This week seems to have flown by. It started with beautiful weather, the kind that makes everything in life a little bit sweeter. But, being Toledo, it came to an end yesterday and we are facing a forecast of rain for the next four or five days.

Hopefully, Springfield weather will be decent next week. We are planning to leave Sunday night and drive through 'til the morning. It should make it easier on the kiddos that way. I haven't been to Springtown since over a year ago, the longest time I've been away. Brett hasn't been there since even longer than that.

It will be good to see family. None of my grandparents have even seen Cole, so it should be fun to show him to everybody. If nothing else, it will be nice to take a week's vacation from work. I love my job, but a break will be very nice, too.

Of course, getting everything packed and in order will be stressful. I'm sure I'll spend my Saturday finishing laundry, actually folding it and putting it away (which I loathe to do) rather than letting it pile up on the dryer, tidying up the messes in the house that I put off until the weekend, getting the kid's clothes together, getting my clothes together, getting Brett's clothes together. . .what is it again that's supposed to be relaxing about a vacation? I forget.

Anyway, I'm excited to see my family and visit our old haunts. Be looking for us at Cheddar's, Lucy's, or Andy's. What's this restuarant Hillenblog is always talking about? I love Mexican, maybe we can meet up next week there and you can show us what's new in Spfd. See y'all in 696 miles.

Molly celebrated her 6th birthday last week. She had fun being a birthday princess at school and we had a little family party for her on Friday night. She got some cute clothes and some cool toys, namely Trouble. I got it for her, since I loved it as a kid, and she should have the same childhood joys as I did, right? Besides, it blows Chutes and Ladders out of the water!

Anyway, my grandmother sent her a little outfit that consisted of a shirt, hooded zip-up jacket, and these blue/white camouflage culotte-style shorts. In fact, when I saw her open them I said, "Wow, gauchos!" I didn't know they made those anymore. Anyway, she loved it.

Last night Molly wore her new outfit to the youth Bible study at the church. One of the teens asked me, are those gauchos? I started to make a face and defend her saying, "Well, yeah, my grandmother sent them and Molly likes them, so she's wearing them and I know they are a little odd looking . . ." Cause I mean, to me, gauchos totally scream BBC circa 1985. I have flashbacks of my AWANA leaders wearing their sporty grey and red uniform shirts with these hideous, flappy, bell-bottomed culottes of modesty. Anyway, Amanda tells me, "Yeah, we wear those all the time at school." Oh.

So, she wasn't ridiculing my daughter's clothing choice like I had assumed, but was actually thinking it was cool that a six year-old was so in style. My Grandmother Tyler should start shopping for my clothes. It's kind of humbling to know that my seventy-something dear grandmother has much more fashion sense than I do. Next thing I'll hear is that my favorite tight-rolled frosted jeans are no longer rad. . .whaa? . . oh . . well at least I have my shaker-knit sweater, jelly bracelets, and leg warmers. Apparently I need to hang to them for a couple more years for when they become cool again.