Crafting

With such hot weather during the summer, we've adapted to spending our days inside for the most part. Having grown up in California, it's weird staying inside through the summer, but Texas' mild winters can be spent doing outdoorsy stuff. We are really looking forward to spending a few of our July weeks in California though! Here are some of the crafts the kids have been working on birdhouses, puppets, foamy creations, and sewing.

Ainsley was given cute Hello Kitty sewing machine for Christmas. We haven't had a lot of time to work on projects yet but she decided she wanted to quilt a blanket for her doll. I helped her cut the squares and she has already sewn the strips together completely on her own! I was sure she'd ask for a ton of help but I guess my little girl is growing up. It's bittersweet.

Nature Center

Yesterday I took the kids and one of Ainsley's friends to the Austin Nature and Science Center - another fun thing to do at Zilker Park. I tried to get us there early enough to avoid the blistering heat but it's kind of hard to do that during the summer in Texas. They had fun nonetheless.

After the nature center we found a shady picnic area and ate lunch. Once lunch was over they all had to go to the bathroom so I decided to drive over to the botanical gardens because their bathrooms are as descent as a public restroom gets. Once everyone was refreshed they begged to walk through the gardens so we picked a section and walked around for a little while.

While I was taking pictures of the girls on the butterfly benches I was keeping track of Landon out of the corner of my eye. He was interested in a barn that was near us so when the girls started fighting over who was going to sit where on one of the benches my eyes left Landon for a split second. He took that as his opportunity to take off and by the time I turned around he was running full speed down a slippery, gravely incline. I had to sprint to catch him and prayed the whole way that he wouldn't face plant into the gravel. Fortunately I cut him off before he could damage his cute face.

Dinner at the Yarbrough's

This is how dinner went last night and is, truthfully, pretty typical (times are approximate):

5:30pm - Time to start dinner. Get out onion and garlic to chop for enchiladas. Landon immediately pulls up a chair to help. Get through chopping without any little fingers being added - phew!

5:39 - Start gathering spices and other cooking supplies while Landon pushes chair around kitchen.

5:40 - Back is turned and suddenly knives are being pulled out of chopping block. Landon is removed and chair is pushed back to table.

5:43 - Landon walks off and returns with chair. Back is turned the other way. Landon stuffs scrub brush down garbage disposal then proceeds to clean bread maker inside and out with same scrub brush. Landon is removed and chair is pushed back to table.

5:46 - Landon walks off and returns with chair. Back is turned yet another way. Landon gets a hold of ceramic cookie jar and investigates to see whether or not there are any cookies.

5:49 - Find toy that was brought home from library reading program. Give to Landon.

5:50 - Toy is left for dead on kitchen floor.

5:51 - Give Landon DVD from Wendy's kids meal. Figure he'll have fun destroying it.

5:52 - Landon is asking to watch DVD. It's actually some sort of game. He can't watch it.

5:53 - Exasperated! In goes Dr. Seuss's ABC's so I can finish making dinner.

6:00 - Chris is home!

6:20 - Dinner in oven.

6:40 - Dinner is served!

6:41 - Kaylee sits down at table and exclaims, "Ewwwww! This looks disgusting!"

6:42 - Food is blessed.

6:46 - Kaylee declares she's done and she'd rather be playing. Kaylee is told she needs to stay at dinner table a while longer.

6:47 - Kaylee announces that she will decide when she gets to leave table and she is going to leave now!

6:50 - Landon decides he is finished and lets us know continuously that he is stuck because of the buckle on his booster seat.

6:51 - For the rest of dinner we hear a chorus of "I'm stuck! Buckle!" and "I get to decide when I leave the table!"

Build and Grow

On Saturday we went to Lowe's to price shelving units. We happened to arrive right when they were starting one of their Build and Grow Clinics. Although I've heard of these clinics, we've never been to one. It was a lot of fun! They gave the kids Lowe's aprons and safety goggles to keep and they built tape measures for their project. When they were finished they received a certificate and a patch to sew onto their apron. The girls were thrilled and can't wait for the next clinic. Landon was less than thrilled to receive a Lowe's apron and I ended up taking him to a pet store to look at dogs while Chris helped the girls with their projects. 

Streaking

Just moments ago I was innocently putting laundry into the dryer when out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of a small, very naked something running by. I decided I'd better investigate. Sure enough Landon had ripped off his diaper and was running around completely naked with a swim diaper in his little hand. I guess he's ready to go swimming today! 

This and That

My bathrooms are clean, Landon is still napping, and the girls are playing Smash Brothers. I figure now is as good a time as any to write about this and that.

Last Saturday we decided to paint Ainsley's room. She's been wanting it blue for quite a while and now her wish has come true. There isn't any blue in the quilt I made for her but I think it goes alright. Hopefully she won't start requesting a new quilt anytime soon! Kaylee has also requested a room painting so she's next on the list. I'm hoping we'll get it done before our trip to California in July.

Landon loves to cook! He wakes up most mornings repeating the word "hungry" and letting me know his breakfast request - usually Hello Kitty waffles. He always insists on helping me make whatever it is. This goes for lunch, dinner, and anything in between as well. So basically my son cooks, cleans, takes out the trash and likes to take a bath. If any of you moms out there are interested in such a good catch for your daughters in about 20 years, let the bidding begin!

The weather has been HOT here in Texas. I guess over the last few days we've been breaking heat records - I think the high for today is supposed to be 101! Yesterday we brought out our little pool, turned on the sprinklers, invited some friends over, and played in the water for hours - I don't even want to see our water bill this month. The kids had a great time getting wet and eating popsicles.

There's a book called "Super Completely and Totally the Messiest" by Judith Viorst that reminds me so much of Ainsley and Kaylee. You should read it if you ever get the chance. It's a cute book. In the book the older sister is perfect at just about everything, and the little sister is "super-completely and totally the messiest." When I walked into Kaylee's room yesterday this book came to mind.

That's about it! Ainsley has been out of school for almost two weeks. I can already see this summer flying by. I keep hearing older and wiser people talk about enjoying the little moments when it comes to raising children. I hope I'll be able to make myself slow down and enjoy the little moments this summer. I've got three great kiddos and I don't want to look back later on in life and wish I would have enjoyed those moments a little more. And now, I'm going to break up a fight!