Confessions...

So I thought about an hour ago...because something else I have been working on...well I was stuck...so I'll do a confession of today...

In light of today...thank goodness it was a short trip for Daddy...he has arrived!...I'll say it again...he HAS arrived....and is present in the house...WOO HOO! Honestly these two days seem longer than his LONG trips...I know it is because of the rain...can't blame them...I don't like being cooped up either.

Confessions {from today}...

a glass of wine sitting right next to me...it's time to relax...

1. Have I ever told you I love my ottoman...it really makes that much of a difference to have your feet up...

2. It has been raining for several days now...it is so hard to be stuck inside...have I mentioned how irritating puzzles can be?...those darn little pieces...especially when all day one daughter is picking them up and the other tips it over as soon as she puts it back together... ***UPDATE***hubby says I should include the part when he was on his way home...I threatened to BAN all puzzles from our household to avoid all sisterly conflict****

another confession: I actually never could do that...since I really love to do them too:)

3. I fell asleep on the sofa last night working...and was kind of cranky waking up in my clothes...I'm NOT a night person...

4. Before I had to run some work errands...I forgot about the time and realized WOW it was lunch time...so what's a mom to do...grabbed a cheese stick for each...juice box {and if you ask Madison she will tell you it is from Trader Joe's...she always points it out ~ it's her fav}...Gorilla munch {she even KNOWS the aisle it's on}...OOPS...I confessed that...I promise...I really do feed them "food"...breakfast was more balanced fruit smoothies with waffles...

BUT you know what...it all works out because I got my errands done A LOT quicker keeping them occupied with lunch {snacks} on the go!

5. Parents of Teachers was today...have I mentioned how much I LOVE our PAT teacher...she really is fabulous...and my confession...well I always feel like I don't have to do as much "sit down learning with them when she comes"...another confession...I look forward to seeing her just as much as the kids do~ she is so fun and has great conversation...

6. I promised I wouldn't pick up anything extra today ...and I did...I accidentally did...double OOPS on that...hope honey skips right over this one:)shhh....

7. YEP...Madison asked about Moon ~ 2nd day now...I told her he was swimming with his mommy and friends...
8. I always save the Spinach pizza from TJ's for when Daddy is gone...he won't eat it...but the girls and I devour it...honestly...I could eat the ENTIRE spinach pizza myself...or at least I feel like I could...it's that GOOD! BUT tonight I was good...and waited until hubby came home for a late dinner...but I did snatch one piece:)

9. naptime for my youngest was a WHOPPING 30 minutes...but oh did I get the best HUG when I picked her up.
10. Tuesday nights if possible...I always try to watch So you think you can dance with Madison because she LOVES it and imitates dancing with them...and I feel horrible I got reminded I need to get my hiney in gear on getting her in dance...you see I was the tomboy girl...didn't do dance...absolutely know nothing about dance...until my dear friend I visited last month answered my 100 questions on what to do...since she is GREAT at dance and perfect to ask what to look for...
my confession: I felt really bad I haven't found a place we like yet seeing how happy she is dancing...

11. I was ever so grateful when hubby walked conveniently in for bathtime with the girls...YEP... I really struggle with bathtime...really struggle...I'm the mom who brings a book...or my computer in the bathroom and does work/projects while they play in the bath...after their bath that part I can do...I LOVE that part...to lotion them up...pajamas...brush their hair...it is the BATH that kills me...

12. Maybe this one should be a hubby confession...but Bobby sat down to finish the rest of So you think you can dance with us...and he so wishes he could dance like Legacy because...and I quote..."it would be BAD...*%#

{you can finish that quote!}...

13. Having the girls go through Daddy withdrawls...I am so excited it was a SHORT week he was traveling...but my favorite part was when Miss Madison came to sit by me all on her own for the end of the show...:) Made my day...at the end of a very long day with them...and what else...


she made my Monday too...


she drew a picture of her family at school...with all 4 of us...a rainbow...a desk and tools because over the weekend we {he helped me do this one to get done ~ great hubby} refinished the other end table and made a change to the 1st one I did...painted the handles...looks much better!...but it made me smile her putting those things in our family photo...just so observant...so sweet:)



13. {Yes...I'm doing a 2nd #13...just can't end on #14}...with a very long day...LIFE is GOOD!

Blessings to you all!

And....well...we hit the jackpot...with a gift from the smoothie place

Last weekend...well...we had a lot of items to check off that list...but you won't believe what we were just given at one of our stops...maybe the best "tell all" gift we were just given...to date...plus this post for warning is a bit scatterbrained...you'll see:)

Some back story...Friday night...we drove around everywhere "trying to get shopping done" but it just wasn't happening...we went to the wrong location and well...then when we got to the right one the kiddos just needed a break...

So we took a break...my girls LOVE smoothies...so we stopped to get them...another way to keep them occupied and happy:)

{side note....Trader Joe's has wonderful frozen fruit...that is preservative free...and just so wonderful...our favorite to make smoothies at home...well I add their vitamins to it too...Trader Joe's forzen mango pieces....a little bit of vanilla protein powder...frozen raspberries...although we sometimes get their fresh ones too but makes for a great smoothie when they are frozen....then add Trader Joe's organic strawberry yogurt....and some water and a few ice cubes....by far the BEST one the girls love so far...although their fresh blueberries I love to put in there too....but using their organic yogurt....and less ice...and some water....well it is perfect consistency for them in their Dora (it has to be Dora in our house) straw sippy cups...just mixes really well so it doesn't get clogged in the straw...that's a big deal you know if it does}

....anyway....so we stopped to get smoothies....I went to rinse out one of the girls cups because for the kiddos...we just got one for them to split...it was a one size deal...and way too much for the girls to have their own giant one...plus the lids had that circle opening on the top...and lets just say...that would have been not a good thing with Hayley if you get my drift:)....so I come back while Bobby is paying...he turns around...and not even kidding...is holding a gift from the store clerk...I guess it looked like we needed help:)....I lost it laughing...Bobby said...."I have no idea!"....he looked at what they had given them and said...

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"Well at least they are for sensitive skin...and no chemical fragrances...right up our alley!" Gotta love him...he was absolutely right...but never in my dreams did I think we would be given such a substantial amount of wipes...from someone we don't know buying smoothies...I guess and realize this is one of those stories you had to be involved to find it truly funny...

....He must have just known it was just one of those days and thought all four of us would get messy enough with smoothies to enjoy that many wipes...I mean we buy these in bulk...but never have we been given them when ordering food...I hope that wasn't some sort-of message...ya know...just kidding...we know they were just being nice...but it just made us laugh pretty hard!

Friday night trying to shop....since we couldn't find anything we needed or out of everything...Bobby breaks the news...looks like it is shopping all day tomorrow...hmmm....not really what I wanted to hear....just because clothes shopping is not my favorite thing....so as we were leaving...we came across this sign...and after the Friday morning with that not-so-friendly incident...I wanted to check out that day...and thought this sign was perfectly fitting...

The best part is...this was taken in a parking garage...and it was pointing back up the parking garage...all the way up...so....I thought....hmmm...the only alternate exit would be to go off of the parking garage...right....very...interesting...so I had Bobby do a loop around again...just to get this shot...and I told him...that option doesn't sound so bad right now...just kidding...all in good fun that one:)

Another check we needed to get done was getting Bobby new sunglasses...his last ones broke courtesy of our oldest...non-intentional LAST summer...I know...we obviously got behind...but I had to get one last picture of him in his beard too...the bet is over I guess...kind of miss it:) but he looks great without too.We had also stopped because I wanted to get a bit of a dressier dress...to me that means "not a cotton dress"...so don't be thinking formal or anything...for an event this coming weekend...let's just say my dress finds have been at a standstill because I haven't purchased any but you can see after the next week...it's black and white...so I love that it won't go out of style...at least I think right?...and we have a wedding to go to the week after...so trying to get two weeks done in one...

Of course...it was the weekend to stop by Trader Joe's since our refrigerator didn't look like it had much...bare minimums and since we were in the area....we stopped...well since we needed necessicities from there too:)...plus we can never help ourselves...Bobby made a point to say before we even got there...minimal this time Martha...well I guess he shouldn't take all of us when we are hungry huh?...they just have great finds...of course the kiddos love the free balloons and carts....juice samples...wine samples this time...

I bet you are shocked I haven't talked about Lowe's in awhile...huh?....well yes...we made that stop this weekend too...we did one last bigger reward for Madison for the week...a hummingbird feeder...she loves the one at my parents...and thought for a little treat for her reward we would do one more bigger one...and go back to the simplier ones after that you know...two more pictures demonstrating their personalities...Madison caring for it...while Hayley was trying to take it off...:)

But I tell you Bobby and I almost didn't make it last weekend...too much "trying to shop" wore us out...but it wouldn't be a weekend in our family if we didn't jam pack it....we did one last HA-RAH on Sunday at the pool...is that even how you spell HA-RAH...hmmm....water was freezing...and Bobby had to climb the fence since our lovely HOA cards didn't work...I won't even start on that topic...and you may be thinking...THANK GOODNESS:)

Just a tid bit I wanted to include from this morning...

This morning...Hayley told Madison "something"~ similar to "good" "Mornen" for "Good Morning"....it just made me smile so...and Madison smiled...I cannot believe Hayley is growing up just so...she is obsessed with Dora...Map (Dora)...shoes...her babies..dogs...belly button and everyone elses (have no idea where that obsession came from...)...she even watches Dora on her tummy now like a big girl...except I couldn't get that caught on camera yet...but I did get this of her watching Dora...all grown up...it's difficult her not being a baby...baby anymore you know...but I do LOVE how verbal she is now...

And her....well...putting Dora stickers all over her body....she was so proud of herself...

And do you want to know one of the best parts is?...she knows what trash is and where the"trash" goes...and walks our trash to the trash can and throws it away...do I have my 17 1/2 month trained or what?...but she did literally got up after I changed her diaper...said "trash"...picked the diaper up...and walked right over to the cabinet and threw her own diaper away this morning...oh YES!

Now Madison on the otherhand...well...she freaked our Parents as Teacher lady out last night...I missed it...yes...I had a mom's night out and well went to that instead of being home...hope that doesn't sound bad...but I am there for everything and well...the mom's night out sounded fun and Bobby is home for right now...so I just politely asked my husband if he would do it...I knew they both would have fun with her...they always do...and she had fun of course with her.....but other than that...she is catching on to so much...and is probably a big help training her sister how to throw trash away...and pick up toys...I can't take all the credit for that you know...Madison is a great help:)! Her biggest thing right now is this response...

"Madison...what are you up to?"(me saying that...I guess you figured that one:).....

sigh (from Madison)...."NOTHING MOMMY!....leave me alone please..."

...WOW the privacy thing already starts at age 3 1/2....but all in all the sweetest little girl...she has just been coming up to me with a hug and kiss...so nice...

On a side note...another side note...I read a post this morning...now this person's blog was up for awards and such...I didn't even know that was a possibility until I read Kasey's blog telling us we should check Blondie N' Sync out to vote for her friend...anyway...if you have a blog her post is pretty neat today...she asks her readers why they started their blog...and their blog style...I don't quite have a blog style since still just kind of starting...but I thought it was interesting nonetheless...and just made me think a bit about mine...

How many topics can I fit into one post?.....hmmmm.....one last one I promise....caught Bobby being a nosy neighbor with a solicitor going around....so had to get a picture....he's going to kill me for posting this...but I just had to do it....

Blessings from all of us...

Trader Joe Withdrawls!

Our Top Ten Reasons Why We Love Trader Joes!

10. They have yummy cranberry/oatmeal cookies in their bakery section!

9. Always something to sample...today was yummy lemonade!

8. After having their coffee it is hard to go back to the generic brand.

7. Their candy/sweets don't make you feel as guilty when eating them.

6.Their Orange Bergamot Green Tea is soooo good!

5. Bananas are 19 cents EVERYDAY!

4. They have organic foods at the BEST price ever!!!

3.Madison has her own little shopping cart to push around and fill!

2. We always leave with a fun present - the balloons they give out...you even get to pick the color :))

1. It is always a fun family trip together!

Needless to say it has been awhile since we have been! We had committed to going every two weeks - it isn't that far away we just always end up getting cold stuff so it is pretty much there and back! We LOVE Trader Joe's as my mom's side of the family does too! They make special trips just to come so you gotta know it is goooood to shop there. We usually go every 2 weeks stock up on things and are set except odd and end stuff.

Madison is excited about her cart to push today! She was such a great helper!

Madison picked out some flowers...she LOVED that part...actually our first time buying flowers there, but it made her morning so it was sweet!

As always Miss Hayley enjoying herself and smiling and laughing! She was having a great time...you see below her enjoying a snack while we shopped...always a must, and we usually time shopping at snack time as it helps keep them happy and entertained.

Hayley enjoyed watching Sis push her cart today.

We just liked this picture of Madison in her little world pushing the cart...how sweet we thought. She was on a mission to fill her cart!

Madison is ready to go! I love to have such a sweet helper!

Blessings from all of us!