...a few things on my list...

        I decided to add a fun spin to my list of crap that I need to accomplish in the next two weeks. Adding a lovely Tiffany blue title might cause me to become more motivated or excited about completing these tasks...but I doubt it. It's 10am and I've done nothing but drink 2 cups of coffee and make two bowls of cereal (actually Juliet chose to have hers in a cup-really?).
       In two days my small child will be 5...yesterday the big one turned 9 and a half...family and friends all around us are having babies, this makes me thankful to be in our current stage...though as I'm trying to get two young ladies to brush their hair and teeth and become responsible individuals I reflect on the "easy days" of lugging around small people in an infant carrier....those are the days that parents actually have "control"...the days before talking back, homework, and being in the back of Costco with a cart full of stuff and someone needing to go potty. Great parts about now is a 9.5 year old that can see when I need some help, offers and is willing to help with everyday tasks. And a 5 year old that...well...keeps us all on our toes. I love being able to say "we are leaving in 15 minutes, get your crap you want to take" and it actually happens. Having only my stuff in my small purse. Not having people ask how my months my kid is or their name. Having kids that can get their own snacks and find their own clothes from drawers. Kids that can open their own juice boxes and replace the toilet paper on the roll. Being able to just yell over my shoulder, "are you guys buckled in?" Not having to stress about milestones and teeth breaking through. Still this stage comes with a whole new set of stresses...braces, drop off parties, sleepovers, a-holes kids at school, building self esteem, manners, icky boys, mean girls, re-learning log division, realizing I use the words "retarded" and "Jesus Christ" and "What the hell?" a little too much....and on and on...Enough babbling..onto the 12 things on my List..

1. check RSVP's for Juliet's party...79 people so far
2. buy more balloons, containers for candy for tables, piñata filling stuff, poster board for signs for party 
3. make goodie bags for 32 kids
4. wash ALL school uniforms
5. buy stuff of school lunches for next week
6. find clothes that still fit me for work next week
7. make a list for Girl Scout camping trip at the end of August
8. get my dad something for his birthday
9. get all the food for the party
10. figure out what we are doing on Thursday for Juliet's b-day
11. make list of stuff i need to bring to the park for the party
12. get people in bed by 8:30pm & up by 7am (uggg)

                                                          We'll see how this goes....

Shades (I heart faces)

No back story no editing...just some shades and her fabulous braces.

On A Mission:Surprise-(I heart faces)

My lovely 19 year old cousin Shannon, from Virgina, is on a mission.

A church mission in Australia for 6 months!

I was soooo excited when I learned she was having a 3 hour layover at LAX (we are in Orange County 25 minutes away). So my mom, my girls & I picked her up and took her for dinner and to see the Pacific Ocean. On the way she noticed all the palm trees (something we don't think twice about), she thought they were awesome! 

It was a chilly 66 degrees out with a thick marine layer.....here is her very first time touching the Pacific Ocean:

 

...Sunday Snapshot...And The Beginning of Birthday Month..

...here's Bradley picking us up from the Long Beach airport after our trip to Virginia & Washington DC...yes this was back in April, but since we never go anywhere big I'm going to just post these photo's for the next 20 years....it's all good!

Ü

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Oh, right...Miss Juliet's Birthday Month Is Upon Us...

...uuggg.....

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Other stuff already on the books for August:

*Day trip to San Diego to visit my Great Grandma, Aunt & Cousins

*I go to the dentist for the third time in 10 years...totally white trash, I know

(yes I DO take my children regularly & Brad goes too)

*Bon Fire with friends at the beach

*Juliet's Birthday & huge party

*Abigail starts 4th grade

*Juliet starts kinder

*I go back to work

*Girl Scout Camp Out

We'll see whatever else comes our way......