Summer Break: Day 72

Pazely will most certainly testify that this was NOT a fun thing today.

We are about 3 weeks behind in getting her thank-you notes written & sent from her birthday party--which happened over a month ago!

She wrote one card by hand, & after I realized how long & tedious that was gonna be, we decided

to make postcards. She typed them out on the computer.

And then I decorated each with a purple circle punch & ink squiggled scallops.

Pazely stuck on a sticker---& done!

While Pazely worked on thank-you notes, Zoey was happily sketching out her own correspondence & putting together a package of handmade paper items for one of her cousins.

And lookie what I worked on this afternoon:

I'm so excited about the new "flavors" arriving in the shop next week!

(40+ different badges in stock too!)

♥

Summer Break: Day 71

Today was the last day of Summer School.

Pazely's really excited. Can't you tell?

I got to hang out at the girls school & photograph some science experiments the 2nd- 6th grade kids had been working on: handmade spinning tops. The kids had a race to see whose could spin the longest. And then the young-un's (my girls included) in K-1st did an experiment with pop rocks & soda pop: In their mouths! I was "on assignment" for the newspaper. Cool, huh?

A pizza party ended their 3 week fun of summer learnin'.

We also hopped over to the Morrill County Fair tonight. It's just animals. No carnival or rides---(That's NEXT weekend in a different county. I'm excited to take the girls out for some carnival fun & I'm even hoping to get my own night out at the carnival for some cool night photography!)
The girls also had some artwork featured, along with their classmates from school.
Here's Pazely's:

And Zoey's was hung up a little high, so she jumped to get a portrait with her artwork:

Look at the feathers on this birdie! It's like artwork.

I also photographed the Wiener Dog races at the Fair tonight.

Those little long bellied furry munchkins are so cute!!

♥

Summer Break: Day 70

Yesterday the girls & I had the whole day to relax together.

They played, watched Christmas movies (weird), we read together (James & the Giant Peach) & we even had some time for crafty fun!!

I found THIS PROJECT at the blog *explanation required via one pretty thing.

You need a canvas, alphabet stickers, acrylic paints, your fingers & the desire to get messy!!!

I only had 8x10 canvases on hand, so instead of a phrase or sentences, the girls & I just chose one or two words. But I'd love to try this in a giant version as in *explanation required's tutorial.

♥

Summer Break: Day 69

I got nuthin'...

I worked at the newspaper an extra day today.

I love my job oodles & oodles, but it's hard bein' a working mom.

(And I only do it a couple times a week!!!!)

I don't know how you workin' mommies do it. I'm a weenie.

And then I came home with a headache & the need for a nap.

And then there was bible study.

And then ice cream treats at Karette. Well, I ate bacon cheddar fries & snuck some fried green beans from my friend Sarah & took a few licks of Pazely's chocolate cone.

No Summer School tomorrow.

No agenda. (*)

It's been a busy week.

(*)Although, we'll probably be spending most of our afternoon making the 80 mile round trip to Walmart for groceries & other necessities.

School starts in exactly 3 weeks.

I love fried green beans.

♥

Summer Break: Day 68

Yesterday the girls had some friends over & after they entertained themselves for a bit, I thought I'd pull out the supplies to make some Bug Catcher/ Treasure Keeper necklaces.

The kids had a blast. And it was extra fun watching them run & squeal when I told them I had a project for them to do!

The girls & I make these necklaces & sell 'em in the shop too. So, if you wanna take a peek, hop on over HERE.

Last night I also had a little creative fun of my own. Some friends & I were stuffing our faces with burgers & fries when 2 fire trucks sped by, lights flashing. We hightailed it in the car & tried to follow. But we lost 'em. Darn. While driving around trying to think of what to do next, I thought it'd be fun to go on a scavenger hunt. But it seemed silly to make our own scavenger hunting list. So we made a call & got a list of 10 items to find from another friend. And then we had the idea to do some mobile facebooking---asking for ideas of stuff to find while we were driving around. Some of you came up with some oddball items! We had fun though & plan on doing it again.

We found 7/10 items on our list---even driving to a golf course in pitch black darkness to scour the driving range for a golf tee.
That picture is of my friend Sarah by the railroad tracks looking for item #6: a metal pop bottle top.
We know we're wacky. But in a small town, sometimes you gotta be your own entertainment.

♥

Summer Break: Day 67

Yesterday was one of those days where I felt busy & brainless & I didn't really have the oomph to come up with something creative for my girls to do. So, I posed the question to my 7 year old: "How about if you come up with the Summer Fun thing of the day?"

And she quickly replied, "OK! I know what we'll do: PLAY!"

Playing is something they do everyday.
But there must have been magic in the air that particular day.
They didn't argue {very much}, they were sharing & helpful.

And it was a peaceful day in the WhiMSy love home.

And when I came home from work in the wee hours of the morning, I found them huddled together in Zoey's bed snoozing away, Pazely in a ballet outfit she had worn earlier in the day.
I'm sure they played their little hearts out.

♥

Week in Review: July 19-25

I don't know how it's possible, but my summer keeps getting better & better...

Click HERE for a photo play-by-play.

♥

Summer Break: Day 66

I got to ride in an air conditioned John Deere tractor & be a spectator in the whole wheat harvesting process. It was quite amazing & awesome to see all that goes into it! We rode right up beside a combine &, while it was still thrashing wheat, it loaded us up with grain. And then we dumped it in the big semi-trucks, waiting to take it to their next stop.

I even learned, for the first time, how to pluck a head of wheat & smoosh the thing up in your hand---leaving the wheat kernels & letting the chaff blow away in the wind.
I prolly ate a sandwhich worth of wheat.

By the time I got home, I was covered in a fine layer of dust.

I also got to take a peek (from a distance) at my friend Beulah's bees she keeps. Beulah & the bees make honey. In the near future, I am planning on suiting up, bee-style, & getting up close & personal with those buzzin' bugs!
To see the rest of the photos from my day out, click HERE.
♥

Summer Break: Day 65

The girls & I went to Broadwater Days today. Broadwater is a teeny tiny town of about 140 people, about 15 miles away from my town of Bridgeport. And Broadwater Days is an annual celebration of the town--lots of towns & cities have celebrations like these. I went with my girls to help take pictures for the newspaper.

My kidlets are always wanting to go on any & every random adventure I have, so today was their day.

I know I sound like a stinker for not inviting them every time. But little road trip adventures are my way of taking some time for myself.

Believe me, they're not adventure-deprived in the least. They get their fill... often.

Since my first experience in Broadwater back in March, I got lovely emails from some of the residents apologizing & being ever so gracious.

The newspaper column I wrote months ago about that particular visit to the Broadwater scene got more reaction than any other column I've written.

Well, since then, I've toured the town on a garage sale hunt & even picked up a few treasures.

Today was my 3rd visit & it was lots of fun. Zoey expressed that it was a very special day.

We watched the parade, that drove all of two blocks & then....it was done.

We ate meaty nachos at the Starr Street Diner. 

We played on the playground.

Zoey signed up for the turtle race.

We ate shaved ice AND root beer floats.

And we got wet with water balloons.

I've come to the conclusion that it's not where I go on my adventures that makes it interesting or fun, it's the company I keep.

♥

Summer Break: Day 64

I got this idea from Fun in the Making via The Crafty Crow.

The girls & I made these tree coin necklaces from some supplies I already had on hand. A friend had cut these discs from a fallen birch tree & I kept a few in my crafty stash, waiting to use them for something fun.

We painted ours with acrylic paints & strung them onto colored yarn.

Oh! And my mushroom design? Not my own. I copied my 7 year old daughter.

These are my 6 year old's creations:

Zoey's mushroom:

♥

Summer Break: Day 63

My friend Jules from Washington sent me a link for this paper city. Her kids had a blast with it & it sounded like a perfect project for our Summer Diary series.

Zoey even said, "Mom, this wasn't fun at all. This was BEYOND fun!"

The girls literally crafted & played with this city from afternoon until bedtime!

And they opted to not cut out the city as the directions called for, but leave a white background so they could draw a sky scene.

Who am I to argue with tiny artists & their big imaginations?

♥

Summer Break: Day 62

We crafted up some paper birds as seen on my Craft Finder iphone app from Family Fun magazine.
They are sweet.

I'm not one of the cool kids who possesses colored paperclips. So, we had boring shiny metal ones. And I couldn't find my hole punch to make eyes.
Pazely drew features on hers.
{love}




♥

Summer Break: Day 61

We're taking advantage of the Night Swimming at our local pool.

Well, the girls are. I am the photographer,

trying to capture every moment of Summer fun possible.

And it's funny, because somehow (small town, go figure) a lot of the kids at the pool knew that I work for the newspaper.
I could hear them whispering as I walked by.
I think one of them even asked his friend, "Should we get an autograph?"

Yes, you totally should.

♥