Captain Ron's at the Lake

Kaylee relaxing at Captain Ron's on the Lake

Captain Ron's Pirate Ship

Kaylee is not a big fan of pirates! Sophia wouldn't even stand in the picture with us.

My girls and I at Captain Ron's

Eat your veggies

Sophia could write the book on how to trick your parents into letting you stay up later for preschoolers. This girl thinks of everything patents have ever heard and last night was no exception at nine thirty. Here's how the conversation went:

Sophia says, "I am so hungry!"

Daddy, "You are just making excuses to stay up later. Go to bed."

Sophia whines, "Mommy, I am sssooo hungry!"

Mommy replies, "Sophia if you ate your dinner better, you wouldn't be starving. Now, you will have to wait until our next meal. We might even consider a snack if you had eaten your dinner. Go to bed."

Sophia exclaimed, "Daddy, please. I need to eat. I am so hungry now. I was hungry before we played soccer and after we played soccer tonight at the school! Tears started appearing in the corners of her eyes.

Daddy says to mommy, "Maybe she really is hungry. Mommy, do you have any of those vegetables Sophia can eat?"

Mommy says, "Of course! I will get them now!". For about the last eight or nine months Sophia has been saying she doesn't like vegetables typical three year old exerting her independence.

Daddy tells Sophia she can have some veggies for a snack and Sophia exclaims, "Yeah! I can eat!"

She gobbled down every last vegetable so she was truly hungry not making excuses this time.





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Pop Tarts - home-made

My mom gave me a recipe to try making pop tarts. I figured it might be fun to try with Sophia.






I consider Pop Tarts a quick easy "Mom needs a cheat breakfast" and don't let my kids have them all that often. I know they are terrible for us and well let's face it loaded with sugar and fat. I try to only let my kids have them when we have to be somewhere at some crazy early hour and I don't want them to scream "I eat!" or "Mommy, I am hungry!" at the top of their lungs and make me look like a bad mom. Feeding them cardboard slathered in gooey strawberry preserves gel covered with sugared icing creates a lot of guilt for me but makes me get through the morning on those days.

So I thought I would try making these pop tarts and see if I could make them oh a tiny bit better, albeit sugar free gooey strawberry preserves. They were okay but I would make the crust a tiny bit thinner next time more like a pie crust. They tasted okay but Sophia was really not able to help after we used the mixer because the crust was a bit crumbly and needed a mom's touch to pull together. I will make them again but definitely not an option for a quick on the go option. Sorry kids, cardboard slathered with gooey gel preserves and topped in sugary icing will still be your breakfast on those days we have to get moving out the door super early. Love you kids, but this one takes time and would have to be made the night before and let's face it I am just not a good planner sort of person. Last minute cardboard breakfast will be served here now and then.

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Packed and ready to go back

While unpacking, a few things got repacked. I am guessing they want to go back.


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Just add pencils!

Sophia made a craft stick can pencil holder. She loves craft time.

First, she painted all the craft sticks. She didn't like waiting for them to dry but she understood once I told her why she had to wait.

Next, she glued all the wooden craft sticks onto the old lemonade can. Then, she had to endure more waiting.

Last, she enjoyed the fun part, glue the fancy ribbons onto the project to make it look finished. Of course she chose polka dot ribbon because she loves polka dots.

Just add pencils!


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A perfect swimming day

Kaylee at 15 months swimming at Winghaven Pool

Look at that little baby swim.  Her feet are just a kicking as hard and fast as she can go.   She does the butterfly stroke kick about 90 % of the time.  She is so strong, it is amazing. It is funny that is how she naturally started swimming.  I try not to coach her to change it too much but I do tell her to kick kick too.

 Relaxing and floating on her back.

 Sophia watching her sister.

My girls and I playing.

Just swinging around in the pool swings.

Stealing a cool drink from Mommy's cup.

Messy girl eating yogurt or painting with yogurt

Kaylee was supposed to be eating yogurt and an english muffin for breakfast. Either she has really bad aim with a spoon or she was painting war paint on her face.





It appears she was wearing the yogurt as face war paint. Who knew yogurt painting could be so fun and terribly messy.

Quick! Hide your socks from my girl!

Sophia snagged my white sock and turned it into this little puppet. She had so much fun making this I am scared I am going to have no socks left in my drawer next time I look in there, but rather a bunch of new friends Sophia has made.

A chicken? Abstract art by Sophia

Here is Sophia's art she designed all on her own. She chose the materials from our craft bin while I was cooking dinner.

Honestly, I don't know what it is but she claims it is a chicken?

It looks a little like a chicken that just got hit by a vehicle windshield if you ask me, but I guess that is how abstract art works. You feel and see what you want to see. :-)

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Looks like I need a bigger can of bug spray

Found this giant ladybug trying to escape near the patio door. Sophia created this little critter from materials we had in our craft bin.

We grabbed a couple paper plates and she painted them. When the red paint was dry she used a black marker to make the face and add polka dots like ladybugs have on their wings. Mommy had to help by cutting the pipe cleaners but she put them between the paper plates and finally glued on the eyes. She gave it to her father when he got home tonight. I am not a fan of bugs, but this little critter is growing on me.



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Remember these?

I needed a quick craft for Sophia to do and remembered these little squares from my past.

Do you know what they are called?

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Ever have a day like this?

Kaylee sporting the Mohawk created by her pulling out her sprout pigtail.




This is before






Don't I look funny?


"shoes, pronounced (sheeeshs)"


"Shoes."





I guess daddy doesn't want my shoe.

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Thank Heavens for Little Girls tap dance ( part 2)

I was looking through the pictures taken at the show and discovered that no photos were taken during Sophia's tap dance number. It turns out my husband didn't get any photos of that number but recorded it with the video recorder. I was back in the back trying to keep the baby screaming for her nap quiet so as not to disrupt the crowd so I couldn't take photos either. Bummed by that but that is how it goes.


So, Scott captured the "curtain call" with Sophia in her tap costume. She is just a bit to the right of center in the photo above.


I love these tap dance costumes. The girls all came out to bow. Sophia is taking a bow here.


And she looks out into the crowds and smiles.


She spotted grandma in the crowd.


Take another bow.


Smile....


Take another bow....


Smile.....


Take another bow.....


And another


Smile.....


Take another bow.....,


And another.......


Take another bow....,,


And smile....,,,


And smile....


And smile......


Take another bow....,


and take another bow for good measure.


This was the funniest thing ever. Sophia kept taking bows over and over. It was so funny, my cheeks hurt from laughing. She was responding to the crowd's clapping and laughing. It was one of my favorite moments ever!



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