TOTALLY AWESOME VACATION

We just returned from 10 days at the beach and while all the suitcases are unpacked, and the house is all clean, we are going to spend the evening catching up on all the TV we missed and enjoying the peace and quiet.

I will let my 2 most favorite pics from vacation speak for themselves.

Much, Much, Much more to post about and will sort through all of it and get back to my regularly scheduled blogging.

Dish Scrubber

I bought this brand of dish scrubber at Restoration Hardware for the sole purpose that it was pink. When I brought it home, I fell in love with it. Of course Restoration Hardware no longer carries it so I had to search the internet for it (that and the fact that we don't have any stores near us) when I found a replacement I bought 3, and I am ready to buy more. They go in the dishwasher, can clean anything and they don't get all funky.

I can't say enough about this great scrub brush.......

So, today, Simon decided to repaint/stain the deck and that it would be great if the girls wanted to help. Yeah, I know, brilliant right. Well, when I woke up from my nap (I can't hang like I used to and after a full day of partying a nap is certainly in order, although that is a rather good excuse, I don't have one for the other 6 days a week that I nap!) I found Lulu covered head to toe in paint/stain, BROWN!

Simon figures, this is a great time to lumber me with the remaining task at hand and he is going to go give Lulu a bath to get all the junk off of her. He is gone for a rather long time and he re-appears with Lulu fresh and immaculate, nothing on her. Even my neighbor commented that she could not believe how clean she was seeing as she was covered. Chalk yet another one up for Simon the superdad.

So, just went to our bathroom to take a shower as I to was sporting some brown stuff and look in the tub and it is covered with paint remnants. No big deal, I start to clean the tub, and I

notice......... Oh wow, great the kitchen scrubber is in here, I could use that for the tub.

BACK IT UP.......................................................... the kitchen scrubber is in the bathtub, covered in brown paint/stain. The same bathtub that Lulu was just in...........

If Simon is nothing else, he certainly is resourceful. Lucky for Lulu he didn't think about using sandpaper!

Ruthie Life Lesson..... #2

R: Mommy, I have an idea, instead of saying, "Damnit", you can say "Apples and Pickels"

M: Yes, Ruthie that certainly has the same effect.



***** Would like to point something out. She is not aloud to say that word, nor does anyone in the house say that word. I would like to blame her Gammy for teaching her that, but the other day when I found a dragonfly the size of a B-52 bomber in my house I yelled "Damnit". So, I am guessing she learned it from me.

Of course, the reason for this exchange is that she wants to show that she can say it while she is correcting me for saying it.

Day with Daddy

While I enjoyed some much needed time out with friends for the day, Simon and the girls had a wonderful day together. They went to the zoo, the library, road bikes, and did art projects. This beautiful mural was waiting for me when I got home. How cool is that?

It is amazing how relaxing 12 hours boating, hanging out and adult conversation can be, and the girls certainly enjoyed their daddy day. No other pictures of the day, as I left the camera for Simon and he thought I had taken it with me.

Life Lessons for a 3 year old.....

R: Umm Mommy, sometimes my underwear gets stuck in my buttcrack...(I know the fact that she evens knows this word is wierd on many levels, as it is not a word I walk around saying all day long)

Me: yeah, that happens, and it will happen forever, good luck with that.

R; alright, can we go out and play?

One small slide for Lulu, One Giant Slide for "THE DUDE"

Forever since we have been going to the zoo Ruthie has loved the slide in the children's area and Lulu is petrified. Won't go near it, won't look at it, etc. Today while at the zoo, she goes up the ladder behind Ruthie, same old story like her usual, Ruthie goes down, Lulu usually takes one look and runs down the stairs. Instead today..............

She climbs in, and slides down. SHE DID IT!!!!

All on her own time!

Way to go DUDE!!!!!!!

She loved it, couldn't stop going down it and this weekend when we go back with Daddy, she will be afraid of it and we will start this song and dance all over again.

Miss Manners

This was taken after the dude soaked her with the hose. Hippie band still intact.

I am crazy about manners. I know, my friend Kristen tries to bring me back to reality that they are 2 and 3 but I just can't stand them not having good manners. They must ask to be excused from dinner, they must always say "may I please have" or "Thank You" and we constantly are enforcing how things make them feel and how to speak with kindness.

I can't tell you how proud I am when I over hear them talking to each other and they are using manners in their every day conversations or how they know to thank whoever made them the meal that they just ate. I know everyday is not perfect but they are so good with them and it is one of the things that always hits home on how parents need to walk the walk and talk the talk.

Anyhoo....... The other night I was in Ruthie's way and she says to me......"mommy how do you say get out of my way nicely with manners?" ah, the pride! Always better than...."move it lady"

Status Update: Still Dude!

Yep that is correct, still when asked "Do you want to be Lulu or Lucy" Her reply always is

"umm, DUDE!"

Here's to the dude.

Maybe she will like the Big Leibowski.