This week.

America is one of my great loves. I love the 4th of July and patriotism.

Katie has started waving "Hi!"
Today she said, "Haa" while waving.
And I love putting a tiny clip just right in the front of her hair to the side.
She can go from happy and smiley to "holy cow who pinched her" kind of sad in less than a second. And gets all sorts of attention for it. She is starting to side step while holding onto furniture. I am afraid she is going to skip crawling, despite my efforts, just like Gracie.

A dream job came from Heaven to Craigslist for Luke. It is like an Egyptian lock box and Luke is the key that fits (we think). Unfortunately we were told the position has already been filled. That is not going to stop us. Luke said it would be worth the guy's half hour for a conversation with him because he has everything and more than he was looking for and his recent hire does not. Not to mention the recent hire is in a testing period for ROI purposes which means Luke has his foot in the door even if it is only a tiny crack. Things are tense here with coming to the end of trying to be entrepeneurs fulltime and partnering with his dad. We don't know what the future holds for us and we all don't necessarily agree on everything either. But we are holding on to each other, our priorities, and hope.

Also today, Gracie wet her pants on the rug in Smith's while exiting because I carted her and Katie around to 3 different store,s trying to get everything ready to leave town tomorrow for a 4 day family reunion, just after she dropped her quarter machine candy and crying very emotionally about it. I think her waterworks department is all connected because when she is tired and crying, you can bet that the peeps will follow shortly, followed by more crying because she wet her pants. I have had several errands to run for quite a while but I hate it because I usually can't go to more than one store at a time which would equate to me leaving the house every day of the week. And I just don't want to do that, so things don't get done, until I stretch my kids and then stuff like this happens. Can you believe I was holding a cup of water so i just dumped it on the peepee, left the cup there on top of the wet spot, and hauled us all out of the store crying and all? I should have told someone but I thought we would be less disruptive if we went back in the store. They will see it because of the cup and no one will slip because it was on a rug. Horrible. I never want to go in another store again. At least not with my kids when I should be putting them to bed.

Sorry so long. Thanks for letting me vent. Gracie sounds a lot like me (tears and sensitive sound familiar) and even Kate for that matter. I am tired and feel like crying, but instead I am writing a post here, working through my thoughts, and then I am going to go finish my responsibilities that I need to finish before I go. Then hope for an early nap, I mean bedtime. Next thought, what should I make for dinner for us and the investigator who just broke her nose (or her dad broke it for her) and who doesn't have a phone number? How do I get a hold of the R.S. president who usually calls me back? hmmm. Got stuff to do. Bye!

Gracie drew on the...

...TV, yes right on the screen, and the entertainment center, and my fabric covered ottoman with RED permanent marker.
The magic eraser helped me get it off the TV screen (scary) and wood with no marks but I have yet to try the ottoman. Any suggestions? I was thinking Oxi-clean. Or goo-gone but I know that is for oily and sticky stuff. Help! Gracie better not keep steppin' up the naughtiness.

Can Hollie Play?

I got a knock on my door yesterday and Gracie answered the door.
There were 3 little neighbor boys standing there who asked, "Can Hollie play?"

I still can't stop smiling to myself about it. I haven't been asked that since I was a kid.

(Last week I had about 10 little neighbor kids who "wanted" to wash my car with me. So I got them all a rag. And then we had a "Dirtiest Rag Contest." I had another mom pick the top 2 dirtiest rags and the owners each got to spray me with the hose for 20 seconds each. I ran around like crazy trying to dodge it, letting spray me in the head "on accident", and making them laugh. That turned into all the neighbor kids against me in a water fight that ended with me taking my kids in for nap time. They had an ambush planned for me when I came back out but I took too long and they gave up. World War II will have to be another day. We might just have to wash a car a week for the rest of the summer. :) Today 8 little kids were drawing on random pieces of cardboard on the sidewalk while I drew and cut out two lifesaving tubes and an anchor for the upcoming family reunion. Who knew cardboard could be so much fun?)

A new use for Ranch Dressing...

... LOTION!
Yes we were at Sofia's Birthday Party BBQ last night and we look over at Gracie sitting on the steps with her plate of vegetables and dip (she didn't want anything else, go figure)-- and she was rubbing Ranch Dressing all up and down her legs.

Aaaah. I can amazingly say that I think this is the first really crazy thing she has ever done. She is a good girl. Maybe if Ranch is not lotion it would make a good sunscreen?

SMILE!!!

Here comes the "Stop smiling weird and just smile normal please" stage with Gracie. Isn't her face hilarious? Kate could not keep her eyes open with the flash in like 10 pics but still kept smiling. My girls are my best friends!

I planted about 2 weeks ago...

My peas and tomato plants aren't quite as cute as this Katie flower,


or these little ones who "helped" me plant either!


Wow, my how this Gracie flower has really grown...

My favorite wreath so far!

Saw a picture on a blog and just had to copy it! So fun cheap and easy! I love finding stuff to do with all my fabric scraps.