Charly has a bestie!

Charly is a beautiful, smart and wonderful 7 year old. I love her so much. That said, she sometimes struggles in the friends department. She is a very reserved child, and sometimes has to warm up to people, before she will friend them. But, when she does, she goes all in!

My sweet Charly Reanna!

 Well, at the beginning of February, Charly was invited to a sleep over. She was so excited to get the invitation. When I opened it up, inside, there was a note, from the girl's mother. It basically said "My child is only inviting 4 girls, to attend this sleep over. We would love for your child to stay, but if she can't, please call immediately, so we can invite another child". Charly BEGGED me to let her go. I didn't know if it was a good idea. Not because it's something new, but because I didn't know if Charly would follow through. Earlier in the school year, she was invited to another little girl's birthday party (not a sleepover), and made her self sick at the thought of being dropped off at the party. So, she ended up not going. So, I told Charly "If I call her mother, and tell her you are going, I expect you to go". She promised me that she would. Swore up one side and down the other...she was so excited. So, I decided, what the heck, and I made the phone call to RSVP, yes. Well, the Saturday came, and still she was ecstatic! She couldn't wait to get there. The time finally came that it was time to go. She was packed and ready! Out the door we go. We get there, and Charly runs off with the other little girls, and I stayed a few (to let Charly get comfortable...but really didn't need to) minutes, to talk with the Mom. I let her know that Charly has never had a stayover (besides with my parents), so I didn't know if she'd stay. Well, boy did she prove me wrong. She had the best time ever!
And, since then, Charly has talked about this little girl non-stop. On her papers at home she writes "xxx is my best friend" or "xxx BFF!" I love it! On Monday, the little girl came to our house. They asked if they could do art stuff. Well, I had some finger paints and lots of paper, so I let them have at it, while Kenna was sleeping, and I was taking care of Daphne. Oh my gosh! Did they make a mess! LOL! Paint was everywhere! There was paper on the table, but the paint was so far over it, that half the table was painted purple and green. There was green paint on the floor where it had spilled, and then they walked in it. Most of the footprints were at the table, but then I could see them going to the kitchen sink, and then to the bathroom! LOL! So, I said "Alrighty, girls! You made a huge mess, so let's have a clean up moment, and you can play again, when we're done." They immediately started cleaning up! They did a fabulous job! Though, I really regret not having pictures of the mess! LOL! Charly cleaned the table (since she was the one that got paint on the table), and the little girl took the floor (since she was the one that got the paint on the floor). It was done in no time.
Then, I tell them, they need to clean up their hands. They get all cleaned up and I go into the bathroom! OH MY! There was a paint explosion in the bathroom! I mean, it was everywhere! The sink and mirror were covered, from them trying to wash their hands. Then, where they didn't get all the paint off, it got wiped onto the towel. And, then, from it being on their shoes, it was all over the floor. Charly said "Please tell me we don't have to clean the bathroom too!" hehe! No, I cleaned it. Thankfully the paint is washable, and it was cleaned up, again, in no time! And, really, though it was everywhere, it wasn't a big deal. And, the girls were having fun! But, I really, really should have gotten pictures...it was hysterical!
So, back to Charly having a bestie...they called each other and talked on the phone last night. It was so cute hearing the conversation. They talked about everything, no matter how miniscule the detail, it was made known. :) I love hearing her talk on the phone. And, man, did they giggle like school girls...guess it's a good thing they are! That saying is there for a reason. :)
Then, tonight, Charly went over to her house after school! They had sloppy joes for dinner, and Charly informed me, when she got home, that she really liked them, and hopes we make them some night soon. :) And, she has been invited to stay at their house this weekend. I haven't told her yet, but I think I'm going to say yes. She'll be a VERY happy little Charly. :)
This little girl is a very nice little girl. I'm so happy that Charly is friends with a nice girl, instead of only having 'frienemies', as she puts it (you know friends one day, and not the next). YAY for Charly coming out of her shell, and embracing new things! Gosh, I love her so much!!

I know. I know...I'm slacking!

OK...so I have to catch you all up ...I can't believe I'm over a week overdue!

I took the girls to Coney Island (in Cincinnati) on July 5th. My Mom's work has their company picnic there every year, so we tagged along with her. They have a big pool, and a few rides. Charly LOVES going there, and Kenna seemed to REALLY enjoy herself too! When we got there, we started with lunch, that the company provides. Hamburgers and hot dogs it is! Then, Charly was begging my Mom and I to take her to the park area (the rides). So, we headed over to the little kids section. I was worried how Kenna would do with me not there to hold on to her, but when I put her on the first ride (the airplanes) with her sister, she was ready to go. So, off we went to a few more rides. Then, Charly was BEGGING to do the paddle boats, so we went over to the lake. Charly and Kenna got their life jackets on, and off we went. My Mom and Charly did the paddling. Charly insisted that she get to do it with her Nana, which means Nana got quite the leg workout that day. :) Kenna was great, but when we were out on the water, she decided that she wanted to play in the water. So, back to land we went. Obviously, we then went to the pool. Charly was extremely excited. Kenna wasn't sure what was going on, but as soon as we got the pool, she was a happy little fish. She LOVES the water.

By the time we left, they were both worn out! It was an amazing day!!

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On Wednesday, July 6th, I took the girls to the East Fork Lake. I met my bestie, Katie, there with her 4 kiddos. Shortly after we got there, my other friend, Heather, and her 5 kiddos showed up. The kids had a blast! Thankfully, the kiddos all have a friend or two to play with when we all get together. :)

Again, the girls were both asleep before we got to the interstate. :) You know the girls had fun when they are both snoozing, in the car. :) Again, it was a fabulous day!

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On Sunday, July 10th, we went to my friend Heather's house. Her 3rd born was turning 7, so we had a birthday party to get to. :) Charly and I ran to Target that morning to get his gift. Yes, we are slackers and waited until the day of his party to get his gift. Charly picked out 2 decks decks, with a DVD, and a GIANT super soaker gun, with a shoulder strap. Thank goodness it came with a shoulder strap, or poor Eric would have had one heck of a time lugging this gun around. :) They had a bounce house, slip n slide and pool set up for the kiddos. I could not keep the girls out of the water...they were having so much fun. However, after Kenna dunked herself, failed attempts at putting her in a baby floaty, and being accidentally dunked, I decided that was enough pool for her. So, we went inside for the rest of the party. Thankfully, the Heather's husband, and Katie's husband were in there to keep us (Kenna and I) entertained. We were there all day, and when it was time to go, neither kiddo wanted to go, and both threw mini-fits. But, before we got to the main road (2 miles away), both girls were zonked. It was an awesome day for a birthday party. Oh, and I have to mention how amazing the cupcakes were! Way to go Heather!!!!! And, Happy Birthday, Eric.

Slip n Slide Fun!

Lots of kiddos in the pool!

 

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On Tuesday of this week, I had to take the girls to Tire Discounters, to get my tires balanced. Yes, I know, oh what fun! But, it had to be done. So, I call and they say "Oh, we're not busy, come on down now". So, I get the girls and I ready and loaded into the car, and we get there. They take my car, and wouldn't you know it, we're suddenly there for what seemed like an ETERNITY! There were 2 other people in the waiting area (obviously not together), and I felt so much pity on them, for having to deal with us...well, mostly Kenna and her monkey screams. :) Thankfully, they were out of there relatively quickly! I apologized to the guy at the counter, multiple times! He was very understanding, and said when he was a kid, he also screamed and squealed...HIS POOR MOTHER! :) Anyhow, with all the people gone, Kenna was running around the store looking at all the tires, and being good...phew. I'm telling you, even the smallest thing, Kenna can make monumental. :) I'm pretty sure the tire guy, Brad, will not forget us for a while...LOL!

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On Wednesday of this week, back to East Fork Lake! I met up with Katie and her family, Heather and her family, and this time we brought along another friend, Denise, and her 2 kiddos. It was the perfect day to spend at the lake letting the kids swim and be crazy! :) Thankfully, the day before I bought a beach canopy which totally came in handy for the babies to lounge around in. And, after the repeated 'almost drownings' with Kenna, I bought her a swimmy floaty thingy. It's like a life jacket. And, success...she LOVED it! I also picked up a couple of beach toys, that she had a blast playing with! Sadly, I forgot my camera, so no pictures. :( But, a great day was certainly had by all!
Then, when I got home, I laid Kenna down for her nap, which she fell asleep in the car for some of it. And, I too laid down. I won tickets, from the radio station Rewind 94.9, to see Goo Goo Dolls and Michelle Branch, so I wanted to be rested for that concert. My sister met me at my house at 630, and we were at the venue by 7pm. Got a great parking spot...woo hoo! Walked into the gates and found out they were doing a FREE cookout, provided by Blue Grass (the meat company). So, WOO HOO for free food. When we were finished eating, we grabbed a soda and off to our seats we went. OMG! The seats were PERFECT for us! We were right along the isle, and so close! It was an amazing concert!!! I knew I've seen then a few times, but didn't realize, until last night in talking with my sister, that it was my sixth time seeing them, and her seventh time! We do love the Goo Goo Dolls!!! It was an awesome concert! And, we made it back to the car easily, and even got outta the venue in record time, I swear. By the time I got home, I was exhausted though, and ready for bed. And, I walk into a house of insanity! Brian (hubby) was still wide awake with 2 crazy girls. I swear they were running circles around him. I walked in the door, and Brian went to bed. :) After a few minutes of loving on Kenna, she was ready for bed. So, one crazy kiddo down. Charly finally went to bed at almost 1am. She said she was too excited for vacation to go to sleep. :) I love that girl!

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OK...and now we're current! So, tomorrow night, we leave for vacation. South Carolina, here we come! I can't wait. I know the girls are both super excited for the beach. And, Charly is also very excited to show the family that she can swim under water. This was super needed, and I'm so thankful for my parents, for putting this together for us, and making us spend some time away, and as a family! I appreciate this very much! I'll be sure to take LOTS of pictures while we're gone, and post all about the trip, on our return. :) Have fun everyone, and keep safe!

You are a bunch of wild animals!

That's right, on Monday, we went to the Cincinnati Zoo! I was going to meet up with a couple of friends, and the girls were so excited. I watched the weather before we left, and it said it wasn't supposed to rain until 3pm. I was so happy because we're usually outta there by 2pm. So, off to the zoo we go, to be there at 10am. Well, we are late. Oops...still in Kentucky at 10am. Thankfully, we're almost there. Well, we turn on the street the parking lot is located on, and BOOM! Downpour! Are you freaking kidding me? The rain wasn't supposed to come until 3!!! I'm so close, I'm not turning around now. Rain or shine, we're going to the zoo!
So, we get there, and for about 15 minutes, we are sitting in the car, with rain just pouring around us. Kenna is now frustrated because we aren't moving and that means she wants out of the dang car, and now! Thankfully, it seems to be slowing down. So, I decide I can't handle anymore Kenna screams, and I'd rather get wet, than have to listen to it, so I get the stroller out of the car. Get Kenna buckled in it, and Charly out of the car. And, off we go. Suddenly, it stops raining. THANK GOD! But, we are all in tank tops and shorts, and it's just cold now! So much for being 80 by noon. Brrrr!
Well, a few minutes later, the rest of the group shows up. There are 4 moms, and one friend's uncle, and 11 kids. Phew! So, we're still at the entrance trying to figure out where we want to go, and the kiddos are all yelling where they wanna go, and what they wanna see... and we're off. Reptile House, here we come. Then, the rain starts again! ARGH! One mama didn't bring an umbrella, so her and her daughter decided to leave. Anyhow, we battle the sprinkles for the next hour, even though the kids don't seem to notice. They are just happy to be out and having fun with each other. After we see the red panda, everyone decides they are hungry. Thank goodness, that should get us out of the rain for a bit. So, inside we pile. LUNCH TIME!
 After lunch, we walk outside, and it's like a brand new day. The sun is shining. It's warm outside, and NO RAIN! Beautiful! So, we make the rest of the way through the park! We even hit up some things we don't normally see, like a walk through the Oriental Garden, with the Koi Fish. Note to self: Do not feed them popcorn next time. Huge Oops!

We finally finish with the elephants, and decide it's time to go home. Kenna is tired, and my feet hurt. We say our goodbyes to the friends, after some awesome pictures of the kids on the rhinos, and in the car we go.

Before we get to the interstate, Kenna is asleep. Before we get back to Kentucky, Charly is asleep. Gotta love wearing out the kids, after a day of fun! What a great day that was had by all, especially more fun after the rain went away, to come again another day.

Vroom Vroom. Should I attempt this?

I talked to a good friend, Heather, on Thursday, and she told me that she was going to take her kids to see Cars 2. Well, Charly wanted to see this too. I told Heather, that we'd have to wait until it came to the cheap, second run, theater. Then, she proceeded to tell me about this theater, that played brand new movies, for $2 matinee, and $4 after 6pm. Okay, she now has my attention. Where is this awesome theater she speaks of?? She sends me a link to the theater. http://blanchestercinemas.com/  BLANCHESTER, OH! Where in the world is Blanchester?
Well, it's about an hour from where I live in Kentucky. So, I get the calculator out and try to see if it would be worth the drive (gas) to take both girls there, or if it would be better to take just Charly to see it close to the house. Well, it was about the same, and Kenna would get to see it too. SO, we decide to go and meet her there. Woo Hoo! Charly is beyond excited. Kenna is just happy to be getting out of the house. The movie starts at 2p, so we need to be there by at least 130p, so we can get our tickets. So, we leave the house at 1235p. Woo Hoo! We can do this! Get on the road, thinking Kenna would fall asleep in the car, so we would be able to enjoy her first movie theater experience. NOPE. She's wide awake the entire trip. After sitting in some construction traffic for about 15 minutes, we finally get there at 145p. Okay, we still have time. We get the tickets (Heather bought them ahead of time, for us), and now we're in the popcorn & drink line. OMG! Could they be any slower?? They had one guy working the tickets and concession, and everytime he'd start a concession order, someone would walk in for tickets. It finally starts to slow down, and a second guy walks in. Thank goodness. Now, we get through this line of people wanting their popcorn. We up...large popcorn and sprite - $6.75. Not too bad...$12.75 for the entire new movie experience. Anyhow, would I do it again, even with the slow (at first) concession stand; You bet your hiney I would! Overall, it was a great experience!
So, we get the drink and popcorn. Charly grabs a booster seat for Kenna, and we're off to the small theater to find Heather. She's right in the middle...thankfully she saved us some seats. So, we get situated, and between Heather and kids, and me with the kids, we take up almost the whole row (just to give you an idea of when I say small theater). Then, Heather says "I hope my baby behaves". I then respond "I hope my baby does okay".
And, we're off. The movie starts. Charly is super excited. Kenna's still not sure what's going on, but the big screen and loud sounds definitely have her attention. Woo Hoo! This is fabulous! Well, about 3/4 of the way through the movie, Kenna realizes that she can get off of her seat. So, back and forth between Charly and I she starts. Then, she sees there are people in front of us. Uh Oh! What is she thinking? What is she going to do? Well, she just watches them, and decides she's having more fun going from Charly's seat, to my lap. Finally, the movie ends, and overall it was a success with Kenna's first movie. And, the movie was very cute! We love Mater though, so it was a success to the Feightner gals. On the way out, I did apologize to the guys cleaning the theater. It appeared as though a popcorn bomb went off under Kenna's seat.
So, on the road we go. The girls are definitely tired at this point. We are on the road, maybe 5 minutes, and Kenna's out. Woo Hoo! Then, before I get to the interstate, Charly's out! Woo Hoo. Quiet car ride home...this is great. THEN, we get into Kentucky, and about 5 minutes later, traffic comes to a screeching halt. OMG! I turn to the radio to find out there is a 5 car pile up one exit before mine, and it has the interstate shut down. I'm right by the on ramp...so I decide to do what others are doing, and I head down the on ramp, to a side street.  And, take the back roads to get home. So, now at this point a one hour car ride, has turned into an almost hour and a half car ride. That's when Kenna wakes up. She wants out of her seat, and now. She's thirsty. She's hungry, and I have only a chocolate chip cookie. I give it to her, and she's quiet. Then, the cookie that seemed so big at the time, now seems so tiny. Why didn't I have more???
Now, we're home 30 minutes later, but it seemed like it took 4 hours to get home, when in reality it was only 2 hours. Screaming kids in a car, will definitely do that to you!
Overall, the trip was a success. The girls did not fight in the car, to the theater, at the theater, or on the way home. And, about 15 minutes after we got home, my Mom called and said she was coming to get Charly for the evening. So, there was also no fighting the rest of the evening. What a great way to end a great day!!