This is What 48 Hours in Storyland Will Get You...

The next Toddlers In Tiaras contestant...

And a Jellicle Cat.

Aside from the promise of creepy face paint, the girls were so excited to spend the weekend in Storyland with their BFFs. When we arrived on Friday night, it was raining so hard we feared the weekend would be a total washout, but luckily the rain clouds held off on Saturday (and kept the crowds away too) but that didn't stop us from getting soaked. We had so much fun running around from ride to ride - Cinderella's swan boat, Alice in Wonderland's teacups, the German teacups (I think it was called the Cuckoo Clockenspeil), the Polar Coaster, the antique cars, and of course, Pharaoh's splash battle ride. Uncle Kelby was a sport to take the kids on that ride... and as we were trash talking before the ride (I was on the sidelines armed with my own water gun), the phrase, "You're going down!" was shouted to which Lucia quickly responded, "Oh yeah? Well you're going UP!" Well played kid.

In between getting our stomachs turned inside out and soaked to the bone, the children enjoyed speaking with the natives-- like the oddly similar old woman in a shoe and Mother Goose. Carmen was very excited to meet the real Mother Goose and afterward she told me, "Mama! I petted the goose... but not the mother." Good call on that one Carmen. 

Another great August weekend in the books, now to make way for September... eeeek!

Gimme a C, a Bouncy C...

And that stands for CAMP! Which works on so many levels, especially when describing this crew. Ok, so camp... where to begin. How about by welcoming our newest lil camper Simon into our ranks and yes, he really is that happy all_the_time. Simon wasn't the only one who was all smiles all week... and joining the fun were new additions Uncle Sean and Jackson, who quickly learned all of the important  camp rules. As in all camp years, there was much high-flying frivolity, fantastic flavors and fervent frolicking. And this year brought us closer to nature with snake sitings, grasshopper and frog catching, and dead crayfish fishing (ew). As Lucia would say, "it's just nature Mama." Yes, well kindly keep your nature over there. Thanks. Another great year in the books, another year of us trying desperately to get a perfect shot of the kids in their camp shirts. Ah well, there's always next year.

We Are On the Verge of Something Big...

And that would be Luce's fifth, yes FIFTH, lost tooth. But don't take our word for it, why not hear it from the horse's mouth (so to speak)? While surely this was the most momentous event for the family, there were other things to do besides marvel at our gap-toothed child... like go to princess birthday parties (Carmen decided she wanted to be a Nebraska Husker princess), have coffee dates with Mama Fran and of course, go to the zoo.  It has been a fantastic summer so far, and you haven't even seen the pictures from camp yet! The author of this blog is currently editing those for public consumption... stay tuned.

Stars, Stripes and Sisters Forever...

                              

This is a shot of Lucia consoling Carmen after a little dust up (Carmen accidentally head butted my chin) and as I was off icing my face, Luce was trying to calm a crying Carmen. Mama Mer was of course, standing by with her iPhone to catch the love. I was fine by the way, thanks for asking. 

Ok, so our fourth of July was spent much like the rest of our summer - - at the beach, up in Maine.  We had some great company and played until we were pooped. Then it was back to Nonne and Papas for some sparkler action. And if sparklers wasn't enough fun to knock the girls' socks off, a trip to Funtown with the cousins certainly did. Oh, and what's a holiday without a trip to the ER for Carmen? Luckily, she handled it like a champ once the medicine kicked in. 

Let's see... what else did we do this month to beat the heat? Oh right, we allowed mental patients from the local hospital the opportunity to come hose down the kids. We're nice like that. 

A Friendly Reminder....

That our friends rock. To wit:

-We got to celebrate Maia and Amanda's nuptials BBQ style. Our favorite kind of celebration.

- Steph brought over a snake caught by her cat. The girls were out of their minds excited. Fortunately, I was not home. Gross.

-Next to Auntie Cathy, our birthday cakes look like masterpieces. 

And if perchance we don't have friends around to entertain us, there's always funny cat videos. 

Sorry for the short post, but I have to pack for the beach. Again. No complaints over here :-)

I Am a Promise. I Am a Possibility...

The post I have been dreading. The end of pre-K, have to deal with the fact that my oldest is getting older and therefore I am getting older too post. *Heavy sigh*

Luckily, my great big bundle of poten-tial-ity put on a heck of year end show and the jittery camera work was NOT AT ALL due to the fact that I was trying not to sob openly. Nope, I think there was a passing earthquake or something. We were so, so lucky to have a great year at a great school that Luce truly loved. She even ended the year on a high note by "winning" the coveted pre-K family book. And by "winning" I mean I dropped $30 on raffle tickets to help fund wells in Africa. That's what Lucia is taking about when she says charity water in the clip.... kids today with their raised consciousnesses. Honestly. So there was all of that... and meanwhile, Carmen was around too, being neglected of course.   Sorry Carmen, I'll put $30 toward your therapy sessions ASAP.

Wait, Was that May that Just Flew Past Us?!?

Wow, I am so far behind! Gah! Ok, May brought us back up to Maine for Papa's birthday and more cousin fun. The weather was fantastic so we had time to stop and smell the flowers, make a fairy house, and of course, spend some time at the beach. All the activity was exhausting, but luckily moms got to have a night out with their own entertainment. The end of May also brought a flurry of school related activities like art shows and performances. I'll try and upload a video of Luce up on stage, looking adorable in a self-designed doggie hat and singing her heart out. I know it's only pre-school... but I can't imagine 18 more years of this stuff. I either need to have my tear ducts removed or buy stock in Kleenex... or both.