Car Games

When you're on a 12 hour car drive (that takes 13 1/2 hours), you get bored. You get tired of listening to music and run out of interesting things to talk about.

At about the 9 hour point of our drive, we'd hit the wall and Mr. Bean and I started playing our new game: Name movies that __________.

Name movies that have a cornfield chase scene.
Joyride
X-Files: Fight the Future
Signs
North By Northwest

Name movies that take place largely in a hotel.
Joyride
Vacancy
Identity
Psycho
Home Alone 2

Name movies where the car won't start.
Joyride
Vacancy
Back to the Future (1)
Final Destination
The Glass House

We did several more categories than this, but the first 3 categories all had Joyride in them which was pretty funny to us. Can you add more movies to any of these categories?

Road Trip

Our bucket-o-fun is packed, our bags are packed and the car is gassed up.

We are leaving this morning for Nashville to attend a wedding but spending the long weekend with my parents in Huntsville, Alabama! String Bean helped pack our bags last night and brought us clothing as well as her library books and homemade paper plate noise makers.

While you are at work, waiting for your husband to return from work or just going crazy because of your children be thankful you are not on a 12 hour road trip.

Just We Moms on Twitter

Well, Just We Moms is on Twitter! If you tweet, we'd love to follow you!

www.twitter.com/justwemoms

Purging 101

On the heels of us cleaning out our storage, here are my tips for getting rid of extra stuff you don't need:

• If you haven't used it in a year, get rid of it.
• If you must keep some sentimental things from your childhood because your mother sold all your Star Wars action figures, decide in advance to limit it to one or two boxes and stick to it. (Boy, I hope Mr. Bean reads this!)
• Consider giving a treasured item you haven't used for over a year to someone who can really use it. Although it is great to give your extras to charity, if you're like me and you have a really hard time getting rid of something of sentimental value, you may find it easier to part with the item if you give it to a friend who can use it so you know it is being appreciated.
• Have limited storage space like we do and you'll be forced to part with things you don't use!
  

R.I.P. Walter Payton

It is with great sadness that I report to you the passing of Walter Payton the chinchilla. A funeral service and interment will be held at the home of a family friend tonight around 8 pm. Walter was a good chinchilla. He only chewed up a few of our things. String Bean loved feeding him. Mr. Bean loved caring for him. He will be missed.

Walter Payton April 2006 to July 27, 2009

Ironically, like his namesake, Walter died at a very young age for a chinchilla.

County Fair Recap

Tonight the county fair ended. Although I always enjoy the week, I am always happy to see it end, too! It just gets tiring to go every day. One advantage to going to the fair on a daily basis this year was watching String Bean go from terrified and fearful of the animals at the petting zoo to becoming comfortable with the animal movements and noises and finally today seeing her get thrilled to pet the calf, goats and bunny.

As we look forward to next year, we are already thinking about photos we'd like to take, crafts we will consider making, and the delicacies only found at the fair we will enjoy!

Story Time Programs

Today was the final day of String Bean's story time class at the public library. We will definitely be signing her up for the class again for a few reasons.

The most important reason is socialization. Although she didn't spend a lot of time playing with other kids, she did spend a lot of time interacting with other kids. Whether she was having toys or books stolen from her or stealing from them, she was starting to learn about interacting with her peers. In my brief experience as a teacher, I found many of the preschool and kindergarten students spent a considerable time learning to socialize with their peers. What better way to help String Bean get a jump start on school than to encourage socialization at a young age?

The other really important thing about the program was its repetitiveness. As one of the librarians said to us the first week, "Parents, this repetitiveness may seem boring to you, but the predictability is thrilling for your child." As the time went on, I saw how true this was. Class always opened with the "Choo-Choo" song. Besides having to sing it over and over at home, String Bean giggled with delight when it was time to start story time and the song began. Today, on our way in, she made the baby sign for book and immediately started the choo-choo sounds of the song. When I said, "Yes, we are going to go sing the Choo-Choo song!" String Bean picked up her pace toward the Children's department of the library.

If you are looking for something to do with your child, I highly suggest your local public library as a resource for wonderful literacy programs that are free! (My favorite 4 letter word!)

Christmas in July

Anyone who knows me even slightly, knows that I am a huge disorganized mess who does everything at the last minute. However, this year, now that I have turned all crafty, I'm planning on making Christmas presents. This requires planning and time. So I'm starting now. This morning I spent over 2 glorious hours at JoAnn Fabrics and my mind is filled with ideas and patterns that just need to be expressed. I used coupons, too!

Fair Recap Day 1

We went to the fair today mainly to see how we did in the photo contest. Mr. Bean ended up with 7 ribbons and a special ribbon (judge's choice) which really means nothing except getting a second ribbon with his first prize. I ended up with 6 ribbons. That means roughly 1 in 3 of my entries got a prize. Not bad.

We also found Los Lobos was playing the concert and sat in on a few numbers. It was free this year (although general entry fee is much higher this year presumably to cover the cost of the free evening entertainment).

String Bean enjoyed "Ag-venture Land" which is the kiddie play area with all agricultural-type exhibits. Her favorite was riding the kiddie tractors around the course and harvesting "eggs" and "apples" from the fake hens and fake trees. She also enjoyed the petting zoo. Really, what kid wouldn't?

I picked up some local honey to help aid me in my allergies. We do it all again tomorrow. Perhaps there will be a new adventure awaiting us!

Attention: Mothers of Boys

All you out there who are mothers of boys. Yes, you in the back! I'm talking to you too. Listen up. This is a very important public service announcement*:

Do not, I repeat, do not give your young sons cigarette lighters as toys. They will get together with other boys their age and take turns burning one another.

I don't care how great your son is with a lighter. I don't care if your child has a fire safety certificate to prove it. His friends are likely to burn one another, catch clothes on fire and burn down the whole park, building, fort, forest...

Just. Don't. Do. It.

*This public service announcement brought to you by the four boys burning one another with lighters on the midway of the fairgrounds today while passersby dropped off their various baked goods, crafts, animals and other items to show. (And while a van nearly hit them because they were chasing one another around threatening to burn one another, but that's another PSA about the hazards of driving down the midway at the fairgrounds.)