Sing a song

Just this morning the girls were in the shower. David yelled for me to come and listen. Sydney had just been singing called to serve, but had since switched to doing something more important, like straining alphabet. Then, a tiny little voice emerged plunking out Called to Serve in a "doink-a-doink" fashion. I was quite impressed at her abiltiy to remember that much of the tune that accurately. Then, just a bit ago she was listening to a Phish song and singing along with that. I think we may have two music lovers on our hands.

A Celebration

The girls are pretty lucky with their Daddy's work schedule and are used to having him home. Even when he has to spend extra time on teaching, or the text book, or working late, he usually tries to put most of those hours in after they have gone to bed, so they usually don't even notice. This month, he has spent most of the month on the road and they've missed him.

The second week he was gone Sydney decided we needed to have a party for him. With an 11 p.m. flight (turned 2 a.m.) that wasn't really an option, so she settled for a welcome home banner.

Elle was glad to help with the stringing:

Everyone helped with the hanging:

And here was what greeted our favorite guy when he finally got home at 2 a.m.: (well, minus the smiling diva)

We are glad he is home for a while now.

Why We Love Charity

Summer brings on charity. Lots of it. If we were rich, we'd be charitable. But, since we aren't....

Anyway, David's office always participates in several charity events which means he gets to play golf/fish/do who knows what and call it working. (Yes, dear. Some people have to call that VACATION.) For us, the excitement isn't in David's golf score, it is in the goody bag.

Now, to truly understand this, sit back in your seat. Close your eyes (well, maybe squint, you are reading) and imagine the excitement that built up each and every Christmas. (You know, before you actually had to buy your gift from your spouse for yourself?) Well, this is like Christmas, but better. Imagine a stocking full of goodies, except this stocking is the size of a tote bag. Oh, and it is totally random. Useful? That is your call.

Here is the spread from the latest bag (my floor really was clean before, and no, the dog wasn't included):

Here is a brief sampling:
Jam, mini pepperonis (like the size of pennies!), canned fruit, diaper wipes, sun screen (three varieties), beef jerky, gum, laffy taffy, Chap stick, Bodywash, deodorant, socks (my personal favorite!), sani-wipes, neosporin to go, a t-shirt, a few hats, bandaids, puffs, candy, candy, oh and a lava lamp that plugs into your usb drive, a mini ketchup in a glass bottle, trash bags, and hair ties.

Sydney's favorite was obviously the usb-drive Lava lamp, with the little finger-skateboard things running a close second.

Elle was all about the puffs.

Smart

So, you know how you spell things so your kids don't know what you are talking about? I think we're going to have to get really drastic and switch to Spanish or something. Driving back from St. Louis we were spelling something we didn't want Sydney to understand all of (it was about her after all.)

S:Um, I'm smart in everything. If you spell it, I just sound it out.

Project Termination

Lately I've been on a mission. To get rid of her.

In a valiant attempt to save these sweet little things.

But, sometimes the sweet little things get into mischief.

Exhibit A: Sweet thing 1, left alone in the back seat of the car while nice mommy drives, emerges from the back seat with messages of her undying love for her sister all over her arms. This is of course, after a nice bath and on the way to a doctor's appointment or something where one is expected to be in a semi-clean state. Mean Mom was really trying to stay hidden.

Exhibit B: Sweet thing 1 and 2 modeling sunglasses at Target, shortly before pulling down an entire rack of belts. Seriously? Nice Mom had even splurged on POPCORN to distract. All she really went in for was a prescription refill. Out Sweet Things walked with Mean Mom, again.

But, then there are days when Mean Mom stays nice and hidden. Nice Mom realizes that a clean house will happen some sad day when there aren't little fingers to make big messes. We all relax, and Daddy even gets to walk in to three smiling faces.

Daddy's Little Helper

Elle loves to be a helper. Grizzly needed a bath, so she wanted to help. Everything you wash in the sink should be washed with a dish scrub brush, right?

New York Times Bestseller?

Well, maybe not quite. But, it is done! After many, many months of hard work David's book has finally been published. As usual, David leads the charmed life and was incredibly blessed when Dr. Asfahl asked him not only to help him, but to Co-Author it with him. So, here is the final outcome. He refused to actually pose with it, but I managed to at least get his hand in the photo. It was pretty exciting getting to open the box of books shipped to our door, but it is a little surreal to see his name printed on a hardcover.

So, when it is my turn to pick what our book club is reading I will be suggesting...just kidding. But, we are all very proud of you, David! We'll try to handle living with a real-life published author!

The Quest for Perfect Buns

A few weeks ago the girls stayed with some friends for the evening while David and I went out. When I asked what they did, and questioned Sydney about her behavior she swore she was an angel (highly doubtful) and went on and on about what they had for dinner. Something about this really yummy something. But then she couldn't remember what this something was. Finally she said, "Oh, Sloppy Joes. And they were AMAZING. You'll have to ask Alex's mom how to make them." Now, when I've fixed sloppy joes they have been picked at and prodded like they were some sort of alien science experiment, and definitely never been described by Sydney as amazing. I made a mental note to ask how these Sloppy Joes were so different from mine. After asking, they apparently weren't different, just served at a different house, so they are back on the menu this week.

So, off to the store we go. We get to the checkout and I realize we forgot hamburger buns. My things are already unloaded, Elle is ready to go, so I ask Sydney if she remembers where the bread is. Yes, she does.

(Side note: We're at Aldi which is pretty small, and isn't busy, so I don't feel too guilty sending her a short distance to get bread. Besides, I'm right next to the entrance and exit, so if anyone tries to smuggle her out, I'm on it. Now that we have that out of the way...)

Attempt 1: So, off she goes and returns with a loaf of regular (and at this point pretty smashed) bread. I tell her no, that we need buns, for Sloppy Joes. Remember, the round ones? Oh, yeah. She remembers those. The lady behind us giggles. She takes off. It is my turn to check out.

Attempt 2: She returns with bagels. Round, yes. Made for Sloppy Joes? Not so much. My stuff is almost all rung up so I tell her to not worry about it and we'll get them next time. She gets frantic and says that she knows she can find the right thing this time and can she PUH-LEASE have one more chance. I really have no spine, so I let her try once more.

Attempt 3: Success!! "I found them!" Big smiles and hamburger buns! She tells me some friends (aka complete strangers) helped her because they were on the top. She is very proud of herself, although I've completely finished checking out with all $10 worth of groceries by now. So, I hand her a dollar, tell her to go get in line and she can pay for them herself. The cashiers are all giggling at her (she has announced very loudly to everyone with and without hearing aids that she found the buns) and let her cut in line. So, she pays her 79 cents and we are on our way out of the store. Now, we'll see if she actually likes Sloppy Joes at our house.

What time is it?

Where did my day go?


Um, it is 4:30.

Am I dressed? No. Did I get to the gym to get in that three mile run. Nope. How about getting to the store to refill my fridge with milk. Nada. Oh yeah, and I was supposed to go meet with someone about the Primary program which I'm really trying to get written this month. Yeah, failed there, too.

This cold I have is killing me. Yesterday, my voice was gone for at least two hours, which Sydney found quite comical (or at least the fact that I couldn't really raise my voice to get on to her.) Then, I spent a good portion of the night keeping myself awake with a cough. And it is annoying, because it isn't that I feel all that bad, just tired because of the lack of sleep.

So, today we have watched Marley and Me, Between the Lions, and the new to us movie Coraline (thank you Redbox free rentals on the first Monday of the month!) I thought I might be able to sneak a nap in during the last one, but I was smart and rented a scary movie for my four-year-old. (Standing ovation??) So, anytime I about dozed off she'd say, "Mommy, wake up this part is scary!"

Yeah, so, here I sit, un-showered with an untidy house. Elle is sans diaper. Again. She is a pro at taking those things off, and I'm tired of putting them back on her. Maybe that is why babies are meant to wear clothes. Sydney is doing something besides picking up they toys that I have threatened to throw away (yet again.) Do you think she is catching on that I probably really won't throw them away (unless they are broken, small, or sharp or somehow otherwise annoying?) Other than feeding my kids, I can't say today has been very productive. I don't even have dinner planned. Luckily, we have a POA meeting tonight which means they are providing dinner. I think this time we will be responsible citizens and show up for the food, I mean meeting.

Lunch with Dad

Sometimes, we just need a lunch date with Dad. Now that we've discovered his office has a picnic table, we may be by a little more often (though hopefully I'll find time to shower and not head straight over from the gym.)