My baby turns 7

Since she could say the word, her favorite color has always been blue.

After 20 minutes of shear panic she finally took the 15' plunge.

She would love to have a furry animal in the house, but, like peanut butter, she's allergic.

WILL EAT... even at 40 mph

Spent days searching for bugs this summer.  What a nerd.

This morning Sheridan woke up and said "Mom, I really feel like I'm 7 now"  I said, 'hold up, not until 11:45 a.m. will you be officially 7.'

I have 2 neighborhood girlfriends, Corrine & Nanete.  2 years ago, Sheridan, in her infinite wisdom, realized that they were not necessarily 'her friends' and so it would be okay to play with them on Sunday.  Each Sunday she'd end up at either house - often both.  She got very comfortable with them and by last Christmas she was asking them what they would be giving her for Christmas.  1 month later when she turned 6 again she asked about her present.  We were horrified and embarrassed when we got word of it and explained to her that it was very inappropriate to ask people for gifts.

It's been months since she's spent time with either Corrine or Nanete.  Yesterday, 'birthday eve', she made her way to both houses armed with a more politically correct statement, 'Did you know that tomorrow is my birthday?"

Opps....She did it again!

Sheridan & neighbor Emma feeding grapes off the vine to Bubba, Baby & Beau

24 hours after Sheridan’s pool party we get a call from the babysitter asking if Sheridan can swim with her friends at Sandlin’s pool. “Are you kidding me?” I just went over this with her the night before. Sheridan was really working the system while we were away for the night. And, of course, the other mothers had given permission.

The Sandlin’s are very generous neighbors that live beside us. They have a huge ice making machine in their pantry. It makes crushed pellet ice like Sonic Drive-ins. When the surrounding neighbor children heard about this fabulous ice they started showing up on a daily basis. The Sandlin’s now provide cups in the pantry for visitors. And, I hate to admit it, one day I suggested “let’s use our snow cone syrup and make them slushees!” I started an epidemic.

The Sandlin’s also have 3 dogs that entertain while you swim. Beau is a beagle (?) with ears that drag across the ground wherever he goes and he howls our direction when he needs attention. Bubba is a blind bulldog that eats sprinkler heads and the newest addition, Baby/Babe, is the smallest, feistiest weiner dog I’ve ever seen. Babe is better taken care of than any of the Sandlin’s 4 teenage children. These 3 additions makes swimming at the Sandlin’s even that more enticing.

I’m positive when Sheridan showed up for her regular cup of ice the pool thru the back windows looked inviting so she threw that question out “can we go swimming”.

We’ve had 80+ degree weather for DAYS and the next 5 look about the same. Sheridan has one thing on her mind: 2 pools down & 4 to go.