Momster Memory - First Kiss

All this talk of vacations, and having just returned from my own family trip, has stirred up some interesting memories. We had a lot of great family getaways when I was a kid, but the most memorable of all of these was the year I had my first kiss.

Our family vacation that year was a road trip to PEI. It was the year before seventh grade so I was smack dab in the middle of that awkward tween stage. I didn’t have braces, but I was growing out a bad perm. It had been a pretty rotten trip for me. Long drive, long ferry ride, annoying younger brother. You get the idea. I stepped in an ant nest during a picnic and my ankles were covered in bites. I got car sick for the first time in my life. There was sand in my hair.

My swimsuit had disappeared somewhere along the way and my mom took me to the nearby tourist mart to get another one. It was a horrible red and white striped one piece that made me look like a barber pole. Unfortunately, the white stripes on the suit became see-through when I hit the water. Fortunately, I had some sort of allergic reaction to the suit and broke out in hives. You may think this was unfortunate as well, but it got me out of wearing the hideous thing. I ended up just lounging at the side of the pool, watching the other kids.

He was going to grade nine that year. He was tanned and handsome and looked just fine tossing the younger kids around in the water. He was the son of some of my parent’s friends, and much to my delight, we ended up getting tossed together (not literally, like the other kids). To the parents, it was a convenient babysitting situation. To me it was fate.

We were watching the younger kids one evening while all the parents went to dinner. There were seven of us crowded into one cabin. After a couple of hours of bed jumping and wrestling, the boys were finally asleep and I stepped out back for some fresh air and peace. It was a beautiful night, the sky full of stars. He came outside to push me on the swing.

And then it happened. His lips were kind of hard, and I could feel the peach fuzz on his face. My heart was pounding, probably more from sheer terror than anything else. It lasted about three seconds. And that was it. My first kiss.

They say you never forget your first. It’s always special. And I still think about it now and then when the sky is full of stars. Or when I break out in hives.

Lester's Farm Market

Thought that Lesters farm was only for pumpkins? Think again my friends. Autumn is a great time to visit - the animals, corn maze, and pumpkin patch will keep the little ones entertained. But summer is also a great time to drop by. Here's a list of reasons why you should go right now.

Reason #1 - Strawberries
Juicy, sweet, and oh so good. There is nothing better than farm fresh strawberries. Put them on cereal, or on waffles, or smother them in rich, creamy chocolate. Have a whole bowl of those with a glass of wine....what was I talking about? Oh yes, strawberries. The kids love them. Come mid-July you can even pick your own, which is always great fun. Personally, I like to have that part done for me.



Reason #2 - The Greenhouses

The greenhouses at Lester's farm are teeming with plants and flowers of all kinds. If you're looking for flowers for your garden, chances are you'll find it here. The flowering baskets are gorgeous. And there are all sorts of vegetable plants if you are that way inclined. The kids love to pick out flowers for our front garden. Choices are usually based on the ones with the weirdest names. It makes for a good reading exercise too. If they can read Astilbe or Helianthemum then come September Go Dog Go should be a snap.




Reason #3 - Baby Animals
The farm animals are always a big hit, but the baby animals are extra squeee worthy. Bunnies, calves, kids (the goat kind), and lambs all clamber for attention and food. The baby goats are super cute because they looks like they should be evil, you know, with the whole cloven hoof thing, but the only evil thing is how cute they are. Just make sure the little ones wash their hands before they go inside for ice cream. Baby germs are just as gross as grown up germs.


No matter your reasons, getting out to the farm is a great way to cure the mid-summer blahs, and prevent a full week of "MomI'mboredMomI'mboredMomI'mboredMomI'mbored..."

Don't live around here?
Check out your local petting farms/zoos, or U-Pick farms for some summer fun. Another great choice is a local farmers market.

Picnics

After almost two weeks of computer troubles, I'm finally back online. It couldn't have happened at a better time though. We finally got the weather we've been waiting for. Beautiful and sunny and warm. Perfect weather for outdoor fun.

One of our favourite things to do on a warm summer day is pack up some grub and head out for a picnic. There is a knack to knowing just what to pack for a picnic, and after a few years of trial and error, we have it down to a science.

Food
When packing for a picnic, it's important to keep in mind ease of serving and eating the food, as well as food safety.

A few of our favourite picnic spots require a long walk from the car to the picnic grounds. We don't want to lug any more items than absolutely necessary. We try to keep it down to one cooler that can hold all the food. Potato salad is considered a picnic staple, but because it requires extra dishes and doesn't do well in the heat, we keep it off our picnic menu. The following is a typical momster picnic:

• Baked ham and apple sandwiches on oatmeal molasses bread
• Pasta salad with Italian dressing
• Chocolate chip cookies or rice krispie squares
• Lemonade (served from large mason jars)
• Snacks such as goldfish crackers, cherries, watermelon, etc.

Food is packed among layers of ice packs to make sure everything stays cool and fresh. I will also throw in some frozen juice pouches which do double duty as extra ice packs and nice cold drinks once they start to melt.

Fun

Once again, we don't want to carry unnecessary items to our picnic place, so we try to keep our extra supplies to one bag or basket. Sunscreen and bug spray are essential. Plates, cups, utensils, and napkins are all packed and kept to only what is necessary. This leaves room for some extra fun things to help make the day memorable for the kiddies. We usually pack something to play catch, a Frisbee or ball of some sort. I like to toss some surprises into the bag to take out during the afternoon.

• Bubble mix and wands
• Jump ropes
• Bug/guppy/frog catching nets (we make sure all the critters are set free)
• For evening picnics we bring along glow sticks and sparklers for night time fun 

Picnics are a great way to get the most out of summer family time. These are the times your kids will remember.


Do you have any picnic tips or recipes to share? We'd love to hear them.