Life with the Hinds'

Today is Peyton's 4th Birthday! Happy Birthday Peyton!!! She informed me today (as she did the other day at her birthday lunch) that we could call her Birthday Girl, Not Peyton. So I have been. I let her have a cupcake for breakfast. I know, horrible, but oh well. They don't ever eat things like that, so one time won't hurt, right? Right! I took the girls to the Children's Museum this morning. We played and played, then ate a picnic lunch, then played some more! Their favorite thing, as always, is the grocery store. They love to shop!! And always have their carts overflowing. There were a lot of people there today, so it was pretty loud. I have a headache now. Thank goodness for my darvoset. Please kick in soon! Showing off her Green tongue after her fruit roll up... Telling us the news...they are actually on TV...Kalee is watching herself talk. And their favorite...Shopping!! Lori...Please notice that Peyton is buying you new Swiss Miss! We went to Target after the mu...

We had a birthday lunch for Peyton at Nan and Pop's house Sunday afternoon. She was very excited about it! She wanted a Princess party this year. I took her to Sams to get a birthday cake...Yes, I know, I suck. I bought her cake, didn't make it. There is no excuse! it took her 20 minutes to pick one out. She ended up getting Princess cupcakes, the thing that caught her eye when we first walked up. But she had to eliminate all options before choosing! She had already picked out which one she was going to eat first before we left the store...Snow White in case you're wondering! Yesterday morning she woke up and ran into our room to get me up. "Today is my birthday party!!! i have to pick out my outfit from my wardrobe!!" So she went into her room to her dress up "wardrobe" and picked out her Snow White dress. She put it on, had her Snow White high heels, even had a red ribbon tied in her hair. She informed us that she looked "Spectacular!!" Hilar...

Today was a nothing day. We did nothing. We didn't leave the house, even though I should have gone to the bank, bought stamps, gone grocery shopping, dropped off laundry at the dry cleaners...Oh well, I didn't feel like it, so I didn't! I did pick up the house and sweep (that's right, with the awesome vacuum...I still use it at least once a week!) I made supper...some Mexican stuff that Kate taught me how to make. Kalee had 3 helpings, Kate. She really liked it! I made a picture appointment for the girls for tomorrow. It will be for Kalee's 2 year picture and Peyton's 4 year picture. HOPEFULLY it will go fine. But with their track record this summer of being around strangers, it might not. Keep your fingers crossed! They have cute little plaid shorts and tank tops to wear. Not matching colors, I hate when people do that to their kids (I have done it once, but only once...in a moment of weakness...I was clearly not on top of my game that day when I dr...

I went canoeing with Stacey and some of her friends (a fun group!) this past weekend. We had a good time. The weather was beautiful for camping. Not so much for canoeing. It was a little chilly on the water, and yes, we did dump over once and had to make an emergency bail out once. I didn't see any snakes, so I consider it a very successful trip! Peyton had an eye appointment Monday. It was a 4 month check of her glasses. The doctor said she was doing very well. She said that hopefully in time, she won't have to wear glasses at all. I was surprised by this. I was under the impression that she couldn't see anything! Apparently that is not true. If I understand it correctly, she has good vision, she just has to work 5 times harder than a regular person to see. So her eyes cross because she is trying so hard. So over time, her eyes will strengthen with her glasses and her farsightedness will correct itself. Maybe by the time she is a teenager, she won't have to wear them...

So Tara just texted me to tell me that Playhouse Disney Live is coming to the Convention Center in November! What? That's currently Kalee's most favorite thing ever!! "Watch Mousy" is her favorite line these days! So I jumped on the internet and bought us 4 tickets!! I'm so excited!! It's Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Little Einsteins, Tigger and Pooh, and Handy Manny! They are going to LOVE THIS!!! Thanks Tara Jo!!!! Here's a link if you want to go too! http://disney.go.com/disneylive/playhouse/

It's finally finished...I am moved back in to my bathroom! It only took about 6 months...the story of my life! Here are a few pics of my new light and shade. Yay! (OK, I know, they aren't the best pictures, but it's hard to get a good pic in a small space like my bathroom!!) Now if I can just get Matt to get my curtain rod put up in the dining room! I'll feel like I have accomplished something. I continue to paint the downstairs trim and doors. Takes forever. I am on coat #3. Probably will take 4. Peyton is cracking me up today. We went to the chiropractor and when we came home, she decided she needed to fox me also. So she signed me in at her desk, took me back to "room #4" and had me lay down. She then worked on me a good 15 minutes. She was being hilarious. She kept talking to me and telling me stories in her sincere voice. She was telling me about the wedding she just went to and how there was a party and how her daughter was there. I was there too, didn...

So these people moved in to a house two doors down from us about a year ago, maybe longer, I don't really remember. Ever since they moved in there, I have been creeped out by this guy. (I think I've told Megan this before) He is a starer. If he is outside when you are, he just stands and stares at you. The girls and I play outside a lot and really, we play in the front in the driveway often. So he just creeped me out. I am not completely paranoid, because 3 of the neighbor ladies that I talk to have also commented on the weirdness that is this guy. Well, I think it's safe to say that he makes me nervous, especially with my two daughters and even more especially due to the fact that Matt is gone for 24, sometimes 48 hours at a time, and the people around here know he is gone. I finally made Matt look the guy up on the sexual predator's listing online. He is not on it, so that made me feel better. However, we found out last week that he has been in jail for ro...

We had a fun day today. After Peyton got upset that Daddy and Pop were going to the ball park without her...it was a boys day...we decided to have a girls day. She told me that on girls days, you read stories and sing songs. Well, we haven't done any of those things yet, but we did swim a little in the freezing cold big pool. Then the girls swam in their little pool. They both brought their babies to the pools, so they had fun. I put the solar cover on the pool as soon as I got them out of it!! It's amazing that they don't ever think the water is cold! Peyton sliding with her baby Kalee "swimming." She sat in this little bucket for about 10 minutes! We had lunch and the girls napped. Then we went to the mall play place. I gave them the option of the playground and feeding the ducks or the play place. Peyton wanted the play place. Really, I think they have more fun playing on the little cars that move when you put money in them. They don't even need them to...

It's been a lazy weekend for us here in the Burg. Matt had the whole weekend off. Nice! He went to Menard's yesterday and bought all the stuff we need for our new privacy fence! I am so excited! So now in three weeks when he gets another whole weekend off, he will put up the fence! I really hope it discourages the super annoying dogs that live next door to us. If nothing else, at least I won't worry every time we are outside that one of the stupid things is going to jump the fence and attack the girls. I think Goober and Tyler have been asked to help. Good times! I'm sure the beer fridge will be stocked for the weekend. I am almost done with my bathroom. One more coat of touch up paint and it is done! Matt hung my new shade yesterday, it looks nice! Way better than the towel hung by two push pins that has been there for the last 6 months! He started to hang my curtains in the dining room, but decided that I bought the wrong rod. So I went to the store and...

There's not much new going on here today. I know exactly where my phone is, so that's good. I have spent the morning painting. FINALLY getting my bathroom finished. Jeez, it's been like 6 months! I finished painting the ceiling and now need to touch up the wall edges. Then I think I can officially move back in there! Matt put up a new light fixture this weekend. It is so pretty! Not nasty, outdated and ugly like that last one was!! I also started painting the trim in the basement. Just in the entry area. I am going to paint those two walls the green that the stairway is painted. It will look better than the blue that is there right now! I really hate painting trim. It is just tedious! It will look better at least. Hopefully Matt can finish up the basement repairs and I can get the rest of the family room painted as well. The girls have been happily playing house with their dollies. Their house is the toy box which they have completely emptied. Peyton is bo...

Well, I turned the house upside down...looked everywhere at least twice, then Matt looked in all the same places. I called and called the phone trying to hear it. I called the pool and Target. I drove back to the pool to see if it was in the parking lot or locker room. Nothing!! I finally decided that maybe I had put it on top of the van and drove off with it there. Now why I would have done this, I don't know. I have never done it before. So I took a walk for about a mile looking on the side of the road. Decided to take a bike ride and went about 7 miles (I said 5 on facebook, but clocked it this morning...it was 7) turned around and started riding back. Got pissed off when some other biker rode by me and yelled at me for being on the wrong side of the road. Mind your own business buddy, my phone's not on your side of the road! Then miraculously, there it was. Sitting in the tall grass on the side of the road. So HA! Mr. Biker, if I had followed your rude advice, I would still...

I've lost my iPhone! NOOO!! I was just saying it was misplaced, but I have looked everywhere...under every piece of furniture in this house, on every surface, even in the fridge, freezer, pantry. I actually even looked in the toilets in case someone thought it was fun to put it in there. Nothing. Crap. Now I am anxiously awaiting Matt's return home so I can try to call it. I fear that it may be on silent though. Wouldn't that be my luck! I hate when I do stupid things. If I don't find it soon, I may have to start going through the trash. So I'm not ignoring you if you are trying to get ahold of me!!

We have had a busy weekend. It was fun, but I can honestly say I'm glad it's over! I am worn out!! Thank goodness Matt was home today...I got to sleep in til 8:30!! Yay! ****** We had a good time at Mr. Burton's retirement roast. Mr. Smargiassi stole the show with his roast. He was hilarious as usual!! I got to see Amanda B. who I haven't seen in years since she lives in Texas. The girls had fun at Kate and Steve's house. They love playing with Lily Mae! Kate said she put Lily in her bouncy seat and left the room. When she came back all she could see was Lily's little face...the girls had piled on as many toys as possible so Lily could play!! Friday was Extravaganza '09. Matt spent the day (he got up at 5 am) smoking brisket and ribs. They were awesome!! So yummy! The kids spent the day swimming in Nan's freezing cold pool. The boys spent the day getting fireworks ready. They always have fun lighting them off. It seems like Tyler came away the worst this...

Busy day today! I am taking a short break from everything to keep up my blogging streak! We had Day 4 of swim lessons this morning. 65*...not my idea of swimming weather. They pretty much hurried through the class then let them have free time. All of the kids in the class ended up just sitting in water up to their shoulders because it was warmer than the air. Kalee and Peyton were both shivering, goose bump covered girls by the time it was over. But at least there was no crying! Maybe next week will be warmer, even though we will probably have to start all over on the whole shyness thing. After swim lessons we went to lunch at La Fondita with Debbie W. So yummy and such good company! I miss Debbie! We need to get together more often!! Then we were off to run a couple errands I didn't get done yesterday. So we are home now and I am hoping the girls have a nice nap here before we have to leave for Hillsboro. I don't want Kate and Steve to have to deal with grouchy gir...

Swim lessons went so much better yesterday. My plan of putting Kalee in Peyton's class went well. Peyton only cried a few tears as we were walking up to her group. Then when she realized that Kalee and I were joining her, she actually smiled! AMAZING!! So I joined the class too and we played ring around the rosy in the water, then I sat on the side of the pool next to Kalee while they both did everything expected of them. They even went to the splash pad area without me. NICE! I think it helped Peyton that a girl was the helper today, so there was a boy and girl teacher. Hopefully it will go as well today. It will probably be a little chilly this morning! There is no sun yet and the trusty iPhone (you like how I always mention it, Tara?? I know, total dork!) says it's only 63. Yikes!! I'm super glad I moved Kalee today so I don't have to get in any farther than my knees!! We went to the park yesterday and played after lessons. The girls had a good time. ...