The "Second Home"

Now that we actually have a nice yard to play in, guess who wants to stay in the yard... and play!

 That play thing you see Gracie on is what they have started calling their "second home."  They somersault it over and over until it's by the deck.

*Don't call SRS.  We were outside with them.*

And then they have special ways of getting up into it.

Special ways of "waking" each other up in the "morning."

And special ways of getting from their house to the deck.

 I love that they will play together, and enjoy each other.  It makes me excited for summer.  I can see lots of bike rides around the "block" (it's half a mile around the block), and sprinkler parties with the neighbors, and late night basketball games, and lightning bug collecting.  

8 more Mondays of school. 

Can you believe that?

And two of those weeks are 4 day weeks.

YAHOO!

 

this is what saves my sanity

Because my kids like to play out in the front yard.
And because I need something I can prepare quickly.
And because I'm a lazy cook...
This is what saves my sanity:

 the grill.

What should we have tonight?

I don't know- let's grill.

It's not windy out today- let's grill.

Mama's had a bad day- let's grill.

I want to treat myself to some grilled veggies- let's grill.

Right now, one of my very favorite foods is grilled vegetables.  

Actually any vegetables are my favorite vegetables.  

We went to Subway last Sunday after church for lunch.  I ordered my usual (something I'm sure that went straight to my thighs and rear-end)... and I walked away from Subway thinking, "I could have just put all the veggies on there with no meat, and I would have loved it the same." 

So, here it is.  

Supper.

On the grill.

 

Because I want my kids to keep liking me.  

 

Princess

Our Princess

 

being a boy

It's not wonder this boy is stick-skinny.

In a 20 minute time span he did all of these things:

 fishing

 drawing

 roller skating (in Dora skates)

trains

He might turn out to be my weight loss plan this summer.  If I follow him around all day and do what he does, I should be stick-skinny for next school year!  HA!

__________________________________________________

 

playing in the rain

Our entire spring break is supposed to be rainy.  
So, instead of grumbling about it, we went and bought

RAIN BOOTS!

I spent about an hour watching my girls play in the rain. 

 They found a worm. And put it in a cup.

 But then they decided it was better to be kept on the ground.

 So glad they got along enough to have fun playing outside in their new rain boots!

 As for this little guy...

 he stayed inside with me... probably wishing he could splash in those puddles, too!

How to tangle your hair in a brush...

or, rather, how to get it out of the brush.

Step 1:  Make sure you twist your long hair this way and that into a brush with thick, pointy bristles.

 Step 2:  After much complaining and whining about how long it's taking your mother to get your hair untangled, your mother should ask a neighbor to help.  However, she won't be able to do much more than your mother did, so have your mother ask the nurse across the street.  She will tell you to put LOTS and LOTS of conditioner in your hair and that should loosen it right up.

 
Step 3:  After about an hour of your mother and Amy trying to pull each strand out one by one, your dad will come home, and put you in the shower to wet all of your hair.

Step 4:  Your mother will leave with Amy to go out to eat and watch a movie while your dad will pull EACH BRISTLE out one by one from the brush until he can, at last, slide your tangled, wet, conditioned hair off the naked brush.

Step 5:  Throw the "brush" away.

 

goofy

(to the first part of the tune, "Skip to my Lou")

Sitting in immediate care,

waiting on the doc.

Gettin' kind of bored,

listen to the tick tock.

See mom get her phone out,

and my eyes are all in shock,

Gotta make goofy faces at the cam-era.

 

 You'll notice the "patient" didn't want her picture taken.  She never does anymore.  wonk, wonk.  (enter sad face here)
Gracie has a ruptured blood vessel on top of her ear drum- no wonder it's been bothering her!  I took the kids for a supper-of-champions (Arby's) and then fed them Braums ice cream before bed tonight.  Funnest evening I've had with the family in a while.  Jada had so much fun such a sugar rush that she was asleep by the time we made our long journey (5 minutes) home.