Summertime...

Sophie finished school last week. She only went twice a week, but getting us all ready for two days without Sophie was enough for her first year! With all her activities (and my days with just Harper to tote or entertain while Sophie did activities) is over. It was hard to explain to a three year old with other three year old friends who also didn't understand that they wouldn't see their teacher this summer, would not be together next year, etc, was a little difficult. When we left her end of year party, all the little friends just said see you next week, or whatever the equivalent is in little kid speak. So Friday, the first official day with no schedule, I had to make a point.

Sophie got up, and ran to our room, earlier than usual. "Hey mommy, is today Summer?" I explained it was. "So today is it. Summer. Okay, so what do we do for Summer?" After an hour of failed attempt of my explanations, we loaded up the car and headed to Target for all things summer. I called a few friends, and two hours later, introduced summer to my girls. Two pools that made mommy blue from blowing them up, filled with cold water. A slip n slide that looked way cooler on the box than what we actually could do with it. A cooler full of cold water and capri suns, at kids reach at all time. Sunscreen. Aloe. Rice Krispy treats. Water Balloon remnants littering the yard. After 6 straight hours and two water logged kids, Sophie declared summer was fun.

The next weekday our neighbors happened to move and we inherited a semi-new trampoline. After a safety net installation, day two of summer was spent jumping our hearts out. Summer is even cooler now.

Day three of summer was spent at the YMCA pool with friends, splashing indoors with no worries of sunscreen burning our eyes, or grass getting in our wading pools. Yep, the summer is definitely awesome.

Today? We are going to the grocery store... for every summer needs a day off too, right? But don't worry, I will think today and have a fabulous Friday planned!

I love being a mommy of one little girl that knows there are fun things to do, and one little girl that gets excited because big sister tells her to.

Typical Wednesday

Here is the email I sent Lee earlier to keep him updated on our day

Subject- 9:48

just finished cleaning the playroom with NO help. i bribed with chocolate to no avail. i walked out of the playroom and found harper ON TOP OF THE BAR. i guess she climbed on the stool, then the bar chair, then the bar. i got her down, saw sophie's books were all pulled down and all the princess stuff was out, which I had already cleaned. cleaned it up. walk back into the playroom and harper is now in the bitty baby high chair wobbling back and forth... all kitchen food pulled out again. get her out, put up food, walk into living room. she is now on the end table HOLDING THE LAMP.... with the light on. I think they are both going for a two hour bath.

Sayings I won't correct

Now that Sophie is getting older, we are really on her to speak very clearly and get ready to enter the big world with understandable language. However, today, there are certain phrases I have decided I just won't fix:

"Mommy, I am sweatering!" She isn't a fan of the heat.

"I want my bear cubbers". That is what she says when she is tired and cold, meaning the bear quilt better come soon.

"Him hurt him Hiney." Never fails, everytime she watches three little pigs she bursts into laughter and yells that when the big bad wolf falls into the bucket of boiling water. What is getting funnier is that Harper now does it too!

There are tons more, and next time she says one, I may have to update the list...

I had to write before I forgot...

Sophie and I got an unusually odd thing today of getting to eat lunch together by ourselves. Harper fell out for an early nap, so the two of us played catch up chat. The end of her school and ballet is coming soon with summer approaching, so I asked her about what she will miss about each.

Me- Sophie, what has been your favorite part of school?

Sophie- Well, I love singing with Miss Gayle (their music teacher) because she makes up silly songs. One time she made an alligator go up the water spout instead of the spider. And, I like days where we only go outside one time. When we go outside two times my hair gets all wet and it looks funny.

I can't make this up....

Realizing you are a parent

This has been five of the craziest, busiest weeks ever. Between Easter, family visits, trips home, Ear surgeries, sicknesses, and all the other parts of our life, we have had to redo the family dry erase calendar many times to fit in added events lately. Although it has been busy, we loved the craziness, because we all knew the climax of the busy weeks was DISNEY!

Disney was a hilarious trip. If you know Lee and I, we are fans of travelling. We are also great fans of low key travelling. We have visited great places, and had amazing trips, but don't ask us to map out all the details, or visit a travel agent, or grace the aisles of Barnes & Noble for the tourists' guides. We have our own style of travel that keeps us relaxed and loving the fun of stopping and seeing the true life of where we visit.

Disney, however, led us to two travel guides, a phone plan, three web site subscriptions, and numerous calls to Disney reservations. I packed for three days (record for me), and had sensible shoes, a backpack, antibacterial gel in many scents, and spillproof juice boxes.

All this planning was worth it when I saw the gleam in the eyes of two of the cutest little girls when their favorite fairy tales characters waltzed in the doors of the castle:

I have felt like a mom for a while now (3 1/2 years, to be exact), but when you see your oldest and she can't possibly take her eyes off the princess before her and you MUST go buy her the exact gown she wore as soon as you finish dinner, you are aware you are a mother.

Lee mentioned to me as we left Disney each night that all these dads with older children must feel like such a parent as they carried their seven and eight year olds out of the park because they just couldn't walk any further. He had his moment as the last night Sophie was just tired. She sooo wanted one more ride at her favorite spot, but just couldn't ride in the stroller one more minute. Lee had his realization as he carried her for four straight hours to her ride, on the bus, around the park, and to her bed.

As young as we feel, we are parents who have carried their children through Disney, led them to meet their fairy tale dreams, and completely exhausted them each day with magical fun. That notch is now forever in our belts. We have the pictures to prove it.

By the way, our next trip? I don't even know if we will get a map to the place.

"Worrying" from a three year old

Today Sophie and I had some girl time as I drove her to a classmate's birthday party. She was extremely excited because not only had she forgotten about the birthday party, but it was such a pretty afternoon after a rainy morning. She was so busy talking and moving to new topics before I could chime in on her questions that my head was spinning. But, we got one great conversation in.

Sophie: Hey mommy, you know what? I am going to quit worrying about myself. (sidenote: Sophie is often told to 'worry about yourself' when she gets preoccupied with others and shows signs of tattletale-ness, if that is a word)

Me: Really Sophie? If you don't worry about yourself, what are you going to do? Because you know you need to keep yourself in order.

Sophie: No, mommy. I think Jesus is going to worry about me. I think Harper needs some help.

I am glad she has the wonderful faith of a child that she is completely unconcerned about herself. I am also completely worried that Harper is going to not get away with anything from a big sister who is now whole heartedly on her case! Either way, it was a cute conversation.

Oh- she also pointed out that a waitress at lunch was a "clown" pretty loudly (she did have VERY bright white hair teased crazy. We all thought it, though none spoke up. ) She also asked a checkout lady how she got purple hair. Sophie wants purple hair, it is her favorite. So, Jim N' Nicks and JoAnns are out of my rotation for a while.

A look on a Crisis

I think I am hitting the quarter life crisis. Since 20 is the new 30 and I am 32, I reasoned today that some of my actions are now justified. Here are a few random happenings:

- I got excited, and I mean EXCITED, today because I got a deal on swiffer dusting/febreeze stuff. I got two cans, regularly $8.25, for $2.00. How lame is that?

- On the contrary, I went to cash in a free trip to the tanning bed and contemplated joining for two months to get my "base tan". Those words haven't crossed these lips since my junior year in college as I readied for Mardi Gras Ball season and spring break. Let's clarify that my base tan is about the saddest pale you have seen, but still.... (By the way, I did not join the tanning bed, because a) I know it is terrible for you and b) I thought of what material I could buy to sew shirts with that money. Oh the thoughts in my head.)

- I stopped a girl in a store today because she had these shoes I have dreamed of. They weren't flashy or spunky at all. In fact, they could only be described as "sensible" by both the woman and myself. But I loved them! They could go with both shorts, jeans, and sporty skirts! Never would I stop someone to admire their sensibility in shoes. But I did! If you see me in capris, make me stop....

- On another contrary, I have my Easter Dress I bought at Market last year because the designer told me how he made the dress for shapes like mine. I love it! However, it is the flashiest dress, and I am now on the search for a neutral sweater to tone it down.

I think that best way to sum this up is that I need a good haircut and a trip to Ann Taylor, and maybe my flightiness will settle soon.