Just one of those days...

Ever have one of those days?

That starts out on the wrong foot ...

and just keeps going and going...

but at the end of it you find it something so sweet...

you just have to smile about it all...

especially when the precious something is wearing one shoe

and pretending to be wiping her diapered bottom.

I may not be Octo Mom but...

As I told Brad, "I could do it. Just not everyday."

Being a mom to six that is.

I had the pleasure of playing mom to my 3 precious neices and adorable nephew this past weekend. Not to take too much credit, Brad was with me and we were really just helping my brother-in-law while my sister had an (very rare & very needed) event out of town.

We had a ball at the splash park and at the swimming pool but


it was all the together time that was the best!

The bubble baths, the celebrating father's day with a cookie cake, the playing with their 232 Barbies, the random hugs and kisses, the pulling of big cousin Ella's front tooth, the laughing...


It all made for a memorable, delightful, full of love weekend.

Let's do it again soon!

(not tomorrow but sometime very soon!)

Vacation part 2

Just a few more beach pics...ones that Brad and I will look back on someday and say,

"Remember that trip? That was when...

Ellenie was only happy when she was eating a snack....with NO sand on her hands."

"That was that adorable stage when they hardly ever fought and were so sweet to eachother."

"Remember this? That was when we went to the park with Grandma Ann & Aunt Susie. The girls loved the dinosaurs."

I know like all the pictures form these years we'll look back on these and say,

"Those were such precious days. They went by so fast!"

And they are.

Vacation part 1

This picture makes me want to go right back...

to the beach!


We had such a great time!

And we wanted to share some of the many things we all learned while we there:

1. We all learned the basics in beach preparation.
Lillianna always reminded us,
"We need our babe-in-suits and sunscream before we leave the combo."



2. The beach is ALWAYS more FUN with FRIENDS!
So glad The Reynolds were there...Lucy was a hit with Lillianna & Ellenie



3. We learned how to make sand angels...
and realized they are more lovely from the front...


than from the back.

4. We all learned (again) how much fun sand can be.

(Although Ellenie had to be convinced of this often.)

5. Mommy learned that when trying to keep your little ones happy so you can stay at the beach a little longer...anything goes.

Including playing in the stagnant puddles....eeeewwww.

6.The girls learned that the best time of the day at the beach is always sunset.

There's just something magical about it.

7.We all learned or were reminded that the beach is best enjoyed when being/acting like a child...

dancing in the sand, running in the waves with your clothes on...

being amazed at it all.

It's just a great place for the soul.

Whatta weekend!

Where could we go that they would have bubble pipes...

And cool bubble thingys...

And enough bubbles that even ol' Ellenie didn't even have to share?

Cousin Connor's house of course!

Aunt Corky and Uncle John Eric were terrific hosts to us and we had such a good time!

Ellenie couldn't get enough of Mister Connor. She LOVED him!

Connor: Hey Ellenie, can I have my toy back please?

E: No. Thanks for saying please though.

L (whispering): Don't push her Connor...she has a short fuse...

C: Ellenie...could I borrow my toy back for just a second...pretty please?

WHOP!

L: Told you not to push her Connor.

C: Yeesh! You were right!

Napolian, pretending to do a doggy trick, wondered who else would be coming...


Why the Millers of course! Yea, more cousins!

Three, I mean, Six Cheers for Popsicles and Cousins!

It was a great visit and such a treat to be all together...even if it was too very short.

Now this is something you don't see everyday...

THE SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS!

It was being carried by a 747 from California to Florida and stopped to re-fuel

at the Columbus Air Force Base. My friend April was very thoughtful to call and invite us out to the base for this special event. The place and shuttle landed and then came down in front of us. It then turned around and went back down the runway to re-fuel.

L (standing next to Meg) : Uh Mom, where is going? Is it coming over to us? When is coming over here?

It was very hot out there and on the way home it looked like the girls wouldn't keep their eyes open. However, when we walked in the cool house and they remembered the bowl of popcorn we had popped before we went they quickly got a second wind.

What a great day!

Fun in the Sun

Hot days. Cool Pool. Wonderful friends.

Great time!

Lily, Lillianna, & Meg swimming together...



Ellenie & Bes eating together...

Meg & Lillianna share a hug...

SWITCH! Lily & Lillianna share a hug...

Ellenie & Bes share an escape plan...

Time to go home!

Art Schmart

Inspired by the art class she took at the YMCA last week,

Lillianna came home and got right to work...

It may not look like much to you, but right away I could tell a difference. I didn't know how I felt...the grass was on the bottom and the clouds were on top. Her sun had rays and her flower had petals. It was beautiful and yet I missed the randomness, the freedom, the sweet way her imagination usually placed everything in the center of the page and drew a circle around it.

I was so proud of how much she enjoyed the class but truly, I was relieved when she brought me a picture today of circles drawn inside of more circles and said it was people hugging eachother.

Now I wasn't that relieved to see Ellenie's work of art...

E: What Mom? What's wrong? I don't see anything.