It's about that time!

 

Fall is on the back burner, ya'll! We already hit up Curran's Apple Orchard to get our apple cider slushies with a dozen apple cider donuts. And now it's time for the best fall food of them all... Soup season! You make a crockpot of chili for football Sundays, I make soup.

We already made our loaded baked potato soup and even bought bread to make bread bowls. I can already feel the warmth of the crackling bonfire, smell the spiked hot chocolate, and envision the leaf piles waiting to be jumped in. Don't get me wrong. We LOVE summer! No work, no alarms, no worries and tons of camping and day trips, BUT fall... Sigh...

Football, soup, bonfires, movie marathons by a fire in the living room, pumpkin decorating, homemade costumes, fun townie events. I love it! Even as I write this, my heart is fluttering with all the happiness from those cutie fall crafting sessions. Before I get too far ahead of myself, though, our favorite weatherman is informing us it's going to be a HOT weekend. Oh, Illinois! Get it together! Lucky for me, I get one more crazy summer weekend with flip flops and swimsuit options before I pull out my oversized sweatshirts and fuzzy fleece socks :)

my heart can't handle the changes some days!

I needed to take a writing break to just take a few deep breaths... We had some big changes recently. I got over the shock and sadness of my daughter starting middle school. She has a look. A fashion. A groove. She is LOVING IT!!!

I, on the other hand, am working on getting used to all the new changes: 

-We do our hair and find matching earrings now. 

-We wear flannel shirts around our waist now. 

-We pack fancy lunches and eat chef salads.

-Parents are NOT ALLOWED to wait for the bus any more! (As soon as the bus rounds the corner, I am asked to step back inside).

-We talk about rec nights, dances and lock-ins (my heart can't handle that!).

Just when I feel like she's turning a leaf and growing up, she does something to grab my heart. Today she hooked her arm through mine while we were in the store. We chatted like old bitties. I heard, "Mom look! How about this?" We shopped and laughed. It was amazing. My heart loved all of the time we spent together today.

It's not that she's growing up and turning out amazing. It's that all the little things are becoming less things for me to do for her. No more piggy back rides. No more pigtails and naptimes. BUT instead of mourning the loss, I am trying to find the joy in all the little things and celebrate who she is becoming. I am finding joy in all the new things instead of being sad for what is changing. 

I plan to make all the small moments my joy!

we finally made the drive to see all the pretty things!

We finally made the drive a few weeks ago to the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois. Their gardens and sculptures are simply amazing. The bright colors of the foliage and variety of plants and flowers was stunning. I have NO IDEA how to identify plants besides the obvious ones (except even poison ivy!) and this place was dazzling to even the newbies like my daughter and myself. My personal favorite area was the tea garden where they were growing tea plants in colorful teapots on stakes.

Although it was a steamy, hot day they had shade and plenty of places to cool down during our visit. We walked what we could and drove through certain parts. The trails were marked well and easy to navigate. The roads to navigate each section were very maintained as well. We probably could've stayed a lot longer that day if it wasn't a million degrees out.

The sculptures change and vary depending on the season and theme. This particular sculpture was one we drove past and had to wedge the car at an angle to get a good view. It was one of my favorites. Even from the air conditioned car it was a beauty. This was one of the most thought provoking and conversation starting pieces.

This sculpture looks like a mom holding out her arms for a hug. Or a friend offering support. Or (if you believe) a holy spirit reaching out to say it's going to be okay. While you are able to touch the sculptures, you cannot climb on them. This would have been SUCH a great one to pose with.

Even my kid loved this place. She liked reading the descriptions of each sculpture and guessing the titles. I thought she'd love the children's garden more, but it was definitely enjoyed. They had interactive features everywhere, things to smell and touch, slides and climbing areas, even a huge watering can mister to cool everyone down. 

We rarely willingly drive so far for plants outdoors, but this drive was worth it. I am guessing it's just as amazing in the fall. The garden maze was fun and it will be even more full and colorful in the fall. Whether you like art or plants or just a stroll through the fresh air, this place will not disappoint! Just Google Morton Arboretum. You'll thank me.

enjoying summer while we can, however we can

How did summer start zipping by so quickly?!?! My heart can't even handle it. We pulled up the ol' bucket list to see what we may have missed and we're on the right track. Even our own personal bucket lists are almost complete (we still need to make pierogies- her suggestion, zipline- her suggestion, and fully bake/decorate a cake- my suggestion). My summer of just enjoying has been a success thus far. 

Every summer I make a personal to-do list with household chores or tasks to complete. I have painted walls, gutted rooms, created things, whatever. This year's summer to-do list was simple: put in her flower garden and get the yard looking nice again. Nothing more, nothing less. Not sure why I insist on killing each summer with these insane to-do lists.

 What am I trying to prove??? A bucket list each is plenty. She is enjoying this summer of fun and adventure with little setbacks or expectations beyond Relax and Have Fun. No longer will I kill it with my own personal to-do lists. It's stressful enough being a girl mom! ;) 

New goals: slow down, say no, ignore my phone, read, smile, enjoy nature. I do MOST of these things. Now I just need to do them MORE! Taking advantage of all the local entertainment our area has helps a lot to keep things fun, easy and laid back.  Now excuse me while I go soak up more of summer and probably check something off the fun list!

every summer day is an ice cream day

There's nothing better than some ice cream in summer. It's a nice cool down on a hot day. It's a fun treat for the kids AND the parents. Drumsticks and Choco tacos are good, but if you really want the good stuff you have to hit the local stops. Anyone from my area knows that the Dairy Haus is the spot that has it all.

The Dairy Haus is by far the best ice cream shop around. They're in a historic limestone building that matches the history and charm of the town. There's cute landscaping,  plenty of seating and fun, local flavors. They use Rockford coffee company coffee for one of my favorite ice cream flavors. Towards the end of summer, the apple orchard even gets a tie-in with apple cider donut sundaes.

I got so excited to get my local magazine and realize that Dairy Haus was listed as the number ONE ice cream shop around! Not surprising at all, by the way. Shop small, shop local. Keep the small town vibes! Support local by stopping over on a hot day for an amazing treat :) 

18 summers- no more, no less

Trying to really embrace the concept of only 18 summers right now! She is growing too fast for me to comprehend, too fast for my heart to keep up. Every age and stage brings new challenges and new adventures. 11 is a good age for all the summer fun we have planned right now. I miss naps and her squeaky toddler voice, bathtime shenanigans, and baby snuggles, but now she can choose things, plan things and participate in all the fun things the adults like, too.

Just yesterday she asked how she can help me (I was doing paperwork-boo). I asked her to start the cookies. Low and behold, that kid cranked out 2 dozen chocolate chip cookies with minimal help on measuring or clean up! I finished what I was doing and had one less item on my to-do list. She had sense of ownership and responsibility AND math practice ;) She loves to bake and it was a good break in the rainy day.

18 summers of fun and adventure... We have been to Ohio, Michigan, Florida, zoos, camp trips, flights, day trips, baking days, pj days, no phone zone days, all the things you can think of. This summer is extra special because we have a few big camping trips planned and a family trip out of state. To say we make the most of our summers and our time together is an understatement. We squeeze it all in while still taking rest days, spa days and movie marathon days!

This summer's mother-daughter bucket list looks a bit different. She's been blessed and had many fun opportunities already, but I always let her choose 5 things to do each summer. This summer she has a summer baking day on her bucket list. So, sit around and cook and bake all day??? Basically, the cost of flour and whatever else she can come up with. Sounds good to me!

Here's to a safe and happy summer. Here's to memories and sunscreen and belly laughs that hurt. Here's to inside jokes and new recipes and amazing photos. Here's to #11. And the 7 that remain :(

being a mom means playing detective

For three solid weeks our kid would be fine and fun and dandy until bedtime. Then it would be sneezing, coughing, blowing her nose for a solid 30 minutes. It was enough to drive me insane because we just couldn't figure it out! She was fine all day long. She didn't sniffle once or even come in contact with anyone who was sick. 

My first thought was that she probably needed a good room cleaning. Now that she's taken over cleaning her room (basically to keep me out of there!), my guess is that the dusting is non-existent. I was allergic to dust (and cigarette smoke) as a kid, so I assumed it was the same. Our doctor told us that allergies are a family thing. My klepto style child refuses to get rid of things, so there are piles under the bed of "I can't get rid of this!" stuff.

Finally, after realizing we were seeing a trend on the sneezing, we cranked it into high gear. I tore apart her room the very next day. We vaccuumed base boards, dusted under the bed, back of the closet, cleaned under the dresser (EW!). It was clear that our cleaning lady is slacking on the dusting under furniture. Oh, wait. We don't have a cleaning lady...

At the last minute I also realized she was using a new pillow we had bought about a month ago. And it's down. So we washed and swapped the pillows. My soft fluffy pillow became hers and now I have a new down pillow. And guess what?!?!

She went to bed and not one peep. No sniffles, no snots, no coughs, no drips. Nothing. She woke up happy and rested. So I need to step up the dusting and cleaning baseboards. And no more down pillows! It took almost 3 weeks to realize what was happening but we figured it out and now everyone sleeps just fine. 

Mom=detective

life lessons for a 5th grader

It's been a busy May for us. We are transitioning out of elementary and prepping for middle school. Dissecting test scores, registrations, preparations... oh boy. Somewhere along the way, my kid has picked up a lot of intensity when it comes to getting it right the first time. We constantly remind her that no one is perfect and our mistakes teach us more than we will ever know. 

Insert all the cliches here: 

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Nothing is built in a day.

Find happiness within. 

And perhaps my favorite quote: The definition of insanity is continuing to do something the same way and expecting different results (Einstein)

We experienced our first round of trying out for something. Ever. It went better than expected. She stayed positive. She was nervous. She tried! She didn't make it :( And despite the disappointment, she actually sounded hopeful for future tryouts and said she enjoyed the experience. 

This opened the door to constructive conversations: What went well? What would you change? Did you try your best? After all that, we determined that if you prepare and try your best, then you are doing your best with what you have and that's good enough. In short, try hard and always do your best, but don't kill yourself trying to be perfect because we are happy and will love you always. 

We haven't even started middle school yet and I am exhausted! So many life lessons. So many questions. So many new experiences. Aaaahhhh!!!!

gotta love the Highlights!

I still remember rolling into the dentist's office looking for the latest Highlights magazine to read while we waited. This magazine HAS been around that long! Short articles, quizzes, puzzles, jokes, photography, search n finds. I mean, what's not to love!? Now they have a variety of choices geared to even more age brackets for age appropriate fun. It's a classic!

We moved three years ago to our new house and somehow our junk mail followed us, plus even more. Right around Thanksgiving we got the three page sample magazine that was sent to the wrong child of mine, but we opened and looked at it. My youngest was excited and wanted to make sure she got mail once a month. She loves puzzles, pictures, and search n finds, so we agreed to get a year subscription. It was definitely worth it to fill out the tiny mailer and let her send it back. She loves magazine time!

This morning she finished early and we waited for the bus with her newest magazine. We laughed at the cheesey jokes and found almost all the hidden items in the search n find page. It occurred to me that (like everything else) this cuteness and childlike fun will only last for so long (cue tears). So, yes. I sat on the front steps in my pj's, aka sweats, and pretended not to see the hidden ruler on the page so she could find and highlight it. 

I will sit there as long as she lets me. I will enjoy all the giggles and fun of this simple, easy thing we decided to do together each month. I will balance a hot coffee on my lap and wave to passersby in my pj's while we look for silly hidden images. Because, who knows how long this will last! I can preserve the nostalgia and also promote good reading habits by getting her a yearly magazine subscription. 

If anyone finds the pause button, please let me know. This growing up thing is TOO much! :(

being proud of yourself, flaws and all

Today's life lesson: don't judge something simply based on what you see. We do a lot of that without intending to or trying to. It's human nature. I get that, but fixing it so the next generation has an easier time with self worth, mean girls, and all the other stuff is important. We can't stop trying.

We saw this pier and automatically thought it was torn up. But when we asked, they were fixing it for repairs. We thought this was beautiful because the birds would rest under the typical spots since the boards were pulled up. Change one thing, change a lot. It also changed how it was viewed and used.

I am hoping all of my little suzie sunshine talks will reinforce to my child that being different is a unique gift. Not fitting a traditional mold is a blessing. Being a unique individual makes one stick out and be respected for it. At the end of the day it is good to simply be yourself with mistakes, flaws, missing parts and all.

surgery is an essential part of parenthood

My child LOVES beanie boos. We get them for Christmas and birthday gifts, souvenirs, Tuesdays, whenever. We created a beanie boo village with separate rooms, furniture, and a kitchen with mini foods and cooking supplies. Beanie boo village is well cared for, decorated, and updated. We have two little friends that even come over just to play beanie boos.

Now... we also have the cutest little dog that we adopted. He doesn't really play games or play with toys. He does like the occasion squeaker, but boy does he LOVE those illustrious beanie boos. If he is ever left unkenneled, he helps himself to beanie boo village and gently lines up his new friends in a nice little line across the room. It is the cutest thing ever UNLESS you are the owner and creator of beanie boo village. She hates that, but she doesn't get mad or yell because our cute little shelter dog is just too skittish and too cute.

Insert me: Mom. The fixer, the seamstress, surgeon, and helper. Tonight I performed surgery on two of these beauts and OMG, those glittery feet about did me in. There is no whipstitch or quick fix to make the dog's little love bites less noticeable. Yes, I am aware it's not 1950 and sewing isn't quite the trendiest trend, but I can sew and I can definitely perform miracle surgeries to repair the beanie boos. I even cranked out a Star Wars scrunchie because I already had the supplies out, so why not.

I am not ready for a sewing shop. I will not make a side hustle from my wears. Meredith Grey will not tag me in for an assist. BUT I can fix the little things that make my little one happy and crank out some trendy accessories along the way, so we all win here!

finding fun in a pretty and new way!

We found a new way to have fun recently! We love to support local. Fun and local go hand in hand around here. Taking a class from time to time is just the trick. Erica's Board Creations has been bringing in people to teach classes and we jumped on a cupcake decorating class. 

You pay online, show up, learn, and enjoy. We got to keep all the decorating tips and connectors for the piping bags. We decorated 6 cupcakes and got to take them home. Lots of hints and tips,  demonstrations, and laughter. I must say that mixing our own frosting colors was quite relaxing and we enjoyed seeing all the bright colors. 

So what did we learn? We learned different frosting techniques. We learned what different tips can do. We learned the easiest way to fill a piping bag. We learned that I have VERY unsteady hands when I dropped TWO different cupcakes frosting side down... after freshly decorating them. I never knew you could tear up over cupcakes!

There goes my future career as a surgeon. All my Grey's Anatomy dreams gone. :) The nice thing about this day was that me AND my lovely daughter learned that perfection is in the eye of the beholder. Just because it doesn't look like the demo doesn't mean it isn't right. When we messed up or didn't get it right, we scraped the frosting off and started again. 

So now we have some great life lessons to embrace. And all because we wanted to spend some mother-daughter time and try something new. Here is a list of life lessons translated from a cupcake decorating class to motovate you.

1. Just scrape it off and try again if it isn't right. 

2. Use a steady hand. 

3. Be patient.

4. Always carry lots of hand sanitizer.

5. Feel free to stop and eat the frosting off the spoon when you get frustrated, but don't mix up the spoons!

comfort foods are SO comforting :)

It's almost spring which means it's that time of year when you can see three different seasons in a day. We wake up to winter, have spring in the afternoon, and feel fall like temps in the evening. Because of this, it's dressing in layers and prepping for warm/cold/humid/dry weather. You just never know. I mean, it's the midwest! 

Some nights we still light a fire and some nights we open the doors up. After all these years living here you just get used to it. This also means that we try to wrap up the rest of our winter fun. All the favorite winter games, crafts and recipes get pulled out. This includes homemade pot pie. You just can't make a good pot pie in warm weather!

My shortie loves to roll out the homemade pie crust. I always make the yummy, gooey filling and she does the crust. This new recipe made 2 pot pies, so we had gobs of food. It's completely worth the time and the mess watching my kid work her way around our kitchen with such confidence and ease. This is by far our favorite winter food that I make.  

In a month we will be ditching the crockpots, comforters and casseroles. We will crack some windows, prep the grill, and pull out the bikes. Goodbye winter, hello spring! In the meantime, though, no one goes hungry. And no one can get bored with all the recipes we can work through (and clean up!). 

Valentine's Day is for the kids :)

Valentine's Day has always been just another day. It's a day of love, sure. Chocolates, flowers, drinks, gifts. What's not to love? But if I didn't get any of those, then today would be just another day.

Really. It's for the kids or young couples mostly. I love all the things, but I love the joy of seeing my kid's face most. She loves to ooh and aah at the fancy chocolates or the heart shaped boxes. She loves to linger over all the cutesy cards and the pink displays everywhere. 

This year she surprised us both and spent her hard earned money on us! After she opened her gifts from us, she pulled out 2 hand wrapped gifts she bought. I got a rose with a tiny teddy bear attached, the pink easel I eye balled from Dollar General, and a tiny balloon attached to chocolates. She was so excited to see my reaction. I just loved it.

Anything that makes my kid smile makes me happy. If it takes cheesey cards and upcharged chocolates, then so be it. Lots of love at this house all the time. We don't need a day to prove it. BUT, if we had to prove it, I would say that love is in the air and we are doing great!

one little jug does so much!

Our favorite drink has become a trusty container for fun. Last year our 2021 goal was to be more grateful. A few times a month we would write a comment or two on scrap paper and drop them in there. It was especially nice when we were having a rough day to step back and see the bigger picture. It enouraged the power of positivity. 

On New Year's day we dumped the container and lined them up. Then we read them out loud. It was a short little activity on our lazy day at home. It was nice to hear some ideas for the first time or to reminisce on the fun that we wrote about. We were able to find out what the other one of us appreciated the most.

Now our huge container became a coin jar for the yearly coin challenge. We have done this one before. Each day of the year gets a numerical value. January 1st is 1 cent. December 31st is 365 cents. Each day you put that amount of change in the jar. 

At the end of the year you end up with just over $600. Since my short person wanted to do this, she is in charge of it. And, as promised, she gets to decide how we spend the money. Fingers crossed she chooses wisely! Whatever it is, we will definitely have fun. 

It is funny how one jug of punch became something that encourages family time. Whether we are being grateful or using math, being positive or counting coins, it is all stuff we can do together with little effort. And in these cold weather months, it all counts! 

cold weather means craft time!

We have been keeping busy with all sorts of fun things these days! My goal is to pull out 2 or 3 random items each week for us to do together. This will ensure some fun mama-daughter time, make sure we're using all the new gifts from Christmas/birthday and beat the cold weather blues. Last week we played slime, kinetic sand, and read under a huge comforter with hot chocolate. All sounds like a win-win to me! 

This craft project was nice and easy with some gooey mess along the way. Step one- blow up the heart shaped balloon and douse yarn in a gooey glue. Then wrap the balloon in the yarn thoroughly. Step 2- let it dry 3 days and then pop the balloon. Step 3- wrap the lights inside the heart and add batteries, plus tassels. The kit came with everything and each step took no more than 20 minutes so it was easy to do in steps.

I miss toddler days. Yep, I said it. The scratchy little voice, nap times and snuggles... sigh! HOWEVER, now we are 11. This means we can watch the good movies, play the good games, stay up late, and still occasionally snuggle :) Crafts, books, music, outings are so much more enjoyable. Even the crafts and play dates are more fun. 

It won't be like this forever (again, sigh...). She will soon walk past our mother-daughter days, spa days, and craft days for phone time, mall time and who knows what. For now, making slime is my favorite past time. Kidz Bop is my jam. Painting and coloring are the best. Pink and purple heart shaped projects keep her coming back for more and I will always be ready with big hugs and big smiles. 

The best part of cold weather is inside fun with my favorite little girl.

today we find the joy in a real snowfall!

Two days ago I asked why we live in a place where it hurts my face to step outside sometimes. It got really cold really fast! And then we look outside this glorious morning and I remember why. The snow and all the magic that comes with it. Enough said. 

I hate the cold. I can never get warm. I will crawl into bed at night just to realize one of my hands or feet is purely frozen. It's always just one, never both. And then I lay there trying to warm it up before getting out of bed to run warm water on my hands or throw on extra socks. My circulation is just that bad.

Then you have the added bonus of shoveling driveways and sidewalks (thankfully I don't do that), walking dogs in the snow,  getting mail in the snow, running the car forever on -3 days so you can drive it... The list goes on. I appreciate all the effort that others put in to make sure the roads are safe, the furnace works and the wood pile is always stacked for a good fire. I TRY to find joy and gratitude :)

Today we choose joy. Sure it's cold, but we have fresh snow to look at and play in. Sure it's on the roads, but plows are running nonstop to keep us safe. We have hot chocolate, wood for the fire and new snowpants to enjoy. We can watch the animals enjoy this wonter wonderland as well.

As we approach the chilly, blah winter months we will try to choose joy. Find joy in hot chocolate instead of grumbling about the snow. Find joy in a Netflix marathon instead of grumbling you can't go anywhere. And rejoice in kicking someone's butt in a game of Sequence instead of grumbling the roads are too bad to go out. Go find YOUR joy!

the lure of winter

Winter means many things. We sled, build snowmen, go caroling, do all things Christmas, have movie marathons with excessive hot chocolate. You name it. Some times we don't get out of pjs. Sometimes we risk the cold to grab a 4 for 4 or hit up the arcade. 

There are so many magical things about winter in the midwest! Watching the snow fall is so completely calming. Driving in it- not so much. Snuggling up with a fire is so completely calming. Being out in the cold- not so much. 

No matter how old we get, the best part of winter (besides the snow) is the ever magical Christmas tree. Inside or outside, white lights or colorful, flashing or solid lights. Large ornaments or old school, it doesn't matter. Now that all the holidays and birthdays are over, we are missing all the pizzazz and flash. I love to tear down Christmas and start fresh, but man, do I miss falling asleep to the soft glow of tree lights twinkling near a roaring fire. Unless next year, I will just leave this right here :)