Quick 5

August.  That month of the year that feels like one big countdown.

1.  I survived my first garage sale, thanks to my mom and Lee's parents, who were such big helps.  For two days I hardly saw my girls and hardly thought about their daily care, since they were in capable hands.  Instead I sat in a stuffed, lonely garage.  We made signs and put up ads and put up flags, but I just did not get the traffic that I thought I would on our busy street.  So that was disappointing.  But we did make a little and got rid of some stuff, and that's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, right?  So now that I've done one I know I can handle it.  And I'll try again in a couple of years.

Believe it or not, this chair actually sold

2.  Alaina did hang out with me quite a bit, but mostly to run her very own Fun Pop stand.  (Fun Pops are the dollar store version of Otter Pops.)  She made her stand the week before, and would sit out in front of the garage calling to anyone passing by.  Sometimes she called out when there was no one passing by.  She made $1.25, and now is as good a time as any to start implementing Financial Peace Junior.

3.  Grampa did help out with an awesome project (that I will reveal later, when it is completed), but it wasn't all work.  The girls spent many hours playing and reading with Gramma and Grampa. Bria doesn't let me read stories to her the way Grampa does.  I think it's time to come to terms with the fact that she likes both of her grandfathers more than me.

 4.  We went to church on Saturday night so we could go hiking on Sunday.  We found an amazing hiking place, even though we got lost and it took us twice as long to get there as we should have.  Once we got there we immediately ate lunch to pacify Bria, and then got to spend a grand total of 15 minutes actually hiking.  The point is, though, that it was a scouting trip and we're looking forward to going back when a.) we know exactly how to get there, b.) we can get there much much earlier to beat the crowds, and c.) Bria will be older and not as crabby.

Happy now, not so happy in about 10 minutes

Joya had loaded down her pockets with rocks to throw in the river, so she had to constantly pull up her pants

5.  Alaina is officially registered for first grade.  All her school supplies are ready.  All her uniforms are ready.  I just need to figure out the whole packing a lunch thing.  Next week is back to school night, and then it will be time to jump in to the school year.  So exciting.

Here's to the last week of summer vacation!

Quick 5

The weather this week has been so wet and cool and wonderful.  Shades of those few summer days we spent in Alaska a couple of years ago.  #bliss

1.  This weekend is garage sale weekend.  I'll say it over and over, to anyone who has ears to hear: DO NOT wait 10 years to have a garage sale.  In honor of Garage Sale Weekend, you get a boring, abbreviated Quick 5 (mostly to pacify those members of my family who are cry babies and don't care how busy my life gets JUST GIVE THEM THE QUICK 5.)

2.  Next week school begins.  Not really, but we do have registration, and then the following week houses back to school night and then school starts.  But next week gets the whole ball rolling.  I am neither happy nor sad about it; it is what it is.  Another step in Alaina's life. Maybe I'm not mentally preparing for what it is actually going to be like when she goes to school full day.

3.  I'm really looking forward to seeing the relationship between Joya and Bria change and grow.  Really, for the past year and half it's been Alaina and Joya bumming around and Bria's just been a growing baby.  But Bria is almost old enough to play with others, and with Alaina gone for most of the day Joya and Bria will naturally become playmates.  The whole things should be fascinating.

4.  Our house is in a state of transition, as Bria figured out how to escape the cozy living room pen that we've made for her.  One day this week, while Lee was working from home at the kitchen table, he looked into the living room and didn't see Bria when he should have.  "Where's Bria?" he asked.  Bria then came from down the hall and poked her head around the corner of the dining room, very clearly outside of the gate.  So we've rearranged the gate to prevent her from coming into the kitchen, but giving her free reign of the living room and hall.  It's been high maintenance, as her main goal seems to be to inadvertently destroy all the books we have.  I'm hoping that a few days of freedom will wear off the newness of the books and she'll soon leave them alone, or at least learn how to handle them properly.

5.  And, just because we've been having so much fun looking at them, here's a little throwback for you:

Alaina and Joya, May 2011

Come to our garage sale!

Quick 5

Behold, the first fruits of our garden!

I didn't even notice they were growing, and suddenly there they were!  We, of course, grilled up these bad boys.  And I learned that two grilled zucchini aren't really enough for my family.  Oh well, more to come (I hope.)

1.  Last Friday we were able to meet Ben's lady, the lovely Cora, at the zoo.  Bria had to stay home and nap with Daddy, but Alaina, Joya and I went.  The day turned out to be full of misadventure that I don't really want to talk about, but the girls had fun and we were able to see plenty of animals.

The only picture I have to prove Cora was there.  Sorry about that Cora!

 2. It's been in the 90s all week, so we busted out the ol' swimming pool.  The girls learned the fine art of skimming bugs out before getting in.  It was fun to watch the girls practice their swimming lesson skills, and see Alaina swim under the water so much.  We also learned that this pool is a little too big and too deep for Bria right now.  She went under a couple of times, and then she decided that she had had enough of the pool.

3.  As promised, here are a few better pictures of Alaina during her swimming lessons.  The girls have done so well and gotten so brave.  Alaina learned to enjoy swimming under the water, and Joya went from jumping in the pool by holding the teacher's hands to jumping in the pool freestyle to be caught by her teacher.  We're sad the lessons ended today.

I forgot to mention that Alaina was the only girl in her class.  She loved it.  Joya was in a class of only girls.  She loved it.

4.  On Wednesday Sonic offered $1 hot dogs.  We can't pass up a deal like that.  So we called Apple Ben and he came with us.  I find it funny that in this super hot week, during that dinner it was windy, raining and 74 degrees.  Still worth a hot dog picnic though.

 5.  Finally, a few forgotten vacation pictures:

I'll let these ladies see you out:

Homemade chocolate pudding pops and a play date with Avery = a Lucky Lucky Day

Quick 5

You know who loves all this rain (besides me)?  My zucchini plant.

1.  Last Friday was Cow Appreciation Day, and the Kimbles celebrated in full blown cow style.  We even invited Apple Ben to come along, and it was a great night.  It was also the first night we took advantage of the Trade The Toy For Ice Cream deal.  Apparently you can take the toy from the kids meal and turn it in for ice cream.  The toy has to be unwrapped, and even on a busy night like Cow Appreciation Day they were happy to oblige.  So the girls ate ice cream, which was a special treat all it's own.

Apple Ben went as a cow dressed as a banana. 

 2.  We actually had two different birthday parties last weekend.  One was a surprise half-birthday celebration for my aunt that Alaina, Joya and I went to.  Lee had to be at church early Saturday afternoon and Bria had to nap so they couldn't come with us.  But the girls and I had fun.  My cousins had even set up a bouncy house for the kids, and I thought Alaina's mind was going to explode.  Joya had tons of fun playing with my cousin's daughter Lyla, and mourned the fact that she didn't get to properly say goodbye after we had left.  Then Sunday we went to Colorado Springs to celebrate my niece Elisabeth's first birthday.  The girls loved every second of it.  There were tons of kids there and there is not much more that Alaina likes than a whole passel of kids playing in the same yard.

Aunt Jamie had a craft/snack for the kids.  The birthday girl is the one hanging on her back.

 3.  The highlight of our week has definitely been swimming lessons.  Joya has mixed feelings about going each day, but always enjoys it when she gets there.  Lee has been working from home most of the week, so I've actually been able to take just the two swimmers, which has been delightful.  Bria gets her full morning nap AND I don't have to manage her during the 40 minutes we're there.  We missed yesterday's lesson because it was 59 degrees and cloudy at lesson time.  I just couldn't bring myself to make the girls get into an outdoor pool with those conditions.  I scheduled the lessons for this part of July because I thought we'd be out of the danger zone of something like that happening.  Oh well.  Next week is supposed to be in the upper 90s, so we'll be golden.

 I'll try to get some better pictures of Alaina next week.

 4.  This is how Bria rolls:

Stethoscope. Cell phone on the ear.  Lately she's busting out the two-word phrases.  Most popular are "Thank you, Mommy" and "Uh oh Mommy."  I guess those are three-word phrases.  Anyway, she's saying phrases, which cracks me up.

 5.  Joya, apparently, was not made for summer.  Oh she likes dressing in shorts and tank tops just fine.  But she absolutely rejects watermelon, lemonade and Popsicles.  Does this have to do with the fact that she was born in October?  Are fall babies predisposed to be complete weirdos when it comes to the essentials of summer?  I'm having a hard time understanding it.

I feel like the start of school is going to creep up on us, but there is still much more summer fun to be had. Catch you next week!