 6 to 11 year old boy, you probably know what I'm talking about.  In my effort to spin all things positive, I decided to take Skylanders to the level of valentines.

Let me just clarify, if you have tried since Christmas to find, touch, look at or even come in the vicinity of, much less throw down cold hard cash for one of these Skylanders you are out of your mind.  They are 2011's Tickle Me Elmo gone amok..... why, why do I fall for this stuff?  So it would make sense to push them forward to the next holiday, am I right?

Holy Shit, you can get Pokemon, Star Wars, Hot Wheels, Phineas and Ferb, Justin Beiber or Dr. Dre Valentines but not Skylanders?  Well, probably not Dr. Dre.....

Each Skylander character comes with a "trading card" so I put my color printer to work and got started on some super cheesy sayings (this is where an 8th grader really comes in handy) and we were like Cupid on Crack.

The resulting valentines are not only handmade ( I love this kind of stuff ) but also something Elvis will be excited about handing out and totally unique.

Next stop a 5th grade party!  As Room Parent, how do I come up with something different for kids that have been decorating cookies for years?  I'll fill you in next time.....


This is my way of forcing myself to post more than once a month!  See you soon!

Just call me "Mrs. Mayor" or "Your Royal Mayorness." I'm cool.

Saturday,  after a big garage sale (I swear it's the last garage sale I host!)  as a family we sat down to watch a movie.  Tangled.  It's cute and easy.

3/4 of the way through comments began:

Elvis: "Dad, some day you will be King."

Q (from a lounging position): "King of What?"

Mr. Handsome: "There's a song that might help us with that."

Me: "Wait, let me check Youtube,  I think it's something like King of Anything."




Ladycakes: "Yes, I love that song!"

Mr. Handsome: "No, that's not what I was thinking.  It mentioned being the mayor....."

Me: "Is this it?"

Mr. Handsome: "Yes! Best song EVER!"




Me: "oh yeah, that makes WAY more sense.  You totally are gonna be King."





Add "Mayor of Simpleton" by XTC to my Life Soundtrack.

Regarding the Rapture

While driving home from a swim meet, the following dialogue occurred.

Q:  "Mom, what time is it?"

Me:  "It's 4:52."

Q:  "So, an hour and 8 minutes until the end of the world?"

Me: "Well, it's 6:00 somewhere."

Q: "Then, we're good??"

Me: "Yep, hon.  I think we're good."

Q:  "Okay, good."

We survived another day or Heaven looks exactly the same as our everyday life.  Wait... is this Hell?  (kidding.)

Gene Autry was known to wear Easter bonnets.

Okay not Gene Autry.  But you get where I am going with this.  We have decided to boycott the Bunny since 13 year old is still dragging out Santa and my pocketbook refuses to buy anymore crap.  Seriously, my wallet bitch-slapped me at Wal-Mart and told me "NO MORE CRAP!"  It was thrilling.

Wishing you and yours a Happy Easter.  My frig smells like hard boiled eggs and Ladies and Gentleman, that's not a good thing.  Farts and green grass to you.  Right now, it's snowing!  Ugh, oy, and you gotta be f__ing kiddin' me!

"I know it's 11:30 at night but I only have one more question" (and it's a doozy) says 10 year old son with more charm than whoever is the "most charming man" according to US weekly.

So we have been encountering questions.  With 3 children, questions come at us a mile a minute but lately I've actually been paying attention.  Not that I don't usually pay attention.  But "Mom, do we have any juice?" or "Mom, where are my underwear?"  are just not real questions anymore.  It's background music.


So a few questions Mr. Handsome and I have fielded in the last few days:

1.  "Mom, when are you going to get paid?"

2.  "How do boats catch on fire? They are on water."

3.  "Hey Mom?  When do you think you might have some money?"

4.  "Don't you think a fast skin swim suit might hurt my crotch?"

5.  " Mom. What's a condom?"

Uh, I don't know?  Might be the answer to ALL of the questions.  However, I do know what a condom is.  Mr. Handsome busted one out to answer this question ( and if you have been following for a year or so, we don't need these so yes, a new question is in the arena.)

6. "Mr. Handsome, why do you have condoms?"

Kidding, I was thrilled he had one and we did show it to Q and then made Ladycakes look at it, actually I threw it at her and she freaked out.  Then, we talked about it.  This is where I am....this is where I am.  Luckily, I kept my maturity in check and didn't make a dirty balloon animal out of the condom.  Mr.  Handsome and I need to talk......... :)

Not my proudest moment.

So the littlest and I went out for a snow shoe... and some sledding.   Took the new puppy and snowshoes and a sled and a mom who was questioning her decisions the minute she stepped out the door.  But that's what Moms do...

Took to the path and listened to Elvis bitch about walking to the sledding hill.  "It's too far."  "I'm so tired."  "I can't go anymore"  yadda, yadda yadda.

So we walked with puppy.  It was stressful with all of the puppiness and 5 year oldness.  But we arrived here, ready to sled.  Sled we will.

Elvis hiked this bad boy-self and sent his shit down like no other.  Run #1 AWESOME!  It was fast, furious and crazy epic.  Standing at the top of this hill, I was in awe.  Mr. Handsome was on his way over with Ladycakes, I called on the cell and asked him to bring Elvis' s helmet.  This hill is epic, he needs a helmet.

As Mr. Handsome and Ladycakes approached, Elvis wanted to take run #2.  He was ready.  On his game.  I mentioned before pushing him down the hill, "Bail if you need to.."  *note to self 5 year olds don't know what" bail if you need to" means..I SUCK.

Fencing consists of barbed wire and re-bar posts.  The blood you see, my child's.

He wasn't wearing a helmet.  We couldn't wait the 5 minutes for Dad to arrive.  He slammed into the above fence.  Luckily, he hit the side of his head not his face.  He's fine.  He has 5 staples in his head and will be just fine.

I'm  a wreck.  Mother of the Year, I'm out of the running.  I'm so proud of my brave little man but question my own decisions.  He still trusts me and for that I wonder if perhaps there wasn't a brain injury.

I love him.  I'm sorry.  I'll do better.  I promise.

It's a weird cloud. And, it's gross.

Q decided to be the one to talk in the car today.  Didn't ask me to shut Ernie D down, Q allowed a little background music.  I think it was Pink singing "Raise Your Glass" playing on Radio Disney.  I LOVE PINK and I love that song.  But on Radio Disney.  Hhhhmmmm.  But again, I digress.


So Q had a revelation at school today.  Thank God (wait not thanking for the revelation) my kids go to school.  Clearly they are getting all sorts of shit out of it.  And ladies and gentleman, it is not just the 3R's.  Which again, 3R's (Reading, yes, Writing, uh no,  and Arithmetic, totally no in the "R" arena!)  Again....sorry.

Revelations and not of the religious kind.  Q experienced something we have ALL experienced.  My experience involves an airplane.  Oh yea baby.  Q was on the playground.  Doing what 4th graders do.  Acting like dorks.  Just kidding.  Playing football, picking their noses, acting cool around the cute girls and then crying when they don't get their way.  An adorable bunch.

Q walked through a fart.  It was a first for him.  In his words.....

Q:  "Hey, you know how people fart just randomly."

Me: "Yes, that is kind of how it happens."

Q: " Well, today when I was on the playground, someone must have farted."

Me: " Really?"

Q: "Yes, because I was out there and I walked through something that smelled disgusting.  It was a fart cloud."

Me: "Right on, so you had a good day?"

Let's go ahead and add "Raise your Glass " by Pink to my life soundtrack because....why wouldn't I?

It's like baby, baby, baby whoa...... and then I buyed some stuff.

While driving to pick up the big kids from swimming, Elvis asked me to turn off the radio.  No more Radio Disney, as much as we love Ernie D, enough already.  He had some stuff to talk about.  He's become quite the talker, although not at school according to the information we got at yesterday's parent/teacher conference.  But, I digress.

The Scholastic Book Fair coincides with Parent/Teacher Conferences at our school.  At your school too, I imagine.  The same people that put toys in the grocery store and candy at the check-out, schedule the Scholastic Book Fair during Parent/Teacher conferences.  Yes, we use it as a bribe.  We are no better than the other parents at our school.    Elvis is super in to the Book Fair, first experience with retail shopping while being educated.  It's like Heaven for Elvis, he's a shopper.

A lot of the kids bring "their own money" to shop the Book Fair during recess, yea right "their own money!"  Elvis got to experience two of his classmates acting as consumers.  Both girls, shoppin' away.  Buyin' shit.

So Elvis says to me while we are driving in the car, " Itzel and Jessica buyed stuff at the Book Fair today.  They buyed posters with their own money.  We got to see what they buyed in class."

I say to Elvis, "What did they buy?"

Elvis says, "Well Jessica buyed a poster of a horse.  But Itzel, she buyed a poster of Justin Beaver."

I responded, "Wow, She BOUGHT a poster of Justin BEIBER?"

Elvis quickly replied in a very judgemental tone, " Yea!  Can you believe she buyed Justin Beaver?  I mean really?"

Whoa.  Justin Beaver has a contract with Scholastic.  That kid is rich.  I just wish the poster was actually a beaver with Justin's stupid ass hair.  I would have totally buyed that too.

Guess my date night with Elvis to see Justin Beiber's new movie IN 3D!  is a bust.  He is so not boughting that.

Stuck. Like a Stick in the Mud. Stuck.

I've got nothing.  I have so much.  I should be writing.  Yet I can't.  The ideas swim.. Back and forth, Back and forth.  None are worthy, funny, smart.  It just seems like day to day.

A swift kick in the ass is necessary.  A jolt, a pinch, a punch something to get me off my current track.  It's dull and boring and repetitive and blah, blah, blah, blah.

Nothing changes, everything stays the same.  I could live my life in my sleep.  Don't ask me to tell you about it but it goes like this....

1.  Alarm rings. slippers on, sweatshirt on.
2.  Awaken children.
3.  Trip over dogs waiting on children.
4.  Dogs outside, lights on.  TV set to PBS kids.
5.  Oldest roused.  "What do you want for breakfast?"  waiting, waiting, waiting.
6. Begin preparing lunch, prior to preparing breakfast.  "What do you want for breakfast?"  waiting, waiting, waiting.
7.  Continue preparing lunch. Feed dogs.  Suggest items for breakfast.  Waiting, waiting, waiting.
8.  7:25 a.m.  "Guys, your breakfast is happening, whether you like it or not."  Breakfast is served.
9. 7:30 a.m Word Girl begins.  Love Word Girl.

10.  7:39 a.m "Boys, go get dressed."  I follow to monitor dressing of boys.  Brushing of boy's teeth, shutting off of lights in boy's rooms.  General maintenance.
11.  7:52  "Get your boots on."  "Get your coat on."  "Where's your backpack?"  Repeat at least 3 times.
12.  7:57 "Q you have to hustle.  Keep moving buddy.  You have got to keep moving."  Blood pressure pushing day time high.
13. 8:00 "Gentleman, we are LATE.  Get your bodies into the car!" I then say, " I love you, see you at pick up, do your best."  When Mr. Handsome is in town, he acts as chauffer.  When he's not in town, this list is much longer.
14.  One more to send off and I am exhausted......  I will spare you the details, but she is the teenager so you can only imagine!

Working on inspiration.  Working on creativity.  Working on me.

So Mom, I woke up with a great idea....

uh, ya yu did.  She (Ladycakes) signed up to make a gingerbread house for a local charity.  The Children's Justice Center helps kids who have been abused or witnessed abuse.  They are questioned, comforted and appropriately placed. Last year she made fabulous fleece blankets for kids that come to the Center.  This year, she chose to participate in their gingerbread house auction.

She woke up the other morning with a brilliant idea.  "Mom, I'm making Snoopy on his dog house!"  All I could think is "damn, this girl is good, she's kicking my garden gnome ass."  It turned out better than better.  Ladycakes will be the best pastry chef in the nation in what 15 years.   I need to start saving so I can fund  Ladycakes and Company.  I love this girl, she's brilliant and she's all mine.

Great job Ladycakes!
Love,
Mom
(tomorrow I'll show you mine.  It looks silly compared to this one!)

Get on that pig and hold on tight.

For Mr. T.  A man who inspires 11 to 12 year olds.  God love him.

Add this to my Life Soundtrack because in a matter of 15 minutes I have heard it 330 times.  Baby monkey, Baby monkey....I'll tell you, it's catchy.

Ghouls, Ghosts and Gumballs

Ghouls (Mr. Handsome totally gets into it!)  Hilarious.

Ghost.  Pretty, shimmery, not too spooky ghost.  NAILED IT!  Thank you very much.  She was so happy and grinned like this the entire time.  If I run into a ghost, it better look just like this!

Gumballs.  No better way to decorate than a TON of gumballs.  Black, purple and green.  Yummy and lovely.

52 people at our home that does not hold 52 people.  Lots of costumes, fun and plenty of memories.  Thank you all for showing up and making Halloween 2010 very memorable.  It was so busy I did not take pictures of Elvis or Q or Mr. Handsome (the swamp monster 2) or myself (swamp monster 1.)  We were too busy entertaining.  That's okay.  It was awesome.

on to more serious business. by golly it's November.

Pick Me! Pick Me! I want to be a Snowmama!

I will go to desperate measures.  Clearly, I already have!  Hopefully this gets your attention.  The Park City Mountain Resort has a great program where independent contractors (Snowmamas and Snowpapas) offer helpful advice and answer questions for families that are planning a ski vacation to the resort.  It's located in my beautiful backyard and feel like I have plenty of advice to give.  Those of you who know me understand that I am never afraid to offer some advice.


Skiing with my own children has becoming a fun family event now that all of us are potty trained and for the most part can blow our own noses!  The big kids are almost hard to keep up with  and Elvis sings his whole way down the mountain so he makes for good company.

We love working toward a hot chocolate or a beer (the beer is for me btw) at the end of the day.  Mr. Handsome carries pockets full of Starbursts to keep us all motivated.

We feel so lucky to live in this beautiful place.  It changes throughout the seasons and we greet each season with joy and a tiny bit of remorse.  Can't believe another ski season is upon us....... bring it on!


Pick me! Pick me!

Rockport Reservoir or "The place teenagers go to drink beer"

"

So, the river in the mountains was super fun.  We felt like keeping the "outdoor time on the weekends" ball rolling and check out the reservoir that is about 15 minutes away from our house.  My thought was it would possibly be easier to swim in because it was rushing down a mountain, perhaps just a smidge safer.

Well it turns out my kids won't swim in water that "smells like dead fish."   Nice.  Okay admittedly, it totally smelled like dead fish.  I didn't see any dead fish but I certainly could smell them.  Then, there were the deer flies.  These things are nasty and persistent and totally ruin a fine picnic by smelly dead fish water.

I know what you are saying.  "I thought you hive folk would love all winged insects."  Uh, no.  About an hour into our grand outdoor time at the local reservoir, I was beginning to hear the grumblings.  The "I'm bored and ready to go" grumblings.  Remember how we didn't yell at anybody when we were by the river in the mountains?  There was yelling at the reservoir.  We had to yell at Q when he dropped an enormous log onto Elvis while trying to throw it into the reservoir.  We had to yell at Elvis for purposely knocking over a stone tower Ladycakes had built.  There was yelling.

On a good note, we did our part and picked up 2 dozen beer cans that were scattered all around that dead fish smelling beach.  It became a scavenger hunt of sorts.  We did find some pretty cool drift wood that made awesome "weapons."  We did see a cool drunk teenager-type structure.

We stayed about 2 hours.  That's not too bad.  We were pretty glad to get out of there actually.  Next weekend we are going back to the river in the mountains. Or maybe we'll just go to the mall and buy skinny jeans and video games.



Add this to my Life Soundtrack.  Kid Rock isn't afraid of a little dead fish.  He'll even make love in dead fish.  So there.

Elvis has left the building.

K.
Where did August go?
September.
Approaching middle.
Me.
Clueless.
Just trying to keep up.  This morning I made 3 meals (not 3 portions, 3 MEALS) in less than 45 minutes.
Rockstar? no.  It's the Bear Necessities of Life.

Elvis is in Kindergarten.  It's like throwing your child into a war-zone.  Thank God for Brown Bear, Brown Bear.  At least we are distracted by the colors we are to be wearing each day.

I'm working on painting glass.  Designing scarecrows.  Avoiding serious employment.  I've missed you all. Visited you daily.  Apologize for my absence.

I'd love to show off August, you know in September.  It's my reminder of what was and what is not to be any longer.  Perhaps I'll post August in September and then just ignore September and catch up in October.

Totally makes sense financially.  Since I totally don't understand finances, I'm clearly on track.

Oh say can you see....my house burning down?

We had a groovy 4th of July.

It involved Marching Bands,

Bagpipes,

Mariachi Musicians,

and some thumpin' techno-dance bootie-shakin' stuff.

We totally horsed around.

We rubbed elbows with a bunch of crazy characters.

Headed home for dinner with great friends. Decorations ala kids!  Thanks Paper and Cake for the free download!

 Kid-made flag cake!  Delicious.

Apple pie ala me and mode!  Careful there, careful. This is a family-friendly blog and holiday.

Then we attempted to burn the house down.

God bless America!

BTW, a special thank you to all those men and women in the Armed Forces who keep us safe and allow us to continue to have our freedoms.  Even if the freedoms are the above list.  Here at the Hive, we respect and appreciate you.

Hope your day was fun.

Let Boredom Reign!

Let's see.  It's been how many days since school got out?  Approximately 12.  The weather here is still not super-summer-like.  That means we have been doing quite a bit of indoor play.  I do shove the bees outside but inevitably the wind kicks up and they are "cold" or it starts to rain and they complain that they are "wet."  Wussies!

With boredom beginning to take it's toll on us, let's just say my resistance is low.  I've let my guard down.  I am not the tower of strength and creativity I normal proclaim to be.  This is the conversation and sequence of events that may have snapped me back to reality.

Ladycakes:  "Hey mom, we are kinda of bored."

Me:  "mhmm."

Ladycakes: "You know how your said the boys need their hair cut?"

Me:  "mhmm."

Ladycakes:  "Can I do it?"

Me:  "mhmm."

A few minutes later, coming from Ladycakes's bathroom.   "BZZZZZZZZZZZZ."

As I wander in I find she has opened her own salon and 2 of my 3 children (thank God she isn't into cutting her own hair)  had already become customers.

I didn't know how to react.  This is my own damn fault.  But wait, she didn't do too badly.  

 

Turns out Mr. Handsome was kind of involved.  He started on Q's hair.  The problem with that is Mr. Handsome shakes when he cuts hair.  We have laughed about opening a kid's hair salon, where "Shakes the Clown" could cut their hair.  It would ruin children for life.  Ladycakes took over once she saw Mr. Handsome's handiwork.

Elvis is loving his mohawk.    I am tolerating it.  If anything, every time I look at him it reminds me I need to plan an activity for the day before any more damage is done.

So this morning when this conversation happened,

Q:  "Hey Mom, I'm kinda bored.  Can I take the car for a spin?"

Me:  "mhmmm."

Q:  "Thanks, see ya."

Me: "Wait, what?  Get back her Mister, go scoop some dog poop!  And get me another cup of coffee!"

Ahhh, summer.  I promise we will survive!

If the Three Stooges were into pottery, their names would be Pinch, Roll and Slab.

A few weeks ago, on a Saturday, Ladycakes and I met two other Mother/Daughter Teams at the Kimball Arts Center to take a little hand-built ceramics class.  Ladycakes and I were giddy.  Together we would construct a birdhouse from clay.

The woman who taught the class makes amazing birdhouses that she sells at a local gallery.  We had seen them before and were thrilled to be learning something new.

The girls listened intently, the instructions seemed to go on forever.  All we really wanted to do is get our hands on some clay.  And once that happened........

We got serious!  It was fun to just let the clay do it's thing, which was the instructor's advice.  As she said, "Listen to the clay."  Here is our creation once glazed and pre-fire.

The proud artist, who was less than pleased that we couldn't take it home immediately.  Pottery is a nice lesson in patience.

These are our wonderful friends.  Turtles took up residence on their birdhouse.  It was adorable.

Karen and her daughter made this beauty.  I love the poppies on the sides and the perch they added.

So today, I picked up the finished product.   Ta Da!  

It turned out so cool.  Nothing broke off in the firing.  The glaze looks great, it's tough to tell when you are painting it on.

Taking a class with your child is enlightening.  We both learned something new, we worked together and it was a blast.  I highly recommend it.  Now we are turned on to pottery and Ladycakes wants to trying a throwing class.  I say bring it on!