{us according to my phone}

I am so not a fan of how quickly summer is sailing by. 

loving:

Pjs till noon (most days)

ponytails and less primping

swimming in the evening

sleeping in till 7:30

having all the chicks in the nest

school just does not allow for these luxuries. 

{boil}

This weekend we had a street shrimp boil. 50 lbs of shrimp and crab legs were boiled along with corn & potatoes. Neighbors brought camping chairs, sides & treats & the kids brought bikes, power wheels and anything with wheels really. We finally crawled up the hill in the dark to our home at about 9:30. The children were bathed (feet scrubbed extra well.) & went to bed quickly smelling like baby bath & lotion.

{heat}

There are several months in the year here in Texas where its too hot and miserable to venture outside. If you are not in a body of water...forget about it. Its almost like winter where you are trapped indoors due to chill and snow. We are sitting in the middle of those hot months right now. We may venture out in the early hours of the day to the trampoline or to play lacrosse in the yard, but once 9o'clock hits forget it. the rest of the day is indoor play. we venture to the pool off and on, but mostly at night when Presley is snoozing and Rod is home. She is okay with the pool in small increments, but does not enjoy the 2 hour swim fest the boys do. The bonus is it wears the boys plum out so everyone gets a few extra Zs in the morning. Here they are escaping the heat on Friday: computer games,  little people & bus races in the entry.

{book}

I like to do things big. The more tissue paper & ribbon, the better. Rod is my opposite. He likes low key & by low key I mean nothing. No a single crumb from a cookie.  I am slowly learning what he likes on his special days (i.e. birthday, dad's day.) & using every bit of will power in me to respect his idea of a happy celebration. He said I succeeded this fathers day.  We made him breakfast of course, went to church where he was honored with an M&M bow tie which he immediately put on. cute guy. & we had a yummy but not so memorable dinner. i did make baked goods. I folded on that one. The wee ones presented Rod with a book made especially for their Dad. We had a lot of fun compiling this over the past few months. Some answers gave us a good laugh. He cherishes that book now. It lives on his dresser, away from sticky jelly fingers.  The answers are darling, but I loved looking at all the pictures, I think Rod did too. It is a 7 year span of memories. Moments between him & the children. Stolen or planned moments, all special, because he just loves those kids to pieces. He is the Dad who gets home from work, hurries to change and has the boys busy with lacrosse or swimming or wrestling on the floor till someone cries. Last night he had the cooking bug. He took the boys to a fresh market & then gave them tasks in preparing the meal. I was a puddle on the floor (okay it was the couch with Presley.) He never stops. I can tell he is using up every moment he has. I love the father of my babes.

 and one from church while we are at it...

{games}

whats funny is that I am right at this very moment telling myself to use quiet time to read & tinker about, twiddle my hair, whatever. Rather than clean the bathroom down stairs & the two upstairs. I am telling myself I can get it done when the little ones wake from their napping. (which is not going successfully today i might add.) But realistically i know, just as any other Mom, that nothing REALLY gets done when the kids are running with light sabers swatting here and there. Its just not conducive to accomplishing much. But, Im going to go ahead & live in my make believe home & continue under the delusion that 3 tubs, 3 toilets, 1 shower stall, 3 tile floors, & 5 sinks along with 6 mirrors will be squeaky clean come evening time. 

Todays nap time...or not napping time...

We have been playing a lively and long lasting round of...

I throw it all out, you fetch it. 

ever play before? 

she's so proud of her self, silly Presley.

{3 weeks}

For the past 3 weeks the boys have been with their Omah. It came as no surprise to us that as she entered the airport the boys started asking after her. "Will Omah be at our house when we get home?" "Can we go see Omah now?" & then there was me. Crying like a baby in the front seat trying not to smudge my eyeliner before venturing to Costco..on a saturday..with 4 kids...not my brightest idea ever. The thing about my parents is that they soak in life. They soak in the kids. I had guessed my Mom would arrive hear via flight with our 3 guys just exhausted ready to hand them over. I was dead wrong. She wanted those last 3 days with them. She took them for walks and to the pool, to ride bikes, and out for frozen yogurt. She read & played & smiled. Never hinting at exhaustion. But I assure you...as their mother...she was exhausted! I miss my mom. Rod is trying to sell them on moving next door. Maddox is going to awake looking for his Omah. This I know.

{2}

The baby turned 2. she woke up to noise. different from the previous mornings. The brothers are back in full force. she had the traditional birthday candle breakfast. She loves all things cinnamon so rolls were on this mornings menu with a side of blueberries. We sang to her. She looked confused & pointed at her balloons saying "oooonnnsss." Funny miss. The children were in & out of the back yard & than it was AM nap for the girl. While Presley slept T & Madds made cake for their sister. & sampled the cake too. After the days naps were had & lunch eaten (or not. depending on the boy.) We went swimming. Came home & dressed in dry clothes. We ate our dinner. It was tasty. Then onto cake, more singing & presents. Fun gifts from neighbors & a dolly from Omah & Opah & a bike from the brothers. all of which was received with great excitement. & cannot be touched, looked at or breathed on by anyone...or Presley flips. Its laughable. Presley, our charmer was tuckered out & went to bed grasping some new board books & her new Dolly. 

 --------------------------- 

 I know without a doubt that tomorrow morning when I go to fetch Presley she will greet me with a smile. Thats what she does. That is what she has done since she first could control those lips. She sings over her breakfast & makes the transition of sleep to mothering easier & more pleasant. I love her deeply. She is my girl. I always wanted a daughter. 

I could never have imagined a lovelier one.