What happens in playgroup...

...stays in playgroup...usually. I'm breaking the rules this time, mostly to be annoying, something at which I work very hard.

Despite threats of bodily harm from the photograph-ees, I feel I MUST post these pictures taken today at our monthly breakfast playgroup (along with some commentary). They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and these particular pictures say a whole LOT about why I love my girlfriendz (yup, with a Z on the end to indicate they're "special"). These women are good and fun and gorgeous--inside and out. I love them to pieces. I am so blessed to know them and probably lucky that they even let me hang around them. Some little-known and recently-acquired facts and quirks about the playgroup girlz:

Tami: Has severe snot issues. If you want to see a pregnant lady run away REALLY fast, just blow your nose or have your snot-nosed child occupy the same space as her. Tami does NOT do well with snot.

Debbie (who is normally quite a fashionably modest dresser but had just finished teaching an aerobics class): Prefers letting her dog eat and lick food off the floors--and baby's high chair--to sweeping and mopping.

Pam: Secretly longs to have a 5th child. Also engages in hair-pulling, nail-digging cat-fights with her siblings at family reunions. You wanna have Pam at your next party, don't you? Tip: Make sure you have a first-aid kit on hand.

Polly: Will behave like an out-of-control drunken fool if she over-does it on the caffeine. We tried to get her to drink some today just to see what would happen, but she was disinclined to acquiesce to our request. Bet you want POLLY at your next party, too, eh?

Natalie: (not pictured because she was sick today--we missed you, Natalie!) Wants to go to Mexico this Labor Day weekend just cuz Mexico's close, and in case she moves away soon, wants to be able to say the following: "I went to Mexico." Good luck, Natalie!

I'm not sure if I adore these women BECAUSE of these quirks, or in SPITE of them. Doesn't matter...I just love 'em!! Thanks for being such a bright spot in my life, girlZ!

Lookie what we found!

Water! We found WATER! Actual running water in Arizona. We took a drive up to one of the canyons on post last weekend and found water! The kids had so much fun playing in the strivver (too big to be a stream, too small to be a river, so I'm calling it a strivver, even though Jenna says it's a creek, which would make more sense. I grew up in AZ, people! OK?? I don't know about such things!).
L wasn't enjoying dipping his tootsies in the ice-cold water so much, and O was a little disturbed by the freaky looking water spiders, but other than that we had fun. And this time we didn't have to drive to the tops of the mountains to find it!! CLICK HERE to see all the pics from this day.

And here we have some recent shots of our little L. The only reason he gets away with playing in the toilet is because he has the biggest blue eyes and longest darn eyelashes I've ever seen (if you don't believe me, click the two closeup pics below to see the full size). Those eyes save him every time!

I've decided...

...that this is my new favorite picture (at least for this week). This is why I love my brother-in-law, Phil. It's hard to find just the right words to describe him, but I think this picture pretty much tells the story. In the midst of chaos, he can still make this face (while strumming a guitar and singing a happy tune). Love ya, Phil. So glad you're in our family!!!!

The first...ok...THIRD day of school

What is that saying about some road somewhere being paved with good intentions?? Hmmm....

I wanted those precious pictures of my girls on their first day of school this year. Not AS important in H's case, since she's a big second grader and an old pro at this school stuff now. But it was O's first day of Kindergarten, for crying out loud! I can't even say that we were terribly rushed and ran out of time. I just plain forgot. And they were so cute that day! So yesterday, I figured I could maybe still snap a few pictures and pretend they were taken on the first day of school, and none of you would be any the wiser. Whoops. Forgot again. But alas, today, on the THIRD day of school, I got them together and made them do their backpack poses. First day or not, they're still dang cute (don't you just love their little maternity tops?). O is LOVING kindergarten, so far. Ask me next week and we'll see. H likes being the big sister at school and bossing...uh...helping her little kindiegartner sister. And mommy? Mommy still thinks all-day kindergarten is the best thing since Matthew McConaghey. What WILL I do with all this extra time???


Incidentally, the pictures of L and B are just random. B didn't want to be left out of the picture-taking fun, and L is just too dang gorgeous to be left out! Look at those peepers!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS