Clean, Shop, Picnic, Play, Shop, Dinner, Play...Sleep!

So...this morning I got a call from our realtor...someone wanted to see the house between 3pm and 4pm! Oh, my!!! Our house pretty much looked like a Toy R Us expoded in it! I have also been going through Rachel's wardrobe deciding what fits and what doesn't, what to pack away and what to get rid of. I have been hitting some clearance racks trying to buy some things for her for next Spring/Summer and also getting some Fall items. Needless to say, things were pretty messed up:)...I am also trying to get better organized and had piles and piles of stuff on many of the flat surfaces for sorting through:)...I really want to get to the point where I can do some video editing (I have about 14 tapes of footage! :) and scrapbooking this Fall. So, basically I had TONS of cleaning to do before a realtor could bring someone through! Fortunately, Rachel is a star napper for me:)...I got the house done and the girls in the car with one minute to spare. Thank goodness it was a nice, cooler day outside today because Sheena had to be in the car. I stopped at SBUX for a green iced tea and headed north to the outlets:)...I found some cute clearance items at The Children's Place (returned more than I bought though). I really wanted to browse the rest of the children's stores up there, but all I could think about was Sheena in the car. Even though it was cooler out than it has been, I was afraid it might still be too warm for her in the car. So...I decided we should have a a picnic! I bought some food at the food court...I know, not so healthy but kind of fun...I moved the car up to a nice, green, grassy area way up in the corner of the parking lot. It was pretty and peaceful up there...perfect spot for a picnic. I backed the car up, spread the big gray blanket out that stays in Frank's Tahoe, put Rachel in her stroller, tied Sheena to the back of the car and we had a picnic! It was fun! Just the three of us girls and a breezy, sunny day! I could have sat out there with them all day:)...After lunch I packed up the car and let them relax and play. Next we headed a half mile up the road to Kohl's. (Mommy had a giftcard to spend!) I actually bought a top for myself and an adorable outfit for Rachel:)...By the time we arrived at Kohl's, the parking lot was shaded by the gorgeous pine trees that are along the edge of it. Sheena took a nice, cool nap in the car while Rachel and I explored Kohl's. After that...headed home for some more play, dinner and bed...sharing some pics from our day... Woohoo! I finally figured out how to make the pics so you can click on them to make them bigger if you want to take a closer look!...

It was not the most nutritious of lunches,

but I think it met with Rachel's approval;)...

next time Mommy is packing the picnic basket... After lunch, I cleaned up and put the blanket away. Rachel enjoyed exploring the soft, green grass:). Sheena thought she had moved a safe distance from us, but... "Doggies are for climbing on, right?" They both have such funny looks on their faces here...and the bow comes off:(... What a little "problem-solver"! Rachel was just fascinated with Sheena's leash. She climbed over it a few times, but then she wanted to go under it. It was so cute to observe her...in the first picture she sits and tries to put it over her head. She couldn't quite get it all the way over and still crawl under. So she stopped and stared at it for a moment, then she got down really, really low and crawled under...laughing as she did it! She had her self so low maybe the grass tickled her face:)... Mission accomplished!
Oh, how Rachel LOVES her doggy! Thank goodness Sheena is so patient and mostly gentle:)... "Whew! It's hot out here!"... Rachel kept taking her hat off, but I promise she had lots of 70+spf sunscreen on and we were only out there for about an hour total...about 20 minutes of play... It's a little hard to tell from my angle and timing, but Rachel is actually hugging Sheena here:)...she goes over to her and lays her head on her shoulder just like when she hugs us...so cute! Not sure how she was standing let alone walking! I was exhausted. She walked all over the downstairs with this silly little smile, so what could I do but get out the video camera:)... One of the last pictures I took of Rachel today... right before her Daddy called...then it was "Pajama Time" and off to bed...I think she likes her new ball... In a word...exhausted:)...

Wishing Mommy would just go to bed already!