Let the cleaning commence!!!

The countdown is on... we have five days until the UK cousins arrive, and one floor of the house is almost ready! It sounds like we own a mansion, but really, the upstairs is DONE. Well, except the bathroom, and steam cleaning the carpets, and making sure ALL of the stuffed animals get put back in the closet, and clean sheets are put on the bed, and the kids laundry is done, folded and put away. Okay, a few things left upstairs. I am super happy with it so far, and I don't think it has been that clean EVER. Tomorrow I will tackle the kitchen (including mopping the floor). Whew. Today, Thomas and Glee almost fought over who got to help with the cleaning. It's great having an almost 7 year old and an almost 5 year old. Glee called out "I get the kitchen!" and Thomas shouted "I get downstairs bathroom! In the bathroom you get to use a special brush in the toilet!" A family member suggested recording them for posterity and future blackmail. All that's left is downstairs and the yards (yep, that's a good months worth of cleaning in 5 short days!). I am amazed daily at how much dust accumulates in our house. It's probably my biggest nemesis. I guess if I didn't have so many books and things I like to collect it would be easier.

Last night we had another successful Fairy and Mermaid tea party with delicious sunflower soup. The fairies even danced in a fairy ring on the grass and left dust everywhere. I love this stuff. I pulled my sunflowers out, they were done, and I think I may try planting corn over where they were. I heard it's good to plant corn and beans together, the beans will use the corn stalks to grow upwards. The soil in the one bed where the sunflowers were isn't great soil, and the sunflowers didn't do as nicely as last year. Still, we got four big flowerheads drying in the backyard, so we should have some good seeds. Cucumbers are going nuts, and tomatoes are starting to pick up a little. I might pick up a few plants from farmers market on Tuesday, since the guy there has great seedlings, and for only a dollar.

Well, now that we are all healthy and in prep for family, summer feels like it is finally here. We have plans for the visit, including Disneyland, Universal Studios, Griffith Observatory and Graumann's Chinese Theatre. Arizona, Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Vegas, it should be a nice trip for them, and I know we will be thrilled. We have been talking about this since, well, about forever!!!