If I leave something in the pantry long enough...

Sooner or later I'll get around to making it.  This weekend we finally tried out these cupcakes.

Fairly easy to make, and pretty yummy as well.  Daughter LOVED helping to bake these.
BTW, they're all gone.  Food Lion did not have these on the shelf when I did my shopping yesterday.  I hope Betty Crocker still offers this product.

Distraction

I have been attempting to establish a meditation practice.  I did a 28 day online program via Yoga Journal, and recently purchased an app for my kindle fire called insight timer which is pretty cool.  You can set you preferred length of time, choose from a variety of start and finish bells and even have interval bells.
This morning right after I started the timer I heard my daughter get out of bed.  She rattled around in her room, or the bathroom or the hedgehog's bedroom.  (yes, hedgie the hedgehog has her own room) Within 3 minutes or so, she comes into my room.
I briefly tell her, "I'm meditating, wait for the timer to finish."
She takes a seat near me on the floor.  For about 30 seconds.  From there she climbs onto the bed an fidgets around a bit.  At some point she turns on the TV and continues to whistle and fidget and be as distracting as possible.
When the timer finally chimed, I turn to her and say: "That was very distracting."
She says: "What?  The bell?"

This is great!

Oh, dear.

I've been a bad blogger.  No posts in a year or better?  At some point, it will be time to stop MommyBlogging because my daughter will want her privacy.  That doesn't change the fact that she is awesome.
We're getting ready for Mayra to start 3rd grade.  We left the public school system in favor of Caravel Academy, a smallish private school near our home.
Our big, big news is that Mayra has her own horse now.

How did this happen?



She had gotten to a point with her riding where once a week lessons weren't advancing her skills, what she needed was more riding time.  That pushes us into leasing or buying, and with leasing it's still somebody else's horse, and if the kid gets attached and they decide not to lease any longer, or if they sell the horse, then your child will be devastated, so right or wrong, we dived into horse ownership a bit earlier than we had initially planned on.  We found a good barn, and we get good help which we appreciate so much.

recent pics

My baby is growing up. Sniff.

It's been a quick, cold winter so far at our house. Christmas break went by in the blink of an eye. Mayra is still enjoying her violin lessons even though she would rather not practice most nights. She has told me she misses her old school, and wanted me to scan and email a copy of her collage bunny to the art teacher at last year's school, so that Miss Diane could see that she still does collages. It really makes me sad to have such a bright daughter dislike school as much as she does. Some mornings (like today) she doesn't even want to get out of the car. Maybe next year will be better.

It's already time to start planning for summer camp. So far, there is a farmers helpers camp nearby that sounds good, and it would be great to find a riding camp. Not sure what else we will get into. Would like for her to do a cooking camp, but we shall see.

Something I never, ever did...

Teacher sent home a note last week inviting me to the award assembly because Mayra would be receiving an award for Citizenship. Imagine my surprise when she alo got an award for math. I was never, ever good at math.

So here's the funny part. Mayra had asked over the weekend what she would be getting for her award. I said probably a piece fo paper, or maybe just a pat on the back and an "atta girl."

Her thoughts?

"Well I guess a trophy would be out of the question."

I'm really happy that she is doing so well, but felt kinda sad for the kids that didn't get a certificate. Maybe next time.

Recent Artwork

What is she doing?

The picture doesn't really capture it, but last night Mayra was playing with the cat using a piece of shoe lace. Next thing I know, she gets one of her kid sized chairs and is putting on a fearless display of kitty taming.
She had her first bad fall from the pony last week. She was able to walk it off and get back on the pony. After school yesterday we returned for a lesson and she didn't seem to be afraid. Myself? I wasn't doing so well, because I know all too well we were so lucky. They did some trotting, but were really practicing STOPPING the pony. Must have did trot and stop 20 times. I asked if she had fun and she said yes. Asked if she was scared, she said no. Told her if she ever was scared, or not having fun anymore we would take a break. She still wants to ride.
In spite of a long day, she had a great violin lesson last night. She is just starting but she really picks things up quickly. and remembers from week to week in spite of trying to get out of practicing.
This morning she was up before dawn with a snuffy nose, I gave her some dimetapp and let her sleep. She said her throat hurt, so she missed the classroom party at school. Next week school is closed all week.

Where does the time go? Mayra started first grade in August, her first experience with public school. The jury is still out on whether or not this is a good fit, but after a rough start, she seems to be getting used to it.

Her class took a field trip to Milburn Orchards, it was interesting and fun.

My daughter LOVES Halloween, to the point where thinking of Halloween costumes is a year round activity. This year she looked so cute bopping around the neighborhood in her poodle skirt and saddle shoes.

She is still taking riding lessons with the awesome Miss Tricia, it makes me nervous, but she has been working on trotting with no hands and no sturrups.

We got in one last trip to Dutch Wonderland, the kids seem to love pretending to milk the cow. Who could have predicted that?

Late Summer Pics

Summer went by in a flash. We made a quick trip to Tennessee to see Grandma, she celebrated her 99th birthday earlier in August. On the way home we saw a cool two hump camel at Virginia Safari Park near Natural Bridge.

A baby giraffe was born at Philly Zoo in July, we were excited to see her when she was about one month old.

Off to try and straighten out Mayra's school registration issues, wish me luck.

Some things are just not appropriate.

I fail to see why someone would attempt to post a comment with a trackback to soft porn on a mommy blog.

They don't call me Bumble Mom for nothing

Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear.
Mayra normally loves a good birthday party. She was invited to a party for one of the boys from her kindergarten class, I asked if she wanted to go, and at first she said yes, then she said no. I was lazy about the RSVP, I assumed if I didn't answer that would mean no. Writing this, I realize that the polite thing would have been to respond either way, but I digress.
I got at least 2 phone calls, and 3 emails reminding me of the party, and I felt like I would be hurting the other Mom's feelings if we didn't go, so I convinced Mayra that one of her favorite friends from kindy probably would go, but now it turns out she probably won't be there. Evidently, so far the mom has only heard from two of the kindy parents.
What have I done? Daughter hasn't even started first grade yet and I'm already ruining her social life.
Smack me.

I sort of knew that already...

I occasionally log on to Spark People because I need to eat better, exercise more and lose some weight. It's been an ongoing battle for years now, because I dislike exercise, and I'm too lazy to eat well.
Anyhow, I just tracked one day's worth of eating, and it emblazoned the cold hard truth across my display.
My insistence on drinking regular cola drinks adds significant calories to my food intake. I tend not to eat enough protein, I push the envelope on fat, and take in way too many carbs, which I think is also soda-related.
I tried to get up early enough to exercise this morning, but darling daughter could sense that I was up and about, so she came down the steps in less than 10 minutes.

Big BUmble Mom thumbs up!

This is the Wave Jr, an affordable sit-on kayak for kids. I got it on sale at Dick's Sporting Goods, $99 for the kayak with a paddle. It only weighs 20 pounds or so, fits inside my car, and my 6 yr old hopped on in the pool, and was paddling with ease within a minute or two. It is stable enough for the child to stand on, so as a bonus, it becomes a makeshift paddle board.

What a pleasure to buy a product that does what it's supposed to do.

Time for the big slide!

At the Y, you have to be 48" tall to use the big slide, or you have to pass the swim test for a green armband. Mayra was amazing during her swim test tonight, the private swim lessons paid off. She got her money's worth, she must have got on the slide 40 times or more.

"I'm TELLING you..."

Daughter's newest favorite phrase is "I'm telling you." It works at the beginning middle and end of sentence.

shoulda took a picture

The other night I cooked dinner for us and Mom and Dad, actually cleaned off the table and set it with real dishes and cutlery.
Turned out pretty nice if I don't say so myself.
So how does one dirty two dishwasher loads of dishes cooking one simple meal?

Last night we tried out the family fun pool at the y. It was nice, Mayra loved it. I was hoping she would play with other kids, but it wasn't happening last night. On the way out to the car, she was walking along laughing because she would take 3-4 steps, fart, 3-4 steps, fart again. A fairly pleasant looking man was observing this and laughing about it, then wouldn't you know, she decides it's OK to blame me for the gaseous emissions. It REALLY wasn't me.
We have birthday parties this Saturday and next, plus the infamous dance recital next weekend. Uh, oh, Elizabeth's bday party might conflict with the Saturday matinee. Hmmm. I know Mayra will be heartbroken if we miss the party. We'll just have to see what happens.

Duly chastised.

They had a last day of school party at kindergarten this past Wednesday. Two of Mayra's classmates overheard me calling my daughter "Baby."
Have you ver been lectured by not one, but TWO six year olds?
"Why do you call her Baby? She's not a baby. She's getting ready for first grade!"

The cat ate my avocado plant

...and Mayra got flubber in her hair. I managed to comb it out, but we still need to shampoo tomorrow.
Today we had a bowling bday party to go to for a kindy classmate, went swimming at the Y because it was hot outside, and had dinner with Mom and Dad.
Tomorrow she insists she wants to see the bloodsucker exhibit at DE natural History. Leeches and whatnot. Sounds yucko to me, but it's close and it' s cheap.