Three and a Half!!

Our Ellie is three and a half today! Having a December 31st birthday she got to choose June 30th or July 1st. Since June 30th was first this was the date chosen! Smart kid.

All aboard!

At 12:28 this afternoon Emma, Ellie and Grandpa Bill arrived aboard Amtrak's River Rambler!
We spent the weekend in Kansas City visiting with family. Then last night the girls stayed with my Dad and Kyra in preparation for today's train adventure!

These are not from our garden!

We joined a CSA (community supported agriculture-- aka farm share) this year and are loving all of the locally grown fresh produce. Each week we pick up a box of whatever is being harvested that week. We've gotten lots of greens (there weren't any this week, which honestly I was not too sad about), broccoli, cabbage, beets, cucumbers, zucchini and squash out the wazoo, several types of lettuce, berries, and 1 tomato!

A day with Ellie

Grandma Jackie had a special day with Emma today. So that meant Ellie and I had a special day too! Ellie wanted to go to the zoo because who doesn't want to go to the zoo when it's 90 degrees at 10 in the morning! She headed straight for the train.

We got off at the train to ride the carrousel. She chose the donkey, she always chooses the donkey! That means I got to ride the hippo/pig thing.

It was so hot that she had Dippin' Dots at 10:30 in the morning. After the quick snack we hopped back on the train and rode the loop back to our stroller (she wanted to be pushed in the stroller??) and left. A quick trip for sure!

After a couple of errands she wanted to go to Wendy's for lunch. Kevin took the girls there on Saturday for lunch and it was a big hit!

Thanks Ellie, you are such a fun girl to hang out with! I love you , I love you , I love you!!!!

It's Monday

and the day was going along just great, a nice combo of swimming and rice krispie treats. Then SOMEONE left Gus in the backyard while she took the girls to ballet. Which is not so good since 1.) Gus can get out of the fence and 2.) it's 100 degrees outside. Needless to say he got loose and ran around the street making the neighbors quite worried. Our next door neighbor Amanda called me on my way home to break the news....Gus was out and being a menace! I raced, as much as one can race, while obeying speed limits and dealing with traffic intended for a major highway but sidelined to city streets, home. When I arrived home Gus ran into the street to greet us, I stopped, not wanting to run him over. Meanwhile our neighbor (I assume he lives close, I see him a lot) was riding his bike down the street, I was very much in the way of his swift ride and Gus was making matters worse. I don't know what he mumbled as he sped by, but I bet it wasn't nice :)! I've never been up for any dog owner of the year awards but I'm pretty sure this kicks me out of contention for good! Sorry Gussy Boy!

WEEKEND RECAP

After exhausting the girls at the pool Kevin and I had a lovely dinner in our less than lovely yard~ you know I didn't even notice the overturned chair or shoes in the yard until now!

A great idea! Real Simple suggested cutting corn off of the cob this way...it worked so well.

Happy Father's Day Kevin! We had a wonderfully relaxing day!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Yesterday was Grandma's birthday!

It's rough

that is, our backyard is one rough yard. The grass is growing in, kind of, it's having to fight the rocks and clover but it is mostly green back there. We are trying to put in a few plants but oh my, it's not really looking so great! Do you think these grasses are dead? We have 5 more around the house that look equally brown. They were free so it won't be a monetary loss if they're beyond help but we really do hope they make it!

The back of our house is flat and covered in gray siding. It's the back so no big deal. Except I like pretty things and it is not pretty. We figured we'd landscape and that would help and I know eventually it will but wow this is really not making things look better!

After taking inventory of the sorry state of affairs I sat down on the back stoop and made a plan. The girls and I talked through what we wanted. I drew it out and labeled the different areas, a pergola over the porch which extends out about 8 feet more into the grass. A swing hanging from the pergola, large enough for all 3 of us, of course. Flowers and plants all along both the north and south side of the fence, all the way to the back wall. Two trees! Three raised garden beds at the back of the lot. "A bigger and much more grown up swing set with our own flower garden, plus a big spot for the pool". An herb garden where our current veggie garden is now. A bed full of day lillies and climitus (Kyra and I just saw this combo in Columbia last weekend and it was so pretty) up against the house. Oh, we Baum girls know how to dream!

The pool! The yard may be less than beautiful but it doesn't stop the fun. We've always had a blow up pool but this is the king!

We are having some luck in the front yard! The pots are doing well and the sod is still green!

We need an umbrella!

At dinner tonight I mentioned that it would be really nice to have an umbrella for the table. After a few minutes passed Ellie went inside. When she reappeared she had an umbrella for each of us. This kid really knows how to solve a problem!

What to do, what to do?

After a fun and active weekend in Columbia we happily welcomed this rainy Monday!

We came home with LOTS of tomatoes. With a little help I got them all chopped up. They roasted throughout the day--YUM!

We made our favorite rainy day treat--Thunder Cake.

We all caught up on a little reading!

I modified the Thunder Cake recipe and developed a 5 grams of fiber per slice cake which was dubbed "Funny Cake" by Ellie.

They laugh now but some day they'll thank me for all of the fiber I sneak into their diets!

Circus Flora

Circus Flora was wonderful today! If you've never been....GO! Those people are amazing. The 1 hour kids show was the perfect length for us.

Circus Flora 2008. Did they really grow that much? Wow!

Backyard fun!

The backyard has been transformed into a playground! Over the weekend we put down 2 pick up loads of mulch and put up the swing set. Today we bought a playhouse from Craigslist, which has been well used but is perfect for our backyard needs!

Who could refuse?

The first (of many, I'm sure) lemonade stand.  This was their second pitcher and they sold all of it.  Another sale is planned for tomorrow!  All proceeds are being donated to the zoo.  

Garden plots!

Grandpa Bill came to St. Louis today and helped us build a small garden plot.  Each girl is going to choose a few things to plant.  Emma wants to plant tomatoes, cucumbers, and a pink rose.  Ellie says her garden is going to be a surprise!  I'm sure it will!

Ellie wore her robe for our gardening today.

We discovered that the soil at the back of the yard is actually really good.  So, Grandpa Bill dug up LOTS of dirt and carried it to the garden.

Right before dinner the girls were digging on the side of the house.  Emma has her bike helmet, a leotard and crocs on as she digs.  Ellie is sporting a shirt that she insists is a dress and Tinkerbell underpants.  Quite a construction crew!

Crown Candy

Christy is in town visiting for a couple of days.  We decided to go out to lunch on this dreary Wednesday.   We were all up for an adventure so we headed to Crown Candy!  After waiting in a line that was out the door, we sat down to a yummy and quick lunch!

All 4 of us split a chocolate shake.  It was really big enough for 4 chocolate shake lovers to split! 

Happiness!

Right before this picture was taken Ellie turned to Emma and said "Let's fall in love" and the dancing began!

Right before this picture was taken Emma said to me "This is the BEST day of my life".  Your eyes aren't betraying you, she is indeed pulling a car seat up the front stairs---fun, fun, fun!!  I can remember these days from when I was a kid too, the days that just kept going and you never had to stop playing. 

A party in the bathroom.  

The pre-party, where all of the guests were grouped -- the zoo group, the farm group, and the wild group.

A great day!   The girls have been playing all day, with the exception of a quick trip to the grocery store.   

The fence was completed too, just before the rain came.  

One of those days!

Kevin and his infamous grilled chicken.

Today was one of those days.  One of those that just keeps running off into the ditch!  We planned to go swimming.  After we all 3 got ready (suits, sunscreen, hats, toys), parked at Shaw Park, and  walked to the pool, I realized ---UGH--I hadn't renewed our pool membership and double UGH you can't renew them at the pool you have to go to the Center of Clayton and TRIPLE UGH, I couldn't just pay for a day of swimming because they only accept cash and I only had my debit card!!!   The girls had ballet at 4 and backtracking from there to give us time for a little rest and a bath there was no way we could fit in walking back to the car, loading up, driving to the Center of Clayton, renewing our swimming pass, driving back to the park, unloading, walking back to the pool and swimming.  We were 3 really bummed out girls.  Ellie cried like crazy all the way home.  Emma and I wanted to.  

The fence which was supposed to be finished Friday is still not finished today.  They are waiting on a part.  Hopefully tomorrow.

We got home from ballet at  5:30 and put chicken on the grill right away hoping to eat quickly.   We turned on the sprinkler for the girls and I sat down on the front porch to watch them run and play.  Just as I was starting to relax Kevin yelled "oh man, the grill is smoking like crazy".  He ran to the back of the house.  I wasn't too concerned.  Until he came back a few minutes later holding a bottle of starch.  I bought the "eco friendly" variety which is in a spray bottle.    When the grill flamed up Kevin ran inside and grabbed what he thought was a water bottle and started spraying down the grill---unknowingly with starch.  The grill really started flaming up at that point  and the chicken was history.  Like I said one of those days!  

It's bedtime around here and  I just heard a chorus of three voices yell from upstairs

 " Mamaaaa, come read to us".  

AHHHHHH :) All's well that ends well!  Here's to a different kind of day tomorrow!