Congrats, Jessica!

On Monday May 18th, my amazing cousin Jessica Robin Bliss had her first baby. It's a boy! His name is Lyle Owen Bliss Dalziel. He looks like a frog. My so very lucky mom got to fly to New Jersey to see them. I bet she's holding the baby right now. Hi, mom! Hi, Jessica and Ben and Calvin and Lyle! LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!!! LITERALLY MY HEART IS BURSTING AND I THINK IT'LL BE MESSY! SORRY ABOUT THE COUCH, MOM.

xoxoxo

Eliza;)

Kentucky bound

On Monday, the 18th of May, my mom and dad and sister and I will be piling into the car and heading down to Kentucky. We are going to see dear relatives, Dave and Monica and Rio the dog and Lucy the goose (no offence, Lucy the person!) We will be staying two nights there, one in a hotel with a pool. YAY! But before we leave, mom and I are performing on Saturday and Sunday with our fellow Calliope Feminist Choir singers. Mom is a Soprano 2, I a Soprano 1. Apparently I can reach all those off-the-scale notes. That's news to me :) We have to wear purple for the performance, so I'm wearing a beautiful, long, purple and white patterned dress that goes over my toes, at least it did when I last wore it. Maybe I've grown. I hope so.
I know my dear mother, Slim Pickins, will be posting all about our upcoming plans. Click here to be transported to her blog, Plot55.

Getting closer to summer | tips and suggestions

Most of you know that summer is definitely not my favorite season. In fact, it's my least favorite. But, it's unavoidable. And if you're like me, you get overheated, you have meltdowns, you eat more sugar, you have a hard time eating actual foods and end up not eating enough and getting grumpy. For some of you, summer is a break from school. I, on the other hand, am home schooled. I do get breaks from schoolwork over the summer, but I do have certain things that I don't take superlong breaks from. Whether or not you are home schooled or real schooled, or are an alien, or whatever, here are some tips on surviving the summer and what you might want to bring along on your summer journeys.

1. You'll want to have a 'bag'. Not just any bag. The bag. In fact, I should probably put it in CAPS. This Bag, is for you to carry around wherever you are, whenever you are. This is the Bag that you keep anything essential in. Anything that you think you might need, because, think about it, you'll probably need a lot. And if you're not like me, and don't need to bring endless amounts of things I'll never use, that's terrific. Here is a list of things you might want to put in The Bag. Modify how you please.

• sunblock
• sunglasses
• container of fruits or berries
• water bottle
• alternate pair of comfy shoes
• several novels (amount identified by oneself)
• journal, diary, poetry or writing book
• camera
• sketchbook | pencils, pens, markers, paints, etc.
• deck of cards
• swim suit/towel
• money for ice cream (duh)
• dog leash, ball, treats, plastic poop bags, etc. (optional)
• sun hat
• bug dope
• flashlight (optional)

That is all I can think of right now, but if I remember some more, I'll let you know. Also comment below what things you like to put in your Bag.

      

       2. It is very important that you don't get overheated, so, always remember to drink lots of water, or hydrating liquids. Don't forget to wear sunblock when you know you're going to be in the sun for a long period of time. No one likes sunburns. I don't know about you, but I tan really easily. But, if I'm tan already, and I forget to put on sunblock, I'll turn purple or maroon. Yuck. If you want to get tan, I wouldn't advise using tanning lotions, you don't know what kinds of crap might be in those. You should just spend time outside. But not using sunblock won't mean you get a tan faster, it just means you get a burn faster. And if you've tried so hard to get a tan, and it just won't happen, you have to remember that your skin is beautiful anyways and if you want to experiment with different shades, that's ok, but try not to use junk just to get that look from whatever teen magazine you're into.

       3. Camping. Some of you might really enjoy camping. But, I am not so crazy about it (sorry, mom and dad!) But when I do go on camping trips, I tend to bring things that I end up not using at all. Here is a list of things that I bring when going camping. Modify as you please.

• t shirt
• shorts
• light dress
• bug dope
• swimsuit
• hat
• deodorant
• sunblock
• sandals and/or rain boots and/or sneakers
• sweatshirt
• flashlight
• pocket knife
• novel
• journal

      4. Road trips and other vacations. Every year, when we go on a trip to Wisconsin, where all my relatives live, my Mom makes a list of everything I need to pack in the clothes department. One year, (I think I was ten) I decided I was a big girl and didn't need a packing list. I ended up forgetting any longs leave shirts and had to borrow one from my Grandma Liz in Sheboygan (Thanks, G. Liz!) 

So, if you are planning a trip soon, you might want to read this list of things to pack on a vacation. And, of course, modify how you please.

• several t shirts - it really depends on how long you're gone, but for a week, I'd pack about five shirts.
• two pairs of shorts - going by the one-week scenario.
• a skirt and/or dress - 1 or 2 
• two pairs of long pants
• two pairs of longs leave shirts
• eight pairs of underwear - you never know how many you'll need
• four tank tops
• seven pairs of socks
• one or two bras
• sandals, sneakers, boots
• hat
• sweatshirt