The Evening the Lights Went Out in Spring Mount

We have been having an intense heat wave lately. The temps have been over 100 degrees. I have lost track of how many days in a row it has been. Even with the air on, it has been 77 in here. Well, out goes the lights. Off goes the air. The only thing you hear is the beeping of the backup sump pump.

Thankfully the storm had lower the temp outside somewhat. So we decided to load the kids up and just drive, with no real destination.

We drove around aimlessly. We drove past the power plant.

They are making power, but none for me. :(

As we drove around we ended up way out, somewhere we never were before. I couldn't believe we found the Village of the Yellow House. And guess what, HERE is the yellow house. I know this has been on everyone's mind, Just where is the house of the Village of the Yellow house.

By 8:00 we were all starving. The kids got a special treat. We stopped off at Burger King.

We came home to lights, a hot house, and sleepy kids. It was a fun time.

Bowling

We love bowling. On Friday, it was so humid and sticky and hot and just nasty outside. We were all home, bored and the kids were starting to nit pick each other. We jumped in the car and headed out to find something to do. We ended up at the bowling alley. We had a great time. Here are a few shots from us hanging out.

We played 2 games and had dinner there. I won the first game which if you have ever bowled with me, is a HUGE shocker. Serenity usually beats me. And Jimmy won the second game, but he only beat me by 2 pins. I was very proud of myself. 

That was fun

We spent the night out in the yard watching some fireworks that you can set off at hoime. It was Willow's first time ever seeing them. She was very impressed. And it was actually one of the first ones that Serenity remembers. Which is weird because she remembers everything, but doesn't remember us setting them off last year. We set off some of the fireworks you buy at the little stands, and then the kids did some sparklers. It was fun. We were hanging out with my brother, who lives upstairs, my cousin, who lives in the attached apartment, and my brother's friend who I have known my whole life. Plus it was my 4 kids, my cousins 2 kids, and the friends 2 kids. So everyone really had a good time.

My boys lit fireworks and sparklers for the first time. Talk about a nervous moment. I held my breathe. They were supervised by my brother, but I was still a nervous wreck. They are 12 and 13 and they have never used a lighter (at least not infront of me, now sneaky behind my back I don't know).

I am looking forward to tomorrow night when we go Skippack to see the "real" fireworks. They put on a great show. We are suppose to go to the parade and then fireworks with my friend, and future inlaws as long as Willow stays with the plan, LOL. But I can't wait. I love fireworks and I have missed out the past few years. Between bad weather and feeling lusy with pregnancy, and a grumpy child or 2 I haven't been able to go the past few years. So this year I am really excited.

Community Day

We had a great day. Unfortunately Jimmy had to work again. So I packed the kids up and we headed out to Skippack to Marshal Oil Company youth day. When we pulled in, the kids and I all thought it was going to be kind of lame. It didn't look like that much was going on but we decided to check it out anyway. I am so glad we did.

The kids got to check out the fire truck and an ambulance. They have been inside the fire truck lots of time, but never inside an ambulance for no reason.

Then the characters came. I was waiting for Serenity to completely flip. She does NOT like characters. But after we talked again about how it is just people in costumes, she suprised me. And loved every single person who came out. That is huge. This is the child who just a few months ago at the book fair, screamed hysterical because Cat in the Hat walked down the hallway.But today, she was excited and hugging all over them.

There was a moon bounce, and games. Plus an amazing face painter. She gave Serenity a butterfly, Anthony Mario, and Joey Luigi.

Willow hung out the whole time on my back, taking in the sights, and then taking a cat nap.

     After that ended, we headed back into Schwenksville for community day. The boys very quickly ditched us to go hang with friends. Serenity watched a puppet show, planted sunflower seeds and then got a snow cone.

While she ate her snow cone, Willow and I sat in the grass with her. Luckily for Willow, Serenity filled up on snow cone and shared with her. Wow, she loved it. She actually got mad when she thought I wasn't going to give her more. After a long day, we headed home. After the kids showed Jimmy everything they scored from goodie bags through out the day, we hung out in the yard. Willow decided to try to hola hoop. And the big kids played keep away with one of the many beach balls they received today. With the exception of Jimmy not being with us, I love days like today. 

See the sunburn on her arm. That was through sunscreen. ;(

CSI and FBI at my house for a murder...

Mother's Day was eventful. My kids played CSI all morning while we were making breakfast. It was really cute. Made me realize how much they take in from the crime shows, both dramatic and real, that I watch. They knew what a warrant was, and made crime scene tape. They came to question me, asking about my alibi, and their Daddy's too. Turns out, the culprit was right under their noses. Joey and Serenity used their FBI badges, and their crime scene kits. Even lifted prints from my laptop. It was so nice tho have some time in the morning that required no technology (ex. computers and video games) and no bickering! That was the best part. I love watching them play and be creative. I swear Joey and Serenity can make something to play with out of anything, and they are good at dragging Anthony into it, even when he doesn't really want to. you know, he is too cool now that he is 13. LOL

     

Serenity checking for a pulse, see the gloves (L)

Jimmy taking the liver temp for time of death (R)

Serenity with her badge and crime scenen kit (L)

Serenity picking up evidence with a tissue so as not to contaminate it (R)             

                                                    

Joey dusting my laptop for prints (L)

Joey crossing the crime scene tape (R)

Finger prints of the vic.

Variety Club Camp fundraiser

So today was the Variety Club camp fundraiser. The Vaiety Club is a cub/camp for children with disabilities and delays. The campus is beautiful. I have never been there before. The fundraiserwas to help raise funds to help give scholarships to families who otherwise might not be able to afford to send their children to the summer camp.

We had a blast. Willow was chilling out in her Iameverywear carrier.

She loves her carrier. When she sees it, she gets so excited. She knows we are going out somewhere. Doesn't it look like she is giving the thumbs up.

All of our names intertwined.               Serenity and Joey doing chalk 

I actually did that with Willow on my back                                                     

Jimmy playing with a sensory toy         Serenity making a picture    

 

Jimmy playing in the moon bounce with the kids.

                       

And Lil Miss Willow sound asleep. She was fighting it until the hood went up. Hood went up, she went out.

                                       

On the way home. This is Jimmy's impression of Bruce Springstein. Yeah, he was being silly.

Day in Skippack

Skippack was having a yard sale today. It was open to anyone, just $10 bucks for a spot. Usually when things are going on in Skippack the place is mobbed and is lots of fun. So I planned to take the kids out, let them bring their allowance and have fun. Turns out Jimmy had to work today, so he had the car. I packed the kids up, threw Willow in her new carrier and we walked down to firehouse where Jimmy parks the car and headed out to Skippack. Well, the yard sale wasn't that great. It was a small turn out and the stuff wasn't really anything worth even looking at. But the kids loved it. Serenity found 2 necklaces as soon as we got there, that she "just had to have". Anthony did luck out with a WII game for 5 bucks. Everyone loves the SIMS  and Jimmy and Anthony love Survivor and this is SIMS 2 castaways. Looks like best of both. And Joey found a puppet. Joey loves things like this. It is cute though. At first he wanted one of those ventriloquist ones, you know with the wooden heads, and those mouths and... NO WAY! I hate those things. They totally creep me out. I have seen Twilight Zone. I know what happens with those things when you aren't looking. Nope, no creepy wooden dolls. But the cute fuzzy thing is ok.

     Since the yard sale was a bust (in my eyes at least) I asked the kids if they wanted to go look through the stores in town. Well, with hopes to stop off at the candy store, the kids were all for it.  Turns out, the CANDY STORE CLOSED! But they still got to get ice cream. We stopped off at Sweet Treats on Skippack Pike. The lady was AWESOME. I don't usually stop for things like that so it was a real treat for them.

Joey wanted a coffee flavored cone,

 Anthony went with a cookie dough cup,

and Serenity got mint choc chip.

That left poor Willow. Since I wasn't having ice cream. She wasn't going to have any except a lick or 2 from theirs. After one taste... that wasn't going to happen.

She wanted her OWN! The  owner gave her a dog cone. Have you seen these. They are little tiny cones and it holds like a cookie scoop size of ice cream. So sweet and so cute.

Can you tell she loved it!