Sunday Slew (Of Pictures)

I take lots of pictures (this is not news to anyone) and many are not worth seeing.  But others make me laugh and I want them on the blog because then I can look at them and laugh again some day. I need these pictures to spark my memory, and if you are doubting how bad it is...Tyler and I watched a movie the other evening and decided when it was finished that we had probably seen it before. (But it took us the entire movie. And it really wasn't worth watching in the first place.)

So let's get to some pictures. First up, we have chore day, in which we are slowly teaching our children to do everything we don't want to do in a couple years. Like mowing the lawn.

Truth be told, I don't mow the lawn anyway (allergy card), but it is character building, so I am glad she is trying. That machine is bigger than she, so I have to give her props for tackling the job. Not to leave Robyn out, we let her wrangle the steam-mop. (The lawn mower's lighter, hotter, less dismembering cousin.)

Ivory was not really doing chores that day. I think she gave me a shocked look and said something like, "What? Surgery girl doesn't do chores."

Of course, this is all coming back to bite her as she is finding out that a diet of popsicles is not much to write home about. She saw brownies on the counter the other day and whispered in my ear. "Mom, brownies are soft." Sorry little pumpkin, not soft enough. I feel really badly for her, but she only has ten days to go. She can do it. And I foolishly told her that for a week after she feels better, I will make her whatever treats she wants. (One a day.) But I tend to finish off the leftovers, so this can only hurt my spare tire.

Daisy is not so great at chores, but she is good at doing the odd job, like cleaning off a beater. Yum...cheesecake.

And to keep this real, let me show you what Pearl has been up to.

Yes, she is not always the angelic child she pretends to be. She is pretty darn cute given the right moment, as she will give kisses, wave goodbye, make doggy noises, blink her eyes at you, give great hugs while she pats your back, and respond to many instructions. BUT, she also throws tantrums with the best three year olds, and is developing a very stubborn streak. Some days I want to sell her on Ebay, but I would probably miss her after a week or so. (Just kidding, I obviously love the stuffing out of her, just not at dinner time when she hangs on to my legs and wails. Haven't all my kids done that though?)

And if you take her outside, she is very content.

Kind of ironic since I am not really an outdoor girl myself. So, I compromise by letting her play in the garage and having her sisters watch her off and on. Daisy is three. That is old enough to babysit, right?

Okay, so I probably won't get 'Mom of the Year' for the ninth year in a row. Big surprise.