Monday Mumblings...

Ok, so I had a great weekend! Yay for weekends! We packed a lot into two days and one evening, just like we always do, but some things were extra fun and deserve to have the photographic evidence displayed where it's available. Right? Of course right!

We had an awesome pajama party play date with our friend Sprite and her Keeper. The girls decorated cookies, something they love to do:

And, although Elizabeth decided to take hers home to show her daddy, Lilli and Sprite enjoyed eating them very much. Especially Lilli:

I did notice that Elizabeth snuck some cookies off the plate when she thought no one was watching, so I guess she just didn't want to mess up the ones she decorated. They are still, in fact viewable on my counter, while the undecorated cookies that we were sent home with have been devoured. She's her own person, that's for sure.

Then the girls settled in to watch the Tinkerbell movie

I especially enjoy that they're all snuggled up with popcorn in the famous Baba's quilts. Which are beautiful.

My girls didn't seem to be paying much attention to the movie most of the time it was playing, but I had gotten them the book version, and I was surprised at how well they knew the storyline when I read it to them. I must remember to yell at my dad though. Elizabeth was concerned about the scene in the book and movie where a Hawk chases Tinkerbell, and when Elizabeth asked my dad why it was chasing Tinkerbell, instead of making something up (like I had to do tonight- Tinkerbell is little and has wings, the hawk thought she was a bug), he told her that Hawks eat fairies. So yeah. Now she's even MORE concerned about that scene. I'm hoping we manage to run into Tinkerbell next Saturday when I take her to the Magic Kingdom so I can show her that Tink is perfectly safe and has not been eaten by a hawk when we weren't looking.

We had a great time though!

Saturday we went to my company picnic. It was a beautiful day, just hotter than we were anticipating, and we forgot to bathe everyone in sunscreen. So there was more hiding in the shelter than playing on the giant "screamer slide" that had been rented for the occasion. But what can you do? From the picnic I give you-

Lilli with roll (she only wanted the bread and fruit. I'm thinking she thought it was too hot for anything else):

And Elizabeth with yo-yo:

She actually did really well with it. I have video proof that she can yo.

Then, because I'm a big nerd like that, for dinner Sunday night we had an apple tasting. Well, we also had roast chicken and cheddar cheese, two things that go reeeeeally well with apples.

That's actually another picture from my company picnic, but it should illustrate that we like apples. And Elizabeth pretty much made the one she's working on in the picture completely disappear. We had to stop her from eating the core. Yes, I'm aware that some people do that, but she's not going to be one of those people.

Anyway, the grocery stores around here always have Fuji, Gala, and maybe one or two other varieties of apple. And even though I try a Macintosh or Jonagold once in a while when I see them, we have always been Fuji people. But they've finally gotten in the fall crop, so we branched out and tried Jazz (we aren't fans, they tasted like flowers. Or like perfume.), Organic Honeycrisp (Elizabeth's favorite), Yellow Delicious (the girls had never had that one), and Cameo (my favorite, the best with the sharp cheddar) and compared them with a regular Fuji. I was surprised that my beloved Fuji tasted a little bland in comparison. Still, the girls were so thrilled with the process, that I'm wondering what else we can taste. I'm thinking oranges next month, maybe different plums and pluots next summer. Melons! Tomatoes! Sorbets! I could easily get carried away with this. I tend to do that.

So, the only downer after my good weekend? I got this in my e-mail today:

"Dear friend,
We’re writing with important news about one of the original American Girl dolls—Kirsten Larson®. We wanted you to know that soon, Kirsten’s complete collection will be moving into the American Girl Archives™. "

Do you know what this MEANS? You may not care what it means, just as many of you patted me comfortingly on the back last year when this happened with Samantha but didn't actually really care. It means that when my dream, of someday playing and then winning the lottery, and buying all the American Girl Dolls and all their clothes and accessories, comes true, it will now no longer include Kirsten, as well as Samantha. That is extremely distressing to me. When they kicked Samantha to the archives, I soothed my soul by buying my favorite of all her outfits before it was discontinued, as sort of a symbolic representation of my love for her, and I just did the same thing with Kirsten. But now I wonder who is on the chopping block next? The doll that I actually actively collect, Felicity, is one of the original 4, so maybe they think she's been around too long, and next year at this time I'll be upset over her. They are messing with my CHILDHOOD DREAMS. The same childhood dreams that I have only been able to realize (very slowly, still a work in progress) financially as an adult. So I'm just saying it's a bummer.

Mattel is trying to take all the joy out of my good weekend. Hmmmph.