August 9

Usually I love Saturdays, but when Chris is gone? Saturdays aren't special at all. They're just another day.

Luckily, we accomplished everything we needed to accomplish yesterday, so we could hang out and play all day. Also luckily? Lily slept until 6:30 this morning. It's the first morning this week that she hasn't woken at 4:30. However, Caleb did wake up at 4:30, asking for snuggles and some water. Mean mommy that I am, I told him to go back to bed. At 5:30, he came in again, asking for water. I told him to get it himself and go back to bed. I don't think he ever got that water.

Right after breakfast, an electrician came and quickly solved our mystery of the Garage Door Gremlins. It was an easy fix, but definitely one I could not have diagnosed or repaired myself. I'm thankful we caught it!

The kids did a great job of running around and entertaining themselves, so I was able to sneak away and finish a quick project. My friend Jessica gave Lily a lovely rainbow towel for her birthday, and I liked it so much that I decided to turn it into a hooded towel so that we could get more use out of it.

It's not perfect, but Lily approves!

And here are a few outtakes before I got that darling shot:

Caleb helping me check my camera settings. Please note his striped shirt, striped cape, and plaid shorts. Also, he's carrying around his new toothbrush, just because he likes it so much.

She's slightly out of focus, but you can see the remnants of the bruise on her forehead. That's the one she got the other day from headbutting me.

Right after I got the girls down for their afternoon naps, my mom came over. Her goal was to do something special with Caleb and give me a break, and she succeeded! One of the remaining items on Caleb's Summer To-Do List was fishing, but with Chris out of town it just hasn't happened. Mom stepped up to the task, and grabbed Caleb's fishing pole and some hot dog pieces and headed up the big hill to the pond behind our house.

She texted me this photo:

They ended up catching (and releasing) at least 4 bluegill. Caleb was so excited! He desperately wanted to take one home and cook it, but thankfully Mom held firm and said no.

They returned home when Lily woke up, and Caleb convinced Grandma to take him out on another adventure, this time to a park where they could explore and get lost. Daisy woke up from her nap just in time to join them. They returned at dinner time with "treasure bags" full of treasures, including walnuts and flowers and seeds and Lord knows what else. (Note to self: go through the bags before bed to be sure there is nothing alive in them.)

Mom stuck around for dinner, and was rewarded with lots of hugs and kisses from sweet Lily, who adores her Grandma. In fact, I still think she prefers Grandma over me. And actually, at dinner Daisy informed me that Grandma was here, so I should go away. Far away. I think she suggested Iowa. Thanks, Daisy. Maybe I will!