Day 60

"But remember, spa treatments are essential in today's fast paced lifestyle to keep your mother healthy and feeling great!"~Hannelore R. Leavy

The girls left for their adventure today, and by a happy coincidence, one of my friends was heading to the nail place to get her nails filled. I asked if she wanted some company, as I was planning on getting a pedicure while the girls were gone, anyway. The place we go does a lovely pedicure...not only do they give a great pedicure, they also give a hot rock massage to your feet and legs. I have happy feet now.

Day 59

"Those who say you can't take it with you never saw a car packed for a vacation trip" ~author unknown

The girls will be leaving in the morning for their annual vacation adventure with my parents. This year they will be visiting Virginia with a day trip into Washington, DC. Surprisingly, I packed them very lightly. My mom will have a washer and dryer in the condo, so I only packed 4 outfits. My belief is that as long as the meds and the machine is packed, anything that's forgotten can be purchased.

Day 58

"We are in the stickiest situation since Sticky the Stick Insect got caught on a sticky bun" ~Rowen Atkinson

I could have gone my whole life without seeing one of these things in person. However, I've seen two of them in the last week. They are actually quite amazing, and really DO look just like sticks. This one, that I saw this morning as I left for work, actually looked like it had been broken off of a branch...I think it was the head side, looked almost frayed, as if it had been twisted off of a larger branch.

Day 57

The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows. ~Sydney J. Harris

This is the entrance to the school I've been spending my mornings this week. I've been subbing in the "severe" room. There are 6 children, all with learning disabilities. Three of them are also basically non-verbal. It's been a really fun few days. I'm kind of sorry I'm not working on Thursday...I'm going to miss this group of kids.

Day 56

"Another belief of mine; that everyone else my age is an adult, whereas I am merely in disguise." ~Margaret Atwood

This is my friend Jacki. On Monday, she retired the pink "Hello Kitty" wallet she's been using for longer than my girls have been alive. She picked out a lovely purple GROWN UP wallet to use instead. Somehow, I doubt she'll be throwing the Hello Kitty one away.

Day 55

"Little works, little thoughts, little loves, little prayers for little Christians, and larger and larger as the years grow." ~Charles Henry Parkhurst

Forgive the poor quality, I've finally figured out how to access the pictures from my phone, and unfortunately,it doesn't take very good pictures. The girls were sitting in the front pew waiting for church to start this morning. Because I sing in the choir, the girls either sit with Rob, or their Sunday School teacher. Today, however, they wanted to sit on their own in the front. I don't think anyone has EVER sat in the front pew, when they weren't serving Communion or something. It was a little odd to see them there. I'm glad they are comfortable enough in church to sit there.

Day 54

"Into each life, some rain must fall." ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

As I went to bed last night, the local news station tweeted about scary gross air quality warnings. I woke up, and put the garbage out, and the humidity was stifling. In the afternoon, we had a blast of storm come through. Thunder, lightening, dark skies. I'm waiting to open the door, to see if the humidity has abated. The weather people weren't optimistic about THAT.

Day 53

"Sometimes I wish I could go back the the days when I was six and my biggest problem was what kind of dress to put on Barbie or whether or not I had enough Legos to build a fort" ~Unknown

It rained all day, so the girls were left to their own devices for entertainment. Without the option to go outside and play with chalk or on the swingset, they had to get creative. After they went to bed, I peeked into the playroom, and saw this. I'm not sure what they were playing, or if they were just looking for a little place to get away. Apparently, Cody thought it was pretty neat too.

Day 52

Han: "What's going on...Buddy?"

Lando: "You're being put into carbon-freeze."

Abby and Daddy went to see "Star Wars in Concert" ( http://www.starwarsinconcert.com/ ) tonight. Along with the show, there were movie props and costumed characters. Rob's been brainwashing, I mean...sharing Star Wars with Abby since about 4 days after she was born. (seriously, I have a picture of him with 4 day old Abby on his lap, watching Star Wars) It was neat that they were able to share this concert together.

Day 51

"I have set My Rainbow in the clouds,
and it will be the sign of the
covenant between Me and earth." - Genesis 9:13

We had a little storm come through this evening. Well before the rain ended, the sky was back to a beautiful blue. Abby was convinced we would see a rainbow. Turns out she was right. I immediately pulled over to the side of the road, and put on my hazard lights, so the girls could get a good look. THEN, I drove to a safer place to pull over, so I could get out and take pictures. I didn't want the girls to miss it while I was looking for a parking space. I was reminded of the first time Abby saw a rainbow, she wasn't yet 3. After we stopped to look at the rainbow, she said to me, "Momma, can we say a prayer to say thank you to God for such a beautiful rainbow." Now, whenever we see a rainbow in the sky, we always say a little prayer of thanks to God for such a thing of beauty.

Day 50

"Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again." ~L. Frank Baum

I decided to torture Mariella by taking a picture during treatment time. As you can see, the Trek is sitting next to her, and she's moved on to airway clearance. As necessary as clearance is, it is just about the grossest thing in the world. That little device somehow causes enough percussion in the lungs to loosen the mucus, so that Mariella can cough and move it up and out. It's nice that I don't have to do actual chest PT on her, though when she's really bad, I do...the Acapella makes it so that I don't have to beat on her chest and back a couple times a day. She does this at least twice a day, if not more. It generally does help to keep flares at a minimum, most of them.

Day 49

"It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato." - Lewis Grizzard

I picked 3 tomatoes from my little plant tonight. For a total of 5 so far. I do have a bunch more that are green, and will probably be ready in a few days. I keep trying to convince the girls to try them...but I haven't been successful so far. Oh, well...they don't know what they're missing, and if they don't want them, I don't have to share. I DID, however, make myself a hero to my borrowed son, because cherry tomatoes are his favorite in the world, and I gave one to him the other day. He was SO excited about it.

Day 48

Kittens can happen to anyone. ~Paul Gallico

This morning, when Mariella and I were getting ready for church, then hanging out in the playroom, because it's the only room that light come in...Cody ran and leaped into the basket of the doll stroller. I'm pretty sure he would have stayed there, and taken a walk, if we had decided to roll the stroller around.

Day 47

Golf is a good walk spoiled. ~Mark Twain

Our property borders a golf course. Right behind our yard is the 13th green. If you look carefully, the white spot in the grass is the golf ball. In the distance is the woods that is the border of our property. There is 20+ feet of woods, before you get onto the golf course. I can't imagine what the golfer that landed his ball in our yard must have been doing to mess up quite so badly. Ah, well...one more ball for Rob's collection.

Day 46

"I taste Grampy's Famous Mac" ~Dominic

I made "Grampy's Famous Mac" for supper tonight. My father developed a microwave recipe for mac and cheese, and my girls LOVE it. Even my friend's super picky son really enjoys it. In fact, he was the one who requested it. (the quote is from a "5 senses project he did in school last year) It's so unbelievably easy to make...you need equal parts of milk and cheese (whatever kind of cheese you want) and 3 rounded tbs of flour for each cup of milk. Equal parts of flour and butter. (so I use 2 cups of milk, 2 cups of cheese, 6 tbs of flour and 6 tbs of butter for 1 lb of pasta) Whisk the flour into the cold milk, then add the butter and cheese. Put it into the microwave for 10 minutes, watching it, and stirring occasionally. If I'm making it just for the girls, I also add either broccoli or broccoli/cauliflower mix to it as well.

(Kerri, this is the mac and cheese I'm making for you when you come live on my couch)

Day 45

"My songs are just little letters to me." ~Ani Difranco

Abby wrote us a letter from camp. It came yesterday, and I've been reading it over and over all day. I'm so glad that she's made friends, and that she's having a good time. (and I'm glad she misses me, but not too much)

Day 44

"People, let me tell you 'bout my best friend" ~Courtship of Eddy's Father

I'm babysitting for my borrowed son tonight. Both the kids are feeling crappy...he's on his sick plan, which includes 3 neb treatments. I COULD have taken a picture of them doing their airway clearance together too. There are just about 6 months between them in age, and they are so alike in many ways. In fact, I nearly laughed hysterically, when less than a year after D got his glasses, we found out Mariella needed them as well...it's just a bit bizarre.

Day 41

"A lot of parents pack up their troubles and send them off to summer camp." ~Raymond Duncan

Abby went off to summer camp on Sunday. This is a picture of the camp store. We deposited some money into her account, and she can use it how she will...I'm sure that means candy and crap...but hopefully something useful and meaningful too. We really, really miss her.

Day 40

I don't pretend to be captain weird. I just do what I do.
Johnny Depp

I'm not going to take credit for this picture...but it was on my camera...perhaps I'm stretching the rules...but, oh well. Rob went to a local comic book convention, to support a friend...this was one of the pictures he took.

Day 37

"It only takes a spark to get a fire going" ~Pass it On by Kurt Kaiser

This is the campfire at the council circle at the girls day camp. They light it for Parent's Night. It was a fun night of skits and pranks. After the show, both my girls spent the night under the stars at camp.

Day 36

"If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies." ~Author Unknown

I apologize for the poor quality. I was juggling 2 backpacks, my purse, and my keys when I saw this beauty land on the Butterfly Bush by our door. I was lucky I had my camera with me, so I grabbed it, and took as good a picture as I could. As soon as I took it, it flew away. I'm glad the bush is bringing butterflies to the yard. (of course, it will also bring bees...but I'll do my part to help the honey bee population too.)

day 35

"A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins." ~Laurie Colwin-Home Cooking

I have an almost ripe tomato on my hanging tomato thing. Fresh tomatoes make me happy. I'm OK with a small crop...I'm the only one who eats tomatoes. I can't wait till this one is ripe enough to pick.

Day 34

"Thought when sober, said while drunk" ~unknown

I'm not a drinker, really. I don't drink often, and it doesn't take me much to get drunk. However, my friends all tell me I'm a fun drunk...I don't get all emotional, or belligerent. I just get giggly. I'm the one with my hand in front of my face. I have NO idea what we're talking about here...but I'm sure I'm laughing. (and, for the record, I remember the whole day and night.)

Day 33

"Jessica, want some buffalo wings? Sorry, I don't eat buffalo" ~Jessica Simpson

Due to a packing failure, no camera was brought to the July 3 celebration...because if said failure, there was no picture of the day. So, I'll put up a picture of the yummy did that my sister-in-law made. It's buffalo chicken dip, and it's super yummy.

Day 32

"I pledge allegiance to the flag..."

I dropped the girls off at camp this morning...and got to talking to another mom. As I was leaving, they were beginning the flag ceremony. Right after I snapped the picture, they started the Pledge...and it was really neat, hearing the entire camp saying it in unison. (The girls are in there somewhere)

Day 31

"I never drink water because of the disgusting things fish do in it." ~W.C. Fields

Rob and I met some friends at the Chinese Buffet for lunch, and apparently...feeding the koi was the thing to do. As soon as anyone threw food in, they came to the surface of the pool, and it was LOUD. Some of the fish even leaped out of the water to get to the fish first...it was crazy.