Christmas in June

Sending out a thank you to the anonymous Santa who left us a big bag of (new) summer toys on our front porch today.  The kids had a blast checking everything out and couldn't believe there was no card and we had no idea who it was from.....especially since we were home at the time and the screen door was open so this was an especially quiet Santa!

Madeline had the bright idea to put a bag of goodies together and drop it off on another porch so your gift is already being paid forward. :)

Thanks for making our day!!!

The Thumb

We are trying to encourage Lauren to stop sucking her thumb and have offered (read: bribe) to take her to the toy store and let her pick out any toy -- if she gives it up.

Today at nap I reminded her that she is trying to quit. 

(do they have a N*icorette version for this sort of thing?) 

As I am walking out she says, "Umm, can you close the door all the way so you can't see me sucking my thumb?"

Hmmm.  Perhaps I should let her peruse a few toy catalogues.

Do Not Call List - I thought I was on it??

I should preface this story but saying that one of my pet peeves is when a solicitor does not respect my very polite way of getting off the phone.  

This was today's phone call:

Solicitor:  Hello! (so peppy - like the I've-had-12-cups of coffee peppy) My name is George and I am calling on behalf of the National Republican Party and I....

Me:  I'm sorry Sir.  This is not a good time.

S:  Well, I will make this brief, I just need to talk to you about....

Me:  Sir.  Its just not a good time right now.

S:  Madam, we would like your...

Me: (trying not to hang up.  desperate to say something to appease him)  We are voting Republican.  Can you just put us down for that?

S: Well, I need to tell you....

Me: And now I am voting Democrat.  Goodbye.

I felt like the British lady from W*eakest Link........You are the weakest link.  Goodbye.

Snow Angels?

The girls went to Ron's basketball game with him this morning.....at 5 am.  Needless to say, I had 4 sleeping children this afternoon -- at the same time.

As they were waking up Lauren says, "Mommy, if it snows today can we go out and play in it?"

I explained that its summer, in the 80's and probably won't snow again until around Christmas.  She looks and me and says, "Well, Okay then."

Where's Waldo.....I mean Ron

We have tons of blackberry trees along the bike paths by our house.   

Kind of organic?

Tea Party

I took Maddie to her first real tea party today.  We had a lovely time.

I Have Found

I Have Found - a song by Kim Walker - has really spoken to me during these past few weeks.

I Have Found....  

    a peace that plows on through the storm

a joy that jumps over sadness

a love that lights up every room

a trust that teaches how to rest

a grace that guides me by the hand

a strength that stands like a mountain

....I've Found You.

That You - Is God.

Happy Father's Day!

Ron - You are the best father ever.  Honest.  I couldn't even dream up a better Dad for our kids. I am blessed beyond measure.  

A Lesson in Humility

So, I let my kids run around in the rainstorm today.  A huge thunderstorm with bucks of water pouring down.
Why, you ask? Because I didn't want to. Because I was too lazy to deal with the mess of it all.

Let me back up and share this from the beginning which actually started yesterday.

I am running around doing laundry, picking up the house and who knows what else and I see the girls come around the corner with HUGE shopping bags. 

Immediately, I am annoyed. Not too proud to admit it either.  Just putting it in very small print so maybe you'll miss it.

The girls have started a tradition where they pick items from around the house and give them to us on special occasions (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.)  I once received a pair of sandals I didn't realize I owned.  Its fun to see all the things you never even knew you had. Believe me, these girls can dig through drawers and closets like Indiana Jones searching for the Holy Grail. They don't miss much.

Anyway, I can see from the bulky bags that they have accumulated about 2,469 items from around the house.....the house I was in the process of cleaning.  Here's where Mother of the Year Award goes back up for grabs:

As if it was ever mine, I just burst out laughing.

Me:  Hey, watcha guys doin?  (praying I am somehow wrong and they have actually gathered shoes from the boot box and are putting them back in the appropriate closets)

M&A: (very excited voices)  We are gathering things for Daddy for Father's Day!

Me: (trying to hide annoyance in voice)  Oooooh.  Let me see.

And then I error.  Big time.  I start to explain that we don't really need to give Daddy all of this stuff.   I'm trying to clean the house right now and couldn't they just help clean instead of un-cleaning.  (nice grammar lesson Mommy)

I see these big crocodile tears start forming in Maddie's eyes and I feel like a real schmuck.  So much so that I am considering deleting this. No, really. 

I back peddle as best I can but I still feel like a schmuck.  Still, as in, this very moment.  Still.                   And, yep, Still.

And so today when they ask if they can strip down to their undies and run around in the pouring rain I say, "Yes." 

Definitely. 

Absolutely.

So, I have a few wet towels to deal with (and hair and undies and the floor and Gabe...who's really keeping track) 

Get over it.  Honestly.

I'm hoping years from now they'll remember the run in the rain and not the shopping bag incident.

My Celebrity Look-Alikes

I'm off to Hollywood people. ROTFL.

You Do What You Gotta Do

Ran across this and had to post.... only because I might have tried it on one of my kids a few years ago.

Experienced similar results.  Definitely a good trump card.

Vaseline and....well, isn't that enough?

Lauren came downstairs this afternoon covered - completely and totally - from head to toe in Vaseline.  

I'm talking, I had to scrub her down with dry towels before throwing her in the tub and dousing her with soap.  Ok, so Madeline did the tub part.  But only because I was removing Vaseline from every object within a 3 year-olds reach starting in the upstairs bathroom and ending (Thank God) in the kitchen downstairs.  

Oh, and the funniest part.  She didn't even seemed to be phased by the Vaseline.  She walked in and said, "Mom, am I wearing tacky pants?" 

(I can't tell her its "khaki" - we just got over her switching from faffle to waffle)

Throwback Friday

Maddie and Abby in August of '05.  They were playing in this same spot in the kitchen this morning.  

Don't even get me started.

Things I Learned in 1st Grade

One of Madeline's final school assignments was to make a list of the things she learned in 1st grade.  Here was her list:

• In First Grade I learned that I need to obay.
  
• Make sure you are always kind.
  
• Build people up do not tar (tear) people down.
  
• A poam does not have to rime.
  
• A lot of people like to right books.
  
• A lot of people like to play.
  
• God is always watching over me.
  

Simply stated.