Just watching her ride made me want to .... but, then I came to my senses

Man, I hated for this weekend to end. It was so nice to be outside, working in the yard, watching the girls play and just enjoying the sunshine.

First things first ..... I cracked up at some of the last comments and emails suggesting I had hand-painted the flowers on O's toes. Are you kidding? I could never do that! Not only do I lack the patience and skills, but a three year old sitting still for such an intricate task would be nothing short of a miracle. So, let me give you a little insight on what we used.

Go to any drugstore, Walmart or Target and in the nail polish aisle there will be nail sticker decal thingys (have no clue what they're called and I've tried finding a link to them and am having no luck - probably because I don't know what they're actually called). You can buy flat stickers such as flowers, leaves, etc. or jewels (although the jewels don't stay on active little girls' toes for long, so we choose flowers). Then, once you paint the color on, use tweezers to place the flower decal onto the nail. Then, brush over the top with a clear coat and let dry. Wallah! Instant art! My girls LOVE it.

Moving on ...

E was out of school on Friday. Lately she's been feeling a little left out because she thinks O and I get to do so much together while she's in school all day. So, I had a surprise planned for her on Friday while O was at Mothers Morning Out.

Her first professional pedicure ....



She had so much fun and told me this would be the first of many for her. (I reminded her that in my LONG life, I've had only 3 pedicures but I don't think she was concerned.) She told many people since then that she'll go often. Ha! We shall see.

It was neat to see her enjoy herself so much though. When we left her only complaint was there were no flowers on her toes. Ofcourse, I politely reminded her that flowers are a 'perk' for having Mommy do your toes and a professional just can't beat what I can do (because that's how I roll - wanting my girls to always think I'm best - ha!).

Saturday, we worked outside all day - planting bushes and painting the front door. I should have taken a before/after shot because it looks so much better. The faded red brick color is now glossy black. I love it!

Yesterday after church marked another milestone for E. She learned to ride her bicycle with no training wheels!!!!

I was so proud of her. I have been trying to teach her for a couple of years, but E is very fearful of things and trying anything new usually brings a lot of tears and discussions of 'what ifs' (she really needs to complete the Esther study :) Saturday afternoon, one of the boys in the neighborhood rode his bicycle by our house and made a rude comment about E being 7 years old and still using training wheels. I just watched and secretly knew it would be the motivation E needed to learn to ride without them. Sure enough, she woke Sunday morning begging her Daddy to teach her.

The coolest thing happened. Eric took her to the backyard, removed the training wheels and started teaching her. Once a few girls in the neighborhood saw what she was doing, they ran over and helped her learn. Seriously, it melted my heart to see those girls running alongside her and cheering her on. They were so encouraging to her and as a result, she learned after only a short time. She still lacks a little confidence without her Daddy right beside her, but that will come with practice (huge teachable moment right there about our heavenly Father, but I'll pass on the opportunity - I'll bet you all know what I'm thinking, right?).

I wanted so badly to ride my bike beside of her. I even went to dig it out of the garage. Fortunately, there were 2 flat tires which is completely understandable since I haven't been on it since .... umm .... well, since the summer of '97. Should I ride to the end of my driveway and back, I fear my thighs would burst into flames!!

So, maybe later ....

Anyway ...... Congratulations, E! I'm so proud of your determination! A whole new world just opened up for you :)