Things to Read - On the Bookshelf (2nd/3rd Grade Edition, May 2015)

I asked the girls to review their recent reads -

1. A Single Shard - F's review: I really enjoyed a single shard. The plot was incredible, and the ending has a twist. The main character, Tree-ear, is an orphan who lives with Crane-man under a bridge. Than Tree-ear gets a job working for a very talented potter named Min. There is a ton of adventure and tragedy, but not too sad. The book is incredible. I recommend it to kids 9-100.

2. Brown Girl Dreaming - F's review: I LOVED this book! The poems are incredible, and inspiring. It is the story of the author, Jackie Woodson, growing up. She describes the land and sadness of the time when blacks and whites were segregated. There are poems about her older brother and sister, and her younger brother. I recommend it to kids 9-100.

3. Superheroes (Amelia Rules!) - F's review: I really enjoyed this book. It is part of a series of books called Amelia Rules!. As you have probably guessed, it is about a girl named Amelia. This specific one is about when her club, G.A.S.P. (gathering of awesome super pals,) becomes famous. Everybody is trying out to be part of the team! I recommend this hilarious comic to kids 8 to 100.

4. The Baby-Sitters Club Graphic Novels - P's review: I like these books because they are interesting. They are also funny.

5. Garfield Sings for His Supper - F's review: I really love Garfield comics! This fat cat will bring a smile to your face when you read his books! It is about his adventures with his owner, the household dog, Odie, and the owner's girlfriend. It has everything from camping to candy! I recommend to kids 1 day old to 100 years old.

Things to Make - Strawberry Thyme Lemonade

Usually we're a water or milk sort of family. Creative children's drinks are not my specialty. But the other day, F decided she wanted to make lemonade using real lemons and once we spent $4 on the lemons alone, it seemed necessary to kick the whole drink up a notch. Of course, strawberry thyme lemonade ended up tasting absolutely delicious and we've all become addicted. So now I have to go to the store every few days to buy more lemons and strawberries, which has made quite an impact on our weekly grocery bill. I often find myself yelling, "DON'T SPILL A DROP, THIS STUFF IS LIQUID GOLD." But it tastes oh so good.

FOR THE LEMONADE:
8 squeezed lemons (about 1 cup)
2 cups strawberries (one quart); hulls removed and cut in half
5 cups water and about 2 cups ice (to taste)

FOR THE SIMPLE SYRUP:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
10-12 sprigs thyme

OPTIONAL FOR ADULTS
Vodka (to taste)

1. Make the simple syrup by combining the sugar, water, and thyme in a small pot and heating until the sugar dissolves. Let cool and throw away the thyme.

2. Place the lemon juice, strawberries, and simple syrup in a large pitcher.

3. Add 4-6 cups of water to the pitcher (depending on size of pitcher).

4. Blend slightly (so the strawberries are still mushy, but somewhat dissolved).

5. Add ice and drink (preferably in "fancy" glasses).

Things to Do - Cherish This Day & Random Links

When the girls were little they often fell asleep on the couch together. But it doesn't happen much anymore. So glad I captured this moment.

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!! I'm off to Savannah, GA for a moms' weekend - so excited!! Don't forget to check out more weekly awesomeness on Cherish This Day.

RANDOM LINKS:

* Time Magazine's portrait of a working mother in 1956.

* LEGGINGS!! wow, these are awesome. I wish they had kids' sizes.

* 30 free printables for kids' rooms. These are awesome!

* I already bought tickets to this. You should too. The line-up is pretty amazing. And kids under 10 are free!

* Bolder, how to grow older (link via Miss Moss). As 40 approaches, I love stories about active seniors loving life.

* 100 Creative Photography Ideas. So much inspiration.

* Cellphone.

* I want one of these (and a pool to go with it).

* Noodle pot lunch recipes. These look fantastic!!

* I finally ordered from Thred Up and I couldn't be happier, the clothes looked like new (folded! with tags!) and the prices were super cheap.

Things to Do - Around the House (April 2015)

I keep wanting to blog about SOMETHING, but the days seem to meander along, busy with life's little moments but nothing monumental - no new places or events. No milestones. And we all just seem to meander along with it all . . .



Afternoons full of homework and our new couch (yes, finally, a much needed new couch. Unfortunately, fear of Coco ruining yet another expensive piece of furniture keeps me in a constant state of anxiety).



A self portrait that really summarizes my life.



Curious little brothers . . .





Crazy second graders . . .



And a little boy surrounded by awesome females.



Backyard playdates - full of fake guns, pogo sticks . . .



And bug hunts.



Drinks on the porch with good friends.



And light saber nights.



A family photo (i.e. evidence that I really need a hair cut).





Lazy weekends at the playground . .



And naps on the couch with grandma . . .



While T attempts to learn some history . . .



And I read my book . . .



And grandma wakes to help T learn.



The kids started a business. And made $8 for the animal shelter, mostly donations, but two people signed up for dog walking, which (if you're 9) counts as success.



Sometimes my children all get along, though an ipad is often involved.





These two crack me up. They spend 90% of their time together bickering. The other 10%, however, is completely adorable.





We're working on redecorating the girls' room (hopefully I'll have some photos soon). On the upside, they love it. On the downside, F barely comes downstairs anymore.







And at night, we walk the dogs. Stopping along the way at the little library and the neighbor's swing.
__________________________

So that's our life lately (minus the hours and hours of soccer games and practice), now what has everyone else been up to?

Things to Do - Grateful List (March 2015)

ARTS
* Watching The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt on Netflix
* Watching Bloodline on Netflix (possibly the most addictive show ever). So. So. Good.
* Watching Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street as a family (on Amazon Prime)
* Reading Spoiled Brats: Stories

STUFF
* F's love of her new Squord (basically a fitbit for kids), so now we walk in circles together
* Chocolate squares from Dylan's candy bar
* My new yoga bolster (yay!! for a happy back)

PLACES
* Flexibility focus yoga at Journey Yoga (I love having a great yoga studio within walking distance)
* Sunny afternoons after school at the playground (and P playing soccer with all the boys)
* Family hiking at Potomac Overlook Park & Riverbend Park
* Parents Night Out on the Pike (who doesn't love a fundraiser with friends and alcohol?)

ETC.
* No accidents on our way home from Richmond during the ice storm (cars were literally piling up along I-95)
* F telling her friend, "my mom doesn't really mean a minute, she means a Darcy minute, which is more like 3 hours."
* The whole neighborhood gathering for a last minute P Brennan's snow day happy hour
* The playground during a blizzard
* Making snow paint with liquid watercolors and squeeze bottles
* Huge sleepover parties where other parents take my children for the night
* Dan's excitement about playing Spades with the kids
* T watching me edit a photo shoot and asking, "mom, was it really that fun? They look like they're having a lot of fun."
* F learning all about Marie Curie; T knowing his sight words; P reading (and loving) A Long Walk to Water

VACATION (road trip to visit Grandma Troutman in Chicago for spring break)
* Disney channel in hotel rooms
* Listening to The Circle during the long drive
* Dinner at the Italian Village
* The Bean on a really warm day
* Chagall's walls
* Meeting up with an old law school friend
* The kids loving Chicago's Art Institute
* The Museum of Science and Industry's maze
* The Embassy Suite's breakfast buffet
* T walking Murphy and chasing geese at Lake Katherine
* Pepe's with my extended family
* Meeting up with an awesome high school friend at the Plush Horse

THE KIDS' LISTS:

F - that Ms. C is my teacher [who also happens to be Arlington County's teacher of the year], family hiking, a nice house to live in and food to eat, Menchies, Ethiopian food, books, more books, Linda Sue Park, Grandma

P - vacations, spring break, my new earrings, the museum [the Art Institute], the pool, hotel breakfast buffets, my family

T - my family, a nice house to live in and food to eat, school, making sentences with sight words, guns, vacation, my new plane [toy] and knights, all you can eat buffets, Grandma, Murphy