Lasso The Moon

Shark Week Vacation 2015

 Our annual family trip to Galveston during Discovery Channel's Shark Week was the best we've had yet.

(Pizza on the bed.  An absolute vacation MUST.)

In the past, we've debated whether to get the nicer hotel and stay only two nights, or a cheaper option for three.   But this year we got the best of both. 

We found a great hotel for a great price, and we got to stay that third night.  For me, that made all the difference.  It takes me the first two nights just to figure out a routine for the little kids!

We did most of our normal sights.  The ferry. (free)

The kite shop (around $40 for an AWESOME easy-fly kite)

And the beach (free)

We tried something new this year, though!  Since we had the time, and an extra day, we visited La Kings Confectionery on the Strand.  We we instantly in love.

They had Esther at "lollipops!"

We let each of them pick out a couple different types. Everything is priced by the quarter pound, but you can mix and match from the same case. 

Seriously, Mom.  How many pictures do you need before we can EAT IT??

Eli fell asleep right as we pulled up to the store, so he and Daddy stayed in the car.  (We brought Dad a big scoop of ice cream, though!)

And back on the ferry...because we can't get enough of free entertainment I guess.

(If you don't look, you don't flinch as much!)

Nice, Donnie.

And our last-day ritual, Murdoch's.  The kids will never let us miss this one.

Although eating a drippy popsicle right before a 5-hour drive might not be the best plan.

(Poor little Eli got burned on our first day, because we broke the important rule of getting to the beach AFTER 3pm.  Never again.)

 And in case you aren't following on Instagram (yet!)  Here are some of those highlights.

 

"Excuse me, ma'am? Your son has our baby's paci...in his mouth." Eli's defense? This face. #thisismylife #ElijahLeon #noitsmypaci #hotellife #continentalbreakfast #justtakewhatyouwant #embarassingmoments

A photo posted by Anna (@lasso_the_moon) on Jul 6, 2015 at 6:50am PDT

 

Our annual #SharkWeek vacation has officially begun! #Galveston #poolside #hotellife #4kids #EssieKat #ElijahLeon #familyvacation #dontgointhewater

A photo posted by Anna (@lasso_the_moon) on Jul 6, 2015 at 8:00am PDT

 

Texas-shaped waffles. Do other states have their own waffle makers? #texas #waffles #continentalbreakfast #hotellife #pleasedonottakebreakfastitemstoyourroom #oops #4kids

A photo posted by Anna (@lasso_the_moon) on Jul 7, 2015 at 6:29am PDT

 

Not a bad way to pass the time waiting for the ferry...unless you ask our kids! #ferry #Galveston #SharkWeek #familyvacation #embarassingourkids

A photo posted by Anna (@lasso_the_moon) on Jul 7, 2015 at 2:26pm PDT

If you'd like to join us on instagram, you really should.  It's the most fun!

Follow @lasso_the_moon

Here are the other years we've been in Galveston for Shark Week. We are really getting the hang of this town!

Galveston 2013:: How to vacation with the family for super cheap

Galveston 2012 - pt 1

Galveston 2012 - pt 2

Galveston 2011

The Easiest Handprint Flag Tees Ever

I woke up on July 4th and the thought hit me: I forgot to make those tee shirts I wanted to for the party today!  A couple weeks before, I had pinned this ADORABLE shirt.

Original post and tutorial here.  (It's better than mine--especially if you didn't forget most of the supplies like I did!  Check it out!)

But on the morning of the party, I realized I had the shirts, but no fabric paint.  And I couldn't My options were 1) forget the shirts  or 2) make it work.

I chose to make it work!

Here's what you need:

paint--ANY paint.  Even house paint would work.  I should probably be close to the usual colors

kids hands

any paint brush (I used a 1-inch foam brush that was left next to the sink)

a shirt in either red or white

Step 1:  Put a stool next to the sink for little kids.  Paint the left hand liberally with blue paint.  Immediately press the hand down on the shirt.  In the corner where the stars go.

Lift it off, and usher the kid to the sink to wash it off, STAT.

2) To make pretty lines, some masking tape would be nice.  But all I could find were the foam brushes, so I painted 5 messy lines across the shirts to make the flag stripes.

I almost got worried there weren't as many as the real flag.  But the truth?  NO ONE WILL NOTICE!

Walmart was out of little boy's white shirts, so I got Eli a red one.  Which is actually a good thing, since he's the one most likely to dart out into traffic.  This way, he's more visible! (Safety first) Other color options: 1)turquoise and white on pink, 2)black and white on grey, 3)anything you want...because our flag, is pretty recognizable.

Step 3)  There is no step three.  This is the easiest project you'll do all year.

And seriously, even if you post a pic and tell people how little time it took, and that you used the wrong paint, other moms will still fell bad about themselves because they didn't get around to doing their own.

Which leads me to this small service announcement:

Moms, give yourself a BREAK!  If you want to make a flag tee for your little one, but it's July 18th or December 26th, do it anyway!  The calendar is not the boss of you!!  And if you want to make your kid a flag tee and you don't have the right supplies, MAKE IT ANYWAY.  Pinterest is not the boss of you!! I post these projects on my blog to remind myself that I actually got something done, when my actual mental list (I lost my paper list) is a mile and a half long.  I post these things, because maybe you want to make something, and I can show you how few steps there actually are.  That you can do it! I don't post these things to show off. Or make other moms feel bad. We can't let social media do that to us, when there's so much potential for fun, inspiration, and encouragement.

So grab that stained tee shirt out of the laundry pile, slap on some paint, and party like it's 1776.

Happy Independence Day, y'all!!

 

Fourth of July 2015 - Ice Cream Social and Bike Parade

 

I love community.  And over the last few years, as I have pursued what I believe is a calling from Jesus, to love my neighbor and focus my ministry as close to home as possible, I have grown to love community even more.

When I was in high school, my parents moved into a small community with a town square, friendly neighbors, and parties.  Lots of parties.  We had block parties, Christmas parties, even a "howling at the moon" party!  And as a young woman, it affected the way I saw my neighborhood and the people who lived there.  I want my kids and my neighbors to have that, too.  Even if it has to start with me.

This weekend we had a July 4th ice cream social and bike parade. 

Y'all.  You have to try this.  It was almost NO WORK AT ALL!

I'll explain.

What you need for an ice cream social is this:

1) invitations

2) ice cream

What you need for a bike parade:

1) streamers and shiny decorations

2) tape and scissors

3) people with bikes

Seriously.  It could not be any easier.

Here's how we did it. 

One month before the party: I sent my neighbor Malika a text, asking if they'd be in town on the 4th.  Yes.  Done.

Four days before the party: I designed a simple but fun invitation using PicMonkey, a free graphic design program online. 

You don't even have to do this, because I've made one for you!

Click on the image to see it full-sized.  Then right-click on the image and select save.  Then upload to pickmonkey.com and add your own words!

Three days before the party: This part is FUN!  Get a stack of simple paper plates and tape one invitation to each plate.  Use a hole punch to make a hole at the top of each plate, about an inch down.  Loop a rubber band through the hole to make a stretchy hanger for the doorknobs on your street. 

Walk your invitations to each door.  If you've never met your neighbors, this is a great time to knock on the door and introduce yourself.

(I made him pose for this.)

One day before the party: Hit up the Dollar Tree for cheap decorations like crepe paper streamers, curling ribbon, and foil stars.  Balloons and flags are awesome, too!  Pick up a couple (or more) of those giant tubs of generic ice cream at the grocery store.  If you get more than you can fit in your freezer, see if you can store some in a neighbor's freezer.  This is a great way to ease someone into the party.  For ours, we had 6 tubs of chocolate and vanilla at three different houses.  That's community!

Optional: even if you have asked people to bring their own toppings, you might want to grab a few syrups and sprinkles while you are out.  Just in case.

The day of the party: On a hot day like July 4th, it's good to have water of some kind.  Sprinklers, baby pools, and plenty of bottled or cooled water for drinking.  We have this giant obnoxious blow-up slide that we only use a couple times a year.  It was a hand-me-down from family, but it has been well used and loved by us.  If you think you might be throwing a few of these block parties a year, think about investing in one (affiliate link) at some point.  Of course, that's totally optional.

Set up tables for the ice cream and decorating supplies.  Set out as many chairs as you can find.  Fill up your drink dispenser with extra water.  Fill a cooler with ice for storing the ice cream.  Find your ice cream scoop.  Maybe put out a bucket of sidewalk chalk for the kids.  Turn on some music.  And wait for the guests to arrive!

I have to admit, I did invite a couple of ringers--

my nieces who just got new bikes--to make sure the party looked full to passers by.

During the party: We kept two tubs of ice cream in the cooler, and two in the freezer inside.  When one got mushy, we switched them out.

Wear sunscreen!

Serve up ice cream like it's going out of style.  Let the kids pile on the toppings and go nuts. 

(Jesus is lavish with His grace.  The sprinkles should be free-flowing at the very least, while we are representing Him!)

 

Get to know your neighbors, where they live, their names, and even some phone numbers if possible.  Talk to them and see how they'd like to get involved as a neighborhood.  A street-wide garage sale? A book club?

I didn't know how to run a bike parade, and to be honest, I still don't!  We let the kids go wild with the supplies for decorating.

Helpful grown-ups are a plus!

 

Then we lined them up for the parade!

Boomhauer marched at the front of the parade as the Grand Marshal.  We all agreed that he was the Best Feline Grand Marshal anyone had ever seen.

We stood adults at the end of the block and the middle of the block (my house), in the street to discourage drivers from driving through.  Then we just let the kids loose. 

I thought they'd ride down and back and then be through.  But they didn't want it to end!  I was so moved by their enthusiasm!

They rode fast and slow, waving flags, and singing to the patriotic music Donnie was blasting from his phone onto a blue-tooth speaker. 

Next year, we might line up the adults along the sidewalks to cheer everyone on.

It turned out better than I ever hoped, and I can't wait to do it again!

Have you ever had a block party or have some ideas to share?  Let us know in the links below!  Just like my block, this blog is a community.  Let's work together!

Here are a couple other articles you might find interesting, if you liked this one:

A Novice's Guide to Throwing a Block Party

If You Bought Two Lasagnas, Give One to Your Neighbors

168

Do Something Small

 

 

 

My neighbor, Mr. H

I've been trying to love my neighbors.  Not because they aren't easy to love, because they really are.  I have a sweet neighborhood full of a broad spectrum of people of different ages, life stages, social class, and race.  And we get along really well!

But I have a busy life with the four kids, homeschooling, and just the day-to-day, and before I know it, it's been months since I intentionally reached out to a neighbor in love.  I hope that changes.  I hope it becomes more natural and instinctive the more I practice.  But until then, I have to work at it, and allow myself some grace when I don't meet my own expectations.

My neighbor, Mr. H doesn't seem to have to work at it so much.  He is a great source of inspiration in this area.  For instance, the flags.

A couple years ago, Mr H took it upon himself to decorate our entire street with flags for Independence Day. He started with his own, his immediate neighbors, and my house, which is across the street.  And then the next year, he went from door to door, asking the permission to plant flags in front of every house--almost 30 of them.

He made many trips to different stores, buying all of the flags they had, with his own money, and then placed them, carefully measured by three shoe-lengths along the entire stretch of our block.  Both sides.  I don't know how old Mr H is, but I know that he suffers with arthritis, and that the task of decorating our street takes him several days in the heat to complete.  (Although this year he was helped along by Ethan, who was thrilled and proud to be a part of it!)

A few days after the 4th, he'll take down every flag, carefully wash the base of the stick, and store them safely away until next year.  This man knows about building community.  He knows that doing something small can have a big impact. When we have visitors to our house while the flags are up, every person asks about them.  Because of the simple loving act of one man, we are unified in some way, despite our differences in background.  And that is no small thing in this country today.

He came over this morning to tell us that he won't be able to make it to our block party tomorrow, but that he wished he could.

I asked him why he would go to the trouble to plant flags in front of every house on the street.  And he said, "I felt like it needed to be done."

Thanks, Mr H!  They look so beautiful!  I'm happy you're my neighbor.

::

PS  If you live in the South Dallas area, you've probably seen Mr H's roofing billboards around.  If you or someone you know is in need of a new roof, give him a call!  (He got ours done very quickly after a big hail storm.)  And tell him his neighbor Anna sent you.  He'd get a kick out of that!

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