The Puppy Party!

Birthday parties are a part of childhood and just plain fun to host! We have picked a theme every year and this is the year of the puppy. Simple food like hot dogs (free from coupons), puppy chow (with free ingredients) and lemonade ($.10)...puppy cupcakes (from one $.50 cake mix)and then there are the goody bags!
She LOVES to have goody bags and this year is no exception. We got the mini beanie dogs from Oriental Trading Company along with puppy collar bracelets. If you wrap it twice, the bracelet will work as a dog collar for the little pups...set him on a mini PlayDo (after Christmas 75% off clearance) and pop it all in a little bag. Viola! You have a goody bag and it ran us about $1.40 a kid. This does two things - leaves everyone going home with something in their hands and no one cries because they didn't win a game.Speaking of games, this year is a bonus! Instead of creating games or a project for the little ones, I bumper her party up a few weeks to be the day before my Tupperware Team family Picnic. I will have a bounce house here and the kids can simply play to their heart's content! The business is paying for it, so I am getting "free" entertainment, LOL!
We chose to invite all of her friends from preschool and are a little surprised that we have only gotten RSVPs from about half (saying yes or no...). I knew a holiday weekend might be tricky, but it is what was going to work for us. We ended up with a total of 9 kids -- out of 19, that was pretty good!
Here is the really neat thing about the puppy party. We said no presents for Sarah, but included a list for the local humane society - so they could get something off that list and bring it. Sarah and I will take the loot to the humane society and get lots of pictures! It's about having fun with the friends and giving back to society. Don't worry - when it is time for the family birthday party (a few weeks later) she will get her share of goodies - I have a huge honking family! It always seems like Christmas to her, LOL. What was neat - they all had the items wrapped up! Gift bags, shoe boxes with fancy paper and more! You can tell that they were excited about what goodies they brought for the animals and she had a lot of help opening things up, LOL!Wednesday, after school, we are taking Sarah to the Humane Society to deliver this wagon FULL of great things for the animals. I am amazed at how generous everyone was -- all the toys, treats, food and even a bed! Just look at how much great stuff! From my phone call, I understand that they will give Sarah a tour and got out some of the smaller animals for her to pet/play with, she might even get to feed some treats to a few of the pets! Again, this will be another great photo opportunity and this whole event should make for a great 8x8 scrapbook album!
You can see a very tired girl here - she didn't even finish her 'popsicle' before she passed out, LOL! She was a great hostess, got her share of bouncing in, passed out cupcakes and goody bags, hugged all of her guests as they were leaving and gave out plenty of thank yous...it was really a very fun day!

The Pool Is Ready!

Last year, there were plenty of days that the pool was too cold to enjoy swimming in comfortably...so this spring, a pool heater was installed! We should be able to enjoy it from May to October, any day that the weather permits.

This is a good thing!

The heater works, the pool has been vacuumed, shocked, skimmed and prepped for summer -- just look at it! (OK, there will be that constant battle of cotton weed fluff and "helicopters" for the next couple of weeks...)

The timing is perfect as the first heatwave has struck! Over 95* with the heat index today...and we might break the heat record tomorrow! EEK! It is SOOOOO nice to be able to take a dip, eat lunch and then chill a tad more.

The big thing is sunscreen -- 50+ SPF, and add more every couple of hours. I have had skin cancer already and don't want my little bug-a-boo to get it!

You know where to reach me this summer...I wonder if I can get a water proof phone?

A Special Thank You

Sarah got mail today...this is for Abby and Mitchell..

The Russian Girl

Our church has a program for Chernobyl Children...they come over, stay with a host family for 6 weeks, get free medical and dental and then go home.

Our family is taking one this year - and gets an 11 year old girl named Darnya.

We don't know if she speaks English yet - and she comes 6/18.

They give the host family some money $250 to cover expenses, which we are taking her shopping with...for her. There are quite a few appointments that she needs to be taken to , besides coming to church every Sunday and a day at the church camp...but it is going to be a GREAT experience! I can't wait for Sarah to learn from her what Russian life is like...that is the first country we are studying after we finish working our way thru the US states.

We asked what kind of things to do with her...they said even going to a grocery store is HUGE as they still have food lines...

We are taking her to Branson, the Wisconsin Dells, Circus World Museum, and having a pool party for all of the other host families (15) to let the kids take a break and chat in Russian...

This is just shaping up to be an fantastic summer!

Mother's Day

It took so to start our family that this is a special day for me. Almost ten years of fertility work and finally adoption prep...we were finally blessed with our little slice of heaven - our angel Sarah.

I love every moment of being her Mom - the fun things we do together, the silly moments we share and watching her personality blossom. It's only been three years so far, but it's been a truly magical and life changing experience. It isn't everything that I had hoped it would be - it is more.
:)

Happy Mother's Day to you -- may it be another in a string of fantastic memories!

"chick flicks"

I just finished watching "the Ugly Truth" this morning...cute. It follows the basic chick flick format and has the happy ending...which leads me to wonder: How many "chick flicks" are out there? What is the draw? Why are they so popular?

I know they have been around since the beginning of moving pictures, I can watch "an Affair to Remember" over and over again, in it's glorious black and whiteness...

Is it the classic damsel in distress fairytale revisited? The woman who needs to be rescued? The man in the end who always realizes that SHE is really the most amazing woman on earth for him>?

I think of everything from Pretty Woman with Julia Roberts to Enchanted with Amy Adams...even The Ugly Truth with Katherine Heigl who needs a man to help her get the "dream guy" because she can't seem to figure it out for herself. Even Diane Keaton in Baby Boom needs the country vet to bring out the woman in her and save her sanity.

PUH-LEEZE!

The best thing about those movies are the eye candy! Gerard Butler, Richard Gere, etc -- Yummy! I will not go see these in the theaters as 1) I am saving money for a house and a $10 movie ticket is a waste of cash and 2) I don't need a man to rescue me - and certainly don't need my daughter to grow up thinking that she does either.

Motivation

I am a visual person -- dream boards, positive affirmations taped in a few different areas, etc.

Example: Tupperware gives us a crystal wine glass/goblet for each trip we earn that has the name of the challenge, location and date on them...when they kick off a new trip, I take a Styrofoam cup, write that same info on it and place it in my collection. I see it constantly and it helps keep me focused! The few times I did NOT do that...I did not earn the trip :rolleyes:

I AM going to loose and keep off 50# before this summer is over -- that allows for a 2# average a week. My visual for this is a series of swimsuits. I bought them last year, on clearance, all in different sizes. Now that the pool is ready, and they are going to install the heater next week - I got them out.

The one I wore last summer is too big (YAY!) So I am onto the next smaller size...BUT, have that even smaller one, hanging on the back of my bathroom door. It's next :wink:

What is YOUR motivational visual?

Maybe you are that Mom who went back to school to get that college degree? I hope you are playing that Susan Boyle "I have a dream" video clip that is out there to yourself - she is a GREAT example of a woman going after and dream and blowing people away with both her determination and talent, when they didn't see it her, but she knew she could do it.

I am a firm believer in goals - they are a dream with a deadline! If you don't have a goal, you don't have a serious plan to accomplish that dream...

What is your motivation? Share!
:)