just an ordinary weekend

the mr. and i have been doing a lot of talking this weekend...which has been both inspiring and exciting.  i love those talks that you just know are going to produce some sort of action or change that will make a dramatic impact on the entire family for the better.  those types of conversations unify and bond you together and re-kindles the awareness of just why your purpose together is so God ordained, in the first place.  i can't wait to tell you of the things we are beginning to pursue.  but for that...you must wait.

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so, along with the talking...we did some other fun stuff too.  friday night, the girl had a friend spend the night.  i just love those times.  i loved them when i was a kid and i love them now.  it's just so exciting to know that you have the whole night to make believe, dress up, play with dollies and stuffed kitties, and eat late night bowls of ice cream.

and in this case...tire out one very, sleepy trout.

he clearly needed rescuing from the energy that doesn't stop when you combine two 6 year old girls and cookies and cream ice cream.  jumping and shrieking is not lacking in that scenario.

and after a good night's sleep...what better game to play than this one?

i am the wicked queen and you are my peasant girls.  you must wash my chariot in order to be able to go to the luncheon ball...where there will be a dance party in the kitchen and shirley temples will be served.

they had so much fun washing that we ended up pulling out the youngest peasant girl's trike.  she deserves a clean mode of transportation just as well as the next person, i should think.

and after that was done, they washed the fence.  this probably could have gone on and on...but it was getting a bit warm out.  so...we washed off with soapy water and sat in the sun to dry.  a.j. was really enjoying being one of the big girls.  and it was heart warming to watch aiden and kiki include her with such kindness.

after that, UK brought timber over.  it was high time that these cousins meet each other.

trout was neither scared not thrilled about this little play date.  after playing a pretty un-equal game of chase...trout went and stuck his head in between the fridge and the wall.  never mind that his body was sticking out in plain view.  i guess he thought that as long as timber couldn't see his head...he was adequately hidden.

on another note...annslee has decided that she is perfectly capable of picking out her own clothes.  this outfit consisted of one dress, two pairs of pj pants, one pair of pj shorts, and one t-shirt.  i think it looks fabulous.

i took aiden to a birthday party on saturday night.  she was a little nervous on the equipment since it had been a while since she has taken gymnastics.  it made me want to get her back in it.

she got to hang with audrey...one of my dearest friends from high school and college, while i got to hang with scarlett.  what a little sugar plum she is.

aiden enjoyed watching her get her bottle.  i know just what she's thinking...

we should have another one of these things.

or...put her down so you can help me on the bars.

it was one or the other.

darth vader showed up.  i sorta laughed at this sight.  well...there is actually no "sorta" about it.  i laughed.  hard.

i'm pretty sure he didn't wear flip flops.

i'm just sayin...

i mean...that's not very realistic...

although...neither was the cape coming out of the back of the helmet to cover up the dude's hair.

she worked hard to be able to push herself up on the bar without any help.

and she finally got it.

it was a good time.

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and then this morning, we had what i like to refer to as, "our weekly, sunday morning, emergency veterinary situation.

trout ate a mushroom in the front yard.  that dog will eat anything.  i ended up having to pour hydrogen peroxide down his throat at 7:30 am to make him throw up.

that was super fun.

i was on the driveway, in my nightgown, and soaked by the leaky hose that i was using to wash the throw up down the driveway.  i was bent over, holding trout's mouth open with one bleeding hand because he was fighting and his teeth kept gouging my skin, while pouring with the other hand.  he would throw up and then we would have to do it again.  this went on until he didn't have anything left in his stomach and knew that the mushroom had come up.

that's when i looked and saw my neighbor watching.

the same neighbor that showed up for the dinner party that wasn't.

i'm pretty sure they are developing some mis-guided opinions of us.

i can hear them talking to their family back in venezuela now...

"yeah...we have these neighbors that invite us to dinner and then...not only is their house in shambles when we get there...but the guy is in his pajamas, they have already started eating, and their naked baby is covered in chili.  and if that wasn't bad enough...today we watched her poison her puppy at 7:30 this morning."

here's to the start of a new week...and a fresh start.

thank you...and goodnight.