Hot, Tired and Bitter is no way to go through Life

That pretty much sums up life around here lately.
It's H.O.T.  Even for NC in June.

Usually I'm done with summer after our annual beach trip, which is usually in late July.  After that point, I simply have used up all of my sweat-behind-the-knees/bad hair/crabby kids/icecream overload days and I just can't be bothered anymore. 

I'm almost done with summer already this year because it hasn't been below 95 in oh, maybe something like 15 freakin' days in a row.  Whatever.

All of that leads to a wonderful idea for Gogo's bday party-a POOL PARTY.  How original.

Blondie loved it as did most everyone else it seems.  She partied with her girls, rocked out to Hannah Montana and looked uber-cute.  The ice cream cake was hanging by a thread by the time we got around to singing and cutting but it was fine.  Mommy still managed a huge piece and all was right with the world.

We have been using neighbor's pools to take a break from our ghetto fabulous set-up in the back...you know those inflatable pools that only hold enough water to track in every blade of grass from the yard and a little baby pee?  Yeah, a few of those.  This is what memories are made of.

My D goes to a camp right up his alley tomorrow-Camp Invention.  I swear that kid is going to either invent something that utterly changes the face of the planet or be one of those guys who wears a sun visor year round, has a writing utensil behind an ear and is earnestly working on 10 different "formulas" and patents.  He is constantly writing something, building something, cutting something, digging something or just talking about doing all of it.  He totally rocks smart.

Agent P is so close to walking but I swear her Fred Flinstone feet are holding her up.  How can those short, fat little things hold up all of that Hossiness?  I don't know but she is so cute it just kills me sometimes.  She thoroughly enjoyed her bday cake (does that apple fall far from this tree?) and I can see the two of us enjoying some cake and icecream/Harris Teeter runs in the years to come.

The number of fire flies (lightning bugs where I'm from and what IS the difference, really?) in our backyard is nothing short of astounding.  We don't need to install any fancy lighting on our patio or back porch until after the summer because we have a beautiful show of light every night for FREE. 

My kids are totally digging chasing them...although I did have to remind them to catch them first, THEN put them in the jar.  Not hold the jar up and try to coax them in.  So many things in life just don't work that way...

The First Year is Here

How can a year have gone so quickly?
My sweet baby NoNo turned one year old today at 1:23pm.
She was the sweetest birthday baby, possibly ever.

She started clapping today as if she were so proud to be the girl of honor.
She has a 3rd tooth with more coming every hour, it seems sometimes.
She dances like an absolute maniac when she hears #7 on Gogo's Hannah Montana cd.
She loves food and therefore it was no surprise she inhaled her birthday cake.

I adore her roll-a-licious thighs, her sweet belly laugh, her "dancing" and her smile. 
She makes me happy I had a 3rd every single day.
She almost makes me want a 4th some days but please don't tell anyone I said that.

She can be loud, messy and stubborn.  I truly wonder where she gets such qualities from sometimes.

She is precious beyond belief.

Babies and Bumpers

I hate when I do something incredibly stupid but totally by accident because I just can't stop thinking about it/replaying it in my head/battling Catholic guilt...such as when I hit parked cars.
Last night after a wonderful time at a neighbor's, I was oh-so-carefreely escorting 2 of my little people to my car...loading them in, saying goodbyes, putting my car into reverse...when "Oh Shit" and "Mom, that was a car there" were heard in the van.
I inadvertently backed nudged my neighbor's SUV that was parked behind me.  When I arrived to the party I was the last car parked there but sadly, when I exited, I was not.  The stupid camera I have on my rear view mirror did NOTHING to help the situation and if it beeped at me to warn me of a non-moving obstacle in my path, I surely did not hear it. 
Maybe that was because of the loud "Oh Shit" and "Mom, that was a car there".
I feel terrible and my incredibly gracious neighbor is trying to comfort me instead of the other way round.
In all honesty my bumper actually shows damage and hers not so much but that's the way it should be I guess, given it is my fault for not paying better attention.  Could be worse-I could have nudged a little person instead of a car.

On a much lighter note...Baby NoNo is this close to walking...uugghh. 
She is on the move constantly and getting into everything and laughing heartily about it.
She loves the pool, snacks and my other 2 little people.  She is so sweet and about to turn 1 which breaks my heart and makes me so happy all at once.

She is very curious and loves climbing to get a better view of situations...like the inside of things.

She has been partying in our "ghetto fab" pool in the backyard...notice the duct tape (GoGo: "I wonder why it's called duck tape..isn't that funny, D?").

They make my day, especially after ones where you nudge things with your vehicle.

Tales of a Kindergarten Graduate

What does a kindergarten graduate look like, you might ask?

Sometimes this...

And other days, this...

And still others, this...

Sometimes he leaves us "messages"...

And he is ALWAYS thinking, creating, building, planning...










































He is my sweet first born and he is a kindergarten graduate as of 2:00 pm EST today!  I am so proud of all he's accomplished this school year.  He is reading and writing like a little Hemingway (ok, maybe not quite but whatever).
His artwork has really blossomed.  His creative problem solving skills are something to behold.  He doesn't love math, but neither did his mother.  He is going to make a great 1st grader, even though it makes me a bit sad to have a first grader.

He is always handsome, smart and LOVED.

I am 5 Today, You Know

How many people did GoGo say that to today, I wonder?
All of her family.
Friends at the pool.
Strangers at the pool.
Her new American Girl doll, Sophie.
The dogs.

Today was her day - she turned 5 today at 7:03am.  She has been enjoying her new doll, her new boombox and Hannah Montana cd and all of her new bling from PopPop.  Next weekend will be her big girlfriend party but today we just enjoyed friends and family and it was so nice.

She was a very sweet, easy to please baby and for the most part that is still the case. I still think of her as my "sweet baby girl" even though
a. she's not a baby
b. I have another baby girl
c. sometimes she corrects me by telling me she's a BIG GIRL NOW.

GoGo has always been incredibly thoughtful, sweet and easy going. She has her moments and she can dish it when she needs/wants to.
But for the most part she is a girl I would have wanted to be friends with when I was a kid and I can't say that for all children I currently know.

I see moments of the "I'm-a-teenager-now-and-you-can't-tell-me-what-to-do" in her at 5 though. It's as though someone flips a switch in my children at that age because D did the exact same thing. The sass started, the whining turned to arguing and the timeouts turned into "losing priveleges".

But my sweet girl is still there; the one who runs up to squeeze my Blue Moon belly and tell me I'm the best mom ever...the one who always thinks of her brother at the gas station while picking out treats in the candy section...the one who plays happily with Baby NoNo while I'm cooking dinner.

She wants to be a doctor AND a fashion model AND a teacher AND a mommy. If anyone can accomplish all of that, my GoGo is the one for the job.

I love this girl.  Happy Birthday Sissy!