TTT: Season 3, Episode 30

1. I've long professed my love of Pinterest, the internet "pinboard" that many have become hooked on. I started pinning right around the time that Grant was born and it kept me awake through many, many late nights of nursing. And yes, I'll admit that there are quite a few Pinterest inspired home decor items in our home. Hey, moving in to a new house just shortly before joining Pinterest was just too perfect of a match! But I'm definitely guilty of the long running Pinterest joke summing up to pinning hundreds of things that you never actually do. There's tons of fantastic ideas, just not always the time and funds to make them happen. That being said, I've been trying to go back through and do some of the fun summer related ones that I knew the boys would love back when I pinned them. This past week I had to run to Home Depot for an air filter and while we were there we picked up a large, plastic painter's tarp. The next morning, we folded it in half and taped up the three open sides, filled the whole thing with water and then had a blast on our massive backyard water bed. It kept the big boys entertained for a full two hours, and really, the fun only ended because the water bed got too hot to touch!

2. I mentioned last week that my helper, Angelina, started helping me out last week. She has been coming over for a couple of hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and man, have I ever been grateful for her help! I've been keeping her busy with cutting fabric, a task I had gotten used to doing several times a week at night after Mark and the kids were in bed. She's also been able to help out with editing pictures for me and has been learning the fine art of creating baby linens. Bless her heart, she's done really well with keeping up with my "scattered-ness." I try to have my act together when she shows up, but it doesn't always happen that day. For example, today, right as she was walking in, Rudy went streaking across the room in all his naked glory! He had snuck out of his room where he was supposed to be napping to go to the bathroom and was apparently not able to his skivvies back on. But I've really enjoyed getting to know Angelina so far and am loving that I finally have some scheduled help with my shop!

3. Can we all just pause for a moment in recognition of the fact that the opening ceremonies for the Summer Olympics is tomorrow!?! yay, YaY, YAAAY! I know I'm really a dork when it comes to this, but I love the Olympics. I prefer summer, but the winter ones are good too. It's all just so fun to me...the competition, the pageantry, the emotion...all of it. Plus, the back stories just add to the drama of it all. It's kind of like an awesome reality TV series that's on every day and night for two straight weeks. And I think all of us at one time or another dream/wish/imagine what it would be like to be completely all-in 100% dedicated to something to point of being the best in the world. (I mean, if being a mom was an Olympic event, I'd at least want to give it a shot. Ha!) But anyhow, I'm going to give the boys a week or so of putting up with my obsession so they can see what it's really about and then I'm planning to have our own little kiddie Olympics. While checking out at Joann a few weeks ago, I spotted play Olympic medals in the dollar bin and knew we just had to have our own version of the games. Can't wait!

Playing on the water bed

I tried to stick a beach umbrella out in the yard to provide a little shade but it still got pretty hot!

My boys have their dad's skin. All three of them! Lucky boys! Sun screen or not, they never burn. Just get darker. Not me. Jealous. So now they all have adorable little white fannies.

Aaaaaand the fourth picture in a row that my kids aren't fully clothed! Hey, it's summer time! Just enjoying a little lunch after getting home from the pool.

My boys. I love this picture. Love. 'Cause this is just exactly how they are. Hanging with Dad on an early weekend morning, this is how I imagine them in my mind.