Here fishy fishy

Brad and the girls enjoyed fishing in the backyard this summer. They always throw everything back, but here is one big catch!

 

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Halloween

 

We had another great Halloween. The girls enjoyed their school parties and trick or treating. The girls chose a sock monkey and Tootsie roll.

Jilli had been having trouble in the mornings. So on Halloween I made a special breakfast with silly signs, mummy milk, pumpkin poo (mandarin oranges) and so on. I greeted her wearing a witches hat. Apparently she enjoys role play because she was an angel!

 

 

 

 

 

 

After these pictures I went downhill. I have no clue what it was (thinking influenza, but never tested) but I was with a fever for 6 days. I have never missed 4 days of work, but when Brad had to drive me to the doctor and all I could do was sleep and watch 90210 reruns, something was going on.

 

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Ears

Mean parent alert........Brad and I told the girls that they could get their ears pierced when they could water ski. Mia learned and a few hours later we said "Okay, do you want to get them pierced?" She then said she was scared, so told her whenever she was ready. By the time she was ready we had then discovered that you can't wear earrings during volleyball. After her last game, we went. Her only request was that Jilli didn't watch. She is just getting too big!

 

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Volleyball

Mia tried another sport this fall, volleyball. She enjoyed it, and worked very hard at her serves. We are so proud of her for trying new things.

 

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Rewind.....

 

Now that 1st semester is over.......here are their first day of school pics! Mia is in 3rd grade, right next door to me. I just love it that she is so close. J is down the hall and gives me a big wave when I see her. I get to peek in her room as I walk by. Sometimes I just want to go in and squeeze her , but that might be awkward. ;)

 

 

I served our traditional cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and then left for school. Brad takes them to school a little later. After school that day I found leftover rolls and a note. It breaks my heart that they are growing so fast, but notes like this melt me. Such sweeties!

 

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Pumpkin Patch

Now that Christmas break is here, I have found time to blog about pumpkins! ;) we once again visited our favorite patch. Brad caved and let Jilli pick a giant pumpkin. Speaking of giant, the girls are getting so big.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Slithering back

My blog break is over. Here is a recent situation I found myself in. Nothing like getting called out of a crowd to hold a boa constrictor. My girls were sitting on the front row sporting their best shock faces, Brad in the back of the gym laughing. This photo was taken before they wrapped it around our necks.

 

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Yo B

I have debated blogging this story. But then the other day I remembered it and was sad that I had almost forgotten it. Earlier this summer the girls and I were at Target. They asked if they could get "upside down yogurts" which are just the yogurts with a silver top, kind of a cone shape with a flat top. I don't know the brand, they like the whipped ones. I said yes, they could each get one.
Minutes later I was grabbing some soda off an endcap when I heard Jilli whisper "Mia, look." So I looked and out of the corner of my eye and saw Jilli with the yogurts as boobs. She then saw me see her and quickly de-boobed. I (was dying laughing inside) said "Um, what did you just do?" She got a straight face and stood to the side. Please note Mia is hysterically giggling her best giggle back by the soda.
I crouched at her level and asked again "Jilli, what were you doing?" She gave me her silent stare. I said "Ok, well we can just hang here until you tell me." She is stubborn as a mule and this went on a bit. Finally I said "Ok, we will leave but I saw you doing Yogurt Boobs and that is NOT appropriate. You can go to your room at home, that was not a good idea."
She started crying because she knew she was naughty and wouldn't move so I picked her up. Mia asked something about it and then Jilli clamped my mouth with her hand. We then saw a teacher from school and I said to Jilli "Sure am glad she didn't see you doing Yogurt Boobs, that would be embarrassing."
On the way home I might have mentioned Yogurt Boobs a few times. So we get home and she is in Brad's office and I told her to go to her room to think about the Incident. Brad asked why and I said she could tell him. She refused and so I said " Just tell him in 2 words." I was thinking Yogurt Boobs, but she just looked him straight in the eye and said her two words "Something bad."

Later Brad "talked" to her and I don't think she ever admitted it. Brad shortened it to Yo B's. Several weeks later we were at Hy-Vee and they asked again and this time I said no. Jilli asked why and I said "Well last time you did Yo B's and I am not sure you can handle them again." Later that day Mia called her one of her many nicknames and Jilli said "That is not my nickname anymore." In a confused state Mia said "Okay, what should I call you?" Jilli seriously responded "Yo B's."

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Mary Shrine

One of my favorite parts of the lake is church. It is outside and I really enjoy it. The girls really enjoy the fountains on the shrine, sticks on the ground, chipmunks, etc. The grounds are very peaceful and beautiful!

 

 

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Apple Doesn't Fall Far

This (among 20 others) little doozy of a family portrait appeared on my iPad. The Barbies must have had a busy day posing. I used to do the same thing with my Barbies and Cabbage Patch Dolls. The only difference is that we printed out rolls of them on film. Most of these dolls were actually mine, especially the ones with the frizzy hair. I love, love, love that the girls play with dolls. I played with them for years! I might have to start again now that my live dolls won't let me dress them anymore. ;)

 

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Ski Camp

Last year I stayed at the lake for a week with the girls. This year we got to spend the WHOLE week with our favorite guy. We go to the lake a lot on the weekends, but having a whole week with Brad was a blessing. We labeled it Ski Camp and will stick to it. We all had a goal to do "something new." The first night we took a long sea doo ride. In a cove we stopped to swim and our first "something new" was Brad doing a backflip off the back of the sea doo. At that point I knew it would be a good week.

I did some skiing outside the wake (ha ha) and learned to drive the boat so Brad could ski. The whole time I was doing it I kept asking the girls "Is he alive?" I was so worried. Jilli's new thing was tubing, which she has done the past two summers but this year is deathly afraid of it. She also tried skiing but took "hold on" a little too seriously and forgot to let to of the rope when she fell. Yikes.

Mia rocked Ski Camp and is now a confident skier behind a sea doo and the boat. She was SO proud of herself as were Brad and I. The first time she actually got up she went pretty far and left me stranded in the water cheering her on. I could hear Brad whooping it up as he was driving. When he circled back to get her after she fell, he jumped in the water with her for some high fives. She wanted to go again and told me she didn't need me in the water anymore. I foresee Jilli giving it a solid effort in the future as she wants to be just like her. Mia's smile each time she skied was priceless, she was so proud of herself.

 

 

We look forward to Ski Camp again next year!!!

 

The girls enjoyed sitting in the boat playing cards.

Mia perfecting her front flip off the diving board.

 

Cousins Dane and Ava came and played too!

 

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