WFMW - Movie Treats

It won't be long before the excitement of "freedom" wears off and we all begin to search high and low for something to keep us busy on the steamy days of summer.  My gang is always up for a movie, but the theater is usually a pricey option for all 6 of us.  Our local movie theater has a Wednesday morning special where they play older movies for just $1.  So, with my snack tip below, there may be hope for us yet!

 We are a family of 6 and we love popcorn. Well, let me start over.... We are a family of 6 and we love popcorn - except for my husband - he thinks it smells like old shoes. So our dog, Sassafras, can fill in for him and be the 6th - she could live and die by popcorn. Of course, we do limit her intake, death by popcorn would be the worst and would most certainly change our craving for the crunchy snack.

When we go to the movies, we just have to have a bowl full of hot, buttery popcorn - and a coke (or juice), too. 'Cause popcorn tends to make one extremely thirsty. Unfortunately, the acquiring of said treats could quite possibly cost a large family an entire arm and leg. So, I developed my "movies for cheapskates" solution....

 I bring 4 disposable bowls and 4 disposable cups in a large purse every time we go to the movies. I purchase the largest, refillable popcorn receptacle that is available - and the same with a drink. Tim and I will share an additional drink - and I ("because I am the mom") get to eat out of the popcorn bucket. I divide the large, refillable drink into the 4 cups from home. I do the same with the popcorn and bowls. We take turns going to the counter to refill the popcorn and the drink. This tactic seems reasonable - I still purchase their snacks - I just don't have to go home absolutely and completely broke!

As for the theaters that don't offer refills on their gigundous options? I avoid them like the plague.

A New Day

Who ever heard of a mother of 4 feeling free after school is out?  Suddenly, I have the daunting task of entertaining a quiver of kids for almost 3 months and I am experiencing a feeling of elation.  I've kissed our busy routine good-bye and am embracing a life of new activities - none of which involve homework, tests, or obligations.

Saturday was the start of this new life.  Here are 10 things I've done that would have been absolutely impossible in the past 60 days:

1. Let's begin with sleep.  I've gotten out of bed without the help of an alarm clock.  Yes, I still wake up early, but there has not been the "jump out of bed and hurry" feeling - 4 days in a row.

2. I've been to the gym 2 days in a row.  I even tried a new class yesterday - body jam.  It was great!  Lots of shimmying and shakin' like I used to do as a Spartanaire 20+ years ago.

4. I went to 2 movies within 24 hours.  I saw 2 movies the weekend they opened.  Last time I made an opening weekend?  I don't have any idea.

5. I went out with friends - at night - for dinner - and saw a movie.  We had a great time and I loved "Sex and the City" - I can't wait to see it again!  and I got a free ticket for another movie because we had such a bizarre movie experience, so my 2nd movie of the weekend was FREE!

6. I walked through my yard inspecting the landscaping.  Everything has grown and it's just beautiful.  We've had something blooming over here continually since the week before Spring Break.  Right now we are blessed with massive Oak Leaf Hydrangeas, a Cousa Dogwood, a Fuschia hanging basket, and blue irises in the pond.

7. I bought a file cabinet and put all of our files in it!  Why is this a big deal?  I don't know, but I am already feeling incredibly organized.

8. I ordered 4 books from Amazon and a box of vacuum bags from the internet.  I know, it's not exciting, but there was NO TIME until now and boxes from UPS always make me happy - even if they do have bags with a future of dust and dog hair in them.

9. I played Guitar Hero for the very first time.  Reed has gone to soccer camp for 4 days, Caroline is in Charleston, and Cole was at a friend's, so Brooks initiated me into the fun life.  I am too impatient for easy and medium is pretty hard.  My best score was on Hit Me With Your Best Shot - because I knew the tune and rhythym so well!

10. Finally, I baked a pie.  I've had this recipe from my mom for years, but I just never get it all together to cook it.  Plus it has red hots in it and I've had the hardest time finding them.  Luckily I located a box at Walgreens recently.  The pie was good (although very runny), so we'll just call it Red Hot Cherry Drizzle.  

Caroline gets home tonight, so the laundry will begin again.  Who cares!  It's summer!  Yahoo!

Summer

Ahhhhh the sounds of summer have begun. I have this sudden feeling of freedom. I can't really pinpoint what I am free from, but I feel light, happy, and relaxed. I actually noticed myself taking deep breaths three times today. Can you believe it? I had enough time to do something that was not already scheduled on my calendar! I heard the baseball hit the bat today, the sounds of splashing children in the swimming pool, and I endured the heat through it all. Like I said... summer is certainly here.

The beginning of summer is always bittersweet for me. It's a little bit of a shock to have the full responsibility of entertaining 4 children who have strong opinions on what we should do next. I love to have them home all day - we can sleep late, have lunch together (at whatever time we want), and just take in the afternoon in whatever fashion hits us first. But as summer begins, we have to bid our teachers good-bye. This year Cole was a part of his Kindergarten teacher's very first classroom. Reed spent the year with a teacher who we knew well. Brooks was in her class 2 years ago. I knew what to expect, yet it was even better than I remembered. Brooks loved his first year of middle school. Caroline's year brought great success.

I am so thankful for our teachers and for their willingness to help my children through each stage of their education. I always wanted to be a teacher growing up. I played school for hours in my room with the door closed. I had my very own back-scratcher and I dreamed of the beautiful wedge heels that my 3rd grade teacher had. How the shoes relate to school teaching, I don't know, but I thought every teacher had a pair. I also couldn't wait to have my very own blackboard along with a chalk-holder. But somewhere along the way my sense of reason left me and I entered the world of business. Don't get me wrong, I loved my days in Human Resources. I helped plenty of people and learned all kinds of things. But I am just amazed at how a teacher shapes a child's day. When I volunteer in classes, I constantly re-evaluate how I could go back to school and become a teacher. Isn't that crazy?

I guess it has to do with the fact that my mind is beginning to wonder what one does when the kids are all gone. Yes, I know, I have 12 years till my nest will be empty - but it seems like it was 19 years not too long ago and now 7 of those years are gone. I am constantly evaluating what I want to do in my 3rd career. I think I might try something entirely new.

Didn't I tell you I was feeling free? I am actually free to daydream. Today I was free to water the flowers and move a few pots around. We hoisted some junk to the dump and hung the towel bars in the bathroom I painted back in April. I feel like I've been to the spa. Oh yeah, it was just the humidity in the air as I breathed in the heat from the first days of summer. Before our routine begins again.