Things I Love Thursday // 8.1.13

• Being smack in the middle of the Sweet Spot with our girls. For example, right now they are upstairs taking showers while I blog. When they are finished, their clothes will be in the laundry hamper and their hair will be brushed. And while the floor will be free of puddles, their towels will be strewn across it because they are not tall enough to reach the towel hooks yet. They are still so little and also so "big." They are growing up. {sigh} They are becoming so much more independent and capable and yet, they still love spending time with us. They love cuddles and hugs and I can even kiss them in front of their friends. Together, we sing loudly (and awfully) in the car. They ask me to dance with them. When they "help" me make dinner, they can actually manage things that make it easier for me to get the food on the table. They go to bed at 7:30 (after laying out their clothes, changing into pjs, and brushing their teeth without help) and love listening to me read from whatever book we are currently tackling. Then they go to sleep with smiles on their sweet faces (across the room from one another in matching pink twin beds), worn out from the day. They sleep until 7:30 in the morning and wake me up by crawling into our bed for more snuggles. They are amazing. I want to be present and fully enjoy this magical time for as long as it lasts.
• The girls hosting their first lemonade stand. We had quite a bit of foot and bike traffic in the neighborhood last weekend because of an annual fundraising event that takes place on our block. The girls raised $28.50 and donated it to 24 hours of booty. 
  
• Living in the neighborhood that hosts the 24 hours of booty fundraising event. While the traffic coming home Friday night from our date was quite heavy, walking around the neighborhood and seeing the way this community comes together to support the amazing 24hour bike "race" was really amazing! Neighbors decorate their homes and host big parties in their front yards, families and friends line the streets with cow bells, pompoms, and supportive banners, and "Bootyville" (the overnight camp area) hosts bands, booths, dance-a-thons, and more. This year, the event raised more than $1.2 million for "cancer research and survivorship." (Which includes the $28.50 from one terrific little lemonade stand!) 
  
• Spending time with the girls working on the canvas sneaker project I planned ages ago and finally busted out this week (post coming). Thankfully, they haven't grown out of the shoes I had bought!
• No. 46 Exceptional Iced Tea from Steven Smith Teamaker in Portland. D'lish.
• Having Happy Hour plans with some girlfriends this evening
• When the girls spend hours together playing with Legos 
  
• Piper's dinner surprise. So every-other-week, the girls are taking turns cooking dinner one night (with a lot of help from me). They get to thumb through cooking magazines and books and choose any (dinner) recipe they want. It was Piper's turn this week so she spent some time over the weekend choosing her recipe. After 3 magazine and 2 cookbooks, she finally landed on something that looked tasty. It was an add for tortellini alfredo. Piper and I love heavy cream sauces and rich pasta. Geneva is indifferent. Greg is opposed. He was very sweet and forcibly enthusiastic about her plans. On Sunday Piper pulled me aside and whispered that she had changed her mind about dinner and wanted to make Daddy his favorite meal: Tacos--but, "shhh. Don't tell Daddy. It's a surprise." So when he walked in the door from work on Tuesday she asked him, "Daddy, are you SO excited to have my Tortellini Alfredo dinner tonight?" (And of course he lied and said, "Yea.") To which she replied (with on hand on her hip and the other flung into the air to emphasize how splendid she is), "Too bad--because I made you TACOS!" I'm not sure who was more pleased with the surprise. It was awesome and we all ate too much.
• Catching up with an old friend on the phone this week and picking up right where we left off
• The many delightful faces of Jake 
  
• This article to remind me about little girls and body image. 
• Kilwins Sea Salt Caramel Fudge. The best part about this sweet is that a little bit really does go a long way. Just a nibble and I'm good (usually). 
• This totally random picture of a cat with a spot that looks like a top hat. Kills me.