... realize how much my kids were growing up.
... gain 5 pounds.
... let kids shower in public showers due to convenience (it's ok... Grandma was in charge of that one!)
... go without a shower myself for too long!
... loose my mind while driving with my kids for 10 hours in a car.
... ask my husband to flip off the crazy drivers on that 10 hour car ride.
... (and he certainly did not do it!)
... survive the car trip only because a big party with lots of
I am not procrastinating unpacking while I am blogging, thanks MckMama.
And I certainly did not cry when reading this blog...
No one had gotten the book the girls had chosen, so I set out a Bluebonnet picture book, One Potato, Two Potato by Cynthia DeFelice and had the girls each take turns acting out a few pages. Everyone participated. It took a long time to do the activity, and I was thrilled about that. It gave me time to get some cookies in the oven! I kept the theme going by making potato stamps. The girls had half of a potato and used a butter knife to carve a stamp into the potatoes. They came out ok... It was much harder than I had anticipated. They stamped for awhile but the thick paint did not stamp well and the girls ended up doing finger painting instead of painting with stamps. Maybe try stamp pads? Anyone use potatoes on stamp pads before?
(Pictured here: My dad, Aunt Cami, Uncle Bubba, Uncle Billy Joe)
Good job Robert! 
Mr. Bill! Many of you remember him from the Saturday Night Live skits from the old days. 
Thank you, Aunt Karen, for the GREAT idea! My kids loved it when she started doing it on her trips. He became an instant friend. We got one for our family and started this game with him. You will see him in the backgrounds of many of our pictures. 
We love everything about this park! It is close by, less than five miles. From what I can tell, construction started on it around 2 years ago and the park is not yet very well known (it doesn't even show up on google earth yet!). So far, it has not been crowded at all. I hope it stays that way!
that leads you to the second section which has a pond, dock and picnic tables. 
There is a walkway that leads across a street and to a third area which houses an aquatic center and another playground. 
The plan is to have a "Pool, Picnic and Park Night" once a week. After the intense heat is over, our shoes stop trying to melt on the sidewalk and the day begins to cool, we will head up to the pool for a swim. 
A picnic will be packed and there will be fresh fruit to snack on as well as drinks. After the kids get their fill of swimming and hunger sets in, we will load up the car (if there is any room between the bikes, swim gear and change of clothes) and head to the park. Dad will hopefully meet us for the picnic... 
which will be followed by a bike ride to both of the playgrounds. As the sun is setting, we will head back to the car and home for bed for the now tired children...
That is the plan! So far we have had two evening spent this way and they were both nominated for best nights ever!
The lesson started with her learning how to use the can opener. The vegetable of her choice was green beans, her favorite!
Dessert was a huge hit! Strawberries and marshmallows dipped in white or dark chocolate! YUM!!
No... I did NOT gloat!