For the past several days we have been relaxing and enjoying time as a family and reconnecting with some dear friends. We are so lucky to have friends who we can be silly with, friends who love our kids, friends who have a spouse that the other spouse enjoys, friends who will travel across the country to visit us. We are blessed. Thanks for being our friends. We love you and we love being with you!
Have a safe and happy 4th of July.
Lunch has always been the hardest meal of the day for me. I am always at a loss for what to make. One particular afternoon I had no idea what to serve the family so I started pulling things out of the fridge and arranging things on a plate. Apples, pears, snap peas, avocado, pita bread, hummus, cauliflower, turkey, cheese and anything else I could find. The family was called to the table. They asked, “What’s for lunch?” And that is how the now famous “Pick what you want lunch” was invented. Now the kids often ask to have “pick what you want lunch”.
My kids tend to be snacky eaters, meaning, they will eat lots of “snacks” but have a hard time eating a meal. This kind of meal is perfect for them. They get to pick what they want, a lot or a little of that item, so it feels a little more like a snack. Our one rule, you have to eat all of whatever you pick. I was shocked when they ate everything. All the plates were empty. They loved it. They got very creative with their little pita sandwiches, adding a little of this and that to make a new pita every time.
Last weekend Daddy and the girls went on a father/daughter camping trip. They were so excited to go on a special trip together.
They packed a lot of fun into a short trip.
Now you don’t.
Summer is finally here. I can’t believe how fast the school year has flown by. It seems to go so slow and then just like that it starts going really fast. BigZabba has had a great year. I am so pleased with how much she has learned and how much she has matured this year. While she is still shy she is more confident in herself and is able to stand in front of people without cringing. Last year I had to walk with her to the stage to accept her Student of the Month award, and this year she jumped up without even a second thought.
We have been thrilled with her teacher. She is fun and creative with the students, and takes an interest in each of the kids. She has been encouraging to BZ in her areas of weakness and given her helpful strategies to help her grow. Overall it has been a fantastic year. We will miss Miss W and her silly songs.
Summer here we come.
I look at these photos…
..and I get that hankering again. It must be like childbirth. It takes a few months for the painful memories to fade and you get that sick desire to go through it all again.
This morning LittleZabba wanted a snack. She went to the cupboard and decided to she wanted to try something new. She chose crackers with the spreadable cheese. She doesn’t normally like cheese, so I was surprised when she wanted to try it. When she opened it she asked,
Oh, do I dip the cracker in the cheese?
I responded, “They mean for you to use the stick and spread the cheese on yourself.”
With a stunned look she said,
I have to spread the cheese on myself?
in case the embedded video doesn’t play you can click here:
http://www.nbcaugusta.com/news/local/94744134.html
many of my blogging friends have made a life list, their version of a bucket list. a few of them keep telling me that i need to make one. i have been hesitant to write a list because then it seems real, too concrete. if i publish it i might actually have to be accountable to it. there feels like too much pressure if the list is actually out in the open. yet, here i am, beginning to write down the list. it many grow, change or even be deleted if the pressure gets too great. let’s see how many things i get done before that happens.
1. run a marathon
2. learn to drive a motorcycle
3. get a tattoo
4. buy a hotdog from a street vendor
5. run around big bear lake
6. run a half marathon in under 2 hours – October 24, 2010
7. have a girl’s vacation to new york city
8. visit forbes top 15 zoos in the world
Animal Kingdom (Orlando, the USA), Basel Zoo (Basel, Switzerland), Beauval Zoo (France), Berlin Zoological Garden (Berlin, Germany), Bronx Zoo (New-York, the USA), Chester Zoo (Great Britain), Prague Zoological Garden (Prague, the Czech Republic), National Zoological Gardens of South Africa (The Republic of South Africa), San Diego Zoo (San Diego, the USA), Schonbrunner Zoo (Austria), Singapore Zoo (Singapore), Smithsonian National Zoological Park (Washington, the USA), Taronga and Western Plains Zoo (Sydney, Australia), Toronto Zoo (Toronto, Canada), Ueno Zoological Gardens (Tokyo, Japan)
9. ride a horse on the beach
10. learn to crochet
11. drive a semi
12. learn to make sushi (at least california rolls)
13. see the broadway perfomance of wicked in san francisco, london and sydney (hope the shows stay there for a while!)
14. buy season tickets the theater
15. start a food fight (got that one from erin.)
16. join a book club
17. understand the stock market
18. swim with dolphins
19. hike through the rainforest
20. learn to make my mom’s cream puffs
21. jump in a pool with my clothes on – 8/17/2010, Orlando, FL
22. buy dinner for a table of strangers
23. attend the pasadena rose parade – 1/1/2012
24. attend the oscars – 2/24/2013
25. smash an entire set of plates
26. throw a rock through a window
27. ride in a hot air balloon
28. stand at the top of the eiffel tower
29. meet mary stuart masterson to see if i look as much like her as everyone says
30. take a train somewhere
31. visit my friends in indiana
32. host a family reunion in hawaii
33. have a stylist help me buy a new wardrobe
34. fund a charity project
35. swim 2 laps in a pool without stopping
36. watch all the movies that have won an oscar for “best picture”
37. attend a birth
38. visit all 7 continents; north america, south america, asia, africa, europe, australia, antarctica
