Saturday Snippets

It's the beautiful birthday girl! Isn't she fabulous? This is after the water park expedition. She and Hannah came back unscathed by the sun. Their Dad is another story entirely. I've never seen him quite so crisped. In any case, after they got back, we ate Elisabeth's favorite for dinner -- double pepperoni bubble pizza, and then she opened her presents. She got a lot, but we still didn't spend as much on her as on Hannah's new bike. Elisabeth was most pleased with the brown argyle messenger bag and her 3rd Webkinz pet, a fluffy persian cat, appropriately christened Cotton Candy. The fake American Girl doll clothes and cutesy quiz book also garnered praise. "This is the best birthday ever," she says. I think that's our only parental triumph this week.

Meanwhile, I spent the morning shamelessly spoiling myself with a heavenly pedicure and manicure. The woman was quite apalled that I wouldn't buy tips for my nails . . . not because I was withholding money from her, but because I had no nails on fingers or toes to even file down (bad nail habit? who, me?). In any case, now all my nails are a nice summery berry color, and I feel quite beautiful.

Rex's birth family also came to visit today. They brought the kids a slip-n-slide, and I'm actually very excited, because they need a nice distraction from the mud pit out in back where the trampoline used to stand until we moved it after the neighbor girl broke her arm and nearly her head on the side of the house. Makes you feel safe about leaving your kids here, eh?

Sariah's getting closer to walking independently. She's much braver about letting go of things and taking steps . . . so long as it's entirely her own idea. No, I have no idea where that stubborn streak comes from. Surely not Bob's side of the family.