Summertime.

This summer, I'm gonna try and chill.

Starting with,

SLOWLY giving the blog a little make-over.

Teaching myself along the way.

I've decided simpler is better.

Bigger photos, less other 'stuff'.

We'll be playing more,

which means less time for me on the world wide web.

I'll still try and post every day.

Hopefully, before everyone wakes up.

Minus Betsy.

She likes to get up at 5:30 or so.

Although, I'd like to run before everyone wakes up, too,

and, obviously, before Jake leaves for work.

So, we'll see.

I think I've spread myself too thin already.

Geesh!

I really need to find the balance.

Today's plan...

homemade sno-cones,

sprinklers,

blow-up pools,

hot dogs,

sidewalk paint.

No big pool, yet.

I have a kickin' summer cold,

and do not have the energy to take 4 kids by my lonesome.

Here's to beautiful summer days!

Oh, and I know some of you email me, and since my 'contact' is currently disabled...

here you go:

oddgirloutblog{at}aol{dot}com.

The link bar is my first project.

Hopefully, it will be restored soon.

The trip.

Jake & I ventured to Louisville, Kentucky for a little getaway.

The Swell Season played The Brown Theatre in downtown Louisville on Saturday night.

Thursday we celebrate 10 years of marriage.

Everything just sort of fell into place and felt right.

So, we went.

What a sweet surprise from the old man!

We saw Big Boy in Indiana.

We stayed in a super cool hotel.

We were surrounded by incredible modern art,

including this interactive art installation by the elevators.

The 'big bat' was a couple of blocks down from our hotel.

We didn't tour the Louisville Slugger museum/factory, 

but we did stop in and get the kids some fun souvenirs. 

I, somewhat, successfully gave Jake a crash course in the manual photography trifecta...

ISO, shutter speed, and aperture.

He did pretty darn good for a 15 minute lesson.

Let me caption this photo like this:

We are NOT champagne & strawberries kind of people.

Jake ordered this to surprise me, 

and we laughed the whole time we drank and nibbled.

Then did stupid stuff like this...

This is Jake in a hotel robe, with champagne,

making pretend million dollar deals on the phone.

VIP in full effect.

Are we the only thirty-somethings that do stupid stuff like this?

I sure hope not, because, man-oh-man, we have some fun.

Then, dinner, and off to see the other man in my life...

They did a cover of 'Gold' by Interference,
It was a-maz-ing!!!

It was such a great 30 hours!

I love that man...Jake isn't so bad, either!  Wink, wink.

School's out for summer...

I got some great ideas for 'year-end' teacher gifts from here. {eighteen25 blog}

I wish I had some great summer time activities to do with the kids, too.

They'd have to appeal to a 9, 7, 5, and 3-year-old. 

That's tough.

Aside from a couple of summer enrichment classes
{Jake is taking CSI & kickball, Pete; golfing & cooking},
and the pool...we are kickin' it old school:

sidewalk chalk, water balloons, bikes, sprinklers, paint, the ice cream truck, BBQs, books, fun.

On a side note...I think the photos are grainy because I just noticed my ISO was on 1600 from last night. 

Oops! 

I'm always a work in progress.

I think I've got it...

I can't believe these images came from camera.

Better yet...I took them.

It's insane in the membrane.

9 years ago & today...

This was me 9 years ago from this very day

  along with the little bundle who made me a momma.

All 7lbs. 12 oz. of him.

I look like I'm 12 and Big Jake looks 13.

Also, I have that beautiful glow that one can only

acuqire from 14.5 grueling hours of labor.

The reality was this:

I was barely into my 23rd year, and 1 week away

from my 1st wedding anniversary.

But, I still have that beautiful glow that one can only

acquire from 14.5 grueling hours of labor.

Phew!

Here we are today.

Jake has grown into such an amazing kid.

I have grown some amazing crow's feet,
and added some junk to my trunk.
Sigh.
Anywho,
I can't believe he's nine.
NINE.
9!
Good grief, where does the time go?
Happy Birthday, to my first born!
May all of you wishes come true...
you deserve it.
I can't say it enough:
I love, love, love you to the moon and back!

Hooah: a boy celebrates 9.

Welcome to Jake's 9th Birthday Party.

We're so glad you could make it.

The table has been set with all kinds of goodies:

a cake made with love by the birthday boy's momma {that's me},

goodie bags with dog tags, tattoos, and candy,

pudding cups with cookie crumb topping,

candy bars, sour punch sticks, jars full of toy soldiers,

juicy watermelon, kettle corn in paper cones, Tootsie Rolls, caramels,

Army Jeep boxes filled to the brim, and canteens for every soldier.

There's face painting to get camo'd out,

and a super challenging obstacle course made by the new 9-year-old's dad.

Presents galore, too, including the coveted, 'The Clock Without a Face'.  Yippee!

But, what birthday party would be complete without an ecstatic guest of honor.

Jake had a fantastic time at his 'Army' party.

Bonus:

we did it all without guns.

The toy soldiers had guns, but you can't win 'em all, I guess.

Another party, another year...in the bag.

He, seriously, needs to quit growing.

I mean, pretty soon, he'll want to get his drivers' license.

Whatevs to that.

I love you, sweet boy.

Ocupado.

I have some good, more-sink-your-teeth-into-it posts in the works for next week.  I promise.  Lately, my attentions have been elsewhere.  Like doing stuff like this...

The tale of a dress.

(I apologize for the suck-butt photo,

but I lack low-light skillz)

There once was a dress from here.

It was the prettiest dress I had ever seen.

It was the most beautiful blue color.

And, much to my amazement, it was adorned with little ivory bicycles.

It exuded charm.

It pleaded to be my own.

I promised once it was discounted, we could strike a deal.

It would come to live at 'House of Grebe'.

It would have many adventures here.

Picnics, summer parties, dinners at the 'Boathouse'.

It was kismet.

A discounted dress, in what I thought was my size,

came to me all the way from the Tuscon, Arizona store.

The LAST two-wheeled dress the Saint Louis store could track down.

THE LAST ONE!

My knees buckled with joy the day it arrived.

I tried it on, and styled it up straight away.

Gasp!

What's this?

Too big?

Waaaaaay too big?!?!?!

This cannot be.

Nothing is ever too big on me.

But alas,

I had to bunch about 6 inches of waistline along the back with my belt.

It was awful.

Oh, the despair.

And, it had pockets.

Pockets have never betrayed me in such a way.

It had to go back.

For, I had no intentions of gaining weight to make our relationship work.

Return day was bleak.

I shed a silent tear of anguish as it passed over the counter,

and was thrown in a bin of unwantededs to be put back into inventory.

Afterwards, I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep.

Other dresses tried to come into my life,

but they just didn't measure up.

Bicycle dress left an unfillable hole in my heart.

A void.

And, so it goes.

The quest continues.

A quest, I fear, will be a lifelong search in vain.

I love you, Bicycle dress.

I will remember you always.