Track Town

Tonight, we went to....

For Oregon Track Club's first all-comers meet of the season. After all, we live in....

so, we should take advantage, right?

We started with the long jump.

Peyton's turn....

....was more of a run through, than a jump.

Then, the softball throw. Yes, that was two handed. We'll work on that.

We ended with the 60m dash.

Libby's heat. Would you look at my girl get after it!

We had so much fun and the girls loved it! Maybe the best part was that we ran into Libby's classmates, neighbors, friends and even Libby's teacher. This was our first, but it won't be our last!

Swim Lessons, Take Two

A while back I posted about our first attempt at swim lessons here. After that experience, we decided to wait a bit and try it again later. And guess what? Good news! We're doing swim lessons this week and the girls are loving it! It helps to have Elise, who's a great instructor, but this time around my girls are totally buying in. It's so fun to watch them in their lesson....

Ready!

Hearing the rules.

Turtle crawling the wall.

A not-so-relaxed back float.

Giving chase.

Daddy's home!

Day two.

Hi Mom! Hi Dad!

Back float.

I think Peyton was cold today, because she had this look more today than yesterday. It might also be that today they did the back float a lot, and practiced flipping from their belly to their back. Awkward.

Kangaroo hops across the pool.

But she ended with this look. Success!

Let Me Clarify....

Libby: Mom, now that we're home, can we run around naked?

Me: Yes, but please keep your underwear on.

(Peyton runs out of her room with underwear on her head, screaming and laughing hysterically.)

Me: When I said you need to keep your underwear on, I didn't mean wear it on your head.

Peyton: But I not doh-ing to sit down on any-ting.

Wow. Impressed again. She has a solid grasp on the reasoning behind the rule.

Summer!

I know it doesn't officially get her until tomorrow, but I finished my last school obligation today. Summer!

Summer Madness

It's always good to be home. We stopped at Starbucks as we left Astoria this morning to get coffee and a breakfast sandwich. Libby doesn't like eggs, so I took the egg out of hers, but still she refused to eat it saying that the bread hurt her lips.

(Seriously?)

I said, "Okay, don't eat it then." The problem was that already by this time Peyton was finishing off a sucker that I'd given her after she'd eaten her sandwich. Libby knew she wasn't going to get a sucker without eating the sandwich first, so she gripped it in her hand till Portland, but just couldn't force herself to eat it. Finally, in Portland she said again, "Mom, I really want a sucker now."

"Sorry. You didn't eat your sandwich."

Silence.

Explosion: "Mom! When you don't give me what I want, I'm MAD AT YOU!"

Wow. I'm thinking those are some MAD verbal skills to put together your words, especially if you're really that mad. I'm impressed.

"Mom! When you give me what I don't want, I'm MAD! AT YOU!"

"Fair enough." I say. "I can live with that. When you act this way, and then I give you what you want, you'll become a brat. I'm not raising brats."

Make no mistake, it's not that I've never given in before. In fact, last night we ate fish and Cheez-Its in bed, while watching The Incredibles. But that was my idea, so it doesn't really count.

When we got home today we put up the bouncy house. I've been promising that we'd put it up when I got done with school. As I sit here, the girls are jumping and sliding. Occasionally, they go at it and I intervene mostly for the benefit of the neighbors.

Peyton came in the house five minutes ago and said in her most tattle-taley voice, "Mom, Libby just called me a human." Aaaahhhh, summer.

Happy Father's Day....

Y'know how I've not had much time for blogging in the last month? Well, I didn't come up with anything good for Father's Day this year, because instead of writing we got in the car and went to see him! He said our visit was the best gift he could've received. So instead, I'm reposting what I wrote last year, as it's all still fitting. And I'll add this.....tonight, Libby wanted to go for a bike ride around the RV park. Since Peyton rides very slowly, we stopped at one spot to let Peyton get used to riding the hills on her Strider Bike. There was a curb and I was trying to get Libby to ride off of it, an idea she wasn't crazy about. So, Shane got on her bike to show her how to do it. A bike with a peddling radius of two inches, mind you. He landed flat on his back. Twice. I think I quit breathing I was laughing so hard. His shoe even flew off both times. It was really pathetic and really funny. Libby opted not to ride off of the curb after that. Go figure.

Happy Father's Day Biker Boy. We love you.

Little Miss Sassy Pants

Today was my last official day at work, though I still have a small task to complete next week. The girls played (well) in my classroom all morning and at the moment they're snitting at each other, tired of being together, not wanting to share anything. Did I mention tired and grumpy? And also, they're tired. And opinionated.

Anyway, I made them PB&J when we got home and put a few chips on their plate. When Libby counted her chips and then counted Peyton's she exploded at the sheer loathing I must hold for her, for I shorted her one chip. One. She had four. Peyton had five. Can you believe I'd do that? I'm evil through and through. I responded with, "You may have more if you eat all of those, and if I here you complain again, no chips." She complained again. I put her chips back in the bag.

Nuclear Meltdown.

Through Libby's screams, Peyton then says, "Mom, that's too LOUD, but I not doh-ing to freak out." I might have giggled.

Hiroshima.

I spent the next ten minutes explaining to her that the world isn't against her, Daddy and I do, in fact, love her very much. And though Peyton can be outright funny with impeccable comedic timing (cleverly) sassy, she loves you too. It's so hard to feel really big feelings. Especially the sad ones.

Oy. Over chips, people. Chips. Hellooooooo summer.

Three...

Let's stroll down memory lane, wanna?

Three years ago today, I posted this.

Two years ago, this.

And last year, this.

Oh. my. baby.

She's three.

three.

...or, in her own words, "Libby, I fee!"

Schooooools Out for Summer!

Let me start by saying this.... School is OUT. O-U-T, OUT. Well, not for everyone, but it's out for my fifth graders. We had a fifth grade celebration ceremony today where all of the students received a certificate, but by far the best part was at the end of the day "clap out". The entire school, students, staff and fifth grade parents lined the hallways from our classrooms to the main doors by the office. Then, as our fifth graders walked their final walk down the hall and out the main doors everyone cheered for them. It was awesome. And it felt a little like they were cheering for me. Did I mention I just finished my first year back at school after being home with my girls? And did I also mention that I survived? I know, huh.

I work tomorrow, but it's all end-of-the-year wrapping up type stuff. Folders, clean up and I thought I might build some new shelves in my room. Now, I'm rethinking the shelves part. I think I'll do the required stuff and save shelf building for another day. It feels so good to be done.

Tonight the girls and I watched Tangled (thank you Grandpa Dad and Grandma Margie) and the girls are so exhausted I give them three minutes, tops, before they're out.

And guess what tomorrow is?! My baby turns three! She's dying to have a swim party "just like Lucy's!" so that will have to wait a few more weeks, I think. Anything that's not a swim party isn't going to cut it, I'm afraid. Someone has an opinion these days, and a strong one at that.

She's vocal too. Tonight, after both girls got a little demanding with me I explained to them that if they want something that they can get for themselves, the question should start with, "Mom, may I please have...." But, if they need me to get/do something for them, the sentence should start with, "Mom will you please do something for me?"

The second I said it, Peyton says, "Mommy will you please do something for me?" But what she wanted, she didn't know.

Then, at dinner Peyton interrupts Libby with, "Libby, you bossy to yo mudduh."

I bet you can guess how that went over. Libby was furious and on the verge of blowing her top. Sitting cross-armed in her chair (just like me 34 years before her), she was trying so hard not to lose it.

In an attempt (I think) to make her laugh, Peyton finished her little comedy routine with, "Libby, I going to poke your, mommy's, my eye." Then, she proceeded to poke herself in the eye and laugh hysterically.

Still, her audience didn't deliver like she'd hoped. I had to stifle my own laughter so as not to push Libby over the ledge, and Libby just tried not to fall off the ledge.

May

I have three days with students this week, and two days without. Summer officially starts for me on Friday. I remember (like it was yesterday) how I felt when I posted this, and I was counting the days until I returned to work. Now, I'm five days away from having completed this year and getting to spend my whole summer with my family. I'm so ready for summer! I know I haven't blogged anything in a long time. But, here's a look back at May....

Libby gives Peytie a boost on one of our first (and rare) sunny days.

Before having kids this would be the oddest scene ever. Now, well....just a day in the life. Can someone please unstack the paint tower, before there's paint everywhere? Impressive though, right?

At the beginning of May we attended the first banquet ever held on the floor of the Matthew Night Arena. The banquet was held to honor women athletes who never received an athletic letter. My momma was one of many! She was honored as an athlete in tennis, track and field and basketball. Check out her name in lights!

Go Lady Ducks!

I've posted pictures like these before. But, as the girls have gotten older, they want to fly higher.

Super Peytie!

Just another wardrobe change.

Static Heads

One thing I loved about being home with the girls were slow, quiet mornings and making hot breakfasts. A few weeks ago, Libby asked for pancakes and I was happy to make them, with help.

A fun new game. Alphabet Sequence.

This picture is summary of my loss of personal space. I actually set my computer here so I could watch the girls play in the backyard, or on the trampoline. But the minute I sat down, Libby pulled her chair over and said, "Mom, I want to sit by you." And whatever Libby does, Peyton does three seconds later. And so it goes.