WWTK--Summer Foods and Fun

Time to give We Want To Know another run:

1. Would you consider yourself a healthy eater? Mostly.  I try not to over do it on the snack food and we don't eat out all that often. We have been staying away from the processed foods due my need for reduced salt intake. Homemade makes for better food choices.
2. What is your favorite 'summer' food? Steaks on the grill, but if we can get better at the smoker, bbq'd anything might take top place.  Of course ice cream, watermelon, and cherries all hit my summer foods list.
3. Do you have any hidden talents? I can pick things up with my toes.  I have really dexterous toes--but then so does Turbo.
4. What would be your dream job? Working in a library or bookstore.  Although I'm not sure how much work would get done.  I'd be terribly tempted to read all the time.
5. What is your favorite summer activity? Camping. If we had a beach close by I'd say going to the beach, but since we don't, heading to the mountains and camping and going four wheeling.  Or having barbeques with friends.

Now you grab the questions and play along.

Link up with Kensie and Scriptor.  They would love to have you join in.

Tuesday and Random

Tuesday.  I like it better than Monday.  I got to sleep just a bit more this morning. Didn't have to run. And now it's time to get all random.

• I have a mystery bruise on the palm of my hand.  I truly can not remember hitting my hand that hard, I didn't fall, not sure where it came from.  But it's there.  It's tender to the touch too.
• I have gotten an exercise pal.  I run Monday Wednesday Friday and my friend can now join me since schools out--no kids to get up and moving.  She can't run due to knee issues, so I run first then walk with her.  More exercise for me. And it's harder to skip now.
• Camping was fun.  I'm looking forward to the next trip.  Definitely Fourth of July.  Maybe sooner, depending on the schedule.
• Nick's teaching started yesterday. He likes the students and feels better about the class now that he has that first day over with.
• We hit a record high here yesterday.  90 degrees. Hey, for a place that doesn't see those kinds of temps until July and then only occasionally, that's hot.
• I really need a vacation--but one where I come home nice and relaxed and refreshed.  Maybe I just need to run away. Too bad schedules don't permit this right now. Being a grown up stinks sometimes.
• Love this boy.  S'mores make any camping trip better.  Although, I love toasted marshmallows best.

•  Still thinking about getting a tattoo for my birthday.  Leaning toward getting the zodiac symbol for each boy.  Gemini and Aquarius.

That's all the random my brain can come up with this week.  Go see Stacy for more.

And join up with Shawn and Impulsive for Talk To Us Tuesday. No rules, just fun, link up.

Start of the Camping Season

We went camping this weekend. We so needed it. We came back tired, but relaxed.  Wnat to see what we did?

Claiming our spot.

The view from our spot.

Turbo loves to poke at the fire.

Got a glow stick!

All set up.

Collecting wood.

Hanging by the campfire.

S'mores

Roasting marshmallows.

S'more stickiness.

Morning hike.

The gang

Rock crawling.

The kiddos.

We went with our friends who are also family. Lucky when that works out.  We will have a couple more trips with them this summer.  We truly had a great time and I'm so glad we went.
How was your weekend?  Do anything fun?

Spin Cycle--You're Graduating

The Spin Cycle this week is commencement speeches.  This one is a bit hard for me.  I don't give speeches.  I avoid public speaking at all costs.  So coming up with a speech I'd give to a bunch of graduates is not so easy.  So let's see if I can spin this.
10 things I wish I had been told when I graduated:

1. Landry costs money.  Begging for rolls of quarters from your folks will be standard. You also have to do laundry.  Mom didn't come with you (at least she shouldn't have). Have a good laundry bag or basket.  You will be hauling laundry home at every opportunity.
2. Pizza is fine, so are burgers, but try to have veggies once in a while.  Home cooked food will be golden after cafeteria food.
3. Studying is necessary.  No more skating by without cracking the book. Talk up in class, answer questions, participate in discussions.  It's a fantastic boost to the grade, which the professor can administer at his will.
4. Go to class.  Yes, college is easier to skip.  But you are paying for it, so go.  Just be smart in the time of the classes you choose.  No one says you have to have 8 am classes.
5. For college graduation: you will miss being in class after about three months.  Work is fine, but rarely has homework.  Get a hobby.  Fit puzzles, read books, hang out with friends, otherwise those empty evenings will start to make more school seem appealing.
6. Enjoy life--not just school.  Join in activities, make friends, do sports clubs.  Keep the class load manageable, so you can have a life.
7. Have a job, even if it's just working some where on campus (actually these are the best jobs--vacations off, no trouble). Money is nice and you really can't ask for continual handouts from the folks (with the exception of the quarters.  Those are necessary, see number 1.)
8. It's OK to miss your family, pets, and home. 
9. It's OK to not declare a major right away.  Try a few different classes (maybe not underwater basket weaving) and see if something new appeals to you.  Take classes in what you think you want to do.  You may find you hate it.  Being undeclared is a good place to be so you get basic out of the way and maybe, don't waste time in something you find you can't stand.
10. Most of all, make the most of your time. Have balance, appreciate the opportunity you have. Life is a roller coaster and the ride only gets crazier and faster from here on out.

Yeah, a speech like that I might have listened to.  As it is I have no recollection of any of the three commencement speeches I have sat through that were directed at me.

For other spins on graduation speeches, go see Gretchen.

WWTK-Procrastination?

Time for We Want to Know Wednesday!  Half way through the week and Oh so ready for teh rest to fly by.  So let's answer some questions:

1.) What motivates you? Deadlines.  Really, I procrastinate something fierce. It's a talent, but I always get what needs to be done, done. I have gotten better about housework.  Keeping up with it is easier than playing catch up.
2.) Would you consider yourself highly productive or somewhat lazy? I tend more toward the lazy side of things.  Books and games call my name far too often. When stuff needs doing though, I do it and get it over with--chore wise anyway.
3.) What is your last "big" accomplishment? Um, surviving hte presentation at the workshop my work put on. I got good feed back on it and that was nice considering how much of a wreck I was before hand.
4.) What would you like to accomplish but haven't? I have a whole bucket list of things I'd like to do, travel, hot air balloon ride, oh, so many things.  We are in progress on raising our boys to be decent men one day. That is an accomplishment the we are working hard on.
5.) What would make it possible to accomplish one of your all-time goals? Time and money.  No really, if we can raise two decent, contributing people then we will have done fine.  the fun stuff, travel and such, would be easier with more money and time is something no one has enough of.

Now you grab the questions and play along.

Link up with Kensie and Scriptor.  They would love to have you join in.

Random Tuesday

Tuesday, I love you for so many reasons--you are not Monday, I can get all random, I didn't have to run this morning. Mostly the last reason.  And now on to the random:

• Turbo has exactly two and a half days left of school this morning.  That's counting today.  Yesterday he has a picnic in the park.  Today he has a half day field trip to the mountains.  Tomorrow is field day and Thursday is a half day. Why did he go to school this week?  I'm not sure, but he's having fun.
• Rockets are big in our future--good thing the smell of sulfur doesn't bother me too much.  Turbo had a blast (literally) launching the model rocket he got for his birthday.  Videos of the countdown and launch are here.
• Plans are up in the air for this weekend.  We'd like to go camping, but other obligations might keep us home.  We have a couple of BBQ to go to and the timing might not work to camp.  I'd love to go, but...
• Nick discovered Duck Dynasty last week.  He got totally sucked in.  
• We got a new rug for our front room/dining room.  The old one was fraying at the edges and by fraying I mean strings of carpet coming loose all the freaking time. tying up the vacuum and stuff fraying.  The new one is nicer to walk on and fits nicely and will be great until we redo the floor in there.
• I need to schlep the comforters from the camper to the laundromat.  King size comforters don't really fit in the machine at home.  Well, they fit (with encouragement), but don't come clean. Not a huge fan of laundromats.
• Nick starts teaching next week. A course about geology to some teachers who are working on extended education. He's nervous and excited.  The pendulum swings between the two.  He'll do great, but this is his first time coming up with the curriculum all by himself.  Last time he filled in for a professor and just had to teach what he was told to teach. I have faith that he will do awesome.

That's all the random my brain can come up with this week.  Go see Stacy for more.

And join up with Shawn and Impulsive for Talk To Us Tuesday. No rules, just fun, link up.

Rockets, Details and a Weekend

So I have come to the conclusion that weekends need to be longer.  This last one was full, felt like a weekend, it just could have used another day.
Friday evening we relaxed and introduced the boys to the classic A-Team TV show.  Turbo is hooked, he loves it. Bruiser is less into it, but he's little still. there will be more A-Team in our house.
Saturday started out slow.  Wonder of wonders, I slept in.  All the way to 8:00 am.  Yes, that is sleeping in around here. After getting trapped in a check out line at Walmart, then getting the rest of the groceries taken care of, I got laundry going and then detailed the car.  It's something I like to do in the spring/early summer.  Cleans the vehicles up and gets them ready for the summer road trips. I attack with Armour-All and Windex and the vacuum. Clean, nice smelling, shiny vehicles after a bit of elbow grease.
Saturday, Nick helped Turbo put together the model rocket we got Turbo for his birthday.  Saturday evening we had to go launch it.  After a bit of trouble getting the launch button to work, off it went and Turbo fell in love with model rocketry. There was  minor casualty--a fin fell off on landing but some glue and an overnight dry time it was ready to launch again. Turbo launched it twice on Sunday morning. The same fin fell off again the second landing, so better glue may be needed.

The two videos are of the countdown and one of the launches. Pretty cool all around.
I finished the truck detail on Sunday as well as the laundry.  We smoked some fish, watched the neighbors have a yard sale, and basically hung out.  Sunday was relaxing.
Overall, it was a nice weekend, I just could have used more of it. Especially before Monday rolled around.

Ten

Turbo turned ten on Saturday.  Ten.  Double digits. A preteen. Ten years ago they gave a  newborn to two very inexperienced people and told us to take him home.
We were so young. Now we are older and for a couple more years, still considered smart by Turbo.  This will change.
Turbo is a wonderful boy. He's smart, kind, fun, active, an expert Lego builder, and all round great kid.  We get confirmation of this from the oddest places sometimes. He loves his brother, but gets annoyed like any older brother should. He loves Legos, video games, swimming, archery, camping, hanging out with his friends and being a boy.
He's come a long way.

I am loving watching, guiding and nurturing this boy as he grows up.  Turbo, may you continue to find the wonder in life and attack it with enthusiasm.

Friday Confessions

Ahhh, Friday.  It may have been a short week, but I'm still glad to see Friday.  I'm always glad to see Friday. Especially going home time on Friday.
With Friday comes the chance to confess, so here goes:

• Turbo has four days next week that he's in school. 
• It's a throw away week really.
• Field trip, field day, awards, cleaning out of desks and such.
• Not a lot of work will happen.
• They are really just clocking time.
• It's time to do a go through of Bruiser's toys.
• He has some that are too young for him and that he only plays with if reminded that they are there.
• Of to the grandparents' house and through them I will go.
• I will be doing laundry and detailing the vehicles this weekend.
• Sounds like a rocking good time at the Jones's, hmmm?
• We will find time for fun in there somewhere.
• I really like it when my mom brings breakfast with her in the morning.
• She watches Bruiser three days a week.
• I was able to get a crockpot dinner in before we left this morning because I didn't have to do breakfast for little boys.  
• It was so nice.
• I don't like breakfast.
• I often skip it at home.
• I eat something simple at work--yogurt, bagel, something.
• Just not really into full on breakfast.
• Maybe because most breakfasts come with eggs.
• Eggs and I don't really agree.
• I think they are less than appealing.

What do you have to confess?  Link up with Aubrey and confess it all.

Spin Cycle--Best/Worst

So for the Spin Cycle Gretchen has given us Best and Worst (inspired by Elizabeth's post).  This one leads to some interesting thoughts:

• Best: doing fun things with the family--road trips, dinner out, movie night, etc.
• Worst: the crash after a fun time.  There is something about doing fun things that seems to cause a crash to bad feelings, bad behavior, frustration. 
• Best: Turbo doesn't have to go to summer school this year.
• Worst: Now we need to figure out what he's doing all summer.
• Best: Finding an interesting new book to read.
• Worst: Finishing it and having good book crash.
• Best: The weekend is coming.
• Worst: Getting through today and tomorrow.
• Best: Having Turbo want us along on his field trips.
• Worst: Bus seats.
• Best: A good nights sleep.
• Worst: insomnia.
• Best: Wine
• Worst: Well there is no worst to wine.
• Best: These guys:

• Worst: They keep growing up on me.

So do you have some best/worst scenarios?  Spin them up and join Gretchen for the Spin Cycle.