Road Trip Magic

                   

 

Every summer I pack up the minivan and take my children on a road trip.  The four kids, a million fruit snacks and me.  We take our crazy circus act on the road visiting family across the southeastern United States of America.  Every summer, the road trip never fails to renew my faith in the wonder of the ordinary, the absolute joy of being with my children and the utter relief of not being over-scheduled.

I love the open road.  It is full of possibility and hope and promise and adventure.  I am so much better at being a road trip mom than a get you to practice on time and remember where all of your games are and did you do your homework kind of mom. 

Give me a map, a minivan and a few kids with a sense of adventure and I am good to go.  

Luckily, I have a few kids like that.  They are flexible and not too complain-y.  Of course they fight with each other.  The older ones roll their eyes, the little ones whine.  They all have moments of being grumpy and dissatisfied every day---at home and on the road.  But on the road I don't have to clean the house or remind them to pick up their rooms or pay bills or all the other stuff that comes with being a responsible, practical everyday parent.  On the road I am the leader of our adventure, the captain of our ship of fun; not the over-protective bordering on Helicopter mom who messes stuff up all the time.

"Where are we going next?," JT asked everytime we got in the car.

"On an adventure," I replied everytime we got in the car.

We went to the Parthenon replica in Nashville because Lucy is such a HUGE Percy Jackson fan.  She wore her Camp Half-Blood T-shirt but we were too late to go into the museum.  We plan to go back.  

It helps that we are driving to visit family, family that loves us and enjoys the circus for a little while. I appreciate that so much.  Can you imagine our ship of fun steering it's way into your driveway? We are a really loud and rowdy bunch. But my sister didn't shut the door and hide and neither did my cousin.  They opened their homes and their hearts.  I felt the love and so did my kids.  

Love was our fuel on this road trip.   The love of reconnecting with family, the love of swimming pools and diving boards and going for that flip, the love of a million cousins that we see once a year, the love of tradition, the love of puffy clouds and red dirt and mountains and kickball games and trampolines and being together.

JT did approximately 46 flips off the diving board while we were in Kentucky.  He was fearless.

Dodgeball with a million cousins on a trampoline,
not dangerous at all.

In six days we drove from Michigan to Kentucky for a couple nights to Alabama for one night and back to Kentucky and then back to Michigan.  It was a whirlwind of hugs and kisses and family, and highway and rest areas and questions and laughter.  On the way back from Alabama we made an impromptu stop in Nashville, Tennessee.  The city was bustling with all kinds of music and characters and life.  I decided we should stay the night.  We went swimming in the hotel pool and had a picnic supper of gluten-free sandwiches on the floor of our room.  After deciding who was sharing a bed with whom and brushing teeth we turned off the TV and I read to the kids.  I started reading To Kill A Mockingbird to the older kids before we left on our trip, so that night in the hotel I continued with the story.  The little boys fell asleep as I read about Scout and Atticus and Jem.  The older two listened intently.  I wanted that moment to last forever.

Those perfect moments are part of the magic of the road trip.  I'm hoping that happens next summer, but let's face it the days of all four kids huddled around a storybook are numbered.  Next summer Peyton will be a true teenager and then Lucy will become a teenager and that's not a bad thing, it's just a thing, it's happening.  I cherish these days with my kids all wanting to be adventurers together.  I enjoy being with them and I am grateful for road trips that take us away from our wonderful but oh-so-busy lives so that we can have moments of magic and remember to find the wonder in the ordinary.

Zoltar will tell your fortune and Lucy totally fell for it.

Check out some of our adventures.

Homemade Salsa Victory, A Pinterest Poser Challenge

I've always wanted to make homemade salsa, it even made the infamous Before I'm 40 Bucket List.  This week's Pinterest Poser Challenge* is to find out if I can not screw up the fantastic recipe I found for homemade salsa.

*In an attempt at not being a Pinterest Poser,** every week I attempt and detail a project/idea/recipe inspired by Pinterest. 

**My definition of a Pinterest Poser is someone who is all pins and no substance.

I'm happy to report, I did not screw it up.  It turned out quite nicely.

The recipe was simple.  

Half an onion chopped
4-6 Tomatoes chopped
1 Jalapeno pepper diced
1 large clove of garlic minced
1/2 cup of cilantro chopped
Fresh lime juice
salt 

After you have chopped and diced, simply throw it all in a bowl and stir.  Use as little or as much salt as you want.  

That's it.

You just made salsa. 
"Boosh!" That's what JT says after he does anything he is particularly proud of--making the basket, scoring a goal in the backyard soccer game, finishing a chapter in his book.  So I'm stealing it for my salsa victory. 

If you let it sit for a bit before serving, the salsa gets a little juicer.  Wait or serve it right away, it tastes great.  And it looks so pretty and fresh.  It's the perfect thing to take to the neighborhood barbecue or the graduation party.  I made a small batch the other day just for myself to have as a mid afternoon snack---Boosh!

Have you made anything inspired by Pinterest lately?Share it here or on my Facebook page.  

A Simple Birthday Party--click here
Make An Awesome Omelette--click here
Outdoor Lights Inspired by the show Parenthood- click here
Herb Garden with Chalboard Pots- click here
Backyard Graffiti Art with kids- click here
Happiness Notecards- click here

Gluten Free Rainbow Cake- click here

Fruit Roll-Up Fortune Cookies- click here

Make Your Own Magnets- click here

DIY Painted Clay Necklace- click here

Dixie Cup Lights- click here

DIY Ornaments-click here

Gluten Free Clay- click here

Make Your Own Stamps- click here
Birthday Shirt- click here
Gluten Free Pop Tarts- click here
Front Porch Kid Art Display- click here
Door turned into Table- click here

Summer Wish List Chalkboard-click here

Peanut Butter Nutella Cookie Sandwiches-click here

Painted Mason Jar Vases-click here

Cinco de Mayo Paper Flowers- click here
Earth Day Cupcakes- Click here
Nail Art-click here

Homemade Photo Booth Fun- click here

Fake Bangs- click here

DIY Subway Art- click here

Furniture Painting and Bench/Chest Makeover- click here

Thanksgiving-y Project/Gratitude/Holiday Countdown- click here
The Smoothie-click here

The Free Printable Turned Artwork in a Boring Hallway- click here

The chalk board-click here
Seven Layer Dip in Individual Cups (my favorite so far!)-click here
The pumpkin address-click here
The Kitchen Dancing Sign--click here

  Head on over and follow my Pinterest boards-click here!

Oh yeah, and come follow me on Twitter @AngelaYBlood and subscribe to my YouTube channel here.

Road Trippin' & Getting Happy

Right now, I am on the road.  Road tripping with my four kids.  We left on Sunday for our annual trip down south.  

A quick stop in Kentucky to see my sister and onto Alabama to see my cousin.  I wasn't sure if there would be time to make the trip this year with all the baseball games and more baseball games and camps and practices and parties.  At sort of the last minute we decided to squeeze in a trip.  

I absolutely love going on a road trip with my kids.  I feel sort of like Mama Partridge with a van full of groovy kids.  We sing our way across a few states, looking for adventure and maybe a life lesson or two.  And getting happy (just like in the theme song for The Partridge Show, remember? Come On Get Happy).

Looking back over the last few years and what I've written about road trips, it makes me so grateful that I started this blog.  

I love reliving moments like the time my brother gave my kids nicknames, or the time we drove without air conditioning in 100 degree heat, or when I made road trip T-shirts.

I'll never forget when a road trip made me feel less afraid of the world and believe in human kindness.  Yup, I got that loving feeling from a road trip in a minivan with my four kids. Click here to re-read the story.

Here's the vlog I made about last year's epic road trip:

Follow along on my road trip adventures over on my Facebook page on Instagram and Twitter.

Are YOU road tripping anywhere this summer?  Taking an adventure?

Come on Get Happy, awww yeah here's The Partridge Family intro:

Okay, and this is my dream for what we will be one day...just like the fabulous Nicki Bluhm and The Gamblers' Van Sessions.  Here they are covering my favorite Whitney Houston song.

Tis The Season of No Complaints & What I Know For Sure

It's summertime.  'Tis the season of lemonade and sunshine and happiness, not complaining.  This past week, the first full week of summer vacation for us, I tried very hard to stick to the "this is the season of no complaints" rule.  

Monday started off without any glitches, unless you count the fact that I was 30 minutes late to pick up JT from basketball camp.  I got the times wrong and was a little embarrassed that I lived up to my flaky reputation.  But no worries and no complaints.  Actually, JT loved the fact that I was late because he got to shoot more baskets while he waited.  He asked me to be late everyday.  I love that!

We hit the pool and played hard because it's summertime and that's what we do.

Lucy totally ignoring her brothers.  

This kind of worn out only happens in the summer.  

Tuesday the furnace started leaking huge amounts of water.  No complaints here.  A simple call to the heating and cooling place and a promise that someone would be out between 1 and 4 p.m. meant no worries.  We played a rousing game of family soccer while we waited.  

Check out Air Bud, I mean Cosi.
She is actually a great defender.

Turned out to be a minor, not terribly expensive repair.  No worries, no complaints.

Wednesday I woke up with a head cold.  I sniffled, but I did not complain.  The kids and I went to the grocery store, which I enjoy quite a bit.  That's no joke.  I love going to the grocery store with all my kids, I think it is hilarious.
  

Wade doing his best Fonzi "Ehhhhhh."

While unloading the groceries at home, I dropped a glass jar of pizza sauce on my toe.  Not so hilarious.  I cried like a baby.  I think I broke my toe.  I complained a little, through a smile though.  

I rested on the couch as a huge storm rolled in and knocked out our power.  "Good thing we bought candles at the grocery store, " I reminded the kids.  "This will be fun, let's make the best of it!"

War by candle light.

Felt very suburban.  But you gotta do what you gotta do during a blackout and when you have a gift card.

Applebees actually has a decent gluten-free menu.  JT had a steak and no cross contamination issues.

As the night went on and the power didn't, it got harder to make the best of it.  The house was hot.  A couple of the kids were freaking out because they don't know how to live without an iPad.  Another kid was scared of the dark.  One kid giggling nervously because they had no idea what was going on.

Three out of four of the kids decided to sleep on the living room floor because it was cooler than their upstairs bedrooms.  Tim decided to sleep on the couch to oversee the slumber party.  One kid decided to sleep with me.  We all went to bed when it got dark.  But only five out of six of us slept.  

It was too much--the head cold, the broken toe and the blackout. I officially waved my white flag and complained.  

Parts of this week sucked and sucked majorly.  But here's the great thing about summer, I can't stay mad.  The storm clouds went away, the power came back on, the kids stopped fighting, my toe is probably not really broken, I took a five minute nap, it's a head cold not cancer and it will all be okay. Most importantly, throughout all the bullshit this week, I know for sure that I am beyond grateful that I didn't have to have one single homework battle.

Here's what else I know for sure this week:

• I'm loving One Republic's new song Love Runs Out.  It will be overplayed no doubt, but this week I know I love it.

• I didn't write a post about Father's Day but that doesn't mean that I don't appreciate dads.  In fact, I am married to a man that is the best father I've ever known.  He always has time, no he always makes time for each of his children.  

Tim is the type of dad that plays make believe with all the kids at the Father's Day BBQ.

• I've been 40 for a week and I know a few things, so I'm giving out advice on bucket lists and ukeleles.  In case you missed it, check out my blog.

• I tried to watch Orange Is The New Black last summer and just didn't like it.  BUT since everyone is going nuts over it, I might give it another shot.

• This movie looks pretty ahhhhhhmazing--The Judge.  I love seeing Robert Downey Jr. doing some real dramatic acting, not the super hero, comedic stuff.  Great cast, great trailer.  I'm in.

What do you know for sure this week, right now?  Share it here or on my Facebook page.

Simple Birthdays & The Adventures of Sadie & Wade

Birthday parties, like a lot of things, can get a little out of control.  Bounce houses, gift bags, clowns, inviting the whole preschool class--the bigger the better.  There are lots of people that will give advice about how to set boundaries and limits.  And a lot of it is good advice.  

For this week's Pinterest Poser Challenge* I am showing you a party that bucked the bigger is better trend that is all over Pinterest and your typical suburban neighborhood.  For this week's challenge I am going to show you a delightfully simple birthday party.

*In an attempt at not being a Pinterest Poser,** every week I attempt and detail a project/idea/recipe inspired by Pinterest. 

**My definition of a Pinterest Poser is someone who is all pins and no substance.

Last week, my friend hosted a delightfully simple party for her daughter Sadie.  A party perfect for a couple of cute four-year-olds and their moms.  

My friend Liane hosted the perfect party for her daughter, Sadie, who turned four last week.  She and Wade are buddies--they play well together, they play well side by side.  I thought about naming this post The Adventures of Sadie and Wade because they are just so damn cute.  

A party of two (four including the moms) was the perfect number.  Liane sewed adorable crowns for the kids.  They obliged for a couple pics and then they were off playing, jumping on the trampoline and laughing.

She made a cake that was the perfect size for a party of two.  Sadie and Wade (and the moms) sat on a picnic blanket and sang happy birthday and ate cake.  It was pretty delightful and simple and easy and not overwhelming or disappointing and it was the best kind of perfect.

She organized a craft for the kids.  It was a dragon made out of toilet paper rolls and egg crates.  It didn't work out exactly like the picture on Pinterest, but they had a blast painting it.  

Birthday parties don't have to be all we hired a clown and we have the perfect everything and invite everybody.  Sometimes the best, most perfect parties are the small, intentional, delightfully simple parties.

Did you see last week's vlog with Sadie and her mom in it?  Check out their amazing version of Radiohead's Creep.

Have you made anything inpsired by Pinterest lately? Or do you have a simple birthday success story? Share it here or on my Facebook page.  

Make An Awesome Omelette--click here
Outdoor Lights Inspired by the show Parenthood- click here
Herb Garden with Chalboard Pots- click here
Backyard Graffiti Art with kids- click here
Happiness Notecards- click here

Gluten Free Rainbow Cake- click here

Fruit Roll-Up Fortune Cookies- click here

Make Your Own Magnets- click here

DIY Painted Clay Necklace- click here

Dixie Cup Lights- click here

DIY Ornaments-click here

Gluten Free Clay- click here

Make Your Own Stamps- click here
Birthday Shirt- click here
Gluten Free Pop Tarts- click here
Front Porch Kid Art Display- click here
Door turned into Table- click here

Summer Wish List Chalkboard-click here

Peanut Butter Nutella Cookie Sandwiches-click here

Painted Mason Jar Vases-click here

Cinco de Mayo Paper Flowers- click here
Earth Day Cupcakes- Click here
Nail Art-click here

Homemade Photo Booth Fun- click here

Fake Bangs- click here

DIY Subway Art- click here

Furniture Painting and Bench/Chest Makeover- click here

Thanksgiving-y Project/Gratitude/Holiday Countdown- click here
The Smoothie-click here

The Free Printable Turned Artwork in a Boring Hallway- click here

The chalk board-click here
Seven Layer Dip in Individual Cups (my favorite so far!)-click here
The pumpkin address-click here
The Kitchen Dancing Sign--click here

  Head on over and follow my Pinterest boards-click here!

Oh yeah, and come follow me on Twitter @AngelaYBlood and subscribe to my YouTube channel here.