Beat the Heat

Abigail loves going to the pool, but I am a little freaked out about taking her there with Ellie, by myself. I don't like being out numbered where a swimming pool is involved.

So we improvise. With our stellar drought and watering limitations, I do my best not to waste to much water filling, and refilling her little pool. Once a week or so, we fill 'er up and take a dip.

This week added a new element though. On Monday, we went swimming with some friends. Since I knew I would be out numbered, I went and got a lifejacket for Abigail. One that she could still move around well in. She really likes it. Safety first!

So She wore her life jacket in the 3 inches of water.

At one point, we had Abigail, Ellie, Me, and Mr. Turtle all in that tiny pool. There are moments I am thankful there is no one else around to document moments like that. Although, I'm sure it would have been quite hilarious to see big mama in that tiny pool.

Safety First

Abigail is always taking care of her toys.

Do you have any idea how many teddy bears drown each year??

I think you'd be shocked.

Our luscious lawn.

When your lawn grows like ours does, it takes 2 to handle the yard work.

Who says a lawn can't flourish in a drought?? Pffff....

Happy Father's Day

I love any chance I get to focus on the people I love for a whole day. I love birthdays and other special holidays like Father's day, Valentine's day, stuff like that. In reality, I should treat every day like I do those days. Where I show my love the best I can, I think of myself less, and try to make that day special for someone else. The fact of the matter is, I get caught up in life, and am not always the nicest, most loving person I ought to me. I get mad. I get moody. I am not always patient with my kids (or my husband). And once or twice, we may have even gotten in arguments :)

NOT today though. Today I honor fathers. I honor my own dad. He helped raise me... so you know he must be good, right? Being a Dad to girls is not an easy task. I love my dad, and love seeing him in his roll as Pops. I even see a hint of myself in Abigail, as her feelings for Pops tend to be either thoroughly amused, or slightly irritated with his tricks and teases. Always laced with lots and lots of love. When it comes right down to it though, she knows pops is the one who will push her forEVER on the swing. And for that... he has won her heart forever. and mine. He won me with his BBQ though.

I can't forget my father in law. We miss being so close to "Baba." He has handled the culture shock of little girls really well :) He also took his demotion very gracefully when his grand-daughters were born and his bride blossomed into grandmother mode. We love Baba and all he has done for our little family.

I honor my husband, the father of our two beautiful girls. They love their daddy so much, and yes... have him wrapped around their fingers. He adores them. Charles comes from a family of 5 boys. When we found out we were going to have a girl (Abigail), he was nervous. He said he didn't know what to do with girls. Well, by the second time around, I asked him if he wanted a boy this time. He said, he couldn't imagine a baby without all of the girly stuff that has become such a part of our lives. He wanted another girl.

Well, he got it, and he loves it. They love him, but what is not to love?

Happy Father's Day!!!

New Chairs

We have been meaning to buy some camping chairs for months. We have had several times where we get somewhere and think, if we had some chairs, this would be perfect. Well, last week, Charles did a run to the grocery store for me, and came home with 2 camping chairs.

He was proud that he had filled our need for such an item. I loaded them up in the back of the car, questioning their size. Then I saw the tag, "Junior Arm Chair." Hmmm... So you got a good deal on these, honey? I decided to test what my suspicion was telling me and pulled one of the chairs out. Sure enough... if my hiney would even fit in the tiny chair, I was sure to crush it with my weight.

I felt bad breaking the news to Charles when he was so proud of the deal he had found. Well, we decided to return the chairs and head to Academy, where I had seen an ad for a better price on chairs.

I made Charles go do the return. He said the guy was laughing at him pretty hard when they asked if anything was wrong with the chairs and he explained the reason for his return.

We went to Academy after to get some real chairs. The girls both crashed in the car. I mean- CRASHED. We got them both out and loaded them in the stroller without interruption. We decided for an impromptu date night with our girls, out cold. We got some new chairs for us, and some pink junior chairs for the girlies.

Then we went to a drive thru Mexican food place and got some terrible food.

Then we threw that away. Yuck.

It was a fun little night though, and the girls like their chairs. Abigail gives them a thumbs up.

Does this swimsuit make me look fat?

Swimming season snuck up on Ellie this year.

Girls will be girls

Get ready for WAY too many pictures. I can't help myself.

We had some friend over for dinner on Sunday. Between the three families, there are 7 kids...6 girls, and one boy. I LOVE seeing all the girls play together. They played outside for a while, but when they came in and put on their tutus, a Tangled dance party broke out and provided MUCH entertainment.

Birthday Boy

So I am a couple of days late here.

If you know me very well, you know that me being late is nothing new.

Charles had a birthday this week. We kind of celebrated all weekend, and then on his birthday... did absolutely nothing. :) We got a date night last Thursday, went out to eat with his mom and the girls on Friday, had cookies and ice cream and opened presents on Saturday, and had some friends over for dinner on Sunday.

Then his birthday came on Monday. And I didn't do a thing, haha. I felt kind of lame, but I had already pulled out all the stops for the weekend. I think we did relax and watch a show together before bed.

Anyway, here are some fun pictures of his birthday.

Abigail insisted that we needed birthday hats for the party. So we whipped one up real quick and it made its rounds.

Sporting daddy's new headphones

The girls had a party of their own outside... more pictures to come of the awesome dance party that began shortly after this was taken.

A visit from a far away land...

Last week we were lucky enough to have Grandma come visit for the week. Abigail LOVED having someone who would submit to her playtime demands a little more freely than I do. It was a week of constant entertainment. They made cookies, playdough, pinkalicious cupcakes, played new games that Grandma brought with her, played horsies (there was a learning curve for Grandma there- Abigail is very particular about her horses), we visited splash pads and the pool, Abigail got to go get a pedicure with grandma, and even did a little shopping.

I think they wore each other out :)

Me? I watched. I ran a million errands that I have been wanting to do for a long time, but didn't want to do with 2 kids in tow. I went to the gym, ALONE.

I got a date night with Charles.

I got to sleep in a few mornings.

It was GREAT to have her here.

A big thanks to Baba and the Uncles for letting her come. It is no small sacrifice for them to be without the lady of the house for a whole week.

Keeping the Peace

This week we busted out the old Jumperoo.

The same jumperoo that we bought when Abigail was a baby.

The same jumperoo that Abigail would not spend more than 2 minutes in as a baby.

And yes... the same jumperoo that I though, "Surely ONE of our children will like this."

Turns out at least two of our kids really like it. Abigail was just didn't realize how fun it could be until Ellie showed her.