How Do You Eat Corn on the Cob?

 Lets see, there is the around-the-cob method....the hunt and peck method.....

The type writer method...you DO still know what a typewriter is?

Then there is the elongated spiral that gives a double helix...if you do it right.

I had a race with Mr Zeke...to see if the typewriter method or the spiral is fastest....
He was laughing so hard we had to declare a tie!
It was good either way!

Summer Fun

But no pics. My hubby took the day off to have some time at home with the kids (vacation time). We wanted to go to a local "safari" park,but with the temps predicted to be in the high 90's we just didn't feel it would be worth it.
So while I went for groceries he marshalled the kids to help spread some mulch before it was too hot. I bought some and some ice pops. When every one was hot and sweaty we filled a bunch of them and went at it! That is why there are no pictures- I don't have a water-proof camera.
We threw water until everyone was soaked- even to their leg liners (uh-oh)  the kids jumped into the pool to cool off. I put the leg liners in front of the fan and ran for the shower.

After supper we walked the mall. They have AC.  Used some free coupons for soft pretzels (earned through the local library's summer reading program)

Stopped for the promised cold drinks

Ran the convenience store out of the  frozen stuff before we all got ours.

Hope was a good sport and said she'd wait till we get to the next one.  Humph! the next one didn't even have their machine running.
So after the third try we found a drink for Hope  BTW we did offer to share ours.

Then when the 2 girls and I got out of the van...some guy was sitting on the curb enjoying his smoke and he looked from me to the girls. "Are they FreshAir girls?"  (don't know if that is a local thing- bring bus loads of kids out from the city to stay with a family for 2 or more weeks)
I smiled and mumbled something about getting a lot of fresh air around here. But he asked again. I breezily said "nope, they are my daughters"
Went in the store- bought milk, and drinks, came out and he was still sitting there.

"Is your husband from Viet Nam?"
By then I was cracking up!
"No"
"Is he an American...I mean a white guy?"
"yeah"

You could just see the confusion on his face...

From there I could have went with any number of smart remarks, but I decided the poor guy seemed so genuinely innocent. I just said they were born in China.  He's probably still trying to figure out how that makes them look different than me!  (Just make sure you stay on US soil when your wife is about to give birth!)  I'm sure something here is not PC, but just forgive me...it is slightly warm in this town tonite.

Hope said "you would have thought he never heard of adoption!"

Prized Possessions

 Little Miss Faith got her coveted "high heels" for her birthday, she wears them even for the most  menial labor in this house....

Now this dress....even though I paid $3.50 for it will be a Sunday church dress ONLY!

And finally a grin from the pompous lady that was giving me 'the stare'.

This was a wonderful view in my living room today...it actually lasted for about 20 min. ( no we didn't add to our number- we were babysitting...)

Excuse Me?!

OK, question of the day....

What is the strangest thing you have found in the bottom of your washing machine?  After the load was finished?

I win!!!

Only he was a lot flatter than this one.

But I carefully scooped him up and put him under the porch.

Went back to take a picture for this post and he was gone!

So let me know if you can beat this one.

I'm Going to Run Off to the Circus!

 Wonder if kids still use that for a threat? I felt like doing that today. The two girls were incredibly grouchy.
I thought I could probably hang upside down for awhile......

 Or probably communicate just as well with just a whistle like the clown.....

 And balancing?  do it all the time....

 OK, one more and yes it is side ways, but you get the idea.

They really did enjoy it even if it was a tad stuffy under the big top in 95 degree PA humid weather. And since our neighbors were kind enough to give the kids 3 free tickets....well what's not to like?

Happy Birthday

 Miss Faith turned 7! Her list included lots of art supplies and shoes...including high heels.
I found a pair at a thrift shop...they are too big, but they are silver and she has been clipping along ever since.
Gotta get a good picture of her in them. I also found a nice pink lacy dress from the same thrift store for $2.50, I was as delighted as she was. Here she is....7 going on 17!

"First?" Bilateral Amputee to Ride Ripstick?

After days of determined effort Joe has realized his goal of getting on that contraption. We hauled them home from China because the price was affordable. The older 2 boys were the first to figure them out. Then when Hope managed to weave her way around the driveway...well you do understand the role of sibling rivalry!

But if you have any worries about what is possible with 'fake' legs, please don't let that deter you from adopting a child that may need prosthesis. That part of his joining our family has not been the difficult part...

Now teaching him to watch his tongue and be a good future employee?   well.....

Sharing

About 6 weeks ago, I had a birthday. My DH gave me some chocolate covered coffee beans. He also gave me strict instructions that I was not to be sharing them willy-nilly. I honored that request. That is why I still have a few to eat. On Thursday after lunch I took a few and was munching. Mr Eagle eyes asked what I was eating. I told him it was my birthday present.
"You should share mom, you are not teaching us good. When I have children I will always share with them so they learn how to share"

I told him that I obey my husband and asked if he would be willing to sign a paper with the above statement....Hope took care of that. So now, do I need to keep the calendar?

Armed and Dangerous?

 Joseph "earned" a rubber band ball from therapy after they introduced him to a nifty thing called a rubber band gun. My inside self rolled her eyes...these therapists are obviously single young ladies or in one case a lady with grown up children...not moms with 5 kids in the house. DH got coerced into making one rubber band gun...then 2 more and finally a 4th.
 

There are now no stray rubber bands in the house, but numerous bands hang from the trees and lay on the house roof.

I really think that I should have one too...but I can aim pretty well with my fingers and they live in fear of my threats of what will happen if they take aim at me. Besides I carry my weapon with me.

This and That

 Made the pillowcase that goes with the ladybug quilt...I think it's very cute. It was her design.

Then somehow I ended up teaching 8  second grade students for VBS. Thankfully the curriculum is pre-set and I shared duties with another mom. But normally we hand out gifts at the end of the class...So I dug into my get-rich-quick stash and made these bags and filled them with Dollar store items. Hope used her sewing skills for the easy seams and I did the pleats and the hand stitching on the bottom.

This child has been reading non-stop for quite awhile now. She 'teaches' or does SSR. The library's summer reading program was completed in about 3 days.

At the beginning of summer I decided I'd better make a schedule for these structure loving children of mine. The dishwasher is on vacation until supper time so someone has to wash dishes after breakfast and after lunch. Each day we strive to clean one room of the house. That of course is a mom-driven task...so if I'm pre-occupied they play unending games of Rook. I usually send them out the door about the time they start calling names or accusing the other of cheating.

Monday, I am in charge of laundry, but Tues- Fri Hope and Joe take turns doing dark or light loads...keeps it under control.  And yes, you see 'school' listed there, no we are not home schooling, but one of them needs some gaps filled in, and the other 2 LOVE school and Zeke is doing Algebra 1 so he can skip it in his freshman year. Keeps him off the computer.

Updates?

I really know I should not get excited BUT
We requested an update on "Little One". China has changed some rules and
all updates are supposed to go through one agency. I have heard mixed
results as to whether or not you ever get the updates.
Well tonite I got an e-mail from the other side of the world saying -
 Dear family,

 We will proceed your request soon!

Like I said...I won't be holding my breath, but I will check my e-mail
frequently.

Go Read This

I didn't take any good pictures on Saturday evening, so go over her Anna's blog and see what fun we had on Saturday evening.
Then put them and their small family on your prayer list, their summer is daunting.

Odd Things

You find odd things on hot and humid Sunday afternoons

Today Hope told me a funny story: Her little friend at church blurted out "My mom's getting fat, she's going to have a baby."
Hope: "Well my mom is 3/4 of the way along and she isn't even gaining any weight!"

Wonder if that got reported at home?

Logged In!

It really does not mean too much...but it is a goal post in this roller
coaster ride.
It simply means that they checked through our pile of documents and are
acknowledging they are all present and accounted for.
We still need to be translated, but I have heard of one family that got
to the next step in 36 days...but then some people are waiting 90 days...
Baby steps

Quilts and Get Rich Quick Schemes

 Finally finished the 100 Best Wishes Quilt that was ordered...

got it there for a special girl's birthday too!

 I really like the way it turned out.

Then I finished this doozy! Each patch represents one of the 50 states in the Union.Some of the individual patches have 90 some pieces...there are over 300 one inch wide pieces around the outside border....it was on my work table so long, I'm not sure what to do with all the space (JK)

Then someone dropped of BOXES of upholstery samples...too big to throw away and yet....I wracking my brain for a get-rich-quick scheme to use them up.  I actually found some silk pieces and will certainly figure out something for them...

Most pieces are perfect size to make tote bags, but ....I gotta decide if that is the best use of my time...or should I just get to work on the stuff that is sitting and waiting on me?  A certain notebook cover comes to mind- will do that tomorrow!