I love coming home to these people.

Tessa made sure to introduce the pumpkins to Dora and Boots.

Please ignore the ghetto toddler bike that I didn't even think to move. Oh, and pay no attention to the 50 bazillion handprints on my front door. Thanks.

I am a mystery shopper. I shop mysteriously. Last Friday night I took Tessa and tried to look inconspicuous as I inspected the floors and noted the presence of eye contact from my cashier at the local Smiths. I then remembered two more stores that I needed to 'get my coupon on' on the way home. The night got dark and I thought how bad I felt that I had just spent my Friday night away from half of my family. So, pulling into my spot my heart just about skipped a beat when I saw that there had been some great daddy-daughter bonding going on while I was away. Look at those cute pumpkins!! Malia was so excited to surprise me. Oh, and the green sticker on Tessa was from the cashier who did a great job of dishing out the eye contact...along with the stickers.

Park City Get Outta Town

Thanks KB Toys ala Park City Outlets for bringing a little Dora into what we thought would be a Dora-free weekend. Tessa sure loves "Doda and Boots". This is the girl whose latest favorite thing to say is "too hot"--go ahead, offer her a piece of celery right from the fridge next time you see her, I'll betcha a buck she says "too hot". Funny, funny Tessa.

Who needs anything else when there's a pool??? Malia feels pretty confident after her recent graduation from swim lessons in August.

May their self esteem never be less than at this moment in time.

In summary, Park City made this little family very happy last weekend. The end.

Tessa's happy place as well...

Guess who dropped her kids off at the porcelain pool? Tessa has been envying Malia's toileting abilities for quite some time now.

She has told me after the fact before, but this time she told me "poop" and I took her diaper off and there was nothing there yet! I knew we were on to something good and I was right! Sing with me now...Yay Tessa she's our girl she's the best pooper in the whole wide world!

I promise not to show this blog post to any future boyfriends, Tessa, if you'll promise to keep making potty training so easy for your mama-- deal?

My new happy place

--BEFORE--
TA-DA

I can't believe what a little color on the wall can do for a bathroom. The pictures on the wall were supposed to be bubbles, but turned out looking more like rocks. We call them our rock bubbles and it works. It just needs a few nick nacks and I think I'll be able to say yeah, it's done. Now, my family room downstairs...Christy...help! First off, Darrin's drums take up 84% of the room (approximately) and then we've got the toys, too too many toys, and the futon, and the craft table, and the computer desk, and the filing cabinet, and the bookcases, I could go on, and I could post a picture, but let's face it, it's not my happy place right now, we'll stick to happy places, yes. happy.