Productivity

Productivity level for Wednesday: 493%

I was ridiculously proud to say that I out did myself and gave Mother a heart attack in the process. No small feat. [I may have requested the truck for a dump run and used the term "single mom" within hours of each other, just enough to make an old heart jump.]

What I'm more impressed with is the ladies ability to entertain themselves. I was able to leave them inside to play unsupervised for small stretches of time whole I worked out back in the HEAT! It killed me to do the running back and forth, I could hear the "door speech" we got every summer about the air being on and the doors remaining closed. I'm so excited to have reached a stage where I can not devote all my energy and worry to them! Just set up and activity and tell them to holler! Beautiful!!

Of course I felt guilt when dinner rolled around and I had a mile long to-done list and not one thing involved my ladies. So post dinner we played with tools and they helped me build. Who doesn't love power tools?! They do and now want to build things for themselves. There was a request for a castle, not sure I can pull that one off.

All their helping and clean-up earned them two Hershey kisses and 3 "Be-a-trucks Pottered" tales. Simple mispronunciation is all I have left of babyhood. My ladies are big, but thankfully still cuddly!

Summer

What is summer?

Seriously?

This looks like summer to me. 

And so does this.

However, our ladies are growing. I'm still torn over this school business and I've just tabled the entire thing for the time being. But this summer we had the opportunity to dabble. 

So I took a leap and our summer looks campy. 

Not a one week gig either. 

This required big girl panties. I signed them up for a six week program that meets four days a week. I will have 16 hours a week to myself! 

16 hours that I'll have no idea how to fill. 

This will be the most they've been away from us ever. EVER. A slight control freak panic has started to break out. Will they behave as I hope? Will they fit in and go with the flow? Will they make friends and develop some independence?

These are things that don't really worry me. 

Will they find themselves individually?

Here is where I worry. I worry one will cling to the other and the other won't be there, that one will blossom and the other will cower. 

I'm also worried they'll make friends and I'll have to keep up with that craziness. 

Yes, I'm selfish with my time too! Bwhahaha!

I worried about things that just need to happen so I can be over them. This mama has some serious photo projects to fill those 16 hours! I want to worry about what to pack for lunches and if I've forgotten about a special activity. 

So June please hurry, but not too fast. 

I still need some time for this. 

So what are you doing this summer?

Hershey ZooAmerica

Making the most of our freshly renewed zoo membership, we hit up ZooAmerica. 

For us it's a short ride after dropping DH at work. Skip over the state line and cruise for a bit and presto- the sweetest place on earth. Since this was a short day trip, I limited us to the zoo(small) and a tour through chocolate world. Animals and cookies, what more could a pair of three year olds ask for?

Now ZooAmerica only features animals of North America.

Ya know, like eagles, wolves, and other "boring" animals. 

That being said, I was flabbergasted to hear so many adults complaining about the lack of animals. Granted it's a small zoo, but they were complaining that there were no giraffes, elephants, and rhinos. I guess there aren't any of those infamous Rhode Island Rhinos in captivity. 

Sweet Jebus people! Get with the program!! Giraffes aren't roaming the midwest! Yellowstone doesn't offer elephant savannah tours!! 

My favorite was the woman telling her kid that the fish in the black bear pool where piranhas. Yup, they must feed on the blue crabs in the bay. Ugh! 

I worry over hearing such things might turn these beauties into mindless slugs!

We met up with HAM & Co. for lunch. They continued their weekend of fun and we headed home to get daddy. Thankfully, I had two sleep ladies and a peaceful ride home!

I love taking small day trips like this. It's just enough to break the flow. I see lots of day trips and overnights in our future. 

Next stop Philly! Who's with me?!

Tea

Stepping out of your box, amazing things can happen. 

Like tea parties and adult conversation. Really!

Well worth my leap. 

So that is how I spent my Saturday night! I was served high tea by a kilted Sexy Harry. Even his bald head turns red when he hears that. I love his wife and was honored to be invited. I would say we are fairly good friends despite being radically different. Don't you love that? 

Are you friends with people who are completely opposite of you? 

I came to realize that most people don't understand how to love and appreciate photography for the sake of photography. One girl was in stitches as I snapped away all night. Despite terrible lighting I got a few decent shots. More importantly, I spent F-O-U-R hours ALONE!

That man I married is pretty fantastic sometimes.

You can't pass up homemade clotted cream!

Prince of Wales

Marcia hand shots!

Fancy pants "dishwasher safe" china! I was amazed! 

So when were you out last?

I know it had been a while for me, but going was so refreshing. So much so that we were talking about a supper club. Of course I'd always make her host, but I think it would be amazing!

Jackpot!

Working early on a Sunday morning, a rare treat for me. I finished my work early and decided to treat myself to some gummy worms for "lunch" at 9:35. Breakfast of champions, this I know. But I was a giddy school girl when I found my bag was comprised of mostly red and clear gummy worms-my favorite!

It's the little surprises sometimes.

Time to shuffle papers and walk around looking busy!!

Sunny Friday Photos

This is what it's all about!

Welcome back summer feet!

I bought this hammock years ago, and I have finally hung it. Not at my house, but at least it hasn't gone to waste. Each of the ladies have all asked to swing with me, but I'm kind of fearful we will plummet to the ground. This is my special observation swing. 

Mine!

Yesterday the first fruit of the garden was ready and I failed it. 

Someone got to it before me. That didn't seem to bother the ladies in the least as they were more than eager to still have it. Ick. We can share with wildlife, but I'm not a fan of eating after them. So I ran inside to "wash it off" and came back with two strawberries fresh from California!

One day they'll catch on to my tricks.

With Mother's Day on the horizon [I just received a lovely card from a dear friend :) ] I had planned to spend the morning crafting and card making. Breakfast, preschool, and down to business. Instead we skipped preschool and hurried through a craft to get outside. Sunny and 80 on a Friday, yes please!

Through out our brief crafting adventure, the ladies were all side tracked by the neighbor having their tree trimmed. Side tracked is an understatement. They were astonished. How to you effectively explain lawn care to the kinder? The tree is getting a hair cut, which ended up being more like a homemade mohawk, was not a sufficient answer. Why is the tree getting a hair cut? How much bigger is it growing? Why is are the leaves falling? Is he going to clean that up? How are we going to get by? Can we walk in the street? What? Why? How? When? 

Just because!

I'm glad you little sponge are so intrigued, but let us save this thirst for knowledge for a more sensational topic, m'kay?

Lastly there is this lady. 

Who, as I'm typing, is fussing. She has fussed the last three nights, maybe I've lost count? She won't sleep in her room without a good fight. I don't understand. It's completely out of the blue and I'm not convinced she has a real reason to not like her room. I think the allure of my bed might be too much to handle. 

Normally I have sympathy for the bear because her sister is the night owl. However, the tables have turned and now the bear is keeping her sister up. More importantly, I have slept laid on 6" of bed for the last two nights. I need to push forward with this big girl room!

Hoping everyone has a fantastic Mother's Day this Sunday.

May Goals

Oh April, what did you do to me! Two for twelve isn't my idea of success, especially since my "cleaning of the family room/craft area" only came to fruition because I didn't want the plumber to think I was a hoarder. Gah!

So onto May. It's a busy month for DH, and by association, me as well.

Family

• Date with DH, after some of his madness dies down
• Girls first dentist appointment 
• Spec out summer

House

• Big girl room decor
• Find a living room lamp 
• Decide on mattresses
• Fix drawer slides

Crafting

• Get. A. Binder (yes, I have stacks of sheets with clips holding on with a prayer they don't fall when I move them.)
• Order April photos
• Update PL for April
• Buy fabrics for quilts... *over ambitious I know*
• Buy fabric for tutus
• Lettering on HAM's dress-up cart

Yes, this is terribly ambitious. But maybe, just maybe, all the hustle and bustle of this month will keep me rolling! 

End Of An Era

Goodbye seats. You served valiantly beneath the bottoms of babes.

Welcome back floor space!

Not Tired

She came down from nap for a hug and stated she wasn't tired. She gave me a bear hug and hasn't moved since. No Claire-Bear you weren't tired, this is call exhaustion. I'll soak up your cuddles none the less. :)

Next Best Thing

The next best thing to the sea is clearly sea salt caramel!

Thank you pinterest!!

Bubble but don't burn, here is where I failed. 

Fitting container! Recycling pays off.

Helpers!

Let's combine!

Giving myself some credit.

Bliss.

Well sorta. I'm going to try again to truly reach bliss. 

The caramel was ok, slight burnt taste thanks to a misprint in the recipe. And following the recipe exactly, I also under cooked the brownies. Silly me trusting pinterest strangers!

I'm excited I tried something new and it was only a partial fail. 

El Dentist-o

Not so muy bien. No pictures for my books. No giggly fun time. 

So we went. We made it through, but it was a rough adventure. Nearly two hours! 

Now prior to this visit, Claire was all about the infamous Ms. Amy. She even picked flowers for Ms. Amy and was all set to tell her everything there is to know about dental hygiene. That was until we walked in the door. Sister sensitive showed up and was not a fan of the process at all. She didn't want to even turn her eyes to the chair. To hell with science, fear of the dentist is inherited!

Now I was for sure that Emma was going to chicken out. She was not into the idea of the dentist and I couldn't sell this to her in any way. Guess who all but hopped up in the chair?! Gleefully counted teeth and patiently sat through the tooth tickling process. 

Just shy of two hours later, we left with treasures, silly bands, and latex glove balloons-WTF? Where's my tooth brush?? 

I dislike the surprise reversals. 

I also dislike late appointments that run into nap time. I dislike even more when the hygienist rolls in the front door with a taco bell bag 20 minutes into my appointment time. 

Since I'm on a roll with these dislikes, I really dislike the fact that I had a cavity! And I dislike even more being schooled by three year olds about how I need to brush better!!

Deep breath.

We all made it through. Maybe next time Daddy can take a turn at this fun!