Ordinary Life, and Visitors

Saturday morning breakfast.  Drinking their Isogenix, protein shakes while waiting on their eggs.  The girls and I all have one every morning for breakfast...me, because I really like them...they, because I insist.  Iley plopped in the comfy chair(can you say cat), and Wren sized up the situation, and moved a "table" over, brought her's and Iley's drinks, and set up camp. I about have to nail the furniture down to keep her from moving it around to suit her pretend play of the moment.

 It looks like they are toasting, but I think they were comparing how much they had left.

We were blessed by a visit from some dear friends from Colorado on Saturday for lunch!  They stopped by on their way through from visiting family in Chicago.  The girls had so much fun playing with their kids, and Troy and I thoroughly enjoyed some adult conversation!  Thanks Steve and Christy for adding us to your itinerary!!

From left to right....Wren, age 7...Kate age 8...Iley age 7...Noah age 5...Jonathan  age 6.  They're all standing on the same step.  Iley is a shrimp!

What a bunch of cuties!

 Iley insisted on wearing this hat all day.

 

Kate supplied the girls with stickers......Wren wrapped them around all her fingers?

 This cool dude showed up later in the afternoon :)  He looks like he's strapped in and ready for take off.

We all decided to check out the new Mexican restaurant in the neighboring town.  Kyndahl looks like she's saying....you're going to eat WHAT?  And Iley....STILL has the hat on.

Sweet cheeks just slept through it all......whew!  His mommy actually got to eat in peace!

 Then he woke up and Nana Jo got him :)  Isn't he the cutest thing ever!! 

 And his sweet slaves :)

The girls brought legos to play with.......cause "it's gonna be long"

 And Ike....I should post a picture from a year ago........maybe I will........hang on........

.....if you read this Ike.....I just couldn't resist :)  We love this sweet boy, no matter what hairstyle he has......which is a good thing.....cause it changes regularly!

 

Uncle Harrison....kissing that baby again.  He stole him from me!

 The girls got these kites from Kyn and Thatch at Iley's birthday party.  We put them up and forgot about them......then they found them and have been begging to fly them.  We finally got around to it today.

 Wren's kite went right up and stayed up.  Iley's kite kept listing off to one side and nose diving.  She was quite upset! "Wren's kite is better?"  No, yours just isn't working right, we'll fix it we told her. "We need to take it to the hospital and fix it!" Cause surely if they can fix her heart, they can fix her kite!........after a little tweaking......we got it to work better. 

I have to go potty mom! (of course she does!)

 Wren really got into it for a while, and was pretty good at it.....then she got bored and handed it over to dad.......after all.......she couldn't tie the string to anything........although she did try tying the kite tails around her waist on the way back to the house.

Iley LOVES watermelon!  We had some for lunch, and she had already had 2 big pieces.  She asked if she could have more, and I said "sure, if there's any left"  She checked and said "YES, there are 2 pieces left!  Can I have the big piece or the little piece?"  I said "which ever one you want"  so I hear her in the kitchen saying in a pleased little sing songy voice say "then I'm gonna eat the big one" 

DQ, Swimming, Haircuts

We have a chart system for the girls.........Wren has to get 10 smiley faces, and then gets to pick a movie, or go to DQ and get ice cream.  To get a smiley face she has to cooperate with her summer school teacher, and with me doing her "cards"  these are the vocab cards we practice every day.  She gets a smiley from me, and one from her teacher.  So she has the opportunity to get 10 smiley faces pretty quickly.........IF......big if............she cooperates.  Iley has to make it through the day with out going into a huge pout fest.  If she doesn't get grumpy and stomp around...lay on the floor and whine, refusing to talk.........she gets a smiley face.  She just gets one a day.

We are celebrating our smiley face success here!  Harrison and Sherman are great cheerleaders...........yeah, they totally have ulterior motives!!!

Then Harrison stole my camera.......he did pretty well focusing......just didn't quite get us all in the frame......or maybe that was intentional?

Don't you dare blow water all over me!!

We left the pool up all winter this year.......thinking it would be easier than setting it up again............but I'm not so sure. That was seriously disgusting water we cleaned out!!   Still gives me the shivers!  But we are up and running now.  The girls have LOVED it!  Wren spent 5 hours out there without coming in the first day!  I had to stop her from putting MULTIPLE things in the pool though!  I stopped a 5 gallon bucket, a broom handle, several sand box toys, thought I was good for a bit.......then look out to this.

What Mom???

Saturday night there was a little local rodeo in the neighboring town.  We took the girls 2 years ago.  They had only been home a few weeks.  They were not sure about any of it then.....but this time, I couldn't keep track of them. 

Several little boys from their class came up, and off they went.

If you look closely.......Iley is in the middle of this group.....she is not wearing the cowboy hat.

This is the before........they are off to get their hair cut/trimmed........

Iley.....before.......

Wren just got hers trimmed.

Iley on the other hand....wanted hers SHORT!  She don't liiiiiiiiiike pony tails.....my hair is in my face agaaaaaain........We had to put it in ponytails to sleep cause it was a ratty mess in the morning if we didn't.  This is drastic.......but.......I love it :)  it suits her!  She instantly became Cricket again!

.......and she has the cutest ears ever!