Where's Waldo Shawn?

It's been 15 days since my last post! I've been buried beneath a huge pile of crap called life and can't seem to get out!

Each summer break I make these grand plans to get so much done. Clean out the pantry, clean the kitchen cabinets, clean the girls closets and drawers, organize my office, wipe down the walls, paint the baseboards, you know because I'm going to have so much free time when they're home! What in the world did I drink that has made me so delusional and how do I end up drinking it each year? When they're home I have no time to myself! Instead of getting all of those things done that I put off and put off I find myself sleeping in, sitting around the pool, going to the beach once or twice a week, seeing an afternoon movie, playing referee, barking at them to clean their room, driving one or the other here or there and then falling into a big heap on the couch around midnight tired from a day full of doing "nothing"!

I love having my girls home. I love the freedom that summer brings. I love not getting up early. I love not fighting with them to do their homework. I really do love it all but each year I find myself ready for them to go back to school so I can resume some semblance of routine.

I've decidied I'm going revel in the last 25 days of summer break, preferably with a drink in my hand, because the times I have to just enjoy the simple pleasure of childhood is quickly slipping between my fingers!

Here's a brief look at why I've gotten nothing done all summer and it also serves as a reminder that I have a truly blessed life, wonderful children and an incredible husband that makes it all happen!

7-15 teenagers can almost always be found here swimming, eating and breaking something!

We have our friends and their kids over for cookouts and pool parties. This was a not so friendly game of King of the Hill, kids against adults. The adults lost but that because those little rug-rats play dirty. I took a kick to the jaw and had my top pulled off!

We had friends come for a visit and enjoyed a hike at a local state park.

We've been to the beach countless times

I've cleaned up multiple kitchen messes!

We've had one birthday party and the other is just around the corner.

I've washed the dog

I've also enjoyed some great times with my friends

and have done most of it with a drink in my hand. Sad, I know but sometimes a girl just needs a little "Mommy juice"!

I'll be hosting a give away with csnstores.com, watch for that soon!

Yep, he's a boy!

The only real benefit to the dogs swimming is that they rarely require a bath. Bathing them is backbreaking wet mess and one I prefer not to deal with. So when Rogue started smelling like he had rolled in death I knew a bath was inevitable.

Dog shampoo...out

Dish soap...out

My shampoo..not an option

So I ran to my neighbors to borrow some dish soap. When I told her why I needed it she very calmly said "yep, he's a boy". That's it, there's the reason he smells like death or little boys either one. Yep, he's a boy! It took the mother of three girls and one boy to make me understand the problem. He would so leave the toilet seat up if he used it!

So with Rogue being the 85 pound ox that he is and having a mild fear of the hose {he swims like Michael Phelps but hates the hose} I knew I would need all hands on deck. Babe was in charge of keeping him in place, Honey was in charge of the hose, I was on scrub duty and Peanut had the camera. The smell seemed to be coming from just the front half of his body and since it really is a back breaking job that's all we bathed.

Poor guy, he just stared at the hose waiting for it to come and get him.

My boy loves his Mommy!

Deja, behind the new fence, was beyond pissed that she was not part of the action!

The next morning we woke to the smell of death, now I'm wondering if he has an infection somewhere and will be taking him to see Vet Ellen this week I'm sure. We have company arriving and they cannot come to my house for the first time and quietly talk about how our house smells like dead people and little boys! So Honey and I loaded him up and took him to a do it yourself dog wash. It was so much easier using the walk up tub, their soap, water, towels, brushes and dryer. And leaving all of the mess behind was worth every dollar, oh yes it was all 10 of them! $10 and I don't get soaked {unless a certain 16 year old gets brave with the hose}, have a backache and a mess to clean up, SOLD!

Once he was in the tub and realized he had no choice it was fairly easy. He just looked pathetic like we had totally stripped him of his masculinity, I almost felt sorry for him...almost!

I could almost hear him say "that things a hose, I'm out"! Do you see the soap on my butt? Paybacks Honey, paybacks!

Then I swear I heard him say "Oh no, she's not going there is she"?

Having Honey there to help was nice until she decided to wipe her stinky, wet hairy hands on my butt.

And I wonder why he felt emasculated. I just couldn't resist!

I wouldn't know what to do without my stinky little boy!

I love having girls!

My incredible sister gave Babe and I a gift certificate for a couple massage for Christmas 2008. We tried to book it several times but something always interfered causing us to cancel. Babe finally told me to take the certificate and enjoy some time with my girls. So after my very strenuous trip to the Ritz with D & R I needed another spa trip!

Honey had a facial, I failed to get a picture of the three of us before her treatment and taking one after would have been just plain mean!

Peanut enjoyed the Princess Package minus the facial. A 20 minutes massage, a pedicure and manicure. She informed me after her massage that she needed to do that more often!

I had a pedicure which was very over due and very wonderful and a manicure.

The girls enjoying the Tranquility Room before their treatments.

Peanut and I had our toes done together. I think that's the longest she's sat still in ages!

What a wonderful afternoon with my girls! Thanks Aunt She for the trip to the spa and thanks Babe for sharing your portion with your girls! I love you both more than I can say!

Girls trip

My girls rip to the Ritz was FAB-U-LOUS! We of course laughed a lot, relaxed a lot, were pampered a lot and didn't want to come home A LOT!

These are my two best friends in the world. If I didn't have the two best sisters in the world I would choose them! Really they are like sisters to me which is such a blessing since mine live so far away. My girls call them "Aunt Dani" and "Aunt Becca" and they know they can go to them with anything! We ever so affectionately refer to ourselves as the Triangle. Rebecca doesn't really like that because it's not very "nice" and since being known as the "nice one" is her goal in life I guess I can understand. Danielle and I thought we were being nice by dropping the Bermuda we originally had in front, others have tried to enter but they've just gotten lost!

Danielle, Rebecca and a very tall {heels are off} Shawn

When booking our trip Danielle was asked if we were celebrating any special occasion. Since our birthdays are in May, July and August this was our birthday gift to each other so yes, it was a birthday celebration. How nice to come home from dinner the first night and have this waiting for us. The card was addressed to Mrs. "T", Mrs. "S" and Mr. "T" {that was me}. I guess they thought my husband was one lucky man! They also only included 2 set-ups, perhaps they thought he would be using us as his plate!

Our first dinner out is a very funny or gross story, I'll let you be the judge.

We go to one of our favorite restaurants for dinner. We all look cute and I'm wearing white pants, very important for the story. We decide to walk around the shopping area before we eat. We go in and out of several stores before we decide to start walking back to the restaurant when it starts to rain, like rain, rain. Remember we were battling Hurricane Alex for nice weather, he won! Rebecca is a total rainaphobe {a new word} so was prepared with a golf umbrella while Danielle and I had little purse size ones. To say they were less than effective for the sideways rain we endured would be an understatement! By the time we made it to the restaurant our feet were sliding out of our shoes and I could have been entered in a wet-pants contest. My soaking wet pants left nothing to the imagination and offered a full view for anyone to see things I'm sure they could have gone a lifetime without seeing!

Cute right? Nice white pants right? Big mistake!

This restaurant is known for their Sangria so after drying off in the bathroom we ordered a pitcher to share. It just didn't taste right, we {me and Danielle} drank a glass, stirred the pitcher and poured another. Nope, still not right so I asked the waiter if perhaps he had forgotten the sugar and spices? Lets just say I was very glad my dinner was already in front of me! He, in his very broken English, informed me that he made it the same way he makes it every day and that he forgot nothing. I nicely asked him to bring some more of the "mix" and try to make it right. He came back to the table with a glass full of something, took my glass, poured it into the pitcher, added what he brought, stirred it, poured it back into my glass and served it to me! We all just sat there in shock. THEN, he took their glasses poured them into the pitcher, stirred it and filled their glasses. ARE YOU KIDDING ME! I laughed so hard that a little sangria may or may not have come out my nose! It's a good thing we're like sisters! Do you see how watered down that is? SERIOUSLY!

The next day was our spa day, Hurricane Alex stayed away giving us the time to sit poolside and just enjoy life! We enjoyed massages and some time in and out of the spa amenities for a couple of hours before heading back to the pool.

Rebecca, we met almost 12 years ago when I walked Honey into her first day of Kindergarten. Rebecca was her teacher and I knew immediately we would be friends! Now Mrs. "S" is

Aunt Becca.

Danielle, we met shortly after since she was Rebeccas best friend and would become Honey 1st grade teacher. Isn't it so cool how God has His hands in everything?!!?

I know one day I'll be very sorry but for now I'm a total sun worshiper!

Thanks for a wonderful 3 days away girls, only you know how much I truly needed it! I love you tons!

Much needed girls time!

Hurricane Alex you can bite me!

BP oil spill, yeah you can bite me too!


You know why?


I'm heading to the Ritz for 3 days with my girls for some very much needed girls time. We'll be treating ourselves to the spa, the pool and the bar. If it's cloudy we'll shop. If rains we'll eat. If it lightnings we'll drink and if it does all three...Babe you better call the credit card company cuz Ill be doing some damage!


I'll be back Thursday!

I survived...HEY HEY!

The party was a success!

Severe thunderstorms were in the forecast but a light sprinkle was the only thing we endured until time to come in for the movie. Thank you Lord for sparing me 6 hours with 15 girls inside!

We did relay races with oiled watermelons...

Found out who could pick the most marbles up with their toes...

Had a water balloon toss...

Swam and had chicken fights...

Watched a movie...

Ate a ton of junk food...

Enjoyed this beautiful cake...

and of course opened presents!

Happy 10 1/2 birthday Peanut, I love you!