The Frog Princess

This evening after dinner I took the kids outside to play and get a little dirty before bedtime. I was raking some leaves out of the flower beds on one side of the house after a while and came upon a frog. I called for the kids so they could enjoy God's wonderfully fun little creation, and boy did they. Beau, much to my surprise, was scared to touch or even stand all that close. This is probably funny to anyone who has spent a fair amount of time with this child, as he is usually fearless and all boy. Abby, on the other hand, our usually prissy and pristine girl, just loved it! Daddy really loved that she loved it and went running for the camera and caught some really cute shots (I mean, really...if these don't make you smile you're just a grouch...). She held it, felt of it, pet it, watched it breathe, and caught it two or three different times after it jumped out of her hands. Who would have thought it, but a little frog brought so many smiles to all of us tonight! Praise the Lord for the small things in life, right?

Beau insisted on wearing his goggles for his bath tonight. I don't really think he can even see when he wears them...

Now HERE is a funny story. I am sure I told some of you that back in the spring I bought Beau his brown Stride Rite sandals. These shoes are pretty much his summer staple as far as shoes go. He also has a pair of "clip-clops" that he wears on occasion, but, for the most part, he wears these brown sandals almost everywhere. He had the exact pair last year, so I knew I wanted the same thing and went ahead and bought them in early spring. Well, we had them for a month (at most) and one day came that I couldn't find them anywhere. I kept asking Beau where they were, but never could get a straight answer. I kept thinking they would turn up, and I looked (I thought) everywhere for them. Finally, after a few weeks without them I broke down and bought another pair thinking he must have taken them off somewhere and we left without them unnoticed. Well, fast forward to this last Friday. I got on a cleaning spree that started with dust bunnies under my couch in my living room. I pulled out the coffee table and the couch, vacuumed, mopped, dusted, cleaned windows, etc. etc. We went out to eat Friday night with the kids, and when we came home I started cleaning some more. I was vacuuming around the living room fireplace (which we have never used) and happened to look behind the logs. Low and behold, the above picture was the sight that I saw! That crazy kid! I have walked by those shoes hundreds of times this summer and never knew they were back there!!! I guess it serves me right for not being a better cleaner? I will be regularly checking back there from now on, I can guarantee you that! (By the way, I can't believe I posted a picture of that dirty ol' fireplace, I am a little embarrassed, but I couldn't resist it with those shoes thrown back there...)

Abby enjoying a ride on our sidewalk. She is getting really good on the bike...turning and putting on the brakes...

This is Beau "reading" to me today while I worked in the kitchen. His indian style cracks me up.

Beau modeling his new school backpack. I never could get a good picture of the back of it, but it has 3 race cars on it with checkered flags, which he loves of course. Notice he is holding a car in his right hand. He really is obsessed...

My cuties painting the other day.

Another couple of stories:

I have been going to the gym a lot since Abby started back to school. I go with my friend Lenora. They have a great nursery there with a huge indoor play gym and tons of toys, story time, movie time, etc. They also have a program called Kid Fit for kids age 2-5 that is 30 minutes long. It usually happens while we are there, so Beau goes on a pretty regular basis. They take the group of kids (usually around 6 or 7 kids) from the nursery down the hall to the gymnasium. The weights, cardio machines and indoor track are all above the gymnasium and pool, so my friend and I can watch Kid Fit going on while we are working out, which is kind-of fun to watch your kids while they don't realize you're watching. Anyways, I heard the kids come into the gym so I stopped lifting (gladly) for a minute to watch my little guy run around. The trainer had all of the kids line up and run from baseline to baseline (wear em' out). Beau was running alongside another little boy his age that happened to get tripped up and fall down. Everyone else kept running but Beau. My sweet little guy stopped and turned around and ran back to him and held his little hand out to help the other little boy up. He then squatted down and put his hand on his shoulder, and although I could not hear him, I could tell Beau was asking him if he was ok. Ahhh - melted me. I could have cried. My friend and I were talking about it - how God gives you these moments sometimes to let you know you are doing a pretty decent job and that even though kids are trying sometimes, man, is it worth it.

Another story:

Abby LOVES school this year. I mean she LOVES it. Toby has been able to take her a few times, otherwise I usually take her. Well, he took her the other day and was concerned because he said Abby just pretty much ignores him and walks into the classroom without so much as even saying good-bye. He said yesterday (he was carrying her bag and walking behind her) that she pointed at her hook as if to say "you can hang that there" without even turning around to speak to him! I told him that maybe he already embarrassed her at the ripe old age of 4! Well, the tables were turned this morning. She was at the table eating breakfast and says to me, just as serious, "Mommy, can you please not wear your gym clothes when you pick me up today?" Seriously? Do I already embarrass you? And I pick her up in the car pool line - I don't even get out of the car! I gave her a hard time about it a little bit, and she finally gave in and said I could wear my gym clothes to pick her up if I "had" to. Gee, thanks for the permission!

10 days until we leave for the beach!!!