My girls are too cute...

Here they are, my two cuties with their "mommy" looks on... The other day, Dylan was irritated because her daddy was getting all of the mommy attention so she came up and said, "mom, you are a girl - no more boy time with daddy" too funny, she wants ALL of the attention. Tyler has learned to share, but she still needs her dose of mommy time... she will go from being angry and surly to sweet and cuddly in no time at all - it is hard for me to switch gears sometimes, but she is still my little girl just in a big body... I am pretty lucky to have them in my family!

Summer is winding down...

We just returned from a family road trip to Durango, CO. We went so Kirk could participate in a century road race (road biking). He did well, finished in four hours thirty-six minutes... he had a blast. We stayed at Kirk's sister's house... Dylan loved the toys, it was like a toy store for her, playing with someone else's toys. Tyler went under protest - she had fun a few times, but caught herself real quick and got surly. We just love her :). You can see in our pictures that Tyler opted out of the jaunt to the Animas River, we had fun and she watched TV in peace and quiet. You will notice a picture of Tyler in her favorite habitat... her bed. She is growing at an incredible pace this summer, she is nearly taller than I am and her feet are definitely larger than mine... she is going to be a tall young lady.  Her competitive swim team starts next week, she is nervous, but excited at the same time. Dylan goes back to school next week and Tyler in two weeks... then we will be back to our routine.... and by then our Griswald Family style road trip will be a distant memory. They fought non stop in the car - amazingly, Kirk is on the computer planning another road trip for he and I to participate in a race in the next couple of months in Moab - won't be a short drive... he forgets quickly :). I am sure it will be fun wherever he drags us :) by that time I will be ready for a trip b/c by that time work school and grad school will be back in full swing and I will want a break. So up next, school shopping and getting the girls back into a routine (bed time, homework time, getting up in the morning, and regulating a normal diet)... wow, they will be in a bit of culture shock this weekend. 

Why?

• Why do preschool teachers give whistles to three year olds? (how long will it take me to "misplace it"?)
• Why do 13 year olds feel the need to spend every waking moment (there are only about six of those moments) texting, seeing, or otherwise interacting with their friends?
• Why am I so much smaller than my oldest daughter... makes for interesting discipline situations (she could smash me).
• Why do I come home so late?
• Why are my kids so perfectly mannered and behaved when we are around other people and absolutely wild at times around me?
• Why don't I just live in the moment and enjoy the blessings?

Daughters are the best ________ !

Daughters give the best hugs - especially when you are not expecting them and you need them.
Daughters say the cutest things... so cute and so often, it is hard to remember them all.
Daughters give you a glimpse of yourself (good and bad) keeps a chick in check!
Daughters are better than dogs because they can actually verbalize how happy they are to see you (as opposed to just wagging and jumping).
Daughters are fun to hang out with - through it all we enjoy each other's company.
Daughters understand the word quiet (nephews don't) and are happy cuddling any hour of the day.
Daughters (and brothers - hee hee couldn't resist) are fun to dress up and play tea party with any day of the week.
Daughters are in tune with their mother emotionally (or vice versa)...poor dads can be out of the loop at times.
I am so fortunate to have two daughters.

HMMMM - Keeping Busy :)

Okay, here is an update... it seems like a long time has passed between posts... we are busy, but much stays the same.
Tyler - loving swim team and improving her fitness which translates into quicker times. Summer swimmers only compete in 50's... the fall will bring competition in the 200's. Tyler is good at the butterfly and freestyle strokes. She is spending her summer with friends and sleeping. I did not realize a human could sleep nearly 20 hours a day... she wakes up to eat, text, swim, and eat again. Her roller coaster moods have been more mild lately than usual. I won't question it, just appreciate the break.
Dylan: loves her school, cookies, ballerinas, qubo, and reading books. Dylan is in a whiny phase. I can ignore it quite well, Kirk has a harder time ignoring the whining. Dylan loves to draw and her favorite lunch includes sandwiches cut out with cookie cutters in the shape of icre cream cones and rhinos. She is learning to be a better listener lately... not a lot of progress, just learning.
Kirk - getting into his triathalon training. He has agreed to race with me in our first tri together. He rode his first century today... (100 miles on his bike). He has recently found hot yoga to be the answer to what age has done to his muscles and joints... he goes twice a week and is trying to convince me to go...
Kerri: Trying to keep up with training, work and school... just finished one summer class - with an A by the way. Have one more that is online - piece of cake. Riding the bike 5 days a week, running 6 days a week and need to purchase my swim tether so I can practice my swimming technique. September 27 is our first little race... followed by a 109 bicycle race in Tucson in November... Work is work... things are just fine.

So as busy as we seem to be, we are just following the routine and getting by...if AZ legislature would pass a budget we would be better. Janet just had to leave us with Brewer... rats. Just when you think things could not get worse Brewer tries to make a decision. That's all for now... more later.