Memorial Day weekend - The official start of summer

My mom, the boys and I, Kim and Lauren all went out for breakfast Memorial Day morning. After breakfast we went to the parade. I took this picture of Jay and Lauren at breakfast. I thought it was the cutest.

Mike's parents bought a R.V.!!! They borrowed one last summer and realized they liked it so they took the jump this year and bought one. The boys are already counting down to their first adventure on the R.V.

John and Linda in their new purchase.

We had such a fun filled, busy weekend that Nick was spent!

Jay playing baseball in the front yard. Can the kid get any skinnier?

The boys soaking up the sun at State Farm Park.

Starting the day on Saturday at the park! What a great start to a wonderful weekend.

Perspective

Today my dad, my sister and I attended my Grandma Bushman's funeral. It was a lovely service and tribute to her life. Because I knew I would have a difficult time manuerving dad in and out of the car, his nurse came along with us. This proved to be a very good decision. He was attentive to my dad and helped our family out tremendously in terms of my dad's needs. But he also reminded me of something I've always known but sometimes need to be reminded of, always appreciate what you have. This gentleman is 22 years old and has had a terrible life. What touched me today was he was so happy because he was finally able to afford a mobile home with air conditioning (air conditioning, something I so take for granted). Then he told that because he grew up poor he had never taken a vacation until recently, he was able to afford a small get away. In my head I was thinking he at least went out of state somewhere. He didn't. He traveled to Elmhurst, IL to a Holiday Inn and then went to Shedd Aquarium. He said he was so excited he took over 300 photos, only to have his camera stolen, with the memory card. He said he didn't even care about the camera, he just wanted the memories from his first vacation that he had captured. I dropped this gentleman off at his very modest mobile home and went home to my large house with my large kitchen and even bigger yard and I thought to myself, there is nothing I need and there is nothing my children need. My children have two parents that love each other and love them. There isn't a time they have to wonder where their next meal is coming from and they have clothing on their backs with several pairs of shoes to choose from, not to mention (getting back to that huge yard I have) they have plenty of space and fresh air so they can move their bodies. To me, these are the basics that all children need to thrive, anything beyond these basic necessities is a bonus. I felt embarassed at all I have and it reminded me of that old saying that "less is more."

The Watermelon

This morning Nick took a huge watermelon to daycare. As I was getting in the car with it, Nick asked if he could hold it during the drive. It seemed like a reasonable request to me so I placed it on his lap. Not two minutes into the drive Nick is complaining that his penis is cold! At first I ignored him but then his cries got a little more frantic. He said the watermelon was making his penis really cold and it was too heavy for him to move.
Now picture this scene: I ask Jay to remove the melon from his brother's lap which he does. But then Jay proceeds to act like he's poking holes in the melon and pretends that he's going to eat the melon which about gives Nick a stroke. I listen to this bickering and taunting practically the entire drive to daycare. Finally, when I could take no more, on a country road I pull the car over (a common occurrance in the Siebert van) and demand the watermelon. It was too heavy for Jay to just hand to me from the back seat so I'm straining, turning every which way (except physically getting out of the car, another common occurance for me) to try and reach the watermelon and end up hurting my back and neither Jay or Nick can understand why I was so cranky!
Tomorrow is a new day and we won't be starting our day with a cold penis and a very large watermelon.

Lauren goes to 2nd grade

On Friday I picked Lauren up and we surprised Jay at school for lunch! Lauren fit right in with all the 2nd graders. In the first picture Jay had to turn her head for the camera because she apparently really liked the school cafteria food. She sat down and started inhaling her pizza! The second picture is of Jay holding Lauren in line and Lauren talking to one of Jay's friends. She was too cute!

The funniest part was when we were getting ready to leave. I had Lauren by the hand and Jay was headed back to his class. She started yelling for Jay, "Kiss, Jay, Kiss."! Now Jay loves his cousin but he draws the line when it comes to kissing her at school in front of his friends. The principal heard Lauren and teased Jay and said, "Come Jay, won't you give your cousin a kiss?" At which point Jay darted away rather quickly and that was the end of that.

My birdhouses

Check out my birdhouses! We have birds living in the red one! My favorite one is the pink one. I think of my boys everytime I look out my kitchen window.

Boy entertainment

My boys provided me with some chuckles tonight. Actually let me rephrase that....Jay provided me with some chuckles but Nick provided me with more mortification.
Tonight while Nick was taking his bath, I was in his room putting clothes away when he told me he had his toothbrush in his butt. I literally dropped what I was doing and ran to the bathroom yelling......."Get the toothbrush out of your butt." Nick yelled back, "Too Late." Whether he had his toothbrush in an orifice it shouldn't have been, I'll never know but regardless I soaked his toothbrush in rubbing alcohol!
As I was putting Jay to bed tonight we were doing our usual routine of reading and prayers. Jay complained he has a hard time falling asleep so I offered to scratch his back. He readily agreed. I also offered to sing him a song, to help him settle down. The conversation went like this.
Me: "Want me to sing you a song?"
Jay: "No."
Me: "Are you sure, I could sing you Baa, Baa Black Sheep, you use to love that song?"
Jay (and his response was so simple): "I'm 8 now, mom."
And when did that happen anyway?

The Dynmatic Women in Life

Lately I've been reflecting on all the great women in my life and when I really think about it, each one of them have helped shape me and made me appreciate all their differences. Here is what makes them so special:
*My Mom: The greatest gift my mom has given me is to believe in myself. Growing up it never really occurred to me that I couldn't do something. She also gave me the the gift of balance. She demonstrated balance and what it meant to be a working mother. I never really appreciated all those hot, home cooked meals she had on out table every night after teaching all day. I could go on and on about my mom, she's one in a million
*My Sister: I don't think I know anyone who is more hospitable than Kim. She is the most welcoming person and always likes to have a good time. I like to think we balance each other out. She loosens me up a bit and when she gets too loose, I'm there to reign her back in.
*My friend, Mary: Mary is my friend who clearly God put in place for me. She was there for me during my transition into college and she was the one who set me up with Mike. Mary's sunny disposition and love of Jesus is apparent in every action and conversation you have with her.
*My friend, Jenny: Jenny is also another friend who was placed in my life by God. She has been my friend for 16 years and there has never been a harsh word between us. In fact, she is one of the most supportive friends and truly gets me. We are similiar in so many ways and she has taught me to not sweat the small stuff and get lots of pedicures.
*My Aunt Karen: Karen is my dad's youngest sister. I thought she was the bomb growing up (I still do, Karen!). We've always been close but we talk a lot more frequently now due to the issues with my dad. Her sense of humor inspires me. Honestly no matter what is going on in her life she can find the humor in it. She'll call me and say, "Well I just got off Mr. Toad's Wild Ride."
*My friend, Laura: You know how when you meet someone and you instantly click? That was my experience with Laura when I met her 6 years ago. She might disagree with me but she is one of the most patient mother's I've ever seen.
*My "Posse" of work friends, Karen, Jen, Lara, and Kristi: I sometimes just have to shake my head over the fact that I work with such an amazing group of women.

God has blessed me with an abundance of friends and an amazing family. The list is endless whenI think of all my friends and family who make me laugh on a daily basis and bring joy to my life on a daily basis.