Smart Banking with Mommy

I made Presley up some checks and deposit slips so I can teach her how to save and spend and all that good stuff.

Where'd Sho Go????

Maggie Belle is an adventurous and thrill seeking bad bad bad girl!

Today we went out to do a bunch of errands. We decided to let Maggie play outside with Bob. So before we left, we removed a rock so Maggie could go play with Bob when ever she pleased.

So we leave. We went to Lowes for the build and grow workshop. Then we went to Toys R Us for the kids to do some Thomas the Train crafts (ended up being a waste of time). After that we ate lunch then went to Target. Then we headed out to REI to check out some stuff for our upcoming camping trip.

While we were at REI, Operation Kindness called us and said that "Joy", Maggie's previous pound name, was out and a man that was mowing his yard has her. They gave the man our address and we RUSHED home! I am soooooooooo glad she had all those tags on her collar! It had her name, her chip number, operation kindness's number & everything! The man told them that he'd seen her before but didn't know what house she belonged too. This prompted her to ask John if she is ALWAYS outside and stuff. John told her, "yeah, she goes out to potty." I told him that will probably prompt an investigation into our puppy parenting skills. But oh well! The man omitted to tell the lady that he'd seen Maggie out around the neighborhood on a leash with me on the other end of it and the girls were right there with me. And he also forgot to tell the lady that same day that he saw us, he bent down to pet her and she jumped up to give him kisses and accidentally scratched his face. I suppose that doesn't matter...they saved my dog and kept her safe till they found the owners.

Anyways, when we get home, we found that they had given Maggie to Ivan's girlfriend and she put her back in their backyard. And the man that found her walked over to let us know it was him that found her. They live right across the street from me. I KNOW they KNOW where she belongs. They see us all the time. Anyways, we talked for a few. Said thank you very very very much. And I gave them a play date card with my numbers on it just in case it happens again.

Bad Bad Maggie Belle! Oh, she got out thru a hole in the fence in Bob's yard. He had knocked a hole in it last week. We knew that...just forgot.

Man! I am sooooo glad that Maggie is safe and unhurt and back home with us where she belongs! I am grateful to that man for bringing her back too, no matter what may come from Operation Kindess.

***

This weekend has already been a long one and it's early in the evening on Saturday!

Yesterday, we took out all the camping gear and had to go thru what we have to prepare for a upcoming camping trip. This is going to be sooo much fun! The girls are super excited to go on their 1st camping trip too!

They loved the tent! We even ate dinner in the tent last night. Fun!

I think Maggie is really going to enjoy camping too!

And today, the girls built a hang glider at Lowes.

And while we were at REI, Presley FINALLY got to climb the wall. She's been wanting to do that for years!

Welp, we still have lots of the weekend to have fun with...so gotta run!

Presley...

I just taught Presley how to make popcorn.

She wanted some for a snack and I am feeling way to lazy at the moment to make it. So, I taught her to read the word on the package and also taught her how to read "This side up" & "This side down" . And luckily for me there is a popcorn button on the microwave that she recognized.

So from now on, she can make her own popcorn. She knows to wait and listen and wait for it to cool and all that good stuff.

Yesterday my mom made a comment about not being able to find the trash bags and Presley said, "oh they are out in the garage." She went out there, moved a huge box, and got the trash bags for my mom. Those were the back ups...I had to buy new ones and just hadn't put them in their correct place yet. And she went on to say how Presley could run the household. It's so funny but it's true.

• She helps to fold laundry & puts her own clothes away. I stopped doing that when they stopped keeping their drawers in order.
• puts away her own wash clothes under her sink
• gets herself dressed & tries to tell Piper what to wear
• makes her bed in the morning (a new things I have started to ask her to do)
• clear her floor at night
• get her own snacks and water & Piper's too
• she changes Piper's diaper sometimes (I usually walk in on this, so far it's just been wet)
• takes Maggie outside to potty, and she can feed her
• knows how to do things the "mommy" & "daddy" way
• knows where things are kept
• knows not to eat nuts and ask when she wants junk food
• she changes her own trash bags in her bathroom
• she puts in her own bedtime movies
• And as I type, she is trying to vacuum up Piper's popcorn mess on the floor

Wow...she does alot. I guess that is what teaching kids "auto-pilot" creates from a young age. She is so independent and it shows with her stubbornness!

John told me last night that she even helps him when I am not around to find stuff. And he said Piper is right behind her. She knows what clothes are in what drawer in her dresser....I make her put her clothes away too.

What kids are capable of doing is just amazing. Presley is four and wants to do everything! Help with everything! I just hope she doesn't grow up and tell stories like, "My mom and dad made me do my own laundry when I was only 4 years old....." Sounds like some of John's childhood stories.

An Afternoon with Grandma

Here's what when down, when the kids hung out with Grandma yesterday.
Looks like they had fun!

Lunch was funny...Piper kept swiping Aiden's food. He either never noticed or just didn't care. We kept having to round them up...but they ate and ate well. And Ryley & Juliet even asked for 2nds.

Now they are all lotioned up enough to go outside. The girls wore hats and the boys wanted hats. All I had were the girls little bucket hats. Sorry Karen... They loved them too!

I guess Juliet made a choice to stay out of the water...and just be a sun goddess!

I love this pic of Aiden.

Presley and Ryley certainly didn't miss playing in the water. Looks like they had a great time!

Yummm...Popsicles

How sweet!

Looks like the kids did get along and had fun with Grandma.

Dirty & Happy About It!

Welp yesterday and today, we pretty much spent it outside in the backyard.

Yesterday we played in the water and blew bubbles and hung out in the garden.

And today, the girls really missed their sand pit so much, so I filled up a couple of buckets with potting soil and let them have at it! Boy did they ever get messy!

They even made Maggie some mud water. How sweet. Don't worry, I cleaned it out and gave her clean water!

Bring on the dirt!

What fun!

And my dirty dirty girls! I truly believe that article I read about digging in dirt makes happy kids! Just look at them!

After the girls got cleaned up, Grandma came over to stay with the girls for a couple of hours & she brought Ryley & Aiden. My mom says they had a great time and got along so well with out a single fight! YAY! I think she took pics. I'll check my camera and post'em if she did.

Beautiful Clematis

My beautiful Clematis has bloomed for the 1st time this season.

It made my morning. I was seriously worried that my Clematis plants were going to die when I had to move them. But I think they really are enjoying their new home in the pots on the side of the house in the garden with all the other pretty flowers!

And when water the yard this morning, we saw a rainbow in the sprinklers. Pretty cool!

And Maggie & Bob just made out through the fence. Those two crack me up!

Here's those two a couple of days ago when Maggie snuck under the fence to go visit Bob.

Came and Went!

This past weekend flew by so fast!

Saturday we went to Nate's Birthday party. Juliet stayed behind with her dad. She was fighting a cold and didn't want her to give it to anyone or get worse. So she gardened with her Pops.

Presley and I jetted out to Frisco. She's been inquiring more and more about this modeling stuff...she asked to pose while pumping gas. I thought that was pretty funny!

Happy Birthday to NATE!

The Darth Children!

Those kids were fascinated by the lizard eating worms. Gross!

Darth Piper!

And on Sunday, John was gone before we got up. He had to go into work, so that kinda through my weekend off. It felt like Saturday was Sunday and Sunday was Monday.

Juliet thinks it's too early to and be up and outside...

Now she's gotten into it. Presley planted some flowers for butterflies and Juliet planted some yummy peas!

When John finally got home, he and the girls flew kites. IN THE FRONT YARD!

I built another bird house and stained it and put in on Presley's window. I am pretty bummed too. There still hasn't been a single bird in any of the houses.

And John swears his kite nearly hit a plane. He was getting such a kick out of how high the kite went.

And there it is...the weekend was over. It came and went...I think I blinked and missed some of it!

Another Rainy Day!

Ughhh...It's so nasty and wet outside! I do however see the sun beginning to shine.

Piper is scared of the boom from the thunderstorms, so this morning I set up an area on the fire place for the girls to sit and watch the rain and I sat with them so Piper could see that it's okay.

She did fine during the small booms....but not the BIG BOOMS!

Maggie was bummed too from the rain. She couldn't go run around out in the yard and bark at Bob. She just kinda moped around.

See the ear go up....there was a BIG BOOM!

The girls did get to play with some playdoh this morning. That was fun. We played with Piper's new Octopus playdoh thing.

When the girls are done with playdoh, we went out to the garage with the intention of doing some painting...we didn't get around to doing that today. The garage is a wreck from this past weekend, so the girls and I started cleaning it.

And then there was lunch time......I should've braved the rain and went to the zoo! Lunch time was horrible. I made some rice & black beans & cornbread. I didn't realize that the rice would nearly double. I made WAY to much! Lesson learned though. Then I heated the oven for my corn bread along with my 8 inch glass pan. When that was ready, I removed the pan from the oven and placed it on the stove top. I could see what was happening as it happened. In an instant I turned around, made sure the girls weren't around, and heard a huge "POP"!!! My glass pan shattered all over the stove and floor due to me not using a potholder. I guess my pan was too hot for the stove top and the coolness just set it off! Second lesson learned!

See, I should've just gone to the zoo!

So I finished cooking the cornbread as little muffins. They were still good.

And I wonder why any little birdies haven't taken up residency yet in our little birdhouses we built. One's on Piper's window & the other is on the kitchen window.

Now it's nap time...thank goodness!!! I have a mess of stuff to clean up!

Naptime sweet naptime!

***

545 pm

We just got back from taking a walk around the neighborhood with Maggie Belle. She has completely forgotten her manners. I hadn't walked her in a while and today seh drug me all over the place! Bad doggie!

The girls had a great time on our walk. Every puddle they could find, they jumped in and giggled! And Presley picked all the dandelions and helped to spread more. She loves those things!

Presley asked John a while back if she could be a model...she's been working on her poses.

Presley blowing dandelion seeds

Piper protecting her little ears from the loud train

Maggie watching the girls pick dandelions

Sorry for all the pics...I get a bit carried away with the camera!

Now, we are just waiting for John to get home so we can go get some grub!