My Kiddies

A few recent pictures - for the family followers.

2 Sticks + 1 Bucket of Water = Endless Summer Fun

This has been the most requested activity of the summer.

Followed by a close second of "seeing the baby birdies."

Rob bought me some hanging plants for Mother's Day that have totally brightened up our patio. Two of the three have been doing really well, but the third is completely dead. We had to stop watering it when we realized that a bird had layed five eggs in it. Maddie LOVES to see the eggs, so we'll take down the plant every once in a while, and check on them. Last night when we pulled it down, we saw that two of the eggs had just hatched. Rob started his bird calls (another hidden talent) and the two little ones opened their mouths. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not a bird person - but these were SOOO cute. I have a video, but it's not working - I'll see what I can do.

Braces

I really hate Smooth Jazz. Anyone that knows me well can attest to the nausea it immediately stirs in my gut. It takes me back to a very awful time in my teens that I refer to as "the braces period." I wore braces for nearly five years - and they were only taken off after those five years by my father's insisting. I spent one hour, every three weeks sitting in an avocado colored dentist chair, staring at macrame everything while a blind woman named Anita tried to tighten each bracket. She often got distracted and dropped orthodontic tools on my face. All the while - listening to saxophone versions of songs like, "She's like the Wind," or "Just the Two of Us." To this day I still have nightmares that I have to get my braces put back on. I remember thinking SO many times while in that avocado chair that the entire experience would be that-much-better if they could just improve the music.

I never thought I'd say this - but today I learned that perhaps there is an appropriate time for Smooth Jazz....because when you're sitting in the dentist's chair, and you realize that your dentist is singing along to Queen's, "Fat Bottomed Girls" while cleaning your teeth...that's just awkward.

Always

Rob and I are pretty competitive when it comes to, mmm, everything. And by competitive, I mean - Rob enjoys winning and silently making me feel horrible about my skills. I get pretty annoyed with the fact that he's really good at everything - but that's what you get when you marry a perfectionist. It takes me back to my childhood Monopoly games where my dad would destroy us, and then try to set up "loans" to continue the game. I remember him offering me a "home-equity line on Boardwalk." I'm sure it was a fair rate, 6% or so, but I still lost.

Rob and I love yard games - croquet, horse-shoes, bocce ball, etc., and we purchased a fun new game this year. I don't really know what it's called - but you basically throw these little balls on a string at a stand, and hope they stick. Three points for the top bar, two for the middle, and one for the bottom. Here's the run-down of our first turns of our first game. Rob, as always, masters the game immediately.


I let go just a LITTLE too late - and this game immediately turns into every other game we play.

Perhaps it's time to give up lawn games.

Maddie was SURE she was ready for church.

Majority Rules

The crowds have spoken, and they are correct. Baby number three is another little girl.