Cottage Vacation 09

Okay, I need to catch you all up now that my paper's done.
The Papa's came back from Africa & we greeted them at the airport



We had fun with the Raredons at the park

Vacation week at the cottage was a blast!
Tubing with Sophie - the most brave if you can believe it!

Tubing with Olivia - First time for her and she loved it!

Tubing with Evie - After I fell of with her before we even got started... oops! She almost didn't go again, but we made her and she loved it.

One of our daily lunches on the pontoon. Gwen is driving.

I had a lot of helpers, and Big Sophie was great! She even helped brush the girls' teeth!

Brad and Sophie go sailing

The girls figure out the joys of fishing after they caught a sunfish with Grandma H.


Sophie in Melinda's hammock

Olivia

Evie

Olivia is such a goofball. She looks ready to swim, but rarely leaves shore. She is content to play along the water's edge. I think she likes the pool better than the lake.

And for those that didn't see it on Facebook - This is what Mom was up to while we vacationed at the cottage.

So Why No Post Lately?

I have not been posting lately. I'm not one to give excuses, because they are just sob stories. So instead, here is a story that tells what my day was like today...

The girls wake me up at 7:30a. I get up and feed them breakfast. 2 bowls of cereal and peanut butter toast. I clean up breakfast mess, load and start the dishwasher. I start separating laundry. Break up a fight over a box. Continue separating laundry. Help Olivia pee on the potty, and put her clothes on. Start my first load of laundry. Clean the laundry room because the repair man left a mess yesterday. Change Evie's diaper, and get her dressed. Find Sophie in the closet picking out her own clothes. I help her pee on the potty and get her dressed. I check my email. I read part of a paper from my capstone paper research group. I break up a fight over my rain boots that Olivia found in the back closet. I put the load from the washer in the dryer and start a new load. I feed the girls a morning snack after a lot of crying and whining because they want something different. I pick up the house a little (and I'm still in my pajamas). I try to preoccupy Sophie who is crying at the slider because she wants to go swimming in the pool. I tell her after lunch. I start to make a list of food to bring on my vacation next week. I preheat the oven for lunch because our oven is broken and takes 30min. to preheat. Olivia poops in her underwear. I put her in the corner to sit on it while I continue my list. I change Olivia's clothes and rinse out the dirty ones. I finally decide I should put on clothes and a baseball hat instead of pajamas. I start getting the girls' lunch ready. I catch Olivia in the cupboards trying to get marshmallows. The girls want to eat on the deck so I wipe off the table out there. I get the lunch all ready to go, including drinks, and bring it out to them. They eat and I unload the dishwasher. I switch loads of laundry, fold a load, and put it away. I decide to eat a little something. Sophie gets finished eating her lunch and wants to go swimming. I put sunscreen on her and put on her bathing suit. I help the other two finish their lunches because apparently they can't seem to scoop it into their own mouths. I screen them and put their bathing suits on. Someone has peed in the potty outside. I empty it and clean it. The girls fight over a big cup in the pool. I search the house for two more big cups. Yes! Found two more. I clean up the lunch dishes and load the dishwasher again. I switch loads of laundry, fold a load, and put it away. The girls are outside asking for the sprinkler. I throw on my bathing suit top and set up the sprinkler outside. They run through it for two seconds, and decide they rather ride bikes. I get the mail and bring back the trash can to the garage. The girls fight over a bike (when all three are the same!) I water my hanging basket, bring the mail inside, and switch loads of laundry - but I don't have time to fold a load. The girls are now chasing a neighbor cat into the sandbox in their bathing suits! I start the bathtub, and call for them. One at a time they come up, I strip them and put them in the bathtub (they haven't had baths in awhile). I quickly hang the shirts that will wrinkle in my basket. I wash the girls and let them play. But they fight more than they play now. I get out new clothes and pull-ups for naps. One at a time I get the girls out of the tub, lotion, and cloth them. I comb through Evie's beautifully curly and tangley hair. The girls watch an episode of Backyardigans while I clean up the soaked bathroom, and hang their wet suits outside. I tell Sophie to go potty. Did I turn the sprinkler off? I go outside to check - Yes! I did! I search for the girls' blankies and bunnies for naptime. I make Olivia pee before bedtime. I come back in to check on her and she has unravelled an entire new roll of toliet paper on the floor. Sweet. Then at 2:00 I finally get to put them off to bed. I sit down to quickly type this post because someone is mad that I haven't updated in awhile. There! Now back to work!

4th of July Weekend

Happy 4th of July!!!!













Olivia, Cousin Joy, Evie







Papa's Fireworks Barge