napolean

we ate too much cake and too much ice cream.

napolean.

napolitan.

whichever.

it was wonderful.

...

2 more sleeps until vacation.

we've all reached the point where it's hard to fall asleep b/c we're so excited.

ok, everyone except for sean.

he never reaches the point where it's hard to fall asleep.

ever.

typical.

are we there yet???

65 never looked so great

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY

BIRTHDAY

TO MY MOM!!!

 65 never looked so great!

sleepovers:)

make breakfast for dinner.

including beth's homemade hash browns.

bacon.

eggs.

strawberry lemonade.

play popcorn on tramp.

{almost peed my pants. it was REALLY close.}

bathe kids.

put the kids to bed.

introduce my big girl cousins to

TOP GUN.

how is it possible that they had never even heard of it before???

pause movie to go get shave ice.

raspberry daiquiri, snow cap, ice cream bottom.

traded with sean after two bites for his tiger's blood.

why do i even try anything else?

big girls fell asleep watching the movie.

we woke them up for all crucial scenes:

1. you've lost that loving feeling bar scene

{to which sean noted, "do girls really stand with their legs up like that in bars?}

2. volleyball scene

{insert angels "ahhhh-ing" here}

*fast forwarded risk-kay bedroom scene*

3. goose playing piano scene

4. motorcycle scene with kelly mcgillis

{"take me to bed or lose me forever"--added emphasis on cheese here}

5. goose goes goodbye scene

{it always creeps up on me,

and i always wish that part won't turn out the way i know it's going to}

6. maverick throwing the dog tags scene

7. intense "go be real fighter pilots" scene at graduation

8. final "you've lost that loving feeling" part 2 scene

brush teeth.

put everyone to bed.

we all {including babies} slept until 10:30am.

how is THAT even possible???

waffles.

whipped cream.

blueberry noses.

playing popcorn in pajamas.

nothing better than a sleepover:)

and TOP GUN.

the end.

i lost count after 8

sometimes i wonder if i will ever figure this kid out.
i lost count of how many times i put him in timeout today after 8.
i finally locked him outside b/c time out on the stairs became so ineffective.
the car seat is not an option in this heat anymore {darn it}.
and i knew he would be really sad if i locked him out on the patio.
and he was.
it was a good 5 minute break for the both of us.
b/c everyone knows that timeouts are for us all:)
and a better option than yelling at him to listen for the millioneth time.
which he did zero of today.
listening that is.
zero listening.
and lots of teasing.
teasing cute little shauna down the street {love her}.
teasing max.
teasing max some more.
teasing max to tears.
teasing max more.
having a snack.
and teasing max some more.
but after a mile of a swim and some laughing with my cousin,
it just sounds so hilarious that i locked him out on the patio for not listening.
and then peed his pants out there b/c i had forgotten that 5 minutes before his 500th offense of not listening for the day he had told me he had to go.
poor little guy!
still,
it's just funny.
how much emotional  and psychological scarring of your child is inevitable???
or normal???
oh man...
don't answer that.

it gave me the chills

AIR CONDITIONING:)

really,

it gave me the chills.

max meets tantrum

max meets the tantrum phase.

i don't think a tantrum has ever looked so cute.
pitifully cute.
with a shrieky cry and gaspy breathing-in to go with it.
all because 20 minutes of being pushed on brennan's balance bike was just not long enough for her.
ok, maybe 20 minutes is an exaggeration.
it was more like 15...or 10.
look, i'm not really sure how long it was.
but it felt like 20 minutes,
and apparently, she needed an eternity of being pushed on the balance bike.
and well,
i was tired and hot after 20 minutes.
or 10.
whichever.
so the ride was over.
and she was mad.
such a little pixie.

flash flood summer rain pour

tonight after sean gave the kids their baths,

slathered them in pink baby lotion,

and combed their hair,

it started to pour.

flash flood, summer rain, pour.

we all ran down the stairs and sat on the front porch with the thunder booming and the lightening flashing.

right when i opened the front door the thick humid air smelled so good.

the grass turned bright green,

the smell of wet pavement came up from the ground, 

and the humid air wrapped us up in a blanket of warm.
reminded me of iowa.

every time the thunder boomed max would "ooo" with her mouth and growl.

brennan would get scared and then laugh.

and we just sat there,

kids on our laps. 

with everything outside quiet.

except for the rain drops on the pavement.

and the thunder from overhead.

absolutely delicious.
somebody pinch me.

tick, tick, tick, tick, BOOM! {a 4th of july photo gallery}

"the" neighborhood breakfast.

if it doesn't have whipped cream or syrup,

then it's not on my plate.

candy cannon.

golf cart rides.

motorcycle rides.

swim.

swim

eat.

swim some more.

swim.

eat.

eat.

first round of sparklers.

swim.

eat.

fireworks.

sparklers.

more fireworks.

the last of the sparklers.

roof top fireworks.

put kids to bed.

run outside to watch more fireworks.

wash face.

lay in bed listening to fireworks.

put in earplugs after midnight to drown out fireworks.

sleep.

 ...

do earwigs really crawl into your ears,

make nests,

lay eggs,

and hatch in your ears??!!??

this is what julie and i were talking about sitting on the swing by the pool.

one climbed out from the blanket up by our shoulders,

and we were wondering about it.

please,

if you know,

share.

grilled corn.

slathered in mayo.

sprinkled with parmesian & chili powder.

chicago style.

i did not.

but the boys did.

and said it was great.

amazing, in fact.

 ...

   max didn't like the loud ones.

and wasn't really sure about the rest.

but before they got loud,

she was excited.

then she was sad.

and had to go inside.

until we talked her into coming out at the end.

brennan was as happy as a clam.

 the new firework laws allowed aerials this year.

we sat on our roof and watched them fly like popcorn in the sky from our house to the ochre's.

{mountains parallel to the rockies}

felt more like from sea to shining sea.

quite the patriotic sight to see.

   happy freedom.

i may have a new favorite holiday.

{at least until the next one when i change my mind again.}