my kitchen is clean

The weather is lovely.  It stormed last night.
I've had the windows open while I've been actually cleaning the house.  finally.

cleaning, cleaning, cleaning...
No tv.  No music even.  Just outside sounds and my thoughts.  Which are boring.  But hey.  S'all good.

Then I smell it.  That smell that I smell after the kids have been out playing.  I do not like that smell.  I make the kids go shower.  That sweaty, outdoorsy, body odor smell.

But I've been cleaning.  I pulled my shirt out a little and sniff.  Next I try my under my arms.
Hmmm.  It's not me I'm smelling.

Wait a minute.

Could it be?

Could it really be true?

All these years I've been making my kids wash off...

FRESH AIR?!

*

We had a great trip, but check out her hair!

Madeline got a new haircut.  She has been talking about it and researching it for a few months and I was hesitant.  We did some pre-counseling to prepare for an "I hate it" outcome and got a few conditions in place about upkeep of self kind of things and went for it.

She LOVES it. 

She's a brave girl.  

And that is her first pink t-shirt since she was 5!

She even wore a skirt to school today.  With purple tights.

She is morphing.

I want to update about my trip, but I am not a lover of editing pictures.  I love editED pictures, but I don't like taking the time.  I am not a photographer by nature.  Cropping, rotating, playing with the colors and stuff... just don't know what looks good.  However!  My sister does.  So maybe I will link to her post (when she gets it up) if she includes enough pictures of me, of course.  

I do have the "Joey's dreams come true" picture montage that she (sister) does not possess, yet.  Those pictures are good as is.  Maybe I'll go that route.

It was, as always, a great time. 

 Healthy kids.  Lots of crowds.  Sunny days.

And Butterbeer.

Oh, Butterbeer.

Hhhuuuuuuh!

*

my big little girl

Six years old!  

She is awesome.

Brian told her something magical would happen while she was asleep when he tucked her in the night before her birthday.  She was so excited when she said "Really?  What?"
"You will go to sleep a cranky five year old and wake up a cheerful six year old!"

One day down.  So far so good.

I love watching her learn new things and be led in the excitement of that.  She LOVES being the youngest and no doubt gets her way more often than not.  But, we all seem to be okay with that for the most part.  Well, most of us.  Most of the time.

One things for sure.  We do all love love love watching her be happy and she appeals to each of our particular sense of humors entertaining us like nothing else.

Even Carter sighed the other day as she rushed off to set up a game of Othello for them to play,
"I sure love her."
I asked him why and he said "She's just so small, like a little punching bag."

?

Suffice it to say, she is our Dear Heart.

Her hair always seems to be a bit of a mess, but that only adds to her charm.  

In other news...

Meet the new Branch President.

We're all growing up a little, eh?

Aaaaaaaak!

*

waiting with bated breath

I have a child with a birthday coming up soon.  Which means (drum roll)...

Another post is forthcoming!!

I know.

You miss me.


*

already?

Happy Birthday, Nash!

Way to be 11.

golly.

There is something about 11.

11!

he wants a dog.

*

Sheesh. It's quiet here.

My kids want a dog. 

Me too, some days.

How awesome is that?!!!

Live long and prosper.

When the kids are in school...

They are.

And the house is creepy during the day.

And I am eating whatever I want, and even somethings I don't want but don't know I don't want them until after I've eaten them.

I am a little lost. 

Kind of strange.

Didn't think that would happen.

I started a list of things I wanted to do when the kids started school but I haven't done them yet.

Well, I do run.  But only recently because I noticed that the eating things was changing things.

So.  I run.

Just so you know.

p.s.  Actually.  I don't think I'm lost.  I think I wander.  And as we all know... 

Not all who wander are lost.