Summer Lovin'

We've been really busy this summer and haven't a lot of pure summer fun.  I'm trying to cram as much into these last few weeks as possible.  About a month ago, though, we had a great Saturday afternoon of pure sunshiney fun.  Will was gone and it was just the girls and I.

I think I'd like summer to last a little longer.

Who Are You?

I see that people visit my blog from all over the place.  If you stop by,  please leave a comment.  I'd love to hear from you!  If you are a frequent visitor, feel free to become a follower.  I enjoy seeing who is interested in our lives!
Alisha

Random at the Rock Concert

Last night Will and I went to a Grace Potter concert.  If you like rock music, I highly recommend you look her up.  She is not a christian artist so if you are a person that only listens to christian music, I would recommend that you skip it.  There is the occasional curse word and sexual reference.  You have been warned.

This is not in the "summer blogging" order that I had intended, but wanted to write it while it is fresh in my mind.  First, I want to tell you about an arrangement that we have with some friends of ours.  Once a month their kids spend the night with us.  Once a month our kids spend the night with them.  Its a beautiful thing.  We started this when they were very young.  This means that sometimes they've been up all night with our kids and there have been times we've been up all night with their kids.  It doesn't matter - that one night a month is totally worth it.  We are aloud to stay out as late as we want.  Sometimes we go out and sometimes we stay in.  Sometimes we hang out just the two of us, sometimes we invite friends to hang out - kid free, of course.

Next, I know some of my thrifty readers may say, "concerts are too expensive, why do you go?"  My answer is this.  We love music.  We love supporting the artists that we love.  We love that our area is trying to support live music and we want that to continue.  It really does help our local economy.  I, also, am really thrifty.  I'd say even at times just plain cheap.  I think though, that  if you spend your money wisely, you should be able to do some fun things that are expensive.  We just cut back in other areas.  We go to probably two concerts a year.  I think that if I don't do some things I love, I would start to get sad that all I do is save money.  That being said, if we don't have the money, we don't go.

Okay, now on to the concert itself.  This is going to be an example of how my brain works.  It will be random.  It may seem unrelated, but I promise, all thoughts are strung together by a thread of commonality.
That thread being the concert.

And we begin.

I'd love to be a rock star.
Why did I wear these shoes?  I knew I would be standing a lot.
I don't mind standing near the stage, but I'm positioned inside the speakers.  Everything has a muffled sound.
Wow, her dress is short.  Is it even a dress?  It might just be a shirt.  At least she's wearing some short shorts under there.  Man, I wish my legs looked like hers.  I guess I should work out more.
Is she getting another beer?  I'm pretty sure by her boisterous attitude that she's already had too many.
Can't these people tell this is a quiet, sensitive part of the song?  That doesn't mean its their turn to yell things!  Its also not the time to show us your new, improved, alcohol induced harmonies!
Nope, alcohol does not make you a good dancer.  Your friend told you it did?  They have had too much, too.
Obviously I was much younger the last time I stood near the stage at a concert.
Man, this band is awesome.
Let's move to the back.
Much better.  I get a more complete version of the sound back here.
There's enough room for me to dance.
Oh, people might see my dancing and think that I've been drinking, too.
I love to dance.  Its been too long.  The last time I danced was Zach's wedding.
I wonder how Zach is doing.  I enjoyed seeing Hilary at that wedding.
Oh!  I love this song!
Emma and Taylor would like her dancing.  I hope they went to bed okay.
Maybe I don't want to be a rock star.  I wouldn't be able to put up with the audience.  I need to sing something more mellow.  If you stay calm, the crowd stays calm.
My feet are actually okay, but my right knee hurts.
Wow!  What a concert!  They were incredible!

Catch Up Blogging

It has been several weeks since my last post.  Life has been busy.  Really busy.  I even logged off Facebook for the summer and haven't even missed it.  I haven't really had time to miss it.  I even contemplated not getting back on.  The hubby discouraged that.  He says its nice to see what people are doing and keep in touch.  Interesting.  He doesn't even have an account.  I guess we'll see what September holds.

I'm going to try to catch up on a few events over the next few days.  I say days, but it really might be weeks.

Independence Day:  We traveled to my folks' house for the day where we got to visit with my mom's brothers and sister, their spouses, and a few of my cousins.  I had a great time seeing everyone - I wish we all lived closer together.

We spent the afternoon looking at old slides on an actual slide projector.  It wasn't my grandpa's kitchen, but we still had a good time.  I cannot get enough old pictures and the stories that go with them. 

We had a cookout and lit a few fireworks in the front yard.  My kids didn't like them much.  They watched from inside our van where it had to have been 150 degrees.  That night while watching the big fireworks, Taylor cried and covered her ears and eyes.

The girls got to participate in the parade that morning.  Taylor rode on the motorcycle with my dad and Emma rode with some of her cousins in my dad's convertible.  Will drove while my brother-in-law rode on the back with his kids.  It was a big day for everyone!

Emma's First Lost Tooth

Emma's tooth had been pretty loose for several days.  After seeing me pull Taylor's last tooth, she was determined there was no way we were pulling hers.  I have to admit, Taylor's really wasn't quite ready.  Anyway, Emma wanted hers to "just fall out".  Okay, I didn't have a problem with that.

The problem came though, when the tooth wasn't falling out and the new tooth was growing in.  I was  very concerned that this was going to cause the new tooth to grow in crooked.  I told her she didn't have a choice, she needed to get that tooth out.  I gave her instructions to wiggle it constantly.  Finally she said Will could try to pull it out.

After three attempts and a little blood she declared the pulling session over.  It did not come out, but it was more loose.

We went to a barbeque last night and Emma came to me and said, "My loose tooth is bleeding."  We looked in her mouth and the tooth was gone.  We asked her what happened and she said, "Nothing."  We went to the basement and luckily, found her tooth on the floor.  It turns out that she really did "lose" her tooth and it really did "fall out".

She's been pretty nonchalant about it.  I asked her what she thought about losing her first tooth and she said, "Oh, alright."  I asked her if she felt better about losing her next you (there is another one lose), she said, "I don't know."  She didn't even remember this morning.  She walked into our room and Taylor came running in after her saying, "Emma!  Look what the tooth fairy brought you!"
Pretty strange for a girl who gets too excited about everything else.

The tooth fairy brings dollar coins at our house.  Just so you know, they're not easy to find. She has to ask if they have any every time she goes to the bank.