A Weekend Recap and the Rest of the Texas Pictures

Before I forget: Yes, Sydney is starting Kindergarten this year.  In fact, this week she is at "K Prep," which means she goes to school every morning from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., and is being observed and evaluated to make sure that she is paired with the teacher best for her.  (I think that's a politically correct way of actually meaning, "To make sure any kids who cause a ruckus when together are separated into different classes.")

It's also to help the kids get familiar with the Kindergarten section of the school and the cafeteria, so that they're not so shell shocked come the first day of school.  But, as I've mentioned before, Sydney is on the extreme end of the spectrum opposite of clinging to my leg in fear.  In her entire life she has never not happily walked into a brand new situation full of people she's never laid eyes on, ready to experience whatever is waiting for her.  I know, I'm lucky.  But I already know Lorelei is not like that, so I don't feel too guilty about having such luck.

Here are the girls standing in front of the school (great capture of the school building, right?) the Friday before K Prep (so, last Friday).  My friend had set up a tour with the Principal and asked if we wanted to join them, so we did.  Lorelei especially loved it, and is having to wrestle with feeling left out of Sydney's new experience.  I think she'll get over it once preschool starts up again (because I can't contain myself, I'm going to share with you, once again, how late school starts this year: preschool starts two days later than public school, on SEPTEMBER 10TH.  WE MIGHT AS WELL WAIT TO START SCHOOL UNTIL AFTER CHRISTMAS.).  (Not really though, I'll take September 10th over January 2016, even though the time between will be a mere blink of an eye.)

Sydney's darling dress is courtesy of her cousin Hailey (hand-me-down -- woo hoo!); Lorelei's dress is LulaRoe

Moving on.

I'll give you a quick synopsis of our weekend (I still owe you pictures from Annapolis the weekend before!), and then share the rest of the Texas pictures with you.  Saturday morning/early afternoon turned into an unplanned organizing/purging/car waxing (Chet, not me) session.  I feel like I can't even tell you exactly all that got organized/purged, because it was such a frenzy, but it was good.  I can tell you that we whipped the girls' room into shape though.  I feel like it had gotten out of hand, in that the play mess they made each day was too hard to clean up (I know, it sounds like I'm enabling them).  But really, we were storing way too many toys in their room, so they weren't really even sure what to play with.  When they did play with it, there were too many baskets and bins with certain toys going into certain places, that Sydney and I were the only ones who really knew where everything went (God forbid Chet and Lorelei be left in charge of clean up!).  So we greatly reduced the toys actually kept in their room (the rest went to the basement, which I will rotate back to their room periodically), and also came up with a storage solution for all of their little "things."  I can't stand "things," but once you have older-ish kids, you can't always control the "things" that make it into the house, and you certainly can't control which "things" they'll latch onto and freak out if it ever goes "missing" (read: trash).  So I emptied two identical under-the-bed storage containers (extra long containers, the biggest we had), and we separated Lorelei's "things" into one and Sydney's "things" into the other.  Now the room clean-up rule is very simple: if you don't know where something goes, it goes in your bin.  It's worked out great so far, and I think part of the reason is because the bins are clear, and because they are shallow, so there's only room for a single layer.  Does that make sense?

After all of the organizing and such, I ran quickly to the grocery store before it was time to take the kids to church for monthly babysitting.  Chet and I went out to eat, and it was lovely (the loveliest part is always that there are no interruptions).

Sunday morning we went to 11 a.m. church, then drove straight to my friend Cheryl's house for a Mary Kay BBQ.  She lives quite far west of us, so the kids napped on the way there, and had fun playing in Cheryl's children's playroom.  Some of our really good friends from the Academy/Chet's ship/Jacksonville also live in that area, and we coincidentally got a dinner invitation from them for that same evening.  We happily let them feed us too, and our kids love playing with their kids, so it was a full, fun Sunday.

Texas picture time!

If this doesn't look like typical outdoor summertime lunchtime fare, then I can't help you:

(I took Bubby to the doctor for his 18-month check up last week, and the doctor asked, "How much longer are we going to keep the pacificer?"  My response: "His sister was three when we made her give it up, so I think we have a while."  Once you have three kids, doctors and their opinions on certain matters become irrelevant to you.)

The girls excitedly greeting Papa John, who came into town for a day visit (I just realized I have no pictures of Papa John; I snapped pictures of he and the kids using his phone):

Uncle Grant visited too!

Bubby was too busy checking e-mail to pay attention to the television:

Chet/Daddy finally arrived!

Uncle Grant and Bubby fist bumping:

I started the possibly terrible tradition of celebrating half birthdays this past April (Lorelei's 3.5 birthday), so we celebrated Syd's half birthday while in Texas:

Her I-feel-sick-post-cupcake face:

Group shots:

For the record, this did not happen on the first plane ride when Bubby was sitting with me...I suppose Chet is a more comfortable "bed" than I am:

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Random Wednesday Things

This is going to be short and random.

I'm reading again!  When I started my Mary Kay business at the end of April, I stopped reading.  It wasn't a conscious decision, but it happened nonetheless (I think it was good though, because it really allowed me to dive into being a small business owner and learn the necessary ropes of at least staying afloat).  But some time in July I "woke up" and realized how long it had been since I picked up a book and how much I missed it.

That being said, I'm not going to let this year pass me by without accomplishing my 2015 reading challenge!  (I just looked back and realized I haven't posted an update about the reading challenge since March -- yikes!  I haven't made too much headway on the list since the last update, so I'll do that now.  You can also read February's update here.)

--"a book you've been meaning to read": Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
--"a book published this year": The Girl on the Train
--"a book in a genre you don't typically read": 41: A Portrait of My Father
--"a book from your childhood": Matilda
--"a book your mom loves": currently reading Little Women
--"a book that was originally written in a different language": The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (originally written in Japanese)
--"a book 'everyone' has read but you": plan on reading The Help
--"a book you chose because of the cover": The Fever (meh, it was okay)
--"a book by a favorite author": Back When We Were Grownups (Anne Tyler is one of my top three favorite authors)
--"a book recommended by someone with great taste": Cinder and Where'd You Go, Bernadette?
--"a book you should have read in high school": Undecided!  Suggestions?
--"a book that's currently on the best-seller list": I started reading The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks (I've read all of his other books and always think they are very enjoyable!).  But I could NOT get into this one.  I returned it to the library after reading 100 pages.  Suggestions?

Okay, another random tidbit for your Wednesday.  We were gathered around the computer (my ancestors just shuddered because I didn't say "we were gathered around the dinner table" or "we were gathered around the campfire"), and we came across this Pampers commercial which we all watched in raptured silence:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3ay0Oysrlc

At the end, Chet said, "She better swaddle that baby or it's going to wake up in about five seconds."

That right there's wisdom from a swaddling expert, my friends.  Happy Wednesday!

Mary Kay Monday (and those Texas pictures I promised!)

GOOD Monday morning!!!

We had a great weekend, mostly because the weather was gorgeous (I probably shouldn't let the weather have so much control over my mood).  We went to Annapolis on Saturday, and then took it easy at home after church on Sunday.  Pictures to come from Annapolis!

It's Mary Kay Monday again, so I'm going to give you a super fast synopsis of the annual Mary Kay seminar I attended in Dallas last month, and then share details of the sale I'm having on summer products (because by holding this sale, perhaps summer will get the hint that I'm over it).

Anyway, I flew to Dallas July 21st for the seminar (the kids stayed at Didi and Papa Dave's house).  This particular annual event (Mary Kay has more than one annual event, held at different times throughout the year) is mostly a recognition ceremony.  So there was lot of that, with as much as (if not more) pomp and circumstance than a Miss America Pageant and the Grammys combined.  For example:

This was at 8:30 a.m.  Indoors.  Mary Kay doesn't mess around.

It was impossible for me to capture the grandeur of the auditorium/arena with my iPhone, so just trust me when I say it was huge and spectacular.  Oh, and Jordin Sparks performed the last night we were there.

In addition to recognition, there was also motivational speeches/training, which was great.  I really do love this family-owned company, which puts more money back into its sales force than it keeps for its corporate employees, and gives women (and men!) all the tools and support they need to be as successful as they choose in this company.  The sky really is the limit.

We were also able to tour the Mary Kay corporate headquarters, which were gorgeous.

This is Mary Kay Ash's office, which has not been used or rearranged since she passed away in 2001:

On on of our free nights I got to have dinner with my my bestie Angela.  That alone made the Dallas trip worth it!

Also worth it was the kids' excitement when I returned:

(Lorelei not pictured because I was holding her.)

I'm glad that I took the time to attend the seminar, and am especially thankful to Didi and Papa Dave for keeping the kiddos!

On to the sale!  Through Sunday (8/16) the four products below will be 40% off!

SPF 30 Sunscreen
(I've never met a sunscreen I love more than this one.  And I've always loved the smell of sunscreen, but have never liked the feel.  I don't get that I-have-a-thin-layer-of-grime feel on top of my skin when I wear this sunscreen.  $10.20 with the discount.)

SPF 50 Sunscreen
(I don't personally wear the SPF 50, but it feels just like the SPF 30 in my opinion.  $12 with the discount.)

SPF 15 Lip Balm
(I love this product because when you're not in the mood -- or in the outfit -- to wear actual lip color, this still gives your lips the moisture and protection they need when that hot, summer sun is beating down on you.  $4.80 with the discount -- you can't beat that!)

Subtle Tanning Lotion
(I've realized that my arms tan before my legs.  Probably because I'm rarely actually laying out in the sun.  So I love the hint of color this lotion gives my legs, also without feeling grimy and without turning my legs or hands orange.  I also personally love the smell.  $10.20 with the discount.)

I had to make some temporary changes on my website regarding online ordering, so please call, text, e-mail (ashleywyckoff@marykay.com or ashley.n.wyckoff@gmail.com), or comment on this blog if you are interested in any of these products!

On to the Texas pictures!  I'm only posting about half of the pictures from our trip, because the girls are already awake and Bubby is soon to follow...and I still need to shower.  So in the interest of time...

We had quite a long layover in Houston on our trip from D.C. to San Antonio, but the kids did great:

At 8:00 a.m. the first morning we woke up in Texas (Lorelei already longing to swim):

So we did:

Lorelei happily hoarding rearranging everything in Didi's house:

When you visit grandma you get to leave Target with princess dresses:

...and help with the laundry:

When you run out of clean pajamas while at Didi's house (because mommy didn't pack enough), you get to wear Didi's t-shirt as a nightgown...

...and the next day Didi will take you shopping for new (actual) nightgowns:

And new outfits:

That's it for now!  I hope you have a LOVELY Monday!  (We are celebrating Monday by grocery shopping!)

A Cliff's Notes Update and Thoughts on Summer

Well, hello there!

On Saturday we returned home to northern VA after our lovely 2-week trip to Texas.  I'm still not sure that it's hit me that we're home yet, except that I've been forced to wash dishes and do laundry, things I've not done/forgotten how to do the past two weeks (thank you, grandparents!).

I'll try to sum this up as quickly as possible, and may have to promise you pictures in another post since iPhoto is acting squirrelly.

My mom flew into town July 14th, the Tuesday before we left town.  That week (July 13-17th) was also Vacation Bible School at our church, which ended up being quite demanding, time- and energy-wise.  Didi flew in and kept the house running while the kids and I went to VBS each morning, and while I ran errands nearly every afternoon.  Seriously, there would have been nary a clean clothing item or dish in our home had Didi not been there.

One of those evenings Chet and I were able to sneak away for a quick Mexican food dinner and a movie ("Jurassic World") for an early anniversary celebration.  Speaking of "Jurassic World," I remember very clearly when "Jurassic Park" came out.  I was even old enough to see it (at least, by early '90's standards).  So it makes me feel super old when I say, "I remember when 'Jurassic Park' came out...22 YEARS AGO."  Sheesh.

Anyway, Chet wasn't able to get time off work in the middle of July, so Didi, the kids, and I flew to San Antonio (via Houston) on Saturday, July 18th.  Again, thank goodness for Didi, because I'm not sure I could have wrestled everyone (i.e. my kids) on the plane alone.  Maybe if my life depended on it, but only then.

The kids started swimming pretty much the moment we arrived at Didi and Papa Dave's house, and didn't stop for 14 days (not really kidding about that).  On Tuesday, July 21st, I left the kids with the grandparents and flew to Dallas for the annual Mary Kay seminar.  I was there until Saturday, July 25th, and am so thankful I was able to go and that the childcare situation was so ideal (thank you, swimming p-- er, thank you, Didi and Papa Dave!).

The kids and I were ecstatic to see each other when I got back from Dallas, and we were all even more ecstatic to see Chet when he was finally able to fly in on Wednesday, July 29th.  He and I were able to have another dinner/movie date (Cooper's BBQ and "Southpaw"), and then, sadly, we all had to fly home this past Saturday.

Obviously I skipped tons of details, and pictures will help me fill in those details, which I promise to post this week.

So here are my thoughts on summer:

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that summer is NOT my favorite season.  Perhaps I'll enjoy it more when our children are older and summer provides relief from homework and such (also, wrestling toddlers in and out of carseats in 100-degree weather = NOT FUN), but until then, I'll just grin and endure it.

Anyway, Vacation Bible School and our trip to Texas came at the perfect time, because my summer patience was wearing thin, and we all just needed a change of scenery.  I'm a little apprehensive that there are still 5 WEEKS OF SUMMER VACATION LEFT in northern VA (Labor Day, what's your deal with being so late this year?!), but I'm sure we'll survive.  I just can't help but love a forced school-year schedule and all things fall (and fall actually arrives on time in these parts!).

In an effort to trick myself into believing summer will not last forever, I pulled out my Scentsy burner (I haven't used it since moving to VA!) and plopped in some "Cinnamon Vanilla" bars.  Chet said, "The house smells like fall."  It does, doesn't it?  (Muahahaha!)

What about you?  Do you love summer?  Feel free to tell me I'm a summer Grinch, and then provide this Grinch with tips to thrive these next 5 weeks!

Happy Monday!

Oh, and here's one measly picture to tide you over:

A Long-Overdue Update and a Mary Kay Flash Sale!

I've no idea where on earth we've been/why I haven't blogged.

First, I'm going to share something that cracks me up.  About 6 weeks ago Bubby dropped the iPad on his toe (that's not what cracks me up), and it turned his big toenail black and blue.  Toddler feet crack me up anyway, but a toddler foot with a black toenail?  It's even funnier (slash gross).  These Croc sandals also make me laugh, and display his black toenail nicely:

He somehow got a hold of my phone and figured out how to take a picture (third-borns are much more resourceful than first- and second-borns, at least in our family).  So of course (much to my delight) he took a picture of his feet:

Okay, on to less random things (sort of).

We've had some interesting events happen in the last couple of weeks.  Here's one:

During a wee-hours-of-the-morning storm a couple of weeks ago, high winds caused over 70 trees to fall around Alexandria.  Ours was one.  It fell onto our neighbor's house instead of our own (yay?), and another neighbor happened to be borrowing Chet's truck at the time...which means it was saved from being smashed by the tree (and it surely would have been smashed by the tree had the truck been parked in its usual spot).  Thank you, Lord.

Here's the other interesting event:

The kids and I were rear ended on our way to the gym the other day by a tourist from Ohio who was following her daughter in the car in front of her.  The daughter failed to yield (like most people in this area...deeeeeeep breaths) to us, the mother almost failed to yield, but then the mother hit us at the traffic light that was just a few hundred yards from the yield sign.  Everyone was fine, but the van will definitely need a new bumper.  The woman's car had hardly any damage (probably because it was American-made).  Chet had to zip tie the bumper to the car so I can still drive it until our appointment at the collision center.  We're nothing but classy around here, people.

This week (Monday through Friday) is Vacation Bible School at our church.  I'm a volunteer this year (I have the 2-year old class, which consists only of children of other volunteers since the minimum VBS age is 4-years old), so the kids and I all go, which is a nice change in pace (the summer is starting to get to us).  Our church's VBS program is HUGE -- it's free, and we offer over 400 spots to children in the community, ages 4 through 6th grade.  It's fun, and an amazing outreach program to the children and their families that aren't members of the church already.

My mom is flying into town as I type this, which is super exciting!  She will fly to TX with the kids and me this Saturday; we can't wait!

A random tidbit that I might not should share, but I'm going to share anyway.  Chet and I hired a woman to clean our house (something we've never invested in before), and she came today for the first time.  She arrived while the kids at I were at VBS, and finished shortly after the kids and I got home.  This woman is my new best friend (sorry, current besties).  I've never wanted to hug anyone so many times or give anyone so much money in my entire life.  We'll probably only have her come once a month, just to ensure the deep cleaning gets done (I avoid dusting like the plague, I don't think I've cleaned a shower since I was forced to for room inspections at the Academy, and I'm not known to pull out a mop on a daily basis).  Chet and I thought long and hard about hiring someone, but we decided that if I really want to give my Mary Kay business a fair chance, this is a wise investment.

Speaking of Mary Kay...if you've made it this far in the post...

40% off any one item (or set) until 11:59 p.m. Wednesday (the Mary Kay Monday rule is out the window this week)!

Go ahead and peruse my site (www.marykay.com/ashleywyckoff), choose your item/set, and let me know what you want!  You can either send me a text or e-mail (ashleywyckoff@marykay.com), you can comment on this blog, or you can place an order directly on my site!  (The 40% discount will not be visible on the site, but worry not!  If you register as a customer on my website, I personally calculate your total and determine your total, even if you enter credit card information.)  ***IMPORTANT: Please do not check out as a GUEST on my website if you want the discount!  If you check out as a guest, you will only receive the usual 5% discount that I offer, NOT the 1-day 40% discount, because I don't have any control over guest checkout orders.***

The only rule is that you must order/at least tell me what you want by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday.  We're pretty informal around here!

Happy shopping, and happy Tuesday!

Mary Kay Independence Day Sale!

Everyone else is having a sale -- so I will too!

Shop my Mary Kay website now through Sunday, and you'll receive 25% off your purchase!

www.marykay.com/ashleywyckoff

If you have any questions, call/text me or e-mail me (ashleywyckoff@marykay.com).

Have a safe and enjoyable Independence Day weekend!