Taco Hell.

I found this picture today on my phone, buried in a bunch of throwaways that Mia had taken (of the floor, the sky, a random stranger...). After our homeschool co-op day, we just haven't had enough of each other, so some of us head over to a nearby Taco Bell to chat while the kids eat health food and run around like hellions. I can't believe the employees are actually nice to us. I already miss it, and co-op just ended for the summer. But we all need a break. I definitely won't be eating any bean burritoes for the next 3 months.

Celebrating a Year of Girl Scouts.

Today Mia finished off her first year as a Brownie. It had its ups and downs, but I think we're going to stick with it. We went camping last week and enjoyed it immensely. On the way back to our tent the second night, Mia told me, "I'm really bonding with my girl scout sisters. I like them so much." So, for the end of year party, Sally (the troop leader) called up each of the girls individually and presented them with flowers and their membership pins. Then we had leftover camp food, including veggie dogs. In fact, in the picture showing Mia sitting on the floor, holding a hot dog, she is fervently trying to convince one of the Daisies that a real hot dog is made out of pigs. "Yes, that is a pig that you are eating! It is!!" (I can imagine other troops might take issue with such an activist child. Not this one! They are all individuals.) Yea for Girl Scouts!

Hawaiian Falls homeschool day.

Today we hung out at a water park for 8 hours. Exhausting. We both got very sunburned. I know...bad mama. But the picture proves that she had sunscreen on! Anyway, we have been having a lot of fun lately. It's the time of year. School is officially out in 2 days, so all of the amusement places have been opening up for the season, and offering homeschool days for us weirdos. And we have been taking advantage of them. Smaller crowds, shorter lines...who wouldn't? It is very tiring, though, and it also puts Mia in a "fun, fun, fun" state of mind. We'll have to remind her that the constant entertainment will end soon! She'll have to go back to amusing herself with blocks, dirt, Barbies, bugs, colored pencils, and whatever else she can scrounge up.

Dallas Arboretum.

We had some free tickets to the Dallas Arboretum so we spontaneously headed over there today. It was beautiful as always. We watched lots of squirrels and birds, doing their spring thing. Mia wanted the boy birds to leave the girl birds alone! I told her if it wasn't for all that obnoxious strutting, there wouldn't be any baby birds. She said the girl birds could adopt babies, like she's planning to do. Okay. This is from the girl who has a ranked list of boys that she loves. I guess they let her do the strutting. Anyway, I got a shot of her leaning out of the covered wagon, which I knew I had taken before. The first one is from September 2005, when she was 3. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Girl scouts.

We have really enjoyed girl scouts this year. We joined a little homeschool troop in Dallas that's been around for a long time. I think the drive is worth it, especially if the girls all stick around and they can be bonded as "scout sisters" for years. I wish I had stuck with it as a child. I was probably like Mia, hard to motivate!

Easter.

The Easter bunny put a face painting kit in Mia's basket. So this is what Mia looked like for Easter. We went to Grandma's and dyed eggs, then hid them throughout the house because it was raining. And then we went to California Pizza Kitchen...yummy.

McAlister's Deli.

Wow, we had lunch! How exciting. Well, it was for her. She got a balloon kitty. Then she changed her mind and wanted a dog, but I told her the balloon lady was only going to make one per kid. Right after that, another kid's balloon popped and the lady came over and said she'd make her another one. I don't have to tell you what happened next, do I?