The Gift

While I have not yet been ambushed with direct questioning about the birds and the bees, Abby has been very curious as of late about who made her and where she came from. I typically answer the question simply by stating, "Mommy & Daddy made you." Often times I follow up by telling her that she was a gift. And inevitably she asks who gave us the gift, to which I answer, "God."

For days, weeks maybe, she has been going about her business with these thoughts in her head, when today she asked me, "Did you unwrap me when I was your gift?"

"Sort of," I replied. But we'll leave the extent of that explanation to the birds & the bees.

Magic Erasers

I found a cheap and easy way to remove scuff marks from counters, floors, table tops, etc.... Used dryer sheets! I was reading last night in my Parents magazine about a mom who uses them to remove crayon marks. Since all of my crayon marks had previously been removed by my handy, dandy Goo Gone, it was up to me to make my mark.

Very sneakily, I went about the house drawing on various surfaces. And while the dryer sheet worked, it didn't remove the crayon marks with the precision of the Goo Gone. It did, however, remove other misc. marks left behind on my counters.

Voilà! Yesterday's trash is today's secret weapon.

Cézanne Pancakes

We spiced up breakfast this morning with a punch of Cézanne; giving a whole new meaning to the art of food. By pouring the pancake mix into a simple squirt bottle (you can use an old ketchup or salad dressing bottle.... I picked mine up for 97 cents in the kitchen department at our local discount store) it takes nothing more than a little creativity to bring your pancakes to life.

The girls LOVED them. Next time we'll really get creative with chocolate chips, sprinkles, whipped cream, you name it!

Move over, Cézanne!

Who Lives in Wenatchee?

Per usual, Lauren was the first one up this morning. And per usual, she got herself dressed and woke the rest of us up with her little chatter. Before long, both girls were in our bed snuggling. Lauren, dressed in her freshly-laundered classic blue Wenatchee shirt, plopped herself on her daddy's chest, prompting him to ask her, "Who lives in Wenatchee?" And before she could get out an answer Abby shouted, "Uncle Kenny does!" Uncle Kenny, the recipient of all of Abby's affection.... never mind that he is on the upside of seventy!

Drinking it In

It seems like just yesterday I was walking across the stage at my high school graduation, and afterwards by my side were my sweet little cousins; emphasis on the little.

Fast forward thirteen years. Wow, its been that many?! Now I have two sweet little girls of my own. And while I love what each stage & age has brought them, I often find myself thinking, I can't wait until....

But tonight, it was as if time stood still; I found myself drinking it in. The way the girls circled their daddy on the deck as he tended to the grill. The giggles at the supper table. The tiny fingers wrapped around my full-grown hand on our evening stroll through the neighborhood, even though she didn't have to hold my hand on the entire journey. The way Tiny ran ahead of the pack, sneaking through neighbors' sprinklers, gasping with pleasure. The way the sidewalk chalk crumpled in our hands as we gave the driveway a touch of flair.

Not so long ago my evenings were spent perched on the couch feeding, snuggling, soothing & reading stories. Now my evenings are graced with a sweet little angel voice reading the stories to me. I smile as she innocently interprets the illustrations into stories. And hold back tears as she emphasizes that 'Boston is old; very old.'

Abby has been very attached to me lately. I could be annoyed, but I am going to drink it in. Because if I don't, I'm going to miss the good stuff. And before I know it, she'll be the one standing proudly in the graduation gown.

The Night of the Naughties

It was our first real family vacation, and up to this point, it was perfect. Geoff and Dan had been golfing nearly each morning, we went swimming, shopping, visited with friends, dined on great meals, and spent countless hours sitting on the deck eating fresh cherries from the trees in the yard & enjoying great company & the mountain view from the valley.

But life as we knew it with our lovelies was about to come to an abrupt end. In the middle of the night, two little creatures crept from their beds and destroyed their grandparents' house. Destroyed! The pictures don't even do full justice to the damage they caused.

I was first clued in when Lauren woke me up crying because she had chips in her bed. Strange I thought, but it must have been the dog. Before I knew it Abby was up with the same issue.... she, too, had a bed full of crumbled chips and crackers. That is when I found it: the writing was on the floor. I would discover a few hours later that it was also on the hard wood floor and the wall. And just today I was informed there was yet more writing on the bathroom wall.

Thrust with anger, I lay in bed in the middle of the night trying to conceive of how this could have happened. Surely it wasn't my angels. Could it have been Heidi? We did have a lot of wine the night before. Would they think it was me? I joked about being wasted, but was certain they wouldn't blame me for the destruction. There could only be one reasonable answer. The old orchard house we were in must be haunted! Yeap, it had to be. Someone was irritated with the little girls visiting the estate and set them up. After all, the dog doesn't have opposable thumbs, so he is no longer a suspect. And then I was scared. I did the only thing I could think of to get to sleep. I prayed.

Unfortunately, my prayers were not answered. To the best of my knowledge, the house is not haunted. The culprits were my offspring. It didn't take long to figure how who done it; Abby was sitting in the middle of it all when I got up. Guilty was written all over her face, and the floor beneath her.

Abby is smart enough by now to quickly pass the blame to the little one. But in the end we derived the truth. Abby fessed up to the dining room creations, and in Lauren's words, "I threw the chips." It still makes me laugh every time I say it, but I won't tell her that. Tiny was also responsible for the kitchen etchings, and we all believe is the instigator of the entire operation.

The punishment went a little something like this: All art work must be cleaned up by the artists before breakfast; they didn't like it, but they did it. All swimming suit, leotard, and bra privileges were also revoked. Since these are privileges, they must be earned back with good behavior.

I am happy to report, that after almost a week following the destruction, they are back on track with their behavior, but it has not been easy. Grandpa & Grandma were not thrilled about seeing their house turned into the Smithsonian over night, but they handled it a lot better than Geoff & I did. And I think there is a grandma somewhere in Wenatchee, Washington who will think twice before spoiling her two little lovelies.

Potty & Puberty

"Does Olivia have puberty?" This is Abby's latest inquisition as she is determined to find out just who has the boobies she so desperately wants. We took some of our Washington cherries over to the neighbors last night who watch over our house for us when we are gone. Its summer, and Abby noticed Olivia is sprouting into a young woman. And she doesn't forget anything, so no doubt the day is coming when she confronts the future sixth grader with her discovery. Poor Olivia. If Abby doesn't bring it up in passing outside, I'm sure it will come up at the neighborhood party next month. Stay tuned.

In other news, it was a big night for Tiny. We all struggled to get to sleep last night as we are still on Pacific time. Just as I was relaxing into slumber Tiny began to cry in frustration. Unaware what the problem was, I waited, only to meet her in her doorway without her pajama bottoms.... she had to go potty, and woke up to take care of business. She's a complete bear when she wakes up, an issue I try to curb with over enthusiasm, but she got her little body on the toilet and relieved herself. Yeay, Tiny! This does not mean, however, that we are giving up diapers at nite, but we're another step closer. Now if I can just convince her that the tie-dye shirt she is wearing does not exactly coordinate with her multi-colored polka doted shorts!