The Drive-In

Arnie and I talked earlier in the week about trying to take the girls to the drive-in on Friday night, but after our crazy day, I wasn't planning on it.

Maggie really shaped up in the evening and this was the last weekend of the summer for the kids movies, so we decided to try it. I'm glad we did. After a day of being on each others last nerves, it was a good family activity. We had a great time, the girls thought it was fun to wear there pajamas to the movies and to play in the back of the truck. We only stayed for the first movie (Ice Age 4), but by the time we made the drive home from Neligh it was plenty late!


















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AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Yesterday was a pull your hair out, hide in a dark room, sell your kids to the circus....kind of day around here.

Maggie was grounded from TV for the day (she told a little lie), usually tv wouldn't be such a big deal, but we've become accustom to having the olympics on in the background all the time....so it seemed really quiet around here. AND I think it backfired on me. When I caught her in the lie, I told her "no tv for today", she walked away and then walked back smiling and said "does that mean I'm grounded, like a big kid?" Apparently she was so excited about being treated like a "big kid" that she forgot she was being punished!


While Maggie was getting in trouble Grace decided to hide out in her room! It looks so sweet, right? Give her a minute, she's about to take all the hangers out of her closet.

After that the day just spiraled out of control.....Gracie emptied every drawer in the kitchen and drug all the clothes out of her dresser, Maggie seemed to have trouble listening and doing what she was told. I was overwhelmed by the dirt and clutter in my house and the yard work that needed to be done and we all needed a nap! (Of course Maggie refused to nap. She spent an hour and a half in her room, "trying" but under NO circumstances was she going to fall asleep.)

Why does being a good Mom require my windows to look like this....












After arguing about napping and losing a trip to the high school softball scrimmage, daddy came home and we all took a deep breath. Maggie shaped up and we had a fun evening. (next post)

Thankfully, today is a new day. I'm blessed with 2 amazing children and most of our days are awesome. Every now and then we just have to have one that's a little out of whack! and someday when my kids are bigger I'll get my unobstructed windows back.....and I'm sure I'll miss all the stuff.


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BUBBBIE!!!!

Gracie's blanket needed to be washed this morning, as you can see she's very happy about it. She won't leave the laundry room, she alternates between sitting and standing, yelling, "Bubbie, bubbie, bubbie..." You'd think I detached her right arm and stuck it in the machine. It could be a long hour and a half if I don't coax her out of there.

O'Brien Family Camping....

We spent the last 5 days at Camden State Park, in the southwest corner of Minnesota, camping with my mom's whole family. We had such a great time. I'm so glad everyone got to be there. Maggie loved being with Connor and Hailie (I expect today she'll start going trough withdrawals) and Gracie enjoyed all the attention.

All 19 of us....plus Reagan and Darby.

COUSINS!!!



My Grandma is a pretty tough chick! I hope I can still camp and keep up with my
Great-Grandkids in my mid 80's!



We did lots of relaxing....

There was a surprise silly string attack...

Card playing...

We didn't forget chairs, we had plenty, not sure what this was all about...

Bounce, bounce, bounce....even Gracie decided she liked the bounce house.

 

A little bike riding...

  

"Hailie, help me....someone put me in this cage!"

Gracie thought she was pretty hot stuff, coloring with the big kids.

 



Even the big kids did some coloring.

 

Lots of eating!!! Surprise, surprise!

Grace wanted to try out the new bike. Now she thinks she should get
to ride it all the time!

Uncle Lee won the best dressed award! Yep, that's right, those are paper coveralls.
When you're cold you'll use whatever you've got!



Maggie doing all the work for Aunt Laura :)

Time to relax!

Maggie and Daddy taking Mom for a little voyage...

Mom relaxing and enjoying!

Send them out to sea...

I had to prove that I could still do this. It was much easier when I was 14.  

Arnie's obnoxious, but totally accurate, imitation of Vadim.

The ride home was pretty quiet....

2 worn out girls!



What a great trip! I can't wait to do it again. When we were kids we camped together often, I'm so glad we've started that tradition for our own kids. I'm a lucky girl to have such a cool family!

Watch out world, she has wheels!

We've been talking for a few weeks about getting Maggie a bike. We didn't do it at her birthday because I was worried about 2 wheels and our gravel driveway, but it's become increasingly apparent that most other 4 year olds have a bike and she was really ready for one too.

Anyway, yesterday when I picked her up at school, Arnie met us for a surprise visit to the bike shop. She couldn't really figure out why we were there, it took her a while to realize we were actually going to get her a bike.

She was so excited....


Gracie wanted to help too :)



She loves it. Surprise, surprise it's pink and it has a BASKET!! The list of things she can carry in that basket is constantly growing.

This morning she called Grandma and Grandpa, to tell them all about her bike. My favorite part was, "we had to lower the seat a little so I could get my booty all the way up there."

She got to take her bike on an inaugural ride at Norfolk Iron. She rode out of the elevator and down the hall to surprise Pops. I'm guessing she might be the first person to ever ride a bike in the office....



Pops gave her a business card and Dawn gave her a few suckers, she was so excited to have things to put in her basket, she didn't even eat one.





When we got home her favorite buddy was there to help her break it in. He tried to convince her to take the training wheels off, but she wasn't having any of that. I've heard a story about Brandon asking Arnie to take his training wheels off, Brandon was about 3 and Arnie obliged. I think Brandon was just trying to repay the favor.





Next time we buy a bike, I think I'll wait until it's not a zillion degrees outside...it's been a hot day and a half on the driveway! (maybe we should have stayed at the office)


While Maggie was biking, Gracie was practicing her double fisted badminton, it might me an olympic sport of the future.....Excuse the diaper on the driveway, I don't usually do that, but potty training is wearing me out and we live in the middle of nowhere, who was going to see :)


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