We are Sass.

Because a celebration was in order...

for breakfast we had these

to celebrate that in January we will be spending a week with these guys

and hopefully seeing lots and lots of faces that look like this.

Right now, there is a lot of excitement in the Rieske household. I think Papa and Grandma Hill might be a little excited, too. (They are going with us!) Thank you Allegiant air for $29.99 flights - there is no way we could endure 24 hours in the car at this point in our lives.

And, our pumpkins.

Next year, I think we'll stick with the good old, SIMPLE faces. Yep.

 

See, even blogger didn't want me to load them. They were THAT big of a pain.

Halloween

 Where to begin. It was such a busy week! We started out with our ward Trunk-or-Treat / chilli cook-off. And, I forgot my camera. No worries. I have about a million pictures from the rest of the week to make up for it. However, that was the one night Elle liked her Dumbo costume. It was cold outside and the costume was warm, which I think had a lot to do with it. We had fun, the kids ran around like crazy. Sydney, being the shy girl she is, chatted away into the microphone during the costume contest. I ended up having to take the microphone away from her and push her along off the stage so the parade could continue. My chilli didn't win this year. Obviously, something was wrong with the judge's taste buds. ;) We came home with loads of candy and could've ended this whole thing then and there. But, alas, this is just the beginning.

Sunday night we carved our pumpkins. That was quite the project!

I can't get the pictures to load, so I guess I've hit my limit. I'll post them separately.

Oh, and here is also where David LEAVES for the week. Seriously. Leaves during the crazy week-o-Halloween. tsk, tsk. But, we survived it - he just missed out on the fun. So, Tuesday Chay and I kicked off the week by making little marshmallow fondant ghosts for Sydney's party.

One of my FAVORITE parts of Halloween is an excuse to play with my food. Here is a sampling:

The next party was Sydney's dance party on Wednesday. She got dressed in her Gabriella costume (from High School Musical, in case you are out of the loop) and had her ghost marshmallows ready to go.   When it was her turn to hand out her treats, she did so by doing an arabesque with each one. I must say that no one else did that. Nope, they just handed them out like normal people, but not my Sydney. Oh, and do you like our fanci-fied sucker holder? (aka Bisquick box.)

And what party at dance class would be complete without dancing. (Can you see how tiny she is compared to everyone else. She is jumping and they are all standing on the ground.)

 

So, with a good layer of sugar on her tummy, we go home and prepare for the next round of parties. Preschool and library. Preschool doesn't allowed homemade treats (Boo!) so we had to settle for taking paddle balls. Oh, and we had to work on a family project of decorating a paper pumpkin. Elle was tired, and David was gone. So, it became a Sydney and Mommy project. Of course it had to include sparkles (glitter) and buttons (a family joke - if you've seen Coraline, you might understand.) That little project was completed around 10 p.m. Here are the results along with "Gabriella". I must say our pumpkin was the most original. No one else bothered to glue a million buttons on - they just colored theirs - lame. But, I'm sure they also had their little ones tucked in bed at 8:30.

Elle and I stayed and watched the costume parade. Elle was fine watching until her sister came along. Then we had this.

















And Elle did the second loop of the parade with them. And so did I. So, I have no pictures. But, here is Elle trying to get in on the class photo shoot.























Then, Elle and I were off to the Library for story time and costumes.




And here is the best photo you will get of that:

As it turns out, she decided she only liked wearing the shoe part of her costume. If you know my Elle, you will understand the shoe thing. She really likes most all shoes. So, the costume itself, as cute as it was, was very short-lived.

However, turns out we have a whole box of dress-up stuff. (Comes with being a girl momma) And, lo and behold, she found a "Melmo" costume. Yep, some old rough looking thing. And, that was the end of Dumbo.

Thursday night, David got home. (Insert angels singing)

Friday morning we went to the gym and the kids wore their Halloween costumes (three days in a row at this point) for Halloween activities while mom worked off some of that candy that kept jumping into my mouth. Later that day we went to David's office for some more trick-or-treating. Here is Elle as "Melmo" outside of his office (where my kids were given ridiculous amounts of candy which is not good for the whole Mom's diet thing.)

 

 

Now, my little 18 month old quickly learned the difference in M&M's and suckers. Here she is sifting through some loot.

She would dig her little paws through the bowl and come out with chocolate and the fruit flavored tootsie rolls (her favorite!) And let me tell you about how much those little paws can hold - three mini-candy bars at a time IN ONE HAND. The kid has skills.

This is the "Please give us more candy" look. They have it perfected.

Friday night we went to our fun Halloween party that I wrote about earlier. Here is a bigger picture of just us and a small glimpse of balloon butt. And, I'll have you know that not once did my husband tell me how beautiful I looked. The NERVE!

Ok, so now we are to the actual real day of Halloween. We started the day out with pumpkin shaped biscuits and chocolate gravy. (Hey, it's Halloween and I'm a realist - might as well start the day out with sugar, right?)

So, after three straight days of wearing the same Halloween costume (plus the party the Saturday before) Syd was tired of her costume. Oh, and it was white and already had been washed once, and needed it again. So, she decided she wanted to be something else. Back to that box of dress up, and, voila! A princess fairy. How original, right? But, I got to do some painting on her face which made the whole day a little more exciting for me (especially since I was kind of tired at this point.)

We had dinner with Nanny and Trick-or-Treated her house first.

 

 Then, we were off to our own neighborhood. We visited our neighbor who always has a fun time scaring the kids (and giving their parents a good laugh.)

 

 

Played with the fun pumpkin flashlights.

Elle learned to say "TickoTeet"

Sydney even asked some people why they didn't decorate as good as the people next door. Mom wanted to go and hide next door.

We made it a block before both girls were cold and tired. Then, we went drove to some friends and had some yummy homemade doughnuts (which was the perfect excuse to stop trick-or-treating.) A good night, with two tired little girls.  Thank goodness daylight savings came the next day. We needed it! So, goodbye to the holiday that allows me to play with my food. I'll miss you.

Too funny not to share

Halloween Party

Some friends of ours had a Halloween party last night. Yummy Mexican food for dinner, costumes were required, and then there was the epic Newlyweds game. (We came in third...not too shabby!)

The best part - sans kids! Not very often do we get together with this group of friends (all from church) minus the kids. It was fun, relaxing, and a little crazy. Thanks Crowells!! Check out some of the fun costumes.

**click on the picture if you want to see it better**

Costume Winners- Funniest: Speedo (aka Superheros)(Rigbys), Most Original: Papparazzi & Movie Star (Karlsven), Best Overall: GloStick People (Smith's)

David and I went as Publisher's clearing house. I don't think you get the full effect of our costume without the balloons tied to his butt.

We came in a close second on best overall. Yay! And the best part,  I got to wear my jammies and he had to wear a suit. hehehe.

So long ago, but fun

Now that it is cold and rainy, I'll reminiscence about the good ole' days of summer (aka do some more catch up.)

Our last little excursion was a trip to Branson in August. We've  made quite a few day trips thanks to our Silver Dollar City season passes (thanks again Mom and Dad!) we got for Christmas last year. Now, this trip started out a little differently than I would have liked. David was already at Big Cedar for work, so it was up to me to get the two kids there by myself. We were later getting off than I would've liked, and I was, wel,l a little stressed. Thank goodness for books on CD - it kept them somewhat entertained on the way there so we could a settle down a bit.

Sydney cried when we had to drive over the water at the entrance to Big Cedar. She was SURE we were going to float away and that Mommy didn't know what she was doing and that we were all going to die. Drama.

Everything is so beautiful with all of the landscaping. Elle was really digging playing golf. This was when she first started really talking and kept saying "ball." We were so proud, but not as proud as she was of herself.


This was also the HARDEST mini-golf course I've ever played. All of the parents were walking around grumbling about how hard it was. The last hole, you shoot into a big fish. Sydney wasn't so sure about that part, so she just skipped it.

After golf, we went to grab lunch. We told Sydney she had two choices, Wendy's or Steak and Shake. She said, "I don't care,  you choose," so  we pulled out of the parking lot of Steak and Shake and into the one across the street at Wendy's. And here is where the tears began. First, she wouldn't get out of the car. So, we said fine and left her (because of course she really won't stay by herself, right?) We get all of the way to the door before we realized she was serious about not getting out of the car. So, Dad drags her out. She is informed that she doesn't have to eat, but she does have to come inside. And she screams, and the people inside look at us like were a bunch of crazies. We order, she is still screaming. Our meal went something like this: cry, spank, eat a bite of a fry, threaten, back outside, another spank, etc., etc. She finally ate two fries, still mad at Dad. What a great start to our vacation!

Next, it was time for some shopping for the new jeans David had promised me. Let me just say what dolls our children were NOT during that time. At this point, we're really promising ourselves that our next vacation will be booked for two. Then, we headed to Starbucks for an internet connection - we still hadn't booked a hotel and it was around 5 at this time. Oops.

 

Elle helped Daddy and enjoyed some hot chocolate. Sydney slept on a bench (never wake a sleeping dragon.) Finally, we found a hotel on Priceline.  Then we were off to watch the water and fire show at Branson Landing.

It was pretty fun, but Sydney was still sleepy and spent the time laying on Daddy's shoulder. 

Elle entertained the old people. Both girls were too scared to go play next to the water and fire.

Then we were off to dinner. After some bad navigation by yours truly, we drove several blocks to end up 1 block away from the Starbucks we started out at and found our pizza. Mr. G's Chicago Pizza  was delicious! We will be visiting that place again. I'm actually hungry just thinking about it...

Finally we got to our hotel, or "pretend home" as we like to call it. It was a suite with a kitchen which was a plus. The next day Elle and I got up and went grocery shopping while David and Sydney slept in. We ate the continental breakfast downstairs and then spent some time swimming.

Then, we were off to spend the rest of the day at Silver Dollar City. No pictures from that (we have a million already and didn't want to have to worry about getting the camera wet.) But, we had fun, cried when we had to get off of the rides, you know, the usual.

All in all, a fun trip (if you forget about the first day!)

Dear jet plane:

I love single parenting. Really. I am sure this is why I got MARRIED before I had children. I think my kids came equipped with a "Dad is gone sensor" and I am pretty sure I didn't order either of them that way. I wonder if that warranty is still in effect. 10 year/ 100,000 mile is what we signed up for, right?

So, dear jet plane, please bring my husband home soon.

Disclamier: They really are sometimes, (ok, occasionally) a tiny bit good - just not when Dad is gone.

Writing

Among the many beauties of Sydney learning to write. Translated, this says, "Sydney (as in Sydney says) Elle is not being obedient." I guess we have a new way to tattle.

Pace Setter

Well, a long time ago, back when the weather was warm and the trees were green, there was a holiday called Labor Day. Most like to rest, but we've become habitual self-torturers and decided to run a 5K (you know, because we are fat and out of shape, and that is what you do to convince yourself you aren't THAT out of shape.) Oh, and there is this little thing I like to call peer pressure. We'll get back to that.

So, I did this form of self-torture last  year (three months after a c-section...what was I thinking...), but this year Sydney decided to join me for what we thought would be the 1 mile fun run, followed by my 5K. (Really, FUN run??) Except that they didn't do the event quite the same as they did last year and the 1 mile started AFTER the 5K. Nope, not leaving my little one to run it with someone else, and not giving up my 5K, so she ran the 5K with us, even though she'd trained (ok, training here means that I tested her a few times to make sure I wouldn't end up carrying her the whole way.) Oh, and David's company had extra spots in the race so he ran it to...more about that later.

So, here we are donning our pink "Sole Sisters" "Lil' Sole Sisters" shirts at some early hour...I'm thinking 6 a.m.? We really are late sleepers. 

 

Oh, and remember the peer pressure I mentioned before? It comes in the form of a sea of pink, and is a group of ladies from my ward (church) and a few of their friends.

This year we had some of our girls join us.

Sydney was by far the youngest, but you gotta give her credit for the most spunk. Look at that pose.

And here we are pre-race. I didn't know Elle would be going with us, too or I would've ordered her a pink shirt, too. But, I grabbed what pink we had, and of course she wore her running shoes. I don't know what was wrong with David - he just wasn't interested in a pink shirt. The nerve, eh?

And, we're off. And, we agreed to run it all together. None of us had really trained (I started, then had a month long ordeal with asthma which doesn't really lend to training for a 5K.) David thinks he is superman and doesn't need to train. So, two jogging strollers in hand, (one in case Syd gets tired) and we're off.Oh, and did I mention that I NEVER intended to run this with even one stroller??

The hills on this race are killer for us non-runners. KILLER. And, that is all I will say about that.

This picture is from a little after the 1 mile mark. Sydney will still going strong, and we kept telling her to slow down. She wouldn't stay in the stroller more than a few minutes. Thankfully there were lots of people we knew around us, so it wasn't a big deal if she was a little ahead. I had to stop and take a picture. David made fun of me, but that is ok. It's who I am.


Here is Sydney crossing the finish line. We aren't too far behind...look to the left..SEE! But, yeah, our four-year-old smoked us. And, she ran all but maybe .5 a mile (if that) and that was really due to a scraped knee.

We finished too, but that isn't nearly as exciting. However, I do think we look kind of funny with the empty stroller. Elle was a trooper and didn't fuss or get bored (or even poop in her diaper which I was totally expecting.)

See this guy? His name is Hunter Kemper and he is a "Champion Triathelete." Well, he was there to greet us at the finish line. David and I had gone to a sponsors dinner the night before (with about 30 people) so we had briefly met him. He seemed to remember us (I had him sign something thinking it might be cool for the girls when they are older), so he made a big fuss over Sydney running the 5K instead of just the mile.

She isn't proud at all - (look at that face!)

Elle wasn't as thrilled with her medal. We ate some lunch and played at the bounce house things afterward, waiting around to find out our time (I really can't leave not knowing.) We ran it in 41:46.0 Not great, but for my non-runner self and hubby, not bad. Better than my time last year (when I actually trained AND didn't push a stroller.) I just always get mad and think "what if I actually had trained." So, maybe next year I will remember it.

Our group got mentioned in the paper!!

Sydneyism

M: do you want to wear your Hannah Montana jacket instead of your big blue coat?
S: yeah, my blue one is kind of pathetic.
Sent from my iPhone

St. Louis Pt. 3 - Our Fun Day

 

On our way to find some breakfast we found a park with a bunch of statues that the kids thought were pretty neat. 

This was David's favorite.

And, what trip to St. Louis would be complete without a trip to the arch. Nothing like paying to go up in a big metal thing in a pod. I wasn't sure how the girls would take it.

Does the look on her face say how she felt about the pod? I think I might have been telling her we were stuck in there forever, or some other lore. Hey, it is how I get my kicks.

Once we were to the top the girls LOVED it. I think Elle was even more mesmerized than Sydney. Sydney was more interested in taking pictures. Elle just wanted to stick her face on the window and look out. David thought she was going to fall out and die. He really wasn't digging the whole arch experience. Something about the crowds??

David's smile? Totally fake.

Syd loved the museum in the arch. We didn't get to do all of it, but promised to go back some day. she was excited she got to listen to stories about pioneers and the guy used her to be one of the girls in the story he was telling. That was definitely her favorite part of the day.

After lunch/dinner at Hard Rock (and I will NEVER eat at a Hard Rock again) we went to Union Station. My little star....

and we listened to Joel play the piano (and of course he needed Elle's help.)

Then we took a ride on the subway type thing. FYI - you need cash, and not a $20. You get your change back in dollar coins. Do you know how heavy that can be to tote around?

Sydney quickly became a pro at being a "big city" girl.

A quick stop at the temple, and we were on our way home. But, I have to say how excited Sydney was to get to see the temple. She always stays with grandparents when we go, so this was the first time since she was a tiny baby that she actually got to see a temple. She was pumped!! (Too bad it was closed and she crawled under the fence to get there!)

St. Louis Trip Part 2 - Heavenly Beds

First, I must disclose that since going on all of his business trips over the last few years, my husband has become a total hotel snob. So, we stayed in the Westin in downtown St. Louis (thanks to some points.) Well, by the time we finally got to the hotel it was late, which was a shame because the room was really nice. David has gone on and on about these rooms every time he travels, and I've never really understood. Well, now I get it. These rooms are awesome.

Here is why:

1. The Heavenly Beds. Yep, that is what they call them and there is a reason. If I were into stealing, I totally would've had the down comforter and mattress in my suitcase on the way out. And the cribs! No pack and play here. A cute little cast iron crib, complete with a Heavenly mattress, a dust ruffle, and a plush little rug. I mean, look how excited Elle was!

My girls slept great!











Sydney was out before we ever got to the hotel which was probably good. (I'm pretty sure she would've asked for her own crib.)

And I think Daddy enjoyed getting to put his baby to sleep.

2. The Bathrooms. They were huge. They had "princess tubs." Elle was stoked about the phone next to the toilet. I was excited about the double head shower. The hotel didn't have a swimming pool, which the girls were sad about, until they discovered how deep the bathtub was. Who needs a pool! 

There were tons of mirrors in the bathroom, so Elle actually sat still and let me dry her hair. Good-bye flat hair. Hello new hair-style (which she now wears some version of most days. Well, at least the ones I'm not feeling too lazy.)

And I did finally put a barette in to keep her bangs out of her eyes. :)

St. Louis Trip - Post 1 - Getting There

This is actually a trip we took in August, but we had such a fun time that I have to document it. Really, one day I will print this blog. Someday...

We traveled to St. Louis with the Rownacks (who I still think may be slightly on the crazy side for making arrangements to leave their kids and then agreeing to take ours) so we rode in their minivan (which the kids thought was ultra-cool.)


See, they were just a little excited to leave...if only they knew how much of the day they would really be spending in those carseats.

We took a bag full of toys, books, and crayons (that I was way more concerned with packing than the actual clothing, etc. that we would be wearing.) I do have to say that, along with our "halfway prizes" were the best decisions (and prehaps the only decisions) I made the whole trip.

"We are going to be in the car how long??"

I'm still amazed at Joel's ability to know every QT between here and well, everywhere. It made for very happy Rieske's. 

And if you are wondering what you do when your kid is just plain exhausted with the whole car seat idea, it is this. Pull over, and toss. The kid, not the seat. Works every time!

David decided he could definitely go for this whole chauffeur thing. Anyone for hire??

And, after not too many rounds of "are we there yet" we made it. We dropped the kids off with some friends and we were off to the temple.  What an amazing place! I found some much needed peace and received answers to some things I had been struggling with. And of course, fell in love with my husband all over again. (Happens every time!)

 

We must be doing something right

Just when I am beginning to question my parenting abilities this happens:

Yes, folks, she is calling the Hogs. Her version goes a little more like, "Woo RazorPig," but we'll take it.

We must be doing something right. 

Ordinary just won't do

S: It's cold. I'm wondering when me and Papa are going to get together and go to Starbucks again. I sure could use some hot chocolate.

Would it be a sin

if I continued to let my kids wear their summer clothes until next summer? I'm just not feeling the whole clothes switch-a-roo. I promise to move the garage sale things in my garage to some other location so that we can actually park there and only have to endure blustery cold winds from the parking lot to whatever location we are going. Shorts and winter coats are in, right?

Choosing Battles

I'm a firm believer in choosing battles. This day, I chose brushed teeth.

Becca, this post was especially for you! I think our girls will be dear friends for a long time. No wonder they have been friends since they were tiny!

Look what she can do

And she is so stinkin' proud of herself. Now if we could just work on that brushing her hair thing...

Next stop, Hollywood

Last Wednesday as I was getting Sydney ready for preschool she informed me: "Mom, I really need to be in Hollywood."

That was the same day she got her company dance bag in at dance class. The girl was excited. Who wouldn't be - a huge bag that she can easily fit inside of with her name embroidered in pink. How fancy is that?

Hershey Kisses

Seems we have a sweets lover amongst us.

She is also a digger. Her favorite place to dig is in the pantry, and naturally she is drawn to the candy stash. So, when I found a mix of Hershey Kiss and Jolly Rancher wrappers in my bedroom floor, I got on to Elle. This went on for a week or two.

One Sunday after church I was cooking lunch and out from the pantry came Grizzly, carrying a Jolly Rancher in her mouth and trotting quickly towards the bedroom. Sorry Elle. 

Star Gazing (By Daddy)

There is a long-standing Rieske tradition of going outside in the spring or fall and star gazing.  We go out after all the lights are out and lay out blankets and pillows and enjoy God's creation.  We watch planes and helicopters go by, look at the occasional satellite, and identify our favorite stars.

Lately Sydney has become a very good counter.  She tried to count stars and Sydney decided that she couldn't.  She promptly declared: "Well, I can't count them, but I'm sure Abbey could!"  Abbey is her cousin who she absolutely idolizes.

Me V. Mr. Armadillo

The other night Grizzly started barking. David was teaching, and it was close to time for him to be home, so I opened the door to let Grizzly run out and meet him (and not wake up the girls.) But, it wasn't David on my doorstep, but an ugly ARMADILLO!!! The stupid, nasty thing tried to run in my house. In MY HOUSE I tell ya! I had no shoes on, therefore in my opinion, no defense. (No way was I going to touch that thing with my bare feet.) So, I slammed the door in his face, which made him really mad. He started hissing (I had no idea they could hiss) and poor Grizzly is left outside with Mr. Armadillo. He is bigger than her and I'm just thinking rabies. Thankfully, David was on his way home, but by the time he got here the nasty creature had peed on my doorstep and left. Uggh. Not an experience I care to repeat.

My week of education

Here is what I have learned this week:

When challenged by an equally bossy four year old, my dear one does not back down. No sir, she throws a cup in his face (thankfully empty.)

When my hand is tired of giving spankings after an abnormally disobedient weekend, planks are an effective alternative. Yes, ab planks. Actually, they may even be more dreaded. I think a hard head has lead to a calloused rear end.

Apparently, in the world of four, if someone spits in your face, you should spit back in theirs- even that gets your color changed to yellow.

Spankings, however worn out for sassing, are still effective for bad school behavior. If one happens to find their color on red at school,(think stoplight) they will also find mama's hand on their backside once we make our way to the car - and fear can be a very powerful thing.

If you don't like a person (same receiver of the cup and spit) you should put your hand on your head with your fingers in the shape of an "L" and tell them they are a "lo-ser" (here we go with that pesky color change again.)

During chapel, they will gear the lesson towards certain somebodies and being "kind to one another." Never shy, my dear one will inform the pastor "yeah, like when Logan is mean to me, I should be nice to him even if I don't like him and I'm not his friend."

And, I have learned that the third time is a charm. Day three she was on green ALL DAY!!! She even talked to Mr. Logan and was nice without spitting, name calling or cup throwing, even if they aren't friends. Miracles do occasionally happen.

Preschool

Three weeks ago Sydney started preschool. She was pretty pumped. We started out by going to open house (which Dad took off of work to attend with us.)

She found her spot at her table and filled out her about me sheet:

Of course, her self portrait included a crown. (Now, are you really surprised?)

She colored a bag that she will take with her to school every day. She got acquainted with the toys. I'm thinking that maybe Dad had more than a little fun. Elle was staying with Nanny, so afterwards we took her out for pizza at Mad Pizza. (And she even got to splurge and play a few games while we were there.)

Now she was ready for her first day of school. Her only demands were that she wear a dress and that her hair was not (insert snotty voice here) in her face.

Bring on the first day of school breakfast out. She chose Einstein Bagels. But, only if we could sit outside. Fine by me -until Elle fell out of the chair and on to the concrete. Oops. Nothing like a blueberry bagel to fix a bumped head. Cinnamon sugar for Sydney.

 

With a full tummy, she was ready for school.

She was most excited about seeing these furry little guys.  "Mom, Rats!!!" "No, honey. Hamsters."

With one final hug, we we left.

She was busy playing with Play Doh.

 Elle and I walked out into the hall where the kids hang their bags. When she realized Syd wasn't coming with us, it began. "No bye-bye. No bye-bye!" And, that is what I heard, alll of the way home.

Sorry kid, it is just you, me, and  a house full of dirty floors begging for some attention.

 

When we got back to pick Sydney up, PURE JOY! Seriously girls, it was three hours.

Sydneyism

M: Don't scream at your sister.
S: I wasn't. I was yelling.

Energizer Bunny

The other day we were driving in the car. From the backseat-

E: Daddy. Daddy. Daddeee.

D: What.

E: Don't know.

Of course this got a laugh. So she starts again.

E: Daddy. Daddy. Daddeee.

D: What.

E: Don't know.

Another round of laughs. She starts again.

E: Daddy. Daddy. Daddeee.

D: What.

E: Don't know.

15 minutes later, she was still going.

Heart Health

I like to slip lots of extra things into our food. Today, for instance, I fixed oatmeal for breakfast. In it I put flax seed and walnuts - nothing like a good dose of Omega 3's to start your day! (Plus, I figure it helps offset our Sonic Happy Hour addiction.)

M: Girls, do you like having oatmeal for breakfast?

S: Yeah, but it has nuts in it. Can we have it without nuts next time?

M: They are good for your heart and help it be healthy and strong.

S: Oh, so when someone is mean to you it won't break?

Miss Roboto

Meet Sydney humor at 7 a.m.

Goodbye Summer.

September is always a confusing month for me. Is it summer? Technically, yes. But it starts to feel like Fall. There is Labor Day and one last swim, but then there is God's gift to all : RAZORBACK FOOTBALL. We are back in school, so I guess our little jaunts to who knows where are over. Now I'm ready to throw the girls' shorts in the summer box and pull out the sweaters, but we aren't quite there yet. Today when I was picking Sydney up from preschool I looked up and saw this:

 

So, I thought I should blog about what we did this summer before I forgot about all of the fun we had. Our mini-trips will be in a separate post soon, but this is just the fun everyday stuff. So, in a nutshell:

 

We spent a lot of time at the library. Sydney was excited because she got to go to preschool story time "by herself" while I went with Elle to the baby story time. I checked in on Sydney every once in a while and was assured she was good and listened (and even shushed one of the parents who was trying to talk to her and told them that you aren't allowed to talk during story time.) Both girls enjoyed the crafts afterward, although Elle really enjoyed dumping the crayons best. 

:    :

 

David replaced the fuel line on his truck because it was leaking. He had to take the bed off to figure this out. I'm sure you are wondering why this is blog worthy. Stick with me. It gets better. 

Thanks to our neighbor, it only took about an hour to remove the truck bed.Locally he could get the part for $200. Online he could get it for $60. Well, I guess you know what we did. Yes, ordered it online. It took about a week for it to come in. Until then, David's truck looked like this: 

Yes, you are seeing right. That is Duck Tape holding on his taillight. EMBARRASSING! I even offered (begged) to drive him to work, but he wouldn't take me up on it.

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We spent a lot of time cooking. The girls loved it, and I loved that it gave us something to do. Sydney has already told me that she gets my recipes (meaning my binder) when I die. Hello- I'm only 28!

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We made every possible Home Depot first Saturday workshop. Things we learned:

1. Avoid naptime.
2. Watch out for thumbs.
3. Always choose Dad to be your helper, not Mom.

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SONIC HAPPY HOUR!!!

Our favorite: Blue Coconut Slush with a lime. (A Sydney concoction, but quite tasty!)

Oh, and Elle learned how to make that really annoying squeaking sound with straw.

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We painted our door! Now, instead of being a "weathered white"  (Ok, so it really just needed a new paint job) it is black! I haven't taken an after picture, but it is raining, so use your imagination. My Mom and Dad came up to help out - Thanks!!!

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Sydney taught Dad the correct way to mow the lawn. You know, because, he needed help.

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After many pieces of gum (although I am proud to report, none in the hair!) Sydney learned to blow a bubble!

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I spent a good chunk of my time at the gym in order to get rid of some of the chunk and hopefully lessen my migraines. I also tried to do as many fun things as possible with the kids and in the procces, I think I learned to lighten up a bit. 

Big.

Elle Belle, the Little Ellepeno. You are getting so big so fast!

 

 

Well, what can I say. She loves being in things: boxes, baskets, cabinets. You name it, she is there. Oh, and the pantry. She likes hiding in there (and finding candy, crackers, any snack will do.)

She loves her friends. She and Caleb have been buddies for, well, almost a year now. Her best friend is definitely her big sister. She loves playing and is pretty nice to others (most of the time.)

 

She is big enough to have play dates and play tea party and dress up. So sad for Mommy, so exciting for her. In this picture, she was less excited about posing and more excited about getting to the actual tea party.

 

She loves dogs. This is Elle laying in Kip's cage WITH Kip. I'm not sure who was more excited, Elle or Kip.

 

 

This kid LOVES to clean. (She must get it from her Dad.) She even stole a little bitty broom from the neighbors next door. Sydney had one, but apparently Elle needed her own. We don't really condone stealing, but the neighbor Dad said it was ok. (I think he was just glad to see one more toy vanish.) Maybe we'll work on the whole right/wrong thing later.

Except, maybe we kind of are. Yes, this is Elle. In time out. She is getting to be quite familiar with this little spot on the wall (and Mom and Dad are getting quite familiar with one pouty little lip.)