Watermelon Lemonade

First of all, can I just say how refreshing a little crystal light blended with last night's leftover watermelon and honeydew and the juice of 3 limes is??  And THEN add to that some coconut lime sherbet!?!?! 

It's the little things, you know?

Like, the magical power of two shimmery plastic bead necklaces hanging on bedroom door knobs that kept my sweet daughters in their beds tonight.  (I have a great - and by great I mean pretty effective...when actually applied - parenting book if anyone is interested.)

So...August.  Not a whole lot to recount.  But there were definite highlights.
Such as:

Patrick's baby blessing.

We had a great time with family - Granny, Anita and Vicki came up from KY and Nana, Granddad and Uncle Dave from VA for the weekend.  Lots of loud laughter (the good kind) and a trip to Niagara Falls and the Anchor Bar.  Aunt Gina came from LeRoy Sunday morning to join us for the big day and Patrick behaved like a little angel.

August has been a big month for Abby.  On the 15th, just in time for her birthday, she got her cast off.  I blame nervousness, but her natural arguing "instincts"(?) kicked in and she and the doctor had somewhat of a showdown. She told him where and how deep to cut and when she felt the saw was just a little too deep.  He encouraged her to "just let (him) do (his) job." Lovely. Not so lovely by sight or smell was that arm when it emerged.  Thankfully that was resolved within a day or two and most within our house are grateful her pink weapon is no more.  (Well, on her arm, anyway.  Of course my little pack rat had to keep her trophy which, I believe, currently sits in the kitchen. Yeah...)

 

On the 18th, our little girl turned SIX YEARS OLD - going on 13.  Hard to believe our little blond fuzzy haired baby girl is already so big.  We had a family pizza party (with way too many fun presents from way too nice family members near and far) and then a friend party at Cheeburger Cheeburger - complete with birthday cake milkshakes and...no photos. Way to go me.  

Other than that, we've just been getting used to and loving our new brother.  For some reason I get the feeling that the girls love him a little more intensely than he cares to be loved - not sure why.

Really?? Do we have to take more pictures?  

I'm feeling kind of cramped here...

She's really cute, but...

Seriously?? Does she think I'm Snow White?  Can't you send her to time out, Mom, for picking all the flowers you had left out front?

HELP!!!

And so, he escapes through slumber.  Our big 9-week old boy is smiling, gabbing, sometimes sleeping 7 hours at night (twice), and still has us just smitten.

QFTD

Abby, to the dental hygenist when asked her baby brother's name: "His name is Patrick.  I came up with it."

Abby, while watching Giada de Laurentis on the Food Network: "Mom, I think you shouldn't make this recipe - only thin people like her can make it, not thick ones like you."

Abby: "Mom, is Ecuador a real live place?"  Me: "Yep."  Abby: "Is Mow-mow Chi-wow-wow a real place?"

Abby, pointing to her missing front tooth hole: "I think I lost my sweet tooth."

Abby, referencing her Superfood Spinach Salad we were eating for dinner: "Look, Mom!  I'm eating my green leaves full of iron!"  Me: "Good job.  Now you'll have strong blood."  Abby: "Do these leaves have the power of Jesus in them?"  Me: "Um, yep."  Abby:  "And do all vegetables and fruits have the power of Jesus?"  Me: "Yep." Ellie: "Well, I don't like tomatoes."  Abby: "But Ellie, they have the power of God to make you healthy!"

Abby, while instructing Ellie how to make her special blueberry sauce: "Don't worry.  Mistakes are another one of my secret ingredients.  It's okay if you make them, as long as they go away."

Abby, inquiring as to how I liked my ice cream: "What do you think, Mom?" Me: "Very good." Abby: "I made it with love, too - and now you get to have your own jam on top!  That's your secret ingredient!"

Ellie: "I have twenty bucks."  Me: "...Oh? Where did you get 20 "bucks"?" Ellie: "I'm not telling."  Abby: "She doesn't have any money. She's lying!"  Ellie: "No I amn't. I really have 20 bucks"

Me: "Abby, I really don't appreciate you standing on your head on the furniture.  Please stop."  Abby: "I can't.  I'm practicing my talent to show my kids when I'm a mom."

Ellie: "Mom, can we buy a trip-uh-let bike that has four seats and a wagon behind so we all can ride it? Please?"

Abby, as we walked to the car after seeing "Elvis" (decked out in his white sequined suit and dark shades) at the mid-day concerts at Adam's work:  "Wasn't that guy fantastic?? I wish I had a dad like that."

Abby: "How long are we going to live?"  Me: "Some of us live a long time, some of us live a medium amount of time, some of us a short time.  Whenever Heavenly Father is ready for us to come back to Heaven, He'll bring us back."  Abby: "Why?  So we can teach Him math?"

Me, after having bad luck with the lemonade at the soda fountain: "Abby, does the Sprite taste okay?"  Abby, while sipping her drink:  "Mmm.  Yes.  Very...Spritey."

Abby, as we drove into Rochester: "Mom, what state are we in?"  Me: "We're in New York."  Abby: "Oh.  Are we in Brooklyn?"

Ellie, playing house: "Would you like some hazelnut soup?"

Abby: "WHO ate my birthday cake??"  Ellie:  "Ellie did not."  Abby: "Who did, then?"  Me: "I think it was Daddy." Ellie: "Yeah.  Daddy always likes to eat all of our things."  Abby: "Expecially our food."

Ellie: "Does this look fermiliar?"  Abby: "Hmm. It used to."

Ellie, while we drove past rows of corn stalks on our way to pick blueberries: "Look!  A meadow!"  Abby: "No, a meadow has flowers and grass.  A field has only grass.  That's a field."

Abby: "Why do I always have to help do everything - like carry in the groceries and clean?"  Me: "Because you are part of a family and we all help each other.  Plus, if you don't learn how to do these things now - carry in groceries, do the dishes - when you're a mom, you won't know how and your house will be messy -" Abby: "Like yours?"

Abby: "Is hair made of ponytails?"

Abby, after I explained why we mix dry and wet ingredients separately first: "Oh! So it's like the dry cousins are waiting for their wet cousins so they can mix together and make a delicious smell?"

Ellie: "What does phenomenom mean?"  Me: "A PhenomenoN?" Ellie: "No, a phenomeNOM. What's a phenomeNOM?"  Me: "Well, it's something big and exciting and special that happens."  Ellie:  "Oh. Like going to Kate's house?"  Me: "Something like that." .... Ellie: "I know a phenomenom that's happening!  I'm going to Utah!"