Bubble Whisperer, Birthdays and Ships that have Sailed

D is the Bubble Whisperer, apparently.  Who knew?  We had the in-laws over this weekend for a joint birthday shindig for the girls and he amused Agent P with bubbles for quite a while.  Big Ones.

My girls are getting big.  Obviously, this makes me incredibly happy in that they both made it another year and they enjoy good health.
Obviously, this makes me sad as I do not possess any type of machinery that will allow me to shrink them down to baby size EVER AGAIN.
They were spoiled by the inlaws and had a great day.  A fantabulous Craig's List find was a very barely used Barbie Jeep for Agent P.  Although based on the 127 pictures I have, it seems D and GoGo haven't figured out that it was not a gift for them.  This morning before 8am, they all cruised my driveway with the JohnBoy and Billy show on.  Nice.

My kids are already enjoying many invites to birthday parties, sleepovers and playdates at the pool with their friends.  Friends that by and large, they have made on their own.  I have learned that just because you live close to someone or the Mommies play nice together, that doesn't guarantee any kind of real friendship for the little people.  Acquaintances?  Yes.
Already at their young ages they have seen the Ship Sail on friends they once had.  They may not realize that, just yet.
Whether it's from lack of common interest, the location of our house or maybe we just didn't cut the mustard anymore, as my dad would say - I couldn't say.  But I do know that this won't be the only time they experience that so I guess they may as well figure it out now.  Even though it makes me sad for them.  Even though it may not be fair.
But mommies have to deal with it too-we have to sort through our fellow mommy friends and assign them positions such as Preschool Parking Lot Friend, Playdate M-F Friend, or maybe jackpot Anytime Friend.  That last one is where your families are friends and you actually speak sometimes on a Saturday night, not just a random Wednesday morning.
My dad used to tell me that I would be able to count my true friends on one, maybe two hands.  I know now he is right, it just took me a long while to figure that out.  Damn late bloomers.

Graduation, Dog Days and Old Age

GoGo graduated kindergarten on Tuesday.  Her teacher is retiring along with the principal of the school and it was just all too much and I caught myself getting vaklempt a few times or ten.  Oh well-that's what mothers do, I suppose.
So proud of that girl-she had a great year and she is very ready to be a big first grader.

It's hot here.
Like middle of July-I can't take much more of summer-when does school start back-kind of hot.
It's not even summer break and already the bickering has begun.  Or maybe it just never really ended.

D called Agent P a YARD APE the other day.
I lost it laughing but then wondered out loud - "Wherever did you hear such a thing?"
From Ramona the Pest, of course.  Well, there you go.

Speaking of Agent P, she goes to her own little summer camp next week and boy is mommy she excited!
That will give me a little time with just my 2 big ones as summer break officially starts at 2pm tomorrow.
What special things will we do with ourselves each day?  Probably bicker over where to go, who to go with and what to eat.  Some things never change.

The little people and I were in a bit of a collision last week in our car.  Not my fault, Thank God.  I wasn't even adjusting the music on my Ipod, talking on the phone or yelling at a small child.  I was just driving along, minding my own business when BAM!  I ran right into someone, as she was attempting to turn left across 2 lanes of traffic without benefit of any type of signal in rush hour traffic.  Nope, not my fault at all.  Now we await the insurance company to do their thing.
In the meantime, I was looking over the police report (which very clearly states the accident was NOT my fault) and I noticed the age of the other driver.  I knew she was young but then I realized she was born in 1986.  So it is physically possible for me TO BE HER MOTHER.

I had been thinking this was going to be the Summer of Traci!  Just like it was the Summer of George!  I was going to work out more, appear tan and rested at all times, takes my little people on exciting and educational trips, work more efficiently, yell less.
But after this little fender-bender I am thinking this will instead be the summer of spider vein therapy, glycolic facial peels, no sweets and pale as a catfish belly.

Sounds inviting, no?

The GoGo Turns 6

My sweet girl turned 6 today at 7:03a.m.  Hard to believe.
She was such an easy, sweet baby.   A lot like Agent P.  Went to bed with a smile and woke up with one.

But GoGo was cruising at 7 months, walking at 9 months and going up and down the stairs with things in her hand at about a year.  She was a beast, albeit a pretty one.

She is still that sweet girl with a tinge of SASSY.  She's very considerate of others (usually), loves her brother and sister, wants to be a teacher so she can write with Sharpies, loves to shop (wonder where that comes from) and is a very picky eater.  She's also incredibly funny.

She's had a couple of really memorable quotes over the past few years but yesterday was TOP 5, for sure.

We're outside and it's hot.  Hubs has a button down shirt on with probably the first 3 undone.
GoGo looks at him for a minute and asks "Why he's wearing his shirt like that".
Hubs sort of shrugs and says something about it being so hot.
To which she replies "EWWW" and then turns, walks away.
I adore this girl.

Scratch on her sweet face courtesy of Agent P.  

I Love you Sissy!!!  Happy Birthday!

Friends and Fun

It's hot.
We're tired.
Maybe a bit hungover, too.
Welcome to early Summer.

Awesome neighbors and family, pools, sun, grilled culinary delights and beer.  And guitar practice with my bro-in-law, who totally rocks.
This has been our weekend and it's only Sunday a.m.  Another full day of infinite possibilities for more good times.

GoGo, dressed EARLY in the a.m.

A pile of little people, sleeping bags and too much sugar

This is what TIRED looks like.  Up a scant 8 hours after hitting the pillow.  God Love Him.

This One.  This One.  What is to be done with Agent P?

I have no idea what party she's been invited to so early in the morning but it looks like it just ended.

Things are heating up and slowing down here.  All extracurricular activities have officially ceased and the slow crawl to the end of the schoolyear has begun.  Gogo and D are about to lose their minds from excitement about the DAWNING OF SUMMER.  

They are also fighting over the slightest things, such as how words are pronounced (BURGER, not BOOGER) and who gets in/out of the car first.  It could be a long summer.

Just the other day, we are all harmoniously playing together in the driveway.  Bikes, scooters, chalk and balls are strewn about.  I'm sitting in my normal chair, presiding over my Blue Moon.

Gogo-"Mom, D and A are calling me a Cow Ball".

Me-"You mean a Cow Bell?"  

Gogo-"No, a Cow BALL" and grabs her crotch, referring I can only assume, to the nether regions on a boy, were she one.

I had to really work hard to not spit out my beer and double over, laughing.  But, being the mature parent I am, I held it together long enough to inquire of D what the story was.  

He tells me they were talking about cows and dogs and how they have those BALLs hanging off their stomachs, like the dog does across the street.  I am quiet for a minute, processing this.  I then tell him about UDDERS and how they feed babies.  He is then quiet for a minute, processing this.  He replies, "Well, that is just disgusting."

The good times.  Never stop, do they?

He just had his official Bridging Ceremony at Boy Scouts and is now officially a Wolf.  He thought it was pretty cool and we did too.  Agent P found a way to double-fist the cupcakes and Gogo played in the dirt all night.  

The neighbor sold me an old piano as I've wanted one for a long time.  Agent P shows the most interest, which is no surprise, really.  That girl loves her some music.  

 So I come downstairs this morning and pre-coffee, this is what I spy from the corner of my eye on my back porch.  Scared the Bajeezus right out of me.  In my morning fog, I very briefly wondered if there was a 4th little person that I had forgotten to put inside last night. 

The End.

My Girls

                                  My rock star in the making...didn't need a Jude Patrick, did I?

                     Ah...the happiness that a simple bottle of bubbles brings to a little person.

Terrier Attack...I mean, GoGo on the Loose.  She was going to take that little boy DOWN, by God.

                                                         And, she Did.

The End

Life as we currently know it is about to come screeching to a halt.
Swim lessons, Scouts and Faith Formation all wrap up within a week of each other.
School is out for the summer a short 3 weeks after that.
How, is that possible?  I do not know, but I DO know my little people are ready for a break.
And so is this mommy.
GoGo and D brought home awesome report cards yesterday so we are ending on a high note for sure.

We went to see some very close and much-missed friends in Atlanta last weekend.  Everyone had an absolutely great time.
It's so nice to be with people that although you haven't seen each other in 9 months, it was like zero time had passed.  We just picked right back up where we left off, as if the conversation had only been interrupted by a phone call or a crying kid.  Even our little people jumped right back into it and it was so sad to have to leave.

Just hangin' around...

Yes, seriously.

Running wild at the park, albeit a bit sleep deprived...

Doing what he loves best, playing in the mud with creatures.

Bring on summer!
Flashlight tag, beers with friends, hotdogs on the grill, water guns going and watching lightning bugs illuminate the backyard.  No schedules, no "have-to's", no strict bedtimes.  Time to breathe and enjoy.