TGIF

Yes, in our household we're always glad when it's Friday. You see by the time Friday rolls around it's a little more difficult to get out of bed - our energy from the week has been zapped. And us Rietzschs - we are thinkers, always thinking outside of the box. If you can accomplish a task by taking a shortcut - why not?

At least that's what my two year old must have been thinking when she took it upon herself to redefine breakfast in bed. Not to mention she did this after already having finished her breakfast at the kitchen table. They do say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Point made well and clear that when your energy is zapped from the week, you have to take extra measures.

DAILY QUESTION:

When was the last time you had breakfast in bed?

Best Ribs on the Planet!

Last Saturday was a big day for Manuel! His favorite soccer team Bayern Munich won the Champions League Final which is the European Cup. It was the biggest game of his life and he was so nervous to watch it. He said that it was more important than the World Cup. Anyways, after watching him holler and yell and just about cry tears of joy - I suggested we celebrate.

So, we went to this new little rib place that opened up in Syracuse. It's called the Rib Shack. It's seriously the best ribs I have ever had.  Prices range from $4.00-$8.00 and you get so much food! The kids' meal ribs were the same portions as the adult ribs. The $8 dinner comes with ribs, fries, a special smokey fry sauce, cornbread and your choice of two sides. The cornbread was the best cornbread ever! Normally cornbread is crumbly but not this cornbread - it was moist and soft. It tasted sweet almost like coconut and I think it had white raisins in it. It was so, so, delicious!

The building used to be a tanning salon, so all the tanning bed rooms have been turned into themed private dining rooms. My kids chose the Hunting Shack room. We enjoyed our dinner with some great music and a camping atmosphere. You have to try this place!!

 

The Things We Do for Our Kids

 When my husband and I put our heads together we often come up with some ingenious kind of ideas. While at Walmart purchasing a swing set we noticed that the staff working there had wheeled out a long box that read box 1 of 2 then next to that it read one set = two boxes.

So my husband and I informed the staff that there should be another box. The older male employee said in a confident voice "It says one set equals two boxes, so here you go - you are good" Again, we repeated that there was a missing box and again he repeated what he had just said. His female co-worker agreed with him saying that because the box said "one set" on it - this was our one set. Again, we told them that yes, we ordered one set, but the set comes with two boxes as stated on the box. We said, "This is box 1 of 2 and now we need box 2 of 2"

They were very confused and continued to argue with us until we mentioned it to a third co-worker who suggested they go back and check just in case we were right. Of course we were right! After all, we read the box. So, fifteen minutes later they came out with "box 2 of 2" on a six wheeler and didn't say a word more to us.

Then my husband told them he would pull the car up to the front where they could load it. The older male emplyee said, "Car? You expect this to fit in a car?" so we said, "SUV". Then he laughed at us even though I told him the seats fold down. So when he came out and saw our SUV he said "Are you kidding me? How are you going to get this in there?" he seemed very annoyed. I told him, "Very easily. The seats fold down and then we slide them in" he couldn't envision it because all he saw were three throws of seats and no where to put these boxes. So then he said,

"Where you going to put the kids?"

So I said, "We are not going to fold down all the  seats"

He was very confused. He didn't realize our seats fold down individually not as an entire row.

Long story short all kids were able to fit in the car, in a car seat. As for me that was another story. My husband wanted to come back and pick me up later but I told him I could fit too. I didn't want to stay behind with the negative Walmart employees, I wanted to show them that where there is a will there is a way. Anything is possible. So, I got in and this is how we drove home. Uncomfortable? A little but we live just down the road.

It took Manuel about 10 hours to put the swing set together and he still has to put the roof on. We are going to paint it gray and put shingles on the roof. I'll post on here when it's done.

DAILY QUESTION:

What's the most bazaar thing that you ever did for your kids?

How We Spent Memorial Day

She calls these her strawberry shoes!

Cambrey talking to the geese

Breakfast at IHOP

Manuel attacking

Homemade cookie dough fudge swirl ice cream

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

I love rain storms! The smell, the sound, the feel of the rain and wind, the sight of the intense clouds and beautiful RAINBOW!

We love rainbows! When Paisley turned three she had a rainbow birthday party. So, I have a playlist full of songs about rainbows and I love to play it on days like this.

The girls were so excited that they were dancing on the porch. It reminded me of a time about 1985 when my older sister and I put on our white church shoes, swim suits, white gloves and took our umbrellas out in the driveway and danced in the rain.

Rainstorms are invigorating, romantic and sometimes they seem magical. When I was a teenager, I would open up the kitchen window, pop the screen out and then crank up the volume on my cassette player to my tape playlist of Roxette "It Must Have Been Love" The Eurythmics "Here Comes the Rain" and Belinda Carlisle "Circle in the Sand" and "Summer Rain". Yep, those were my rain songs.

I have so many memories about rainstorms, they could fill a book!

DAILY QUESTION: 

What is your favorite rain memory?