Rocket Man

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COOL!
Did you know that being married to a BIG KID has
some really great benefits?

For instance:

a BIG KID/Husband likes dance parties, peanut butter sandwiches and jumping on the trampoline.

a BIG KID/Husband likes cool cars, skateboarding and slip and slides.

and most exciting of all?
a BIG KID husband like Rockets!

For family night we watched Jeff's (yes, Jeff's) rocket blast off. We went to the kids school since there was a big enough field.
We checked for wind speed and direction using the tried and true wet finger in the wind technique.

We had an awesome countdown and then....

BLAST OFF!!!
















We watched it soar 600 feet above us, parachute OUT!, and graceful fall to the ground where 5 kids went running to get it.

Anne Marie brought it back, victorious, to deliver it to BIG KID/Dad for round two.

Another glorious lift off and return to earth.
Cheering and clapping.

Then off to home for s'mores around our little backyard camp fire.

I love family night.
And I love BIG KID/Husband/Dads.

My camera

Lately, I have a difficult time finding my camera.

I will set it down after using it, go back for it later, and it has mysteriously disappeared.

When I find it again, it will be filled to capacity with photos like this:




And this:



And this(exasperated sigh):


And this: Oh wait. Hee Hee. Guess it runs in the family.


I look a little cross eyed in this picture. Or crazy. Or something.
Or just in need of some self photography classes.
Do they teach those?
Why would they?
That would be weird.
Just like this post.

Free Tip Friday

This is my-I'm too lazy to try it myself but I'm sure it works great-tip.

When we moved into our new house one year ago, the kind woman from Harbour Homes told us that if we put Rain-X on the glass in the shower, it would repel soap scum and the like and keep everything looking nice.

I haven't done it, yet.

I have a bottle of Rain-X under my bathroom sink all ready to go.

Everytime I take a shower and look at the accumulating soap scum, I think, "I should really put that Rain-X on". But my productive side has yet to convince my lazy side to do it.

Will it really repel soap scum? Will the water trickle down in little beads like it does on my windshield?

You know what? Now I'm curious, I'm going to go try it and see what happens.

And why don't you all go ahead and do it too, and tell me how it goes. Ok?

Thank you very much.

Jeff's Salon-Now Open!!!

Specialty Services provided:

Removal of Lipstick from Hair Using State of the Art Dishwashing Detergent

Styling of Fake Hair-Including Blow Dry and Set

Testimonial:

Erica said "Jeff treated me with such kindness, I will definitely be back the next time Anne Marie covers me in her mother's lipstick!"

Call to make your appointment today!

Does it get any better than this?

Don't you just love a roly poly baby in just a diaper?

The belly, the chubby arms, the rubber-band wrists, the chunky thighs?

Heaven, seriously.

Allergic to goodness

Our family has a host of food allergy-related issues.

Here is a list of foods different members of my family cannot eat.

Things that will kill Jeff:
1.Chicken
2.Turkey
3.Halibut

Things that send Jeff's nose a-twittering and throat a-scratching:
1.Soy
2.Fresh fruits and vegetables
3.Almonds, walnuts, pecans

Things that make Henry break out into a rash:
1.Apples
2.Grapes
3.Pears
4.Peaches
5.Anything with sorbitol

Then you add in things that my family can eat but won't, and you're left with a huge effort involved every time you make dinner.

So we eat a lot of beef and pork in our house, since I love my husband and do not want him to die. However, beef and pork every day of the week cannot be the best thing for you.
So I decided to try vegetarian meals twice a week, just to give our hearts and bodies a break.
Remembering though, that it cannot have any soy products in it because Jeff is allergic to soy.

So with all of these pre-requisites I attempted to make something yummy and vegetarian for dinner.

It was a thai dish, with vegetables and a peanut sauce over whole wheat noodles.

I really loved it.

As Jeff spooned some for himself, I could see him digging through the vegetables looking for something.

"There's no meat" I said.

"Oh" was his response.

I think it went over well, don't you?

Tuckered

Remember when you were a kid and you ran around all day with the cousins/friends/siblings?

Laughing, having water fights, riding bikes, jumping on the trampoline, road trips with the family?
And then when it came time for bed you said "I'm not tired!", "It's not dark outside, why do I HAVE to go to bed?"

But you would be so exhausted, despite your claims otherwise, that you would fall asleep on the car ride home and your older sister would eat your ice cream cone, or you would spill the can of root beer you had been holding but be so glad cuz it covered up the fact that in your exhaustive state you peed all over the station wagons back seat?

Luckily, these guys still wear diapers.

But I felt like that this last week. Completely tuckered out.

And while I no longer steal Maile's ice cream cones, and thankfully I'm old enough to not pee my pants when I fall asleep in the car anymore, I have felt like a worn out little kid.

My feelings have stemmed,not from the physical exertion that exemplifies childhood, but from the inner tantrums I have thrown as I have dealt with very grown up sorrows, worries and feelings of being overwhelmed.

We learned that a dear friend of ours died in a plane crash this last week, leaving behind a wife and two children. Go here to read more about it.

My uncle died on Friday from Lou Gehrig's disease. To learn more about Lou Gehrig's go here. He was 61.

We received $700 worth of medical bills in the mail.

And other issues too personal to share that have thrown us for a loop.

But mixed in with that has been a childlike wonder as I watch our first garden grow, as our youngest and last child gets ready to take her first steps, as I witness the deep sorrow of people I love who have lost someone this last week.

My goal this week, however, is to still be tuckered out, but hopefully from laughing so hard my belly hurts, playing so hard that my legs hurt, and loving so much that my heart hurts.

And I wish the same for all of you.

Break

I have accomplished more the first 3 days of this week then in the past two weeks combined.

I'm not saying that blogging keeps me from getting things done, but it does cause me to spend a disproportionate amount of time on the computer.

And being that it will have been sunny for 10 days straight (which we all know how I feel about the weather here) I'm going on hiatus for another week and a half.

By then my kids will be on their last week of school, my house should finally be organized as we approach the year mark, and I will have taken a much needed break from the computer.

I love you all. See you a week from Monday!