Tomorrow, early in the morning, is my younger daughter's 8th birthday. AHHH, I need to send in the Best Day Ever now!!!

She is the sunshine and surprise in all of our lives. My first 2 are dubbed type A and double A. Tada is my free spirit, devil may care, fun loving, damn the consequences doll. Her godmother has told me that her personality literally jumps out of photographs at you. She is different than any of us and I love her, trying to embrace her exhuberance and freedom in a houshold of controlled chaos.

She is the child that I can never quite figure out - playing us for all it's worth. Scarily, I see more of myself in her with each passing year!

Tada has picked her events for the day, including bringing mini-cupcakes to her first summer dance class (Mom, EVERYBODY brings treats to dance on their birthday!). She is so alive, so full of love and laughter and naughtiness. . . . I wish her a long, continued life of naughtiness and fun, doing what she loves even if she has to fudge on the rent sometimes, for years after I may be gone.

Left my LASIK follow-up meds at the soccer fields, still haven't gotten the call back from the Dr. office about getting another RX or an email from the soccer director about anybody picking them up! Boated on the St Croix all afternoon yesterday - too fun! Cafe Maude, fun time - thanks everybody! Lucky hubby, eh?! Missed my older son's soccer practice last week ------ SSSHHHH! Don't tell him, he'll be angry! Going on a family bike ride today, need to get off this site and research where we'll go. LAZY today. Watched "Ella Enchanted" in bed and now the kids are watching the end of "Matilda" with me. I am actually doing nothing and not feeling guilty about it - YET. Now, you go outside and enjoy this weekend weather. That's what I'm going to do.

The rain in the southern burbs was to quick and intense to help my productivity, but I have great neighbors! OH, garbage and recycling blew all over the street! My next door neighbor's grill blew over & into our grass behind the boat (thankfully not INTO it!). Water blew in under our closed front door (Curse Home Depot and their bad service at getting an undamaged new front door to us on time!).

As soon as the rain let up, there were 6 of us walking up and down the street: picking up recycling that had blown down the entire block, making sure the broken glass was thrown out, righting garbage cans. . . . and while we were doing this I thought, "Hey, we live in a good neighborhood with some real people - decent, caring and helpful."

No, there was no real damage (we didn't figure out who's roof the tile we found in the street came off of yet) but there was a mess and we all took care of it for everybody on the block - not just ourselves. And that is cool.

To everybody that gave me some thoughts on LASIK and sent me encouraging notes before I went in for the procedure - I thank you! WOW. What was I so afraid of?! Very freaky experience, but no pain.

Everybody in their surgical room laughed when I stopped the nurse or whatever in the middle of her explanation and said, "Listen, I have given birth 4 times. Is this going to be better than that, or worse? Seriously, I need to know." Oh, the husband almost fell out of bed laughing when I told him that I said that. Yeah, I would totally have LASIK done again before I'd ever let somebody impregnate me for another birthing experience.

Things are a little halo-ey, but I CAN SEE!!! Haven't been able to see since I was 10 or 11 years old. And everytime I say that I can see, I smile.

I also had to thank my husband, who is the person that said, "Why aren't you just having LASIK?!" after I couldn't find my glasses for the 4th time in a month (he, he). Well, I was scared. They were messing in my eyes! And it looked freaky wierd cool when the doctor was messing with my lens at the very end - as long as I didn't actively think about why the world was moving around in a strange, Twilight Zone way!

So, thanks my G-Spot friends. You helped me be brave.

Family keeps me busy. We are all a blessing and a curse to each other. None of the in-laws (through my marriage or by brother's) have or understand a relationship like my bro' & I have. We just spent about a week with my immediate family. My husband is not leaving me after the "vacation" ;P

I have a nephew named Zachary and we have already dubbed him "Zach-Attack!" He was born on the 4th of July and he is beautiful.

My teenage niece is very unhappy about another sibling in her house. She wants to be 18 and move away from her family. She has no concrete plans on how that will happen or how she will get food once it does occur.

Our mother is interesting. Her nieces and nephews adore her. She has trouble hearing and our conversations are very sitcom like.

Dad: Joan Rivers has always been good at making fun of herself. Unless she was making fun of her husband!

Me: Yeah. Until he killed himself.

Dad: He killed himself! When did that happen?!

Me: Years ago, maybe ten?

Mom: Oh, yes. That happened a long time ago! It was suicide.

No joke. True conversation.

Our last day in WI we floated the boat for awhile and swam around. The boys just wanted to stay in the boat. I hauled myself back in to check on them to find them lounging in the bow with Chex Mix strewn ALL OVER the inside of the boat! UGH! WHY?! They are working on getting out of cleaning the boat with me very effectively today.

My husband, brother and I did laugh a lot together during our stay. I really am glad that we all have each other. I just don't know when I will be able to handle another overnight stay with us all together again!