It's Been Awhile, But I'm Back...Again!

Things I Learned This Week-End:

1. If you take a paddleboat out on Kimball Lake with your niece and sister-in-law, you might as well go ahead and also take the tunnel over to the other lake and hang out over there too. Because there's nothing that makes you feel more like a kid again than knowing you're out of the "moms'" binocular range -- freedom!!

2. If you've got a choice between mashed potatoes and cheesy potatoes...go ahead and take some of both.

3. Langston hate, hate, hates the water but has no problem balancing precariously on the edge of the dock.

4. If a 1/2 full baby bottle has accidentally been left outside for a week it's best to just throw the whole thing away.

5. The homemade kettle chips at the Claddaugh Pub are really, really good. But do yourself a favor and stop there. Because if you later get a scoop of ice cream at Baskin-Robins, it will put you over the top and your stomach will hurt.

6. If the Cubs get an eight run lead they will probably win the game.

7. I could probably buy at least one thing from every aisle at JoAnn's Etc.

8. Sometimes Violet is crabby just because she wants to be rocked.

9. When I'm power-hosing off the plastic outdoor toys, Langston likes to have his feet sprayed...Violet kind of doesn't.

10. If there are no other toys for Violet to play with, she will make do with a blue plastic lid.