Father's Day

A wonderful weekend, from start to finish - which is rare.  That probably didn't come out right, but with 2 teenagers, a 2 year old and the stress of work and trying to sell our house - some drama or heated discussion is the norm most days around the Mahoney homestead.  So...for the entire weekend, everyone was happy to be with one another - happy for it to be the weekend - just, happy.  After a much needed date night with Patrick Saturday night...one that included both girls staying overnight with Grandma & Grandpa K, we were ready for the low-key day at home for Father's Day that he opted for.  No plans, no chores, no errands to run - just a day at home to enjoy one another.  (Okay, so I had to pick up the girls first thing in the morning - but after THAT..)  Daddy loved the Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 game from us.  PS3 is officially titled the "stress-reliever" - hey, it could be worse.  And WE loved watching and listening to him get irritated trying to figure out how to play it.  We even took mug shots so he could personalize his player on the tour, which is pretty creepy/funny at the same time. 

And we spent most of the afternoon outside:


It was a beautiful, although steamy hot afternoon.

Lane opted for the porch swing in the shade - reading her new library book.




This is what happens when she spots the camera pointed at her - brat!

This, the $25 pool from Wal-Mart, has been the best investment of the summer.

That would be Daddy checking for a leak in the background.







The bucket - always a favorite. Little missy practically empties the pool transporting water around the yard.



And into the goldfish pond too..



We needed this lazy-at-home Father's Day, 2010. Thank You Patrick, for all you do. I love you.

Two in One Day

That's right, your eyes have not deceived you - I am posting TWO in ONE day, am I crazy or what? Actually, I had so much fun taking pictures yesterday while Elise and I were playing with chalk in the driveway, I wanted to share the fun with you. It was a rare Monday, one with no scheduled appointments or classes - nothing urgent to clean or organize in the house...so we chilled, and did nothing in particular. Ahhh, I love those days. We headed outside early to make the most of the cool morning - before the typical, muggy in St. Louis summer day decended. And we blew bubbles, and drew with chalk, and made a mess of our bare feet! We had fun!


















I love grubby little toddler hands!

And all was well and good - until THIS chased us away (and we were hungry for lunch).



A great week has begun - enjoy yours!

Race Day

Several years ago, I only half-listened when news reports covered the Komen Race in St. Louis or when some program or magazine article discussed such things as "early detection" and "monthly breast exam" with statistics supporting the importance of both. That, my friends, was several years ago and I am ashamed to admit I didn't pay attention. Seemingly overnight, I had friends, co-workers, an Aunt - all newly diagnosed. And those were diagnosed....that doesn't account for the many who had scares - horrible, mind-numbing scares of finding something 'not-quite-right' and having to make THAT call to schedule an appointment - and then the waiting, oh the wretched waiting for the call back that couldn't come soon enough so they would KNOW. It hit me hard, very, very hard - and I pay attention now. To me, there are few things in this world scarier that the "C" word - except adding a "B" word in front of it...touch your boobs ladies, EVERY SINGLE month! Okay, and stepping down from my soapbox now, let me say that the Komen Race for the Cure is an important event in our circle. This year, we braved a forecasted thunderstorm that decided not to present itself - and 95 degree weather in memory of Mayuri Chhotu and in celebration of my aunt, Jean Vuichard and many other friends who may not wish to be called out here. Some highlights from our day:


Team Mayuri


Tiny Toddler Team Mayuri getting ready for the race




Entertainment along the way - singing Sweet Caroline!




A huge hit for the young and young-at-heart.




Ronald McDonald saying hi to the girls.


Ahhhh....cooling off.


This lady was shakin' it - the poor lead singer, he didn't know what to do!


Downtown St. Louis on race day


Me and the two most beautiful girls!


Besties - Elise and Lillian (cute shirts, eh....who made those???) :-)

Bye for now, enjoy your day!

The Little Gym

A little over a year ago, after seeing numerous commercials for The Little Gym on PBS (before the morning viewing of "Sesame Street") we decided to enroll Elise for a semester to check it out. The concept, according to the commercials and the little research I had done on-line, was interesting. A pint size "gym" for little bitties starting around 4 months old on up to 12 years....the classes were grouped according to age and the curriculum centered around fun, interactive activities in a group setting, as well as giving ample time for the kiddies to go exploring on their own. The equipment, ranging from floormats, to parallel bars and little balance beams - was all heavily padded, miniature versions of the stuff you see when watching the Olympic gymnastics team. VERY CUTE! Having always secretly wanted to take gymnastics as a kid, and being incredibly jealous of my friends who DID take gymnastics, there was simply no way we WEREN'T signing up. (I hope you followed that.) Of course, when initiating the discussion with Patrick, I stressed the importance of socializing - and not my secret-selfish reasons for wanting to take her. It didn't take much convincing, he was all for the idea. YEAH! So, a little over a year later, we have watched our shy little uncoordinated missy blossom into the outgoing, charismatic, highly coordinated little girl...yes, proud mom alert. Saying that she loves this weekly class would be an understatement. She can't wait to get out of the Jeep when we pull into the parking lot and see's the sign for the gym! Last week was the final class of the spring semester and the "show class". Parents, grandparents, etc. were all invited to watch and participate in the class. Here are some highlights:






The little monkey loves the bars...




another favorite is the parachute...not that you can tell by her expression here



And the cutest little medal ceremony you ever did see - complete with some sort of Olympic themed music playing.






Daddy, Mommy and Nana with the STAR

We're taking the summer off to enjoy more pool time, but will anxiously await the beginning of the fall semester back at The Little Gym.

The Great Big Random Post

Life is busy. Sometimes these three words are the understatement of the year and just can't quite capture how hectic our days become. Like when you lay awake at night remembering all those open items still waiting to be checked off your mental to-do list...wondering if you should just drag your sorry behind out of bed in order to check a few off, then laying motionless until your mind finally settles and you drift back into a restless sleep. Yes, life is busy. The past few weeks have been a wild race to see how much we can cram into a day - some fun, some not-so-fun (I will spare you these details), some in anticipation of a brand new start. After 4 years at our new home, we decided the commute back & forth to work and to visit family is too much of a headache and have put the house up FOR SALE. Hence the crazy/busy days of these last few weeks! And so the hunt is on for a new Mahoney castle....

Our wonderful friends Casey and Sheila celebrated their daughter Lillian's 2nd birthday this month. Elise loves her BFF Lillian and never fails to go into hysterics when she knows we're going to her house! Here are a few random shots of Lillian's big day.










The wiffle ball game was a huge "hit" for all ages.













And at the end of a very fun day - two VERY dirty little girls take a bath before settling down to watch "The Princess and the Frog".



And our new passion - the sprinkler!









In between cleaning, organizing, purging (let me clarify, that would be junk around the house and not my dinner!) spending time with the hubby and kids, I have managed to finish Strip 1 of Lane's "mama" blanket. I am in love with the color she picked out - Watermelon. Now, 4 more strips to go...I can't wait to see it finished.



And this picture is posted for no particular reason, it just makes me laugh! Enjoy your week. More to come on the move and Elise's last day at The Little Gym for the summer.