The Home of the Brave

One of my favorite places in Baltimore: Fort McHenry. It has such an incredible history and an amazing view! It's so fun to share it with my kids now.

Taking a Pass on Grants Pass

Job hunting is miserable. The upside: traveling to new places! Here's our trip to Grants Pass, Ore., which we LOVED. Unfortunately, the job wasn't quite what we were looking for, so the hunt continues.


We flew into Medford on this cute little plane.

Our first stop after leaving the airport was to find the Medford temple.

The Rogue River runs through Grants Pass. Our hotel was right on the riverfront. And we went on a speedboat tour down the river that was tons of fun! (Although it took me forever to untangle my hair afterwards...) We saw a bald eagle, ospreys, and other wildlife.

There are bears all over town for the tourists. This one in front of our hotel had an interesting wardrobe.

We had a nice time, but it was nice to come home to our kids! Thanks to Gma and Gpa for taking such good care of them while we were gone.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Every summer, my husband takes Snappy to a baseball game. This time, Noodle was old enough to come along too.

They ride into town on the train...




And explore Camden Yards....




And eat lots of junk food.




Oh yes! They also watch a baseball game. Go Orioles!

Art Hour

Clearance-aisle painting project = $6
2 hours of kids completely self-entertained = priceless.

Reading Never Tasted So Good

Step 1: Place books on floor.
Step 2: Place small treat atop each book.
Step 3: Tell kids if they want the treat, they must read the book.

Result: Mom gets 20 minutes of peace and quiet.

Noodle sums it up: "This is the best game ever!!"

Princess Party -- Just for Fun

My good friend Tynley has a fabulous habit of throwing parties -- for no reason. That's right, it doesn't have to be someone's birthday, she just wants to party anyway. And we're more than happy to comply. A couple years ago, she invited us over for a princess party, and it was such a hit, she decided to do it again this summer.

So my girls put on their favorite princess dress-ups joined the festivities. Tynley had costume jewelry for them to put on and sparkly crowns to adorn their heads:



She even had manly crowns and knight armor for Mr. Monkey and the two other boys who came along with their princess sisters.



There was a beauty station, where the girls got their hair done and their nails painted. And there were games, such as trying to walk like a princess with a book balanced on your head. Check out Snappy. Such poise! Such balance! Such beauty!



They also rolled out a big sheet of paper and let the kids draw castles, fairies and whatever else struck their fancy. But everything came to a halt when a ladybug joined the party. We made it an honorary princess. After all, it is a lady!



To top it off, there was a colorful pinata...that was apparently made of steel. I think the kids spent a half hour beating this thing, and it got nary a dent. Finally, Tynley pulled it down and pried it open, revealing ring pops and candy necklaces and bracelets. Yum.



A lovely time was had by all, as demonstrated by my demure little princess:

Grilled Twinkies & Other Things That Make This Country Great

Ah, July 4th. A day to celebrate and count our blessings we enjoy in this wonderful country.
To name a few...

Slip 'n' Slides...

Family and friends...

Poolside hunks...

Our freedom...

Cedar-plank grilled Twinkies smothered in Nuttella, marshmallows and Oreo cookies
(only in the U.S.A!)...

And, of course, our right to blow things up for fun.

Happy Independence Day, everyone!