End of July Already

Can you believe it? I certainly can't - It has been super hot here and I find myself desperate for winter...though it is several months away still.

First, thanks to everyone that sent recipes and ideas for my dinner dilemmas! I got several recipes posted via comments and through email but perhaps my favorite bit of information came from Beth...Possibly, everyone out there already does this sort of thing and I suppose I have done a version or another at times but reading it in print made it all seem so simple so I wanted to post her comments here for all to read...

I have a couple of other tricks. One is to put potatoes in the oven to bake and leave something for Chris to grill to go with them. Another is to start my bread machine and then serve the fresh bread with soup that I've made ahead of time or bought . Also my family likes breakfast for dinner. Sometimes I will make coffee cake or muffins ahead of time, cut up some fresh fruit, and then when I get home I will quickly scramble eggs. The more I can do early in the day when I am not tired the better. Beth

Go figure!

On to the girls. All is well. Lauren had a super appointment with the orthodontist last week. We only have to turn the key on the expander through Wed. then we get to stop turning the key each night! We go back to visit on the 20th to make sure all is well then sometime the end of September or early Oct. she will get it out!! Then we move on to the retainer which will serve two purposes, work on the overbite and close the gap between the two front teeth! That poor gap...got larger during the expansion process - if it's not one thing it's another. Love our orthodontist though. We have never waited for an appt. if we are early we get right in and leave, he is not expensive and steers you away from unnecessary work! LOVE IT!

We have been staying pretty busy. Got to go to the Jonas Brothers Concert last Saturday Night at Fiddlers Green. WOW. Ever been to a "kids" concert...the line was ENORMOUS - 30 - 40 minutes to breach the gates! But it was worth it, we found a spot, ate some pizza, enjoyed some music, Hailey DANCED and DANCED. The girls got shirts, Hailey stripped the minute we bought it to put on her new one - we quickly asked Lauren to slip hers OVER her current shirt rather than following Hailey's lead!

Then on Tuesday we went to the Opening Night of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL at the opera house. It too was great. We got to go to the cast party afterwards and the girls got messenger bags, hats, phone socks and a fancy program - they got autographs, ate ice cream and well...didn't exactly party - it was WAY past bed time. They did have fun though!

We had Physicals yesterday - the girls are healthy - they both have very low BMI percentages but are otherwise doing well (and being skinny is no crime right?). Hailey got a shot and both got there fingers pricked, both peed in a cup (and I didn't get peed on) so all was well.

Hailey wrote her name for the first time last Thursday - we were at Dance and she was bored. She only did it correctly one time then stopped but I figure if the ability is there don't sweat it! She will get consistent!



They also made SAND DOUGH recently - WHAT A MESS. But they had fun. If you want the recipe I am HAPPY to oblige! Lauren made a golf course for Grandpa and painted it when it dried. It was cute-