Catch up and stuff

So - I missed MONTHS of blogging - and I could beat myself for it, but oh well. It's been busy! The kids have been out of school since the end of May and we have been packing our summer days as full as possible for the most part. We spent some time camping at Standing Indian Campground and the kids had a blast. They would leave camp right after breakfast, stop by for lunch and we wouldn't see them again until supper! I am pretty sure that they put in well over a hundred miles on their bikes! Then, the future hubs and I got to go on another run away. This time we went on a mountain biking trip to Tsali National Park and also camped in the park. So many memories on that trip seriously. It was pretty awesome to have just me and him, in the woods, no TV or computer to distract us. We sat and talked and laughed. It was great. My baby sister was married on the HOTTEST day in June everrrrrr ... seriously it was like 108 degrees when we walked down the aisle. But it was a wonderful, adorable wedding. The garden has produced a few good things so far. My green thumb is not a good as I would like though :( We are in the thick of trying to find a new home for the entire herd - wow that is a nightmare! How on earth can house hunting be so hard?!?! Between getting the mortgage, finding the home, figuring out a budget ... bleh. It's a pain, period. We have also been blessed and were able to get a more reliable van. I am in LOVE with it. Five minutes into driving it and I have already officially become a Honda lover. A huge thank you to Brandon for working so hard to provide for us. He really amazes me more and more every single day. So now, we are in the middle of packing up for a week long surprise trip with the kids to Wilmington Beach NC! They have no idea where they are going, and it is somewhere that none of us have ever been, so should be fun. We of course are camping, huge cost saver for us to travel, and I have diligently done my research and found every savings that I can for things to do there. Carolina Beach has a ton of free activities, we will get to tour downtown Wilmington *the One Tree Hill fan in me can't wait* and tour a WWII ship. So stinkin' excited. Not to mention, hanging out on the beach for hours and days - ahhhhh. As a side note for anyone that may be taking trips in the future with kids, there are tons of sites that will list free things to do in the area, restuarants that have "Kids Eat Free" nights and of course take advantage of the restuarants.com, livingsocial.com and groupon.com deals if possible. You can save a ton of money and still get to enjoy doing more in the town than just sitting on the beach! I am all about giving the kids memories, and not breaking the bank doing it. Just because we are a family of six doesn't mean we can't enjoy life!! I also found printables online with road trip games and made them some nifty little clipboards with "I Spy", "Car Bingo" and coloring sheets to keep them entertained for the trip. Once again, THANK YOU PINTEREST!!

Now for less catch up and more stuff - some pondering that I have been doing lately. I read this blog the other day and the mom was talking about how she is more of a facilitator of play, than actually playing with her kids. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I give them all these games, and crafts to play with, or tell them go play outside, or take them swimming/camping etc - but how often do I actually PLAY??? Sadly, no where near as much as I should. Before being blessed with being called a Mommy I had all these ideas of what kind of Mommy I would be. I was going to be hands on, in the middle of it all, patient and creative and fun and goofy ... and then reality hit. I was a single mom, juggling two kids and a job, and playtime never happened. And now, here I am with a six year old and a four year old that I rarely ever get down and play with. It makes me so sad! Especially knowing that everyday the opportunity passes by and I lose those chances daily because as they get older playing with Mommy is going to be no fun at all. So, I made myself a promise. Even if my OCD self has to schedule it, I will play with my kids DAILY. Each of them - whatever they want. Ride bikes, jump on the trampoline, color, build blocks, have a tea party - whatever they want. I want them to have awesome childhood memories. I want to be the mom that they deserve. I am at home now by the grace of God and I have the chance to do all this, but haven't been taking advantage of the time I have. Less online crap, less TV, less cleaning - more playing. Wish me luck :)