Another windy/somewhat drizzly day. Just yucky enough so the girls couldn't play outside. Both girls were up bright and early this morning so I decided to be good and get going on the laundry. One of my least favorite chores. Not the actual washing/drying. I could do without folding or putting away! The girls and I ran a couple of errands this morning. They weren't on their best behavior, but I have seen worse from them so I guess it was a wash! We came home for lunch and naptime. The power went out here for a little while this afternoon so I was a little worried Mckenzie might not nap, but she went down without a fuss. I think my tricking her into believing Abby is also napping is the key!  When Mckenzie woke up from her nap, I didn't have to do anything for her. Abby changed her from her diaper into her panties and made Mckenzie go potty too! My little mommy in training! Then they played nicely together. What a beautiful afternoon! I had a meeting for Abby's school tonight and luckily it didn't run too long. At least it was at the house so I got to say good night to the girls.

We went apple picking today on a field trip for Abby's school. It was a lot of fun and Abby enjoyed seeing her friends. We got to take a wagon ride to an apple orchard where we got to pick our own apples. Mckenzie preferred to squish the apples already on the ground and Abby was always two steps ahead of Mckenzie and I. But we filled our bags and had lots of fun doing it. The wagon brought us back and we had a donut and apple cider. I don't think Mckenzie cared too much for the donut, preferring to run around instead. Abby sat so quietly next to her little friend and ate her donut. We then went to do a corn maze. I didn't really want to go all the way through because it was pretty long and it was muddy. I told the kids we were only going in a little ways to take pictures and then we were leaving. Well, Abby just had to go through and I caved. It took us quite awhile to get out and we were all very dirty by the time we made it out, but, it was worth it all. The kids had so much fun running through the corn and looking for the right path. When we got to the end, both girls raised their arms in the air and started cheering! I love moments like that!  I asked Abby what her favorite part of the day was and she said all of it. Mckenzie said the corn maze, which surprised me a little since she was hesitant to go in. She also fell down a few times, but after the second time, she would jump right back up, wipe her muddy little hands on her pants and continue down the path. The rest of the day was pretty quiet. Scott got home from work and we had tacos for dinner. I never buy the hard shell tacos because we prefer the soft ones, but I was supposed to bring in tacos to Abby's chef class if it rained today and the teacher requested hard shell. Well, Abby absolutely loves hard shell tacos. She ate two and asked for a third! She hardly touches soft shell tacos so I was very shocked to see her eat these. Scott helped me clean the house tonight. I have not wanted to do any cleaning lately, so I really appreciate the help to get the house back in order. We got some good news today. Scott will not be deploying this October so he should be home for the holidays (as long as he doesn't have to go on a regular trip). Instead, he will be deploying this January. Unfortunately, it will be four months instead of two, but that is the way things go.

Another rainy day and another lazy day. The girls didn't get out of their pajamas until it was time to go to gymnastics! The girls played really well together today and only had one or two little spats. Mckenzie even took a nap without too much difficulty. I did have to pretend that Abby was taking a nap as well and I put a stuffed animal under the covers in Abby's bed so Mckenzie would think it was Abby in there! Scott was done with work a little earlier today so he was able to take the girls to gymnastics while I ran to the mall by myself! A mani/pedi for me to top off shopping alone! It was so nice to have a little alone time. Love the girls, but it has been so long since I have done anything by myself. Thanks babe! Scott said Mckenzie did great a gymnastics. She showed him front rolls and cartwheels. Abby enjoyed herself as well. I am really glad we tried out this new gym. It is a good fit for the girls and the teachers are great. No picture again today. I meant to get one of Mckenzie running around in her panties and her new boots, but I never got around to it.

Another Monday! It was raining off and on today. Makes for a lazy day. Too bad Mckenzie didn't get that memo and take a nap like she is supposed to do! Abby had school again this morning and she is still so excited to see her teacher and her friends. Mckenzie and I had to run to the dealership and bring them the title to the Tahoe. I was a little surprised to see the Tahoe sitting in front of the dealership. I figured they would have driven it to the back of the lot by now! Not that it is a bad car, it just doesn't fit in at the Infiniti lot. I was sad to see her sitting out in the rain. Made me cry a little bit again. Thought I was over it, but I guess not :( Since we were already out, Mckenzie and I ran to the mall to see if I could find something to wear for an upcoming wedding. No luck. Mckenzie wasn't in the mood to shop so we just headed back home. She fell asleep for 15-20 minutes on the drive home and that was enough to give her a second wind. So no nap. Can't say I didn't try... We picked Abby up from class and ran to the grocery store. Abby was so good. Can't say the same for the little one, but she was tired and hungry. Not a good combination for grocery shopping. I made fish for dinner and the girls chowed down on it. Mckenzie was a bit hesitant and I had to bribe her with cheese, but she ate it and said she liked it. We put the girls to put a little early tonight and I am hoping to do the same!

We had a lazy day around here today. Abby dressed herself and did a good job picking out a matching shirt and skirt. She also dressed Mckenzie in an interesting combination. Flowered leggings with a rainbow shirt. Should have taken a picture but I didn't. Abby also put a diaper on Mckenzie because she wants to be a mommy. Forget the whole potty training, its all about Abby practicing to be a mommy! We ran to Best Buy to get a DVD player for the airplane ride and a few new movies to entertain them. I hope it works! Dinner at Panera again, although, the panini could have been cooked a little less. It was harder than the potato chips! Abby finished up her 'homework' for school tomorrow and a quick shower for the girls and off to bed. Maybe I will take a picture tomorrow.

What a day! A four year old birthday party and a new car! This morning we went for breakfast at Perkins (love love love their breakfast food). The girls were both good, for the most part. Kenzie was a little feisty, but I chalk it up to the fact that she didn't have her pacifier and it was after 9 before she ate breakfast. We normally eat earlier than that, but we didn't get moving right away this morning. We had a bowling birthday party to go to for one of Abby's school friends. It was a lot of fun to see all of those little ones trying to bowl and even better how well they took turns! By the time we got home, the girls were exhausted and so was I! Mckenzie went down for a nap and she didn't even try to come out of her room.

We said goodbye to our Tahoe today and hello to our Infinity. So a sad and happy day. I still remember buying the Tahoe and thinking we were keeping her FOREVER. Well, 6 years later and over 100k miles, it was time to move on. With Scott deploying, I wanted to be in a more reliable vehicle. She has started making a couple of new noises and we weren't too sure what they were! I have a lot of memories tied to that car. We brought both of our beautiful girls home from the hospital in that car and we made many road trips in it. I only shed a tear or two as Scott drove her away for the last time :( I wish I wasn't so sentimental about things like this, but then again, I wouldn't be who I am if I didn't get so attached. It feels like we were meant to be in our new SUV anyway. Scott found it online at a local dealership and it had less than 10k miles and was priced right. When we went to the lot, we found out it had been sold. But, we test drove another one anyway and both of us really liked the way it handled. Well, Scott made sure the salesman knew we really wanted the one that had been sold and said if for some reason it didn't sell, he should call us. Well, not too long after we drove off the lot, we got a phone call from the dealership saying if we wanted it, we could buy it! We were both so excited, although I think Scott was hesitant to move forward since I am so attached to my old car. So, Scott and Abby went to buy it for us. What a great ride. We all took it out for a spin after dinner and it is a dream to drive! I am very happy with our decision, aside from having a car payment again, and I look forward to driving this car FOREVER!



Bye bye my beautiful Tahoe!



Hello newbie!



I was the parent helper in Abby's class today. It was a lot of fun. Abby was so excited to have me in the class with her and very excited to be class leader as well. A class leader gets to ring the bell to indicate the end of an activity and also gets to be first in line. Very exciting stuff for 4 year olds! I could have saved my time making snack for the kids though, none of them even tried it except Abby. I can't say I blame them for not trying it. I don't like to try new things either! Mckenzie did great in the nursery and I got a glimpse of her playing on the playground with bearie on one swing and her on the other. Too cute! The girls were had a tea party this afternoon. It was quite messy, but luckily, they were just drinking water. I tried to get some pics, but none of them turned out. When Scott got home, we thought it would be a good idea to go test drive a SUV that we have been looking at. Well, it wasn't meant to be, because it had just sold to another customer :( We grabbed dinner and then ran to the store to get a present for a birthday party tomorrow. It was a late night for the kiddos, but they handled it well. On a good note, we found out our renters have moved out and they didn't damage the place! I was so worried about the whole situation since they didn't move out by the date they were told to vacate. I am disappointed in our property manager for letting the situation even occur, but that is a whole story in itself! Now it's just to get the place cleaned and one minor repair done and the buyer can move in. I have decided against going to visit the house one last time. I really thought I needed to see it again, but I think it might cause Abby more problems than it would solve for me. She still really really misses Florida and her little friends there. She talks about the house and her purple room and tells us she would like to live there again. I think if I took her with me to Florida, she would miss it even more and if I didn't take her, she would be very upset. So, I will just have to rely on my memories of the house when we lived there.

I had a dentist appointment this morning and I was so glad that Scott was able to stay home and watch the girls for me. I could have taken them with me because they had a play area for the kids and the receptionist will watch them for ya, but it was nice to leave them sleeping. The girls and I ran to the mall today to find a dress for Mckenzie to match the one I bought for Abby the other day. At first, I didn't think the store had it, but I found one hidden away! I am so glad I could get them matching dresses. Now just to order the shoes to match! Abby was so excited to eat lunch at the mall. I don't know why, mall food never is that great, but she loves to eat there. Anyway, we went to the A&W to get Mckenzie a burger and Abby told the cashier she wanted rice and chicken. The lady just laughed and told her she had to order that at a different restaurant. Abby and I got chicken and rice and Mckenize ended up eating it as well, not even touching her burger. Probably a good thing because it was pretty pink in the middle! After many attempts, Mckenzie finally went down for a nap. It has been a great challenge to keep her in her bed or even in her room. She comes out to go bathroom or see what Abby is doing. It takes forever to get her to nap, but I know she still needs them because she slept for three hours and didn't get up until Abby went in to wake her. Abby climbed into bed with Mckenzie and was so gentle and sweet when she was waking her. The two of them played in bed together for a good 20 minutes before coming downstairs. When Scott got home, we ran to Subway for dinner and then to the grocery store to get snack for school tomorrow. I am the parent helper in Abby's class tomorrow so we get to bring snack for everyone! No pics again today. I really really need to charge my camera!

When I dropped Abby off at school, she saw one of her little friends and they ran to hug each other. I love to see them hugging and jumping up and down. It is so adorable! Abby had a great day at school and all she could talk about is going apple picking tomorrow. The field trip isn't until next week, but for some reason Abby thinks it is tomorrow. Mckenzie was excited to watch Cars today. She hasn't watched it in forever because we couldn't find the disc. We went to get Scott's measurements taken for his sister's wedding and did a little clothes shopping for the girls. I got them matching dresses to wear for the wedding. They are going to look so cute! We went to Panera Bread for dinner and it was super tasty. Got the girls home and ready for bed. Hopefully, Mckenzie will settle down soon. She keeps coming out of her room and then Abby comes out of her room and they have a little pow wow in the hallway. Abby has finally stopped coming out, so I hope Mckenzie will follow suit. It was kind of cute though when Abby came to the overlook into the family room and told us Mckenzie needed to tell us something. She motioned for Mckenzie to come over too and then asked her what she wanted to tell us. Mckenzie just stood there, smiling with her pacifier in her mouth and bear in her little hands. She didn't need anything as far as I could tell! I just went up to Mckenzie's room again. I don't know how many times Scott and I have been up there tonight, I just hope this was the last time!

Another Tuesday and the house is clean. Thank God Scott works so we can have a housekeeper! The girls wanted to do puppets today and Abby insisted on a puppet stand as well. Well, the sock puppets were easy since I just cleaned out Mckenzie's drawer and there were lots of old socks to choose from. The puppet stand was a little more complicated, but it turned out pretty well. I think I got into a little more than the girls did. It took me most of the morning to build, a couple of boxes we have yet to recycle from the move and a lot of packaging tape, but I think it turned out pretty well overall. The girls lost interest about halfway through and I ended up building it on my own, but they did check in every now and then to see how it was going! We didn't get to have any puppet shows yet, but we can do that tomorrow. The girls did bring in a blanket and pillow to play house in there for a little bit. Mckenzie was pretty cranky again today. I think her cold is getting the best of her. She took a three hour nap and woke up in a much better mood. Abby and I made flowers for the puppet stand as our art project for the day, then we veged out on the couch for a little bit until Mckenzie woke up. We got a nice surprise today; Scott came home from his trip a little earlier than expected! The girls were so excited to see him. I love how Mckenzie jumps around and says excited when she is really happy about something. We all went to gymnastics today and the girls had fun again. Mckenzie was the only one in her class so she got to do a lot of stuff, although I think she got a little tired from it all. Abby seems to be enjoying her new class and when I was able to watch her, she was doing really good. We went out to dinner tonight and the girls were so good. So, the day ended on a very good note!


Our puppet stand/playhouse!



Another school day for Abby and she is still excited to go. While she was at school, Mckenzie and I played with some puzzles and snuggled on the couch together. She was almost asleep, but I made her get up and eat lunch. I should have let her fall asleep because she protested taking a nap for the very first time! I tried everything to get her to take a nap, I even turned her bed around so she couldn't get out and that just made her upset. So, Mckenzie ended up playing during naptime instead today. I hope this isn't a pattern. I am not ready to give up her naptime. I really enjoy those few moments of me time. Mckenzie and I showed up to Abby's school a little early and Abby excitedly asked if Mckenzie could play with her. I love how the two of them enjoy spending time together! Abby's teacher told me a story about Abby today. Apparently Abby told her teacher that Scott has to work to pay for the housekeeper! Nevermind to buy groceries, pay the bills, etc... Silly little girl! We played in the front yard again today and we did our art project out there as well. I had the girls collect twigs and leaves to make a tree on paper. Mckenzie's looks nothing like a tree, but she was so happy that I let her play with the glue! Abby's is a pretty good looking tree if I do say so myself! Mckenzie did fantastic with potty training today. No accidents! Yippee! I gave the girls a shower tonight instead of a bath. Abby just loves showers and would stay in there as long as I would let her. Mckenzie isn't a big fan, but she didn't cry so that is a bonus. Mckenzie went right to sleep tonight, I guess she was super tired after no nap. Abby was the one that didn't want to sleep and kept asking for things like, "can I play with my barbies?" . I found her asleep on the floor in her room. Didn't look like she had been playing with anything though so I am not sure why she was there! I took some pictures today, but the battery in my camera needs to be charged and I haven't gotten around to doing that yet. Will post them later.
BTW, I forgot to write about what Mckenzie did at Target yesterday. We were in the home decor aisle and she picked up a ceramic ball and looked at me and said "Bounce" while nodding her head yes. As I started to tell her no, put that back, she decided to bounce the ball. Needless to say, it didn't bounce but shattered.

Both girls slept in this morning much to my surprise. Mckenzie started waking up around six, but after I went in a couple of times to tell her to go back to bed, she didn't wake up until 8:30! Abby was up and dressed around 8. She actually chose to put on a t-shirt and pair of shorts today. Along with her striped socks, her brown shirt with pink flowers and bright blue shorts made for an interesting combo! I just love the look on her face when she shows me that she is dressed and that she picked it out all by herself. The girls were much less whiny today. I am so thankful for that. During Mckenzie's naptime, Abby brought a million toys into my room. She said they had to be there because it was the bus station. Very interesting. Kind of like the story she told me today. She told me about a girl and her daddy who were walking in the forest and a scary tiger, a dinosaur, and a monster came up and ate them. Somehow it ended up happy. Guess we shouldn't have read her Little Red Riding Hood at such a young age! After nap, the girls were just silly. I ended up chasing them and tickling them for nearly two hours! I can't believe they wanted to be tickled so much! We ran to the store to pick up some Vicks pads to ease Mckenzie's congestion and came back home to have some dinner. We got to talk to Scott and that was fun, but the girls were starting to get restless. I gave the girls a bath and Mckenzie gave me a surprise. She pooped in the tub! GROSS! It's not the first time she has done it, but I thought she was old enough now that is wouldn't happen anymore! Thank God for bleach! Both girls are down for the night, so I am hoping to get a little reading done. No pics today. I need to charge my camera!

What a morning and afternoon! Super whiny/fighting kids and a mommy with very little patience today. Great combo I tell ya! Mckenzie had two accidents this morning but then she was good the rest of the day. She even put herself on the potty without being told before taking a bath tonight! I see the slow progress every day. It is just a long process and even though it wasn't that long ago we trained Abby, I seem to have forgotten how long and enduring a process it is.  We ran to the store to get some milk and surprisingly, the girls were very well behaved there. We came home, got some dinner, and then headed outside to play. We really should have gone out earlier in the day because it was cool after dinner. I miss Florida weather right now. I am not ready for fall or winter. Played around with manual settings on my camera, and I got a pic or two that isn't too terrible. Not good, but not terrible either. Gave the girls a bath tonight and I wasn't paying attention while I filled the tub and it was more like a swimming pool for the girls. They had fun though. I am glad the day ended on a happy note. Hopefully tomorrow none of us will be cranky.



Sock puppets!




She isn't always this dirty, she had just taken a bite of pasta!

 Abby had school again today so Mckenzie and I hung out at the house. We read a million and two books and it was so fun. I love to snuggle and read a good book. Still working on the whole color thing with her. I find myself getting frustrated because she is still struggling with them. I know she just needs more practice. Abby had a another great day at school. I just love how excited she gets when her teacher dismisses her from class. She comes running out of her classroom full speed ahead to hug Mckenzie and me. The rest of the day was pretty chill, just hanging out at home. I sent back the garbage can I ordered for Mckenzie's room because it was damaged. I love how easy PBK is to work with. I called them and they had UPS pick up the damaged item at the house and ordered a new one for me in one simple phone call. I am getting excited to decorate Mckenzie's room. It probably won't be for awhile yet since we have to paint her bed and find a dresser, but I know she is going to love it when it is done! The girls are in bed, but I don't know when Mckenzie is going to go to sleep. Tonight is the first night she protested when I put her to bed. She started crying and wanted me to leave her door open. She has always slept with it closed and I am not going to start opening it now so she can run back and forth between her room and Abby's. She didn't get upset the second time I closed her door, but now I am watching her on the video monitor just playing away in her bed. I guess as long as she stays in bed I can't complain.

Abby had a dentist appointment this morning to fix two cavities. It started off really good and ended not so good. At first she was laughing so hard because her dentist tries to be funny for the kids. She made it all the way through until it was time to polish her teeth. But, I think by that time she was tired of laying there with her mouth open and she started crying and wanting me to hold her. Made me sad to see her so upset. But, she is a little trooper and it was quickly forgotten, although she did tell me she isn't going to the dentist again. So, I can't wait until her next cleaning! That should be lots of fun getting her there! I bought Abby a four leaf clover necklace for being so brave and took the girls to Chick fil a for some lunch. Abby saw one of her friends from school and she also made a new friend. Came home for nap and I guess I wasn't thinking because I put Mckenzie down in her panties! She woke crying two hours later because she had peed her pants. I think she was trying to get out of her bed though to go potty because she was standing in the puddle when I got in there. Talked to Scott this afternoon and he said he would call when he got where he was going. Oh, I think Mckenzie knows the difference in flight suits. When Scott goes to work here, he puts on his green flight suit. When he travels, he wears deserts. When Mckenzie saw him put on his desert flight suit today, she started crying. It broke my heart. I can't imagine what it did to Scott. It rained a bit this afternoon so we stayed inside to play. The girls played very well together and only had some minor disagreements. I like days like that! Abby fell asleep this afternoon while watching a movie, so now she is trying every excuse in the book to stay up a little longer. I saw Mckenzie on the video monitor climb out of her bed so I went upstairs to tell her to get back into bed. I must be too noisy though, because she was already back in her bed with a little smile on her face. She hasn't gotten out since. I am hoping she stays all night.


I was doing dinner dishes and went into the dining room
to find Mckenzie had climbed up on the table! She was so
proud of what she had done. It was hard to be upset with her.




Abby's four leaf clover necklace. She is so proud of it!



Abby's second day of school today! She didn't argue about going to school, but it was definitely harder to get her going today than it was on Monday. Lots of reminders about getting dressed, although, she made her bed without being told more than once so that is helpful. And she left Lambie at home again today. Her choice. We were running a couple of minutes behind, so I was trying to hurry Mckenzie into the car and instead of letting her get herself into her seat, I put her in myself. Well, apparently I am getting old because I pulled a muscle in my back. Hurt like crazy! Got Abby to school and Mckenzie and I came home to vege on the couch and watch the Wiggles. I felt bad that for her having to watch tv all morning, but she didn't seem to mind one bit. Got Mckenzie down for an early nap and took one myself. Scott came home early today, so he was able to pick Abby up from school and keep an eye on the kids for me. Abby had another great day at school. Guess they made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in her Chef class today. Poor girl has to be peanut buttered out because that is what I sent in her lunch bag too! Scott took the girls to the park to play this afternoon. They had a good time until Mckenzie fell off the swing onto her face. Poor little girl has quite a few red marks on her face and she ate/snorted lots of dirt. She didn't seem to care about any of that though when she got home. All she was concerned with was showing me her pacifier got dirty and needed to be washed! Scott gave the girls a bath and then he made me go to the walk in care center on base to get something for my back. He took the girls to get some dinner while they waited for me. When they came to pick me up, Abby was so excited to tell me all about the play area and the slide. She had a great time playing. Mckenzie was excited to see me and kept hugging my leg. I love those little girls! We got home and Scott switched the crib into a toddler bed so I don't have to lift Mckenzie in and out myself since he is will be travelling soon. So far, she is staying in her bed. I hope it lasts all night! I remember the first night we put Abby into a big girl bed. We told her not to come out of her room for anything and it wasn't too long after we put her down we saw her little head poking around the corner. I firmly told her to get back to bed and she started crying. Turned out, she had only needed to go potty. I felt horrible!

We had a busy afternoon around here. I put Mckenzie down for an early nap again so she could get a little nap before I had to go to a dentist appointment. I dropped the girls off with a friend who's girls are the same as Abby and Mckenzie. I am so thankful she was able to help me out so I didn't have to drag the girls with. The girls had a great time playing with their friends. I know they missed me because as soon as they saw me, they both let out high pitched girly girl screams! I love it! We came home and I got the girls ready to go to gymnastics, well, I should say I got Mckenzie ready to go. Abby was upstairs and dressed practically before Mckenzie and I made it into the house. We tried out a new gymnastics facility today and I really liked it. Mckenzie's age requires parental help and it was so much fun to be able to play with her. She loved it! Especially jumping on the trampoline. The teacher was great and worked so well with the little ones. Abby enjoyed her class too! She did great on the balance beams and has gotten so much more confident with doing activities on her own. I remember how she would run up to me and want to stay with me. Now, she hardly even looks back at me when she is in class. Every now and then, I would catch her looking at me, but she never needed me to stand by her. Scott made it to the class in time to see a little bit. Both girls were ecstatic when they noticed he was sitting there. 

Abby came over in the middle of the night and I didn't feel like arguing with her over where she was going to sleep. So this morning, before she was fully awake, she was starting to sit up and saying "school". She scurried off to her room and a few minutes later I heard "bed made, check. dressed, check. room picked up, check." She ran back to my room so I could zip her dress and she was ready to go for the day. Apparently she was very excited for her first day of preschool! We got pictures taken and we were off to school. Abby had to bring in a picture for her teacher. Just so happened to be the art project her and Mckenzie worked on yesterday. Mckenzie thought she was going to school too. She kept saying she was excited and when I got her out of the car, she reached down for her backpack that had been left in the car from another day. Mckenzie even went into Abby's class, but she didn't cry when I picked her up to go. So,  little one and myself came home and worked on colors. She hasn't had as much work on things like that and it shows. I don't know if we made any progress, but every little bit helps. Mckenzie went down for an early nap; I wasn't even sure she would fall asleep, but she did! I had two hours all to myself and I spent it reading (Thanks Laurie. I enjoyed the book. Wouldn't have guessed the ending!). We got to Abby's school a little before school let out and we got to watch her play with her friends. Abby was all smiles and told me she had a great day at school. And, she ran to give Mckenzie a hug and told her she loved her! I love how sweet and caring she is. Both girls really. Earlier in the day, Mckenzie wasn't getting into her carseat with any sense of urgency (she never does), so I told her if she hadn't started climbing into her seat in three seconds, I was going to put her into the seat myself. Well, she looked at me, leaned over to hug me and said "sorry". So sweet! The girls and I headed to Target (imagine that, I am thinking about asking for a frequent shopper discount) to get Mckenzie a leotard. The girls are both starting gymnastics tomorrow! When we got home, I got dinner going and then we headed out front to play on the driveway/sidewalk. The girls had fun riding their bikes and playing with chalk. Mckenzie made me draw her a house. I do not like chalk and it was pure torture for me to touch it, but Mckenzie looked so sweet asking me that I couldn't say no. Scott came home and we got to eat a nice home cooked dinner again. Tonight was bacon wrapped pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, corn and dinner rolls. Another very tasty dinner!

The picture for Abby's teacher!

Posing for pics!

Trying to be like big sis!

We had another lazy morning around here. We all stayed in our pj's for the better part of the morning, that is until Mckenzie spilled tomato soup everywhere! It was in her hair, all over her clothes. The dog sure enjoyed cleaning up the floor for me, just wish she knew how to use a mop instead of her tongue! So, while the dog and I cleaned up the kitchen, Scott gave the girls a bath. Abby and I ran to Target and to the grocery store during nap time. I was looking forward to going out by myself (the only reason I would be tempted to go on a weekend), but Abby so sweetly asked to go with and ran to get her cute little dress shoes, there was no way I was going solo. Abby was unbelievably good in the stores. She said please and thank you and excuse me when she was going past other people. Too bad some of the shoppers at the grocery store didn't have her same manners. I told one dude off today because he was so rude. The store was super super crowded making it difficult to maneuver the aisles. I had seen this guy running through the store, pushing around people to get whatever he wanted and looking very grumpy. Well, we were in the yogurt aisle and we couldn't move and neither could the three or four other carts because of all the people around. Well, rude guy pushes past all of us and mumbles under his breath that somebody needs to move. Well, I didn't like the way he was acting so I told him he was just plain rude and it would be nice if he would use the words excuse me instead. He didn't say anything back. Not sure if he got the picture or not. We got home and Scott was nice enough to unload all the groceries for me. I love when he does that for me! Abby helped put groceries away too, which was very sweet of her. Takes a lot longer, but she was very proud to help! Dinner was pretty tasty tonight if I may say so myself. Herb crusted tilapia and garlic parmesan mashed potatoes. Both made by me! The girls worked on a stickers project together tonight and did so with no arguments! I can't believe it because they were sharing stickers and a piece of paper to put the stickers on. So unlike them. Usually they both have to have everything of their own. Abby has her first day of pre-k tomorrow! She is so excited and I am excited for her too! Her clothes and shoes are all picked out, now lets just see if she actually puts them on tomorrow. She has been known to change her mind a time or two! No photos today. I took the advice of a good friend who suggested I switch to manual photography if I want to improve the quality of my photos. I don't have a photo worth posting, but it is a work in progress! Maybe tomorrow I will capture something that is clear enough to post!

What a great day! The girls both slept until 7:30 and Scott got up with them. I was woken up by Abby shouting at me to come downstairs to get some french toast and eggs! I don't know what it was today, but Abby was so polite all day long, using her manners and helping Mckenzie. I love to see her mature, but at the same time, I miss my little girl :-( Mckenzie rocked the whole potty training thing today. No accidents and she woke up dry after a three hour nap! Amazing! We went to a local park this morning to take Mckenzie's two year photos (a little late I know!)I am not super happy with them. There are a couple of decent shots, but I just couldn't capture a perfect one. I really wish I was a better photographer, but I guess I would need to take a class or something to actually accomplish that. I didn't learn to be a nurse on my own, why should I expect to become a photographer without any kind of classes either. Anyway, the park we visited was beautiful. There was a good sized lake that had a floating bridge over it. The kids liked looking at the water and pointing out how gross it was (the water was a little green), but they did enjoy looking at all the lily pads on the water. Abby and Mckenzie kept finding sticks to dig in the dirt with or rocks to play with. I love how they are tomboys at heart running around in dresses! A good combo I think! We came back home and had a quick lunch before putting Mckenzie down for a late nap. Today was another one of those days where all of us (Scott included) ended up taking a nap! Poor Abby fell asleep on the floor again. She says she likes it, although I don't know how she does it! After we all got up and moving, we decided to have a picnic in the park. We picked up Subway sandwiches and went to the purple park. The girls were both so excited to go to the park. It was a bit chilly out there today and the girls probably should have been in long sleeves but they had so much fun. There is a football field at the park and we had races that the girls always seem to win! As Scott was getting Mckenzie ready for bed, I could hear Mckenzie giggling like crazy and telling Scott "Daddy stop, Daaadyyyy stop". She loves to be tickled and as soon as Scott stops, she is begging for more. Abby does the same thing. Silly girls.

Guess who came to my bed again this morning? Yep, Abby hopped on in around 6 again. At least she is getting the hint I don't like to get up that early and she will snuggle with me until she decides it is time for PBS kids. She has started asking so sweetly "Can I turn on the tv to watch PBS?" It gives me a chance to grab a couple more zzz's or to get showered for the day. It was a miracle day around here. Dakota didn't steal any of the girls' food and Mckenzie didn't have any accidents and even came running to tell me she needed to go! Yay for the Riley house! We had to run to base today for an appointment and on the way there, Abby saw a farm with some goats and sheep. She told me sheep were her favorite and she would like to have one at home. I told her they were stinky and pooped a lot. She pondered the idea for a minute and then said "Well, maybe for just a day then!" Wouldn't ya know it, we lost Mckenzie's bear again today!  I didn't realize it until we got home, so I got the girls a quick lunch and we headed back to base to hopefully find here there. I was freaking out of course, because we don't have a replacement and I wasn't even sure we would find her. But, luckily she was right where we left her. I don't ever remember losing Abby's lambie this much. When we got back home, it was well past Mckenzie's nap time, but I thought I would try to put her down. Well, wouldn't ya know it, but all three of us fell asleep. It was nice to catch a little nap. I know there are a million closets to organize and clothes to sort around here, but it was nice to ignore all of those things and just relax. While we were eating dinner today, Mckenzie starting pouting and said "miss daddy home". Breaks my heart she is starting to understand he is gone for extended amounts of time. She did smile when I told her she would see Daddy tomorrow! After dinner, we ran to Target. I needed a printer cartridge and I forgot to buy it the other day. But, today I took a little Fly Lady advice (thanks Laurie) and bought an extra one so I don't run out again. The kids were great at the store, could be the Icee I bribed them with. Although I was a little hesitant to do so since Mckenzie was in panties and I try not to give her anything to drink when we are out somewhere these days! I found two pair of shoes that fit Mckenizie's chubby little feet. Gotta love Converse shoes! I needed to get her something since it is getting cold and the poor girl only has two pair of sandals to wear. I got the girls to bed a little bit ago. I was keeping them up just a little later than normal to see if Scott would make it home before the girls got in, but no such luck. Sheri texted me while we were at Target to say that Scott's plane made contact with her tower and said hi to her. That's kind of cool that she was working when he was flying over! Can't wait to see Scott tonight. It has been a very short trip, but I miss the bugger anyway!

Mckenzie is starting to pose for me just like Abby does!

This one was her idea! She loves to strike a pose!

I don't even care that Abby isn't looking. The girls were both having
so much fun playing around and taking pics. I just love they are
HAPPY!!!