nine on the ninth

Cate having a good cry first thing in the morning
Some day these little siblings will love each other instead of bugging each other to the point of tears, right? Right? I have no brothers so I'm not sure how this is all going to work out. I'm holding out hope that Danny's going to turn into a protective big brother who loves his little sister with all his heart. That's not terribly unrealistic is it?

A new hairstyle for the day
Tried something new today. Went with the french braid instead of my usual ponytail. I'm surprised my kids still recognized me. Doesn't my hair look thick? Please tell me it does. I won't tell you how many tries it took me to get that one picture. It's hard taking a picture of the back of your head with a cell phone.

Helping with the chores
I made the mistake of telling Cate that I was going to do the dishes. As soon as I said it, I knew she'd say, "My help you." And she did. I have to say, it darn near killed me to let her help. I'm trying. I really am. I know it's good for her. I should be happy she wants to help me because ten years from now I don't think it'll be the same story. It's just not very fun for me to have to rinse every plate, cup, spoon and bowl after she's already had a turn.

Resisting the rolls
I made these cake mix dinner rolls last night. I have no idea what possessed me to want to make rolls on a week night. That's a Sunday thing usually. I broke my no bread rule last night and ate one. I gave most of the rest of them to Aunt Judy. I saved two. Danny and Cate ate them today. They're yummy.

Hanging out at the dollar store
I found a little project that I wanted to try. I needed a few supplies from the dollar store. Cate didn't last long out of the cart. She didn't obey the rules. That's what Danny told her. I asked him what the rules are. Number One: Don't open anything. Number Two: Don't run away from Mommy. Number Three: Stay close to Mommy.

Plums
I bought some at Walmart the other day. They were 52¢ per pound. That seemed like a good price and I like plums. They're yummy.

Hanging out with the neighbors
We took a little stroll around the neighborhood this afternoon (since Cate wouldn't nap and I was going crazy). We ended up across the street. Carolyn gave Cate this bracelet. I told her to show the camera and smile. We need to work on the smile. We have nice neighbors.

Speaking of nice neighbors
Another kind soul left a bag of parsnips on the porch today. It's a good thing too. I wasn't sure what I was going to serve with the meatloaf and broccoli I had planned for dinner. I peeled, boiled and mashed the parsnips. Then I added butter and a little milk. Kind of like mashed potatoes. They're yummy.

An escape to the gym
I got in almost an hour of exercise after dinner. It was lovely. I came home to children who acted like they hadn't seen me for way more than an hour. Lots of hugs and hold me, hold me, hold me. And Dan did most of the dishes while I was gone. What a guy.