The Celebration Continues!

Our wedding was many years ago. The celebration continues to this day. ~Gene Perret

Nine years ago today I became the luckiest woman on the planet when I said "I do" to my best friend, Mr. M. Nine years and five daughters later, I know that life can change in an instant and to cherish each moment we are given. I am so very thankful for the last nine years - every single moment - and I am so grateful for each anniversary we get to spend together.

Happy Anniversary, Mr. M! I am so proud of the life we have built together.

Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery




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Never A Dull Moment!

(Paprika with her private swim teacher last week, a different era!)

Lots of big news around here! Yesterday, Paprika started "Pre-Swim Team" - which is basically a six week tryout for the swim team.

We have been so spoiled. Paprika has been taking swim lessons for 14 months now, and we often have the whole pool to ourselves. At least it feels that way! Well, yesterday was a shock to the system.

First of all, I was not prepared for the mania of Type-A Tiger swim parents. Oh My Word. When we showed up at the pool, there were about sixty parents there for thirty kids enrolled. The dads came. The grandparents came. People came with their big cameras and long lenses! I didn't even bring my cellphone camera!

There was a little parent meeting before, so I had all three kids by myself. Violet was crying because it was her naptime. I had Ginger strapped in the stroller and she was trying to hurl herself out of it (I had her in there to keep her contained!) Everyone was looking at me, and one mom even scoffed directly at me: I thought this was just a parent meeting, but I guess they are allowing kids here.

Well, alrighty then.



These parents were over the top competitive. I knew a few of the parents from seeing them around swim lessons. One mom is the one who yelled at her kid during the Spring session: Why can't you swim more like Paprika?! Look at her backstroke! Get it right!

Her child had been taking lessons for two weeks while Paprika had been taking lessons for 10 months!

So, yesterday was just crazy. I think the Olympics had something to do with it. A lot of parents are hoping their kid is the next Missy Franklin or Michael Phelps, and well...it's PRE-SWIM TEAM, people!

Thankfully, Paprika was oblivious to it and swam her little heart out. At the end, they had everyone get out of the pool and everyone did, except for Paprika. She swam to the middle of the pool and sat on the bottom and would not get out. She would come up for air for a split second while everyone was yelling at her to get out, then shoot right back down the bottom and sit there (where she could not hear us)!

Of course, that made me feel like parent of the year! Paprika never wants to get out of the pool, so it was no surprise. Eventually, the coaches made a highschooler jump in and drag her out.

I said, "Why wouldn't you get out of the pool?"

She said, "Oh, I was just talking to the mermaid sprite fairies. They had so many interesting things to say. Did you know that mermaids are the only people who can breathe underwater?"



In other news, I had to fire Paprika's piano teacher. It was a bunch of things, but it came to a head last Thursday when I looked through the window and saw the teacher checking her email throughout the lesson. She had her laptop open and her Gmail account up, and I was like...c'mon! It's a 30 minute lesson! Give me a break!

So, I called the studio and complained, and eventually got them to agree to switch her teachers without charging me an extra fee. The studio was actually giving me attitude and said that they didn't believe that the teacher was really checking her email. Then, I said I had pictures of her with her Gmail account open (because I do) and I would be posting the pictures on Yelp if they really didn't believe me. And after that, they were much nicer to me! Haha.

Sometimes it's good to be an obsessive picture taker. ;-)

While Paprika had her lesson, I was occupying Ginger and Violet. Ginger was in her straightjacket...I mean, dress that buttons up the back! The week before, Ginger was in a regular outfit and took it off at the studio and I got majorly judged by some uppity women. They were like, "How old is your child and why won't she wear clothes?!" So this week, I made sure she looked appropriate. Of course, she still ran around like a wild hyena and was doing flips in the lobby.

This was one of the few moments that she wasn't running 90 miles/hour. She had to refuel with water:



Last night, the girls gave eachother haircuts while Mr. M was supposedly supervising them! Ginger doesn't have much hair left, and Paprika's is five different lengths. I haven't taken pictures yet, and I haven't fixed it either. I am mulling over what to do about it. They were so happy with their work, it kinda broke my heart to "fix" it, but at the same time...we've got crazy hair going on in this house.

Speaking of hair, my hair is looking RED after my salon visit last month! I asked for blonde highlights, and got Lucille Ball red. It was a Groupon, so lesson learned! ;-) My friend referred me to her stylist to fix it, so I should probably do that...but finding the time is the issue. Let's just say I am low on free time. ;-) So, maybe I should ask Ginger and Paprika to do my hair for me. Haha.



And one more thing...guess who is starting gymnastics next week?! Ginger and Paprika! I had to do it. Ginger is flipping off the couch, hanging upside down from the trees, and otherwise engaging in daredevelish stunts. She can't be stopped.



So, I am enrolling both Ginger and Paprika. It's just one day/week...for now. Because we have nothing else going on. Haha.



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Flyin'!

(Paprika, with swim hair)

Happy Friday! I am glad the weekend is here...TGIF!

Today was Paprika's last day of swim lessons for the season. That is, if I don't get crazy and sign her up for another session. ;-)

She was supposed to have a 30 minute private lesson today and her teacher kept her in the water for an hour and fifteen minutes! I don't think anyone wanted this chapter of private lessons to stop - not even her teacher.

She starts pre-swim team practice on Monday. It's basically like a six week tryout for swim team. No pressure. Ha!

Today is Grandma Pat's birthday. Happy Birthday, Grandma Pat! :-) We are seeing her next week, and the girls are so excited to celebrate. They are always up for a party.



We still have almost a month until school starts, and I am enjoying every second of having the girls home with me. This summer is flying by, and I keep taking snapshots in my mind because I really don't want it to end.

We have a busy month ahead. Paprika has pre-swim team every day. I might sign Paprika up for an art camp. I think I am going to start Ginger and Paprika in gymnastics (if Ginger will put some clothes on for it - ha!) And Paprika has piano lessons every week, of course.

We have a bunch of birthday parties this month (we know a lot of August babies). Paprika's SIXTH birthday is in two weeks...be still, my heart. And I am going to Indiana with Violet before the end of the month!

Needless to say, I've got to look at the calendar to figure out where we're going and where we've been. But, it's also nice to just pause and enjoy this moment because I know this month is going to fly by, and then summer will be just a memory.

Happy Weekend!



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A Treehouse!

Last week we were reading the Henry and Mudge books before bedtime. There's one all about a treehouse, so the next day the girls just had to make their very own treehouse!

The top of the swingset worked great. After a few attempts of the girls trying to make their own roof, I got out our king-sized fitted sheet and hoisted it on top. Perfecto! It's like it was made to be a treehouse roof! ;-)



The girls got pillows and blankets, and made a little home up there. It was so well organized - there was even a little basket of toys, and a place to put shoes. Paprika said she wanted to sleep up there, and eat all her meals there. I made the girls lunch and they ate it in the treehouse. So fun!



Violet is not quite big enough for the treehouse yet. But, she does love looking on from her exersaucer. I moved her exersaucer outside so she can enjoy the sunshine and breeze while watching the big girls. It gives her a little freedom, but not too much, if you know what I mean!



The other spot Violet loves is the baby swing. The girls have had the best time pushing Violet in it. She is so happy in there, and the big girls will "race" next to her on the big swings, which gets everyone laughing.



I feel like it was just yesterday that Ginger was in this swing. We bought this swing for Ginger when she was Violet's age! Where is the time going?



I am enjoying all these little moments because they woosh by so fast. Sometimes when I look at Paprika, I can't believe she was ever so little. But, I know she was!



And speaking of Ginger, I have been posting fewer pictures of her because she refuses to wear clothes 99% of the time! Whenever I put clothes on her, she rips them right off...no matter what. If I let her pick, if she wears pajamas, or a dress, or a swimsuit! It's a shame, because she really has the best wardrobe of any of us!



It's a battle, and one I'm just not willing to take on when we're around the house. Out in public is a different story. If she needs to be wearing clothes, I do have the "straightjacket method" - which means I put her into a dress she can't get out of (one that buttons up the back). It's not nice, but you gotta do what ya gotta do.

At home, I just let her run around in her pull-up. I figure there's not a lot she gets to control in her life. I decide where she goes every day, what activities she gets to do, when she goes to bed...all sorts of major decisions. That's the part about being three years old vs. being the parent. So, if she wants to just be FREE at home, then it's okay by me! If there's one thing I've learned, it's that you've got to pick your battles. Haha.



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The Magical Farm!

We are thick into Summer, and it is glorious. The girls would be so happy just to stay inside all day but when it's this gorgeous outside, that just seems sinful to me. ;-)

We moved into this particular house because of the enormous backyard - so I make sure the girls get out there! Every day after swimming, we come home, have lunch, and then they get kicked outside for a few hours. Don't worry, I go with them, too. Haha.



We have a sweet orange tree and a very fruitful lemon tree. Okay, I'll stop with the puns already. ;-) We have rose bushes, a hydrangea the size of a bus, and some other things, too.



But nothing gets watered. I like to think of that as the environmentalist in us, but really it's just because our backyard doesn't have a sprinkler. So, the grass is dead. It's brown, like straw.

What can I say, it's survival of the fittest in our backyard!

Anyhoo- the girls don't mind the brown grass at all. They just pretend it's REAL straw and they live on a farm.

Here's the horse corral:



Those horses sure are thirsty! Ha!



Chickens who lay real eggs (and there's a piglet in that pen, too):



A duck and a turtle in the pond:



And a sweet little bunny rabbit to pet!



I loved visiting my girls' magical farm. The best thing about this farm? No poop! Because in the past six years, I've been to many a petting zoo...and none of them could say that! Right?! Who knew imaginary farms could be even better than the real thing! :-)

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