All About The Mom of 'Em

2011-08-22T11:43:00.014-05:00

First Day of School 2011

It's hard to believe Summer is over and the kids are headed back to school. Why can't Winter pass that quickly?! This year I have both girls in school all day and Grant will be starting Preschool 2 days a week early next month. Am I emotional about this? ummm....not really. The years DO go by so quickly....but for now...I'm happy to have a couple of hours without distraction and interruption. Selfish? maybe....but it's true.

Here are my girls this morning...all ready to begin their adventures at school this year. There are WAY more pictures of Lauren...it's her first year of all-day school. Plus I was lucky I was allowed 2 minutes of photo time w/my high schooler. Here she is....Junior year:

And here is my FIRST-GRADER!!! (The Littlest Pet Shop lunch box that took 30 minutes to choose)

Like my new backpack?

Because this Mom won't have it together someday to remember:

A vet....2 years in the running! We shall see!

And this year, a little something new. I wish I had saved where I borrowed it from...some wonderful blog somewhere online (sorry). But Lauren was visited by the First Day of School Fairy! Check out the fancy note she left her...and the special friend for helping with a good night's sleep!

With her Mommy and Daddy:

The walk to school....

The crossing guard....God bless this woman!

At the school!

Her FABULOUS teachers! Tag....you're it!

Wait! What? It's going on 12:30 already? This day is going fast! I hope my girls are having an awesome first day....and that it's going as fast as it is here at home. I think I will have 2 VERY tired kids on my hands tonight. Happy 1st Day of School 2011!!!

2011-04-26T14:54:00.008-05:00

Are you all tired of looking at poor injured Grant? Well today's your lucky day! A NEW blog post! Woo-hoo! It's been so long though...i'm not even sure where to start! I guess we'll just start where we are...or at least where we were recently. How about Easter? We'll start there...and since I'm just getting started with this again...we'll just let the pictures do the talking.

I do have to say...I took about 12 picture of these kids....Grant would NOT look at the camera. I'm pretty sure Bailey is threatening him through her teeth here. Good thing for him he's so stinkin' cute in that tie and cap...otherwise we would have been ready to clobber him.The Grandpa of 'em and the Grandma of 'em...COLORING EGGS!
I'm going to TRY, TRY, TRY to get back to regular posts. (if I'm not talking to myself here...and if I'm not...if you even care).

2011-02-23T20:58:00.002-06:00

Respiratory virus, ear infections in both ears, croupy-sounding cough... My little guy's sick. =-(

2011-01-20T10:06:00.004-06:00

Tooth Fairy Time!

My 5-yr-old lost her first tooth last night! She was sooooo excited! She's been working on that sucker for weeks now. She really wanted to show-and-tell that tooth at school today, so she dictated a letter to the tooth fairy asking if she could keep her tooth to show her friends. She also requested some Littlest Pet Shop stuff (ha!).

I was really worried she'd wake up when the "tooth fairy" arrived...she's a light sleeper. Luckily the "tooth fairy" made it in and out without incident. She DID leave fairy dust (silver glitter) next to the pillow and in a trail from the door to the bed. (bad idea in hind-sight...now I have to vacuum).

Here we go...down the fast road to growing up. =-( Here's a picture of the proud missing-tooth girl.

I have no idea why it looks nothing like her...maybe a weird angle..who knows.

A post about our late family Christmas 24-hr crazy getaway coming soon!

2011-01-13T23:00:00.005-06:00

Soon we are getting together with my Dad's side of the family for Christmas. Yes, it's mid-January...but it's the only time my brother can make it. Ye who lives farthest wins. I'm SOOO excited to see my nephews! All four of them! I'm especially excited to meet my newest nephew, EJ. He was born in September and I haven't held him yet! Horrible!

It will be a 24-hour gathering (wish that was a joke). We'll drive about 5 hours there, stay 24 hours and head right on back. The kids will be out-of-control. As Oprah says, "This I know for sure." We are going HERE and staying in one of the villas. Now that is my kind of "camping!" A waterpark AND amusement park indoors? My kids are going to go NUTS! And a Bears game with the whole Schlafer side of the family? AWESOME! (please win, please win)

I have a million things to do before we leave. Wrap gifts, pack, finish MAKING gifts, cook breakfasty stuff to share, etc.

I'm actually sewing a gift for my Grandma (and hopefully Grandpa too if I have time). I do NOT know how to sew. If it weren't for online tutorials, I wouldn't even know how to thread my machine! I found this great tutorial (perfect for grandparents) at I Am Momma - Hear Me Roar. It LOOKS simple, but I didn't have anything circular in the house that was 22 in. in diameter to use as a template. Enter: math. (strike ONE against sewing). I finally figured it out and had my material cut and ready to sew. THEN she says to iron. IRON?! (strike TWO for sewing). I can't believe I didn't quit right there. Ironing +math=my personal hell. But I pressed on (get it? iron.."pressed" on? ha ha). My stitching is horrible, there isn't enough rice in one section....but it resembles the example given! SUCCESS! AND it's heated and around my neck as I'm typing this. It works! Here's my version:

I bought the fabric last summer at a garage sale for 75 cents. (score!) I skipped the button closure on this puppy though. The weight of the rice inside holds it in place, so I'm not messing with any sort of closure on it.

In other news, I happened upon Target's 75% off toy clearance this morning. We are now set for Valentine's Day, Easter and birthday parties....under $85 spent. GREAT deals on some very nice things. I'm so happy I shopped ahead last summer at Target's SUMMER toy clearance - I only purchased one toy this Christmas. The rest came from my secret hiding place in the basement. Although I'm totally toy-ed out after Christmas and cleaning/purging old toys, I knew if I didn't pick up some things now, I'd really regret it later.

Well, back to sewing. Happy Friday!

2011-01-11T20:34:00.004-06:00

SNOW DAY!

Today was a snow day for my preschooler. I was excited to avoid the cold trips to and from school, but I would be lying if I didn't say the day grew LONG.

We filled the day with a little painting, Play-Dough and Polly Pockets (today's snow day is brought to you by the letter "P.") We watched a movie, made lunch, folded laundry and still they were bored. (the nerve!)

I should have thrown them outside to play, but it was pretty windy and we have BIG PLANS this weekend, so there is absolutely no getting sick allowed.

In desperation, I pulled out the glue sticks and paper and craft supplies. Lauren had "Family Fun" homework (so not) that had to be done, so we busied ourselves with creating our very own dinosaur. Here's Lauren's creation:

I helped her (obviously), but she was very decisive about each detail. I think the girl had a vision...unfortunately, my artistic abilities ruined her dream and "Crystal the Princessaurus" was the best we could do. Still to all who know Lauren, I think you'll agree that there is quite a bit of her portrayed in this assignment.

We finished that up, ate dinner and by then I was exhausted. But what kind of Mom is too tired for a bedtime story? Enter the perfect compromise for days such as these. Have you heard about it? Barnes and Noble has ONLINE storytime! Check it out!!! This month's book is Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola. Scroll down for a link to past books. My kids listened to four of them tonight.

2011-01-10T14:50:00.002-06:00

Fitted Sheets....hate them!

I've watched tutorials on this subject before and still my fitted sheets end up in a big wad in the closet. But it's a new year...and I think 2011 is the year I'm going to get this right once and for all! In case you aren't there yet either...here's a nice how-to:

2011-01-08T23:11:00.002-06:00

I'm 39 years old and I still needed this reminder. I think it's especially a great message for women young and old. Let your light SHINE, ladies!

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberated others."

- Marianne Williamson A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of a Course in Miracles

2011-01-06T14:20:00.006-06:00

My quest to get organized continues for day 2! (Well, it's MY day 2...the challenge is actually on day 4 I think). Up today? Under the sink. I was so excited to get this disaster cleaned up that I forgot to take the "before" picture. I did take a picture of the piles of cleaners, rags and bags after I emptied it. Just picture all of that thrown under the sink in total disarray. So here's a picture of the almost "before."

Here's the empty cupboard, all washed down and ready for pretty new contact paper:

And finally, the "After":

I still want to get the bottle-holder shelf thingies they sell at Wal-Mart that screw on to the back side of the cabinet doors. I saw them at A Bowl Full of Lemons (hosting this crazy organization spree on her blog). That should clear up even more space under the sink. I had to run to Target today though and no way do I have the time or the mental capacity to hit Target AND Wal-Mart in one day. That back-of-door metal shelf/container idea will have to wait for another day.

2011-01-05T23:04:00.003-06:00

This morning Lauren woke up and told me she had the BEST dream last night! I asked her to tell me what happened. "I was in a magical land and there were rainbows and a unicorn, and even the unicorn had a rainbow horn! And there was a rainbow lake and a rainbow seahorse!"

Oh, to be a little girl again!

2011-01-05T22:48:00.005-06:00

It's January - a new year - and I've caught the organization bug. Tonight I tackled the linen closet. It's a small closet and most often you can't even shut the door because of the towels and toilet paper falling from the shelves. There...I said it.

So here's a before picture:

The donate pile:

And alas...the "AFTER"...

Aaaah....MUCH better! (until the load of towels and sheets in the laundry room need to be put away)

2011-01-03T22:57:00.006-06:00

I can't believe it...but my baby girl has a LOOSE TOOTH!

How did this happen? Already? I mean...she's just 5!

Is that normal? I'm not ready for teeth too big for her little head. I'm not ready! But, she is wiggling and wiggling...and it is getting looser and looser. So I set out to make a tooth fairy pouch for her. The first attempt? CRAFT FAIL!

The second attempt was a passable fail....we're going with that one. It would look better, except when I went to thread my bobbin I heard a sound like a pin falling down into the machine. Then I also noticed craft glue dried-onto the machine. Hmmm....someone's been sneaking into my stuff again! Could it be the same kid who put my Blackberry under the armoire...along with the food chopper? I think he's just messing with my head! Also the heat-activated velcro...LIES! I had to stitch the velcro on...and that's where the frog came in...to cover up that horrendous stitching. Anyway - here's the tooth fairy pouch:

If you sew....don't judge. At least I'm trying!

2011-01-03T22:27:00.004-06:00

Lauren was invited to a FABULOUS "Fancy Nancy" birthday party recently. She was to dress up "fancy" and be dazzled by jewelry making, a hair styling station, a runway and more. To say she was excited would have been an absolute understatement. Here she is before the party:

And here are a few shots of the party thanks to a Mom who stayed:

2010-12-08T22:55:00.004-06:00

Don't ask me why, but today I was thinking about the alarm clock I had in high school. I could ALMOST picture it in my head and it made me smile. I remember I thought it was VERY cool and if I closed my eyes and concentrated, I could almost hear R.E.M.'s "Orange Crush" blaring from it on WDEK-92.5 FM (which is apparently now a Spanish broadcasting station). And I remembered it was cube-shaped and had a plug-in for ear phones (super cool). I could remember doing my spiral-permed hair HUGE in front of my dresser mirror while Peter, Cory and the gang waited impatiently for me outside in the green Impala or Buick or whatever it was...it was green (I suffered from chronic lateness in HS..I blame the high-maintenance big hair). And then I could imagine us driving to school with INXS playing in the car. Oh - good times!

Anyway - tonight I found myself STILL thinking about that darn alarm clock! I just HAD to find a picture of it so I could accurately remember it. I can't admit how much time I spent with Google on this one (it takes awhile when you don't know the brand, not sure of the color...just that it was cool and cube-shaped. Do you KNOW how many alarm clocks were cube-shaped in the 80's?!

But my efforts were worth it....I found her! (and now I want her). Here she is...the super-duper cool P'Jammer! (how 80's is that name even?!)

I forgot she was multi-colored (see? cool!)..and I was right! a headphone jack right there on the front! LOVE! How can I get one?!

Go HERE to see her in action! (I totally need to get a life).

And now I'm going to join the "P'Jammers for Life" group on Facebook (think I'm making that one up? Go look! I dare you!)

2010-12-07T19:25:00.011-06:00

If money, greed, practicality, etc. were no object....here's my Christmas wish list:

A live-in maid

An iPad and cute case (or the more affordable yet still out-of-budget Nook)

A cute (and soft) hat and mittens

Lots of Cute Socks!

Perfume

A full day/evening with friends to shop, eat, shop, go to a movie, drink, shop

A super-plush Snuggie (cranberry or tan or chocolate)

A stereo speaker for the kitchen

Pretty smelling lotion

Wii Fit (but i'd rather get this cheap at a post-Christmas clearance sale)

iTunes gift card

A cross necklace (items listed in random order)

A really good chocolate bar (Godiva or the like)

Rachael Ray 4-pc. Bubble & Brown Singles Set in Yellow or Blue

Portable speaker for iPod

Starbucks gift card(s)

Stylish shoes that fit (tennis shoes and cute dress-casual)

Blonde Hilights

Designer (looking) jeans

Happy Anniversary 12/4/2010 at OneTrueMedia.com

2010-12-04T02:12:00.001-06:00

Happy Anniversary to my husband and best friend! I love you!!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

2010-11-30T16:42:00.002-06:00

Lauren quote:

"I want to find some toys I don't want anymore and give them to Santa so he can take them to kids in India...because sometimes kids in India don't get any toys."

She proceeded to bring me Grant's beloved garbage truck. It appears her generosity only applies to Grant's things. We'll work on that.

2010-11-24T11:04:00.002-06:00

I am thankful for a special birthday gift I received for my first annual 39th birthday yesterday. Don't you just love how my (super dramatic) 5-yr-old is exploring vibrato? LOL! So sweet..I keep listening to it over and over again. Just click on the play arrow below to hear how blessed I am!

2010-11-09T20:25:00.005-06:00

My daughter is a first-year cheerleader. She cheers on the varsity football squad as well as the competition cheer squad. Her school hasn't had a competition squad in 6 years I believe. This means the ENTIRE squad is new to the world of competition cheerleading. They have worked soooo hard! Hours and hours and HOURS of practice, bruises and bloody noses and lips from stunting mishaps and a tiny amount of drama...but mostly hard, hard work!

Last Saturday they competed in the Iowa High School Cheerleading Championships. This event showcased schools from all over the state of Iowa. Let me tell you something....the talent was A-MAZING! And guess what? My girl and her squad...they took SECOND in their division! Way to go girls! Your parents, your school and your community are so proud of you! We couldn't have a better group of girls representing our school. Especially that one that calls me "Mom." =)

2010-11-02T20:19:00.000-05:00

2010-10-30T22:21:00.007-05:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Lauren, age 5 as "Jessie" from Toy Story; Grant, age 3 as "Woody" from Toy Story

Bailey handed out candy at our house and later went to a haunted house with friends. It was a fun night and the weather couldn't have been better! Now...where to hide the candy...

2010-10-28T21:12:00.003-05:00

What we had for dinner.....a knock-off of Applebee's Grilled Shrimp 'n Spinach Salad. 4 out of 5 Whitsitts agreed....YUM! Thanks to A FEW SHORTCUTS for posting this recipe. We loved it! IF we had each ordered this from the actual restaurant, it would have cost a minimum of $45. NUTS! WAY cheaper to DIY a knock-off recipe. =-)

2010-10-28T08:50:00.004-05:00

I haven't posted on the blog in a long time. LIFE has been so busy, stressful and overwhelming. We've been in the middle of several nightmares on the personal front - but we're holding on! We know there is purpose in persecution. We know there is purpose in pain...if you look for it. He has a GOOD plan for our lives!

I heard this song on the radio this morning and thought it fit our situation perfectly. Since pain isn't unique to our lives....I wanted to post this in hopes that it gives YOU hope in the midst of YOUR struggles. This is a Christian artist named Josh Wilson. This is NOT the official video...but a good slideshow to his music anyway.

2010-09-30T11:11:00.019-05:00

HOMECOMING WEEK

Last week was Homecoming week, which means lots of activity and crazy stuff. First up? CLASH DAY!

Tuesday: Favorite Sport Day

Cheer (of course)

Wednesday: Character Day

as "Oliver Oken" from Hannah Montana (insert my eyeroll here)

Thursday: Dress Up Day

Thursday Night: Community Pep Assembly! Guess who got a special treat??

Friday: GAME DAY!!!

Saturday: DANCE!!!

Sunday:

2010-09-26T22:37:00.006-05:00

Happy Birthday, Little Man!

Today is your 3rd birthday! How can it be that you've gone and grown into a big boy in such a short time? I remember the day you were born like it was yesterday. We knew exactly when you were coming - (scheduled c-section). You didn't surprise us...and you are still sort of predictable like that...in a good way.

I always know that you'll try to sneak out of bed during naptime. I know with certainty that if there is a surface to climb, you will...and then jump from it. I know for sure that you'll try to make your sister laugh with some sort of potty humor - even funnier for you if you attempt this at the dinner table. (this is NOT funny, Grant, nor is it polite). I can always expect you to ask for a snack 10 minutes after you've eaten a meal. I know for sure that no matter how bad my day is going, you can always remind me what an awesomely-blessed Mommy I am with your sweet smile, and snuggly hugs. I know if the subject of eye color comes up, you'll look at me, tell me we both have blue eyes...then you'll pause and say "TWINS!" I know you won't sleep past 7:30 a.m....no matter what I try. I know you are incapable of walking. It's RUN or nothing with you. I know that no matter how awful-naughty you are being, I will forgive you...and fairly quickly.

You are predictable in all these ways...but what I was NOT able to predict is just how much one little boy could capture my heart the way you have. I am so happy to have YOU, Grant, as my son. And I'm so very happy to watch you grow into such a sweet little boy.

2010-09-22T20:23:00.004-05:00

God Bless America and Preschoolers!
(we'll work on where the heart is...oops...but still cute as heck)

2010-09-21T12:59:00.004-05:00

Here's another song that I've listened to a lot before and appreciated the music...but lately I've been really listening to the words and am touched...really moved by it. Thought I'd share it with you, as well as the back-story video. YouTube won't let me embed it...but please, PLEASE click the link below to view the story. I have much admiration for this wife - for having the courage to speak the truth...and to her husband...for having the courage to listen:
CLICK HERE then come back and scroll down to view the whole song in a video

2010-09-19T09:05:00.009-05:00

No School and a Trip to the Zoo

Lauren had a no-school day earlier this week, so we took full advantage of the perfect Fall weather and our free pass she earned from the library this summer and headed to the zoo!

Our zoo is small...dinky, really...but perfect for preschoolers. Just enough wild animals to keep their interest. And best of all...you can be done with it all in 3 hours or less. They LOVED the parakeet feeding exhibit and the giraffes! Luckily they came out unscathed from the x-rated giant tortoises (ick). I guess I'd never thought of HOW the giant tortoise breeding process worked...and I can honestly say I'd love to never think of it again. So. Gross.

Here are a few pics from our no-school day adventure:

2010-09-17T11:45:00.004-05:00

Lauren - 2010

3rd year of dance

Tap/Ballet Combo Class

2010-09-15T07:21:00.003-05:00

Book Club last night. Here's what we're reading this time:

What we just finished (and I'm just starting):

2010-09-14T11:16:00.001-05:00

I've heard this a million times...but today I'm particularly moved by this one:

2010-09-13T13:35:00.003-05:00

BAD HAIR DAY

(and this is the GOOD angle)

2010-09-13T12:35:00.011-05:00

Trains, Tattoos, Apples, Tea Parties and Spray Paint

That pretty much summarizes the weekend. Grant went w/his Dad to Toys 'R Us on Saturday for a Thomas the Tank Engine play date. He came home will all sorts of goodies, including this visor and tattoos. Mark put on his tattoos. I think I might have gone for the bicep tattoo...but whatever. boy's day out...I didn't intervene.

Later on Saturday I took both little kids to the Master Gardener's Demo Garden to pick apples...FREE APPLES! The kids had fun helping to find good-looking apples and running in and around the trees. They also had fun trying to climb the sturdier branches. We came home with an entire beach bag FULL of apples. Now I'm trying to figure out how to make applesauce without the use of special equipment (I don't have anything special).

Lauren and I hit a few garage sales Saturday too (while the boys were having their fun). No super-great finds, but I DID find this wooden shelf/peg-hook thingy in a boring peachy-tan color for $3. I would have preferred $1....but I don't have bargaining guts...so I paid $3. I spray-painted it black and hung it over our entryway bench/cubby thingy. I still need to decorate it...so forgive the lack of cuteness on the shelf for now.

Side note: Bailey was invited to both the apple-picking and the garage-saling. Apparently a teen prefers sleep.
After a fun weekend, it was back to the routine for everyone this morning. Lauren and Bailey off to school, Mark off to work and Grant and I were home...cleaning and playing and cleaning. Lauren comes home just before lunch and they are always so excited to see each other. They immediately set out with a plan to have a tea party. (nothing political about that, by the way).

It looked like great fun...too bad it lasted all of 2 minutes before they were on to something else.

And now they are SCREAMING at each other because Lauren "ALWAYS wanted to be on a top bunk and it's NO FAIR that Grant ALWAYS gets to be on the top shelf." Good grief. Good thing they sometimes get along and are so sweet-looking when they do!

2010-09-11T08:08:00.008-05:00

What we're doing today:
* There's a free event at Toys 'R Us today for all of your Thomas-lovers. Rumor has it there will be stories, coloring and possibly giveaways. Just the boys are going today...a special "big guy" day. This is in preparation for our big weekend NEXT weekend where we're surprising Grant with THIS!

* Apparently there is some sort of big game going on today...vs.

but I went here...so who cares.

If I had to choose though....Gooooo school w/lowest tuition that my daughter may attend one day!

* I am determined to finish (ok..at least start) that Family Rules sign I mentioned here.

* Lauren and I might hit a couple garage sales (time is running out on these!)

* More weeding/fall garden/yard prep

* Dust (the ONLY disadvantage of having the windows open all week)

* and I want to watch "The Backup Plan." Last night we watched "Date Night" - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Hilarious! Tina Fey and Steve Carrell do NOT disappoint!

Have a great weekend everyone! (I love how I say "everyone" even though I know I only have about 2 people reading this - ha!)

2010-09-09T09:21:00.006-05:00

Today is school picture day for my pre-K girl. We laid out her outfit last night and talked about smiling pretty (not fake). This morning she was slooooooow-moving! Finally she got dressed. I sent her upstairs to brush her teeth (why didn't I do this BEFORE she put her clothes on?!). She came downstairs not only with a big glop of toothpaste on her shirt, but she smelled to high-heaven of my perfume (and not the better smelling one). After scolding her for not asking permission to touch my things, she told me she wanted to be "fancy" for school pictures. God bless teachers!

So I'm hoping she ends up with her hair fairly in-place, that the water I used to scrub off the toothpaste dries before her picture and doesn't show the toothpaste, and that we don't end up school pictures fit for Ellen's bad school photo segment.

My 2-yr-old started his "school" today too, so the morning was a bit chaotic. It's a twice-a-week playschool and we love it. The challenge is going to be getting Lauren home from her school and racing over to G's school which lets out 15 minutes later. We WILL be late...no doubts.

So, here I am this morning....no kids for 2 1/2 hours! You'd think I'd be doing something amazing with that time, but I'll be delivering Bailey's cookie dough orders because a) she's too busy; and b) she can't drive. Joy, joy.

Since I hate a post without a picture...here's one for you. It's my new window covering in the kitchen over the sink. For over 2 years I've had just a valance over this window and every afternoon when the sun is in the West, it BLAZES through this window, blinding me and heating up that end of the house. FINALLY I took action and we bought a simple bamboo shade last weekend. It's plain..it's simple...but I love it. And finally no blinding sun when I'm trying to cook dinner!

2010-09-08T09:28:00.007-05:00

It's no surprise to people that really know me that I'm pretty much a "home-body." A home-body with social tendencies, that is. Autumn and winter accentuates this in me. The air turns crisp and cool and a spark is lit within me. All of a sudden I am eager to bake, decorate the house, start crafty projects....pretty much NEST until Spring.

Although I haven't actually baked anything yet (sorry, honey), I have started collecting recipes I'm eager to try. I HAVE started a couple craft projects I'm excited about though. I've totally ripped them off from REAL crafty people - but still...there's some challenge in replicating.

My first project is a Family Rules sign. Have you seen these? They are all over the crafty people blogs. I have an old hunter green wooden calendar holder that didn't sell in my garage sale...and now I'm so glad! I just spray-painted it black and it's drying outside as I type. Hopefully our sign will be done by the end of the week. I'm not sure what our rules are going to be yet...I'll probably be stealing those from someone craftier too. I'm shameless that way.

The second project is another popular one on the craft blogs. It's Subway Art - Halloween-style. For this I picked a piece of scrap plywood from my husband's growing collection of all things woodworking. I sprayed on a coat of primer this morning and as soon as that dries I'll be spraying it black too.

Thirdly, I suppose it is time to take down my beloved flower on the door. (those spots are magnets...wish there was another way of keeping it ON the door and not blowing around scratching the door...but there isn't.) I need to figure out what sort of wreath or door decor I should do for Fall. I am too cheap to buy a nice fall wreath, so I'm either going to have to make one, score one at Goodwill or deal with a bare door. Stay-tuned.

It's still too early for pumpkins and ghourds...but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE decorating the house and front porch for fall!!! I DID buy mums at Costco last weekend. HUGE mums...$14.99. I have one on each side of the front steps on the porch. I chose "Bedazzled Bronze" - we'll see how it looks when it blooms. These bad boys are LOADED w/blooms. Yay! Man I love Costco mums! A bit of useless trivia. I learned that my Costco holds the Costco-title of most Mums sold in the nation. You're welcome, Costco.Ok...enough blogging...time to get my Fall on!

2010-09-02T12:01:00.004-05:00

I believe I've encountered a 2-yr-old boy's way of communicating "DO NOT ENTER!" (excuse the laundry pile in the background).

2010-08-30T17:37:00.006-05:00

Happy Birthday to my FIVE-YEAR-OLD!!!

My second-born, my tender-hearted, sensitive, funny, social, intelligent, charismatic, independent-thinker, music-loving, good-time-loving, drama-queen sweetheart is FIVE today! F-I-V-E! I just can't believe it! I love this little girl. She does everything big. When she's happy...she's HAPPY! When she's sad, she's SAD! When she's mad...LOOK OUT! When she's excited...she's EXCITED! You get the picture here. But that's who she is...and it is what makes her so wonderful (and challenging).

Five years ago tonight, after laboring all the ding-dong day and into the night, she was born via c-section. She even arrived on this earth in a BIG and DRAMATIC way (go figure). My first thought when I saw her was - She looks JUST like Mark's baby picture! And she still looks like her Daddy! I also remember how her first cries sounded exactly like a bleating baby lamb. Her Dad actually used to call her Lambie-Pie (and Knuckles...because before she found her thumb she used to suck her knuckles - ha).

She was born Labor Day weekend 2005. It was Hurrican Katrina week and the news was more than depressing for anyone, let alone a post-pardem viewer. I remember looking at her sweet, innocent newborn face and wondering what kind of world I had brought her into. Images of Americans covered in sheets or clothing - left dead on the side of a flooded street. Images of dehydrated babies, mothers begging for someone - anyone to help. An entire city in THIS COUNTRY abandoned..or so it seemed. It was a scary time to be holding a newborn.

I remember gas prices were over $3/gallon on the way home from the hospital (is my memory right?!). It was the beginning of a long list of uncertainties to come.

But now that she's five, and I have a better glimpse of the person she is becoming, I can say that this troubled world needs her! She is just the compassionate firecracker that may one day solve a big problem! She's the loving intelligent faith-filled girl that may one day comfort someone in need. She's the happy fun-lover that may turn someone's day around.

So although I may still be concerned for our world, I don't question bringing my girl into it. She's exactly what this world needs. My prayer is that she continues to be such a bright and shining star in this often dark and depressing time and that she never lose that spirit because I know with certainty...she will make a positive difference. Our little "Lambie-Pie" may be the girl to show others to the lamb of God!

I love you so much, pumpkin! Happy, Happy Birthday, big girl! I'm so blessed to be your Mommy!

2010-08-23T11:41:00.004-05:00

1st Day of School - Sophomore Year

August 23, 2010

2010-08-21T22:13:00.005-05:00

Happy Birthday to my AMAZING daughter! I look at this sweet little face and I can hardly believe she's turning 15 today. FIFTEEN! A decade and a half! Surely I'm hallucinating! This little sweetie pie (pictured at age 4 I believe) has grown up in a flash. Today she's such an incredible young woman - I truly couldn't be a more blessed Mom! She's sweet, silly, smart, talented, beautiful, caring, compassionate, Christ-loving, tender-hearted, honest, loving, responsible, wise, creative, determined, independent and overall fabulous.

When she was born, my life changed. She made me better. I've loved being her Mom over the years (some years more than others - ha). My role has changed as she's grown...and sometimes that's been hard for me. But what could make a Mommy happier than watching your little girl blossom into a brilliant young woman? She needs me less and less...and sometimes that's hard. This is what's supposed to happen though. She's growing her own wings and learning to fly...no....make that SOAR on her own. I couldn't be more proud. I love you, Bailey!

2010-08-17T20:37:00.005-05:00

...And Later That Day

Lauren made it safely home from her first day of Pre-K, we enjoyed lunch together, read a couple library books and headed upstairs for nap. I was SURE both kids would settle in for naps today without any problems because they were both exhausted. So I tucked them in, shut their doors and quietly started gathering up a load of laundry to start before heading back downstairs. Just as I was measuring the detergent I heard Grant out of bed (eye roll). I opened his door, gave him the Mommy stink eye and told him to get back in bed...NOW! He bolted back into bed and jumped into the air to dive-bomb onto his pillow....

but...

he missed. :(

I took this picture when we arrived at the Urgent Care Clinic. The swelling/fluid had already gone down quite a bit in the first half hour. I soooo wish I had taken a picture before we left home, but I was too busy FREAKING OUT internally while trying to maintain an external calm. It was HUGE! INSTANTANEOUSLY HUGE! I bet that sucker stuck out 2-3 inches from his forehead and was at least that tall and wide too. It was scary looking! He screamed and cried for about 2 minutes. After that he was just sweet and kept saying "I need a Band-Aid!" Sweet boy!

He hit with such force I decided I wanted to take him in to be sure he didn't have a concussion. His neurological exam found him to be A-OK...but I still worried because he could NOT stay awake! And if you know Grant...you know this is NOT him! He was out before I left the parking lot and stayed asleep while I carried him through the grocery store, shifting him from shoulder to shoulder. But when he finally woke up an hour later, he was back to our normal, rambunctious Grant. SHWEW! The Dr. said he might end up with a black eye because all of that blood/swelling had to go somewhere. So far no black eye...we'll see what tomorrow brings. The Dr. also noted that Grant was in a year or so ago for stitches. (eye roll again!). He wasn't accusing me of anything, but just in case I thought I should mention that I have two girls at home who have never been to Urgent Care. =-) That boy is aging me!

All in all, he was one lucky boy. Now hopefully he learned a lesson! Beds are for SLEEPING! If I put you in there....SLEEP! =-)

2010-08-17T08:53:00.004-05:00

BACK TO SCHOOL!

August 17th sounds EARLY, doesn't it? I mean...WHERE did summer go?! But ready or not...today was the day for Lauren. She started "Optional Kindergarten." This is a program designed for kids who might be OLD enough to start Kindergarten but maybe they have late summer birthdays (Lauren's case), or maybe they need a little more social/emotional development time (Lauren's case on the emotional front). We struggled with this decision for MONTHS! It's a hard decision when you have a 4-yr-old who reads, yet has a meltdown over something ridiculous. Ultimately we decided it would be best for her to wait, understanding that if we feel we've made the wrong choice, we can always move her to Kindergarten at semester.

Last year Lauren attended preschool three days a week. This is a step-up from that stamina-wise. This program is every day, half-days. So although this wasn't her FIRST first day of "school," it was still a first.....a first day at a new school, a first day with a new teacher, a first day of a new class.

Leading up to today, I'd say Lauren was pretty excited and unapprehensive about school. (She's not afraid of much..and LOVES school and social opportunities). HOWEVER, Grant decided last night would be a wonderful time to sneek into Lauren's room and sleep with her. BAD IDEA! The result was one tired and MOODY girl this morning. She was still excited though...so after the required pictures, we set out.

Grant wanted to go to school in the WORST way! "Don't leave me, Lauren!"

Lauren READING on the way to school...sharpening up her skills before school. ha.

Daddy's girl

Apprehension sets in

But with a kiss from Daddy, it's going to be alright.

2010-08-06T15:35:00.003-05:00

We received our slideshow today - yay! Thanks again to the AMAZING Sarah Burke of Sarah Burke Photography for really capturing the love, joy and silliness that is our family. We can't thank you enough!

Click here to view this video

2010-08-04T19:51:00.003-05:00

I LOVE the Iowa State Fair! I grew up at county/state fairs and it brings back mostly fond memories for me. My first real internship was in the PR/Marketing department at the Iowa State Fair back in the early....ummm...well it was my first internship..that's all you need to know. Iowa has one of the BEST Fairs around...hands-down. Unfortunately, the older I get and the more kids I have in-tow, the less I find myself there. I think if it were held in early June or maybe late September I'd go lots! But mid-August? HOT! HUMID! HOT! It's worth it though. If you haven't been, or haven't been in awhile - I encourage you to go. If you are a Fair-regular....make a special effort to check out something new this year. There is soooo much - you'll never see it all in a day. So, in honor of our state's GREAT Fair, I have created a sculpture of myself out of butter. (Totally genius idea, Midwest Dairy Association!). Try it for yourself! http://apps.facebook.com/butterfy/

2010-08-04T00:02:00.005-05:00

Here's my girl in her varsity cheer uniform...all ready for cheer camp next week and the upcoming football season.

2010-08-02T13:44:00.003-05:00

We don't have the photos from our weekend family photo shoot yet...but our AMAZING photographer did share a few with us to tide us over. LOVE IT! Oooooooo....I can't WAIT to see the rest!!!

2010-07-31T22:13:00.004-05:00

FAMILY PICTURE DAY!!!

We haven't had a family picture taken since Lauren was a baby. That was almost 5 years ago! That means we don't have a family picture with Grant in it! Grant who is going to be 3 in a month. That's pathetic. I think I've put it off because - well....it's STRESSFUL! To get FIVE people looking at the camera - or at least smiling....nearly impossible. Then there's the wardrobe...I admit - I obsess about this a bit. I don't like to be matchy-matchy (been there/done that...not going back). I want to coordinate but not in an overly obvious way. Much to my husband's dismay, I can worry about this for days on end! And then there are the issues of cost and wanting to be thinner for the pictures (sigh).

Recently our neighbors had their picture taken by his cousin. We loved her style! I immediately contacted her to inquire about cost, schedule, etc. It turns out - she lives in Arizona! Bummer! BUT....she was coming back in August for a class reunion. YAY! So we booked our appointment with SARAH and today was the day!

I won't have the images until next week, but I did snap a few pics during some of Bailey's individual shots. I can't WAIT to see them! She took over 300 pictures! Stay tuned...I'll be posting them just as soon as I have my hands on them!

2010-07-29T16:00:00.007-05:00

FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, THANK YOU, TARGET!!!!!

I am a blog-reader...if you read my blog, you already know this about me. Craft blogs, parenting blogs, funny blogs, money-saving blogs, decorating blogs and cooking blogs. I LOVE reading new ideas from people way more talented and organized than myself. I've found tutorials that allow a non-sewer like myself to actually whip up something pretty fantastic. I've found step-by-step instructions on how to cook something delicious. And recently I've learned how to save BIG-TIME money on gifts! I can't thank Sara over at Sara The Savvy Shopper enough for alerting me to Target's Toy Clearance! She is such a blessing!!! Although it hurt a little to spend more than I normally would in July, it is going to save us SOOOO much money this year! 75% off people! Run! Don't walk! Get to your nearest Target TODAY! Before all of the crazy cart-filling women like me take everything!

My two little kids have birthdays soon. I purchased items for their birthdays, my nephews birthdays, a small stash for birthday parties my kids might be invited to this year, Christmas for my kids, my four nephews, my 6-yr-old half-brother (it's complicated) as well as a stash for Toys for Tots or sponsoring families at Christmas. I MAY even have enough to share the clearance love with Grandma or store a few things for NEXT Christmas! Can you say SCORE?! Can you imagine me doing the happy dance?

Here are two pictures of the loot (it wouldn't fit in one picture!!). And so sorry about the messy and unfinished basement in the background. I had to hide out from the kids while I was doing this!! Be sure to guess how much you think I spent. I'll give you the answer below the pictures. Don't peek....guess first!

Ok....ready to know what all of this is worth? Actually..I should say...the amount they normally charge for these things...because we all know this stuff is NOT "worth" the full price. Anyhew...I strayed off-track. Ok....normal price on all of these items is nearly $800! Insane, right?

Now....what did I spend? Are you ready to know? Drumroll please..........

Just a tad over $186. SUH-WEEEEEET!!!
Now...don't get me wrong....$186 still hurts...a lot....but you all know how quickly you can get to $50 or $100 on what looks like NOTHING! This way...although it stings a bit for July, we have covered birthdays and Christmas for our little kids AND extended family and friends that we buy for throughout the year. DONE! Finished! Not spending another dime on it! WOO-HOO!!!

If you see something in the photos and you are curious what I actually paid for it vs. what original price was....send me a comment..i'd be happy to tell you! This is fun!

A Note: My area Target stores went from 30% off signs straight to 75% off. Although I found a few 50% off items in the last couple weeks...the signs (and the majority of toys) never went to half-off...they jumped from 30 to 75% off!

2010-07-26T22:34:00.004-05:00

Summer is busy...and hot! Who has time to cook dinner? Not me! So here's a look at one of our simple (and perfect if you ask me) summer meals:

Grimes Sweet Corn

A fresh garden salad with diced cucumbers (that I grew!)And don't forget some of these bad boys! Of course they won't just ripen together...3 here....5 there. Oh well...they are delicious...and I grew them! =-)And fresh canteloupe. I didn't grow this...but purchased from a sweet corn truck that day. YUM!

2010-07-24T21:48:00.003-05:00

I've posted this one before, but thought I'd post it again tonight as I'm practicing. I'm singing this at church tomorrow. There are a TON of great songs out there...but this one really touches me. Thanks to Jessica for introducing me to this one! Excited to hear the band guys play it...bummed there will be an awesome fiddle player missing from the mix. Here's praying a) the music and lyrics speak to more than just me tomorrow and b) remembering all the words would be excellent as well. Amen.

2010-07-23T08:24:00.007-05:00

It's been a week already since the kids and I were on our mini-vacation to Illinois to visit family. Grandmas, Grandpas, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Great-Grandmas, Great-Grandpas...and most exciting...our brand-new nephew/cousin, Nicholas!! We packed in fun with both my Mom's side of the family AND my Dad's side of the family. The kids didn't nap for 5 days (that part wasn't so fun) and many adventures were had while fond memories were created.

I loved taking my kids to the farm. Letting them walk up the gravel lane, climb the fence to look at cows, run free and loud without the worry of disturbing neighbors or the danger of traffic....it was nostalgic and relaxing. I'm not cut out for farm life full-time anymore, but I do appreciate the beauty and simplicity of living in the country. Someday I'd like a weekend/vacation home in the country. I'd like to say the farm girl in me could hack it full-time...but I know better. I hate mice (inevitable when surrounded by fields), flies drive me nuts (where there's cows, there's cow poop...and where there's cow poop...there's flies), and I sure as heck couldn't live an hour from the nearest Target. Puh-leeeeeze! That almost makes me hyperventilate just thinking about it!

But I tell you...it only takes a minute in that farming area of Northern Illinois to see what an incredible slice of heaven it is. Absolutely the gorgeous landscape that only God could create. (Sigh)....relaxes me just thinking about it.

The favorite part of the trip was meeting Nicholas though. What a perfectly sweet baby! He's beautiful AND sweet-tempered. He's so perfect! After a couple days of holding and rocking him... I'm hooked. The bummer is....he lives in Chicago. A good 5-hr drive from here to a land where parking and hotel accommodations are pricey. My brother's even farther away...I can't even remember how farm Lexington, KY is from us...10 hours? anyway - too far to drive in a weekend with kids in-tow and too close/too small for decent air fare. I'm really starting to envy the families that live near each other. And when I returned to the farm it brought back all of those memories of family birthday parties where all of the aunts/uncles/cousins/grandparents gathered. I remembered exploring the farm with my cousins, fishing, playing outside all day. I remember aunts and uncles and grandparents coming to my school activities and how exciting that felt. I won't be able to do that for my nieces and nephews. (note: I don't actually have nieces...just 4 nephews...so someone needs to get on that). And I tell you....that sucks....big-time.

Sure, we have cell phones, e-mail, instant messaging and even Skype....but nothing is as good as being able to actually hug your nephews....babysit them so your brother and his wife can get a much-deserved night away......cheer them on at a tee-ball game....go to his birthday party. Ugh...i'm sad.

Alright...enough of the pity party. More pictures of our trip coming up soon!

2010-07-12T07:47:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday to my Mom! She turned 60 (the new 40) on Saturday. I can't believe my Mom is 60! I mean...she looks great, but how can she be 60 when I'm still 25? (ok...so I FEEL like I should be 25). Anyway - to celebrate we took her to her favorite restaurant
The kids were well-behaved (don't worry, they absolutely made up for that the next day) and we all had a wonderful time celebrating the best Mom/Mother-in-Law/Grandma on the planet. No one...I mean NO ONE loves my kids like this woman. She can sew better than anyone I know, is so creative when it comes to painting and creating, taught me the value of sticking up for yourself when you've been wronged and how to shop the clearance racks! She's a gem...and I'm so lucky she's my Mom. Happy Birthday!!!

Here she is with her birthday balloon and dessert, which she shared with all of us (except she told the kids no one could touch her whipped cream - ha!)
Here she is with the man of her dreamsAnd with Granddaughter #2:Here's Grandma and Lauren with the present Lauren chose/bought with her own money at a garage sale. She was soooo proud! Her first choice was a navy blue/marroon bathroom garbage can, but we steered her to a different table at the sale. =-)Me (who needs to apply powder and get a haircut) and my boy (who also needs a haircut) These eyes have NOT been photoshopped...this is the real deal....HUGE baby blues and long lashes...how DO you say no to those?

Who is that nearly-an-adult beautiful girl at my table? Yikes! Here I am with daughter #1 and my little guy:

And my good-lookin' man w/his little girl:Beauty and the beast...oh..wait...that was the next day. This is Beauty and the big boy:

As they say, "A Good Time Was Had By All!"

2010-07-04T07:20:00.001-05:00

God Bless America!!

2010-06-25T07:53:00.004-05:00

Where is the time going?! I feel robbed of June so far with the DAILY RAIN/Thunderstorms!!

Yesterday and so far today has been fantastic, but our yard is soooooo saturated (read: standing muddy water) that we can't play out there. So while the sun and wind works it's magic on our yard (dry it up! dry it up!), here's what we're going to do today:

That...and the last day of Bible School, get groceries, hit a few garage sales and clean so tomorrow night's babysitter doesn't run screaming from the house because of the mess.
What are YOU doing this Summer Friday?

2010-06-16T14:44:00.004-05:00

Lauren- 2010- SWIMMING LESSONS!!

2010-06-02T10:08:00.007-05:00

A peek into my flower garden - May 2010

(LOVE!)

looks like we have some bug nibbles here =-(

LOVE!

Nothing special - but do love it in orange!

Snapdragon...is supposed to be orange...i guess it almost is.

Isn't she delicate?

Ignore the grass growing in there...grrrr.

Love, Love, LOVE!

Cherry Tomato

Ferns and impatiens in pots. It will be so fun to see how huge those pots get by end of summer! They will...trust me!

I LOVE ferns on the front porch! (So do the birds though...shoo!)

I have a matching one by the kid's playhouse. Moss rose is supposed to be trailing down..but our dog seems to think it doesn't belong...she keeps ripping them off! grrr.

My orange geranium (LOVE!) and behind that - a cucumber plant. Looks like I need to trellis that baby quick-like!

And to prove I do enjoy more than yellow and orange...hello pink and red! I love geraniums! Reminds me of my Grandma's house.

This USED to be apricot-colored and yellow. All of the apricot is now blooming red. Hmmm. I'm annoyed by this!

More pink geraniums with Mexican Heather. This photo really doesn't do it justice. The color combo here is AMAZING!

Love it! Look at those tiny star-shaped things in the center...so wonderful!

I have no idea what this is, but I LOVE IT! I divided it last spring from someone's house and it was not blooming. This is the first time it has bloomed here. It is much larger than I expected and FILLED with blooms! I can't wait until they are all busted wide open!

If you've made it this far...congratulations! Here's your reward!! Isn't she a BEAUTY!

Let's take another look at her!

Just one more glance. And please send mulch. pathetic!

2010-06-01T07:09:00.019-05:00

What a FANTASTIC Memorial Day Weekend! I can't remember a better one weather-wise. We took full advantage. We aren't really the camping/woodsy type, but we enjoy a good cookout - and this weekend was full of those!

Friday the little kids played outside for hours with the neighbor kids, running back and forth from pool to pool and swingset to swingset.

Despite the 50 spf sunscreen, they were bright red by Friday night. This put a damper on Saturday because I didn't want them out in the sun again until their skin healed up a bit. Friday night Lauren attended a fun birthday party.

Also Friday night, Bailey found out she made the Varsity football cheer squad as well as the competition squad. (nice kick-off to the weekend!)

Saturday was low-key. Mark built me a shelf for over my washer and dryer...and switched the machines around so the washer is FINALLY on the left - dryer on the right. That prompted a quick decorating frenzy - all garage sale finds or stolen from other rooms of the house. I had planned to have a garden-like room...but I realy don't have that many things to pull that off...so I may change that sign to say Welcome To The Laundry...we'll see.

Other than that, we didn't do too much - a good, relaxing day.

Sunday we had a great church service, followed by a cookout at Grandma & Grandpa's house.

(where I snapped this picture of the kids.

WHY didn't I have my real camera w/me?! WHY?! We'll be trying to recreate this shot next week when school's out.

Relaxing, family fun!

Later that afternoon the kids napped and then it was outside for more pool and sprinkler fun. Bailey enjoyed relaxation on the deck - shades on, toenails painted and flipping through a Seventeen magazine. Later, another cookout with our cul du sac neighbors. FABULOUS time! (even though Grant decided to get back in the pool with all of his clothes on!)

And Monday....another day of complete relaxation. I indulged in a Tori & Dean marathon while I nursed a killer headache, played with the kids outside in the yard and grilled a pork loin and made the season's first sweet corn. Aaaagh....summer!

And finally,

(that's A.M. people! A!M!)

I survived the 4 a.m. cheer invasion this morning where graduating Senior cheerleaders wake up new Varsity cheerleaders,

pick out their outfit for the day

(which included one flip flop and one fuzzy slipper),

and delivered a megaphone sign she has to wear around her neck all day. Then at 6 a.m. we left for IHOP

where she met up with the whole squad for breakfast. What a fun group of girls....what a tired Mom! =-)

Hope your weekend was every bit as wonderful!

2010-05-29T06:34:00.003-05:00

Congratulations, Bailey!!!!

We're so proud of you!

Varsity Football Cheer Squad 2010-2011

Competition Cheer Squad 2010-2011

2010-05-25T14:02:00.004-05:00

It BUGS me out!

It is officially Summer break for the little kids. No more preschool! We kicked it off with a great trip to the library yesterday...but today...day 2. Now what?! Pools aren't open yet, neighbor kids are still in big-kid school..and I want to keep it cheap.

So....today I decided we'd pretend we were home school/preschool and I developed a theme...Bugs and Spiders. After a few Google searches, here's what we came up with:

Dragonfly craft (packing tape wings with yarn smooshed in between. Popsicle stick bodies and we markered a face on it.)

Bug-themed snack: Ladybug snack (apple slices, banana in the middle and raisins stuck on w/peanut butter to make the dots). To drink? lemonade sipped from butterfly straws. (I SHOULD have made fruit punch and mosquito straws...oh well).

Movie time - A Bug's Life. I had Lauren write down every time she saw a new type of bug on the movie. She gave up after three bugs. Too much work she said.

A library book about a caterpillar changing into a butterfly.

Bug Bingo! (The kids LOVED this!!! We played many, MANY games of it)

We also played a game where I was the spider and the kids pretended they were their favorite bug. (Grant was a bee and Lauren was a butterfly). We ran around and I caught them in my web. They loved it!

Before lunch (which was NOT bug-themed...didn't have any more ideas in me), we sang "Itsy-Bitsy Spider and a few other songs about bugs I found online.

After lunch we took a "nature walk" around the neighborhood. The only bug we saw (no lie), was a little bee. I did capture him in the bug jar and the kids had a fun time observing him. We let him go. The kids were frustrated they didn't see more bugs on our walk. I told them it was nap time for all the bugs...just like THEY were going to nap when we got home. =-)

But first....a little story before nap.

Then I wrapped them up in their sheets (cocoons) and told them they would be butterflies when they woke up....but FIRST they had to nap.

Shwew! Exhausting! I have soooo much respect for preschool teachers and all of you Moms who home school! HOW?! I didn't get anything else done this morning! But everybuggy had a great time.

2010-05-25T13:44:00.002-05:00

AWWWW....aren't they sweet?

Or ARE they? They SEEM normal, right??? Ok..maybe not.

Grandma

Lauren

Grant

What a CRAZY bunch!

2010-05-03T22:18:00.012-05:00

Happy Birthday to the BEST other Dad and "Grandpa of 'Em" out there!!!

People are lucky to have one great Dad....I'm so blessed to have two. Thanks for always being there for me, for being a great husband to my Mom,

and for loving my kids more than pecan pie and corn casserole.

You are loved and celebrated every day, but especially on this day - YOUR 66th BIRTHDAY!!!

2010-05-03T21:40:00.002-05:00

RAINBOWS

2010-04-30T07:24:00.003-05:00

It was fun guest blogging over at The Girl Creative on Tuesday, but I'm sorry to report that I'm still at 4 "followers" on my blog. Pretty pathetic. Traffic did pick up a LOT on Tuesday with visits from Diana's site, but I guess I need to keep working on my content to achieve real popularity. And isn't that interesting that popularity still matters at age 38? ha. I guess it really doesn't. It's more about documenting who I am for my kids and documenting their childhood in my voice. Thanks to Diana for giving me the opportunity - I felt honored.

Ok - on to a new topic. Have you been over to Poppies at Play? She has the most AMAZING thing going on right now - a Parade of Homes! I am in love with this idea! And in awe the amazing housekeepers and DECORATORS posting their homes! My idea file is growing by the second! Go check it out! SO FUN!

2010-04-27T06:32:00.006-05:00

I'm A Girl Creative!
My blog is featured over at The Creative Girl today!!!!! If you haven't been over to visit her before - you MUST! SOOOOOOO many cool things! I have been dubbed A Girl Creative!!! Now GO! What are you waiting for? Go check out her site!

I'm so excited!!!

2010-04-23T14:13:00.007-05:00

DIY Didn't I Think Of This Sooner?!

Hi! This is Jodi over at "All About The Mom of 'Em." I hope you enjoy my Quick & EASY tutorial where I turn a $2.50 garage sale find into a cute and useful scrapbook/sewing organization tool.

Yesterday the kids and I went garage-saling (Thursday sales are da-bomb!). I didn't find much, but I did score this baby for $2.50.

Now, it might not look like much...yucky oak...and greasy/stained spice lids, but I had a vision. Let me show you the step-by-step:

1. Not much to look at.

2. Dishwasher for all removable parts and anti-bacterial Windex to clean up the rest.

3. Spray paint! (Only Krylon, people...trust me. I found mine at Hobby Lobby for $3.99). Now because I didn't sand first or prime..the paint didn't take well everywhere..but no worries! It's the distressed look the EASY way!

4. Find coordinating scrapbook paper in a color that "goes" with the spray paint color

5. Trace around upside-down lids

6. Cut out your circles

7. MOD PODGE, baby!

8. Let dry

9. Fill with whatever (I plan to fill with brads, eyelets, scrap ribbon, etc.)

10. Enjoy! She's a BEAUT for $2.50 and some supplies I had on-hand, don't ya think?

2010-04-19T07:21:00.008-05:00

Saturday was a busy day! First we had Lauren's dance pictures. Hair in a bun, pale pink blush applied, sequins adorned....she was ready...AND excited!

Then I met someone from Craigslist to complete a sale. I've sold quite a few things last week and need to post more today. It is a wonderful feeling to get rid of things you don't need or use!

Home for a quick bite to eat and then off we went for Bailey's solo contest. She was AMAZING! She scored a "I" rating...but honestly it wouldn't have mattered. She sang her heart out and I couldn't have been more proud of not only her talent, but the manner in which she conducts herself. I'm a lucky Mom.

Back home again for a marathon afternoon of laundry and another Craigslist sale. Ah...it was a great weekend.

And now it's Monday again and here's my to-do list:

* Plant lily bulbs

* Spray tulips/iris/lilies with more deer/rabbit repellent (dumb rabbits)

* Menu-plan!

* More laundry (I can ALMOST see the end..which is as close to done as it ever gets)

* List more items on Craigslist

* Strip beds/wash sheets (I can already predict this one won't happen)

* Vacuum!!

* Unload/load dishwasher

* Return Redbox movie

* Plan out raised flower bed

* Clean out fridge

* Buy bread/milk

Exciting stuff...I know. Have a great Monday!

2010-04-12T14:45:00.011-05:00

It's Spring!

(my new Magnolia tree...planted last summer. Should have taken a pic last week!)

The craziness on the family calendar proves it's Spring! Track meets, dance recitals, end-of-year banquets and programs - sooo much going on! Another way I can tell it's Spring - the sounds of laughter and joyful screams from kids in the neighborhood playing outside are heard through the window! Finally - OUTSIDE time!

We have a big backyard, but we really lacked something for the kids to do. They'd try to play outside but after running after a ball for 2 minutes, they were bored. There are no trees big enough to leave sticks - so they don't even have sticks to play with out there! So I've been keeping my eyes out for swingsets on Craigslist - but they are either worn out or too pricey. Then one day my friend found a listing for a FREE wooden play house. We agreed to take it sight-unseen! Boy were we surprised when we drove over to see it - AMAZING! Especially given the price tag! Vinyl siding, a front porch w/kid-sized benches built-in, shutters with heart cut-outs, window boxes for flowers, dry erase board interior walls, shingled roof.....absolutely adorable!

And so began the dilemma of how to get this thing to our house. It is HEAVY! I'm sure it weighs at least 700 lbs if not more. After discussions involving hiring teenage boys, renting a forklift (NOT), or calling every friend we knew...we decided to hire the job done. I'm sooo glad we did. So much faster!

After "Grandparent's Day" at Lauren's preschool, we surprised the kids with the new play house.

Truthfully, Grant saw it before Lauren was home..he kept pumping his fists and saying "YES! YES! I LOVE MY TINY HOUSE!

The kids had a FANTASTIC time today!

And since it was a no-school day, lots of neighborhood kids over to check it out. They ran around the house, in and out of the house, took each other's lunch/snack orders from the windows w/shutters...sooo cute! The kids ate lunch on the front porch

even Bailey requested her lunch out there. =-) When it was time to come in tonight, Grant had a rip-roarin' fit. Once inside (still screaming and crying), he kept pointing to our celings and screaming "I don't like a big house...I want to go to tiny house!" ha! Glad they love it.

I think Grandma loves it too...she crawled right in there and played w/the kids.

It really does bring out the kid in you...I had fun in there too!

2010-04-03T23:04:00.002-05:00

HAPPY EASTER!!!

2010-03-30T21:43:00.010-05:00

It's been far too long since I've given you an episode of "Look at all of the weird stuff you can buy on Craigslist this week!" Here they are...things I found today on my local Craigslist. Swear.

"Happy Holiday Reindeer" - $100 (as-if!)

aka...Rudolph's albino brother, Whitey

"Raccoon Tea Set - $10" (ooo...I've just gotta see this!)

Yup...that's kinda what I thought.

And if that just isn't enough raccoon for ya, how about this to go with your new tea set?

"Raccoon Picture - $10"

What sort of Creepy McCreeps-a-lot owns these things? (sorry..I shouldn't judge. Sorry I called you creepy. It's not YOU...it's your crazy nocturnal mammal-lovin' home decor choices)

"Lil Minx Dance Pole - $200"
(no photo - thank goodness!)

Yup...a stripper pole! (i had to Google it). What the heck! Apparently she's selling it because she's "moving out of state." But she's so generous...she has outfits and shoes too if you're interested. Yikes! Now I'm wondering if the raccoon stuff is hers too. Wouldn't that be an interesting trailer? A stripper pole and a framed raccoon on the wall. yee-haw!

"Deer Antler Skull Rack - $50"

Oh no! Did the Raccoons get to Whitey?!

"Dragon Table Lighter - $45"

I have no idea what this is...nor do I understand how it is both electric and gas...but whatever...it's weird.

2010-03-23T22:18:00.005-05:00

Dollar Tree Decor

How big of a nerd am I if I say I've found the BEST Dollar Tree ever? I know, I know...total lame-o. But seriously! Here are a few decor projects I created this week with Dollar Tree finds and things I had on-hand. Small black frames - $1 each. Cute little ceramic bird to welcome SPRING - $1. I had the candle holder and the Willow Tree figurine and used scrapbook paper and my Cricut to make the letters/background. Total cost: $4

Hellllllo there cute little birdie! Seeing you makes me think Spring - and I love you for that! Isn't she cute? ONE-DOLLAR! See her cute little nest? Moss....one dollar. See the pillar she's perched upon? Goodwill...$3 (darn...Dollar Tree didn't have any....THIS time).

2010-03-23T21:27:00.004-05:00

Daddy's Night Out

Tonight was "Daddy's Night Out" at Lauren's preschool. It was a wonderful opportunity for the kids to spend a fun night with their Dads or other important male family members. Lauren was so excited to have her big date with her Daddy. Bailey fixed her hair and she put on her "He's not just my Daddy, he's my HERO!" shirt and off they went. Here are a few pictures of their fun night and their birdhouse project. (Lauren did the hammering - and apparently designed the project).

2010-03-21T22:43:00.005-05:00

Big Boy "Dinasurrr" Room

A couple months ago I learned about Ana. Ana is going to change our home! She is an amazing lady in Alaska who takes popular, EXPENSIVE furniture found in popular and EXPENSIVE stores and develops simple and bank account-friendly plans so you...yes YOU, can build them. I fell instantly in love with her, her blog and her plans! I immediately showed Mark the site...and my long...LONG list of projects I hoped we could complete. And guess what? He was immediately on-board!

Our first project was a big boy bed (aka: twin bed) for Grant. It was something we NEEDED...and we liked the idea of putting our own sweat and near-tears into it. For this first assignment, Mark was the builder and I was the finisher. This worked out well. Mark's attention to detail sometimes drives me nuts because I'm a dive-in head-first sorta person and he's a planner...and a researcher....and likes to practice and study and have the entire process thought out in advance. SO NOT ME! But because he's Mr. Analytical, this bed ROCKS! Way to go, honey!

This bed is a "knock-off" of a Land of Nod bed from their Simple Collection. Their bed retails for around $700. Ours was made for about $100 plus paint...paint that I'll be able to use for the next several projects!

I'm going to post more about the process of making the bed later....because I really want this to be about Grant's room...his excitement over the big reveal, etc. So here it is...in pictures. Please note a couple things first though:

1. I didn't realize he would be coming up the stairs with ketchup all over his face...and I didn't want to ruin the moment by interrupting to clean him up...so his joy comes with condiment.

2. The curtains didn't photograph well. They do NOT look sage green in real life. They are bright....almost exactly the color of the walls. I plan to add a little something to them later on because it's a little too monochromatic for me right now.

3. I am NOT done in here. I have a few more additions planned for his room - stay tuned!

Night-Night Big Boy!

2010-03-17T22:25:00.012-05:00

Raindrops on Roses, Whiskers on Kittens....

I'm sitting here watching one of my new favorite shows and it inspired to me to list out all of my latest favorites. Here goes...

Modern Family - soooo funny!

Glee - LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! Maybe it's the show choir Mom in me...or maybe it's because I have really good taste and this show is AWESOME!

Kock-Off Wood -
I heart Ana! We are 3/4 of the way through with our first project, a knock-off of the Simple Bed from Land of Nod...but way sturdier and way, WAY cheaper. When that's done, then we're on to a looooooong list of other projects. So much fun!

Diet Coke -

Etsy - Can't get enough of people's creativity! I could shop here all day, every day. (but I won't - don't worry, honey)

Mod Podge - Decoupage goodness! So another recent favorite is this blog - Mod Podge Rocks

DiDi Benami and Crystal Bowersox -

My favorite girls on American Idol this season.

Incredible Pizza Company - Good, clean family fun!

Goodwill and thrift store "hunting" in general.

My new travel coffee mug. The picture doesn't do it justice..the most beautiful green you've ever seen! I'm into green lately - LOVE it!

Of course there's more...but I'll save it for another post on another day.

2010-03-16T14:19:00.004-05:00

Easter Apparel for the little kiddos:
Grant's shoes...TBD. Coordinating something or another for Bailey...TBD (because I'd like to get a new picture taken of all 3 of them).

2010-03-16T09:32:00.003-05:00

I heard it was Pi day recently, so since I have allergic reactions to all things math, I'm making this to celebrate:

Chocolate Cream Pie

ingredients:
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (9 inch) pie shell, baked

1. Combine sugar, flour, milk, and chopped up chocolate in 2 quart saucepan. Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until mixture begins to bubble. Continue stirring for 2 minutes.
2. Mix a little of the hot mixture into the egg yolks, beating rapidly to avoid cooking the yolks. Stir the warm yolk mixture into the remainder of the chocolate mixture, and cook for an additional 90 seconds. Remove from heat, and stir in butter or margarine and vanilla.
3. Pour filling into pie shell, and chill until set. Top with whipped topping, and a little grated chocolate.

2010-03-12T08:24:00.002-06:00

Every once in awhile I try a new recipe that just rocks...and this one was definitely a keeper! So good I wanted to share it with you. This is a microwave (score!) Pampered Chef recipe for the deep covered baker. If you don't have one of these "magic pots" - you have to - HAVE TO get one! I scored one free last fall when I hosted a party...but even if I had to pay full-price it would have been worth every penny! Trust me...I've never steered you wrong! You can order one here. I don't benefit if you order...I'm not having a show, I don't sell the stuf...it is just one of those products that you MUST tell everyone you know about! Ok...on to the recipe! Again, I modified this recipe, so here is MY version:

2 lbs of ground beef
1 egg
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
1 diced green pepper (I diced a whole green pepper but it looked like too much, so I used about half)
1 diced onion (didn't have one...so I threw in some dried onion flakes...worked just fine)
1/2 cup of cheddar cheese (of course I used more...just supporting America's Dairymen. I actually didn't have shredded cheddar on hand so I used a blend of Kraft's shredded white mexican cheese (not the blend of cheese...but all white) and colby/jack)
1/2 cup of salsa (I probably used a little more than this...I just dumped it in. I used my Dad's canned salsa from his garden - but any would do)

I mixed all of this together and shaped it in my deep covered baker. Then I covered it - popped it in the microwave for 18 minutes. Uncover it....dump some more salsa on top (probably 1/4 cup?)...pop it back in microwave for about 5 minutes. Then take it out again and dump more cheese on top (if you want...duh!).

I did drain some liquid (created from meat and salsa) after the 18 minutes - but it really doesn't hurt anything to have the liquid in the bottom. The house smelled DELICIOUS and it tasted AMAZING! super moist.

Now, if you're skeptical about cooking meat in the microwave...that's because you don't have the Deep Covered Baker. Trust me.....it is like you cooked it in the oven! But done in 20 minutes! The meat doens't have that weird gray color from the microwave...it is just like oven-cooked meat - HONEST!

This would have been great with mexican rice...but I didn't have time for that. Also - please note the original recipe called for 1/2 cup ketchup instead of salsa....and it called for the Pampered Chef chipotle rub, which I omitted. The salsa gave me the flavor to make it "southwest." It also called for a little less cheese.

Order your magic pot and make this recipe - I promise you'll love it!

2010-03-09T06:52:00.003-06:00

This is Lauren's second year of dance. At age three, she was in "Tumbling Tots," which was mostly pencil rolls, forward rolls, crab walks and the like. Cute as heck at the recital though. This year, at the ripe age of four, she's moved on to "Pre-Ballet." And this year, she's actually learning real dance elements!

Chasse: (sha-SAY) Chased. A step in which one foot literally chases the other foot out of its position; done in a series.

Fondu, fondue (fawn-DEW) Sinking down. a term used to describe a lowering of the body made by bending the knee of the supporting leg.

Plie: (plee-AY) Bent, bending. A bending of the knee or knees. (etc., etc. not going to type it all out)

Saute, Sautee (Soh-TAY) Jumped, jumping. When this term is added to the name of a step, the movement is performed while jumping.

Echappe (ay-sha-PAY) Escaping or slipping movement. An echappe is a level opening of both feet from a closed position. Echappe saute is what Lauren's class does...this is done with a spring from the 5th position and finishes in a demi-plie in the open position. (whatever - when 4-yr-olds do this, it looks like a jumping jack except arms are open to the side instead of over the head)

I'm sure there are other moves, for instance I know they've learned at least 1st and 2nd positions...and I'm sure there is a french term for the pointing of the toe in front of the body in a point, point, point fashion? There seems to be a lot of that going on.

Anyway - it's cute as a cute can be! Her dance number is called "Pinkalicious" - and it is! =-)

Last night we brought her costume home. (Pictures in a future post). She was so excited about it and started talking about the recital on the drive home. The conversations went something like this:

Lauren: I love my pinkalicious costume!

Me: I know! It's so beautiful!

Lauren: I'm going to wear it at the recital! I'm going to wear my leg warmers!

Me: I don't think you can wear your leg warmers for the recital.

Lauren: Why?

Me: Because you have to wear special tights

Lauren: What kind of special tights?

Me: I'm not sure yet - I don't think they've told us....we'll have to ask

Lauren: You need to go to dance class dot com and look up it

Me: (laugh out loud!!!)

2010-03-07T13:11:00.006-06:00

Friday night I went on a girl's night out with Lauren. She was so excited to do something special - just she and her Mommy. What did we do? Where did we go? Well, we attended an awesome book launch party for my friend and fellow book club-member, Becky Janni. Her brand-spankin'-new children's book, Every Cowgirl Needs A Horse is a MUST-BUY if you have or know of a little girl with a big imagination. It is going to be huge...H-U-G-E, I tell you! I predict Fancy Nancy proportions.

Read more about the book and it's amazing author HERE. And then head over to Amazon or Barnes and Noble or a bunch of other locations to buy your copies now! I promise you - you will not be disappointed!

And speaking of my book club (J'adore!), this is the SECOND published author in our group! (and there's only about 8 of us in the "club"). If you have a teen or tween, you MUST check out Eileen's Mia the Meek series - they are equally awesome! Buy them here and here.

Having such amazing women in my book club makes me wonder how/why it is they let ME in! Now go buy your new books!

2010-03-02T14:39:00.003-06:00

My sweet, recovering-from-a-horrible-stomach-bug baby boy...

(I'm recovering too....so no judging on the horrible appearances)

2010-03-02T12:33:00.002-06:00

I don't always have time to gather my thoughts in a coherent manner and transfer them to my blog....yet I desire to post! So, I've decided on some of the days where I just can't get my own life together enough to post about it, I'll just let you know what blogs I'm reading (because I have an addiction to blogs and Google Reader is my enabler).

So, without further ado, here are blogs I've added to my collection recently:

TidyMom

Knock-Off Wood (Found this awhile ago...but we're a little slow-moving on our first project...but many, many, MANY more in our future!)

FreebiesForMom (LOVE THIS! I receive at least 3-4 samples in the mail each week...and some are pretty darn valuable!)

Sisters'Stuff

Please note...although I LOVE these blogs, most of them serve to make me feel inadequate, lazy, un-crafty and overall pathetic. However, on rare occasion, they motivate me - and that's why I continue. =-)

Stay tuned later this week - I actually DO have exciting stuff to post about, including meeting my new nephew for the first time! He is beautiful and perfect in every way! (kinda like his big brother, Wyatt). Pictures coming soon!!!

2010-02-22T16:50:00.006-06:00

Happy Belated Valentine's Day! It's been awhile since I've posted because the minivan has been in carpool overdrive! It seems like we are always on the go! Dance class, show choir rehearsal, track practice, preschool, church - it's been busy, busy, busy!

I wanted to post a few things I've been working on lately. First up is a basic appliqued t-shirt I made for Lauren for her preschool's Valentine's Day party.

I was up late the night before, so I didn't have a chance to sew around it - but it held VERY well! I even washed it accidentally before sewing and it is still holding TIGHT! Because of that - not going to sew it. =-) The best part about this project was cutting the fabric hearts out with my Cricut! Who knew?! I found a tutorial on Youtube and it worked great! I had to readjust the cut settings once - but after that - worked like a charm! Here's the tutorial.

Next up - leg warmers for my pre-ballet girl.

I found adult knee socks at Target in the 50% off Valentine's Day merchandise. I would have rather waited until they were 90% off, but I knew I wanted to try this project, so I didn't want to risk it. $2.50 for the pair. I think they turned out pretty darn cute, don't you think? I found the easy tutorial HERE.

And finally, my little man playing with his favorite toys. He lines them up, zooms them around, puts them back in the case, lines them up again...hours of entertainment!

I also made a simple project for my Grandma but I'll post pics of that later.

Gotta go! Off to dance class!

2010-02-10T22:20:00.002-06:00

My 30-Day Shred DVD arrived yesterday, so I started it this morning. Later today the kids wanted to try it for fun (ah, youth). Anyway, since I have a very suspicious feeling that I will be unable to move tomorrow, I thought I'd post this video tonight. Please don't look at the disaster in the background...toys/clutter aren't picked up until bedtime because - well...what's the point? But this was too cute NOT to capture on tape. They are all cute, but I especially like Grant's "push-ups."

2010-02-07T19:53:00.003-06:00

I love my little boy! I wish I could bottle this age (except for the getting out of bed at naptime/bedtime business):

2010-02-03T10:50:00.003-06:00

Play-Dough

Lauren's home from preschool again today -she and Grant are still fighting ear infections, sinus infections, respiratory virus. It's fun times, let me tell ya. They are feeling JUST enough better to be bored. Soooo...today we made homemade Play-Dough. I don't know why I haven't done this before now, other than Play-Dough is evil stuff - but anything for my sick kiddos. It was surprisingly easy to make and cheap, really. This is good - I won't feel as bad when I throw it away. ha.

I found this recipe to be a good one.
Now go make Play-Dough!

2010-01-28T14:07:00.005-06:00

The big reveal...

Here are the Valentines! First up....Lauren's valentines for her preschool friends:

Second up....for Lauren and Grant's playgroup friends:

Cute idea, huh? I borrowed it from the 24 7 365 blog. So stinkin' creative! And while we're on the subject of photography (well...we sort of are)....here are the 8x10 canvas prints I ordered just before Christmas from Canvas People. They were (still are I think) running a promotion for a FREE 8x10 canvas - you just pay shipping & handling..which I think was around $14. The special is one per address, so I just had one shipped to my Mom and one shipped to a neighbor to complete this grouping.

This is my formal dining room (yes, that's clutter in the corner...we're looking at the wall here people...eyes up!):

I just ordered a 12x18 canvas print from ArtsCow for a grand total of $9.99, which included shipping! (wow! THAT'S a deal!) Use code 12x18CANVAS at checkout. This time I ordered a wedding picture. We don't have any up in our home, so I thought this would be a good one for the master bedroom? (Is that where you all put a wedding picture?) This offer is good until 2/1....go get yours now! Here's the picture I ordered for that print:

2010-01-28T09:24:00.007-06:00

This morning I attempted a "photo shoot" with the two smallest of 'em. I needed a good shot with their fists stretched outward for an AWESOME Valentine's Day card idea I found on someone else's blog (oh what would I do without the crafties out there in blogland?!). Anyway - I figured it wouldn't take long (HA!). I mean - I only needed a quick shot with fists out and a nice smile. How hard is that?! (Attention children's photographers....you are SAINTS!)

First I started with an individual of Lauren for her preschool classmates. This was not easy..but we got it. I'm deciding between these shots - feel free to vote in the comments section! I like the horizontal shot, but I'm worried it won't leave me enough room under her hand to do what I need to for this "craft."

Next up was a shot of the two of them together for their playgroup friends. I wanted them to hold hands and then hold their clasped hands outward...and I wanted them to look at the camera at the same time...and I wanted them to smile...and I wanted them to HOLD STILL! And I would really like world peace.

I thought you might enjoy the pictoral storyboard of this one:

So it's between these two shots for the final product. The first one is the best...but their hands aren't outstretched...and I really need that for this project. So I'll probably go with the 2nd shot. Feel free to vote on this one too though!

2010-01-20T10:02:00.007-06:00

Ice, Ice, Baby!

I don't think we've had a full week of school since before Christmas...is that possible? If this is what it feels like to homeschool.....no thanks!

Here's a few shots to show you what's going on in the "Heartland."

YESTERDAY: (frozen fog left beautiful white ice on the landscape, but roads were fine. Doesn't it look like an old-fashioned freezer that severly needs defrosting?) Also - a great big sarcastic THANK YOU to the city for completely plowing the fire hydrant under. Hope there isn't a fire...because it is going to take a fire axe to get through the frozen snow and ice to dig out the hydrant. Ok - I feel better now.

TODAY: (Freezing rain - not so pretty. Schools are closed (AGAIN!) and roads are bad. They are predicting 1/2" of ice when it's all said and done.)

(view from our big front window...like milk glass!)

Thank goodness for this guy today!

2010-01-15T08:13:00.001-06:00

Good to the Last Drop

2010-01-15T07:40:00.006-06:00

Lauren: "Mommy? Did you know that chickens' eggs come out of their butt?"

Me: (in a pre-coffee, just-woke-up haze)...uh-huh
(If I had been more awake I would have added....we don't say "butt."

Lauren: "And that's called POOPING an egg."

2010-01-14T11:27:00.005-06:00

I need help! I know I am home all day (eating bon bons and watching soaps...getting pedicures and searching for things to do), but taking care of the kids and doing laundry are a full-time job! Too bad there are a million other chores to be done to keep our home barely presentable and semi-safe. Too bad there are a ton of things OUTSIDE of the home that have to be done each week too, like shopping for groceries, taking kids to/from school, returning library books, taking kids to/from school activities, etc.

I'm not complaining about being a stay-at-home Mom...I love my job. I feel VERY blessed to have this gift - to be able to be witness the crazy things my kids do each day, to be present for the teachable moments I wouldn't otherwise share with them. HOWEVER, I think it is VERY easy to lose yourself in the necessary tasks of taking care of others PLUS the household....and although I've tried for 5 years now, I am waving my white flag. Trying to do it all has only made me feel sad, mad, frustrated and like a complete failure. It is benefiting NO ONE. So....

I need help. I tried a family chore chart awhile back. Remember this? It was met with much criticism and little to NO cooperation. My message (cry for help) was lost. Well, probably more likely ignored than lost.

Then I tried asking for help...actually verbalizing my need for help. Deaf ears. Maybe I'm not being assertive enough. Maybe I'm feeling too guilty because I don't "work" outside of the home. I don't know. All I know is that what I've been trying to do for five years is not working. At least it isn't working for me.

So here's my new idea. Although I don't eat bon bons or watch soaps...I do have a bit of a distraction called INTERNET...specifically GOOGLE READER!!! But I do gather a lot of useful information from these sites....many pertaining to bargain-hunting, couponing, home organization, sewing, meals/recipes...all "job-related" if you will. Anyway - I'm trying to better manage my time researching these things. Oops...there's guilt again...sorry...back to the idea. While reading one of my crafty blogs awhile back, I stumbled on THIS.

This is kind of fun, right? And maybe they'll buy in? Maybe they'll want to help because this is sort of like a fun game, right? Maybe I'll even put a prize in there...so when the task is complete they get the prize found in the tin? I'm going to make it....and then PRAY it works better than the chore chart did.

Disclaimer....MAJOR disclaimer: My husband works VERY hard...it isn't like he comes home and then just sits on the couch and plays on the computer or watches TV. He is a great husband and father, a good provider for our family and loves us all very much. I'm sure he's more than happy to help - I just haven't found the right way to deliver this message. Same is true of my oldest daughter. She usually is very willing to help...I just have to spell it out. So here it goes...I'm S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G it out, family. Mom needs help...I'm drowning and I'm exhausted. I want to do better...BE better...but to do that I need to rally the troops. We can do this! (Lord, I hope I'm not in the doghouse for this post!)

If YOU have found a method that engages your family, please leave me a comment and tell me how you're doing it! Or if you think I should be able to do all of this on my own, tell me how YOU do it....and what medication does it involve? (cuz I'm gonna need me summa that!).

Love my husband, love my kids, love my home....just trying to do all of those things better.

--The Mom of 'Em

2010-01-12T16:22:00.003-06:00

Take THAT! Shouldn't be having a shortage of normal-sized coffee filters anytime soon. 700...SEVEN-HUNDRED!!! Thanks, Costco!

2010-01-11T07:33:00.006-06:00

Why do you hate me, Joe?

The first thing I do every morning (after changing a diaper, handing out sippy cups and letting the dog out), is make a pot of coffee. Confession: sometimes I even start the coffee before I change diapers and dole out breakfast drinks...what's another couple minutes in a wet diaper, right?). Every morning I wonder why I don't use the auto-brew feature so my lovely would be waiting for me when I rise. But instead I do it in the morning and then wait, wait, wait for the pot to brew. It takes FOREVER to brew when you are desperate for a cup, doesn't it? Especially on MONDAYS!!!

I just bought new coffee filters last night, because we had one...ONE left. That's dangerous! cutting it close! I added the coffee to the filter, poured the water and hit BREW and went about the business of distracting myself from how long it takes by pouring bowls of cereal and feeding the dog. Soon I started to smell the aroma of my Joe...my lovely, wonderful hero, Joe. I raced over to grab my mug and to my HORROR, found water and coffee grounds all over the counter! ALL. OVER. THE. COUNTER!!! AAAAAGH! I cleaned it up and realized I forgot to put the filter BASKET in...just the filter in the big open guts of the coffee-maker.

So I cleaned it all up and set out to brew another pot. Since I had used up our last filter, I had to crack into the new package...only to discover I had purchased filters for machines that brew 1-4 cups. ONE to FOUR CUPS?! Who makes 1-4 cups of coffee? These people shouldn't even be allowed to own a coffee machine. And now I like them even less because their stupid filters ruined my 2nd attempt at coffee this morning. I bet they are brewing de-caf to boot. ugh.

I tried to brew the coffee anyway - careful to make sure I had the filter basket in this time and that my coffee grounds were within the boundaries of the mini filters. I poured in 12 cups of water and hit brew....and walked away. When I returned....water everywhere!!!! WHAT?! WHY DO YOU HATE ME, JOE! I LOVE YOU!!!! TAKE ME BACK!!!!

apparently I didn't wait for the pot to empty before I cleaned up the first mess and poured in my new pot of water. This created MORE than 12 cups of water and it didn't have anywhere to go...but on my counter and floor...and down my cabinets...and inbetween my cabinets and the stove. (Can I go back to bed now???). So I cleaned up THIS mess, unplugged the coffee pot, turned it upside down to dump all the water and tried again...AGAIN! This pot seemed to be brewing okay, but there are a few grounds in my cup because of the dumb teeny-weeny filters.

But I don't care!!!! I'm finally drinking my coffee!!! I have my Joe wrapped in my loving hands once again!!! Now here's hoping the rest of the day goes better.

december 09 023.avi

2009-12-08T21:51:00.001-06:00

december 09 017.avi

2009-12-08T21:46:00.001-06:00

Lauren, pre-ballet

2009-12-08T21:20:00.001-06:00

My tiny ballerina

2009-12-04T07:32:00.004-06:00

FIVE!

Happy Anniversary to my husband today! FIVE years!!! We've grown to a family of five in five years. We've had two dogs, survivied the "floods of '08," put our house on the market twice, found our dream home and moved. We've been blessed. I don't know what the next five years hold for us, but I'm excited to face them together because with you by my side and God in the middle - it's going to be good. I love you and I thank you for being my husband.

Jodi

2009-10-25T21:56:00.003-05:00

I ran across this blog post featuring fun Halloween-themed meal ideas. Pretty cool....but I think my regular cooking is scary enough.

2009-10-25T09:40:00.004-05:00

I love candles. Love them, love them, love them. But with two small children in the house and a husband who complains that most of my candles stink, I rarely get the enjoyment and relaxation of burning candles in the house. This Fall I bought a new scent for our house - and guess what? Mark didn't complain about the smell! He actually liked it! So since that rarely happens, I deemed it blog-worthy. My new favorite Fall candle scent?

2009-09-27T21:58:00.005-05:00

What a fabulous day! My baby boy turned two-years-old today! He is such a sweetheart - and I absolutely can't believe he's two! When you ask him how old he is now, he still sometimes says "1" but he holds both index fingers forward, pointing them at you while he says it. Adorable. He had so much fun opening his gifts this morning...and again tonight when Grandma & Grandpa came over for dinner/cake. He LOVED the rubber "nake" his sister Lauren picked out for him, adored the Hot Wheels and the Tonka garbage truck from Grandma & Grandpa. He also received a bike/helmet and a cool ESPN baseball bat/ball toy. Oh - and a small dino. All of his favorite things!

I also decided to make his cake this year..and I'm happy to report it turned out ok. Grant really liked that it was a train - so I was so happy I made the extra effort. He is such a funny little boy. SO active, SO loving and SO tender - I just love him so much!

THEN...this afternoon while the kids napped, Mark ran an errand. He returned with THIS! Can you believe how sweet he is?! I had been trying to learn to applique with the machine my Mom gave me...but it wasn't working. I thought it was my lack of skill (a good bet) but it turns out it had several problems, including the timing, a broken doo-hickey and something else..anyway - not worth fixing. Now maybe I can get back on-track chasing my dream of opening my own Etsy store and making a little extra money!

I'm anxious to get through volunteering at preschool tomorrow and dr. appointments for everyone on Tuesday so I can sit down and figure out my new machine! So excited!

Oh, and Saturday night was Bailey's first Homecoming dance, which I am not allowed to talk about. She looked BEAUTIFUL! I am not supposed to post any pictures.. Oops.

2009-09-25T22:53:00.003-05:00

Who ARE these mothers?! And can I please get the name of the perscription they are taking? Wow. These are SANDWICHES, people! SANDWICHES!