Random Thusday Thoughts

* It is 9:38 pm, but it feels like 1:30 am. Why, then, am I taking time to post? Because I have the memory of someone 3 times my age...at least that is the way it seems sometimes. I know if I don't write down my thoughts, they will be lost in the abyss of forgetfulness.

*Claire is...well, Claire. If you know her at all, that about sums it up. She has quite a little spunk to her personality and the girl makes me laugh. Here are a couple recent funnies from her little 4 yr. old mouth (with some background info as well, so it makes sense).

- I love Mandesa! I've gotten the chance to hear her live twice at Women of Faith and I love her! I was given an album of hers for Christmas. I thought the kids would enjoy listening to it so I let the girls borrow it one night for their music. Big mistake...(just jokin')... Jake never got the chance to get it because Lydia has claimed it. So, the other night, Claire saw me turning on the little boombox and she said, "I don't want to listen to that Aunt Lisa!" Guess he needed a change of pace.

- While on the Mandesa theme, there is a song on the album where the words start off as "How Much? (referring to God's love for us). The "How Much" part repeats itself a few times, almost like a chant. Once Claire asked me why the song said, "Ham-ich," which is her word for sandwich!

- Claire is in the L-O-N-G process of learning that she is not the center of attention at all times...imagine that!? With this comes learning to wait her turn to talk when Daddy and I are talking or one of us is talking to Jake and Lydia. So, she has heard the word "interrupting" a time or two, you could say. Not long ago, at some mealtime, she was talking and got extremely frustrated at her siblings. She finally had enough and proclaimed loud and clear, "YOU ARE UPTER-ROOTING ME!"

*Before we left to visit friends in Kentucky, Lydia asks, "Do they speak English there?" I guess that is up to one's interpretation. Although, I'm not one to poke fun since I had a thick, Carolina accent when I was young.

* Claire has been on a kick about asking people if they live in America. She hounded two older girls the other day at the library about the matter.

* I have developed a love/hate relationship for swim team. I love that Jake and Lydia are learning how to swim. I hate the time commitment for it. Ok...so hate is a strong word. I dislike it very, very, very, very, very much. Practice is every morning during the weekday. That's not so bad. It's the stinkin' meets. There are so many swimmers, so many teams, swarms of people, and from the time we have to be there to the time we get to go home, it takes about 4 hours; longer if it is a home meet. I asked J & L if they wanted to do it next year and they both said "yes." We shall see.

* The street department for the city of Kettering stole my kid's library signs. Really? Jake met his goal of reading 30 hours last week and got his Library Champion sign for the yard. Lydia met her goal this week and I took her Tues. afternoon to get her sign. Wed. morning, I saw a truck stop on the side of the road, pull up the signs, and throw them in the back of the truck. I hurried the kids, who were all eating breakfast, out the door. We were going to go get our signs back. I have to believe the guy saw us and then quickly drove away, leaving me shaking my head and my kids disappointed. Lydia was quick to remind me that we could go and get another sign, but I told her we were going to complain. The whole thing just bothered me. No knock on the door and definitely no hanging around when the mom and kids come out to find out what's going on. Well...the reason was that we are not allowed to have the signs on the city's property, which is between the street and the sidewalk. They have been put there the past 2-3 years, but apparently, they are trying to really "clean up" the city and two signs whose purpose is to encourage kids with reading is offensive to the eye??! Our signs were returned and now they are on the non-offensive side of the walk.

* I have been pricing room darkening curtains. I wish I knew how to sew and could just make some of my own. Oh, why didn't I pay more attention in Home Ec. class?

Cake Hobby

So, it's been a while since I posted. Summer vacation started with a bang with 3 plus weeks of pink eye. Loverly - huh? We were pink eye free until about 4am this past Sunday morning, when Claire came back in my room complaining of her eye bothering her. Poor girl...this was her 3rd bout with it (with Lydia and I also catching it, despite my coming just shy of using Lysol as a perfume). Claire's problem is linked to a recurrent ear infection...so hopefully, when her ears get checked next week, she will be in the clear or else it's off to the ENT for her. We have also been busy with a trip to KY to visit friends (next post), VBS, and swim team.

Wanted to post some pics of the cakes I have made so far. Dan gave me a cake decorating class certificate in February and I started that 6 week class in April. I had so much fun and was happy to learn some new "tricks." Here they are in order... First cake made was for my sister's b-day.
Design transfer cake...donated to the Family Fun Fest at school, during which there is a cake walk. How fitting!

This was not part of the cake assignment for the class, but I did make this cake for Dan's b-day. Go Colts!

Not a huge fan of clowns, but week 5 was learning how to make them. They were kind of fun!

We celebrated early for my nephew, Matthew's, b-day while he and his fam were in town for Memorial Day. I'm sure he would have gone for a Star Wars themed cake instead, but he was a grateful recipient anyhow.

The last class was learning how to do the basket weave cake. My weave does not look the greatest mostly because I was rushed and I had the wrong tip. That would be my only complaint about the class...I felt rushed. But then again, I can be a bit of a perfectionist in certain areas. I was the last one to leave the class every single week. But I was also enjoying my "free time."

And this cake had nothing to do with the class either. Just felt like practicing. I made this sheet cake as an appreciation to the VBS workers. Our theme was kind of a western one so this was my attempt at a bandanna pattern. I do need to work on my lettering, that's for sure. And that's all for now!