Less than 24 hours to go...

Oh, hi, so guess what? I'm going on a CRUISE! Tomorrow! *looks at clock* Yup, by this time tomorrow, I will be in sunny, sweltering Miami, Florida, counting down the minutes until I can set foot on that lovely, glorious ship that will be my home-away-from-home for the next week.

Am I packed? Hahahaha... no. But I've thought about it. And I have some ideas of what clothes I want to bring. And I have lists--oh boy, do I have lists. If there's one thing I rock at, it's making lists. I may not be so great at actually accomplishing the things on the list, but by golly, I can write a list like nobody's business.

The good news is that Ari is packed. We're taking her down to my parents' house tonight. She's even got her own little suitcase. Well, actually, it's not little--it's a decent-sized suitcase and I managed to fill it. I know I packed way too many clothes for her, but a girl's got to have options. And besides, you have to prepare for the unexpected diaper explosions and things like that. You just never know. I think my parents are going to be more than a little terrified when they see just how much stuff we packed for this tiny little person.

I am much less stressed than I thought I would be at this point. All I really have left to do is pack, which will probably take a while, but will be kind of fun, too. I don't even know how I'm going to sleep tonight--in fact, I may not sleep at all for fear of oversleeping (we have to get up around 4:30 AM to make our 6:35 AM flight... UGH).

No, not going to be negative at all today. Fittingly, today is a dreary, pouring-rain day, and tomorrow will be also--well, HERE, anyway. Miami's forecast for tomorrow only calls for scattered thunderstorms. I haven't really checked out the forecast in the Caribbean, but I refuse to believe that there will be anything but clear, sunny skies.

Here's our itinerary...

Saturday: Cruise ship departs from Miami at 5 PM
Sunday: Cruising
Monday: Cruising
Tuesday: Philipsburg, St. Maarten (full day)
Wednesday: San Juan, Puerto Rico (partial day)
Thursday: Labadee, Haiti (Royal Caribbean's private beach; full day)
Friday: Cruising
Saturday: Return to Miami in AM (and since our flight doesn't leave until about 9 PM, we have the whole day to kill in Miami)

I am going to be seeing places like this...


Philipsburg, St. Maarten


Philipsburg, St. Maarten


San Juan, Puerto Rico


San Juan, Puerto Rico


Labadee, Haiti


Labadee, Haiti


Miami Beach, FL

OK, excuse me for a second... I think I need to go pinch myself.

Of course, I am seriously going to miss you all. If I do get a chance to hop on the Internet, it will only be for a quick e-mail check (since it's a pay-by-the-minute deal on the ship). But no worries--I am bringing along a notebook and will be taking copious notes to accompany my pictures.

I would bid you all farewell now, but chances are, I will be back later with some silly last-minute edit. Because I will use any excuse to procrastinate with my packing. So instead, I'll bid you a "see you later."

Funny ha-ha, or funny strange? *EDIT*

^ 50 cool points to anyone who can name the movie that line came from.

Just when I thought Ari couldn't get cuter...

1. You know how toddlers will sometimes just babble a string of unintelligible words, as though they're carrying on a conversation with an imaginary friend or something? Ari will do that... and when she's finished, she'll add, "Ari's talking!" Yeh, kiddo, you're talking--we just don't know what language.

2. Whenever she says/does something that makes us laugh, she'll grin and say, "Ari's funny!" And sometimes, we don't even have to laugh--sometimes a simple smile or a look we exchange will make her say that. And of course, her saying that only makes us laugh even more, and she'll just look so pleased with herself. It's like she's purposely trying to be a comedian or something.

She's also started speaking in complete, grammatically-correct sentences much more often, and has this amazing little memory (which both amazes and terrifies me, because soon, she'll be able to tattle on me to other people). She's also started picking up on my mannerisms of speech--for example, when I give her instructions, I usually end my request with, "OK?" (more to make sure I had her attention, not because she really has a choice in the matter). So, now, I've got this little pipsqueak of a person saying, "Mommy help Ari wiv blocks... 'kaaaay?"

Man, do I love that little ball of goofiness.

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In other news, I am officially Freaking Out About Every Little Thing About Our Cruise. I would give you an itemized rundown, but you'd probably all just chuckle and be all, "Aww, Sara, you're so funny when you exaggerate for comedic effect." But, see, the thing is, it wouldn't be an exaggeration. So I will keep my mental freak-outs to myself so that you all don't think I'm any more neurotic than you already do.

But ohmygosh I have to vent just a little because what if that thing that looks like it wants to be a hurricane actually materializes and becomes a real, live hurricane and capsizes the ship just like in "Poseidon" (which I never should have watched--my gosh, what is WRONG with me)? Or what if I get the noro-virus and spend half the cruise being quarantined from everyone, or what if I get malaria from a hungry mosquito--I mean, people still die from that, don't they? And what if we get lost in St. Maarten and miss the ship and because we can't afford to fly home from there, we have to live there forever and ever? ...Wait... living on a tropical Caribbean island forever and ever? That might not be so bad.

Hey, look at me, finding silver linings! Things are looking up already!

Just spoke to Tony, who started the conversation with the words, "Don't freak out, but..." which is never a good way to start a conversation.

By the end of our chat, I sighed and told him, "OK, I'm not freaking out, I'm just... freaking out."

He laughed. "So you're not freaking out... but you ARE?"

"Yeh. C'mon. It makes total sense."

Right?

OK, I'm going back to re-read the first part of this entry because I know it will make me smile. Meanwhile, I know y'all are already smiling in that, "Aww, Sara, you're so cute when you're all neurotic" kind of way, and all I have to say is... that's what I'm here for, folks. To bring a smile to your face with my mental breakdowns. Enjoy.

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***** EDIT *****

Just a quick Ari video. This is significant because she has finally learned how to jump, for real. Sure, she's been "jumping" for a while, but her definition of jumping has always been "taking a really emphatic step." Now, with all the couch cushions and pillows to catch her, she's really and truly jumping. Oh, and also, you can hear her say, "That's funny" and "Ari's funny." Interpreted by me and Tony, of course. I've found that being a parent of a toddler causes you to automatically translate everything your kid says, whether or not there's anyone around who needs it.


Ari 9-23-08 from Sariana on Vimeo.

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The weekend, plus some

All right, a quick recap of the past few days...

Tony's dad came into town for a quick visit on Thursday. We went out to dinner that night and toward the end of the meal, Ari was getting antsy, so "Pappy" (that's what she calls him) let her sit with him. She just loved him to death. She was a little shy with him at first, but once she warmed up to him, she couldn't get enough of him.



After dinner, we went to the mall, where Dad let us pick out a new outfit for Ari. The next day, Tony, Dad, and Ari went to a nearby state-fair-type-thing while I was at work. Pappy took Ari on the carousel, among other things.



(I don't know why the vertical pics came out so small. I'm trying out a new site for uploading pics online--Picasa. I like it so far, except for this little quirk.)

Friday night was a lazy night for me. Tony went out with the guys and I enjoyed having the house to myself. On Saturday afternoon, we went back to that state-fair-type-thingy, this time with Matt, Kristin, and Nick. I took a few pictures of Ari before we left. Like her outfit? It's one of the ones Pappy bought her.



A quick mother-daughter pic. (This is what my hair does when I let it air-dry. Gross, huh?)



She specifically asked to pose with Ivan. I know it looks like she's strangling him here, but she was really just hugging him very enthusiastically. I told her to cease and desist once the picture was taken. He is such a patient dog.



Playing with the TV remote...



This is the toy snake she "won" at the fair on the day she went with Tony and Dad.



Contemplating throwing the tub of Play-Doh. I told her not to. Guess what she did as soon as this picture was taken?



So I scolded her, and she ran off to sulk. I know the picture is small, but get a load of the expression on her face. What a rascal.



So off we went to the big state-fair-type-thingy, where I stupidly left the camera in the car. We had a good time, though--the kids loved all the sights, and they especially loved getting to see all sorts of farm animals. And I finally got to try fried Oreos, which were much less awesome than I thought they would be. It's basically an Oreo covered in fried dough, but you can barely taste the Oreo--so, really, it's just like eating a little chunk of fried dough. And I like fried dough just fine--I just would have thought the Oreo would make it so much better, and it didn't. But at least I've satisfied my curiosity.

We stayed pretty late at the fair, so by the time we got back to car, it was well past Ari's bedtime. We gave her her baby doll to cuddle with, and as we sat in traffic, I took a few pictures. I love this shot.



Then of course today was church, and we spent the afternoon at Pastor and Dawn's home, along with Brandon and Kerry and their kids, and a new couple that's been visiting our church. It was a lovely afternoon--sunny and warm, but not too warm. The perfect last-day-of-summer day. Yes, folks, tomorrow is the first official day of autumn.

And, also, oh-by-the-way... only 5 more days till the cruise!

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Smart little bugger

Ari is getting way too smart. Observe...

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I've been listening to the "Mamma Mia!" soundtrack a lot lately, and as I've mentioned before, Ari loves the song "Honey, Honey." She'll even sometimes sing along with the song "Mamma Mia!" (just those words). I was driving home with her last night, and the CD was toward the end--a couple slow songs were playing, and Ari wasn't reacting at all to them. Then, the song "Take a Chance on Me" started, and I heard Ari squeal with delight. I turned around and she was just grinning away. So I guess she knows and likes that song as well. I skipped to "Honey, Honey" when that one was over, and before the words even started, she yelped, "Honey, honey!" See, who says having kids means you have to listen to a certain genre of music?

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We were in Kohl's the other night, and Ari was being a little terror. Not that she was destroying anything, but she just refused to stay with us, and even took to hiding from us. And let me tell you, it can be hard to find a speedy little toddler among all those clothing racks. Anyway, when we got fed up with her behavior, I picked her up and held her the rest of the time we were there, explaining to her that she had to stay in my arms because she wasn't listening. Of course, being that she's a toddler, she kept struggling to get down, and we would go through this routine:

"Ari, down!" she would whine.

"No, you're not getting down. You're staying here because you didn't listen. What did Daddy tell you?"

"No running."

"That's right--no running. And you were running. So now Mommy has to hold you."

We probably went through that little spiel 4 or 5 times before we left. A couple hours later, we were in the waiting room at the hospital, waiting to see Micah. Ari was amusing herself with some foam toys, and when playing with them like a normal person got old, she started throwing them. I firmly told her, "No throwing." And, 2 minutes later, she was throwing them again.

"Ari, what did Mommy tell you?"

Without hesitation, she replied, "No running."

"Well, uh..." I stammered for a minute, and added, "Well, yes, no running--that's still true. But no throwing the toys, either."

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Last night, we got home a little after Ari's bedtime, and she was wired. I let her play for a little while, and after a few minutes, I realized she was talking very loudly and very animatedly. I had assumed she was talking to the dogs (as she often does), but they weren't near her. I looked over at her, and she had one of her books (Bear Snores On) open on the coffee table and was "reading" it to herself--voice inflections and everything. I walked over and crouched down beside her. She was open to a page where the bear was crying. "Bear crying," she told me.

"You're right, he is. Why is he sad?" I asked.

"Ummmmm." She avoided the question by turning that page, to a page where the bear was smiling. "Bear happy!" she exclaimed.

"You're right, he's happy now. Why do you think he's happy?"

Again, she ignored me, and started babbling on about the mouse and the bunny rabbit that were on the page. But that was OK. I was impressed enough with what she'd already told me.

PS Only 8 more days until the cruise! Yes, I know there's a ticker right there that tells you so, but still... Tomorrow will be just one week!

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My latest nephew *EDIT x2*

Last night, the three of us took a trip to the hospital to visit Dave, Jess, and Micah. I was there the night before, the night he was born, and Tony stayed home with Ari, since it was nearing her bedtime and there's no way she would have waited patiently in the waiting room. So this was Tony's and Ari's first chance to meet their new nephew/cousin. So without further ado, the pictures...

Micah meeting Uncle Tony for the first time...



Hanging out with Gramma (my mom)... (This is the best picture I have of his little face. I didn't get any close-up shots--he's not a fan of bright lights, so I didn't want to harass him any more than necessary.)



Ari is checking out her new cousin. (She totally loved him--couldn't take her eyes off him. And when a nurse had to take him out of the room for a few minutes, Ari looked so concerned--I almost thought she was going to cry.)



Grampa helped keep Ari amused (i.e. out of trouble). She swiped a pen from his pocket.



I asked her to smile for me. What a nut.



I love this shot--I love the look on my mom's face.



And last but not least--the proud Grampa.



'Tis all for now. You're dismissed.

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***** EDIT *****

Edited to add one more picture of my sweet little nephew, shamelessly stolen from my SIL's brother's blog...



I just want to squeeze him. Gently, of course.

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***** EDIT #2 *****

It's been brought to my attention that perhaps I should have given credit to the person from whose blog I stole the above picture. Strange... I would have thought the word "shamelessly" conveyed the fact that I had no intention of giving credit where it may or may not be due (as I have also learned that he was not even the one who took the picture). So let it be known that the above picture was taken from my sister-in-law's brother's blog. There.

(Happy now, "Yoda"?)

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PS Ohmygosh, only NINE days till our cruise! Single digits, baby!

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The Importance of Being Ari

Just another random string of Ari stories...

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Ari woke up easily for me one morning last week, and was chatty and happy as I got her dressed. I decided to carry her out to the car, since I was in a hurry, and as I scooped her up, she laid her head down on my shoulder, sighed a little, and said, "Nigh-night time." She remained that way all the way out to the car.

Then, at the babysitter's house, when I picked her up to say good-bye, she did the same thing--laid her head on my shoulder (this time, with an "awww") and stayed like that for a while. I love it when she's in a cuddly mood like that.

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She's starting to get so silly. I was putting on her pajamas the other night, and as I pulled her shirt down over her belly, she looked down and said "Bye-bye, belly button." The next morning, as I put her shoes on, it was "Bye-bye, toes."

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She's adopted a new phrase into her vocabulary: "back there." I'm not sure where she picked it up from, but she understands that it has something to do with location. The only problem is, she doesn't quite understand the meaning. If I tell her we're going, say, to Target, she'll pipe up, "Back there?" And then I'll end up saying something like, "Well, no, it's not 'back there.' It's up there, ahead of us." But every so often, she gets it right, too.

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She's also learned other phrases like, "Where'd Daddy go?" and "Do it again" (mostly when she wants me to replay a video we just watched online). And, just recently, "way up high" which refers to anything higher than her head.

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Discipline has been an interesting adventure with her. We've adopted some new methods with dealing with her. For example, when we specifically tell her to do (or not do) something, we'll follow our request with a "Do you understand?" and wait for her to say "Yes." I tried this with her the other day--we were in the hospital, and I told her she needed to sit in the chair next to me and stay there. "Do you understand?" I asked.

"Yes," she answered.

I decided to push it a step further with another question, to see if she truly understood. "OK, so what are you going to do?"

"Be quiet," she said, echoing Tony's latest directive to her (after she kept yelling and talking very loudly).

I suppressed a smile and asked, "Right... and what else?"

"Sit, chair," she replied.

"Good job."

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The other night, Ari belched in the middle of talking, and immediately interrupted herself to say, "Ari bless you." Tony has taught her to say "Bless you" when someone sneezes, but apparently she applies it to burping too. And also doesn't understand that someone else is supposed to say it to her.

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She was eating her last chicken nugget from dinner one night, wandering around and playing with the dogs. I told her not to give it to the dogs, and when I noticed it was gone just moments later, I suspiciously asked her, "What happened to your chicken?"

"I lost it," she replied.

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She also says "Oooooh!", "Whoaaaa!" or "Wow!" (or sometimes a combination, like "Oooh, wow!") when she's excited about something. I need to get it on video, because the way she says it is so excited and exagerrated that it almost sounds like she's being
facetious. Wait. Maybe she is.

She also says "Woo hoo," which she totally got from me.

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Tony and I have both noticed that when he's on the phone with me, as soon as he says the words "I love you," Ari will yelp, "Mommy!" Because she knows that's who Daddy says "I love you" to.

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And last, but not least, a video. My favorite parts of this one are when she says, "Hi, camera" and "I love you."


Untitled from Sariana on Vimeo.

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Why are you pushing the table?

Ari was sitting in her highchair, up against the table (we've taken the tray off and just pull it up to the table now). She put both her hands on the edge of the table, and said, "I push the table."

"Why are you pushing the table?" I asked. Then, as I often do, I made up a silly little song about it. "Why are you pushing the table, the table, the table... why are you pushing the table... why are you pushing it?" I sang.

She just smiled at me, and said, "Ari sing."

"Oh, you want to sing now? OK, what are you going to sing?"

She grinned at me, and started singing, "Whyyyyyy table, table, table..."

It took me a second, but it finally dawned on me. "Are you singing the song I just sang you?" I asked.

She gave me a bright smile, as if to say, "Of course, Mom--what else would I sing?"

Now, several minutes later, she's out of the highchair, riding her Winnie the Pooh car... and I'm pretty sure I just heard her call one of the dogs "stupid."

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Can't make this stuff up *EDIT*

Tony was home with Ari on Friday, and when I talked to him mid-morning, he said they were having a rough day. Not that she was really being bad, per se--she was just into everything and he was having a hard time keeping up. One of her grand acts was that she decided to fill the dog food bowls, leaving a huge trail of dog food bits from the closet (where we keep the food) to the kitchen (where the bowls are). He tried to get her to help him clean up (which she will usually cooperate with--she loves to be a "helper" right now), but she wasn't having any of it. He finally got frustrated enough with her that he told her to go upstairs and take her nap. After a bit of whimpering, she obeyed, and he finished cleaning up the mess.

When he was done, he went upstairs, fully expecting to find her just playing quietly in her room. As he approached her room, he noticed the gate was pulled across the doorway, which he thought a bit weird. She can open and shut the gate when it's not latched, but he doubted she would have thought to close it behind herself. He peeked in her crib, and it was empty.

Not knowing where else to look, he peeked into our room, and saw this...



She was fast asleep, in our bed.

Now, there are a few things you need to know about this picture. One... see that yellowish blob to the left? You can't tell, but that's Belle. And of course, you can see she has her precious binky in her mouth. And on the bookshelf beside her (which you can't see in this picture), she got one of her nightlight candles (they're LED lights that look like candles--battery-operated).

So let's follow this sequence of events, shall we? She walked upstairs to her room, opened the gate, got Belle and her binky from her crib (which she would have had to climb in and out of), got her nightlight candle, closed the gate behind her as she left her room, walked into our room, turned on the candle and set it on the shelf, crawled into our bed, covered herself up, and fell asleep.

And she slept like that for her full nap. Tony took these pictures toward the end of her nap, not wanting to wake her prematurely. When she did wake up, she gave him a huge smile.



And then she showed him Belle.



When did she get to be so smart? I am still, days later, amazed by this story. She has never--ever--slept in our bed, so I don't know where she got that idea. And to think that she went to all the trouble to get her binky, Belle, and a nightlight... *shakes head* She is something else.

Oh! I have videos! I took a few before bed the other night. Of course, she was being a chatterbox... and as soon as the camera came out, she became a little camera-shy. But she's still cute.

She had been playing with Tony's hairbrush right before, and that's why she's reaching for mine. Then I ask her to dance... and she counts to 2. (Yeh, I don't know why.) But I did get her to dance! That "arm move" is her latest little move. And yes, this girl loves to stare at herself in the mirror. She's so vain. (She probably thinks this entry is about her...)


Ari 9-5-08 V2 from Sara on Vimeo.

And this is the video where she refuses to answer my questions. You know if the camera was off, she would have answered everything perfectly the first time.



I have one more video, but I need to upload it, which could take a while. So... I may be back later. Or it may end up in a separate entry. You just never know...

***** EDIT *****

Just edited to add that last Ari video. I love the face she gives me after I say "I love you."


Ari 9-5-08 V4t2 from Sariana on Vimeo.

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i can has randomness

(*ahem* I, uh, I really have no explanation for the following entry. Except that it's been a long week and maybe I'm a bit crazy and it's not like you didn't know that already so what's your point?)

o hai! srsly, ily.

becuz i luvs u, i gives u lolcats. u wil enjoi.











maybee i rite hole entry lik dis? no? fiine. u no fun.

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So I got a little impulsive last night and ordered this bathing suit...



And, like I always do after I do something impulsive, I am now second-guessing myself. Oh well. If it sucks, I'll just go for this one.



If I can get past the couple of bad reviews I read on the site... *sigh* There is no pleasing me.

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I was all excited yesterday about my car only needing a new thermostat and new water pump, until 2 darling friends of mine (who shall remain nameless) cheerfully informed me that in their experience, a car needing a new water pump is on its last legs, and you might as well prepare to say your good-byes.

Is it stupid to add that the thought of giving up my Sentra for good made me almost cry? Yes? Then forget I said anything.

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Ari counted to 10 twice last night while we were out and about. Except she keeps skipping "6." What did "6" ever do to her?

Anyway, more about her in a future entry. Maybe even with videos. You should be so lucky.

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I am dying for the fall TV season to begin. Does that make me totally lame? I don't care. There are 2 shows in particular I can't wait to see fresh episodes of. First is "The Office" (September 25). I'm betting Jim and Pam got engaged during the off-season, and that they'll find some kind of creative way to show us the scene (you know, within the confines of the "documentary" format). I don't think Jim spent these past few months with that ring just sitting in his pocket.

Second is "Pushing Daisies." I cannot rave about this show enough. Season 1 comes out on DVD on September 16 (and yes, it's already on my birthday/Christmas wish list). Sadly, due to the strike, season 1 was only 6 or 7 episodes. But it's quality, not quantity, and this show is oozing with quality--from its basic concept to the amazing actors to the gorgeous colorful sets and quirky storylines, this show has it all. It's whimsical, it's adorable, it's funny, it's dramatic--it's unexpected. There's nothing else on TV like it. If there's one new show you want to add to your personal lineup, this should be it. If you don't adore it, something is wrong with you. I mean, just look at this--it's just a promo pic, not an actual scene from the show, but it gives you a feel for its atmosphere. Look how bright and colorful and altogether lovely...



Season 2 starts Wednesday, October 1 at 8 PM Eastern. My DVR is already set. Go set yours now. I'm done anyway.

PS One more thing... is it just me/my computer, or is my countdown thingy-doo below not working? I can see the picture, but all the countdown numbers/words are mysteriously absent. This is not good. How am I supposed to know how many days are left until my cruise?! I'm going to have to do actual MATH! *gasps in horror*

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Last-minute Labor Day

A few days ago, my Labor Day weekend was looking completely uneventful. Tony had casually mentioned the idea of inviting a few people over on Monday, but I wasn't sure how serious he was. Well, by Sunday morning, at church, Tony was officially inviting people, and I was teasing him by saying things like, "Oh, so we're definitely doing this, huh?"

So today, we had a houseful. It was "the guys"--Greg, Jason, and Wayne--as well as Wayne's brother Billy and his wife Erica and their 2 daughters (age 4 and 2), and Brandon and his 2 kids (Kerry was working in the afternoon/evening). Ari was in her glory, having friends to play with, and it was a perfect mix of kids--Tyler is the same age as Billy's oldest daughter, and Ari is the same age as Billy's youngest daughter. But Molly wasn't the "odd one out" at all--she and Ari get along great. I'm always joking that the 2 of them are going to be "partners in crime"--they are a lethal combination of cunning and cuteness.

We went swimming first--we headed for the outdoor pool and found it closed, with no sign or explanation (but the padlock on the gate was a pretty sure indication that the place was not open). Luckily, our apartment complex also has an indoor pool, and that was open--and we pretty much had the place to ourselves, too. I kept myself busy with the kids--if I didn't have Ari with me, I had Tyler or Molly, but that was fine with me. I think I got plenty of exercise, carting them around the pool with me, catching them as they jumped in, and even giving piggyback swims.

After we swam, we came back to the apartment and fired up the grill. Greg offered to do the cooking, since he loves to grill, and everything came out great. Everyone brought their own meat for the grill, and we had chips and drinks on hand. I made cookies the night before--again, I experimented with my "cake-mix cookie" recipe, and I think I'm getting the hang of it. I made cookies out of Funfetti, red velvet, and chocolate cake mix, and they all came out great. They're even better with a dab of vanilla frosting on top.

If you're interested, here's the generic recipe for how to make cookies from a boxed cake mix...

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Cake Mix Cookies

Ingredients:
1 box cake mix, any flavor
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs

Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Use the bottom of a glass to flatten slightly. Bake at 375* until the tops crackle (about 8-10 minutes).

My Notes: I tried greasing the cookie sheet as directed, but it seemed like the grease just burned where it wasn't covered by cookies. Baking the cookies on an ungreased sheet seemed to make no difference--they came off easily with a spatula. Also, I just used my hand to flatten the cookies. And it turns out that, for my oven, I only need to bake them for 5 minutes.

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Anyway, we had a great day. Jason and Brandon and his kids left a little while after dinner, and everyone else hung out for a couple rounds of Apples to Apples. It was a nice end to the long holiday weekend.

I pulled out my camera today, before everyone came over, to get some pictures of Ari.

It looks like she's about to attack me, but really, she was just doing some kind of weird dance.



I'm not sure what she was doing here--maybe striking a pose?



By the way, do you like her shirt? I discovered a whole bag of 2T/24M clothes in the closet when I was cleaning out her room today. *sigh* I really need to get better organized with her clothes.

Climbing on the couch, giving me a lazy grin...



And by this point, she had lost interest in me--a coaster set commanded her attention.



Look at all the hair she has now!



One last goofy face...



Tomorrow: Back to work. I get to go in late, but it's due to a doctor appointment, which takes some of the fun out of it. Oh well.

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