Awww...They're So Adorable...Awwww....

WHAT a lazy, yet busy weekend. Let's see, I slept in Friday and Saturday and Sunday - getting like 10 hours of sleep each night. The only problem with sleeping in is that I feel like 1/2 the day is wasted before I'm up and going.
I'll take the sleep, though... it was FANTASTIC! I also gots lots of studying done, watched 7 Years in Tibet, Ladder 49, and 3 episodes of What Not To Wear :-)

On Friday, the kids and I went to the library and checked out the limit - I think 55 (?) books. They have devoured them and I think only 3 remain unread. I LOVE that my kids love reading.

Mai and I had a date at the mall. She, of course, dressed up as a princess. Shoe shopping with this girl was about to drive me nuts. She's been wearing the same nasty, smelly, beat up, falling apart moccasins for way too long, but she's sooooooooooooo picky! Nothing looks right, nothing fits right.
I vividly remember having these same feelings when I was a kiddo and so I'm trying to go with the flow, let her find the right ones and also let her keep her individuality, even if it means letting her look like a ragamuffin at school while the exact perfect pair of shoes pops up. After two hours at the mall, she came home with two pairs! HOORAY!!! Aren't they cute??!!!

We also got in a nice little hike with Ki today at Forest Park.

 

 

After giving Ki a thorough flea bath, we ended up at Winco for a major food shopping trip. This girl of mine...I don't know how we're going to make it through - her and I. We have a major battle for who is the most stubborn, self-sufficient, most right, most controlling person in the room. I'm trying so hard to give her room - to let her be her - to not need to be in a hurry so that she can experience what she wants to experience. I hope I'm doing an ok job.

On Friday, Mai told me that she was going to put away (which means hang up, because they don't have a chest of drawers) all of the laundry belonging to her and Jack. It was A LOT!! It took her over an hour, but she got it done perfectly and she didn't stop once.

Today at the store, she insisted on bagging all $250 worth of groceries herself. I mean, I could have said no. Most parents probably would have. But it meant so much to her and she was so sure of herself. The little girls to the left and right of us were so sad when their moms wouldn't let them in on the fun. She did a great job and the look on her face afterwards was priceless. I'm so glad my irritation about grocery shopping in general didn't keep me from letting her try this grown up thing for her.

When we were making the salad at dinner, she grabbed two pieces of cucumber and said she had a pretty long weekend and needed some help for the bags under her eyes...

...and then she reminded me I promised to help her clean out her bug habitat...

...see all those dots on the leaves?? That's slug poop!
We found all 4 slugs...

but the 8 worms...
GONE! After sluggies got all safe and sound back into their clean home, she gasped and said "Awwww...They're so adorable...Awwwww - Mama, just look at how cute they are. (whatever).

Now, I know you know I have a son. That was him in the first picture. He's a wonderful, lovely, smart, affectionate, mommy deprived boy. And...this is my problem. Some times I think that Mai attached at my hip is the problem, but it's not. It's  that this sweet boy is having a hard time working his way in with me inbetween his very busy sister's scheduling of me. Something's gotta give.