Pool Noodles

Pool noodles = $1.99 each

New pool filter = $6.00

Box of chlorine = $9.99

An entire afternoon without crying and fighting = PRICELESS

..Eight..

She's sweet and sometimes moody. Helpful and easygoing. Loves animals and playing soccer. Is picky about her food and having any kind of accessory in her hair. Her favorite colors are green and blue. She likes school and learning and can run pretty darn fast...

June 21st is an important day around our house. Not only does it mark the "official" 1st day of summer, but it is also my baby girl's birthday. Madeline is now officially the big eight years old. To start off the celebration, on Sunday, she pulled out another tooth for the tooth fairy to come pick up. She sealed it up in an envelope and put it under one of her many pillows. Well, the tooth fairy forgot. It's a good thing that her grandpa told her that the tooth fairy doesn't work on Sundays, so she wasn't too upset about that and she ended up coming by the next night. I think Madeline was trying to catch her because she made sure her tooth was directly under her head.

When I asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday, she told me she wanted to go to the zoo and so we met up with her cousins and spent the day looking for the animals. (Most of them seemed to be off sleeping somewhere and we really didn't see too many.) She said her favorite was the tigers though and then we stopped at DQ for some ice cream.

Happy birthday to my Sweetie Baby! xoxoxxo

~ Swim ~

"I can't fly, but swimming is the next best thing.... The water is my sky." ~Author Unknown

This Week

This week is the kids' last week of school until summer vacation. While some mom's like to complain that their kids will be home with them getting into their hair, I am one of those moms who gets excited about not having a schedule to follow. Our schedule will soon consist of waking up to no alarm clock, swimming in the pool all day, eating popsicles and fruit salads for lunch, and staying up as late as we want. I have to say that I am also pretty excited about not having to make lunches at 7:30 in the morning.

Last week was also the end of the kids' soccer season. Emily has asked me to sign her up for t-ball for the summer. Matthew has asked to play too, but they don't offer it for 3 year olds, so we will have to play alot of catch in the backyard. Thought I'd share a few pics from their soccer season. They are looking forward to playing again in the fall. :-)

Yesterday we went to Target because I had to return the t-ball glove that I got Matthew for his birthday. He got 2 and so we walked up and down the toy aisles so that he could pick out something else. After asking me if he could have almost everything, he decided on a Buzz Lightyear. We got home and he ate his lunch with Buzz and ended up getting food all over him. Then he took it upon himself to wash Buzz in the bathroom sink while I was downstairs putting some laundry in the dryer. I came up to a dripping Buzz and water all over my hallway and bathroom floors. Buzz takes batteries and has some water inside him now and so he's not really working too well. Matthew got a screwdriver out of one of our drawers and asked if I could fix him because "sometimes he works and sometimes he doesn't" and he "just wants to play with him". I feel so bad. I am almost tempted to go buy him another one because I can't fix Buzz and I wish I could. He didn't even last a whole day. :-(

...And while I'm thinking about it, could someone please tell me why the crunchy taco shells spark and smoke and start the microwave on fire when just plain corn chips do not? They even say on the box that you can microwave them. Something tells me I shouldn't be eating them if they are so flammable...

Red Feathers

"Some birds aren't meant to be caged; their feathers are just too bright." ~The Shawshank Redemption

3

My baby boy has turned 3. My, how time flies right by. I do have to say that he keeps me on my toes. There is never really a dull moment and sometimes he makes me so mad, but at the same time, he makes me laugh too.
My daughter had a soccer game tonight. We were running a few minutes late because some gatorade got dumped on the way out the door and needed to be wiped up before we left, so I was feeling a little rushed. As I pulled into the parking lot and realized that the parking space up close that I like to park in was already taken, I got just a little bit more annoyed. The kids all jumped up in the back of the van and started to hover around the back of my seat (before I even parked). Forgotting that the windows were open, I screamed for them to all sit in their seats while I backed into a spot. I'm sure I was heard by everyone standing around outside -- I think that I've told them all at least a good 50 times to wait in their seats until the van has stopped moving before all of them start jumping up. It makes it so difficult to see out of my mirrors... Maybe one of these days they'll remember.
Anyways, we all started out sitting on a blanket watching the game. I was actually thinking to myself that I might get to watch some of this game, that's how good everyone was being. And then it happened. G was trying to eat the clovers and so I was trying to get them out of her mouth and the next thing I know, E and M are over by the soccer nets. Guess who got stuck in one while the game was going on? He started to panic and E was trying to pull him out. The people next to me were starting to giggle and I had to run over and get his feet untangled. I did get to see about half of the game. So, I guess that's better than last time. : )
Our next soccer games are Thursday. I hope they are a little more boring.

3 years old. 100% boy. loves dirt, trucks, and exploring. also loves blocks, the color blue, and strawberry milk. doesn't like to wash his hair because the water gets in his eyes. doesn't like "no". gives some of the best hugs around and is always quick to tell me he loves me.

2 songs that he is always running around singing are Blietkriegbop by the Ramones and Imma Be by Black Eyed Peas- not really for little kids, but he likes the Imma be part :-)

I love you baby - xoxoxo