Plan B at McD's

This morning I hit a major roadblock in my plans, figuratively and literally. Seems some semi decided to overturn on the highway I take to get home from the dance studio. I did not realize this until I tried to get on the highway and was instead re-routed the opposite direction with hundreds of other unfortunate drivers. But the time I got back to the place I started there was not enough time to get home before turning right back around to pick Jocelyn up. So I thought fast, and promptly started driving toward the nearest McDonald's. Ava, Molly, and I shared some fries and drank milkshakes while watching some of the morning's Olympics coverage. (Really can't escape the Games - not that I'd want to) We hung out in the restaurant for a good 45 minutes or so. The girls enjoyed their treat, and I enjoyed getting out of the traffic, at least for a few minutes. Another silver lining found on an otherwise cloudy morning - I'll take what I can get and be grateful.

Change in the Lineup

Today we did things a little differently. I decided at the last minute to send Jocelyn to Princess Camp at the dance studio this week. She was over the moon excited when I told her. She put her leotard and tights on as soon as she was finished with breakfast, and only took them off this afternoon when I told her she couldn't play outside with the neighbors in her dance clothes. It was amazing to see her embrace this activity as her own. She was so excited to get to do something her sister has done for years now. She is being treated like the big girl she is, and seems to be maturing before my eyes.

Just as fun to watch was the interactions between Ava and Molly. My oldest and youngest daughters get along wonderfully, but don't often have the opportunity to play together without Jocelyn around. This morning they took full advantage of their time together, playing, laughing, and having a grand ole time. The personal growth for Jocelyn and relationship-building for Ava and Molly will certainly be worth every penny Princess Camp cost.

Day of Rest

My life is many things, but dull is rarely one of them. Adding the constant watching of the Olympics, especially past my bedtime, to the everyday mayhem of our family seemed to have put me over the edge. This morning I was EXHAUSTED. More tired than I can remember being in a very long time. I woke up feeling almost hung over, but no alcohol had been involved. So Ben and I both agreed first thing that this was going to be a catch-up day. By the end of the morning we had tag-teamed and each gotten a nap in. I didn't even fully realize how tired I'd been until I woke up from the DEEP sleep I had been in while napping. The whole day wasn't that mellow - we all got out of the house at one point or another - but it was very nice to have a little time to recover from the damage my Olympics addiction has already caused me.

Goofy girl

My kids are crazy. I've said this many times and told many stories supporting this. Today I give you this short video of Molly. This is not an isolated incident. She is wearing a box hat holds some blocks the girls play with. More often than they actually play with the blocks, Molly and sometimes Jocelyn will dump the blocks out of the box and wear the box on their heads. I don't know why this is so entertaining but they can't seem to get enough of it. Before I got my camera, Molly was running in circles around the L-shaped wall between our kitchen and living room. As soon as she saw the camera she changed tactics and came over to flirt with the camera. She is a ham, a goof, and a wonderfully darling of a toddler who provides hours upon hours of free entertainment.

Realized after I reviewed the video once more I forgot to mention the sticker on her forehead. I'm not sure which of her sisters put it on her this morning, but she wore it all morning long and even through naptime. Like I said, goofy :)

Let the Games Begin!

Today the Summer Olympics officially began in London with the opening ceremony. I LOVE the Olympics. It's always so fun to hear the stories of the many journeys these athletes have taken to get to this sporting event. Tonight I invited Ava to stay up late with Ben and I and watch the opening ceremony. She was super excited - mainly because she got to stay up late and have Mom and Dad all to herself. She asked a zillion questions and fidgeted constantly (in other words, was her normal self). We ate popcorn and commented on all that we were seeing unfold on the TV screen. I told her she could stay up until she was ready to go to bed, and at 10:15 we finally convinced her that the parade of athletes would not be over for a VERY long time (they were on the J countries, I think) so she should just head to bed. She may not remember anything in particular about this experience, but I hope after the next few weeks we will have another Olympic fan for life in our house.

A Tale of Two 'Dos

This morning we started the day off fantastically - my kids let me "sleep in." Ava woke up around 7am, but went downstairs and turned the TV on herself. (Thank God for self-sufficient children!) Molly woke up around 7:15am, and Jocelyn didn't get up until almost 7:45am!! Most mornings this week at least one of them has been awake before 6:30am, and this morning I realized just how important that extra 30 minutes is to my mood in the morning. I really woke up on my own and felt pretty refreshed from the closest to a full night's sleep I've seen in a while. What I loved even more, however, is something that I've been thinking about the past few days. One of my favorite things about the day is the way my kids look first thing in the morning. Pj's looking a little wrinkled, bags under their eyes, hair everywhere... they are a sight for sore eyes, but a beautiful sight at that.

can you tell that Ava's my morning child?

Fast forward to later in the morning. The girls went to get their hair cut by our hairdresser friend miss Debbi. The girls have been asking to go see her for months - I had wanted to wait until closer to school starting but decided I couldn't take the pestering any longer. All of a sudden this morning both Ava and Jocie seemed to be getting cold feet. For some reason I think they were under the impression that getting their hair cut meant they'd have no hair left, because they kept insisting they liked their long hair. I assured them no one was losing their long hair, we were just going for a trim. So Ava gets in the chair first, and tells miss Debbi what she's been expressing to me for a few weeks now: she wants bangs and straight hair. I had warned Debbi that this was coming, and that I had explained to Ava bangs might not work with her hair. After asking repeatedly however, I said I didn't care what Ava does with her hair (it grows back after all). So she got her wishes - and it was like Christmas Day all over again. Ava spent the rest of the day tossing her hair over her shoulders and looking at herself in the mirror. I know that the bangs are going to drive me absolutely crazy, being as OCD as I am, but she is happy, so I'll take it.

getting all ironed out

straight with bangs!

side view

back view

Not to be left out, Jocelyn just got a traditional trim, and Molly even climbed up into the chair. We let her sit there for a minute or two, and Debbi even took one snip to even out her bangs. No need to do any further cutting to her hair at this point, but at least this way she'll be used to the hair cutting experience.

Molly showing off her freshly trimmed bangs

Jocelyn's new 'do

These pictures in some ways look very different - it already takes a little to polish these kids off and be ready for the day - but first thing in the morning to last thing at night these beautiful faces (and their ever-changing hairstyles) never stop making me happy.

Venus and Mars

This afternoon we had Ava's friend Jackson over for a couple hours. He and Ava were friends all last year at preschool and have played several times this summer. They know each other well, get along wonderfully, and always have fun. However, I saw what I'm sure will be the first of many instances when the gender difference was blatantly clear. To start with, their playtime was a little strained for the first time I can ever remember. Ava was getting very frustrated when Jackson was not doing exactly what she was instructing him to do, mainly taking part in a dance party (go figure). Then, in the car on the way to take Ava to dance class, a Miley Cyrus song came on the radio. Seconds into the song Ava looks at Jackson and squeals, "It's Hannah Montana!!" Then she proceeded to sing the entire song (as best she could, anyway). I would KILL to have caught on camera the look Jackson gave her. Ava might as well have grown three extra heads and begun speaking in tongues. Ava was so in her dancing/girly element, and Jackson was really just not. It cracked me up to see these good friends discovering that while boys and girls can certainly be friends (as I'm sure these two will be for years to come), that does not mean they will always understand each other.

Little Lady

Today I was reminded time and time again how quickly Molly is growing up. I guess it shouldn't be surprising that with two older sisters to keep up with she is maturing faster than the other two did, but it still amazes me. She already knows the importance of accessorizing: she must always have a clip in her hair and wants her shoes on ALL the time. If I try to take her shoes off when we're at home I get yelled at! She has so many words now, and most of them are very clear. She is obsessed with Sesame Street characters, and fortunately we have most of the stuffed animals. Her current favorites are Cookie Monster and Elmo, although Abby Cadabby and Ernie take turns as well. At lunch today she ate her food almost exclusively with her utensils, only using her fingers when she got impatient. When it was time for Ava and Jocelyn's dance classes, she ran around the dance rooms as long as she possibly could before finally being kicked out, and was not happy at all that she didn't get to join in on the fun. The funniest thing is that she loves playing with infants. She'll say "BABY!!" and run to say hi and play with anyone smaller than her. While some babies are not too much smaller than her in size, it is clear that my youngest daughter is no longer a baby herself. And while there's a small part of me that is sad my babies grow up so fast, there is a much bigger part of me that is having so much fun watching Molly at the stage she's at right now. She's turning into quite the little lady, and I can only imagine what life has in store for her.

eating her lunch in a regular chair - highchairs are SO for babies

my big girl :)

Half-Full

Today had two highlights, one major and one minor. The minor good moment came from Jocelyn. I was REALLY hoping to get at least a cat nap in this afternoon. I'm always tired (hello, I'm a mom of three little girls), but today I was especially wiped and really needed a few minutes to recharge. Long story short, I did not get any rest at all, really. I was lying on my bed next to Jocelyn, who was watching tv, when I heard Molly start making noises. I must have whined or whimpered or something, because Jocie just looked at me and said, "I love you Mommy" and kissed my forehead. It certainly didn't cure my exhaustion, but it did manage to brighten my spirits and put a smile on my face.

Ava takes the cake today with a handy life lesson. We had a rough afternoon... and that's putting it mildly. Recently Ava has been having a hard time putting her hair clips away. She gets tired of wearing them, so she takes them off and then leaves them wherever she happens to be at that moment. This afternoon she did this yet again, and I told her she could do nothing else until she found the clip. (She knew she had taken it off in her room, so that made the task quite a bit easier to tackle.) An hour later, there had been lots of tears shed and tantrums thrown but no clips found. I finally went into her room and started sweeping all the crap on the floor into the middle of the room. Within 5 minutes the clip had been located. I was quite quick in pointing out that if Ava hadn't been messing around she could have found the clip hours before and saved herself a lot of heartache (and me a little sanity).

For me, the day felt as though it had been filled with nothing but negativity. And yet, at dinner when Ben asked Ava how her day had been, she answered, "Great! I woke up, had breakfast, played Barbies with my sister, had lunch with my friend Lillian, watched a movie, played a little more, and then you came home and now we're eating dinner." No mention at all of any of the fights or frustrations that had occurred throughout the day. Fast forward to prayers at bedtime. Ava says, "God, thank you for a good day. Well... thank you for a good end of the day. I'm sorry it wasn't very good in the middle. Please help me to be better tomorrow." I try very hard to let go of the negativity at the end of each day, but Ava had managed to completely erase it from her memory just moments after it happened. I feel blessed to learn from my daughter how to let go the not-so-fun moments of the day and embrace the good times. I hope she never loses that glass-half-full mentality, and continues to share this rare ability with those around her.

Home again

Ben has been gone on one of his Reserve weekends again. This month it was actually a long weekend, on which he had to leave Wednesday night to report Thursday morning. I have learned that my daughters are completely incapable of understanding periods of time, and that although I told them numerous times Daddy is coming home Sunday it did nothing to assuage their sadness. Last night was especially rough - Jocelyn bounced back and forth between her bed and mine all night long, and Molly woke up just before 1am and screamed for about an hour. I had flashbacks to five years ago, when Ben would go underway when Ava was an infant. She would be okay for the first couple days, but around day 4 or 5 she would just lose it. There's that sense that something's not right, but not being able to process what it is or how to deal. I knew we had hit that point today - all the girls were just in a funk. Molly wanted NOTHING to do with me, Jocelyn was moodier than usual, and Ava cried at least twice when she "really missed her Daddy."

At 7:15 this evening, Daddy finally returned. Ben commented later that I didn't really say hi to him when he walked in the door. Truth was, I knew we would get to catch up once the girls went to bed, and I wasn't about to fight these girls for his attention. They were all standing at the door anxiously awaiting his entry after he parked in the driveway. Ava performed for her Daddy, Jocelyn tackled him with random hugs, and Molly crawled into his lap to watch a little TV before bedtime - something she would rather jump off a building than do with me. I don't think Ben realizes just how much he's missed each time he's away, even for a short time. We are all glad to have him back, and I look forward to returning to normal life with children who actually like me again.

Stylin' Shades

This morning we attended a Strawberry Shortcake party for one of Ava's preschool friends. As if that wasn't enough fun, when the girls went rifling through their goody bags, they discovered these stylish glasses:

Both Jocelyn and Molly wore these shades all the way home and for about an hour after. I don't know what was so great about these silly glasses, but they delivered smiles all around. 

because one picture just wasn't enough ;)

Take Nothing for Granted

This morning I got to turn on Good Morning America for the first time in months. Unfortunately rather than the light news they usually broadcast there was the horrible story of the massacre in a Colorado movie theater. While I can never begin to imagine the pain and heartache those many victims are feeling, today's tragedy served as yet another reminder to stop and notice all the small things I so often take for granted. Things like:
   - Molly's obsession with hair clips, even though she barely has enough hair to need one
   - the kissy face Jocelyn makes when she pouts
   - Ava's constant babbling due to her lack of an internal voice
   - the indescribable feeling I get when any of my girls give me a hug
   - Molly's great love of books, even when that means an empty bookshelf and books all over the floor
   - Ava and Jocelyn snuggled together watching a movie
It is so difficult to make sense of such evil and violence as we saw today. I am grateful that my kids are young enough to be shielded from it all. And yet, for every evil act there is good that comes flooding in. So many prayers and other forms of outreach have been seen in the wake of this tragedy. For my house, I've decided each night when the girls say prayers they will pick someone to pray for. It is their choice, but each evening we will lift someone up in prayer as our response to this sad event. It is my sincere hope that everyone can find some hope in the wake of such despair, and take these oppprtunities to look around and realize how fragile life can be, and just how blessed each one of us truly is.

Water Slide Fun

Today we spent a few hours at a waterpark. For a while we were all in the little baby pool having fun. It didn't take long, however, before Ava and Jocelyn were begging to go in the "big kid pool." So I left Molly with our friends and took the older girls to swim in the bigger pool area. There Ava and Jocelyn discovered a little water slide. Not anything fancy, just a small straight slide. And yet those two climbed up and slid down for at least 30 minutes straight. I finally had to pry them away when it was time to leave, otherwise they may well have played on that silly water slide all day long. It was another one of those times when I'm not sure exactly what they were so excited about, but I enjoyed watching them having so much fun together and making the most of their pool day.

Playtime

This afternoon was one of those rare occasions when the girls played together. Peacefully. On their own. The girls often play in the same room, and sometimes play together as per Ava's instructions. But today Ava and Jocie built towers with blocks, had a tea party, and played with ponies and Barbies without a single word of argument. It was blissful to have an evening without bickering, but even better to see sisters becoming best friends.

Full Circle

After 3 years I have finally gotten around to having an eye exam and a new glasses prescription. This evening I took Ava and went to a glasses store in search for new frames. I seem to have been successful, but was really funny was how Ava fell in LOVE with the style of having glasses. She began trying on several frames herself, and finally settled on a pair of fushia plastic frames. She pleaded with me to get her a pair of glasses too. Watching her wanting to wear glasses so badly transported me back to my own childhood. For some reason I cannot explain, I desperately wanted to wear glasses when I was young. I even bought a pair of fake frames when I was 8 or 9. I now know why my parents told me I was silly to want glasses. I couldn't help but laugh at Ava, and tell her the same thing my parents told me all those years ago: that given her parents' genes she will wear glasses soon enough, and shortly after that the glamour of glasses will lose its luster. But crush that kid's spirit? Not me, not anytime soon.

Happy Ending

Today got off to a very rough start. Molly woke up at 5:45am, and screamed at the top of her lungs for about 45 minutes straight. Nothing I said or did helped, so she finally went back into her crib until she passed out. Unfortunately this meant by the time I was finally getting back to sleep, Ava and Jocelyn were starting to wake up. I was tired and cranky and not excited about the day ahead. Add to that Molly waking back up with enough attitude to fill all of Capitol Hill, and we were not in a great place.

And yet, somehow the day improved as it went on. There were no real high or low points, just a steady climb from dismal to decent. By the time Ben arrived home Molly was only slightly moody, I was handling my sleep deprivation better, and Ava and Jocelyn were continuing to be their rock star selves. I'm glad to be reminded today that just because the day starts off badly doesn't mean it's destined to stay that way. Now to cross my fingers that everyone sleeps through the night and wakes up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed... or at least not super crabby.

True Love

This is going to be one of those posts where one of the worst moments of the day weirdly became my good blessing story. Molly felt a little better today, but was very up and down - she woke up chatty, energetic, and cool as a cucumber, but on the way to church totally nose-dived into fever-induced puniness. She took a good nap and seemed to be doing okay, but then started heating up and wimping out again. I picked her up and walked into the kitchen. She was cuddling on my shoulder when all of a sudden she pulled up straight. I had that split second of feeling something was not right, when she threw up ALL OVER ME. I mean, contents from lunch and random snacks over the past few hours all on the outside AND inside of my clothes. While there was the part of me that wanted to immediately put her down and strip off the nastiness, the Mom in me just held her, soothing her and telling her it was going to be okay. When it seemed she was done at least for the moment, I dashed up to my bathroom, where she did in fact throw up again, but at least this time onto a towel. I stripped us both and we showered all the grossness off, got into pj's, and sat on my bed to watch a little tv and recover from our trauma.

As I was sitting there with her afterward, I began to think of what a quintessential parent moment this was. I mean, what better example is there for true unconditional love than to allow someone to throw up all over you? Not only that, but rather than get upset of flip out (as are completely acceptable reactions) you concentrate your energies on calming the vomiting culprit? I have to admit, I am grossed out by very little at this point, and even I found myself suppressing my gag reflex. But I was so focused on soothing Molly and making sure she didn't freak out any more than she already was, getting sick myself was not even a consideration. This was by no means an event I ever wish to experience again. However, in its own twisted way Molly's getting sick was a nice reminder of just how much I love my kids, and that the unconditional love of a parent can make me capable of things I never would have imagined possible.

A Glimpse into the Future

Molly seems to be sick yet again. Looks to be a virus of some kind, with just a fever, runny nose, and overall puniness. So this evening Ben stayed home with her while I took Ava and Jocelyn to a party with some friends. It was an odd event in which I found myself very aware of the fact that I was without my baby. There was no one demanding to be picked up every few minutes, no babbling to decipher, no diapers to check or ultimately change. And while I certainly wished Molly was there... it was kind of nice to just have the older girls. I helped them get their food and dealt with a few tantrums and tears, but overall they kept to themselves and I saw very little of them. There are many exhausting and stressful days that I tell myself the girls won't be this young and dependent forever, they will grow up and out of this needy phase. But tonight I got a very real taste of what their growing will actually feel like. I will be sure not to take this time for granted, and cherish all the moments we share now, but it is also exciting to see that teeny light at the end of the tunnel, in which I can have adult conversations and my children can play by themselves and handle their own bodily functions. Tonight these are the thoughts that bring a smile to my face and hope to my overtired heart.

The Wonder of Childhood

This afternoon we all went to a birthday party for a friend of Ava's. It was at one of the local pools, which was fun... except for the fact that it was overcast all day long, so the water was pretty darn cold. Do you think that stopped any of the children there? Hell no! I lost count of the number of kids I saw with blue lips or chattering teeth. Despite the cold, every child had a blast and was sad when it was time to go home.

This scene brought back a thought I've had many times this summer: kids are crazy. Just two weekends ago, when our power was out, we had spent days outside in 100+ degree weather, and yet once the air conditioning turned back on my kids were still asking to play outside at every opportunity. Today they were shivering from being so cold, but never complained or got out of the water unless forced. In the winter, these same children will play outside in temperatures below freezing just to see snow fall. I remember playing as a kid in these same conditions (well, except the snow) and it never bothered me either. I don't know at what point a person goes from being a carefree, oblivious kid to an adult who realizes extreme weather is not so fun, but I am having a blast watching my daughters ignore the elements and take pleasure in each and every day.

Off to See the Wizard

Tonight I took the girls to our local library. They had members from a local theatre troupe do a rendition of The Wizard of Oz. Both Ava and Jocelyn have watched the movie many times and enjoy it greatly, so I thought this would be a fun experience for them. And sure enough, they were totally stoked to go... until the play actually started. I don't think they really appreciated what seeing a live play up close would be like. They were sitting in the front of the room, so the play was being acted out about 4 feet in front of them. Add to that the overdramatic and LOUD voices, and they were a little taken aback. Molly left her sisters and came to sit with me within the first 10 seconds, and never really relaxed the entire performance. Every so often, when someone would jump out from behind the backdrop or speak loudly all of a sudden, Molly would jump a mile and start shaking a little. The older two were better, although Jocelyn was looking a little worried when the Wicked Witch came out. All in all they had a wonderful time, and we came home with all smiles. Ava of course immediately wanted to perform her own version of the Wizard of Oz after bathtime. Fifteen minutes into her performance I cut her off and told her to come back again tomorrow - sheesh! I'm sure tonight's dreams will be filled with Munchkins, witches, and many other adventures over the rainbow.

Many Minis

Today was one of those days with many small moments that made me smile.

Molly has finally "graduated" to the Pebbles Flinstone hairstyle. Recently I've been whining about Molly's hair growing into a semi-mullet, with the back of her hair getting long much faster than the top. While I will readily admit her hair looks totally RIDICULOUS, the fact that I could get her hair on top into a little ponytail gives me hope that her hair will grow in evenly soon.

My Monkeys: we were at Old Navy this morning, and I had told the girls we could get a special treat if they behaved (which they did). We were all set to bring home a few glittery soccer balls, but as we approached the front counter to check out Jocelyn spotted these stuffed monkeys. For some reason both Jocelyn and Molly have a strange monkey obsession these days, and so both immediately wanted them. Although we needed more stuffed animals like an extra hole in the head, I gave in and let them put back the soccer balls and bring home the monkeys. Both girls held onto their new furry friends the rest of the day and are sleeping with them tonight. I guess it really was $5 well spent.

Molly was eating yogurt for lunch, and asked for help. When I went to help her, however, she pushed me away, and said "Ah-ya (Ava), help!" Since it doesn't take much to convince Ava to help her little sisters, Ava jumped up and spoon-fed Molly the rest of her yogurt. I don't remember the last time Molly finished off an entire yogurt, but today she polished it off. Ava looked at me at one point and said, "Mom, I'm such a good big sister." Yes you are, dear. Yes you are.

Tonight we had dinner with the Halls. Bob and Ben were both working late, so we decided to do breakfast for dinner: pancakes, and as a special treat strawberry topping and whipped cream. Honest to goodness, I think Jocelyn told every person she saw all day that she was going to be having pancakes with whipped cream for dinner tonight - she was that excited. Of course, Jocelyn turned out to be the only one who even liked the strawberry and whipped cream, but I'm convinced we'll win over the others eventually. It was a delicious dinner with fantastic company - a great ending to a pretty terrific day.

Another Magic Dance Moment

We had yet another dance-filled day today. In the middle of our 3-class marathon (Creative Movement for Jocie, then Acro and Jazz for Ava), one of the teachers opened her door for anyone interested to watch a solo routine. This was actually a dance done by a young man who graduated last year, but is competing his solo from last year at a national dance competition next week. All 3 of my girls were sitting in the front of the classroom in some of the older kids' laps, so I just stayed outside the door, concentrating more on my own children's behavior than the dance being practiced. What I saw were three little pairs of eyes completely mesmerized by this boy's dancing. I'm not sure any of them blinked the entire time John was dancing. I kept looking at them, waiting for the trance to lift; it only did once the music ended. Then, Molly jumped up, ran over to this boy, and lifted her arms for him to pick her up. It was pretty special to see the love and awe all my girls have for the art of dance. I cringe to think what this love for dance will do to our bank account in the years to come, but for now I will try to focus on the joy dance continues to bring my family, week after week.

Peace in the Universe

Today was a very pleasant day. Another day when there was no real high point or special event that sticks out as a good story to share. But for the first time in a while, the whole day was very peaceful. All the girls got along with each other, and behaved well enough that I did not have to correct or reprimand them much at all. It was nice to have a break from the usual bickering and nitpicking. I have no illusions that the peace will last, but I am learning to be wise enough to be grateful for these nice days and not take them for granted.

Love Note

This summer Ava has been blossoming before my eyes, and today was no different. She and Ben went to run errands during quiet time, and when they came home she walked in the door with a pouty look on her face. She went down to the basement, and Ben proceeded to tell me why she was not happy: she had uncovered a little over a dollar in change in Ben's car, and wanted to buy something with her newfound money. Somehow Ben convinced Ava to get something for me, which she was all for... until she realized there was no money left for her to buy something for herself. Even still, a few minutes later she came upstairs with the card they had bought, signed "Love Ava, To Mommy" (she always does that backward) and a picture drawn on the left side. I was so touched - she was still bummed she had come home with nothing for herself, but didn't let that keep her from making me my special card. I don't know when she grew up into such a mature young lady; I am just so incredibly proud of her and the person she is becoming.

Beating the Heat

A few days ago we planned a pool playdate for today with our friends the Gilsons. Last night I got an email from one of my friends asking if we still planned to go, since there was a heat advisory for our area that covered almost the entire day. I started to wonder if we should reschedule, and what we should do to occupy the kids today.

Then I remembered: I'm from Texas. We don't have heat advisories, we just have summers. The high today in DC was 104, with a heat index of 110. That was the high for the entire month of July growing up. So I snapped out of my peer-induced worrying and got ready to have some fun at the pool. I mean, what better way to beat the heat? It worked out perfectly - I had the girls rehydrate every hour when there was break time/adult swim, we had pizza delivered for dinner, and spend a solid 3 hours staying cool on this crazy-hot day. It took almost that entire time for the girls to warm up to the pool, but by the end of the day Molly was willing to get in the water, Jocelyn was dunking her head in the pool, and Ava was cruising the deep end (aka the end where she couldn't stand) with her friends. It was a fun time, and one I hope to repeat many times over the hot summer months.

Molly spent the first 2 hours on the side of the pool, too afraid to get in

dinner break

wait, you wanted me to take bites?

Jocelyn insisted on wearing the goggles the whole time she was in the water, but only actually put her head under the last 20 minutes we were there

the big girls in the "deep" (4 ft) end

Rough Day

Oh. My. Goodness. I was struggling to come to the computer and write today's post because it seemed like such a crappy day. I felt like the girls ignored just about every single thing I said to them, and their constant whining, demanding, and battling one another was almost more than I could handle. There were so many moments when I truly felt the Holy Spirit gracing me with an extra boost of patience or peace to be able to walk away from the situation rather than blow up at my children. Add to that some personal stuff of my own I was dealing with, and the end of the day could not come fast enough.

As I was sitting trying to decompress in front of the tv, however, I started thinking that the real problem today was my attitude. I feel to do this blog justice I have to be honest with not only my readers but myself. And the truth is today was not much different than any other day, other than the fact that my coping skills took a hiatus. There were in fact many shining moments amid the chaos and frustration. Ava was once again a rock star helper today. She has made her bed every morning this week, and helped me clean many other areas of the house as well. Once, after one of my many self-appointed time outs, I came downstairs to find she had been cleaning the living room up, and had put the blanket over the back of the couch, a detail to cleaning I would not have expected from my 5-year-old. This afternoon, Molly was playing in the living room, and at least 4 or 5 times came up to me for no other reason than to give me a kiss. She would just walk over, look up at me with her big doe eyes, and wait for me to bend over to her eye level for my smooch. Ava ate a bowl of salad with dinner tonight - Ava, miss ultra-picky-eater, finished every leaf of lettuce in her bowl! Jocelyn had to be separated from her sisters quite a few times, but each time she would go to her room and play quietly rather than throw a tantrum for being isolated.

I feel like tonight's post really embodies why I began this blog in the first place. I'm not going to lie to you and say that after looking back on these bright spots I feel good about the day. The day still stunk, and I'm still not in a great mood. But just because my attitude is crappy and my ability to cope with life's curveballs wasn't the best today doesn't make it a bad day. I'm not Sally Sunshine everyday, nor do I try to be. But I will remember that the day was not a complete loss, and those bright spots made the day more bearable, even if only for a short while. There are blessings hidden in each day - sometimes finding them is just a little more challenging. I pray that tonight I can recharge and have a much easier time finding blessings in my tomorrow.

Baby Fashionista

This morning I pulled out my box of 2T clothes to see if there was anything Molly could fit into that she needs right now. As is customary most mornings, I pulled out two shirts and asked which one she'd like to wear that day. Instead of picking one of my options, Molly comes over to the open box and pulls a shirt out. It was actually a summer-y shirt, so I thought what the heck. After her shirt and capris were on, she INSISTED I put her sandals on too. When all was said and done, this was the result:

the front and back views

Just like that my youngest daughter went from a baby to a little person. This is one of those outfits that makes her look so grown up, and I'm blown away at how quickly time has flown. Not to mention I'm astonished and more than a little worried at how strong an opinion she already has on her attire. Watching little Miss Priss walk around in this outfit all day reminded me that while I dread to think of how she will one day give us a run for our money, I love her with every bit of my being and would have her no other way.

Storytime

Happy Fourth of July! Today we spent most of our day at our friends the Halls' house. They bar-be-qued, the kids played in wading pools, sprinklers, and the playground equipment, and we all enjoyed the day baking in stupid-crazy heat. There were many fun moments of the day, but one sticks out more than the rest. Sometime mid-afternoon, Bob pulls a chair and book into the grass and sits down to start reading. I look at Sharon and ask what's going on. She explains that the book is some book about the story of Paul Revere (sorry, don't remember the title) that they've had since Isaac was a baby, and Bob wants to read it to the kids. I think this is a nice idea, until I see the first page... on which there were easily 100 words printed. I thought to myself, reading any book to these overrun, exhausted kids is not going to go well, and a wordy book will keep their attention even less. However, one by one children came from all over the backyard to check out the book Mr. Bob was reading. I know the book was not finished, but it lasted WAY longer than any of us expected it to. So thanks Bob for helping us remember the reason for celebrating today, and hopefully one of these years we'll make it to the end of the story.

Budding Ballerina

Jocelyn attended her first dance class today. To say she was excited would be a ridiculous understatement. She has been talking about this for months now. I didn't tell her until this morning that today was finally the day, and she could barely contain herself. She put on her dance clothes and sat patiently as I found which pair of ballet shoes fit her the best (the same pair Ava's been using, funny enough). She even let me put her hair in a ponytail without any objection - as soon as I explained that all dancers have to wear their hair out of their face.

This is one of the rare occasions when the picture will not do justice to just how gleeful Jocelyn was to finally be getting her chance to go to dance class. By the time we got to the studio, she was literally running in circles while she waited for class to start. Her enthusiasm was contagious - I was so excited for her to enjoy and embrace this fun new experience. Of course, as soon as her class was done she wanted to know when she could come back, and after watching the big kids for over an hour after her own class was finished she STILL didn't want to go home. But at least she now has a class of her own, and for that she could not be more giddy and I could not be more proud.

Not-so-Sleeping Beauties

Tonight Ava is having her friend Riley spend the night. These two girls have been talking about having a sleepover for many months now. They each spent the night at the other's house once last summer, but the school year was so busy we haven't done it again since then. So last week I finally pinned down today as a good day for us to have another sleepover here.

Once again the electricity gods tried to ruin our plans - our power went out once again at 2:30 this afternoon, and was still out at 4:15 when we had to leave for dance class. I decided that unless we could not physically sleep in the house we were going to have this darn sleepover, I was not letting the power outages derail these girls' plans. Fortunately, power reemerged around 7:15 this evening, and we have fingers crossed that it stays on for good now.

Ava and Riley ate dinner together outside, played who-knows-how-many games, made s'mores, and are now having popcorn while watching a movie. After I am done here I have to send them up to bed so they have enough time to tell ghost stories before going to sleep. They are a trip, and it is so fun watching them having such a grand time on their sleepover adventure.

I asked to take their picture, and both girls shoved bread in their mouths :P

a nicer pose

An Unexpected Adventure

Today's post really begins last night. As I wrote, we were without power all Friday night and yesterday. We had been okay Friday night because our house was already nice and cool and stayed that way, but the lack of air movement got to me very quickly. I soon came to the realization that I could sleep another night in the house if I HAD to, but I certainly didn't WANT to if I could at all help it. Enter the Yezefskis. Jackson was in Ava's preschool class this past year, and if you ask them they will get married when they grow up. Molly became quite attached to Jackson's mom Sara throughout the school year, and we've all hung out a few times. They were coming to Ben's party last night, and were actually the people who helped me find the pizza that saved our food situation. When Sara got to our house, one of the first things she asked me was if we were still without power. When I said yes, she immediately said, "Do you want to come back to our house tonight? We have power and plenty of room for you all to sleep." I think I actually whined my reply of ye-hes, please!! The idea of having a cool, non-stagnant air supply to sleep in made the heat of the birthday party bearable.

So we stayed last night and much of our day today with Jackson, Sara, and Brent. We were blessed this morning to learn that our power had been restored sometime in the early hours of the morning, but we had turned off the air conditioning unit for fear that too many surges would blow the system so our house was still very warm. Ben went back to turn the air back on, while the kids played for a couple hours. Then we all went and spent some time at the pool. It was hot out, but the water was nice and cool, and the kids had an total blast playing in the water.

I cannot begin to express my gratitude to the Yezefskis. For them to open their house to us for a night was more than generous. But we were told multiple times last night that we were welcome to stay for however many days is was going to take to get power restored. We brought nothing but ourselves, and were fed, given beds to sleep in, and wonderful company to share the day with. It could have been a very miserable night and day, and instead it was an impromptu adventure that was enjoyed by all. I feel so blessed to have such great friends, and hope I can show the same generosity to others one day.

Molly was very content on the edge of the pool - wasn't much into actually getting in

lunch break!

Ava loves swimming... as long as her floaties are on :-/

Jocelyn, on the other hand, didn't leave the steps, even with the floaties on

Jackson and Ava :)