Doing anything--like the trumpet

I read a quote once that said, "You can do anything, just not everything."  Amen.  I have to remind my kids (and myself) of that fact often.  Especially when there are 4 kids that want to do everything all of the time.  It just doesn't work.  Decisions have to be made.  Miss A had to decide between the school play and track.  Can't do both.  Miss O had to decide between track and soccer.  Can't do both.  Miss E decided not to do soccer and instead to do swim team.  Not sure how I feel about that one, but it was her choice, so I am no longer a soccer Mom.  I am a track, volleyball, swim team, piano, guitar, and now band Mom.  I think that is enough for now.  Mr J is only 7, so he hasn't really added to my list yet, but I know he will.  Lately Miss O has been debating whether to start band.  Band is a big commitment and a big deal in our town.  Once you are in, you are expected to be in until you graduate from high school.  I went back and forth on the issue.  She already plays and has lessons on the piano and guitar, does she need another instrument?  So, after talking to the band director that she will have for the next 5 years, discussing "you can do anything, just not everything" and that means if you choose this you can't choose that, etc. we finally decided she was going to do it.  I have no idea what we are getting ourselves into.  Ben and I were never band people growing up.  It will be a learning experience.  After a few sessions with the band director she finally decided on . . .

 the trumpet.

Okay, I must admit I never knew how loud trumpets were.  Oh.my.

Our ears are in for a treat for the next 5+ years.  

I have so much more sympathy for other band families now (and the band director, do you think he secretly wears ear plugs?  I am thinking I need to buy some. . .)

But man, it is fun!

Band Mom, here we go!

2012 Blue Jeans Week 36

Ever since starting my picture-a-day way of documenting our lives in 2009 I have loved the different things I have taken pictures of.  It isn't always people.  Often times it is things--things we love, things we have done, rooms in our house, physical things I want to remember.  As the kids look through our older albums from 2009 and on they love seeing those pictures not just of themselves, but of our 'things.'  I hear comments of, "oh yeah, I remember that toy.  It was my favorite," or  "oh, I loved that book!  I remember when Dad read us that!"  or "I remember when I had that.  I loved it!  What happened to it?"  That last one is a very good question, and the answer is usually who knows?  But at least we have a picture of it to remember.  So this week I have some 'things' pictures that will help my family remember some things they loved.  Enjoy. . .

Sunday:  Ben is usually in charge of bedtime stories.  Lately Mr J has been insisting on having these.  Calvin and Hobbes is something Ben has loved forever, and I really didn't know about until I met him.  Ben has every book of theirs, and they have become Mr. J's favorite bedtime stories lately.  

Monday:  Playing games is something my family really loves.  Tonight we played Clue.  What a classic!  Mr J just has to learn to hold his cards the right way so he doesn't show everyone his hand every few seconds :)

Tuesday:   Typical after school shot from our house.  Miss A doing history homework, and Mr J working on spelling.

Wednesday:  After the kids leave for school is when I exercise.  I walk.  I love to walk.  Lately I have seen these wild sunflowers up everywhere in the country where I walk.  I love sunflowers and captured a picture of them as I walked by today.

Thursday:  Volleyball!  Miss O is playing school volleyball this year.  It is the first year they can play school sports.  Today was a home game, and she did awesome!  It is so fun to watch your kids play.

Friday:  Sometimes I work at my kids' elementary school.  Today I was working in the library where my mom is the librarian, and so my kids came there after school.  Nana always has a fun project for them to do. Today they were writing Japanese pen pals.

Saturday:  All 4 of my kids take piano lessons.  I start them the May they finish kindergarten, so with 4 we have a lot of piano music at our house, and the piano is a big deal.  Lately Miss O has gotten it into her head that she needs to be getting ready to play Christmas music early--like September early, so she went through all our Christmas music and has been practicing it every day.  It is kind of fun to hear 'Jingle Bells' on a hot, sunny September day.  Christmas music is her latest 'thing.'

Thanks for visiting!  Hope you have a great week!

2012 Blue Jeans Week 32

School officially starts this week.  Summer is over.  It has been a hard summer with it being so hot and dry.  It seemed similar to a long, hard winter where you were home bound and had cabin fever, because when it is triple digit temperatures the last thing you want to do it go outside and play, so I think we had some cabin fever going on here this summer.  I think everyone is happy to be starting back to school.  I will have a high schooler!  Ugh!  When did that happen?  I have kids in 3 different schools this year--elementary, middle school, and high school.  That should be fun :)  Sunday night I was looking at the week's schedule, and I told Ben, "Crazy officially starts tomorrow."  Here we go. . .

Sunday:  I have no picture, but I cut out the symbol for the London Olympics and asked everyone what their favorite sport/event from the games were.  So in my scrapbook I will have the Olympics symbol and these responses. . .

Ben:  Men's 10 M platform diving and David Bouda getting the gold, volleyball, swimming, and the awesome finish in the men's 5000 M when British Mo Farah won.

Jen:  the 15 year old American swimmer Katie Ledecky that won so easily the 800 M, she was amazing!  Watching Michael Phelps win more metals, he is just awesome, and I always love gymnastics!

A:  volleyball and swimming

O:  When 15 year old Katie Ledecky won the 800 M swim

E:  Swimming, diving, and track and field

J:  The trampoline!!

What was your favorite thing of the Olympics?

Monday:  My mom is a librarian at my kids' elementary school, and today we went and helped her get the library read for school to start.  Mr J is on the ladder to hang leaves and apples in the 'tree.'

Tuesday:  I am proud to be an American and to be able to vote today!  I take that responsibility very seriously and haven't missed an election since I turned 18.  

Wednesday:  Miss O went over to my mom's today, and she got a lesson in roll making.  She did a great job, and these were delicious!!

Thursday:  Miss E got her glasses in today!  They look really cute on her!

Friday:  Mr J has been begging all summer to have a picnic at the park, but it has just been too hot.  Thankfully the weather cooled today--the high was only 90--so we were able to have a picnic before the end of summer.

Saturday:  We really have not been outside much at all this summer.   It is sad, and we haven't been able to do many house/yard projects because who seriously wants to be outside working when it is 103?  Not me.  So today it was actually not too bad outside, and Ben and Mr J got on the roof to check out some things--getting on the roof and strutting around is such a guy thing :)  Miss E watches from the window.

Thanks for visiting, and I hope the end of summer and beginning of school goes well for all of you!

2012 Blue Jeans Week 9

Welcome to Blue Jeans Momma.  I am so happy you came to visit.  I am doing my 4th year of a picture-a-day Project Life to document the life of my family of 6.  I try to blog on
Mondays--my week in pictures
Wednesday--mouth-watering Wednesdays where I share a recipe--a simple, easy, yummy recipe
Fridays--Fabulous Fridays where I share random things I love

Hope you will come back often and share!  Have a great week.  Here is what we have been up to. . .

Sunday:  Mr J and I took some time to draw some pictures and color together tonight.  It is always nice to have some down time and spend it with one of the kids.

Monday:  We live in the country and have chickens.  Normally during the winter they do not lay very well, but our winter has been almost non-existent, so we have had lots of yummy brown eggs to use. Did you know there was such a variety in brown egg color?

Tuesday:  This is Miss E and her social studies quadrama project on South Carolina.  She worked very hard on it without any help (which is always nice).  She is very creative and loves making things like this.

Wednesday:  The kids always get out early on Wednesdays, and we try to do something fun with that little extra time--go to the park, go explore.  Today we went on a walk to explore an old train bridge.  It was "kind of creepy" but "cool" the kids thought.

Thursday:  Mr J, my 6 year old, took the camera for about 3 minutes today after school, and I have over 20 pictures from those few minutes.  This is one of them--exactly what I do every day after school--go through and sort the mountain of papers my 4 kids bring home, and my valentine's flowers are still beautiful that Ben gave me.

Friday:  Dr. Seuss Birthday at school.  It was hat day in honor of his birthday.  The kids could wear any kind of hat.  Mr J went with the more traditional look, but Miss E was very determined to wear her Dad's Russian hat.  She had no qualms about wearing it all day at school, and she did.  I was impressed with her.   I don't think I was that self-confident at 9 to do that.  She is my no-fear child. 

Saturday:  I went with Miss O and her friend to the district competition for the National History Day contest today.  Their board display was on "Paths of the Underground Railroad in Kansas."   They worked very hard and won district to qualify for the state competition next month.  Yeah!  Way to go girls!

Thanks for visiting.  As a side note in reference to last week's pictures, my Miss A did make it into the high school madrigals choir.  Yeah!  Thanks for all your nice comments and encouragement for her.  Come back soon and have a great week!

Daily December 6: Blue Jeans Week 46

For my Daily December today I am posting my photos of the week.  I normally do this every Tuesday.  Enjoy!

Sunday:  We got the Christmas tree up the day after Thanksgiving, but because of company and such we didn't get it decorated until today.  Everyone likes to help, and it looks really good.

Monday:  Rarely do I get a shot like this--the whole family at Wal-mart?  Yes, it is crazy, but tonight we were shopping for Sub-4-Santa adopt-a-child, so everyone needed to come and help.  It was crazy, and fun, and I am glad that is a tradition we have to help the kids think of others and realize how blessed they are.

Tuesday:  Miss O on her own decided she wanted to string popcorn for the Christmas tree that Ben and I have in our room.  It is a smaller one, so it shouldn't take her too long.   I was impressed with her desire and diligence in doing it.  It also made the house smell so good making popcorn in the popcorn maker versus the microwave.

Wednesday:  The fruit of Christmas is a pomegranate my girls tell me, and they love them.  I always thought oranges were the fruit of Christmas.  I don't think I knew what a pomegranate was until college or later :)

Thursday:  I got the Christmas countdown chain up and ready to go.  My kids love that tradition.  Everyday they take off a link and it has something to do--sing carols, read a favorite Christmas story, etc.  See Daily December 5 post for more on that.

Friday:  This nativity set is our newest Christmas decoration this year.  I love it.  It is very detailed with jewels on the wise men and such.  I got it as Costco.  My kids are finally old enough I felt confident in buying a really nice nativity set to have out.

Saturday:  It has been tradition for the last 11 years that the first Saturday in December my parents watch the kids all day so Ben and I can head to the city and (hopefully) finish all our Christmas shopping.  So we enjoyed a full day together Saturday and actually did finish all the shopping.  Ben had to try out a few of the things we got just to make sure they worked :)

Hope you are all enjoying the season and be sure and check back often for my Daily December blog posts!  Have a great week!

Blue Jeans Week 44

Giving thanks this past week and coming week for all our many blessings.

Sunday:  I am thankful for my mom and that she lives close so she can teach and share with my kids her joy and love of reading.  She is my kids' librarian at their elementary school.  Mr J is reading to her after Sunday dinner.

Monday:  I am thankful for my kids' schools and their teachers.  What does a popcorn machine have to do with that?  This popcorn machine is at the kids' school, and I got to make popcorn for Mr J's class at school today (and I got a bag for myself--yum!)

Tuesday:  I am thankful for laundry and my mountains of mis-matched socks because it means I have people I love in my house that get clothes and socks dirty.    

Wednesday:  I am thankful for good food!  Today Miss E and I made some pumpkin whoopie pies (Thanks for the recipe Patty H!)  I am thankful for kids that like to help.  I am thankful to be able to teach my kids how to cook and the joy of good food!

Thursday:  I am thankful for good kids.  Today I went and had lunch with Miss O at the middle school.  It was fun to be able to eat outside with her and her friends.  She is a good girl.

Friday:  I am thankful I have a home, a roof over my head, A/C in the summer, heat in the winter, indoor plumbing, a warm bed, and a kitchen so when I want to cook and make a mess I can. 

Saturday:  I am thankful for friends.  I went to a craft fair about an hour way with friends today and had a wonderful time.  I am thankful I live in a country where I can go wherever I want whenever I want with whomever I choose.  I am thankful for my free country, my liberties, and I am especially grateful for the men and women (and their families) who serve each day in harm's way to keep it that way for me and my family. 

May we realize how blessed we are and be more grateful!  Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving!

Blue Jeans Week 35

A week to remember. . .

Sunday:  This is one of my favorite of the thousands of images from the 10th anniversary of 9/11.  I think the memorial is beautiful.  I went to NYC  as a teen and went in and ate in the basement of one of the Twin Towers.  I would like to go back now and see it again.  It is so important to remember.

Monday:  We have a big garden 50' x 50' and we planted over 24 tomato plants and none of those plants are dead, but we have not seen a single tomato yet either, but we have had a huge harvest of zucchini and yellow squash.  We can never get sick of zucchini, but I think my family has had their fill of yellow squash.  Miss O chops some up for dinner.

Tuesday:  Over 2 months ago in July, before we left on vacation, we had a strong storm, and it blew some shingles off.  Ben hurried and bought a tarp to cover the part of the roof that was bare, and we left on vacation hoping for no rain.  Well, waiting on insurance and contractors we have had this lovely blue roof now for over 2 months, and finally this week we are getting a new roof and getting rid of the blue tarp.  Thank heavens this was on the back of the house :)

Wednesday:  Homework, homework, homework is a constant thing at my house "Did you get your homework done?"  is probably the most common question asked after "Did you practice your piano?"  and "Did you clean your room?"  Miss A is quite comfortable doing her homework on the floor.

Thursday:  I snap pictures all the time, all the time, and my kids are used to it and just ignore me.  Ben is not so used to it :)  Gosh, I love that cute boy.  Today he was helping Mr J with his piano.     

Friday:  I actually worked and got paid for my work today--first time in almost 14 years :)  Being a stay-at-home mom is the best job in the world, but the monetary pay isn't so good :).  My mom is the librarain at my kids' elementary school, and today she had to be gone and her para also had to be gone, so she begged me to come work for her that day in the library.  Little did I know the paperwork and hoops I would have to jump through to help out my mom for 7 hours.  I had to get a TB test done and a drug test.  I thought--serioursly?  Oh my, but I had a fun day at the school library.  I checked out 186 books and shelved about that many.  I got to check out books to this cute little guy too--it was fun seeing Mr J and Miss E at school.

Saturday:  This is one of the big trees in our front yard.  The kids love to play in it and under it and around it.  It has a tree swing in it.  We were so sad to find out that the power company is putting in a new powerline down our street, and it looks like our trees are going to have to be cut down.  We are so sad and just sick about it.  Makes me want to cry.  Of course they say they will pay us for it, but how do you appraise the value of a tree?  I love trees.