This One's a Thriller

There has been little to no excitement going on at the Cousin household which is a good thing.  We are enjoying summer, hanging with friends, working, and still exploring city life.  I have been taking advantage of all my free time by dabbling in apartment improvement, blogging through Wordpress (more to come on this), preparing for a classroom, reading, and of course, crafting. 

There were a couple days this week when I thought our porch needed a little TLC and "cutsey-ing up". Plus, we just needed some plants in the place. I don't have a lot of patience when it comes to plants and the lower the maintenance, the better.  So buying a Hibiscus shows how much I know about this subject since our deck doesn't get much sun and apparently a Hibiscus needs a lot of it.  The 2nd plant I picked due to its cute name (which now I can't remember), and it turns out it too, needs a lot of sun.  So, between the furniture set up we have going on for Bentley so he can see outside, the random places we have strategically placed the plants to get a little sun, and the avocado tree projects Will has going on in old sauce jars, the goal of it looking more welcoming out there kind of failed. Oh well! At least we are a family who doesn't mind a little accommodation and flexibility.

Besides the excitement of sticking some plants in a pot :), we have been helping a couple friends in their moving process and lucky for us, they didn't want their Keurig making the move with them.  A Keurig is a grown girl's kitchen toy and I will be enjoying the fun flavors that K-cups bring.  It got even better when I found Caribou K-cups at Kohls.  A little Minnesota in a cup is welcome any day. 

More thoughts/events of this week:
- Do not put black acrylic paint all over your dog's paw without a shower near by. (See craft below).
-We added to our living room furniture with a chair from Home Goods.  Yes, I'm shocked it fit too and I'm waiting for a day when my nails rip a hole in it, as a doubt Home Goods sells real leather or high quality "pleather", if there even is such a thing. (We got what we paid for though, so no problem).
-Dish soap is not a replacement for dishwasher detergent. See below.
-Audiobooks are the new best thing for me, as they have encouraged brisk morning walks and I can download them from the library onto my iPhone.  I think I'm a little behind in this discovery.
-After a trip to Barnes and Noble, Will has been working with his new "cardtrick kit" in his free time and "pick a card" has been an overused phrase in our house.  I may not miss this hobby when he moves onto his next one.

Free of any thrilling updates, I leave you with our plant problems and the joy of K-cups.  Next week I am off to Minnesota to enjoy a whole week at the cabin with my family and considering there are 2 silly, busy little boys (and a couple big ones too) that are going to be there- my writing may hold more of your interest next week.

Random Photos:

Campers of the Day: A Satire

I wrote this post awhile ago but never published it.  However, with ongoing career changes, I have continually seen the "humor" in this little story.  Read for your enjoyment, as little as you may get out of it. :)

I was telling my best friend Pia the other day about a classroom tactic I implemented to encourage positive behavior.  Known as "Campers of the Day", each afternoon I would appoint 2 students "Campers of the Day" and explain specifically what I saw that they did exceptionally well.  It was usually geared toward a situation I saw in which they were patient or especially kind to their peers and teachers.  While explaining this to Pia, she immediately had a problem with it.  "A person does not get awarded for being nice all the time! They just need to do it and not expect something." Well, of course she is right.  My argument was I was helping to get them into the "habit" and see the importance.  As we continued on with the conversation, it became apparent what the real life lesson must be.  And why not start with 4-year olds?  The storyline below was inspiried by 2 soon-to-be graduates, talented in their areas of education, and tormented about the uncertainty and reality of entering the workforce.

"Good morning boys and girls!  We can all meet on the carpet while we wait for the rest of our friends to join us today for another wonderful day in the classroom!" Sang Ms. Paula.  Little Benny eyed the tent in the corner that Ms. Paula had set up the previous week in preparation for the camping unit.  While creepy crawlers and s'mores were in the near future, a TENT in the CLASSROOM was incredible! The tent quickly reminded Benny that Ms. Paula would start "Campers of the Day" this afternoon. There would be two campers of the day chosen to sleep in the tent during rest time as a prize for making good choices. "It's like real-life camping in the classroom! And I'm going to be one of those campers today." Benny thought, very determined.

"Remember girls and boys," Ms. Paula sang out once again, "I am keeping both of my eyes out for the Campers of the Day today! Think about the choices you are making.  I know it will be VERY hard to pick with such wonderful students!"

That morning, Benny did everything he could to be the perfect friend to his classmates and Ms. Paula.  He shared the legos with a smile; even with Sam who smelled a little funny.  He responded to Ms. Paula's direction with an eager yes, please, or thank you, and he kept quiet in every line.  However, competition was not at a loss.  Betsy and Sam were doing a pretty good job too.  When the time for Ms. Paula's announcement came, Benny was on pins and needles.  Ms. Paula gathered everyone together and rang out, "Our 1st Camper of the Day today is.... Betsy! When Betsy was done journaling today she waited very patiently until I could come see her work. Thank you for your patience, sweetie!"  Alright, Benny thought.  1 more.  Sitting with a wide smile and hands clasped tight in his lap, he was sure he was in.  After all, most everyone else seemed to not even be paying attention and "Nasty Nick", named after his attitude couldn't possibly be considered.  Benny didn't even know why Betsy liked playing with him.  His mind eased as his confidence grew for the 2nd spot of "Camper of the Day".

"Betsy," said Ms. Paula, "I would like you to pick the 2nd camper of the day today".  "WHAT!?" Benny blurted as his hand shot up. "B..b..but.. why?"
There was no time for answering.  Betsy immediately proclaimed her pick. "Nick".  Benny was shocked! Nasty Nick?! He hadn't made a good choice all day....all year!

"Well, there you have it! Our two campers of the day.  Come rest time, we will find you each a cozy spot in the tent and I will write up your certificates to take home and share with your parents!"

Again, Benny shot his hand up in the air.  He waved it around frantically to perhaps get his point across that this was no silly story about his pet rabbit who ate a carrot this morning, as Betsy so commonly thought was of importance.

"Benny, do you have something to share?" Ms. Paula said sweetly.  "Well...I was just wondering why Betsy got to choose the 2nd camper."

"Well, sweetie, our lesson for today is, 'It's who you know'. Connections dear, connections."

And with that, the lesson was concluded.

Sock Monster

Mischievous Bentley was having some fun this morning.  #pickitup

Bieber Fever

I certainly have not come down with Bieber Fever (a popular term coined for obsessed fans of Justin Bieber).  My plan Friday was to spend a relaxing afternoon exploring new reads and catch up on the latest top children's books for the upcoming school year.  My plans changed when I entered a Barnes and Noble buzzing with clusters of giddy 15 year old girls.  Apparently Bieber's mom was scheduled for a book signing of her newly released book, "Nowhere But Up".  Being nosy I planned to stay just long enough to catch a glimpse of the action but after finding her book in the Christianity section I got a little curious.  Fast forward an hour later and I'm standing in line with the high schoolers to get my own copy of the autobiography signed.  After the girl in front of me asked me what grade I was in and what Justin concerts I had been to, I began questioning my decision.  I admitted I was 25 and just happened to be here, but had (embarrassingly) seen Justin's documentary as if it was some kind of justification (she had seen it "dozens" of times).  As I stood there waiting with these girls, skimming the book, I became a little bothered.  First of all, the book really is an inspiring testimony of Mallets struggle as an abused, troubled, and single teen mom and how her faith in God continually shaped her, provided for her, and her continuous awe of how God has worked in her life.  The majority of the book are bible verses, her experiences crying out for help, and the lessons God has taught her through hardship and fame (well, her son's fame).  The girls were solely there because it was one step closer to their teenage dream and it had nothing to do with the raw story that this parent put out there for the world to read.  I know, it may be just another psuedo-celebrity making some money off a book deal but the way she lays her faith out in the book was real and I can't help but think that now that her son is old enough to be on the road by himself (yes, making questionable decisions), she has the time and chance to focus on something for herself and this book was more than a money making thing for her.  I mean, let's face it, money is no longer an issue for her at this point.  My first point is, I felt sorry for her.  The line was made up of fans of Justin's and while I'm sure she is so proud to see people enjoy her son's talent, this was something she may have been doing for herself.  It would have been nice to see some middle aged woman fans coming to acknowledge her testimony, strength, and challenges that led her to seek her walk with Christ. OR, maybe I just wanted some company in the twenty-something and above age group and am being too positive about her aspirations.  In addition, I can't really say much because I didn't even plan on being there.

My second point is- A baby sounds extremely easy to me after seeing the ridiculousness that was this mob.  Raising a teenage girl looks like the scariest thing in the world.  I remember putting a couple posters up and making up a few dance routines to N'Sync and Backstreet Boys but these girls were off their rockers.  They had pages and pages written out for Mallet to give her son. They had extravagant artwork for her. They were sweating, crying, screaming over this one step closer to Justin Bieber.  This boy who sings a few good songs and has exceptionally nice hair has such this giant hold on them that it was....weird! I don't know if the celebrity boy-crush area has amped up over the past 10 years or what, but mark my words, my daughter will be balanced enough to enjoy some music, have a silly dreamy crush, and then let it go.  Honestly, these girls were using this as a way to profess their love to Justin and were hoping to get a response through the e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and twitter accounts they were leaving with his mom.  Crazy!

Anyway, what a random Friday afternoon and thank you for reading my thoughts as I clearly had too much time to think about this small experience while waiting in line for an hour.  With being nearly done with the book already, I wish the best for the author and would actually recommend it as a quick and inspirational read.

Me and the Bieb's mom:

Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard to find that the cupboard was bare.

This is what happens when I get a little caught up in DIYs, crafts, novels, and self-pampering.  Good news, there is a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken warming in the oven and frozen veggies defrosting.  Between summer heat and the exhaustion of recipe searching (it does get exhausting, doesn't it?), I'm having a hard time keeping us fed.  I could live on peanut butter but my husband has bigger aspirations for his cuisine.  This is my last night off duty...promise. :)

Crafternoon #2

My craft for the last two afternoons has been a canvas painted with the lyrics from Will and I's wedding dance.  I'm not sure where I saw the idea, but I'm a sucker for nostalgic crafts so I gave it a go.  I think I may have made it more complicated than necessary and should have just gone with stencils. The letters would have turned out straighter, but instead I printed out the words, colored the back of the paper with chalk, laid the paper on the canvas, outlined the letters so when the paper was taken off there was a chalk outline on the canvas...and THEN finally painted the letters using the chalk outline.  (I know, sounds like more work than necessary when stencils would have done... and probably done better.  All part of a crafters learning process! I like to think the slightly crooked lettering makes it all the more endearing.

Will and I danced to "Good Enough" by the Benji Davis Project, so thats where the lyrics are from.  I'm not sure how long it will last on my wall, but it made for a relaxing afternoon at the office with Will and Bentley.

Family outing Sunday afternoon to Lauderdale-by-the-Sea:

 Saturday flea market find! Cute 5 dollar chair that I originally snagged to recover the seat in something fun and have it be my "teacher chair" at school, but we'll see.

Let Freedom Ring!

Today we experienced food trucks and fireworks over the ocean.  Fireworks were better. :) Great 4th celebration with sweet friends. Happy Birthday, USA!

Bentley Turns 2!

Happy Birthday, Bentley! You have become part of the family very quickly and we are happy to be celebrating your 2nd birthday and nearly 5 months of being a Cousin puppy.  You seem to really love your new home and especially your new parents.  Not being with us drives you crazy, but you are getting better each day.  We have managed to turn you into a beggar and have found carrots, sweet potatoes, and especially popcorn to be your favorite.  Your best friends are Biscuit and Coco, but you're a bully to most other dogs.  (Something we are working on).  You can certainly be a nuisance, but our home has been all the more happier with the addition of a pup.

Relaxing by the water. 

Best Friends

Taking over. 

Watching out the window for Will to come home. 

Snoozer

The Boys