Snatches of our summer

Sammy and the Swim Team:
Last year, Sam asked to do swim team and I said no b/c he had never enjoyed competitive sports before.  Even in Cub Scouts, he has cried sometimes when it came to pinewood derby races or raingutter regatta races.  But this year we said yes and it has been amazing so far.
In the beginning of swim team, Sam worked one on one with some of the assistant coaches and he struggled with different kicks.  While he still has a long way to go, he has improved so much and is becoming more daring.  Last night was a meet and I was not able to go but when he got home, Sam told me he had planned a surprise for me.  Not only did he race in then 25m Freestyle but he also signed up for the 25m back stroke.  Today he came home from practice with 2 4th place ribbons, one for each event.  I'm so proud of how far he has grown and what bravery he is showing.  He is getting more mature every day and I'm so happy to see where he'll go from here.

Toys abound:
Our house has been a disaster area this summer.  I literally cleaned the boys' room yesterday morning only to go in and see it destroyed again yesterday afternoon.  Today it took me 1.5 hrs to clean Izzy's room.  She has 16 bags: purses, bookbags, duffel bags, you name it!  And what does she put in those bags?  Anything and everything: books, papers, jewelry, hair bows.  I found a bag of candy she brought home from a birthday party in March!  We're lucky we didn't get ants in her room!  I'm really thinking we need to donate some toys or something.  I just want to teach the kids that this is too much and not normal. I want them to realize how nice a life they have.

Things to do in the summer:
Apparently entertaining themselves proves difficult for my kids.

Izzy asked me to make her a blanket for her big Raggedy so I took some raggedy washcloths I had and made her a blanket.  It is made out of 9 washcloths, a kitchen towel, and 2 fabric calendars.  Plus the ruffle. Izzy loves it!

a few kids things from this summer

At the Raggedy Ann rally, Izzy was given $10 to spend from a friend.  At the first night's dinner she was given a large Raggedy Ann.  Afterwards, she asked to spend her $10 on a book called "My Pretty Pink Bible Purse".  Izzy told me that she wanted to spend her money on the book/purse for her doll.  Then she and the doll "will both have scriptures and we can study the gospel together".  It was one of those tender moments when I felt like she finally gets it.

Last week while driving, we passed an RV. Kal says from the back "We need an RV."
Me: "We are not getting an RV"
Kal: "If we get an RV, we can live in it AND drive around."
Izzy: "Really?  Can we move in it while the car is moving?"
Kal: "yes, you can sleep while Dad's driving or get up and walk while Dad's driving.  You can even eat in the kitchen while Dad is driving!"
Me: "Maybe so but we're not getting an RV."
Kal: "Well, we need to get one."

an honest reflection

In the past I've made posts about the kind of friend I perceive myself to be.  I've been totally aware of the fact that I'm not always the best friend.  I have lamented that fact that I sometimes see groups of women who ban together as friends and I feel left out.  But other times I've been the first to admit that I can't be friends with everyone.  There are women who are so much like me that I tend to not be friends with them (b/c we butt heads).  I also have noticed that while there are women who are friends with someone they've known since kindergarten, I tend to be a "friend of the season" type.  All of this is in the wacky and wild world I like to call "my brain".  So I've had some interesting encounters lately, I'd like to have an honest reflection (and maybe confession) of the friend I am.
I am outgoing and can talk to just about anyone.  But I do get lonely.  And sometimes, I like being alone and even, dare I admit, I like being quiet!
I'm a gal that lots of people know but I'm not always the first person you think of.  I'm dependable (when I want to be).
I am fiercely loyal but once I feel betrayed or hurt, it's hard for me to forgive and forget.
When I tell you that I love you, I mean it.  I say it a lot but it's true.  I have a genuine love for people, esp. friends.  If I say I love you, it means I care for you.  I care what happens to you.  I care if you are sad, happy, mad, overwhelmed or just flat out BLEH.  I may not always be right there or say the right thing or do the right thing but I care about you and I'll be what I can be for you.
I have a temper and sometimes it gets me in trouble. I'm aware of this issue and believe it or not, I'm getting better.  But that fire that fuels my temper also fuels my love, my determination and my perseverance.  When that temper is working in your defense, it doesn't seem all that bad, now does it?
I have good intentions (almost always--98% of the time).  I don't mean to be harsh or negative.  And sometimes if I do come off as a hard-nosed, it's b/c I'm exercising tough love with you.  And yes, I believe in tough love.  I believe sometimes the best friend you can have is someone who tells you to get over yourself.  And yes, I've had people tell me to get over myself.
I've sometimes hurt people I love and care about.  I like to think that I've always gone back and said I'm sorry but if I haven't and you're still hurt, let me know.  Let's work it out. 
Bottom line--I want to be a good person.  I want to be a good friend. I want to be someone that you think of and smile.  I want to be a Greta that people will be glad to have known.  But I'm also not perfect and I'm a work in progress.  And that's okay.  Why am I reflecting today?  Maybe I needed to get out my thoughts.  Maybe I needed a reminder of who I am.  Maybe I needed friends out there to know that I mean what I say and yes, I goof up a lot but in my heart, I'm giving all I've got.

Raggedy Ann's 100th Birthday party

Most children have some sort of stuffed animal or blanket that they attach to at a young age. My oldest son loves his Blues' Clues stuffed animal.  For my daughter, it's her giraffe blanky that Uncle Joe bought her when she was 6 months old.  For me (even as a 35 year old woman), it was and still is Raggedy Ann.  I got my first Raggedy Ann when I was 2yo and a "little old church lady" made one for me.  Through the years as I utterly destroyed a doll b/c I drug her everywhere, I would get another Ann (known as "Aggie" to my childhood self).  I still have all my old Aggies and love them still.  Raggedy Ann has been everywhere with me.  I even took her to the hospital with me when I had all four c-sections for my children.  So of course, I wanted to be in Arcola, IL this past weekend when Raggedy collectors from everywhere celebrated our special little red-headed ragdoll.  And to make it extra special, my husband and I took along our 8 year old daughter to celebrate.....and party we did.
Arcola, IL is about a 4.5 hour drive from our Ohio home. It also happens to be the birthplace of Raggedy Ann's creator, Johnny Gruelle.  Arcola is smalltown USA and I love it.  Truly a midwestern little town, it has a brick Main St complete with a train track that runs right through town.  It is also pretty much Amish country which means great food, horse and buggies, and kind friendly people.  There is a little Arcola Depot which house a mini-Raggedy Ann museum as well as a Hippie Memorial, a Memorial to Johnny Gruelle and the famous "Walldog Murals" which are all over the little town.

For several years, the Arcola Chamber of Commerce held an annual Raggedy Festival which turned into a Raggedy Gathering (held in Arcola, collectors' homes in Ohio, Florida and elsewhere) and then last year was deemed a Raggedy Rally.  This year it was a Raggedy Gathering for her 100th birthday and collectors came from everywhere (as far as Japan!).  It was one of those few times where it is okay to see a grown woman (or man) carrying around a rag doll.  There were even a few dressed as a Rag doll.  I just wore a tutu (and only for an afternoon).  Friday began with a cemetery crawl and mural crawl around town.  Susie Partridge, a town native and Raggedy Ann/Arcola expert, led the events.  Later in the day was some Raggedy purchasing and a Friday night dinner that also held a silent/live auction to help fund next year's gathering.  It was attended by 200 enthusiastic collectors.  For me, it was particularly fun to see people that I met last year and have gotten to know on Facebook Raggedy pages.  It was a great night.  Highlights of the night (beyond seeing old and new friends and good food) included seeing Joni Gruelle Wannamaker, granddaughter of Johnny Gruelle and hearing from special guest William Carpenter who recently purchased and is renovating a home in Indianapolis that belonged to Johnny Gruelle's parents.  May amazing raggedy items were auctioned off and many people brought their rare Volland Raggedy Ann dolls. Volland was the original producer of Raggedy Ann in 1915.

Saturday started off fast and furious with the Vendors' Barn opening bright and early.  There was a makeover doll contest where various Raggedy Anns were put in costumes and then the people voted on various categories.  Joni Gruelle Wannamaker signed all licensed dolls.  And the fabulous Patty Hall, raggedy author and musician, gave a us a little concert.  There were also a kids' coloring contest, an ice cream social, and a conga line (led by yours truly) around the vendors booths out the door to the depot and then eventually down Main St. Arcola!  Now you see why I had to have a tutu.  There was even an impromptu dance party outside the depot where we "did the Hokey Pokey and turned ourselves around" because, you know, that's what it's all about!

Saturday night was the grand finale of a Saturday birthday party where around 200 people gathered together to chat, celebrate and honor Johnny Gruelle and his Raggedy creations.  Patty Hall gave a little presentation of the history of Raggedy Ann.  There was a great buffet.  The Girl Scout Troops came and sang to us and sang Happy Birthday to Raggedy Ann as a LARGE Cupcake Tower was presented.  I did not get a lot of pictures of the goings-ons because I was off talking, laughing, hugging, and photographing friends and fellow collectors but I borrowed a few pictures to show.  Some amazing volunteers, primarily Kathy and John Ellis, had an amazing display of Raggedy characters through the years.

We headed home during the wee hours of the night after the party but what a great time it was!  I was so excited to go with my little Izzy and share something with her.  I'm still astonished over  a year later at the kinship I share with a lot of these other collectors. They are just dear, dear friends and I love the comraderie that we share.  It is all thanks to a little ragdoll with the candy heart.  After all, Raggedy Ann's biggest legacy is that she "loves you"!

Kal's graduation

So I'm terribly behind (again) on this blog thing.  The school year was just plain CRAZY with many many many activities in May.  The big shebang at the end was Kal's preschool graduation and it looked to be a whole lot of fun.
Kal's preschool graduation always starts with a picnic which was a lot of fun. Then the families move inside the building while the children sing some songs and put on a few plays.  Kal had some great moments in the 2 plays he was a part of.  However when we came inside to start the program, he refused to keep his shoes on.  At the time I didn't think it was a big deal.  Fast-forward to his second play and he is a bunny that hops around.  It was actually pretty funny as he was a bunny along with a little girl from his class.  But he was wearing the pink bunny ears and she was wearing the blue bunny ears.  Somehow as they hopped around, Kal came down on his foot wrong and by the end of the play, he is sitting on the floor crying.  Of course, right after that was the graduation portion and Kal walked on his knees to accept his diploma.  I thought he was just tired and lazy but by the next morning he still refused to put pressure on his foot and my biggest fear was that he broke his foot.
Kurtis took him to the ER and after a few hours, an x-ray, and a special boot, they came home.  The foot was not broken but the thought was that he over-stretched his arch somehow.  He had a special boot that they gave him to wear until he felt better.  It took a few days but he eventually got over it.  He still calls it his "Emergency Boot" which is pretty funny.  Nothing with Kal can be simple!

cute stories

while reading stories to Kal tonight before bed, I said "we need to get to bed early b/c you only have 4 more days and then break and then KINDERGARTEN!" He hangs his head and says "I can't do it" I asked "why buddy; what's wrong with kindergarten?" Kal: "I'll be in the same class as Sammy and they'll want me to be nice. I can't be nice enough for kindergarten." I tried not to smile. I told him we have have all summer to work on it.

While sewing a rather difficult pattern for an animal tonight, I realized (as I turned the animal right side out) that an unfortunate fold in the fabric made it anatomically correct. Kurtis got a good chuckle out of the experience

Sam and Iz just got home from their last day of school. My Sam who had never passed a spelling test in his life till mid-way this year came home with an A/B Honor Roll Medal and a gift certificate for making the AR 100 point club! Woohoo! My Sam! And sweet Izzy, who has struggled with reading and started the year with a "0.9" STAR score (which means 0 yrs, 9 months-kindergarten level) finished with a 2.3 (2nd grade, 3 months). This is HUGE! So proud of my sweet babies!

A portion of Kal's exit interview for preschool:

Sam's super month of May

Not only was May Sammy's birthday but he also had a "Super hero" themed choir concert, his choir sang the National Anthem at a Dayton Dragon's game and he was awarded Student of the Month for his fourth grade class.  We had a great time going to all those events and Sammy felt special.

This is the cape I made for Sammy's costume.  I also made him an eye mask.

The highlight of the ballgame for Izzy was when a player from the away team reached over the fence and gave her a ball he caught in the outfield.  She was so happy and carried it around all night.  She wouldn't let me take her picture with the player but we did go over and say thank you.