Peel Me A Grape

GG and I have been spending lots-o-quality time together the last week or so, with my usual days at home and daddy out for a boy's weekend in the Twin Cities checking out the new Target Field. Fortunately the weather has been totally favorable for our little swimming enthusiast. My expectations for the plastic pool I bought in desperation at Walgreen's last year were not high, but by some miracle it seems to have survived the winter. So I huffed and I puffed and I blew it up to the delight of one little squish.

Immediately after filling with freezing hose water. Little hands could not resist.


She also decided to put her face in to blow bubbles, and of course got soaked. "Mama, cold!" Yeah, you don't say

After her nap the pool was bathwater warm, and fortunately for us, our friends Jessica and Madeline came over for a quick visit. They temporarily live in VA but were back in WI for a visit and made time to swing by. The girls had great fun cooling off, while Jess and I enjoyed a little mommyade (spiked lemonade in Waterford, of course).

Practicing for the 4th of July boat parade at the cottage


One of several failed attempts to get everyone to look at the camera at once


Is this kid cute or what?!?


Helping daddy out later that night

Matt was MN-bound on Friday after work. I chose to stay back with GG as the idea of 9-10 hours in the car for just a 24-hour visit made me a little ill. So instead the tot and I were out and about all weekend, starting with another new haircut. I have given her several good cuts, but last time I tried she zigged when I thought she was going to zag and, well, the outcome was not good. It definitely required professional help. The last time G was in a stylist's chair (well, in my lap in the chair) she SCREAMED like the scissors were piercing her skin. But this time she told me she wanted to sit by herself and was a perfect angel for the whole thing. What a difference five months makes! It's very 1960's Mia Farrow now, and best of all, doesn't look like it was styled by Edward Scissorhands.

After our successful styling, we went out for breakfast at City Market then headed to Lowe's to stock up on all of the necessities for a great summer yard. I haven't really done the annuals for the last two years (what, like I had a kid or something?) so I was excited to finally spruce up the yard again. Naturally I had a little help.

Just put a little in here, and a little over there...


What is with this junk on my hands? "Yucky!"

After a weekend of hard yard work, it was time to jump back into the pool for a relaxing splash.

After the swim I peeled off her suit and swim diaper and in the time it took me to set her wet suit over a chair she climbed up on the lounger to sun herself.

Oh hello admirers. You may adore me from afar.


Garcon! A lemonade and fruit plate!


I've been waiting for at least 30 seconds. WHERE IS MY BEVERAGE?


See if I ever come back to this place.

Um, Whose Idea Was This?

The week leading up to Mother's Day was gloriously warm and sunny (wretched, bone-chilling near-sleet for the actual day, but whatever). So we bought our cards for the grandmas and decided that instead of coloring them like usual we would bust out the finger paints that the Easter Bunny brought.

Let me back up and say that when the Easter Bunny was in Target collecting goodies for the basket, he/she took a moment and thought, 'hmmmm, maybe it's too early for finger paints. Oh look, it's washable!' Yes, EB, the paint is washable but it becomes exponentially more challenging to clean it up when it's EVERYWHERE.

Fortunately mommy had the sense to conduct this little artistic experiment outside.

I am an artiste, mother. I was born to create.


I create on paper...


on skin...


on carts, and anywhere else I can.


All clean, little Picasso

Biker Babe

There are a lot of perks to working for a privately-owned small company which happens to be in the business of selling motorcycles. One, I wear jeans to work every day. Two, the more I use the f-word, the more credible I become. Three, my boss (the owner) is cool about handing out thank yous often. Such was the case yesterday for our annual spring cook out. Every employee and their entire family is invited to feast on bacon-wrapped fillets, chicken with sun dried tomatoes and goat cheese, and amazing sides as far as the eye can see. Genevieve has been totally taken with motorcycles lately so I was really talking it up to her. Matt brought her by the store after work and she was pretty impressed. Before last night she pronounced it "motor"...pause..."cycle!" but by the end of the night the word was rolling off her tongue like a true biker babe. She totally turned on the charm for everyone and was really well behaved. A nice change of pace from the 'tude she's been sporting the last couple of weeks. She also had a taste for the $600 jackets. I told her the same thing I told Matt when he started to drool over the bikes, "No no, don't touch".

Would daddy look good in this one?


Oh no, this one is better. It's "or-nange"!


This is just my size, momma!


And it comes with a cute little girl in the mirror


She was too scared to sit alone so we perched together on a trike.

Matt and I are headed to Harley-Davidson's annual Black & Blue Ball, supporting MDA, tomorrow night. The last time we attended a ball he was in a tux and I was in an Oscar-worthy gown. Tomorrow we'll be sporting our most fashionable denim and our hottest Harley shirts. Seems like the times have changed, but I'm sure to find most of the same crowd at this event as I did in my previous life. Time to slap on the work smile and enjoy the open bar!