The end of life as we know it...

Life at our house is changing.


Things will never, ever be the same. ...


Layla has started solid food. This means more baths during the day, the nightly "hosing-down" of the high chair on my back patio, and the end of the innocent mustard diapers.


My girls have discovered BOWLING.

Mia's shoes.



We ventured to Mesa Lanes with our free coupons from summer reading at the library. They loved it all--the shoes, the funny finger-holes.



I'll have you know that yours truly bowled the lone strike in Mia's score. Also, Mia threw a rogue ball that knocked down down the gutter guard in frame 7. We had to get that fixed quickly. It was a great activity and I am glad that I have people to bowl with, since Mark is mysteriously allergic to bowling alleys. (I think it is some sort of childhood issue because he recently found out that he was babysat by Mrs. Kunkel, the nice German lady, so his mother could participate in a bowling league.)

It is back to school for us! The 1st-grader packed up her sack lunch and headed off to school this morning. I am determined to make up for my childhood of dismal sack lunches (sorry Mom) but having a variety of good stuff on hand and to stick a love note in it every day. So far, I am 100%. Ava was so excited that she woke up and was dressed, complete with her lunch and tote bag by 6:30 am. She had her shoes on by 6:50. When Mark took her at 8:15, I think she was ready to go back to bed. I only drove by the school once. She was outside eating lunch with her friends. She looked so cute with her legs crossed at the ankles. I had to pry every detail out of her (I should be an interoogator) after school then gently remind her to throw her lunch trash away instead of bringing it home to me. She had a rather interesting mix of pudding, chip crumbs and sandwich crusts. You think I would be able to handle it after three kids in diapers, but it was pretty gross.



Mia will have her own first day adventures next week, but we discovered what a FULL day at school really means. Luckily, she had her friend Lizzy over. While I was showering, they dumped a whole bucket of Perler beads all over the floor. Because of their unique cylindrical shape, as you try to sweep them, they tend to roll every which way, making a bigger mess. I finally covered the vacuum hose with a panty hose and sucked them up. While I was doing this, they were sweeping the piles I had made first down the hall into Mia's room.