Just go to bed!

Why is it 9pm and I am still getting up and down trying to get the kids into bed? I suppose I should look on the bright side and think of it as an extra cardio workout, but it's the end of the day and I'm finished looking on the bright side. I am looking for the quiet side.

My two year old hates going to bed. She needs to go potty (again and again and again). She needs to tell me something. She needs another hug (what kind of a mean mother denies a child a hug?). She needs a kiss. She wants to snuggle. She wants to tattle. What about what I want? A child who gets in her bed, turns over, and goes to sleep? Not tonight. Not last night, nor the night before. I carefully crafted the bedtime routine, I gave her time to unwind. I don't yell the first few times, I give her hugs, I give her kisses, I let her go potty, I snuggle. Then I put her in bed without saying anything, over and over and over. Finally, my patience has run out. I yell and put her in bed, but I still give her a hug and another kiss to reassure her that even though I'm out of patience, I'm never out of love. And still the battle continues. She's spitting, she's kicking the wall, she's taunting me to come give her a spank, and as much as I wish a quick spank to her rump would end this torture, I know better... she will continue to taunt me and I will only feel worse for letting her get the best of me.

I just took away the nightlight (but left the door open so the light streams into her room). She's singing, she's talking to her doll, she's fussing with her blankets. She's contemplating the price of coming to visit me one more time. If only there was an off switch. She's back, with her sister, and both are asking for a drink. At least she's polite about it and says "thank you for that drink, mom... it was soooo good." Her charm saves her every time.

Grandma GoldenStar and Papa Visit

Grandma and Papa came to visit for a week. We sure had fun with them swimming at their hotel pool, eating at the Pirate Pizza place, going to the dinosaur museum, and playing monster. The twins got to spend the night all by themselves. The grandparents took them shopping for their birthday (they picked out princess books, pink tutus, and a new church dress). They went to a buffet for dinner and got to eat whatever they wanted. They swam all night and stayed up late, and then they ordered room service for breakfast. What did they order? Raisin Bran, blueberry muffins and hot chocolate... oh my!
Grandma also got to love on Baby E and Gretters

Kicking it

Just me and the girl kickin it. It's not always about princesses and tea parties (although much of the time it is).
Hmmm... the sink is plugged with water, her dress is soaked up to about 6 inches, she's already used everyone's toothbrush, tried several beauty products and is now eating toothpaste. Where are this girl's parents?

Turning into a boy

Addressing her 5 and 6 year old boy cousins...

Lady: You can't get into Baby E's exersaucer boys because if you do, her exersaucer will smell like a boy, and then she'll turn into a boy... and we don't want that. This (pointing to exersaucer) is only for girls.

Family Reunion

Every year Daddy's family gets together and has a two-day family reunion. There lots of fun activities, lots of food, and lots and lots of cousins!
Most of us are in the area, except the Cardons and Karen... they had to travel a while to get here..

Cutie Cousin "D" named after our daddy

Grandma working on some needlework... even when she's sitting, she can't stop moving!

Baby E cuddling with her grand-dad. These two are special friends.

Baby E got a lot of love and attention and she enjoyed every minute of it

...until she got hungry, that is.

Daddy played several games of tennis (18!)... boy was he sore the next day.

Bell enjoyed all the antiques, like this store cash register. "Next in line, please."

Aunt M put together several crafts for everyone to do... the girls decorated slap bracelets. Gretters chose a purple bracelet with a pink heart and a silver star. Ooo la la, our Gretters is posh!

Lady chose pink (of course) and selected lovely tiara shaped rhinestones and pink sparkle hearts

Game of Wizard's Chess, anyone?

Family Reunion: Waterfight

Grandma and Grand-dad hold a big birthday party for all the grandkids at one time during the famil reunion. This year all the boys received water guns, and thus quickly ensued the first waterfight of the summer: Kids vs. Uncle Jason
Lady makes preparations with her fellow teammates

Bell waits to load her weapon

Mission accomplished

Second waterfight: Mom vs the girls

First victim: Bell

Second water victim: Gretters

Third intended victim... Lady. But with a look like that, I just couldn't do it. I tackled her to the ground and tickled her instead. A fair trade-off.

Family Reunion: Slip n Slide

This is the largest slip n slide we've ever encountered. The twins were so brave to go down it at all. Here they are in a long train with Kennedy and Rex.
Victory!

Gretters climbed the hill several times, and we got her to go down with us as a whole family once. She couldn't be talked into it again. "Too scary." We didn't know she was scared of anything. She had lots of fun playing in the puddles at the bottom.

Everyone went down in his/her own way: on bums, on tums, on knees, on backs and even on boogie boards. Go J!

Bell got the courage to go solo, and unfortunately, this is the only shot we got.

Twin power

The Splash

The Landing

Ready to go again!

Family Reunion: The Pond

The twins took to the water with their cousins Miriam and Katherine. You know the kids are growing up when they would rather go boating with their cousins than with their parents. Sniff, sniff.
Gretter's new best friend was her cousin Richard. He carried her around on his back on land and paddled her around on the boat in the water.

The girls were even brave enough to get off their boats and chill on the center island.

Family Reunion: Four Wheelin'

This weekend was the big family reunion and boy did we have fun. Uncle Jason took the girls for their first four wheelin experience. They loved it!
Lady at the wheel and Bell in the middle... they almost can't be bothered to pause for a photo

"See you around, Mom"

Fun with our aunts

London Bridges falling down....
Take the key and lock them up

My fair ladies!

From the mouth of babes...

This week's sayings come from our little Gretters:

"Mommy, I ate the whole bicycle with the stick!" (She really meant popsicle).

And after the stomach flu had hit Daddy and he was trying to recuperate, I explained that Daddy needed to sleep. Her response: "I just give him a kiss and then he will wake up."

And last but not least, she runs up to me very pleased with herself... "Mom, I didn't get ANY pee pee on my dress. My dress stayed dry." Unfortunately, her princess panties and the kitchen floor were not so lucky, which really means, mom wasn't so lucky.