Another Week Gone...

I've been ignoring my digital life lately. Well, not really ignoring it. I respond to e-mail, comment on Facebook posts, and generally keep in touch with anyone willing to send out an electronic shout. When it comes to ME sending out the electronic love... I've just not been into it. On the upside, my house is getting organized (not CLEAN really, but organized) which is always a good thing.

Robert and I recently started attending a Bible Study group once a week, and we're loving it. I also volunteer one night a week with a community organization, which has helped me stay in touch with the non-mom side of me. I'm loving where we're headed as a family right now, and feel like I'm finally able to do some of the things I dreamt about when I imagined being a SAHM. Of course, I'm also doing things I never would have imagined - but I'm enjoying those things too.

Here is one of those things. Grace loves helping me wash dishes. I swear I only left the room for a minute to check on Mark... and this is what I came back to:

She had been fully clothed moments before.
(The "Good & Clean" washtub keeps it G rated.)

I finally waded through our camping pictures. We had so much fun! We arrived at camp just a few minutes after my sister's family. We set up the tent and camper, and then... it rained. And rained. And rained! The first afternoon was spent in close quarters, but the next day was beautiful, and we really enjoyed ourselves. Here are the highlights:

Step One: Corral the infant. Yes, that's dead brown grass
in the background. California is a desert you know...

Step Two: Allow the younger children to get out their
energy after a long trip by, uh, playing with a fly swatter?

Step Three: Get Dirty. My kids are experts at this part.

Step Four: Find a comfy place to sit and share a snack.

 All of the above pictures were from day one. Even though it rained, we still had plenty of fun.

There was a ton of wildlife - that wasn't so wild - that would wander into camp. We saw lots of deer, quail, rabbits and other fun animals. The kids loved it.

"Look Gracie! A deer!"
The kids were always thrilled when deer wandered into camp.

Grace was determined to pet a deer, and she came very
close to them a number of times!

 The highlight of the trip was the lake. It ended up being a beautiful overcast day, making for pleasant weather and great water temps. We swam, played, and had a nice picnic lunch together.

We're at the lake, so naturally...
my kids play in the dirt.

"What? You thought we'd get in the water??"

Grace did, in fact, get in the water. Even when her lips
began to turn blue, she insisted she didn't want to get out!

Mark doing his best Humphrey Bogart at lunch.

My precious tired boy in Papa's lap. So sweet!

 After the lake, we headed back to camp and made FIRE. (I'm convinced this is the sole reason my husband loves camping - because he can "make fire".) We roasted hot dogs for dinner and enjoyed a classic:

S'more's!!

 We had a wonderful time with family and can't wait to do it all again next year - even if there's rain in the forecast!

"The Girls"
Gracie loves her cousins!

After all this, we also got together with family on the 4th of July, and stayed up late (very late) to watch the fireworks. I thought they might get scared, but Grace and Mark both loved it. Our city puts on a pretty good fireworks show, so this may become a family tradition.

"Look Grace! Pretend the fireworks have started so
mommy can take a picture!"
"Dad? I don't get it."

This week we finally got back into the routine of things, for which I am grateful. When the kids get thrown off schedule, chaos ensues. Of course, the kids are learning and doing new things all the time. Grace's newest thing is saying "What?" in order to get a repeat response from her listener. She thinks it's great fun. I can't wait until she learns... "Why?"

Mark is doing something new too - watching t.v.!!! He's not as mesmerized as Grace was when she first was introduced, but he will now sit for quite some time and watch alongside his sister. I try to limit the television time in the house, but I must confess I'm a bit excited at having a tool to keep both kids occupied (and not fighting) for a short time.

While there are always new things to share, some things never change:

We played in the backyard, and the kids ended up
making mud pies. Again.

"Is there a prize for the dirtiest kid?"

"Yeah! The top two get their very own
bath! Let's try to win!"

Whew! You're all up to date with the Sunshine family. There's a lot of fun going on around here. I hope you're having lots of fun this summer, spending time with family and finding time to do something that is uniquely for you. Until next week...

Yay! You made it to the end!!!

Someday...

Someday I will not be peed or pooped on.
Someday I will find my keys where I left them.
Someday I will have a clean floor after meal time.

Someday I will not have my hair pulled.
Someday I will keep my glasses clean for more than twenty minutes.
Someday I will not referee.
Someday I will sleep through the night without the hum of a baby monitor in my ear.
Someday I will dress only myself.

Someday I will get out of the car with no help - and so will everyone else.
Someday I will relax and enjoy myself at a family party.
Someday I will eat a hot meal.
Someday I will sleep in on the weekend.

Mommy and Grace camping.
Grace is 8 months old.

Someday I will leave the house without worrying about extra clothes, diapers or snacks.
Someday I will have time to sort through all the pictures I love to take.
Someday I will cook steak for dinner and everyone will be able to eat it.
Someday I will not fish foreign objects out of the toilet.

It's a rock. I'm sure it could have been worse.

Someday I will forget the tune of Elmo's World (maybe).
Someday I will plan my day around something other than nap time.
Someday I will not have to push my kids on the swings.
Someday I will not have to clean food out of my hair - or anyone elses.

Someday I will not find my favorite skillet in the bedroom closet.
Someday I will drink a hot cup of coffee. Maybe even two.
Someday I will not worry about anyone pooping in the bathtub.

Was that me?

Someday I will eat at a restaurant and only worry about my own food.
Someday I will take long, hot showers.
Someday I will watch my children play on the slide without being right next to them.
Someday I will have a living room free of large, brightly colored toys.

Someday I will no longer consider buying a cow because of how much milk we drink.
Someday I will not have to repeat everything my toddler says.
Someday I will receive a request other than peanut butter and jelly for lunch.
Someday I will be able to have a conversation with my kids.
Someday I will play a board game with the whole family.
Someday I will sing and dance like crazy with my kids. Maybe even in public.

Someday I will smile as I listen to my children play make believe.
Someday I will laugh as my children tell me jokes.
Someday I will cherish listening to my children giggle as they talk instead of sleep.
Someday I will wish my precious little babies hadn't grown up.

Another Week Gone...

Okay, so it's been two weeks.... Daddy is on vacation this week, and we've been having lots of fun. The week prior to that wasn't nearly as much fun, but it was productive! We had a really great Father's Day, and then we got down to business. We went nowhere and did nothing. Well, we did a little something:

Last year, Elmo was the only one that made it to the potty.

Grace is officially potty trained!!

It helps that she was also potty trained last year... but last summer she didn't just use the potty. She used the potty to her advantage. Saying "Pee Pee!" elicited an immediate response from the nearest adult, who also managed to look semi-terrified at the same time, adding to the entertainment.

Last year it took Grace about a week to figure out how this phrase could be used most effectively. Don't want to eat your green beans? "Pee Pee!" Don't want to stay in bed at naptime? "Pee Pee!" She would then be whisked away, allowed to sing, talk, play with mommy's hair and generally goof off for at least five minutes. When she produced results, she also got candy. How great was this? The rest of the time, she ignored the potty completely. So, after much deliberation, we decided to wait and try again later. This year, potty training took less than a week. One more milestone to happily, exuberantly, thrillingly mark off the list.

Daddy enjoyed Father's Day very much, doing what he loves most - being with his kids AND playing video games:

Hi honey... quick! Take the picture so I can
get back to shooting the bad guys!

A two year old in your lap, a one year old on your
xBox controller and you still kill all the targets?
Yes, you are a father.

This last weekend was FABULOUS. I must have done something right on Father's Day because my wonderful husband gave me an entire day to myself! This is no small feat. When I say an entire day, I mean twenty-four blissful, quiet, diaper free hours. I actually stayed in a hotel two nights in order to get that day... and it was marvelous! (Thank you honey!)

And now back to our regularly scheduled program...

Earlier this week Mark was introduced to the backyard sprinkler:

I had to stand behind a tree to avoid the sprinkler in order
to get the angle on this shot.

I wasn't always successful in the "stand behind the tree" part.

But I did get the shot! See that little pink tongue?

Grace tried on mommy's boots:

Grace channels her inner Nancy Sinatra...
I'm not sure I could have navigated that room
with those heels! She's good.

A well deserved massage was given:

"Here microwave, because you are such a hard
working, important member of the family..."
Grace has never even offered me a massage.
I guess I know where I rate.

And then... we went camping. Yes, we went camping with two toddlers and lived to tell about it. But I can't tell the story just yet. There are over two hundred photos to sort through. What can I say? I'm a serial shutterbug. I will love every one. You, on the other hand, probably wouldn't love me sharing every one. But I'll share two now, and lots more later - but then, you knew that. *grin*