Monday, June 28, 2010
The girls and I are visiting the Grandpa and Meme for a few days without Husbandguy. When HG comes with us, he and Lulu share the guest room at night. I'll be sharing with her this time. Our first night here we called HG at bedtime to say goodnight, and the first thing Lulu said to him was, "It's bedtime. And where are you?" Poor kid couldn't fathom going to bed on vacation without Daddy.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Lulu's New Album
Lulu has a band, an imaginary band called Lily and the Popsteins. She announced at dinner tonight that their new album is called Hip Hop Butterscotch and that one of the songs on it is called "Shuffle Your Feet, Lose Your Seat." She even performed a little bit of it for us. I had to make her an album cover. Wouldn't you?
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Oh! I Forgot
Hang on. If you haven't read my earlier post yet, do that first so this one will make more sense.
When we got home and Husbandguy got home, he asked to see the suit, and since I had told Lulu I'd get in the bathtub with her (I like to wear a bathing suit when I do that), I went ahead and put it on to show him. If you know HG, you know he is a man of few words, and this time wasn't any different, although his expression was kind of pleasant, like he thought maybe I hadn't wasted his money.
In the bathtub later, I asked Lulu what she thought HG thought of my new bathing suit and she said, "He thought it is AWESOME!" which worked for me. And HG didn't deny it later when I told him I didn't need him to tell me what he thought because Lulu already had.
When we got home and Husbandguy got home, he asked to see the suit, and since I had told Lulu I'd get in the bathtub with her (I like to wear a bathing suit when I do that), I went ahead and put it on to show him. If you know HG, you know he is a man of few words, and this time wasn't any different, although his expression was kind of pleasant, like he thought maybe I hadn't wasted his money.
In the bathtub later, I asked Lulu what she thought HG thought of my new bathing suit and she said, "He thought it is AWESOME!" which worked for me. And HG didn't deny it later when I told him I didn't need him to tell me what he thought because Lulu already had.
Summer Vacation Is Exhausting
Not Your Regular Wednesday Yesterday, Lulu and I got up and went to the water park part of our little amusement park. No wait, first we went to Target and shopped for a bathing suit for me because the suits I have are either old or ultra-modest or both and I wanted to at least show a little bit of my back this summer. We tried on 6 suits in 3 trips to the fitting room. Each time we emerged from the fitting room, Lulu announced to anyone in earshot what was wrong with the suits we tried ("These didn't work. Her breasts were all popping out!"). I love that kid.
(An Aside While I was typing that, a cardinal flew into the kitchen window. I went to check on it, and it was just sitting on the ground. When I turned away to tell Lulu not to let the dog out, it flew away so apparently it was alright. Whew! Poor birdie.)
Sunblock? I sprayed us all over with sunblock, we put on our suits (my new one is really pretty - I'll tell you what HG thought about it in a moment), packed our towels and bottles of water, and headed out. I thought we'd play for an hour or 2, maybe stop and eat lunch in the middle, and then come home, but Lulu didn't want to get out of the pool so we rode the waves for 3 hours, then had lunch at 2:30, then came home. We were in the sun the whole time, minus 5 minutes in the bathroom. I was okay with that, though, because I had sprayed us all over with sunblock, SPF 50 sunblock, waterproof SPF 50 sunblock. Apparently I don't know how to use sunblock, though because we're both burned. Poor kid. Mommy is sorry for the potential future skin cancer. In the meantime, we are becoming very familiar with the blue goo (aloe) and hoping the red ouch will turn tan and not peel. Freckles would be okay, too...
Mom, What's 'Lazy'? We tried out the lazy river. It was how I finally got her out of the pool. It wasn't a lazy experience for me, though, because Lulu is too little for the grown-up-size tubes and kept slipping out of hers so I had to stop us both (that current isn't lazy, I tell you what!) and pull her into mine. We only did that once.
youwanfivedollahsoratowel? We had rented a locker because I didn't want to have to worry about my keys and stuff. Part of the fee was a $5 key deposit and when I turned in the key the guy said, "youwanfivedollahsoratowel?" and I said, "Pardon me?" and he said, "Five dollars? Or a towel," and gestured at the beach towels hanging behind him, that are probably not worth $3 but which normally cost $14.99, and I picked that for Pete because she missed out on going with us again (HG and I took Lulu to ride the carousel on her birthday when Pete was still in school)! I hope she likes it. Lulu really wants to have her week alone with Nana and Poppop later in the summer so Pete and I can go just us then. I love both of my girls (obviously) and like doing things with both of them at the same time, but I really like having them one-on-one.
So Far Summer vacation = fun and tiring-in-a-good-way
How's your summer going?
(An Aside While I was typing that, a cardinal flew into the kitchen window. I went to check on it, and it was just sitting on the ground. When I turned away to tell Lulu not to let the dog out, it flew away so apparently it was alright. Whew! Poor birdie.)
Sunblock? I sprayed us all over with sunblock, we put on our suits (my new one is really pretty - I'll tell you what HG thought about it in a moment), packed our towels and bottles of water, and headed out. I thought we'd play for an hour or 2, maybe stop and eat lunch in the middle, and then come home, but Lulu didn't want to get out of the pool so we rode the waves for 3 hours, then had lunch at 2:30, then came home. We were in the sun the whole time, minus 5 minutes in the bathroom. I was okay with that, though, because I had sprayed us all over with sunblock, SPF 50 sunblock, waterproof SPF 50 sunblock. Apparently I don't know how to use sunblock, though because we're both burned. Poor kid. Mommy is sorry for the potential future skin cancer. In the meantime, we are becoming very familiar with the blue goo (aloe) and hoping the red ouch will turn tan and not peel. Freckles would be okay, too...
Mom, What's 'Lazy'? We tried out the lazy river. It was how I finally got her out of the pool. It wasn't a lazy experience for me, though, because Lulu is too little for the grown-up-size tubes and kept slipping out of hers so I had to stop us both (that current isn't lazy, I tell you what!) and pull her into mine. We only did that once.
youwanfivedollahsoratowel? We had rented a locker because I didn't want to have to worry about my keys and stuff. Part of the fee was a $5 key deposit and when I turned in the key the guy said, "youwanfivedollahsoratowel?" and I said, "Pardon me?" and he said, "Five dollars? Or a towel," and gestured at the beach towels hanging behind him, that are probably not worth $3 but which normally cost $14.99, and I picked that for Pete because she missed out on going with us again (HG and I took Lulu to ride the carousel on her birthday when Pete was still in school)! I hope she likes it. Lulu really wants to have her week alone with Nana and Poppop later in the summer so Pete and I can go just us then. I love both of my girls (obviously) and like doing things with both of them at the same time, but I really like having them one-on-one.
So Far Summer vacation = fun and tiring-in-a-good-way
How's your summer going?
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Lulu's #4, x 3
Last Sunday was Lulu's birthday-plus-11-days so we invited 40 people to come play with us at the park to celebrate.
Last Sunday was the hottest day of the year so far. It was like late July, it was so hot. I believe they said it was 94º and felt like 102º.
Everybody over 8 commented on the heat. Nobody under 8 minded enough not to want to play with all their friends.
We had watermelon and juice and water and ice and temporary tattoos and balloons and bubbles and noise-makers and cupcakes. It was a blast.
We had nearly 3 dozen balloons because we were expecting so many people and I wanted each kid to be able to take one. I say nearly 3 dozen because Pete and I lost one putting them into the car (it just floated away) and then one popped when I turned the car on the the air conditioner blew on it and one just deflated slowly through the party. There were still more than enough, though. The problem was getting them from the party store to the park. Pete and I were squeezed in my little Accord with no extra room. She looked right and I looked left and we just drove carefully and went the route that only required us to turn left at lights. It was kind of fun, but I wouldn't want to do it again. But I got to do it with Pete, which just made it more fun. Good thing I told Nana she would have to ride with HG; we would've had to leave her at the party store!
Lulu had asked for a decorate-your-own-cupcake party. So I made 4 dozen cupcakes, which I also had to figure out how to carry to the park, and we gave each kid one and a glob of icing and sprinkles and little gummy bears and colored marshmallows and they each iced and decorated theirs the way they wanted to. Everyone enjoyed this. Even the kids who don't eat cupcakes!
I was a little nervous before it started because of how many people were coming and how hot it was expected to be and because HG and Poppop were still working on the fence at noon (I appreciate the fence, but it's not like we hadn't had the party planned for weeks...) and not helping me figure out how to carry balloons and cupcakes and whatnot. Also I needed to eat lunch. But in the end it was a great success, and when I asked Lulu if she had a good birthday party she said, "YES!"
(If you click on the photo at the top of this post and look closely at the bubbles flying around Lulu's beautiful blonde hair, you'll see 3D hearts. This was one of Lulu's many really cool presents.)
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Peteless
This was supposed to be our first week of real summer vacation. Pete got out of school last Thursday, and despite my whining, I was actually looking forward to having her around all the time. I had planned several fun things for this week. And I'm ready to start her little summer job (the Frog and Fox Project).
But, alas, it is not to be. This week. Nana and Poppop were here last weekend to work on the fence and celebrate Lulu's birthday with us again (I'll post separately about that because it's worthy of its own space, I think), and they took Pete home with them for the week. She's only been gone one day, literally about 24 hours because they left yesterday morning and Lulu and I went out to breakfast with them before they got on the road, and I miss her already, which is weird because I'm used to her not being around during the day so it's not that much different.
But it is. It's different from how I envisioned it would be. sigh...
But she'll be home next week and we can do all the fun stuff then. And Lulu and I can do some of it by ourselves while we wait for Pete to come home. So it's okay.
Next year she wants to go to sleep-away camp. Um...
But, alas, it is not to be. This week. Nana and Poppop were here last weekend to work on the fence and celebrate Lulu's birthday with us again (I'll post separately about that because it's worthy of its own space, I think), and they took Pete home with them for the week. She's only been gone one day, literally about 24 hours because they left yesterday morning and Lulu and I went out to breakfast with them before they got on the road, and I miss her already, which is weird because I'm used to her not being around during the day so it's not that much different.
But it is. It's different from how I envisioned it would be. sigh...
But she'll be home next week and we can do all the fun stuff then. And Lulu and I can do some of it by ourselves while we wait for Pete to come home. So it's okay.
Next year she wants to go to sleep-away camp. Um...
Monday, June 14, 2010
LL Says:
Trying to catch fireflies for Lulu to look at in her fantastic birthday present...
Mommy (frustrated): Oh! They're so fast. Why do they have to fly so fast!
LL: Maybe they have an important meeting.
Mommy (frustrated): Oh! They're so fast. Why do they have to fly so fast!
LL: Maybe they have an important meeting.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Promises, Promises
Saw this somewhere. Suits me, I think.
Today I will be witty, charming and elegant. Or maybe I'll bump into things and say "um" a lot.
Today I will be witty, charming and elegant. Or maybe I'll bump into things and say "um" a lot.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
75 Days
Tomorrow is the first official day of our full summer vacation. Lulu's been home for a couple of weeks, and today is Pete's last day of school.
sigh... sort of...
Don't get me wrong. I love my girls, and I love the fact that they don't have to spend the summer in some random, full-day "summer camp" program (actually just glorified day care) while I work in a job I detest, and I have a few plans for how to make the summer interesting and short-seeming (more about that in a minute), and I did sign them up for one week of half-day camp at Lulu's school mid-July so I could have a break. But they don't get along a lot of the time and it's stressful and I'm not looking forward to it and whinewhinewhinewhinewhine.
On the other hand, like I said, I do have plans (and a week off). We're going to spend some time with grandparents (if I can talk myself into driving 4 hours mostly on the interstate with the girls and the dog and no HG). We have season passes to our local amusement park (again, more interstate driving, but if I could do it for 16 hours alone when I was 19, I can handle 30 minutes to Carowinds, right?). Library, parks, play dates with friends, etc. Maybe the girls will help me keep the house clean... ... ... HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!!!!! Sorry. Hang on while I wipe tears from my eyes...
And then there are so many things to look forward to and prepare for next fall.
For one, Husbandguy surprised me with his answer to my question about whether he would consider me really focusing on my writing the same as me getting a job. He said, "If you really do it." See? He said yes. That's the part that surprised me - not the way he kind of almost committed to it and nearly encouraged me with his choice of words. That didn't surprise me. Sorry, I'm off track. So I have offered to pay Pete to help me remember and compile the Frog and Fox stories I've told her on car rides and other times when they couldn't be written down. Then I can get them cleaned up when I have time (probably in the fall) and find out if they're publishable.
Lulu will be starting school in the fall. Real school. Big school. And Pete will be in the 3rd grade. I'd like to spend some time doing educational-y things this summer. Learning to count to 30 without skipping 21 and to read and write numbers to 20. Finishing the first set of Bob books. Re-learning this past year's spelling words, which apparently were learned for the tests and then promptly forgotten. PETE. Growing butterflies in Lulu's butterfly garden thing she got for her birthday. Piano. Read-aloud (any suggestions for books to read to the girls 1 chapter at a time?). Crafts. Field trips.
I guess overall I'm looking forward to it. Check with me in a month, though...
Maybe if I try to schedule time for myself to write to you every day I won't get so... so... you know. Plus I owe you 3 more poems.
sigh... sort of...
Don't get me wrong. I love my girls, and I love the fact that they don't have to spend the summer in some random, full-day "summer camp" program (actually just glorified day care) while I work in a job I detest, and I have a few plans for how to make the summer interesting and short-seeming (more about that in a minute), and I did sign them up for one week of half-day camp at Lulu's school mid-July so I could have a break. But they don't get along a lot of the time and it's stressful and I'm not looking forward to it and whinewhinewhinewhinewhine.
On the other hand, like I said, I do have plans (and a week off). We're going to spend some time with grandparents (if I can talk myself into driving 4 hours mostly on the interstate with the girls and the dog and no HG). We have season passes to our local amusement park (again, more interstate driving, but if I could do it for 16 hours alone when I was 19, I can handle 30 minutes to Carowinds, right?). Library, parks, play dates with friends, etc. Maybe the girls will help me keep the house clean... ... ... HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!!!!! Sorry. Hang on while I wipe tears from my eyes...
And then there are so many things to look forward to and prepare for next fall.
For one, Husbandguy surprised me with his answer to my question about whether he would consider me really focusing on my writing the same as me getting a job. He said, "If you really do it." See? He said yes. That's the part that surprised me - not the way he kind of almost committed to it and nearly encouraged me with his choice of words. That didn't surprise me. Sorry, I'm off track. So I have offered to pay Pete to help me remember and compile the Frog and Fox stories I've told her on car rides and other times when they couldn't be written down. Then I can get them cleaned up when I have time (probably in the fall) and find out if they're publishable.
Lulu will be starting school in the fall. Real school. Big school. And Pete will be in the 3rd grade. I'd like to spend some time doing educational-y things this summer. Learning to count to 30 without skipping 21 and to read and write numbers to 20. Finishing the first set of Bob books. Re-learning this past year's spelling words, which apparently were learned for the tests and then promptly forgotten. PETE. Growing butterflies in Lulu's butterfly garden thing she got for her birthday. Piano. Read-aloud (any suggestions for books to read to the girls 1 chapter at a time?). Crafts. Field trips.
I guess overall I'm looking forward to it. Check with me in a month, though...
Maybe if I try to schedule time for myself to write to you every day I won't get so... so... you know. Plus I owe you 3 more poems.
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