JOIE de VIVRE

we actually had another pretty good weekend considering we have been staying home a lot lately. however, we finally have ryan and jacob for a week now, right before they go back to school. jason and the rest of the munchkins went to get them on friday and gave mommy some alone time for awhile. i was able to throw in a second workout for the day and just relax. it felt pretty weird. 

..........

saturday, my mom and i took the girls back to school shopping at the mall. i hate going to the mall, we almost never go, but they pretty much have everything they need for back to school, except for a few small things. i am so grateful that my mom helped me out this year with the girls' stuff. schools seem to be asking for more and more every year. not to mention, all the money put in throughout the school year. mackenzie had 3 field trips last year and each one came with a $80 fee to go. phoenix and tyler had several as well, including one that was an "in school" field trip that cost $5. what kind of crap is that? 

..........

after sitting down and planning my grocery trip on sunday, i suddenly got the urge to get out of the house...more so that going to the grocery store. so, a spur of the moment trip to the lake turned out to be a super fun day for us. we actually only live about 15 minutes from the lake, but we ventured over to the dam area where there are hiking trails, a playground, and river access. we hiked up to the top of the falls lake dam and back down to the water's edge, let them play on the playground and then hiked back down to the river where an impromptu swim session took place after tyler fell face first into the water. we clearly weren't dressed for swimming but no one seemed to mind. i will be sharing more photos of our adventure throughout the week, but for now, check out this video!

on our way home, we decided it was best to end our day of fun with hot dogs and s'mores on the fire pit. we already have plans to go back sometime soon.

how was your weekend? tell me something awesome you did!

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: sixcherries

sunflowers

on my morning run yesterday, i noticed that all the sunflowers on the sunflower farm near our house were finally bloomed, so i decided to take the kids for a walk to see them. they really were a beautiful sight, but we almost couldn't even enjoy them because the sweltering sun and heat practically melted us away on the walk there.

i will be honest, i cheated and used auto to take these (which i never do anymore) because it was super hot and so bright, and  i just didn't want to be fiddling with the settings. but, i will definitely be going back when the sun isn't so high in the sky and the heat is a little more tolerable. 

however, elijah had no complaints the whole time because he was being pushed from behind on his trike. i am pretty sure he said "let's go again!" while i laid dying on the floor when we returned back home.

linking up with the paper mama, angry julie monday, and sarah halstead for wordless wednesday. 

 

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: sixcherries

my 25 favorite summer movies

in november and december, i watch christmas movies, during october i watch horror movies, and during june, july, and august, i LOVE summer movies (pretty much anything with pools, beaches, and fun in the sun). there is nothing better than spending a day in the sun and then coming home to the air condition, taking a shower, putting on your pj's, and cuddling up on the couch to watch a great movie.

grown ups (pg-13) 2010

25 summer movies that i recommend:

1. blue crush
2. point break
3. dirty dancing
4. summer rental
5. the great outdoors
6. one crazy summer
7. weekend at bernie's
8. into the blue
9. soul surfer
10. the pool boys
11. dolphin tale
12. rv
13. pirates of the caribbean 
14. now and then
15. love wrecked
16. shag
17. finding nemo
18. lilo and stitch
19. beaches
20. just go with it
21. grown ups
22. free willy
23. couples retreat
24. 50 first dates
25. cheaper by the dozen 2

a great combination of movies for all ages. i am a sucker for movies filled with crazy, corny, hilarious one-liners and there are quite a few of those in there as well. highlighted movies are my top 10. check imbd for movie ratings and more info. about each movie.


what is your favorite summer movie?

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: mamacherry

our 4th of july

we spent our 4th of july staying cool at the pool. we have had some super hot 100+ degree temps here in NC lately and have been spending a lot of time indoors keeping cool. we knew it was time to get outside and enjoy some of the beautiful and HOT weather, so what better way to do so than to hang out at the pool. 

the pool we always go to is about 30 minutes away from out house, but they have a great kid's pool that my kids love. their kid's pool is HUGE and is no deeper than 2 feet all the way across. plus, they allow you to bring your own water toys. i also love that there is an indoor pool as well. it actually started thundering and raining breifly while we were there, so we just went inside until the storm passed. 

this pool also allows food and drinks, so we packed quick snack and drinks to take with us to hold us over until dinner. so many pools have such strict rules and only want you to buy the food they have for sale, just to make a few extra bucks. although the basic rules are pretty solid and lifeguards are on constant duty, i don't feel like i am being ripped off. it cost us $10 for all of us to get in for a full day of fun. 

today we are being lazy and recuperating from all the sun and fun. i actually got sunburned on my back. ouch!

are you still recovering from your 4th of july fun?

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: mamacherry

summer learning fun: water

i don't know if it's because they are still in the first stages of school, but phoenix and tyler hated to see school end this year. most kids are so excited for summer fun, but they would rather have just stayed in school and learn...especially phoenix. she nearly had a panic attack the last day of school.

so, since we are on a super tight budget this year, and our summer fun will consist of a whole lot of at home time, or activities we can find around our area, i decided to bring school to them...in a sense.

at least once a day they will have an opportunity to do some practice work (think worksheets..oh fun!) to keep their brain fine tuned over the summer so they don't forget any of the stuff they learned. not quite my idea of fun but they LOVE it!

on top of all those super fun worksheets, there will be a "theme" of the week and lots of activities that go along with that theme. and plus also, there will be craft activities, trips to the library, and whatever else i can think of.

the themes are pretty simple because i want elijah to be able to participate as much as he can as well. this week's theme is WATER. and although water play will definitely be a big part of our summer, we started off our theme with water table play.

wanna know something science-y you can teach children about water without getting all hydrology nerdish?

another way to say water is... H2O!

HA! how easy is that? 

okay, so back to the water table...

i decided against a kiddie pool this year because they are a lot to maintain. the water gets gross after one day, they are hard to dump, and they last about one season. this water table has been a big hit for us so i am happy to stick with this instead. and besides, if they really want to get wet, we will be going swimming at a local pool from time to time.

what are you doing this summer to keep your kids learning while still having fun?

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: mamacherry

sponge balls

last summer i saw these on summer's blog, crosbie crew during her boys of summer series. i had it in the back of my head to pick up sponges every time we went to the store, but every time i got sidetracked and forgot.

this year, i finally added them to our 2012 spring and summer bucket list and picked up two packs of sponges at target for just a dollar each the other day.

let me just say that these have been a big hit around our house. several times now, the kids have gone outside to have sponge ball water fights.

here is summer's quick sponge ball tutorial. be sure to check out all of her other boy's of summer activities as well.

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: mamacherry

You might also like:

my 2012 spring & summer bucket list

 

to celebrate today being the first day of spring, i decided to go ahead and get a jump start on my spring and summer bucket list. it's no secret that i absolutely love the spring and summer. once november hits every year, i am pretty much already wishing for spring already.

although spring has come way too early this year, i am not complaining. the last couple of weeks have been amazing and i can't wait to dive into some fun activities with the hubs and kids.

here are all the things i hope to accomplish this spring and summer:

1.  read one book a month. or more.
2.  go at least one day a month with no tv. music is a must though.
3.  movie marathons: harry potter, lord of the rings, christmas in july, x-men, resident evil
4.  crafts: canvas painting, family dates wall art, fort kit
5.  go to the beach and build a sandcastle
6.  get a tan
7.  make homemade popsicles
8.  exercise for 30 days in a row
9.  have a picnic
10.  play in the rain
11.  make homemade lemonade
12.  hang out at the pool as much as possible
13.  pedicures and manicures with my girls (a couple times a month would be great)
14.  pullen park day
15.  cook out on the grill a lot. these sound good: shish kabobs, hamburgers, grilled corn
16.  busch gardens days
17.  built an indoor fort
18.  roast marshmallows over a fire and make s'mores
19.  sidewalk chalk artwork
20.  christmas in july with homemade gifts only
21.  oil pastel hair with my girls
22.  geocaching
23.  put a puzzle together with the kids
24.  drive-in movies
25.  buy fruits and veggies at the farmer's market
26.  make spongeballs and have a fight
27.  make ziplock bag icecream
28.  go on lots of walks
29.  plant tomatoes
30.  have "dessert first dinner"
31.  have a family game night
32.  make root beer floats


if i come up with any more, i will be sure to add them to the list. i would love to see what you come up with too. if you do a bucket list, please share the link in the comments and i will check it out.

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: mamacherry

settling into summer

none of us really wanted to trade our yearly trip for a new A/C unit, but that's what grown ups do right?

making responsible decisions stinks!

now that we have had to cancel our summer vacation for something much "cooler", we have begun to accept that just because we won't be going away doesn't mean we can't have fun right here at home.

already, we have been spending a lot of time on our back porch and in the kiddie pool. a whole summer of fun for just $19.95 and 2 hours of lung power to blow it up. actually, i cheated, so it was more like 30 minutes of huffing and puffing, 5 minutes of thinking, and another 10 minutes of my hair dryer on the cool setting.

elijah is the splasher, phoenix is the relaxer, and tyler...good gosh, the child thinks she's a deep sea diver in the middle of the atlantic ocean. she is definitely my little ramona quimby.

summer is the season of birthdays around here as well. just yesterday was mackenzie's birthday and then in august comes elijah and tyler. i can hardly believe elijah is nearly two. how quickly he has grown from a dependent newborn to a little person.

his latest loves...trains, blueberries, and being naked.

 

he loves these awesome snacks from crispy green too. 100% fruit...freeze-dried fruit. no sugars, preservatives, or anything fake added. great for on the go (or hanging out by the pool)!

as long as he has these he will eat any fruit. on most days he won't eat any kind of fruit except blueberries, bananas, and cantaloupe. with these, he will eat them all. you seriously need to run out and get crispy green snacks for your little picky eater!

while jason is still away working out of town, we have enjoyed sleeping curled up together in our living room floor and have even knocked out a few bucket list items including a wizard of oz slumber party. we are already planning our christmas in july for next month and are really looking forward to it.

we won't make it far this summer, but together we will make it fun!

what do you do around your house or in your town that doesn't cost a lot of money and keeps your family active during the summer?

 *all photos taken with my point and shoot.

Follow my blog with bloglovin

my 2011 spring & summer bucket list

last year i did a summer bucket list, and although i feel like i did accomplish most of what i put on my list, i wanted to get a head start this year on the things i want to accomplish most. i am usually more productive when the days are longer, the sun is shining, and the weather is warm.

and if you come here often, you know i'm a list maker, so if i see it in a list and i can check it off, then i tend to get it done a lot faster.

my time frame will be from may 1 - september 1.

my 2011 spring & summer bucket list

1. read at least 10 books
2. lose 10 lbs. a month
3. go back to church at least 2 sundays a month (preferably more)
4. hand write at least 4 letters
5. see at least one movie a month at the drive-in
6. take a busch gardens/water country usa trip once a month
7. go fishing
8. go on a picnic
9. cook hot dogs and smores with friends in our fire pit
10. grow a veggie garden
11. family game night at least once a month
12. christmas in july with handmade gifts only
13. movie marathons: 

• slumber party with my girls and the wizard of oz
• lord of the rings movie marathon
• harry potter marathon
• watch the entire dawson's creek series
• christmas in july movie marathon

as i continue come up with more ideas, i will update this list. i may even add a few that i didn't get to on last year's list to this year's list. i will have a link at the top and in my sidebar if you are interested.

if you create a list also, be sure to let me know. i would love to read it. we just might inspire each other with new ideas.

feel free to grab the image above and use it for your bucket list also.

Follow my blog with bloglovin

wordless wednesday - unplanned moments like this...

come link up with me!