Late, but Unusually Fashionable

 1.) I worked VBS this week, and there was a 80s theme. 

I had some fun with it on the final "dress up" day. That one blouse/blazer I found at the thrift store a couple months ago finally had it's time to shine (it doesn't show in the picture, but it had SHOULDER PADS). 

(This is apropos of nothing, but it bugs me more than it should that the majority of 80s costumes are a variation of a black and neon Madonna costume. Almost without variation. It seems to be this generation's version of the 50s poodle skirt costume. There's so many more interesting fashions from both decades than that). 

VBS was fun. I got put in charge of a class of preschoolers-- thankfully just four. They were sweet kids, but there's a lot of energy and effort you've got to put into a group that age. They'll work on whatever you clearly lay out for them, but it's got to be CRYSTAL clear and consistent, or you'll lose their attention. 

2.) The thing I thought was watermelon...isn't watermelon. It's something called field melon, and it's an inedible weed. 

This was a fairly frustrating discovery, especially since I'd been carefully tiptoeing over the vines for the past couple weeks whilst trying to reach tomatoes. I ripped them all out and put them in the compost, but some of the melons got overripe and I'm sure there's seed out there now. 

Gah. 

3.) The okra is coming in. 

The tomatoes are wrapping up (and increasingly buggy...I'm thinking of picking the green ones left and making relish or something just to bring the saga to a close), but I'm out there every day bringing in okra. I'm not sure how much I'll pickle this year; they were enjoyed last year but there were so many that they're among the last things to be used up. I think I still have a jar or two of last year's sitting around. 

They actually freeze well (if you slice them up), and are good in dirty rice or gumbo. I'll probably do that. 

4.) Grape Jelly 

The mustang grapes (not a true grape, but a vine native to Texas that produces a fruit like grapes) have come in at my grandma's, so I picked a half bucketful and made jelly. 

There were a lot more this year than last year. We actually had rain, so I was able to get what I needed to make a batch in fifteen minutes instead of an hour. I'm hoping to get enough for a second batch when I head over there next week, but we'll see. 

5.) I gotta Wii. 

Well, my husband did. Get a Wii. 

Anyway...

A former student of his was selling it, along with a few games and additional pieces, and we decided to buy it. It's dated tech, circa 2007, but it's in good shape. 

So far, so good. I like that the games it came with are fairly simple, both in graphics and objectives, and multiplayer. It's something that the kids, and me and my husband, can do together. And it's so outdated that none of the online "extras" work, which is a definite plus in my book. 

I do have mixed feelings about adding more electronic media into the house. Our family relationship with video gaming has been limited to my son's strictly monitored obsession with Age of Empires (a PC strategy game) and my husband's occasional social gaming with friends (either via our PC and Discord or the PS3 he brought into our marriage). It hasn't been a huge part of our lives thus far, and I'm nervous about ceding it more ground. 

On one hand, it's nice to have something moderately active (you have to move at least your hands and arms around with it) for the kids to do during the 100 degree summer weather. On the other hand...it's a video game. I know from bitter experience that more screen time equals more tantrums. 

I'll let you know how we end up monitoring the thing. 

6.) Put a lid on it. 

Walmart in our area had canning lids in the clearance section, a box of 12 for $1.19. 

We bought 48 boxes (plus another 24 for my mother in law). Canning lids are usually $2.38 a box at their cheapest, so this was a steal. 

The best part is that my parents, who saw the lids and told me about them in the first place, agreed to watch the older kids this morning so Chris and I could go get them. We made a little date out of it and got coffee too (the two year old asked "where's my coffee?" as we got back into the van. I shared enough of my latte for her to taste).

Its the small things.

And that's what's fit to print.