a little paint on the barn

Em asked me for a "shadow brush" this morning.

I was getting ready for the day and putting on my makeup. She wanted to do that, too.

I keep a set of make-up brushes just for the girls to play with.

(Ever since finding Roo dusting with one of my blushers.)

Playing makeup isn't a new thing.

But today, she wasn't satisfied with the brush. Em said she wanted "some paint".

Here's the result.

Check out those eyes!

from the heart

Tonight was the first time both girls said truly original bedtime prayers of their own accord.

Roo began by requesting that I pray for them. Em then volunteered.

So, we bowed our heads and listened to her completely compelling and adorable prayers for her friends, family, home and favorite things. Em ended it by saying "...and fank you for my fambily. My mudda, my fahder, and my twin sister. Oh, and bless Mama and Daddy. And Em and Roo. And Maggie and Mo. 'n Jesus name, amen."

Then, Roo volunteered to pray. She began by repeating some of the phrasing and key words from Em's prayer. That's typical for her, borrowing words when she's not sure what to say. But, then, she found her heart, and with it, the words.

Roo prayed for herself first, saying some of the things that J and I pray over her. She prayed to have good dreams, to sleep well and to grow in grace and might. As she began to use her own words, she started to whisper, a bit self conscience. I heard her pray for blessings for her family, naming Mama, Daddy and Em. She thanked God for safety at the swimming pool today and named a few friends and then signed off with her amens.

I was near tears by the time they finished. It was such a precious moment and milestone to witness.

Yes, they've each said prayers copious times, but the family prayer time, going around the room and each of us taking a turn... it was different tonight, beautifully different.

cinderella, dressed in yella...

Roo: Mama, I'm a princess.

Me: Well, hi there Princess Roo!

Roo: I'm not Roo. I'm Princess Yellow.

Me: Because your shirt is yellow? Does that make you Princess Belle? She wears a yellow dress.

Roo: No I'm CinderYella!

her sense of smell works

Yesterday Em woke from a nap, entered the freshly mopped kitchen and wrinkled her nose.

(I mop with vinegar and water these days.)

"Wuz dat smell? It's stanky!"

"Do you mean stinky?" I asked.

"No. I smell stank. It's stanky."

Then today, she toted a Vanity Fair, loaded with perfume samples out to the car. It sat in the humid heat for several hours before we returned for a ride home.

Em declared the car to be stanky, too.

She's right. It was.

storytime as told by Roo

Once upon a time there were two little, no, wait...

There was one little... yes. One little boy.

And one little goyle. Named Daddy and Mama.

And they went to Africa. Then they went to Abilene. And that is the end.

-by Roo

World of Wonderland

The Rowdy Girls have been counting down to this weekend. For two weeks now, Em has asked 'what number is today?' And finally, we got to number 1. The day we departed for Sea World!

Em and Roo brought their A game and had a fabulous day playing in the water park, seeing their favorite exhibits and catching the new season of shows.

Bonuses included the new baby killer whale and the baby beluga whales!

We overnighted and had a pretty restful evening at our hotel. I must say that travel with the RGs has definitely become easier as they've gotten older. This time around, we all stayed in the same room, no suite. The girls slept cosily in their PeaPods next to our bed and the 4 of us got a solid 10 hours of sleep. Not too shabby. And it made for happy campers the next day.

Which brings us to Morgan's Wonderland. This is a new park developed specifically for special needs kiddos. Some of the most appealing places for us were the sensory village, water works and awesome playgrounds with 360 degree swings. Even though the high hit 100 degrees, the park just didn't feel that warm. Shade everywhere, misters and fans for all the outdoor activities and nicely air conditioned indoor features, too. One of our favorite things was the limited number of people allowed inside. So, nothing gets too crowded. Once we got on a ride, if the girls wanted to go again, we just stayed on and rode some more. No exiting and waiting in line for a second turn. Really, we could have stayed all day. And we'll definitely be back to this amazing place. It's sort of the best children's museum/playground/amusement park ever.

they make it hard to keep a straight face

Funny stuff I've heard and don't want to forget...

After handing the girls their swim goggles, Em asked for help putting on her 'sim gobbles' (cute!) and Roo wanted to have the orange 'google-les'. She pronounced it the way it read to her (love that!).

Roo climbing a rock formation at the park and getting to a tough point. "I am so stuck. Stuck. Stuck. Stuck."

Em spotting Venus in the sky. [gasp] "Is the evening star! I makin' a wish"

Roo after being admonished for hitting with the flyswatter. "I'm not hitting. I'm shooing"

Em looking for a missing Disney princess item. "Where is Princess Booty and Princarella?"