Grocery Gala Girls

Let me tell you about this picture: This was taken today while my girls and I were kicking off our first monthly Girls Grocery Gala. Usually the big kids are dropped at the grocer's daycare and the little ones and I gather meal items for the next week or so frolic around talking with the friendly staff as they fuss over the precious cargo in my cart. But today was different, Luke was up for playing with the "big trucks" in the daycare without his big sister, so Julia grabbed her own cart and off we went.

You see that "big girl" in the red? Oh, I could eat her up! (Except when she's jumping up and down in the kitchen, whining that she wants a treat from the treat bucket after I told her that she doesn't need a treat every day because they're bad when overconsumed.) She was the best...without even being told. But if I would have reminded her to "remember [her] manners" I'm sure she would have replied with her often heard phrase, "Mama, I'm always good. You don't have to tell me that." During our 1 hour Gala she informed me: that she has "always loved" the premixed blueberry drink that comes in the gallon container--which I'm sure had a lot to do with how cool it looked in all its bright-sugary-blueness, her "very, very favorite thing" is 99 cent, mini bubble blowing kits--that I'm positive she's never owned, and she thinks she "would like to eat the purple M&M's the best,"--which are the dark chocolate, and I highly doubt that. The things that girl comes up with crack me up.

Now on to Norah and Hazel. Do you see them? Ohhh...aren't they cute! Well, besides that, do you see how Hazel is missing a bow? Yea, I'm sure you can figure out who the guilty party is. And there is really no sneaking it back in. Hazel's head is under high surveillance when her sister is around.

How about my goes-with-me-everywhere clipboard. Do you see that sticking out of my braided yellow bag? That's holding some recipe print-outs from Brittany's blog. I am taking the next step in healthiful eating..and I'm so excited. Some out of the ordinary items we bought today were: Leeks, Grapeseed oil, Salmon packets, ground ginger, and organic black beans. We LOVE black beans but have officially moved on to the organic, pesticide-free ones.

Oh, one more thing. That jean skirt I'm wearing. I'd wear it every day if I wanted to do laundry more than once a week. So when I'm not wearing it, I wear my blue or khaki Gap cotton stretch skirt. Why? Because I LOVE skirts in the summer--for me and my girls. As soon as it gets warm enough to wear sandals, I'm wearing a skirt. And, what would I do without my friend Kristi who informed me that Oprah says it's ok to wear jean skirts until you are 35. I have a good 7 years to go. But to be honest, I don't give a lick what Oprah says anymore.

That's it for now folks. I have roughly 22 more stories about this picture. But, the little girls are up from their naps and...."babies gotta eat."