June 23, 2011

Countdown to South Dakota

In one week we will be on the road to see one of our nation's greatest landscapes.  I'm getting very excited for our adventure!!!

Then to add to the fun, I showed Luke what the back of the mountain looks like.  (this picture has been around for awhile now, but I think it's still funny and clever)

Mt. Rushmore Facts:

  • Sculptor Gutzon Borglum began drilling into the 5,725-foot mountain in 1927, at the age of 60.
  • Creation of the Shrine of Democracy took 14 years and cost a mere $1 million.
  • Rushmore's granite faces tower 5,500 feet above sea level.
  • The carvings on Mount Rushmore are scaled to men who would stand 465 feet tall.
  • Each head on Mt. Rushmore is as tall as a six-story building.
  • More that 800 million pounds of stone were removed from Mount Rushmore while carving the presidents.
  • Each president's face is as tall as the entire Great Sphinx of Egypt, measuring 60 feet from the chin to the top of the head.
  • The president's noses are 20 feet long, each mouth 18 feet wide and the eyes are 11 feet across.
  • The workers had to climb 506 steps daily to get to the top of Mount Rushmore. 

June 22, 2011

Happy Wednesday to Me

I still have not determined who had this brilliant idea, but here's what went down this happy Wednesday morning.
My two sweet, sweet children kept coming to me in bed and asking me to hurry up and come to the kitchen to fix them breakfast.  They presented themselves as starving children, and made a good case about why I should hustle.

Down the steps I walked to the welcoming committee...
PSHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
That was the sound of a can of Silly String spraying all over me.  Yep.  Luke was hysterically laughing with his side-kick sister by his side.

At this point I had to really hold back, because all I could first see was the pastel colored gunk hitting my wood floor and landing on my carpet and in my hair and on my plant and on my dog.  I took a breath, slowly opened my eyes and then...
PSHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
I got a teeny wad sprayed directly into my EYEBALL!  It was cold and this stuff literally stinks. 
I decided to let them finish their fun.
Afterall, it was not THEIR fault that their FATHER permitted such a scene.  In fact, I discovered he encouraged it and suggested they yell,
"Happy Wednesday!"

Apparently Lydia began to feel regret though as I was speckled and stringy from head to toe and started yelling,
"Luke, that's enough! Luke, STOP!" 
My sweet, sweet daughter.
Luke, though, didn't hold back.
He continued to spray two whole bottles until they couldn't squeeze out another single speck. 
It WAS funny.
Yet it WAS awful.
It DID take a LONG time to clean-up.
And then I DID kindly ask Craig not to give them Silly String EVER EVER again!

PS  Should I panic now or later about their super slyness?!

June 13, 2011

Hot Mama Pink

Lydia had the honor of being in a cousin's wedding.  She and 15 other sweet little girls created an adorable daisy chain that paraded around before and after the ceremony.  I doubt I need to explain how glorious Lydia thought this was!!!! She's pictured here in the back row, fourth from the right.  The newlyweds are Ben & Christine (CONGRATULATIONS!)
  I also captured this DYNAMITE photo of Lydia with her proud daddy.

"Cut" it out

It's all fun and games going crazy in a large bundle of balloons until your wrist gets knotted up in the ribbon!

June 9, 2011

No Fun for the Fairy

A couple weeks ago Luke's
1st tooth was (we think) lost in the YMCA pool. 

The 2nd came out today and went down the bathroom drain.
 
Now- I'll give him credit for being a "thinker"...
After it was already out of his mouth-
he was brushing it at the time it washed away... yes, BRUSHING the teeny tiny tooth to make it shinier in order to
EARN MORE MONEY FROM THE TOOTH FAIRY!!!!

Craig kindly took apart the drain to retrieve it, and the Tooth Fairy did indeed make a successful stop in his bedroom tonight.
Of course, not before Craig helped Luke set up his room in order to have a better chance at "catching" her.
NOT APPRECIATED!

I don't think I like the Tooth Fairy's job description very much.  Too stressful!  Maybe her husband could/should take over her job!

June 7, 2011

Redefining "Powder Room"

Lydia and her dear friend (and partner in crime) decided it would be fun to play beauty parlor and busted out two full-size containers of baby powder.  As they mixed up some bizarre paste with some hair serum/gel, they emptied BOTH powder containers in mounds around Lydia's bedroom.  They applied this batter-type substance to their hair and faces and to various toys and furniture around her room.
How did I finally discover what was going on?
After periodically asking them what they were doing, and having them innocently reply, "Playing with dolls"
which wasn't a lie... the crud WAS on the dolls too!
I began to smell the fresh baby-bottom scent lingering down the stairwell.  From a flight of stairs away, the powder was drifting through the air, and I perked up with concern.
Below shows a photo of what I had to deal with.  It took lots of lathering with LOTS of shampoo to get it out of both of the girls' hair roots.  YUCK. 
They do smell AWESOME though!
The bedroom was in BAD shape as well, but with their dutiful help it didn't take too long to tidy.
Still there does remain a thin powdery dusting on all of the furniture on the second floor.
Ugh...

Hugs & Giggles

Yesterday morning Lydia said something sweet to me.  Vain, yet sweet.  She said, "Mom, I'm so glad God made us beautiful!" 
It resulted in a major giggle and hug-fest!!!!!

Then last night as I tucked her into bed, she told me,
"If you want to say nice things about me,
I'll listen."  

I swear this girl is somethin' special. 
She melts my heart and
tickles my funny bone on a regular basis. 
God got it right when he paired us up...
that's for sure!

June 1, 2011

one dead plant: $15 / healthy baby birds: PRICELESS

So, my dead plant is TOTALLY worth it!!!!!
I'm referring to my post, "A Bird's Business".
These little cuties (Pete & Patty) have been a welcomed addition to my front porch lately!  We'll actually be sad to see  them leave.