Rainy Memorial Day

We had a WET Memorial Day. It wasn't just raining, it was pouring. Surprisingly, a lot of people still showed up for the joint O'Fallon/Shiloh ward breakfast. While many huddled in the small pavilion to escape from getting wet, a lot chose to play soccer and Ultimate Frisbee in the downpour. They didn't just get wet, they were SOAKED to the bone. While I would have liked to play I wasn't appropriately dressed. A white t-shirt and rain don't mix. It would have been quite the scandal. After the games the kids found a good piece of wet grass and began running and sliding on it. The Bishop of the other ward took the pictures. The best is of the two brothers. One was running to catch the frisbee and the other came out of the blue the other direction to try and snatch it. Great picture!

Cahokia- A Place and A Pet

It's true we now have a pet. My kids have been begging for one for years but with Jason gone so much and me busy having babies that was the last thing I needed on my plate. It all came about without with a trip to Cahokia Mounds (once the site of an ancient Native American city) We were just walking along when Jason spied a snake slithering on the sidewalk. He immediately grabs a stick and picks it up. At first I thought he was picking the snake up to show the kids. But then he wouldn't put it down. (Despite my urgent pleas)Jason grew up with snakes in his pocket. But I kept telling him that was in the country in Oklahoma, not a subdivision in Illinois. "It will teach them responsibility", he says. I was outnumbered. So now we have a pet snake named Cahokia. In my mind the snake was only going to be staying with us for a few days. Wishful thinking. Actually, it's not a bad pet. The kids are having a great time with it, it doesn't cost any money and it's low maintenance. Don't get me wrong, the snake and I have not bonded nor do we intend to, but I'll let the kids have their fun for the summer. Gopher Snake (obviously non-poisonous)In the back of my mind I'm thinking a dog might not be such a bad idea. Maybe that was Jason and the kids plan all along.In front of Monk Mound. After we found the snake we didn't explore too much. The kids were too excited to get the snake home.
Native American workers moved more than an "estimated 55 million cubic feet of earth in woven baskets to create this network of mounds and community plazas.
View of other Mounds from on top of Monks Mound.

Show Week at Little Gym

Can Jenna become even more daring than usual? YES! She loves Little Gym! It's been tough having Eric tag along this session. He wants to follow Jenna into the gym and play too, not be stuck behind a glass window watching. Jenna's teacher took pity on him the last day and let him try the balance beam. He loved it. I'm beginning to wonder if he'll be worse than Jenna. At 18 months he's already climbing up the ladder and sitting on the bunk bed. I'd better watch out, Jenna teaching him all her tricks!

8th Grade Graduation

Back in March or April as I held my daughters graduation form in hand I was confused. Is it really necessary to ask parents to spend $23 dollars on a cap and gown that their child will wear for a couple of hours not for a high school graduation but an 8th grade graduation. 8th grade !!Isn't graduating from 8th grade already a given? While every grade level holds some type of end of the year celebration do the 8th graders really need an event that resembles a high school graduation, an achievement worth celebrating but that is still 4 years away? Shouldn't at the end of 8th grade the emphasis be looking ahead to success in high school, not the finality of completing another grade level?

So why did I sign the form? I hate to admit to it but it was peer pressure. I know my opinion is too late to make any changes for this year and I didn't want to leave my daughter out of the only celebration with her friends and classmates. Don't get me wrong, I believe there should be a celebration but come on, bring it down a notch. Leave out the cap and gowns, and the tickets.

It's just like my kids being rewarded with trophies for participating in soccer. If we keep celebrating with such grandeur then there is nothing to make the future all that unique and special?

Now that I got that out of my system. . .the evening did resemble (exactly) a high school graduation. The kids were just smaller. The Superintendent was there, the school board. It was ridiculous. I asked Kelsey if she really wanted a graduation ceremony. At first she said, "Yes." Then I asked, "Or do you just want to celebrate with your friends?" That was it. She didn't feel the need to get all dressed up. She just wanted to party with her friends.

Kelsey did have one surprise for us that night. She ended up being Valedictorian. There were 11 that night. WOW! Hopefully she'll remember that honor and want to be one again in a few years. I definitely don't want her to go away feeling she's already checked that box! Getting her diplomaFor some reason I didn't have a picture of Kelsey in her gown Her cute friends Heidi and McKenna
As much as I disliked graduation I really am proud of Kelsey and all she's accomplished this year. She really is an AMAZING young woman!!

Primary Activity

The best Primary Quarterly Activity Days are when the kids can just be together and have fun and there is hardly any prep work. This time we decided to have a Bike Road Rally. The kids all brought their tricycles, bicycles, scooters to the church parking lot. We had someone come talk to them about bicycle safety, wearing a helmet,use of hand signals.
The kids then made license plates for their bikes and decorated with streamers, cards in the wheels and straws on the spokes. They turned out great. Then the Jr. and Sr. were separated. The Jr. rode their bikes in the parking lot riding around cones and practicing their hand signals and just having fun. They also played with chalk. The Sr. were divided further into small groups and set off on their bikes following clues to members homes to give service. They planted flowers, picked up sticks, etc. Each group went to 3 homes and met back at the church for Popsicles. Here are a couple of the clues.
Clue #3
One to go and then you’re through
Go back the way you came.
Stop at the intersection again
Don’t forget to look both ways
No need to be dead meat while crossing the street.
Count 7 flags and then you will see
You are close to where you need to be
Look for the black mailbox with a horse on it.
Once you’re there don’t sit
But do service with a smile.
(I put the address with the clue so the leaders would know where they were going.)

Clue #4
Great job! High Fives all around
The work is done!
I hope you had fun
The smiles you’ve brought to the faces you’ve served
Will last the whole day long
Isn’t it great to give of yourself?
Head back to the church
Do you remember the way?
Go straight, then turn right
And that’s where we’ll be!

Jenna on her borrowed tricycle, though she's ready for a big bike.Fun Times! That is until I got home and came down with strep. Surprisingly, I felt fine at the activity but once I got home I was a mess. The terrible thing about it all was I had just opened and passed out popsicles to 50 kids. Fortunately, I didn't hear of anyone else coming down with strep. I would have felt terrible if they had!

Did you know Jenna is a MONSTER?

That's what she told me when I found her covered head to toe (Her pants are covering the lovely markings on her legs) in marker. I know all kids do this I was just hoping she'd bypass this stage.
Jenna, markers are for PAPER!

Our 16th Anniversary Caribbean Cruise

Who knew it was more work to leave your kids home from a vacation than to take them with? But once you're gone the only person you have to worry about is you so it's SOOO worth it. By Sat. morning I still had freezer meals to cook, a 5 page note to the babysitter I was still typing, a pig costume to make and I still hadn't even packed yet. So I only cooked one freezer meal. The kids would survive on Top Ramen and macaroni right? I made the costume but left the babysitter to finish tea staining it, and finished packing. I found out that packing just for yourself takes no time at all.

I worried about leaving the little kids. I reminded Jenna that I would be gone and with a reassuring pat on the back she reminded me, "Mom, I'll be fine." This coming from a 3 year old who was obviously excited about having a babysitter. Not a sibling babysitter but a "real" babysitter who didn't know any of her tricks (except those I typed up in the note) and who would pay attention to her. A week of fun in her mind I'm sure. Eric was a different story. He's my baby. But I was hoping that once he had his blanket, juice, cereal bar and let outside he'd be good.

We flew into Ft. Lauder dale where my old college roommate and her husband Ben picked us up. I hadn't seen her in what, 16 years and because of Facebook we were once again Face to Face. Love it. She and her husband Ben gave us the Miami tour by night and took us out for some Cuban Food-YUM! It was great seeing her again! Thanks Eliza!Sunday Morning-Cruise Day. We woke up and walked around Downtown Miami, peeking at our Ginormous Ship we would board later that day. Biggest ship on the ocean and we would be living that fabulous life for a week. Pinch me!!Best part of the week was doing anything I wanted or Nothing at all. But I'm not one to sit so I was usually doing something. Didn't want to miss anything.

LIFE ABOARD SHIP

First things first-Muster Drill. Important to know where your life jacket is and how to get off a ship when it starts sinking.

It took a whole day to explore every nook and cranny of a 15 deck ship. This is the Royal Promenade. We crossed this about 20 times a day. It was the only deck besides the pool deck where you could walk from one end of the ship to the other. Upper DeckGoing for a dip in the ship's pool is boring without kids jumping in and splashing you. We only got in once then spent the rest of our time rock climbing, riding the flow rider, miniature golfing, playing dodge ball, etc.
With over 3000 people on board no one cares what you look like or what you're wearing and if you forget your cuff links, a hair band and bobby pin will work just fine.Need a book don't worry there is a ships library. Clothes dirty? Don't worry the ship has a laundry and you don't have to do it. Hungry? Free food everywhere and there's no dishes or clean-up.

MY bed has never been made so many times in just 1 day. We could go in mess it up, leave and be back within an hour and it was made again. It must have been the elves that live inside the towels shaped like various animals hanging from our ceiling each night. 80's music 24/7. Much better than elevator music.

Every night the same-3 course dinner at 6 pm and a show at 9 pm. The monotony of it all-Awful!

At dinner I could ask the waiter for anything, anything at all and his response was always the same, "My pleasure." I looked forward to those words every night. I knew it would be the only time I would ever hear them again. . .that is without them being accompanied by laughter.Because of this and this and this we did this every morning. FYI-4 1/2 times around the track is a mile. But with the ocean breeze, a rising sun and spectacular views, it's a lot less painful!

You have to play shuffleboard once aboard ship. It's in the contract.
The ear patch works. I didn't get seasick once. IN fact, when the ship rolled and pitched I laughed and oohed and aahed in unison with the rest of them.

We washed our hands before we ate, after we ate and just for fun. Hand Sanitizer dispensers were everywhere. I felt so clean and germ-free! It worked because once I got home I forgot to wash my hands and yep, I got strep throat.This is the spot that if we were on Titanic Jason would put his arms around me and I'd yell, "I'm flying, I'm flying!" and then we'd kiss. We didn't find this spot until the last day. I have to admit it's not really that romantic because it is windier than windy.

PORTS OF CALL

1st Port-Labadee, Haiti (Royal Caribbean's private island)I hate Haggling! Too much pressure. We only shopped the markets once in Haiti and I hated every minute of it.This WOULD have been a picture of me if the wind hadn't picked up and cancelled my ride on the zip line in Labadee, Haiti This is the lifeguard. At first I thought he was sleeping but then realized he's texting. 2nd Port Ochos Rios, Jamaica

Dunns River Falls in Jamaica is Beautiful and Fun to climb.
Once you live on a island a lot of other islands look the same. Jamaica so reminded me of Guam-well, except for the drugs and fearing for my life. Ya Mon! If you hadn't heard Jamaica is not exactly the safest place to visit. Luckily, we had Phil. With Phil No Problem!3rd Port-Georgetown, Grand Cayman

So what that I hadn't dived, dove in 5 years. Its like riding a bike, except for the being really nervous part. I reminded myself just breath in and out S L O W LY. Once they got enough weight on me to actually sink I was good to go. We saw a shark, eel, but not very many fish. Wonder if the shark and the eel had anything to do with that? (Jason said he took a picture of me diving but no, not one of them turned out.) I admit it. My husband wasn't the only one I kissed on the cruise. I kissed a Sting Ray! Yes, I know all about the Crocodile Hunter who was killed by one. But everyone else was doing it and it looked like so much fun. Jason got jealous so then he had to do it too.

This is what was happening beneath our feet. About a dozen stingrays just swimming around.
We bought a underwater casing for our camera so we can take pictures and video-fun. Unfortunately, it didn't always take. (Eg. scuba) but I thought this video was great.

4th Port-Swine Flu stinks! We missed our port in Cozumel, Mexico to see the Mayan Ruins because of it. And on our anniversary day too. Oh well, we figured out other ways to celebrate.

Last port-Back in Miami. We took an Everglades Excursion on an Air Boat and saw a few alligators or are they crocodiles??

About day 6 I started missing the kids. I missed their hugs and smiles. By the time we docked on day 7 I was ready to go home.

Bye Freedom of the Seas. I'll miss you and your terrific staff who catered to my every whim. Don't worry I'll definitely be back!

And thanks to my wonderful husband who saw that I really needed this!