Happy Fathers Day to the Jack of All Trades (two being great FATHER and HUSBAND!!)  :-)  

I really could not ask for a better father for my girls.  

Dan made the girls a tire swing out of my motorcycle tire (see previous blog posts for broke-down information).  haha.

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And just look who is big enough to ride the tubes!!!!  Brooke watched Lil' Darlin' for me so I could go down with her on her first ever ride (Thanks Brookie!!  I'll pay you back!!) First together, and then she rode it by herself.  It's dark in these slides so I imagine this was pretty scary for her.

Then Brooke, Daniley, and Brayden went on the wipeout course.  I didn't realize how much supervision would be needed on this, so I thank Brooke sincerely for her help.  I would have put Daniley up there and stood at the gate (because I had the baby with me) and that would have been a disaster because she couldn't pull her connector ring around (at the top). They should make being 8 years old mandatory for this!

Then on the way home:  "I need pee-pee."  Have you ever seen a mini with indoor plumbing?  My mini has been customized (aftermarket parts).  We have flexibility to stop on the side of the road, which is exactly what we did.  

And 15 minutes later...."I need poo-poo."  So we stopped again.  I much prefer this to germy public restrooms.

Another "regular" day.

I call this a regular day because it's not so out-of-the-ordinary.  This is the way of my life right now.  I've been told plenty of times how "together" I am but I want everyone to rest assured things do not go perfect for me, or anyone, who has small (ok, any age) kids!
Today both girls had Dr. appointments, and I used my time off to get my eyes checked and get some new safety glasses as well.  We were only 10 minutes late for the girls Dr. appointments, so we were doing good.  Daniley did great on her hearing test (and the Dr. said he'd write a prescription for more spankings when she gets too loud) :-D and Danslen got one shot AND SHE DIDN'T EVEN CRY.  Ok, that one was a new one on me.  Never before, and probably never again.
We had approximately 90 minutes to burn between their appointments and mine so we went into Chick-fil-A for a drink and some air-conditioned play time.  I mostly played on my phone while the girls ran around.  I had on my sunglasses (forgot my regular glasses in the car) so I couldn't see more than 2 feet in front of my face, so there was no use in trying to watch what was going on.  However, I could hear...and suddenly I hear Daniley asking some kid loudly in the top of the play area:  "Do you have any SENSE?"  I just minded my own business but wondered what on earth was going on up there.  LOL.
Then this young lady came in with pretty brown hair.  She was a total stranger, TO ME.  Daniley, however, doesn't meet strangers, or know any strangers...or understand that there is a such thing as a stranger so she just grabs her hair and says "Let's play Salon."  (Now you have to understand her grandmother and Aunt are both Barbers so she might get some of this hair-fixin' honest.)  I just sat on the bench and pretended I didn't know Daniley as I watched her con this lady into letting her play with her hair.  She proceeded to pretend to put makeup on her, but the the lady did not like Daniley touching her face, so I had to intervene a little bit.

Ok, times up.  We go to the eye dr. and because I don't have great eye coverage, I go to Walmart.  (I've had great experiences there if you care to know.)  Today Daniley wore a vintage pillowcase dress.  When I say vintage, it is the kind of pillow case that was hand embroidered probably in 1983.  If any of you have ever kept a pillowcase until the threads literally come apart, you know that it's a pretty easy tear.  Well, back while we were at Chick-Fil-A, she ripped her dress slightly.  But it was in a good place and looked like a natural slit, so no problem.  However, now we are in Walmart and we have to run from the Dr. office to the bathroom because Danslen has decided she needed to pee.  We had 3 glasses of tea between the 3 of us at CFA, so I take this request pretty seriously.  Danslen just turned 2 so generally she doesn't give a lot of notice for a potty break.  So we proceed to the bathroom, all is good, until Daniley says "Uh Oh."  I look down and her dress has ripped way up above her panties.  We're in the middle of Wal-mart, I have no spare clothes for her, and you know I'm too cheap to go to the back and buy her an outfit just to wear home.  So I tell her, "Just hold your dress together as we walk."  She did, so on with the show.
I get back to the Dr. office and I'm looking at glasses and please let me take this opportunity to tell you the kids like to grab every pair within reach.  So I grab a buggy and put Danslen in it.  She cries saying "Buggies are for babies!!" over and over.  No problem, her crying doesn't stress me out (and to you shoppers that it does you have either been the parent of that scene or been the kid screaming in the buggy so I really don't care to hear your complaints, as I'm doing the absolute best I can.)
So we complete our business and head out.  I grab the buggy to push it and suddenly my hand is in a big pile of buffalo wing sauce from the buggy bar.  Oh my Lord some people are disgusting.  Luckily, I'm by the door and I spot a huge tub of sanitizer wipes.  I wipe myself off and clean the buggy, and Daniley grabs her a couple of wipes too.  I'm on with my business, heading out the door, and I turn around and Daniley is basically giving herself a bath with the wipes.  She's got her arms up in the air wiping her underarms with her dress slit up to her boobs.  Yes her panties are exposed, but you don't thing she CARES do you?  I'm calling her to COME ON! but she proceeds to clean her other underarm, her neck, face, arms, and anything else that is exposed (luckily she forgot about the part of her body exposed by the slit).  The times get stressful but I'm gonna tell you when stuff like this happens I absolutely lose control of myself in laughter.  I'm not the get-mad-and-cry type (although I did cry once when Daniley threw up in the middle of Belk) so when things get more than I care to tolerate I usually end up laughing as if it weren't happening to ME.  I know some of you who have no idea what kind of day I have had walk through the Wal-mart door and this is probably what you think:  "Here is a 4 year old standing here with a Hoochie-Momma dress on slit up to the breast, standing here washing her underarms.  Where is her mother?!?!  This is what is wrong with society."  Well guess what people, you have no idea what kind of day we've had!  Be careful passing judgement.  No parent has ever said anything rude to me but one day Danslen, in the car, peed in her pants.  We went into CFA with a dress on, cammando.  She got in the floor and threw down because she wanted to play.  In doing so, she completely FLASHED everyone in CFA and one older lady saw it and I saw her say to her table "That kid isn't wearing panties..." along with some other choice words.  I kindly walked to their table to apologize and tell her WHY she was half naked, if for nothing else to acknowledge I heard her little snide comment that was none of her business.  My response to people being critical of the way I raise my children:  "Don't be jealous!" :-D

This post is what my life is about.  This is Ali's house, our favorite place to play.

 Thank you God for two blessings and thank you Dan for two girls!

Here's a preview of what they might look like when they get put in jail.  

If they have to go, I hope they had a good time getting there.

Thursday I took Danslen to Alabama Adventure.  They forecasted rain so almost no one was there.  And that was a victory for those of us willing to take our chanced.  It never rained and the park was nearly empty.  Best day ever!  Danslen is so sweet (as long as Daniley's isn't around, and that's vice versa by the way) and I have the best fun spending time with my kids one-on-one.  Two-on-two drives me insane. haha.  I went ahead and bought a season pass--so anyone who wants to go, just let me know! 

This past weekend was crazy good.

On Saturday there was CityFest.  We spent some time there after our normal Saturday morning family festivities.  Lil' Darlin' rode her first "ride":  Swings.  She's not as brave as Daniley but I let her ride.  Her expressions looked somewhere between scared to death and happier than ever.  When the swings stopped she started crying.  When she got to me, she was crying "More Swing!!"  So, success on that.

Saturday afternoon was swimming with friends.  (Sorry the lens was smudged.)  This was a really fun time.  The only think I hated was that we had to leave.

Sunday morning was church.  We've had a tough time going to church lately because Lil' Darlin' screams the whole time.  I am not overly concerned with her crying, but I feel bad for the workers and the other (well-behaved) children in her class.  And, to make it worse they normally call us out of service to get her so we just gave up for a while.  I stayed with her in her class and it didn't seem to help much.  She stayed under my side the whole time (I discouraged) and when I went to change another kid's diaper, she cried.  However, 5 minutes before we left she FINALLY started playing.  So maybe we'll try again next week.  3 times in a row did it for Daniley at about this same age.

Sunday afternoon we spent more time with old friends.  There are a few, a VERY few, VERY special friendships that I have where we don't see each other a lot, but when we do (and years may have gone by), we pick right up like we saw each other last weekend.  My very best friend from high school holds one of these special spots in my heart and a few very special people hold the others.  I wish we could spend more time together, but sometimes life happens, and things don't work out that way.  But it's good when you do get a chance.  Sunday afternoon we took full advantage of opportunity.  Lisa and Rondah were able to meet my kids for the first time.  And those old friends are still awesome, just like they always were!

Heck, I had Friday off too.  I have no idea what I did.  I can't remember that far back.  LOL.

WHEN A DUDE ASKS YOU HOW YOU LIKE YOUR ODYSSEY....

LOL.  True story:

I just got hit on at a gas station.  While I was pumping gas.  LOL.

So I've been swimming, my hair is totally yack, and yes, I'm in a swimsuit.  Translation I look like trailer trash and my swimsuit consists of a very covering tanktop and shorts that go halfway to my knees.  I don't let my stuff hang out.  I'm 32, with two kids.  And I'm white as a freakin' ghost.  The more covered the better.  This dude, approximate age 35 and not terrible looking but scaring me by his confidence and twinkle in his eye, comes out of the gas station with a case of beer (and one in his hand).  He's parked right beside me, on the opposite side of my pump.  

Ok, let's just take a pause here so that you can understand I NEVER get hit on.  I mean I have a better chance of winning the lottery.  I guess a guy can look at you and tell whether or not he MIGHT have a chance and rude or not I'm happy I give off the Get-Lost vibe.  There's only one man I desire and I married him.  And he gave off the Get-Lost vibe too just for the record so I had to work hard.  LOL.  

So this dude says, with the prettiest smile I have ever seen, "How are you liking your Odyssey?"  I respond, not to be rude but wishing I had my pepper spray in my hand, "I LOVE my Odyssey."  [ PS. My kids are in the backseat.  PSS.  If you ever want to look cool, DON'T talk about minivans.]  Then he says, "How are you liking this weather?"  Remember, I'm in my swimsuit.  "I'm liking it.  Summer has arrived."  Then he said something else and called me "Sweetie."  He is still smiling like a billy goat in a briar patch.  THEN HE SAYS, "You been working out?"  OMG!  What?  Did he REALLY just say that?  A stranger?  I look at his hand, yep, married.  "Not hardly," I reply with a grin, not that I'm flattered but I think it's funny how this conversation just progressed.  He said, "Well, you look like you have been Sweetie."  Yes, that was TWO Sweeties.  And in his Jeep he hopped and was on his way.  And in my van I hopped and locked the doors!!!!!!!!