A Day At NASA

The high jump trampoline.

The spiderweb made of huge rubber bands.

Astronaut Addie.

Getting ready to run to the car (in the Texas rain) with our ponchos.

I'm Slipping

The unexpected has happened. For the second time in a couple of days...no one made their bed. Gasp! There they laid, those poor beds. Unmade for an entire day. Oh, the humanity! What will happen next if I let this kind of a thing continue? Just think if everyone stopped paying attention to which shoes go with which outfit. Ah! The horror!

I'm trying to have a carefree and fun summer. I'm determined. My kids are going to have fun this summer, even if I have to force the fun-ness on them. But, maybe I've taken my carefree attitude a little too far. No one made their bed today AND-I-DIDN'T-MAKE-THEM.What?!

The other day, my mom made the passing comment that I'm a triple A. I thought she was talking about my bra size, but then she clarified--"you're not type A, you're type AAA." Huh. Well, that would mean I'm uptight. No, scratch that. Crazy, insane uptight. Hmmm, there's no way that's accurate. But, funny enough, it is my true bra size.

So me and my triple A self let the beds go unmade. We went to the library instead. The entire time we were there I had a nervous twitch. At first I thought it was a side effect of spending too much time with my kids in a confined space, but then I realized it was the beds. I think that I'm going to save them tomorrow. Return the universe to its proper order.

Summer-Day 1

Let the fun begin....

I Found Her Like This

Doesn't everyone sleep on their bedside table?

Yipee!

It's twins! Not for me, but for my sister!! Anyone who knows me well, knows my sister. I have known about the double duo for quite some time, I've just been waiting for her to spread the word on her own blog....and the day has finally arrived. She is 13 weeks, due in November. After countless heartaches and years of trying, she received a buy one get one free deal.

Every time I look at a mom that is pregnant with her first child, I have just a pinch of pity for her and I hear myself saying in my head, "run--save yourself." But, my sister will have better kids than I do. I think she has better DNA, so her scientific odds are higher that she won't give birth to children who will grow up to tell her that she is ruining their life.

What a happy day--she is pregnant, and I am not. Rounds of applause. I think my advice to her is to get a perm and a year supply of Red Bull. Oh, and make sure you look to me for all the things a parent should NOT do. Follow that, and you might just have a shot at this....

My Weakness

I have many weaknesses, but this is the worst. Shoes. REALLY darling shoes. When I see a pair that is just so cute, I can't hardly breathe. I start thinking about which child I can sell so that I can afford them.

When I turned 16, my parents opened a checking account for me. The first check I wrote was for a pair of shoes at Nordstrom. The--first--check!! Shoes fulfill a deep-down longing in my soul. I saw this pair of summer sandals today and they screamed out. Cute shoes just call to me. Cute, metal roosters call to me as well, but Todd has put his foot down on how many should be allowed in one household.

My weakness spills over to my girls as well. I just walk the shoe isles at Target and feel a special peace. Little girl shoes are even more darling, and cost less than $12.99! When we lived with my mom, she just couldn't believe how many shoes one family could own. She told me I could outfit a small country with all of them.

So, the next time you see a pair of shoes that you just adore--even if they have ridiculously large bows on them--stop, listen and hear if they are calling to you, and then buy them. No matter what the cost. You simply can't put a price on happiness.

Living With All Girls

Addie: "Daddy, are you a girlie-girl or a tomboy?"
Todd: (look of concern on his face) "I'm not either one, I'm a boy."
Addie: "No, you have to pick one. A girlie-girl or a tomboy."
Todd: (adamant) "I'm a boy, not a girl!"
Addie: "You're a girlie-girl."