pool. for real this time.

Ok, so we really went to the real pool today.

Mel put on his 7-carrot ring. Isn't he funny?

You have no idea how hard it was for Patricia to smile for this picture. I am sure all of us at some point refused to take pictures. She has no clue about how beautiful she is. If she knew, I wouldn't be able to get her away from in front of the camera.

They can't get enough of their daddy. Can you tell?

I just noticed today how much my boy and I look alike. Check out the left eyes. We both do the same squinty-smirky thing with the left sides of our faces when it's sunny. Out of all of my kids, Trystan looks the most like me, freckles and all. I try not to tell him that too much because I don't want to give him a complex.

pool?

This afternoon, Trystan and Jacob went outside to play with the hose. This is what I walked out to:

So naturally, Vivian decided that she needed to be in on the action. She and Jacob propmtly got into the 'pool'. I got out my camera when I overheard Jacob saying, "Look at me! I'm in the deep end!!" He has the best imagination.

Trystan and Jacob took turns dumping buckets of water on each other.

As usual, Vivian didn't want to be left out. I didn't think she wanted the water to actually be dumped on her. I was right. She just wanted to do it on her own terms. (go figure)

Thirsty?

Who do you think had the most fun at the 'pool' ?

Congratulations to Me!!

I just got a letter in the mail today. Guess what it says? It says that I am officially a certified personal trainer. Yippee!!

So what now? I don't know. I have to figure that out. Anti-climactic, isn't it? I'll keep you posted.

Harmony, now I can officially work your butt when I come to Hawaii.

Anyone need a trainer?

Dress up and Painting

This is Vivian's favorite dress up dress. She loves wearing this ratty blue fairy tulle thing. It's not supposed to be worn alone, but she wears it with just underwear or (gasp) nothing under it. No, wait. It gets better. The other day, she cut the strings that hold it up on her shoulders. Since she doesn't have anything to hold it up, it usually stays around her belly because her belly is wider than her little chest.

Do you want to know who the little blondie is? She's my friend Mary's daughter Diana. As you can tell from the picture, they both have very different personalities. Vivian is the wild and show-offy one, and Diana is much more reserved. She is a sweet and quiet little girl. Take careful note of how the two friends are painting. One little girl is gently painting a pretty picture, while the half naked other one is using her mouth to control the paint brush. These two are funny to watch.

One more thing... If you are looking for something to have your kids do that is relatively painless and pretty easy to clean up, try watercolor painting. They love it! When they are done, all I have to do is wipe the table. If they get it on their clothes, It just washes right out. Hours of fun. HOURS, I tell you.

Two little (dirt) monkeys

One of the things my kids love to do is play in the dirt. Today Mimi and our next door neighbor, Ryah decided that they needed to play right next to the road. I'm such conscientious mother, aren't I? Look at that beautiful smile. Isn't she so cute?

Can you believe she's 7? I can't get over how beautiful she is.

See? There they are. Right next to the road. Whenever there's water, they splash in the water in that very same spot. It makes me crazy. Like I have little redneck kids that play in the dirt and splash in the water along the side of the road. My mother used to joke with us and tell us to 'go play in traffic'. My kids actually do.

Dog Days of Summer

While my good friend Suzan is out of town on vacation for a couple of weeks, myself and another friend have taken on the responsibility of taking care of her beautiful dog Chloe. She and Weber have been great together. I have been pleasantly surprised by Weber's behavior. For example, when she jumped on the couch, he promptly corrected her and she got off the couch. She also runs upstairs whenever she gets the chance. The last time she did that, he took off after her and chased her back downstairs. Just like kids, you think all of the training and teaching you have been doing is in vain until they say or do something that shows you that they really have been paying attention.

Oh, for those of you who don't know, Weber is the boxer, and Chloe is the golden.

yummy delicious

This is what I did on Saturday:

1. Got up at 7 am .
2. Got dressed.
3. Woke Mimi up (my first mistake).
4. Got some breakfast.
5. Left the house at 8 am.
6. Drove to Butler's Orchard for blueberry picking. (very pleasant drive with Mimi).
7. Arrived at Butler's Orchard at 9 am ready to pick blueberries (peak anticipation).
8. Took tractor ride out to blueberry fields. (they constantly shuttle people back and forth every 5 minutes remember this).
9. Started picking berries ( I came here to work. I had lots of blueberries in mind).
10. 5 minutes into the job, guess who is ready to go home?
11. Stayed and picked 17 pounds of blueberries all by myself.
12. Did everything in my little imagination to keep her interested in staying there (you would be proud. I didn't yell at her. Too many other people around)
13. Listened to Mimi bug me every 5 minutes to get on the tractor to go back to the car.
14. Got on the tractor.
15. Paid for the berries.
16. Went to McDonald's for lunch.
17. Drove home.
18. Took a shower and took a nap (I deserved it. I just picked 17 pounds of blueberries)
19. Made these yummy muffins.

I did more things, but nothing else that relates to the delicious picture at the beginning of this post. I deserve a big, fat I TOLD YOU SO for bringing Mimi with me. I actually thought that she would be a good worker. Shows how much I know.

top ten reasons why mel a great husband

10. He is patient with me during my emotional ups and downs (believe me, he has LOTS of experience with this)

9. He does things he wouldn't do on his own just because I want to do them (like dancing. but he likes it now)

8. He makes me laugh (once he made me laugh so much I peed my pants)

7. He appreciates my sarcastic and witty humor (he can tolerate my cussing)

6. He recognizes when I need a sanity break and provides opportunities for me to take one (like now. he took Vivian on a trip to Oklahoma for 4 days)

5. He encourages me to follow my interests (anyone need a personal trainer?)

4. He is a great dad (mommy? who's mommy? we want daddy)

3. He isn't afraid to take apart something that is broken and try to fix it (latest fix? my xm radio. can't live without it)

2. He is honest (I know that I can always trust whatever he tells me)

And the top reason why Mel is a great husband:

1. He accepts me as I am imperfections and all, and makes me feel like a queen every time he looks at me (believe it people, I have imperfections :0)

From the strawberry patch

I just had to show this picture of the coolest deformed strawberry that Trystan picked. When we went strawberry picking last month, we found an unprecedented number of crazy shaped berries. That berry is almost as big as Mimi's face. I still can't get over it.

... and we ate every last one of 'em!!

If I were a dog...

I'd be cowering in the corner with my tail between my legs peeing on the floor. You people are tough.

Please allow me to catch you up on what has been going on in my life over the past couple of months.

• We went to West Virginia for Memorial Day weekend. As usual, I ate way too much. Mimi brought her best friend (sister) Isabel along. This was the first time we have ever brought a friend along on a trip like this. It was fantastic! I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
• The next fun thing we did was Strawberry picking. We got a flat of strawberries from this place called Butler's Orchard. One of my first memories of living in Maryland as a kid was when I was about 7 and we went there for the first time and picked strawberries. My mom and neighbor were there to work. They had plans to make jam, so they need lots and lots of strawberries. It was so hot, and the novelty wore off pretty quickly. I just remember them saying to us, "Quit complaining, and pick!!" This Saturday Mimi and I are going back to pick blueberries. Last year, the whole family picked about 25 pounds. We froze them and they lasted all year. I think we have about 2 cups left. If any of you locals are interested in joining us, please call me. I'll have the van and I'll drive. Just bear in mind: I have a mission to fulfill. 30 pounds!
• We used our four free tickets and went to Water Country in Williamsburg, VA. The kids all had a blast. All six of us!! I wasn't too enthusiastic about going to a water park because Busch Gardens was practically next door. I really wanted (still do) to ride roller coasters. But, I had fun anyway. It's one of those places that the whole family can enjoy. There is something for everyone to do. It's a small enough place, that you can do everything and not totally exhaust yourself. I recommend it to everyone.
• Last and most importantly of all was this past weekend. I attended a three-day personal trainer workshop. IT WAS SOOOO AWESOME!!!!! I won't actually BE a certified personal trainer for at least 4 weeks. That's how long it takes to get the test scores back. BUT, I feel so confident about how well I did. I can't wait to start training.

There you have it. I feel likd a giant weight has been lifted off of my chest. AHHHH I can breathe again. See you soon!!

For those of you who were wondering...

Yes, I am still alive. I know it's been a month since my last update. I am trying to adjust to having all my kids home all the time now. I do have some cool pictures of some neat things we have done over the past month. I'll try to get my act together soon. See ya.

She can do ANYTHING!!!

Today, while running errands with my mother, I mentioned that my new bracelet is too big. So, she took a look at it and decided to make it shorter for me. She just took it apart, took two discs out, and put it back together. I thought about doing that, but I didn't want to mess up my $44 bracelet. I guess my small investment didn't mean that much to her because she did it without a second thought. Oh yeah, she didn't mess it up either. I don't think she said it, but the idea and attitude behind it was 'Hmmph, easy peasy.'

Then, while we were looking at aprons, I mentioned that I had to throw my favorite apron away a little while ago because it was so old and funky and threadbare that I couldn't even wash the funk out. (I had the apron for over 10 years) So, she decided that rather than buy another apron that I didn't really love, she would make one for me instead. But she didn't just make one for me. She made one for Mimi and one for Vivian too. Oh, and it's REVERSIBLE!!!!!!! She only finished Vivian's tonight, but as soon as all three are done, you'd better believe there will be some pictures of us all in our cute little aprons.

My mom is so cool. She is crafty. And whenever she comes to visit, I can't wait to see what cool projects she comes up with for us (her) to do. Sad that she leaves tomorrow. Can't wait to see her again!!

Oh Yeah, my mom's coming!

Last week, I was talking to my mother on the phone about the fact that she is once again on the hunt for a job. See, she quit one job to take another at a different hospital. Well, the new one didn't work out for various reasons (you can ask her if you see her) so, she is looking for another one.

Once I figured out that she is 'between jobs' (I'm kinda slow), I saw it as the perfect opportunity to have her come stay with us for a couple of days. She usually is so busy with work (used to work shiftwork at a hospital), that we only get to see her a couple of times a year even though we only live about 4 hours away.

AND SHE'S COMING TOMORROW!!!!!

I can't wait to tell the kids. I know they will be super happy about seeing her. Oh man, now I have to make sure the place is cleaned, and that we have groceries, and that the extra bed has clean sheets, and, and, and...... UMMMMMMM, gotta go!

rain, rain, go away

Can I just say that I am getting tired of the rain?

It's great for my newly planted and replanted flowers, shrubs, and grass. It's also great for my allergies. BUT I AM READY FOR SUNNY WEATHER!!!

Ok. I feel better. Thanks for reading.

10 Things I Love About Warm Weather

1. I can sit outside and hang out while the kids play. It's especially wonderful to hang out in my backyard now because Suzan and Mel landscaped it last week, and it's FABULOUS. You should come over and hang out with me.



2. My kids don't hang out inside the house all afternoon and watch tv. (AKA: bug me)



3. We get to go on 'Minnick Family Walks' on Sunday afternoons.



4. Skirts and dresses.



5. Flip flops/sexy high heeled sandals.



6. Watermelon



7. Flowers



8. Driving in the car with the windows down. Notice I said warm weather. I can't do this in hot weather. Then, it's all air conditioning in my car.



9. Nighttime walks with the dog.



10. Picnics.

Most of them have to do with being outside. I love to be outside when it's warm. Don't you?

I am getting pretty good at writing these, huh?

Outside in summer

Happily dancing couple

Never felt so close

Who knew haiku could be so fun? Come on, give me one. Here's how you do it.

Dancin' Dancin' Dancin'

On Saturday, Patricia babysat while Mel took me dancing. Well, kinda. We had our first dancing lesson. We have committed to six weeks of lessons. I am SO excited. We learned the foxtrot on Saturday.

I think we fell in love with the music. Now we have these fantasies of being out in our newly landscaped backyard on a hot summer night, drinking icy cold lemonade, listening to Sinatra on an old record player and dancing all night. Woooo Hooo! I seriously am going to the thrift store tomorrow to buy a record player and some records.

We would like to extend an invitation to any of you who might be interested in joining us for moonlight dancing in our backyard this summer. More details to come...

another haiku

babysitter girl

makes lunch, bakes cookies, cleans up

my sweet Patricia

another letter

Dear sweaty workout girl,

Please do not come to my store after you have just finished working out. I am glad that you have a healthy lifestyle and enjoy exercising. However, I do not want to have to talk to you because you are all red and sweaty. You make other customers feel like slugs because they didn't work out today like you did. That's ok, because at least they aren't all sweaty. I am sure you are a busy person and that is why you still have on your gym clothes, but please change your clothes before you come to my store to shop.

Sincerely,

The cashiers at Wal-Mart


(I like these letters. I feel like Harmony)

A love letter...

Dear Mimi's Cafe,

I know we just met a couple of weeks ago, but I just had to write you a letter to tell you how much you mean to me. I can't decide whether it's the yummy muffins you gave me with my salad the last time I saw you, or if it's the delicious carrot-raisin bread you gave me in the bread basket tonight. Maybe it's neither. Maybe it was the deliciously chicken-y chicken pot pie you introduced me to tonight that was filled with tender chicken breast chunks and veggies and topped with a crispy, flaky, golden crust that won me over.

What I do know, is that I enjoyed my experiences with you so much. I couldn't resist the urge to ask for the manager just so I could tell him how much I like your food and your polite, friendly servers. They were so attentive. I never had to ask for a refill on my drink, or ask to get the extra plates cleared. Your servers were so accommodating. I had a wierd order tonight, and you got it totally right. What? Send out the dessert orders with the entree? (my kids had already eaten, so we treated them to dessert while we ate dinner) But you did it! I was so proud of you.

I can't wait until I get the opportunity to see you again. I know my next experience will be a good one. See you soon!

Love,

Marianne