What a week....

It has been a really long week again. Marshall and I started re-doing the girls' room. Needless to say our house is all tore up because we had to get everything out of their room and bring it downstairs. It is so funny how kids won't touch things forever but when you are getting ready to pack them up they play with them like crazy. Then in the meantime Marshall's grandmother's house got ready to paint sooner than we thought so we were there painting last night and all day today. Tonight we are going to work on the girls' room more because I am going crazy with all of the chaos in my life right now. Needless to say this has all taken place after a bad week at work. I spent a lot of my time this week painting at work also since we would like to get into our office again! Marshall is off on Monday so I am hoping that we can get the girls' room done by the end of the day on Monday (Tay told us we wouldn't have it done before school started so we are motivated to prove her wrong)! Marshall did remind me that we aren't putting half of the things back in their room and that they will be all over the house until I get them sorted (which is depressing).

I am also sad because school starts to soon... registration is in a little over a week and we will have a third grader. I have also enjoyed our less busy schedules for the summer and I know once September hits our evenings will be jammed packed. The girls are both signed up for dance again (Tierney cannot wait to go again), Tay is signed up for volleyball and soccer, and Tierney is signed up for gymnastics. We did all of that on Friday. I think Tay is giving up Girl Scouts which will help with our schedules some. I am also depressed because my sweet little Tay is getting closer to a preteen and we have really noticed lately. Our children are growing up so fast and I am not sure where all of the time is going!

Twin Ponds and the Fair

Tay, Hailey, Tierney at the fair
Hailey and Tierney
Tay

The girls have had a very busy week, especially Tay. Grandpa Lewie took Tay to a day camp at the Nature Center the past three days. It was a really nice time. Tay was happy to have some time with just her and grandpa. They even went to lunch together one day after camp. The first two pictures Tay took on her own at day camp. She has one day left. The kids asked for another day at camp so they are going to ad an additional day. Marshall is going to take her tomorrow. The girls also spent the night at my parents' house last night. Mom and dad took them and their cousin Hailey to the fair in West Union tonight. They both had a really good time and are exhausted. Tierney was sad when I got them that her daddy wasn't with her. Tay said that grandma wanted to keep them another day but I really missed them especially not tucking them in last night!

I am always naughty...

So this morning Tierney was asking when we can go to Chuckee Cheese again. Marshall told her that we just went there and she would have to be really good for us to go again. In her little voice she says "but I'm always naughty". I am hoping she doesn't really feel that way! My guess is we will be visiting Chuckee in the near future.

Pool Day

Tay, Tierney, Hannah
Tay on the waterslide
Marshall and Tierney on the waterslide
Marshall and Tierney
Tay on the diving board

Today was supposed to be our pool day with Meg and Ethin but Meg called and Ethin was being too grumpy so they weren't able to come. Marshall was off today since he worked four ten hour days so we talked him into coming with us. Since we went to Charles City we let Tay bring her friend Hannah so she would have someone to hang around with. I like the Charles City pool better than ours since there is more room for Tierney to play without the water being deep. It was a good way to start the weekend after a very long week. We then made Marshall take us out to DQ afterwards!

Weekend

Here is a picture from this weekend of Hailey, Tierney, and Tay when Hailey spent the night. It is hard to believe that it is Sunday night already. We didn't do a lot yesterday. The girls played with Hailey. Then today the girls went with Nana and Papa to visit Grandma Arlene and Grandpa Bill. They came home with a bag full of items that they picked from their garden. While they were gone Marshall and I cleaned the garage and car and Marshall mowed the lawn. Then when they got home we ran some stuff out to Marshall's parents' house. It always seems like the weekends go by way too fast!!

Diving Boards

Taylor took the test to go off the diving boards and "passed" as she said! She is so excited and that is all she wants to do at the pool! Here are some pictures that Hannah's mom took of her at the pool. Tierney now is telling us that she needs to bring her life jacket to the pool so she can jump off the diving boards with Tay. That kid is fearless!!

Pool and Fish

Tierney, Tay, Ethin on the play ground at the pool
Tierney and Ethin under the mushroom
Tierney under the mushroom

Tierney, Tay, Ethin having a snack at the pool

Here are some pictures from the pool today. Meg and I took the girls and Ethin swimming in Charles City. Tay was upset about going there at first since she didn't think any of her friends would be there. She ended up running into one of her friends from dance so all was well. She didn't like that they only had two diving boards and New Hampton has more but she survived. Meg and I liked it since there was more room for Ethin and Tierney to play without having to be right on top of them. We decided that we are going to make Fridays our swimming afternoon with the kids since Marshall and Desmond are both working.

The very sad news is that when we got home Tay and I discovered that Miss Tierney's fish died. Tay's died earlier this week. They nagged us to get more fish and they both died within a week. On the way to the pool Tay was hitting me up for a puppy. Not sure how that would work since we can't even keep fish alive! So I texted Marshall and told him we have to break the bad news to Tierney in the morning. I didn't think I could do it tonight since she has had a busy day without a nap... I just didn't think I could deal with that tonight since I am quite sure it is not going to go over well!

Life

Oh my I have always told Marshall that we had children for entertainment. This morning (before breakfast) I went into the kitchen to see what Tierney was doing out there. Well she had the fridge open and when I peeked around to see what she was doing she had a Hershey's candy bar wrapper in one hand and part of the candy bar in her other hand. So I asked "what are you doing" and she replies that "the chocolate bar fell into her hands when she was getting her milk and don't tell dad". Oh man I just shook my head and started laughing... how could I not with an answer like that?

Then there is our Taylor who is growing so fast. I cannot believe how mature she has gotten. The time is just flying by! She is already planning her birthday party for September and what her dad is going to cook her since luckily her birthday is on a Saturday so she will actually get fed something decent as she and Marshall would say. It seems like she is gone all of the time. She is at a friends house again tonight. I made her agree to be home tomorrow so we can all go to the library for their Friday library program and then swimming in the afternoon and then to McDonalds for dinner (Tay hates McDonalds but it was Tierney's turn to pick).

It is hard to believe that summer is half over. It has gone by so fast. Tay is already saying that we need to start school shopping. I have been lucky enough to be home most of the summer this year (the one good thing that came from the flood). It has been hard to have my stuff for work all over... it doesn't seem like anything is in one place but it has been so nice to be home everyday.

Marshall hasn't been feeling well for the past week and a half. He finally decided to go to the doctor yesterday and they think he has high blood pressure. He has been having a lot of headaches and has been feeling dizzy a lot. He took his second dose of BP medication today but still hasn't felt better so hopefully that is all it is and it will start working soon! I worry about him since his family has a lot of heart problems. He thinks I worry way too much!

Today

I am so tired today for some reason... I went to Des Moines for work. Luckily aunt Meg and Grandma Ann watched the girls. They took them to the Chickasaw County fair this afternoon and they got to see the animals. Including the rabbit show which the girls just loved. Tierney was upset that there weren't any pigs there. Then Meg was nice enough to pick up pizza after they got back since I hadn't been home long. It is only 8:30 and I am ready for bed. I think this weather is kicking my butt plus being a tad stressed. At least I was able to come home to happy girls. They have had a couple of long days with me being gone and working late. We have decided that we need to go to the pool and then to McDonalds on Friday with Meg and Ethin... only two more days until Friday!!

Uno

It is so amazing to watch our children. We were all playing Uno Attack tonight and Tierney is getting to the stage where she wants to play on her own without help. Well she would get upset if she didn't get to hit the button for the cards and say "oh man" and when she did get to hit the button she was upset if cards didn't shoot out at her. And oh boy was she excited when it did shoot. She would giggle and say "I got more cards". Then there is Tay who would get upset if she had to hit the button and even more upset if cards shot out at her. It is crazy what a difference there is between our two girls. They are both growing so fast.

Water fight

The girls and Marshall had a water fight yesterday. Tay swore she wasn't going to swim yesterday but thought it would be fun to get Marshall wet... well she ended up going in with her clothes on. They ended up getting dad in with his clothes on too. They had so much fun. At one point Tierney had the swimming ring around her waist kneeling down on the ground behind an umbrella with a water can in her hand hiding from Marshall. It was so cute and funny!

The girls caught lighting bugs for the first time this summer using their new net and bug holder that they got from grandma and grandpa. Then we grilled and the girls made smores. We were all up late by the fire so we all slept in this morning (even Tierney) which was nice!

4th of July

Cousin Ethin and Tierney waiting for fireworks

Grandma Thea and Tay
Grandma Thea, Tay, Tierney waiting for fireworks
Grandma Thea, Cousin Ethin, Tierney, Tay sitting on the car waiting for the fireworks to start

Tierney and Tay by my new wagon
Tierney getting in the new pool
Tay and Tierney in the new pool

It was such a nice day yesterday! We set up the girls' new pool and ran to Waterloo. Of course the girls each got a new fish. Marshall talked us into going to Waterloo instead of Decorah because he needed some new sandals. Then we came home and the girls swam and then we grilled. We went to Spillville for the fireworks. Tierney woke up yesterday asking "what day is today" and when I told her Friday she was so excited because we were going to watch fireworks. We had to sit on the side of the road for two hours waiting for them to start but they were worth it and the girls really liked them. Tay is still in bed and we think the only reason Tierney got up is that she got some Barbie pop tarts yesterday and was excited to eat them this morning! The little things make her so excited.

Rabbits, Bugs, and Cookies

Lets begin with the rabbits... Grandpa Lewie can never say no to Tay. He was over a few weeks ago shortly after the neighbor's rabbit had babies. Tay had asked him to go outside to see them. Well she headed out and Grandpa tells Thea and I that he better not go. We asked why and he said because he knew Tay would be asking for one and he wouldn't be able to say no. Well Grandpa ended up going outside and guess what Tay is getting another rabbit. She talked to our neighbor and she can get it next week. So she had to call Grandpa right after she came in and Grandpa has just finished the new cage for Fluffy!

Now for the bugs. I wanted to go to Decorah tonight but the girls insisted that we stay home and make cookies. (They think if we go tomorrow that their dad will let them get a new fish since ours died). So I agreed and then discovered that we were out of chocolate chips. Well on our way out to the garage Tay began screaming about a bug. Lets be honest I probably hate bugs more than her and as I was killing it I decided that I am really tired of Marshall being on second shift because I am not a bug killer. Oh and have I mentioned that I hate cooking supper every night! It will be a year in September since he moved to second but it seems like forever!

And now for the cookies. As you can see Tierney had to get all decked out in her hat and apron to make cookies. They had a blast. I think they like to make them when Marshall is gone because I let them eat the cookie dough and that drives him nuts that we eat it by the spoonful. Hey why make cookies if you can't eat the dough?!

Dads and other stuff

So Tierney amazes me everyday. Taylor is at her friend Grace's tonight which left Tierney and I eating dinner together which is always interesting. She and I are both snackers rather than having meals unlike Marshall and Tay. We settled on mac and cheese and granola bars tonight. With such an elegant dinner Tierney informs me that I need to eat with my pinkie up (you know so we can be fancy). Then she starts talking about dads and that Grace has a dad. So I tell her that everyone has a dad and she informs me "not Grandma Ann" (you must know that Tierney is very focused on Grandma Ann since she has been spending a lot of time with us due to the flooding at her house). So she was very confused that Grandma Ann would have a dad and needed to know where he was. I tried explaining that he is in heaven which I think confused her even more... I think we need to be spending more time at church. So I try answering all of her heaven questions and then get up to go to the kitchen and she beats me to the doorway and tells me I have to say habre before I can go through... I think I should have taken more spanish in school because it is pretty bad when I have to ask my three year old what that means and she very confidently tells me "it's open in spanish". Our little girl is growing up so fast and it is amazing the things that come out of her mouth everyday!!