Puppet Theatre…Take 1

In our on going quest for summer entertainment, the kids and I painted, sewed and assembled a make-shift puppet theatre.  That’s right, how many uses can we get out of our dishwasher box before it goes to be with the recycling…permanently?  It already served as a playhouse for about a week and a half.  During this time it under went a washing of sorts, courtesy of the sprinklers.  I know it’s ugly…but it serves it’s purpose and I got to practice a little bit of sewing on something I get to throw away so there is no stressed involved.  I figure one needs to be in the making since Annie is using her doll house as a theatre.  I am not willing to invest in a permanent one unless the kids show interest in this one.  So here is puppet theatre…Take 1.

A Sand-Sational Time

Yes, Will took these pictures.  Yes, those are my feet…I’m well aware they look like Vienna Sausages.

We took the kids beach camping for the first time this weekend.  We headed up to Camp Pendleton with some friends.  Roasting marshmallows and making dough boys were just the beginning of it all.  Besides, time is always better spent in the company of family and good friends.  And for the record I constructed and deconstructed the tent all by myself.  I just had to make sure I can still be organized and efficient if needs be.

The kids went crazy in the water…both ocean and shower.   The tide did come up around the fire pit at one point and gave us all a nice feet washing.  Some of the little kids got more of a foamy bath.

Beached

I forced myself to get out of the house today.  I have been a bit of a homebody lately, not really feeling like going out.  The less I do, the less I feel like puking my guts out.  But when the beach calls, how can I NOT answer?  I felt the cosmic tug and rodeoed my kids into the car.  The waves and sand didn’t disappoint.  Besides my burned kneecaps, I consider the day restful.  And then Hudson and his friends have taken up the beginnings of boogie boarding so that was very entertaining.  I stayed beached…to conserve energy.

Here’s to You, Dad

I was contemplating extensively this Father’s Day.  How has my father helped shape my life?  I found myself overwhelmed and grateful for all of the shaping he did in fact do.  He was there helping me keep the tears at bay when scrapes and scratches seemed to follow me everywhere I went, but was so quick to sweep me up in the biggest hugs and tell me everything was going to be alright…and I knew if he told me, it would be.  Some days I still long for those days of being a little 5 or 6 year old running to meet my dad at the door with a spinning hug and knowing that I was safe and the world couldn’t touch me.  I would even threaten some of my friends when I was younger with his mad karate skills…not one of my finer moments.

I’m so grateful he wasn’t afraid to embarrass me(Now that I reconsider the situations, they weren’t embarrassing, they just seemed that way to my 16 year old psyche).  I think my skin grew a little thicker and I realized it doesn’t matter what other people think.  He knew I wasn’t perfect and never pretended that I was…no delusions of perfection here.  It always kept me working harder to be better.  And of course everyday he reminded me that as long as I worked hard, I could do or be anything I wanted to.

Sure he was gone a lot with work and there were a couple of weeks here and there I didn’t see him because he was off training in the field, but I have come to realize that even when my father is not physically with me…he still is.  I love you, Dad.  Happy Father’s Day.

Appreciating the Compost

Annie, Hudson and I headed to the Wild Animal Park on Friday.  I tried letting them ride Journey into Africa again to see if they enjoyed it any better.  Hudson had forgotten about it so I told him they got to ride the train to see the animals.  Once we were on, he pointed out that we were NOT on a train, rather a tram…like the one we ride to get from the parking lot to the Disneyland entrance.  He was less than impressed, irritated that I had “lied,” and then announced to the world that is was going to be BORING!  Poor Hudson tried so hard not to be bored, but the poor kid was struggling.  On a side note: had I known he would have wanted a transportation distinction, I would have referenced the tram, not the train.

Nonetheless, their favorite part was the composting exhibit…go figure.  We spent, I don’t know how long, having them digging in these boxes making piles of worms and rolly-pollies.  Of course someone else’s worms will always be cooler than the ones in our backyard.

After the composting there was nothing left to impress either child.  Just look at Annie…not interested.  We went home.  I need to get a little more creative or it is going to be a looooong summer.