Is it really that bad?

Yesterday the girls and I went to Target to pick up some barrettes and beach towels. As we were browsing through the Summer/Seasonal section (already on clearance!) we saw some cute place mats with big sunshine faces on them and I broke out singing the Raffi song Mr. Sun. My lovely Miss A looked at me and said, "Mom, please don't sing." The woman in the aisle with us burst out laughing. I hope she was laughing with me!

Summer Solstice 2009

"Wow, it's really light out!" I thought as I walked downstairs at 9:00pm after getting A&O to sleep tonight. It wasn't until then that I realised that I completely missed acknowledging Summer Solstice 2009 (in person and on my blog). That might sound strange to some but where I live we often have pretty harsh winters that start early and last late, and darkness is upon us for way too many hours of the day. As a result we generally celebrate summer to the max!

So sorry to you, Summer, for not welcoming you properly! We're very happy to have you here & you're welcome to stay for as long as you'd like!!!!

Okay, so I'm a Mom...

... and I think this is cute!

Weakness

I went to my local Marshall's store this afternoon for 30 minutes of 'me' time and what do I see? Cute princess dress-up things that I just had to get. I came home with two Ariel costumes (because A&O had both said they wanted to be her for Halloween) and one Snow White costume. The Ariel costume wasn't much (mermaids don't wear much!) and I loved the Snow White costume (much nicer and more substantial). Both girls had to try on the Ariel costumes immediately but the netting ended up making their arms itch. As Kevin took over dinner making duties, A&O and I headed back to the store so the girls could have a look at all of the choices. They ended up with Snow White and Cinderella. They would wear them 24 hours a day if I let them. Soooooo cute!

Happy Father's Day!

Friends of ours invited Kevin and the girls to a Father/Daughter Dinner Dance (Mommies attended in case of meltdowns and for potty trips~ we just slipped away to the Lounge for some wine until we were summoned by need). It was so much fun getting A&O dressed up and to see them dancing with their Daddy. We all had such a great time!

Happy Father's Day to my wonderful Dad and my amazing husband. Thank you for all you do. I Love You both so much!

Week of deals!

Have I ever revealed to you how much of a rush I get when I find a great deal? If not, I love, Love, LOVE getting a great deal (who doesn't, right?!?)! This past week has been a super week of deals for me. Take a look:

Awesome 2nd hand rotating teeter-totter in excellent shape: $25 (at least $149 new!!). A&O LOVE it! These were taken right after we unloaded it. They begged to stay on it even after it started raining. (Edited to say that I just something similar on sale in the KMart ad for $34.99. Maybe not such a great deal afterall!! The girls are enjoying it, though.)

Crazy shopping at the Sundance Catalog online outlet:

Super looking and super comfortable Canvas Drawcord Cropped Pants: $9.99 (from $78!!). They ran small so order up a size or two. I got them in the green and the red. Perfect for spring & summer. Trust me. You'll love them!

More super looking and comfy bottoms: Ripstop Cargo Shorts: $7.99 (from $45!!). Sorry, only tiny sizes left now. Love them!

Sundance Assam Tee: $14.99 (from $45!!). Perfect length long sleeves for the long armed gal that I am. Cozy and lovely. I wear it on cool nights now but it will be ideal for fall.

Brontosaurus Black Dinosaur: $9.99 (from $38!!). The perfect gift for a special boy turning 1 next week!

Then, a cyber friend from a Mommies Forum posted about a sale at a local footwear store. A, O & I checked it out and scored some Reebok sneaks for the girls: a steal at $7.50 each (were $42.99!!)

Lastly, an Estate Sale find. A Baby Lock Serger with an exterior in perfectly new condition but with a motor a bit rusty. It appears this was literally used once (misc tools and extra attachments still sealed in bags) and stored in a damp basement. Didn't work so $5 bought me this gem in hopes of fixing it. A good spray of WD-40 and now it is ready for all of the fabric designing ideas I have tucked in my brain!

Have you gotten any great deals lately?

Breakfast Conversation

This morning I was in the kitchen cutting up fruit and the girls were eating their breakfast in the dining room.

A: "Mommy?"
Me: "Yeah"
A: "I didn't put food in my bellybutton"
Me: "Ugh"

My Little Fishies

One of my favorite bloggers recently wrote a post about water safety called I don't mean to scare you. But.... Guess what? It scared me! As a result I got on the phone and enrolled my girls in swimming lessons at our local YMCA. They started last Saturday and LOVED it!

Before starting the class the kids sit at the water's edge and the pool rules are explained. The last rule was about telling the instructor right away if you have to use the bathroom. No sooner were the words out and my girls, in unison, say "I have to go potty!" One at a time we marched off to the locker room. I hate trying to slide a wet suit down my own legs, let alone the legs of a "freezing" toddler (x2!).

A class of paddling, kicking, and jumping can really wear a kid out!

Looking forward to the next lesson....