Chocolate Milk & Vanilla Ice Cream

As Mya was getting ready for bed last night, she was extra talkative.  Telling made-up stories, jibber-jabbering, and just being silly.  And as I was there with her, this brief conversation went down....

Me - "Mya, I just love the color of your skin.  It reminds me of chocolate milk."  
She pauses, looks at her skin, and smiles.  Within seconds, she replies.
Mya - "Mom, I love your skin.  It reminds me of vanilla ice cream."  

Yep, you're exactly right, honey.  And in that moment, my heart was filled with such joy and happiness.

We do have different skin.  We do look different on the outside.  And I love it.  I love that she can see the differences of our skin colors.  The difference is beautiful to me.  And I'm thankful for our differences.

When I anticipated being an adoptive mom...and then finding out that I would be an adoptive mom to our biracial daughter, I didn't know quite what to expect.  What it would be like to parent a child of another color.  It's been a learning process for sure...but so worth it and filled with rich blessings for us and our families.  I wouldn't change it for anything.

There's something so cool...so rewarding...when we, as humans, can embrace our differences and love one another just the way we are.

Lunchbox Encouragement

With the start of another new school year right around the corner, here are LUNCHBOX ENCOURAGEMENT CARDS (<-- click here) for you to download, print out, and tuck them into your child's lunchbox the first day or week of school...and beyond.  There's nothing like a simple note of encouragement to brighten someone's day.

Thanks to Heavenly Homemakers' blog for this fun resource.

Movie Theaters, Fairs, Playgrounds, and So Much More!

Looking for some end-of-summer activities to do with your family in the Lancaster, PA area...for little or no cost at all?  Here you go!  And please feel free to share even more ideas in the "comments" section below.  :)

{1} Kendig Square Movie Theater
All movies are only $2.50 per person BEFORE 6:00 PM.  (See website for movie times and other pricing info.)

{2} Lancaster Creative Reuse
All summer long, they're offering "free craft table" Fridays.  Every Friday - 10:00 AM til 2:00 PM.  Let your imagination run wild as you create whatever you want with supplies from their craft room.

{3} Elizabethtown Fair
August 19-24, 2013.  10:00 AM - 11:00 PM (except August 19th is 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM).  Full schedule of events available on their website.

{4} Cherry Hill Orchard
Pick-Your-Own fruits in their orchard.  Peaches and apples and nectarines are soon ready.  Check their "ripening schedule" or call before you go to see what fruits are ready for picking.  (Just a note: If my memory serves me correctly, they may only accept cash or checks for their pick-your-own fruits out in the orchard.)

{5} Go Park Hopping!
Start at a favorite local, community park in the morning.  Travel to another one for a picnic lunch.  Meet up with some friends at yet another park in the afternoon.  Create a scavenger hunt for your adventures or pack a cooler full of water balloons.  Maybe even invite some "surprise" friends or family to meet you at the park and surprise your kids.  "Daniel's Den Playground" at Manor Church is especially neat because they have a "water mister" to keep kids cool on warm summer days, AND they basically have two parks in one (half of it is for older kids, half of it is for younger kids, AND it's all handicap-accessible.)

{6} Lancaster Central Market
Such a cool place to explore your five senses.  Open Tuesday & Friday 6:00 AM til 4:00 PM and Saturday 6:00 AM til 2:00 PM.

{7} Visit Other Farmers' Markets
Green Dragon - Ephrata, PA (Fridays only)
Root's Market - Manheim, PA (Tuesdays only)
Bird-in-Hand Farmer's Market - Bird-in-Hand, PA (Wednesday thru Saturday this time of year)
Lancaster's Eastern Market (Saturdays only)

{8} Lapp Valley Farm
Fun farm setting with lots of animals.  Delicious homemade ice cream.

{9} Visit Strasburg on a Saturday
Strasburg Farmer's Market
Strasburg-Heisler Library
Sweet Charity Shop
Strasburg Creamery and Other Cool Shops
Strasburg Railroad

{10} Hayloft Candles
Free petting zoo.  Monday thru Saturday 9:00 AM til 5:00 PM (this time of year).  

{11} Local Library Events
Many local libraries have free events for kids of all ages.  Check out their calendar of events online and register for events online, too.  Events and programs are available year-round.

{12} Visit Long's Park
They have several nice playgrounds, lots of picnic areas, a large pond, tennis courts, a petting zoo, and a free summer music series.  The summer concerts are every Sunday night at 7:30 PM all summer long.  Click here for more info on the music series.

{13} Construct this COOL "Outdoor Easel"
I love this idea and just had to share it with you.


Please share MORE IDEAS if you have them.  As a mom, I know I'm always looking for fun things to do with my daughter...and I imagine you might be, too.  :)

End-of-Summer Blues

Every August, the end-of-summer blues set in for me.  I can remember even as a child dreading the reality that school was going to start back up again in just a few weeks...once August 1st rolled around on the calendar.  I loved school (and have amazing memories of it) but missed the freedom of summer and feared that my new teacher, specifically in elementary school years, wouldn't like me and dreaded the reality of homework starting back up again.  I thought those end-of-summer blues would fade away after graduation.  But then I decided to get a teaching degree and also marry a teacher...so even though I wasn't going to be the student anymore, I would still experience those anxious weeks leading up to the start of a new school year.

I get butterflies in my stomach as I think about sending my hubby off to his first day of school and spending days explaining to Mya why he won't be at home when she wakes up in the morning.

I'm sad that our HOT summer days are beginning to transition into COOLER, more Fall-like ones.

I notice that the evening's daylight is getting shorter and shorter.

And reality sets in.  School is just around the corner.

But this year, I'm trying to intentionally choose to not dread the weeks leading up to school...but rather, I'm embracing all the excitement that these coming weeks can (and WILL) hold.  I still find my mind thinking about it, but at least I'm able to quickly reshift my focus.

So here's what I AM looking forward to about the next couple of weeks...

*Peach-picking season is almost here!  Cherry Hill Orchard here we come.  :)
*Apple season and making applesauce is just around the corner.
*Fair season is also right around the corner.  More and more, I just LOVE our local fairs and all that they offer to our little ones (and I appreciate the fairs so much more now that I am an adult.)
*"Connections" is starting back up again soon.
*We love cooking out and entertaining and look forward to more get-togethers with family & friends.
*A new dance year will soon be here!
*Local, roadside farm stands are PACKED with fresh foods...and our little garden continues to bless us, too.
*Our annual church picnic is coming soon.  I just love this event.
*Plans are in the making to reunite with Mya's birth-family again...but this time here close to home...and my parents will get visit with them as well.

I do realize, too, that some of you are reading this and absolutely cannot wait to send your kids BACK to school.  I don't judge you.  Really I don't.  But may you enjoy and cherish these last few weeks of summer break with the children in your life, too.  In my next post, I'll share with you some end-of-summer activities, ideas, and events.