Well They Upped and Did It…

They both went and started school.

How did this happen?

Only yesterday I was rocking my precious first born, looking at him in awe and thinking that he was an angel on earth. Then I blinked and there was another sweet angel sent to me and a little munchkin with shaggy hair was crawling up into my lap to read stories.

Here’s the true moment. The “I am pouting because you won’t let me take a lunch box that I don’t need,”and the “Hurry up Mom!”

And today they both upped and left me, bravely heading into classrooms at new schools. All I could do was watch as each one courageously sauntered into a new domain ready to conquer all that this year has to offer him. I was so proud. And excited. And nervous. And giddy. And anxious.

I was the only Dunbar with so many emotions. Although, I didn’t cry as we dropped Monkey off at his classroom and were told that the bell had rung and the school day was about to begin. I smiled as I remembered being “on the other side” asking moms and dads to leave. God knew what he was doing on nearly 10 years ago when He entrusted 20 little souls to my care. He was preparing me for the day when my own little guys would be sitting down with brand new pencils and crayons and tennie shoes (and underwear) waiting to begin the new school year.

They just wanted to get on with their day.

Yesterday was Bogie’s orientation and Classroom Welcome. Today was his first day of school. This teacher, I am already loving. She’s got kids from college all the way to elementary school, and a laugh that is contagious. Sometimes you just get a feeling that somebody is just going to love your kid, well, yup, I think she’s going to love my Bogie. 

 

Just to prove I was actually there. Here’s the proof. Real documentation, a bathroom pic. I was washing his hands after school, I looked up, had my camera around my should and told Bogie, “Hey smile.”

And since the first day of Kindergarten was madness and I didn’t get any good shots with his teacher, I figured what’s the second day?  So here’s Monkey with his Kinder teacher.

But alas, no milestone in Monkey’s life would be complete with out Lukie. Poor thing was crying this morning waiting for Monkey. Two peas in a pod they are.

When  I asked Monkey what the highlight of his day was in Kindergarten he said, “Basketball. Lukie and I were stealing everyone else's balls and then shooting them.”

Great.

Glad we’ve got playground etiquette down pat.

~mrs. dunbar

Buh Bye Summer

          

Swim lessons, church camp, beach trips, lazy mornings, quilted evenings, cousin visits, Vegas, and Legoland.

Good times.

Summer, we always love it when you’re here and sad to see you go.

~mrs. dunbar

Sitting on the Edge

Life has been a whirlwind around here and I feel like most of the time I’ve just been sitting on the edge of the pool, really wanting to get in, but not making that big jump. Not just making that mad dash into the freezing water because of the exorbitant initial chill, forgetting that once you get in the chill is gone and the fun can begin. So instead I just make circles around the water and then get up walk around some more and hope the water won’t be so cold on the other side.

I’d like to think that I've been making my best efforts to enjoy life to the fullest with my Men but instead I just keep doing circles and again and again and again. You know: that get up make breakfast, do a few chores, try to get in a small activity, make lunch, clean, think about dinner, make dinner, clean some more, get every one bathed, and read to, and then bed. Only to wake up and do it again. Those are the circles I’m talking about here.  So I feel like I’ve been an Onlooker, not really the Doer that I usually am.

Summer is almost over. Like today is officially the last day. Because tomorrow starts the weekend and then on Monday… SCHOOL.

What?

School.

But I’m still watching the water. How in the world is that possible? 

So slowly, very slowly, I think I’ll get back into the swing of things. School always does that to you, you know.

And inch by inch I think I’ll take a step into that freezing water and then I’ll be able to splash and splash and splash.

Yup, that’s what I think I’ll do. Take one step at a time.

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The hooligans and I headed off to a resort last week with my mom for a few days. The boys had a blast in all of the pools. I spent most of my time sitting on a lounge chair holding Popeye. It was a nice little getaway. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Come Monday, it’s a whole new ball game. Dang, ready or not I’ll have to jump in.

With both feet.

Have you been splashing or sitting on the edge?

~mrs. dunbar

Simple Chatter for a Friday

This might be one of my favorite shots from when the out-of-town Dunbar cousins were here last weekend.

And alas, they were quiet. That was nice.
I made these cupcakes for the last night they were in town. When I made them I kept adding more and more red color gel to the frosting and it just wasn’t getting that deep hue I was after. Kids ate em, deep red or not. Go figure. (I put so much color in the frosting mouths and fingers were turning red… eek) 
And this guy!  How does he get like this when he can’t even crawl yet? Guess I better tie the bumper down now.

This, my friends, is Yoda Soda, taken from the Starwars Cookbook. I’d give you the recipe but then I’m sure someone from the Star Wars Empire would come looking for me and their royalties.   
But even better than Yoda Soda was the Darth Malt. Now this was pretty darn good.  Monkey set up the scenes himself and just told me to shoot when he was ready. (Creative genius in the making I tell you.)

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Currently I have a bandage around my entire right foot from the Podiatrist and I can’t wear any of my regular shoes, not even flips. I had a splinter removed from the bottom of my foot. It had been in there for almost four months. Four months I’ve been walking on a needle stabbing the bottom of my foot with each step I took. Three doctor’s visits, 2 painful shots and now a few stitches but hopefully the thing is gone. I had never been to a Podiatrist before. He said most of his patients were diabetics and the rest were mostly odds and ends cases like mine. He told me he loved his job and that all of the great blessings in his life were a result of this good career choice. I am now walking around with an ugly generic black shoe and trying to convince one of my sons to become a Podiatrist. (And of course the other two to become Dentists.) Nobody’s buying my suggestions…yet.

I can not leave you with this frown, as adorable as it is.

So I’ll leave you with a picture of this little turkey who jumped right in my shot when the baby decided to smile.

Have a great weekend.

~mrs. dunbar

Scenes from our weekend

Out of town cousins were here.

Lots of…

swimming,

eating,

chasing,

playing,

bike riding

and laughing.

Now I’m off to do laundry.

~mrs. dunbar

Flowers, Books, Coffee and Beans

Want to brighten up your kitchen? Add some fresh flowers. Mr. Dunbar often buys me a small bouquet of flowers that I can put right next to the kitchen sink. They always make me happy and remind me how much I love the guy. And since I put them in the kitchen, the boys can see them, too. Just one of those things that I want my boys to know- how to make a girl happy with a simple gesture.

 

I’ve read a few books this summer. These first two were given to me by two different moms. Grace Based Parenting and Raising Your Spirited Child. Why they gave them to me, I don’t know? I mean my kids are perfect. They never challenge what I say, they’re never sassy, they are always compliant, and kind, and well mannered, and well…. like I said- pretty much perfect. But just to appease my fellow reading moms, I read the books.

Grace Based Parenting was an easy read and readily challenged the way I look at parenting. The best thing I gleamed from this book was to view my role as a parent to that of a mirror of God’s love. For me, I am a very black -white type of person, good-bad, yes-no, right-wrong. But this book really reclaimed the idea that I need to offer everything I can and all that I believe in a loving and gracious way.

Raising Your Spirited Child was actually longer than I expected but I really took a lot of positives away from this book. Which in fact was a major theme of the book; turning your child’s sometimes negative labels into positive attributes. It also gave some great strategies to use with your more willful child. (But like I said, I don’t have one of these types of kids.) But if you do, this would be a good book for you! ha.  

Then I read Outlander. I actually won it from Genn through a giveaway that she had.  OMG, it was really good… for the first 500 pages. Loved the story line, was enamored with the history and descriptions, couldn’t read it fast enough. Such a good read. The last few chapters were a little outlandish for my tastes but I’m still going to read the next book in the series and I’ve actually already given this book to my MIL to read. Read it, you won’t be dissappointed.

I hate canned refried beans. I do. They gross me out. I usually make beans from scratch, but lately I’ve been looking for all of the short cuts in the kitchen that I can find. Here’s my quick fix.

Canned pinto beans (not refried), rinsed REALLY well.

 

I just smooshed them and added Pepper Jack Cheese. Gotta love the Tillamook!  Its the best. (and I’m not sure why I look like I have lobster claws for a hand???)

Oh, and I forgot the Greeks, since we’re going International here. Made this yummy salad the other night for dinner. Used all of this, tossed it and added a small amount of Greek dressing. It was good. I put grilled chicken on top of Mr. Dunbar’s salad because men need meat.

 

On the bread I used a little butter, I know I know, should have used EVOO. But that was my little cheat, everything else on my plate was a veggie. On top of the butter I sprinkled a little bit of this seasoning, everyone LOVED it.

Hope you’re staying cool in this HOT HOT HOT weather.

~mrs. dunbar