Laundry is piling up

On night I tried to turn my barely over a year old dryer on, and it made an awful noise.  We called for repair, they looked at it had to order a part and then resceduled to fix it once the part arrived.  The problem wasn't just for that week without a dryer but it was that the day after the repair, we were leaving for Washington for several weeks. 

I felt like the laundry mat was the answer.  I had washed towels and bedding and just hung them around on chairs and the stair banister to dry.  I couldn't see hanging up a load of little girls clothes all around to dry.

The girls that went with me had a super time. 

They helped me fill washers and dryers and Lindsey found like $17 in a washing machine.  (Turned out it was Robert's.)  I figured since I was mass washing I might as well wash and dry.  I had washed about 3 loads before going to the laundry mat.

We got in trouble for riding around in the carts.  We ended up washing 8 loads of clothes and drying 11 loads.  What a releif to have them all done at the same time.  Maybe I should invest in several more washer and dryers for my own home. 

All the laundry got done before our trip!  And my dryer got fixed before my trip too...but I didn't really need it for another several weeks.

Work at the Zoo

We didn't really work at the zoo, but Robert's work took us to the zoo.  They fed us dinner and the zoo was open late for us.  We also got special bracelets that let us ride the train and merry-go-round as many times as we wanted to.  Which of course we did.

I lost count how many times we rode the carousel.  I know it was enough times that I had to get off because my head and belly wasn't feeling real great. 

The kids got a kick out of Robert riding the snake and the ladybug, at different times of course.  (Some of his co-workers thought it was pretty funny too.)  He is a good dad!

And of course what would a picture be without Amber doing something really silly in it.  The girls had a good time.  We had a zoo pass one year, but it has since expired.  It was nice to go and visit the zoo again for free.

Exciting news for Lindsey

Lindsey shortly after her 9th birthday, got her braces off.  She was so excited. 

This is Lindsey the day she got her braces on...

Then after she got them on, the first day of braces.

Then this is her silly picture after she got off her braces.  Not the offical braces off picture, but I can't find it.  Our computer had a virus and I can't find it anywhere.... 

Her doctor presented her with a bag of goodies, things that she wasn't able to eat while she had braces.  Her favorite was the apple, she was excited about eating an apple without having it sliced up.

I found Lindsey in my bed asleep a few days later, with a carmel poppcorn still in her mouth.  I guess she missed eating sticky poppcorn too. 

Her smile looks pretty amazing, when she doesn't have carmel corn or some other sticky thing in her mouth.  I think she is happy to have them off, and I am happy to not have to floss her teeth in such great detail.  I'm sure that will only last for awhile, I'm guessing Emily will be getting braces.

Family Home Evening

One monday night after dinner we simply went to our favorite frozen yogurt place and had yogurt. 

The girls LOVE all the fun flavors and toppings for it all. 

They ask to go there often, but we don't go as often as they would like.

May Birthdays

I feel so bad that it has taken me this long to do the girls birthdays! May was a crazy month, then June went fast and next thing, it was July and I was on vacation! It seems like the months since that have even been faster.  I will attempt to catch up...  but it may take a while....

Samantha wanted a pink cake, and pink frosting, and she requested sqaure shape.  Easy enough.

Samantha turning 3 made me wonder what has happened in the last 3 years, how could she be 3 already?  I remember when I went to the hospital with her, 2 days before the Twin's birthday party that we had planned.  Had to cancel that party, we weren't even home yet.  Poor girls had to wait awhile for the party.

Samantha went upstairs right before her "party" (a.k.a. singing to her, blowing out candles, and opening up presents) and came back down in a total different outfit, which is the one she has on in the pictures. 

When I asked her why she changed, she looked at me and said, "Mommm-- I had to get ready for my birthday!"  Funny girl!

She enjoyed opening up her presents and finding all her treasures inside. 

Lindsey and Lauren share a birthday together which is just 6 days after Samantha's birthday.  Wierd thing about it, my due date for the twins was June 11th same due date for Samantha, but Samantha ended up coming even earlier than the twins.  Weird huh!

Lindsey wanted a soccer ball cake and Lauren chose a football cake.  Lauren likes to play football at recess at school.  Maybe it is just catch with the football.  Although that was last year for 3rd grade, maybe now that she is in 4th grade things are different.

These two girls crack me up!  Lindsey has a funny, silly personality.... but also very thoughtful of others.

Lauren can be silly too but is normally more compassionate and loving toward others and their feelings.

The girls turned 9 this year... at each birthday I find it hard to believe as I think back on the day they were born, I am suprised that time has moved so quickly.

And it makes me miss my little babies.... how much they needed me, how dependent they were on ME, and now I am no longer the center of their life, but more of an accessory.  I am afraid it will get more and more like that as the years continue on.

Hair Cut time!

School is getting ready to start, so of course Lindsey wanted to get all ready with a hair cut. Of course since she was having one, Lauren wanted on, then Samantha wanted one, and also A...m....b......e......r wanted one. I can hardly say it. It killed me to cut Amber's hair. Although her hair is SO SO SO tangley, and its to long and uneven. She has been asking for awhile. Like I told Robert, Emily asked for her hair cut in Kindergarten, and since then she has left it for the most part long. Lindsey and Lauren like their hair shorter, and I say why not let them have their hair the way they want it, within reason of course.

So get ready for the shocker.... Poor Rob, I think I should have called and prepared him for the shock of her hair being short! Lauren was wanting her hair cut too, but then I guess she told Robert last night that she wanted to grow it longer. Who knows?

Lindsey at Pony Poop Farm

Lindsey after her hair cut

Lindsey again! She has a nice way of smiling...

Funny Lindsey!

Samantha got a hair cut too, but it was more just evening out the edges from when I cut it before. She was satisfied with the small cuts I did.

Amber before her hair cut. Notice how uneven her hair is.

You can see how long it is from the front...all that hair growing for the last almost 5 years! 

SHOCKER!

Look how cute it is and how happy she is!

This was before she even looked in the mirror!

Then she sees her hair in the mirror, I think she likes it!

I think she LOVES it!! (and that dot on her nose is paint, we went school supply shopping and got paint)

I couldn't find my ruler, but most of you know how big a package of wipes is...

And now she has hair for her baby-ish book. I did have a piece, but it was a chunck that Samantha pulled out of her head.



Our lovely dog...

Don't let this cute little guy fool you...  this is what we saw and thought how cute he was... 

He seems to find trouble no matter where he goes.  We don't have toilet paper in the down stairs bathroom on the dispenser, it is up on a shelf, or it will look like this.  This one is the best of the ones I have found.

Apparently he has seen the cat go in and out of the door, but he doesn't really fit.  When come home or leave and we see his head pop out the door.  It is only a matter of time before he gets stuck in there or can't do it anymore.

My iPhone was plugged in and charging, and he ate right through the cord, can you believe that? 

He seems to like whatever the kids have such as puzzles.  This poor puzzle the kids LOVED it and we have had it for so long!

Would you believe that he likes to play Memory games too?  Guess it will be easy to match the lady bug now.

He loves the water, especially when it is in the dirt.  This is what our bathroom looked like several different times!  The picure doesn't even do justice, the floor was a MESS!

Yeah look at those dirty paws, real cute isn't he?!

He also has gotten a hold of a few flipping frogs from our frog game.  I don't think there is any fixing that frog.

Swimming googles?  Really? 

He ate the tape dispenser.  I complain about my kids taking my tape, at least they don't destroy it.

And my chairs for my dining table too...

That's not even nice!

This is our chair that sits at the computer desk, he spends a lot of time under the chair.  You can see how he spends his time.

He has popped just about every ball in the house including 2 soccer balls.

There is ALWAYS just stuff all over our floor from him eating something, the newspaper, wrappers, toys, socks, dryer sheets.  He is just a huge mess maker!

He is trying to look less quilty, but he broke Amber's cute little sunglasses.  Amber was not happy.

This is only a small portion of things he has chewed up...  this isn't including the large number of socks, shirts and skirts he has tore holes in, his nice expensive doggy bed he mutilated, numerous shoes he has chewed up (including some of our neighbors shoes).  I am not sure I am happy about this dog at all!  Some nights I think, this dog goes tomorrow!  And then I soften a little bit....

When I see the look on the girls face....

And hear their laughter as they play with him.

Then I think maybe we will keep him one more day.

These are some pictures from when we first got him and then now...

And the girls seem to love this dog...

And I think the dog loves these girls too!