My latest post at New Jersey Moms Blog is now up for your enjoyment. I started writing about lemonade stands, and got thinking about swimming in the pool, bike riding, all those memories from childhood. If you are interested in this Jersey girl’s summer memories, go check it out. Remember: all comments welcome here or at New Jersey Moms Blog.
Sniff. Sniff. There is nothing better than camping and concerts, hanging with thousands of Jesus Freaks.
And when I say, freak, I mean it in the most loving way.
But the decision was made months ago, even before gas prices went all outer limits on us. No Creation this year for us.
So in honor of Creation Festivals Past – this is my list of things to bring that we wished we had with us last year.
1. small radio to listen to concerns/main stage announcements while in camp. extra batteries.
2. kiddie pool. good to let kids cool off, sort of a substitute bath.
3. water guns and extra buckets. teens walking by our campsite like being squirted. except in the face for teen girls, because they most likely have make-up on even in that summer humidity.
4. a better way to store food at the campsite. some sort of a pantry system easy to pack away
5. games, deck of cards
6. chore chart for the kids, so they don’t think camping is Mom and Dad doing all the work.
Have you ever been to Creation? Do you like camping? Please share in the comments or feel free to link back to this post.
So. I needed a few groceries the other day (why am I forever writing about food shopping?) for Weekend Survival food – chicken nuggets shaped like dinosaurs, watermelon, Diet Coke. My Shop-Rite has this wonderful invention called Scrunchy’s Playhouse; a babysitting service for the three to eight-year-old set. A mother must’ve came up with the idea, I’m sure of it. And the gals who work there – all heaven sent. I’d love to go in and play with the sand table and video games.
As much as I love Scrunchy’s, and the mental break it gives me to concentrate on my shopping list, my boys are out growing it too fast. The eight-year-old decided against Scrunchy’s this time, the three-year-old went in – no problem there – but the five-year-old boy. Nothin’ doin’. I guess if the Big Brother wasn’t going, then he wasn’t either.
As you can imagine, this turn of events made me… unhappy. And an unhappy shopper mommy means: no treats for anyone. Kind of like the Soup Nazi on Seinfield. No ice cream for YOU.
Back to the drama unfolding at Scrunchy’s Playhouse: if you happened upon the scene, you may have been concerned. You may have wanted to laugh too. Personally, I was stuck between tears and cracking up. A grown woman attempting to physically push her kid into a place he didn’t want to go. Up until now I’ve always had the upper hand mentally and physically. I learned something that day: my five-year-old couldn’t be man (mommy?) handled; that kid is rock-solid strong and just as stubborn as me.
So I lost that fight.
I’m not sure what the point is of this little story, other than the fact that I suspect I have a future football player for a son. I guess the point is: you gotta know when to let them win one every now and then.
I may have lost that battle, but not the war. No ice cream for YOU, little man.
© 2008 Monica Brand | Paper Bridges
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Sorry if you’re looking for the No-frills blog round up I’ve been posting Saturdays. I just couldn’t get into it this week. Bad blogger. Maybe I’ll get it together for tomorrow.
