The Great Un-Doer

How to change bedding with a 4-year old:

Lower expectations
Shmoosh out lumps
Put sheets on
Jump
Jump
Put sheets back on
Take mysterious lump to the laundry room
Throw mysterious lump on to the bed

Lower expectations - again
Put sheets on - again
Jump - again
Jump - again
Put sheets back on - again
Take mysterious lump to the laundry room - again
Throw mysterious lump on to the bed - again

distract the lump
finish the bed

Boys vs. Girls

Payton and Taylor used to sing the song "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better". The tune still describes them to a T!!

Let's build boats!

Boy boat:

Girl boat:
Aren't these pictures worth a thousand words? Do you REALLY need more from me?!

How Fabulous is 4?

Well,

4 can be frowny:

4 is a little fiery.

(I love the expression. It's one we see quite often.)

4 is definitely fashionable.

(Thank you Grandma for the new dress!)

4 is fortissimo!

(Thank you Aunty Erin for rockin' out with us!)

4 is full of fructose.

4 is a fiesta with friends...and frog boots.

I think 4 will be fantastic!

Happy Birthday Reilykins!

Did you count the dresses?

4 also fluctuates between fads atleast 40 times a day.

Too many Hannahs

Thanks Disney Channel. This is what you've turned my house into.
This was all a part of Reily's big 4th birthday celebration.

You may need to turn down the volume on this. That tinker toy mic is pretty powerful.
It is a little nauseating...you know, the camera work and stuff...yep, that's it...the camera work.

Saturday Scramble

This is Saturday.

Time to shovel and shovel and shovel.

Payton usually maintains a plush carpet of legos atop our not-so plush berber. After a morning of threats, tooth and hair pulling...I brought out the big dog...the vacuum.

I must admit, I love the sound of the clickety-clackety as it sucks tiny toys into their eternally dusty doom.

This is Payton, scrambling in front of the vacuum trying to rescue any last singleton lego from this doom.

Southern Suitors in Hot Pursuit

So, we're there...

that point

that precipice

that frightening ledge that was always to remain distant.

Boys are beginning their encroachment on the Griffen house; and these Southern boys ARE NOT SHY.

There is a certain young man, P*, that has bluntly declared his like for my daughter, T*. This morning he walked right next to her, not a hairs width away, during walking club. He could've held her hand...if she wanted to. He boldly declared to her, "It will happen Taylor. First, you'll stumble. Then, you'll dream about me...and then, you'll get looooost in my eyes." (He stole the line from Sonny with a Chance on Disney Channel.) Taylor just stifles her grin and turns away, in denial. I love to watch it. I tell her it's flattering. But, she can just leave it at that.

M* has already had young men calling the house. One, asked for her dad; and then proceded to ask if he could have a lemonade stand with her next summer. Now that's a 1st rate 1st grade Southern gentleman! The other, was calling multiple times, every day. The moms kinda trumped that one. But, he still writes her love notes and waves eagerly every time he sees her. She waves to his bus every morning, trying to catch a glimpse of him in the dark windows.

Seriously? Not ready for this.

Why a girl needs a mom...

A girl needs a mom so she doesn't end up here...

on the stairs...

hiding the fact that

she tried to glue a headband

to her pants

to hold them up.

Let's here it for ingenuity!!

***Clarification: If this girl had a mom that was behind the sewing machine altering her pants instead of in the garage painting furniture or on the computer, she wouldn't have to be so ingenious at such a young age. It's good for her...right?***