The week started off with a bang after Dad got a DVD player installed in the new car! Like any good mother, I insisted we do this ASAP! Here we are giving it a test run in the driveway while Scott cleaned out the BMW to have it detailed. I guess the sticky juice stains and old french fries bother him, what a priss! We are watching Madagascar and the air conditioning is blowing on high cause it is soooooo dang hot this summer.



Now we skip to Wednesday where Chars is ready to go to school in his "cowboy" attire.

Of course when we got to school we both realize he was the only one dressed up. Naturally "cowboy day" is next week, which is too bad because he was really excited. I figure he should just deal with the disappointment now of having a mother that never knows exactly what is going on. This will seem like small fries compared to when I miss his wedding! At least he won't be surprised after a lifetime of confusion!


Later that day after I picked up the gang we went to GIGI's to swim with Carter. Maggie decided to leave Carter behind for a few days with Gigi. I tried to warn her but she didn't listen and by the time I got to gigi's Carter was already spoiled! I will say that Carter is pretty much hilarious! I put a video at the end of the blog of her running in place. Maggie calls this "dancing", which maybe it is, who am I to judge? No matter what it is, I love it. I seriously was laughing so hard at her that I kept forgetting to push the record button on my phone and missed the best part of her running in place really hard. Gigi was singing "she's a maniac, maniac on the floor and she's dancing like she's never danced before"!

The next night Scott and I got home from work to find Charlie cleaning the furniture with wipes. I have a feeling he picked this up from Carter as she has a sort of "cleaning" obsession!!

It was Ben's last day of Aquatic camp and he made a very tasteful seashell necklace. I was so excited and made such a big deal about how talented he was and everything only to have him stop me and say that it was for his DAD! Really this has never happened before and I was a little sad that I wasn't his favorite that day! I got over it fairly quickly when I saw Scott wearing it....seriously could not get enough of how good he looked in it!

.....and......meanwhile.....totally oblivious....STILL cleaning, Charlie!!

We had a good start to the night. The kids went to sleep and we watched "The Lincoln Lawyer" with Chris and Gena. We had all listened to the book on tape when we went to San Antonio and finally got together to watch it. After the movie, and I am happy he waited until it was over, Charlie started crying from his bed upstairs. Scott went up and then hollered for me to "hurry up". Chars was really sick with stomach something because he threw up lots! I mean LOTS!!! Here he is after we cleaned him up and put him in our bed.

He kept telling me a funny story that night about how he and pops and C.W. (uncle chris) were going to visit the moon in 30 minutes (everything is 30 minutes with him right now). He said they were taking red balloons to the moon but Ben wasn't coming because he was an attitude. "I'm not an attitude mom but Ben is an attitude".

Poor Charlie, he threw up all night every 15 minutes! Finally at 5 am he fell asleep on our floor and made it until 7:30 before he threw up again! This picture is after I washed his hair for the 100th time in the sink!

Fortunately for everyone he made a swift recovery and was all better by Friday night! I am happy to say that no one else has gotten sick....Well, I take that back Pops got it!!

Saturday morning was great. Ellodie and I got up and went down for coffee. I was on the ipad and she was playing with her computer.

Ben joined us shortly and for whatever reason decided to peruse the "Birds of Oklahoma" book that Scott had left out the night before. He LOVES looking at this book and tries to grill me on the type of bird he is pointing to. Of course my Dad is grinning from ear to ear about this! My Dad would have gone on and on with Ben telling him everything about all those birds and he even would have whistled the call for him. I on the other hand am not my father and have no earthly idea what bird he is pointing to. I felt it was too early for this intensity and just needed to finish at least one cup of coffee!

Ellie continued peacefully on her computer while I discussed birds with Ben.

Ben now getting frustrated with my lack of enthusiasm makes one final attempt to get me excited about the European Warbler, when he tries to turn the book around to show me the picture he looses his place in the book and gets upset!

Ellie gives me a big kiss at the end of breakfast!

Later that day it was quite time. They decided to watch the "avengers" cartoon. Ben insisted on laying across the couch cushion which was turned up on it's side. Somehow he got balanced up there and stayed perfectly still so he wouldn't fall off. At least I knew he was going to have to be still for an hour!

Later that afternoon we went up to gigi's to swim. I am really proud of the boys. Ben is seriously swimming like a fish. He is so amazing to go from floaties to swimming all by himself in an hour! He dives to the bottom to get things and jumps off the diving board by himself. Chars is not far behind him either! He is practicing with out floaties and nearly has it! On the way up to the grands I was lecturing the boys about something, like I usually do. I was not paying attention to what they were doing in the back but I was going on and on about not doing this or that or we would just go home instead of swim, blah, blah, blah. I finally stopped and turned around to look at them and Charlie was making the funniest face I have ever seen. I tried to get it in a picture but it was hard. It was like he was trying so hard to look really mad at me. It was sooooo over exaggerated and was a face you would nor could never make naturally. I knew he was working really hard at it!

You probably had to be there for that story but I tell you I will never forget that look!

Ben had eggs for lunch today and somehow he launched the plate off the table by pushing down on the opposite side of the place mat which was hanging just off the table, like a catapult! Here is the aftermath. Man, Sophie was thrilled!

Here is Carter doing her thang!