Quick 5

1. Alaina had the day off of school on Monday, so what do mothers and daughters do?  We go shopping of course!  Actually I didn't have anywhere to go, but Alaina and Joya suggested the dollar store.  So we dug a dollar for each of them out of their respective piggy banks and set off.  The experience was enlightening.  We of course camped out in the toy aisle.  Alaina immediately went to the boy side and Joya stayed on the girl side.  Alaina fairly quickly settled on a ninja sword that glows in the dark.  Joya spent 20 minutes NOT making a decision.  I realized I needed to narrow down the choices for her, so I gave her two options to choose from.  Even that choice was taking forever, so I told her that I was going to count to ten, and if she hadn't picked something that we would have to come back another day.  I got to 7 when she ran and picked a sparkly pink baton (not one of the choices I had out for her.) I learned that Alaina will be easy to shop with and Joya will NOT.  Bless.

2. I promised myself I would just let Joya be Joya and pick out her own clothes and not subject you to it.  But if I have to look at her, so should you.

 She never wears the same outfit twice.  Always leggings, always a skirt, always some shirt that doesn't have a prayer of going with the skirt.  She inspired Alaina on Monday:

Parents of just boys really miss out on this kind of stuff.


3.  Lee has been having fun planning a guys camping trip.  There is a stack of pamphlets on our table that address every kind of camping safety topic you can imagine.  It's inspired dinner time conversations such as, "Which would you be more scared to meet on the trail, a mountain lion or a bear?"

4. Today Alaina participated in a fundraiser for the school called Run 4 Funds.  They run laps around this little track on their field and collect pledges.  The run looks fun, with a huge inflatable that they run under and everything.  Alaina gave me a huge lecture about the type of lunch I was to pack for her today: a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a cheesestick, an apple and NO PIRATE'S BOOTY.  Carrot sticks were okay.  A Capri Sun was NOT, as she would be drinking water, but I snuck one of those in there anyway.  Next year, when Bria is less of a terrorist, the girls and I will go and watch her run.

5. We finally had more than 24 hours without rain, so I took the little girls to the park.  It was so fun that they fit they threw when it was time to go was Epic.  I gave them a warning like all the books and articles tell me to do, but it didn't stop the tears. 

 Bonus!!  Joya drew this picture.  I asked her if she wanted to send it to Apple Ben for his birthday (he's turning 21 on Monday!)  She said, "Yes!  And to Gramma, and to Grammy and to Grandad!"  So here it is:

Happy weekend, and Happy Becoming A Legal Adult Ben!!