Bowlarama

So, my girl is now seven. Amelia was allowed to choose between a small party at home with a nicer gift from Mom & Dad, or a bigger party somewhere else and something small as her gift. She decided that the doing was more important than the having (atta girl!).

Amelia selected a local bowling alley to hold The Event, and Derek and I gave her a new bowling shirt. I labored over a puppy cake (side note: She has decided she wants a dog. We are waiting until everyone in the house can poop independently before I have to clean up poop from another creature). She had a BLAST with her friends. The folks at the bowling alley were great, the pizza was plentiful, and she was happy enough to even be nice to her brother part of the time!

Miss Marvel

Introducing Miss Marvel: the amazing leopard gecko! After determining that Luke is ready for the responsibility, and researching and narrowing down the best fit, we brought home his new companion today. So far, he is doing well at moving slowly and being calm while Miss Marvel acclimates to her new home.

BTW, before anyone comments...I know that the comic character is the more feministic-ly named "Ms. Marvel," but Luke has stated quite clearly that his gecko is MISS Marvel. Let's face it, the avenging Ms. Marvel also has a nifty outfit of a strapless swimsuit and thigh-high boots, so really, who is the feminist?

Little Man Luke

Luke is turning five! We celebrated at the neighborhood pool, and everyone had a fun time. It was great to see some school friends for the first time since May.
My future paleontologist wanted a triceratops cake...not a T. Rex, not a brontosaurus, not an anklosaurus, not a stegosaurus...a triceratops. Not easy to find, so I made one. :)
Good thing that green icing doesn't turn everything that color -- oh, wait. Yes, it does. Everything.

Like Falling Off a Log

So, D had to leave town on a business trip, and quite subtly commandeered my Acura to do so. This is a long-running thing…he is quite a tidy man, but I have never seen messier vehicles than his. See, at home, I am truly the messy one, but I suppose that something about the enclosed space of a car really gets to me. In addition, when I am forced to drive his truck, I invariably run into someone in a parking lot or unexpectedly give someone a ride, so I have taken to cleaning out the clutter into laundry baskets.
Today, I decided that I was really going to do it right. I actually went to AutoZone and got supplies to detail the truck after researching online the best products to use. Three kids in tow, we returned home where cleaning commenced. Amelia was so excited at the prospect! She volunteered to spray the hose and we got the job done.
Really, though, it wasn’t that hard…the stuff sprayed on and hosed off…conditioner for the trim wiped on easy as pie…why doesn’t this happen more often? Sure,

I got a bit sunburned during the brief time I was outside, but that’s a completely separate stupidity. Why do the details and minutia of being clean and organized seem so daunting at the outset? Uh, oh. It seems that I have run out of excuses.

Summer Stick of Yummy Goodness

Oy. April?!? Sarah is right...I am way behind. How do I get back into this? I think I have to start with sticky cuteness. The ice cream truck makes regular runs through our neighborhood, and the Pavlovian begging that immediately follows has made me dread the sound of the tinkling bells.
Sometimes, though, it pays off...although the Texas heat isn't kind to Dora when she's icy cold with gumball eyes. Evie managed to get one gumball partially up her nose while the lovely brown cap of hair melted through her fingers and down her thighs.
Sadly, although her big brother is more than happy to receive doggie kisses, Evie isn't quite there. Savannah the wondermutt was forced to watch with brown-eyed lament as I washed the sticky mess off with the garden hose, nary a canine lick to be known.