When they both lost teeth and a Tilly Update

 Leah lost one of her side teeth and was very excited for the tooth fairy to visit. Girlfriend has learned that she likes what money can buy. Over the past month or so, there's been a lot of money counting and considering what she can buy. She's spent her own money to buy jewelry, notebooks and books from the book order (I buy them one or two books each per order, typically--she has to pay for any more she wants). She loves to peruse the jewelry at Target while I check out. Her favorite store has become Justice--but thankfully is way more interested in the lip gloss and hair accessories as opposed to the gaudy, cheaply made, overpriced clothes. She knows that the only way to get me into the store is to bring along her own money. She's just like her me when I was young--always reminding me that I somehow owe her money and reminding me of some months ago event of when I promised her a quarter or a dollar. While I typically remember these stories, I'm usually pretty sure I paid the debt however many months ago. Leah will insist that I didn't and I still owe her money. I'm ready to turn into Grandma L and make her write out IOU's any time money is involved. Though she has loved to spend recently, she still insists that she is a saver, and Juliet is the spender. 

Out of nowhere, Juliet lost a tooth. To the best of any of our knowledge, it was never loose. It just fell out one day when she was munching on some soup crackers with Daddy. There was a mad rush to get a tooth box for the tooth,  but Juliet was happy to wait for the tooth fairy. 5 days later she got the box, and the tooth fairy visited. She left a fairy door, just like she did for Leah, and also $5.25. Like her sister, Juliet was ready to spend the money immediately. The new tooth is already poking out, and the dentist says 3 more are loose. 

Tilly continues to complete our cat family. He has so.much.energy and just really doesn't care to learn any rules. He loves to walk on the table, eat the kids food (as they are also eating it) and sit in the kitchen sink. He doesn't like being sprayed with water when he breaks the rules, but he really doesn't care enough to stop his naughty behavior, either. He was fixed last week, and we got extensive instructions to not let him jump, play, or basically be a kitten for 7-10 days. Tilly was jumping and wrestling within an hour of being home. The only way to slow him down was to put the "cone of shame" him, which he despised and fought off as much as possible. When he had the cone on, his whole body would slump, and he would just lay down wherever he was when the cone was put on and not move for hours at a time. It was funny and also really sad. He would then jam the cone on whatever he could to get it off. He was pretty successful. He wore the cone for about 3 days, but by then it was clear that he was healing well and not having any complications from surgery. He's back to terrorizing his family. Sometimes he had as bit too much energy and spunk for his mama, Juliet, but she still insists that he is HER cat, and her cat only. 

When it was warm...

 On one of the last lovely weekends of the year, we all spent the weekend outside catching up on lawn work and playing. Juliet likes the life of leisure....

 Leah stayed busy making chalk art. It was really pretty. It didn't rain for close to 3 weeks, so we all got to enjoy this for a long time. She kept asking what we wanted her to draw in the squares. She made palm trees, footballs, soccer balls....a lot of goof stuff. This kept her busy for a long time. So creative.

 I found her this giant toad and it made her life to play with it for a bit. It was the SLIMIEST toad I've ever touched. He must have been somehow preparing for winter. Leah had a lot of fun playing with him for a bit before putting him back. 

 I love this picture. The toad looks unimpressed. 

Leah's Birthday Party

 It was the year for a friend birthday party. This year Leah wanted her party at her gymnastics studio where she's taken weekly lessons off-and-on since she was 3. She had a lot of fun with her friends. She was very excited to swing on the rope 8 times while her friends threw blocks at her. She was supposed to jump off on the 8th swing, but forgot and got an extra turn. 

 Everyone had fun jumping into the foam pit.

 They ate some pizza, chips, and unicorn cupcakes. Leah got a lot of great presents and was pretty thrilled with her party. 

 We paid a little extra for the Ninja Warrior course to be open, and for the girls to have a little longer in the gym. The gym breaks down the time in the gym and the time in the lobby equally. I knew I didn't want the kids to have an entire hour in the lobby, so I just ended the party 15 minutes earlier than we "had" to. The bonus was that we got to go back into the gym and try out some of the equipment. Chris climbed the rope to the top and also did pretty good on the Ninja Warrior course--some of the equipment was just too small and made it hard to hang on. 

Both Leah and Chris were able to run up the ramp and hoist themselves up. I didn't try, but am sure I would have also succeeded.

 It was a great party!

When Daddy Came Home!

About 3 days into our Maui trip, Chris got word that a case not projected to go to trial, was actually going to trial. In like 3 weeks. Chris worked as much as he could in Maui, got off the plane in Detroit at the end of our trip, came home, took a shower and went to work. That was basically the last we really saw of him for 6 weeks.

He worked about 2 weeks of 18 hour days before leaving for Chicago for the trial. While we spent our last few week of summer there, and returned for Labor Day weekend, it was hard for everyone to adjust to the temporary new normal of not really seeing or talking to Chris, with the exception a few fun experiences that we managed as family while there.

I was very proud of our girls. Chris has never had a trial like this. He lived in Chicago, without returning to Michigan, 1 day short of a month. While we all missed Daddy greatly, the girls were able to adjust. I was especially proud of Leah who took on a great deal more responsibilities while Chris was gone. She helped me clean up and tidy the house everyday. She never complained at bed time, even though Juliet got put to bed first every night for about 6 weeks. Both girls got really good at helping with Ollie, and can let him in and out now like pros. We took family walks most nights without Chris, and they walked with me instead of riding their bikes like the normally do. It was so fun to hear what they wanted to talk about and how they opened up on these walks.

The girls were so good, we promised them something big and fun to do like a family. We haven't exactly figured out what that and when that will be--but it will happen. They deserve it!