The Mom Squad

Our internet communities have become just as important as our geographic ones these days. People can reach across continents in a split second and touch each other with their words or images.

I often find myself searching for inspiration on the world wide web, after the children go to bed. It is my time to connect with people and refresh my creativity. The other night, while reading a Blog I frequent, I came across a call for help. For action. For Love.

Dana over at MADE wrote about her involvement with the Craft Hope
Pillowcase project. It is a wonderful cause benefiting
children with cancer.

Being a Mom, and someone who sews, I couldn’t just sit this one out. I am working on putting a package together to donate to ConKerr Cancer. This group distributes fun, happy pillowcases to terminally ill children. They have made a huge difference in the lives of so many already. To bring a smile and some small happiness to a family going through something so heart-wrenching, is one of the most important and integral parts of being human. To show compassion. We are nothing without it.

If anyone in Kitsap County would like to join me, leave a comment here with your email address and we can coordinate our efforts.

By using our internet community, we can make a difference in the world we live in!

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~Michelle is a mom of 2 who loves to sew, create, thrift~ and to be a Mom. You can read more about Michelle at her blog Falafel and The Bee (formally Noggin’ Toppers), where she has been blogging and creating since 2008.

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In case you didn’t know it, Kitsap county had its annual fair last week. Such fun! I am here to report a few new items that I and my little 7 year old assistant tried out.

The first big thing that caught our eye was the Walk on Water ride. It was a huge, blow-up pool of water with giant, clear plastic balls for you to get zipped into and live your own best hamster life.

Here’s our footage:

I almost dashed in myself maintained my grown-up demeanor and totally regret it now watched from the sidelines, recording the event for you, dear readers.

I did, however, partake in the grossest of all edible things — this freak of food:

Yes, I ate it, in all its greasy glory.

And however nasty you think that looks, it tasted worse.

stickymushygreasysugaryblandslimy – yeah, that about sums it up.

I agree with Angela that a little savory added to this burger might have made it slightly less disgusting better.

Naturally, showing an unprecedented lack of foresight, we followed up this eating bonanza with some fun, circular, swirling barf-a-rama rides.

Here’s one that was new (at least to us) this year, a hang-glider ride.

The great part about this ride is that you’re already lying flat, face down, which might come in handy for you if you have just eaten one of those donut burgers. *Ahem*

All in all, we had a blast, as usual, at one of our favorite annual events. Hope you did, too! What’d you love? Hate?

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Be sure to visit Wendy at Let the Dog in! where she shares funniness, fact, fiction and photos, and where her dog, Becca, also shares about her dog life, right before she lets herself out. You can find Wendy and Becca both tweeting from time to time. Come, join the conversation!

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But first… when doing a “Top Ten”… does one go from 10 to 1 or from 1 to 10?

I’m gonna count backwards. That way, I can show off my mathiness.

10. The smell. There is this “smell”. It’s not the smell of Fall, but the smell of “Fall is on it’s way.” It’s like the smell of cookies, but nature-ier.

9. New shoes. For mom. I got myself a pair. You should copy me.

8. A sense of “peace is near”… I can do anything for 9 more days. Even be with my own children. I know, I’m a saint.

7. Sunflowers.

6. School lunch snacks in the pantry. This also sucks because I am not a good resister of temptation. *raises fist to curse the Hostess snack cake*

5. The end of guilt is near. At the end of every school year I am so intent… on making sure the kids do some form of school work for X many minutes everyday… and then they will bring world peace. Well, every year I seem to lower my own bar… and at this point a teeny little red ant prolly couldn’t limbo under my intentions. So… back to school means I won’t feel guilty for undoing the previous year’s education.

4. Peace and quiet. Gloray!

3. New backpacks and school supplies. I bought extra so I could have my own stash and feel like a teacher again. I skipped on the denim overall dress though.

2. A break. I love my kids, but kids are work! And much of the summer I have stayed up very late at night to do my own work. Back-to-school means I may be able to get to bed before 1 a.m. and finish the bulk of my “work life” while they are busy with learning.

1. I love Fall. And my birthday is in the Fall. So… bring it, and by “it”, I mean PRESENTS.

But enough about ME… Why do YOU look forward to “back-to-school”?

- Jenny is a scattered mom of 3 who loves to dance, spray glitter, and dreams of being famous… You can read more about Jenny at her blog Jenny On The Spot, where she has been telling tales of maternal defeat and digression since 2004. You can also find her on Twitter.

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-Stacey is a mom of two and a wife of one who likes her family (good thing), traveling, reading celebrity gossip (I’m not ashamed), and cooking. You can read more about her and the crew at her blog Oh Happy Days.

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I just celebrated my Birthday yesterday. Growing up, I always knew when Summer was ending because it was Birthday time. I even got school supplies for presents. But that’s another story.

As a parent, I see the signs. Literally. Signs in stores for School supplies, Fall clothing,  and New Shoes with buckles. Even though the weather hasn’t changed, we know it’s coming.

I remember having very clear feelings when it came to this. But now, I find myself torn between wanting my kids around all the time and really needing that break.

Honestly, I am enjoying our loose schedule and free-spirited activities (not to forget all the great produce that comes with Summer). At the same time, I also enjoy the schedules and activities that happen in the Fall. See? Torn.

I understand why there are so many people who Home-school or Un-school. What freedom! Then again, would it mean as much if it weren’t ending? Like having Christmas every day. Not so much fun.

I’m feeling like an emotional yo-yo.

So here we are with *gasp* just a few more weeks before our Summer ends, and I am hanging on with one hand. We are eating as much corn as we can, and being outside soaking up that sun, and laughing with each other and friends. Sand in our toes and chlorine in our hair. Oh and Bubbles. Blowing lots of bubbles cause that is really one of the best things to do.

I am putting off buying supplies and clothing for a bit longer.

I suppose living in the moment is the best…for now.

What will you do to keep Summer a little longer?

Are you ready for School to begin?

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-Michelle is a mom of 2 who loves to sew, create, thrift~ and to be a Mom. You can read more about Michelle at her blog Falafel and The Bee (formally Noggin’ Toppers), where she has been blogging and creating since 2008.

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We have many signs of summer in this region of the country, longer daylight hours: less rain, noisy, bobnoxious kids home from school, and bright yellow Goldfinches at the feeders.

But this is my all-time favorite Sign of Summer:

And it’s right here on Bainbridge Island (although there are other, delicious places for U-Pick berries in the area, too).

When I see that sign, I know it invariably leads to this:

A bit of red heavenly goodness. Okay, maybe more than just a bit.

Mmmmmmmmmm.

What are your favorite things to do with these little bits of heaven? Do you have some other favorite sign of summer?

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Be sure to visit Wendy at Let the Dog in! where she shares funniness, fact, fiction and photos, and where her dog, Becca, also shares about her dog life, right before she lets herself out. You can find Wendy and Becca both tweeting from time to time. Come, join the conversation!

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Keep up with new posts by subscribing to our Mom Squad RSS feed (it’s free!).

And don’t forget to join our Facebook fan page! It’s where all the cool kids are hanging out… It’s true.

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The Fourth of July is upon us! Independence day. So that means fireworks.

Me and Fireworks have always had a Love/Hate relationship. Except not the Love part. They are Loud, Dangerous, and Stinky. So there. I said it.

It began many moons ago when I saw fireworks with my family. I was the kid with her fingers in her ears, wincing every time something exploded. I asked every few seconds if we could leave, and was holding my breath, waiting until it stopped. A special kind of torture really. It hasn’t changed.

Now, though, I get to calm my youngest down in the middle of the night when someone chooses to “celebrate” at 2:00 am with some rip roaring fireworks. Right. Outside. Our. Window. *blinking eyes*

I realize I am in the minority, but totally fit right in with most dogs. I met a woman yesterday who was driving to Canada with her dog, to avoid the noise because said dog was freaked out. Smart Lady.

The day after is always filled with strewn firecracker remnants, and stories of children losing limbs. UGH. There must be a better way to show our patriotism, no?

On the upside of the holiday, there is a general feeling of camaraderie with fellow countrymen (and women) and passion for this country in which we live. People march in parades and gather to share food and music and pride. Lovely.

I like that part.

So have a great, safe Independence Day today~however you choose to celebrate it!

I’ll be the one under the bed with the dogs.

Photo Credit: pdphoto.org

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-Michelle is a mom of 2 who loves to sew, create, thrift~ and to be a Mom. You can read more about Michelle at her blog Falafel and The Bee (formally Noggin’ Toppers), where she has been blogging and creating since 2008.

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One of my earliest memories is of when I was five years old and unfortunately it isn’t a happy memory.  I vividly remember my mom setting me up on top of the washing machine and telling me that my grandfather had passed away.  Her father.  Growing up I never really thought of not having a grandfather.  My dad’s dad was still alive when I was young, but my dad is the second youngest of eight so by the time I could really remember he was elderly and his health was failing.

However, now that I have my own children I often wonder what it would have been like to have a grandfather that was active in my life.  Luckily my two girls (and subsequently my brother’s two boys) are able to experience this joy.  My dad is very active in their lives and we love him for it.  He is the only grandfather the girls have since they don’t know their paternal grandfather.  We are lucky that my mom and dad only live two states away…a relatively easy drive, an easy flight.  We are lucky that we get to see them at least every 4 months or so and that the girls get to spend quality time with their Papa. 

Papa is a cowboy and when we go to Montana the girls enjoy riding horses, helping feed the cows, and attending “Nana and Papa Horse and Cow Camp”…by themselves…for a whole week.

Papa is handy.  Whenever he comes to visit us we have a “Papa Do” list at the ready.  Papa loves his girls…the grown up one and the still growing ones.  Papa is creating memories with my girls that I didn’t get to have and for that I will be forever grateful.

I have always believed that I am the mother that I am because of my own mother’s influence.  I also believed that I chose the man I married because I knew what true love looked like.  I chose a man that loves his own girls just as much as I was (and still am) loved by my own father.  So on this upcoming Father’s Day I want to take a moment to say “I love you Dad and THANK YOU for being such a wonderful Papa!”

-Stacey is a mom of two and a wife of one who likes her family (good thing), traveling, reading celebrity gossip (I’m not ashamed), and cooking. You can read more about her and the crew at her blog Oh Happy Days.

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This speaks for itself. Enjoy…

- Jenny is a scattered mom of 3 who loves to dance, spray glitter, and dreams of being famous… You can read more about Jenny at her blog Jenny On The Spot, where she has been telling tales of maternal defeat and digression since 2004. You can also find her on Twitter.

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Our area is rich in things to do with the Family. One of our favorites is visiting our local Farmer’s Market (where we have a booth as well as support the local artists and farmers). Lately, though, Mr. Sun hasn’t been cooperating with us, and decided it is going to hide a bit longer. We decided this past Memorial Day weekend to do something to exercise our muscles and brains where we can all wear really cool shoes...inside.

Wanna guess?

I think you’ve got it.

Bowling!

We had so much fun. I always forget. It is something I did as a child all of the time (that and rollerskating). Our girls really enjoy it. Even our 4 year old is able to play. And there are usually minimal injuries. Key, really.

We each have our very unique styles. My husband is a serious Bowler (was on a League as a child~hmph) and is the only one of us to ever get a Strike. Our older daughter launches the ball haphazardly (always fun to watch from behind a chair). Our youngest puts the ball on the ground between her legs and pushes it as hard as she can (This is like intermission. You get up, go to the restroom, get a snack. It can take a while for the ball to actually reach the pins). I, myself, have a unique Ballet-esque style where my right leg goes up behind me high in the air, and my upper body gets dangerously close to the ground. For some reason, this gets a lot of laughs. I think it is the epitome of Grace. But that’s just me *shrugging shoulders*

Whatever gets the ball to the pins, no matter what the style, works.

Love that game.

What do you do for fun when the weather isn’t ideal?

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-Michelle is a mom of 2 who loves to sew, create, thrift~ and to be a Mom. You can read more about Michelle at her blog Falafel and The Bee (formally Noggin’ Toppers), where she has been blogging and creating since 2008.

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Keep up with news posts by subscribing to our RSS feed (it’s free!). And don’t forget to join our Facebook fan page! It’s where all the cool kids are hanging out… It’s true.

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