1. For those of you doing some grocery shopping this weekend or this coming week (all you smart people who don't have to fight the weekend shoppers!), there are TONS of coupons and rebates here and here ! I saved over $14 at the grocery store today between the two on things I already had on my list :) LOVE when things work out like that! Our bank account was appreciative, as well, haha! 2. Insect week is going well over here. He loves the flour-filled balloon bumblebee and to have me sing the song--you know the one ( "I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee. Won't my momma be so proud of me?...")-- while he acts out the motions. Ella just likes squeezing and tossing it and squealing with glee :) This insect search was a real hit, too! He found and buried them all several times :) 3. My dad sent over a few mint plants (that I haven't planted yet but that the kids really enjoy sniffing, haha!) and some tomato cages for my cucumber plants.  I...

1.  We're learning about insects and spiders this week, but maybe I should have checked out weather books and found weather activities instead.  Our part of the state (especially where my in-laws live) got hammered by torrential rains, and a lot of people had significant damage to their homes.  My in-laws had to take up most of their flooring and will have to redo the lower sections of walls soon.  Here are our frontyard and backyard after just a few hours of rain . I can't imagine what it would have looked like had we gotten what they got :/ 2. Ella is doing a really good job of telling me when she needs to go to the bathroom and of keeping her undies dry. We're very pleased :)