That Day When Your Child Actually Asks You If After the Next Birthday Party He Can Take a Rest...

I'd say it was a busy week, but at this point, that would be epically redundant.

So first, just a quick pic from Thurs. No real story, the kids just wanted to sleep together in the top bunk. It's not my first rodeo, I know how long this is going to last - so, sure - give it your best shot small fry. If we got into the double digits worth of minutes, I'd be shocked. But I still got cool Mom points. I hear those expire quickly though.

Friday morning, at some ungodly hour, I had to wake up and do a photo shoot of the dog. You can surely see the pleading look in her eyes.  It says something like "kill me now". She has that look a lot.

Here's my summer PSA. We got Jennifer - a girl who is leaving our office, and going on maternity leave, some flowers. She couldn't take them with her, so I did. I put them in my car, drove halfway home and then made a stop at Target. If 40 min in a hot car in Texas can do this to previously happy/healthy flowers, you can imagine what it would do to dogs or children.

Then there was today. We started at 10am at a pool party at the Rosemeade Rainforest. An awesome neighborhood pool/splash park/water extravaganza. Carrollton is a great little city to live in. I have to say, it is a parenting ordeal to come to places like this when you're one parent with 2 small kids, but things have gotten enormously better since Dalton has become a pretty solid swimmer. Then I can worry more about somebody wandering off with them and less about them drowning. It was good times over too soon as we - and 3 other of our teammates - had to leave early for soccer. 

I have to give it to Dalton. His other teammates who were at the pool party were kind of dragging during the game, but that boy was an animal. You just can't beat his focus once the kick-off has happened (which is contrary to pre-kick-off when he is hugging people and falling down, etc.) There was one epic play which I wish I had caught on camera. They were down at his opponent's end of the field, one of their players got the ball and made a break for the other goal. Dalton sprinted past him, got in goal, blocked the shot, snagged the ball, dribbled it all the way back down the field and scored. I really love to watch him play. And if I couldn't be more proud, his coach gave him a shout out at the end of the game for, on 3 separate occasions passing the ball to a teammate so they could score instead of making the goal himself. I know it seems like that should be a given, but you have to remember - they're three. So proud.

Side note - we almost lost Hubba today. For those that don't know, Hubba is Darby's special stuffed animal (his twin is Bubba). When we arrived at the soccer place I had managed to change the kids out of their swimsuits, but I still had mine on. We sat down and waited for Nana to arrive so I could change. When Nana took them in, we accidentally left Hubba in the lobby.  Luckily he was still there after the game. I don't even want to think how the rest of the weekend would have shaken down if he hadn't still been there...Dalton was convinced someone had stolen him.

After soccer, I was so happy with Dalton I took them to his favorite restaurant - PDQ on Preston in Plano. Excellent chicken nuggets/tenders/sandwiches/salads btw. And the customer service is top notch as well. The kids insist on getting a cookie when we go. I actually do get one for them to share. Less because I am a nice Mom and more because I can use it to hold over their heads for the whole lunch - they always insist on eating there instead of taking it to go (which is our preferred reality). Behavior improves slightly when there's half a cookie on the line.


I loved it - after lunch I had this conversation w/ Darby:
D: I wish I was you Mom
J: Why is that?
D: Because then I'd be in charge.

How's that for instilling fear in your heart??

After lunch we came home, freshened up briefly and then headed back out to party #2 at Peter Piper Pizza. It was on the way there that Dalton asked me if after the party we could come home and have a rest.  Good to know it's not just me that gets exhausted by these weekends. We have nothing planned for tomorrow though - so I guess get ready for a boring blog...

Side note: she looks wayyyy too old in this picture. I noticed this several times today and I don't like it. At all.

We did have a spirited air hockey tournament though. I believe Dalton was the reigning champion. He might be a little bit competitive...

And finally - here is Darby embracing her 5 year-old job of emptying the dishwasher. Ok, maybe not embracing, but after I yelled, she did it without complaint. And in the spirit of Mary Poppins (which she hasn't watched past the first 20 min) she tries to make it fun. Here she is being the tallest point in the progression of items on the counter. This is her game - she just ordered me to be her photographer.