pockets full of sunshine

dressed up

2011-12-01T17:14:00.000-06:00

november may have been busy, but we definitely don't have any pictures to prove it. apparently, only two things mandated documentation. first, the elementary school our children go to has a huge parade every year to celebrate veterans day. it is called i love america day. each class is assigned a state and four students from each class are selected to represent the class in the parade.

this year, both of our children were selected to walk in the parade.

miller's class represented the state of idaho and he was a potato sack.

carter's class represented the state of michigan and she was a cheerleader.

then, the next week was american education week. the first day was favorite book character day. of course, my children do not miss a chance to dress up.

they had a difficult time choosing who to dress up as, but once i told them it had to be something we already owned, it limited their list quite a bit. carter chose to be one of the ballerinas in miss lina's ballerinas and miller chose to be mouse from if you give a mouse a cookie.

it makes me happy that they like to dress up. it makes me happy that they love books. and, it makes me happy that they don't worry about whether or not anyone else at school will be dressed up. i hope they always make choices based on what they love and not what they fear. i hope.

staycation

2011-11-03T22:04:00.001-05:00

fall break is known as staycation at our house. we consider it super convenient that in the middle of josh's busy season we all get a week off of school. this year was no different. josh's schedule was so crazy that it felt like we needed this break more than ever. it didn't help that miller would prefer if school wasn't five consecutive days in a row. so, as fall break approached, we began counting down the days and planning what we would do to enjoy them.

we began by visiting the scarecrow exhibit at lichterman nature center.

while we were there, we decided to wander around some of the trails, too.

we were graciously treated to this event by meme and papaw who happened to have a membership to the center, so it was nice for everyone to be able to go at their own pace.

we also visited the corn maze with friends one night, but because most of the little ones were non-cooperative, this is the only picture. these two love to run through the maze and try to figure out the clues, but spencer had a tough time navigating it this year due to the uneven terrain after it rained.

and, a fall break favorite, the pumpkin patch . . .

this year, we let each child pick two pumpkins, one to carve and one to paint.

as usual, it took a lot of searching to find just the right one. spencer wasn't sure she wanted any of them.

we had to make the rule that you had to be able to carry it yourself.

miller found lots of pumpkins that he thought might be the one.

rolling is not the same as carrying. we're just sayin'.

oh, wait, i can take home this little pumpkin. it's so cute.

spencer picked one. so we chose a second one for her because she would have been more sad if she didn't get to paint or have one carved.

tiny pumpkins were popular at our house this year. that worked for me though . . . less to clean out.

the biggest pumpkin we took home.

the first ever annual pumpkin patch picture where everyone is looking and no one is crying!

now, that is more like it!

a super hero halloween

2011-10-31T21:54:00.000-05:00

josh said he was shocked when i agreed to purchasing three costumes this halloween. i was SHOCKED i paid that much for costumes. never again, people. well, let's say i don't plan on doing it again. we may have a new rule next year . . . it has to be something that can be made by mommy or created by stuff we already own. at least they looked cute. and, they loved them. what more could i ask for?

a crafty good time

2011-10-17T06:06:00.015-05:00

um, let's just pretend it hasn't been two months since i blogged. let's also pretend that some incredibly rude and tiny person didn't anonymously correct my spelling in my last post. in fact, we will blame them for the reason it has so long since my last post. (even though it's not true and they don't deserve such credit.)

and, while we are pretending, i would like to pretend that my first baby is not already seven. seven. it is so hard to believe. and, as always, said birthday came on the heels of the first week of preschool. it was an insanely busy week of an insanely busy month that began with two children starting/returning to school. we talked about what she might want for her birthday party and her answers were . . . not what i was expecting. most of them were expensive or ridiculous or random. i almost thought she didn't want to have a party. i threatened several times to not have a party at all to which she would baulk and roll her eyes and act like the world was ending. (seven, remember.) so, the week of her birthday we decided to wait and do her party the next week and we decided to make it small and something totally her--a crafting party with her closest friends.

they started with a canvas. i painted an example for them. somehow we didn't take a single picture of the finished ones even though they turned out so cute!

as they arrived, the girls chose a paint color and got started.

once they finished painting, we set that project aside while the paint dried.

their next project is near to my heart because i made tons of them when i was in elementary school.

but this time, some incredibly smart person found an easier way to hold it. and, of course, i had to cute-n them up.

the girls chose the thread colors for their friendship bracelets from my old thread box from fourth grade. as you can tell, this was a difficult decision and took lots of careful thinking.

after tying a knot, we clippedit to the top of the clipboard and started knotting.

we, i mean the girls worked hard on this project off and on for the rest of the party.

snow white provided the occasional entertainment.

when the canvases dried, they cut the tree shape out of fabric scraps and mod podged them onto the canvas. then, i gave them a final coat of mod podge before setting them aside to dry. apparently, this is when josh went to get pizza and, therefore, we have no evidence of this step.

the final project was shrinky dinks! did you know you can buy shrinky dink paper at hob lob. then, the girls used sharpies to draw whatever they wanted . . . heart shaped pendants, miniature versions of their hands, and other tiny things.

not to be left out, miller made a super hero and then we shrunk him, too, because shrinking things is really fun.

and, spencer decided to make . . . something.

we finished up with the girls decorating their own cupcakes and carter opening her presents.

i think all the girls had fun making things and hanging out. and when they were all gone, one lingered a little longer to enjoy her cupcake.

scrappy leaf garland

2011-09-07T22:32:00.001-05:00

i know this is totally random because i never posted it, so i will back date it and pretend like it is september for the next five minutes. pretend with me, please.

i made this little leaf garland from fabric scraps and i thought i would make a quick tutorial just in case anyone else wanted to make one to. (hint: it helps if you post it during the appropriate season ;)

first, cut a leaf template from a random scrap of paper. then, cut two matching fabric leaves and one slightly smaller leaf from stabilizer for each leaf you plan to make.

next, sandwich a stabilizer leaf between each fabric leaf wrong sides together . . . like so.

then, using contrasting thread (if you choose), sew around the leaf about 1/4 inch from the edge and then part way up the center creating a leaf-like look.

your finished leaf should look like this.

next, i pinked the edges of my leaf for some interest, but it is totally not necessary.

then, using my handy dandy crop-a-dile, i punched a hole about 3/8 inch from one pointed end.

finally, i strung twine through the end of each leaf and tied a knot randomly spacing as i went.

isn't it pretty? i love scrappy projects!

lastly, find the perfect place to hang your scrappy leaf garland and admire it daily until christmas forces you to take it down.

the first day

2011-08-15T06:30:00.000-05:00

it's so hard to believe we are sending another child off the kindergarten. but, he is so ready!

he picked out his backpack and lunchbox and all the fabrics for his nap mat.

(speaking of the nap mat, at registration day, they only had a few left. he said they were unacceptable, and in his defense, they were unacceptable. his sister has a cool barbie nap mat from last year, so he thought for sure they would have something like super heroes or star wars. instead, they had clouds, bumble bees, and raggedy ann and andy. no, thank you. then, i mentioned i might be able to make it since it was just some straight lines. so, off we went to find the perfect supplies. while at the store, i inquired for some help with the type of backing i might need. as we talked about what i was trying to accomplish, the woman said, "you do sew, right?" to which miller responded, "my mom can sew anything! she's awesome!" and, from that moment on, no matter what stress this mat caused me, it would be made for him because well, i can sew anything, right.)

and, his big sister is super excited about another school year!

i know most of you are shocked when i tell you we were running so late. like later than late. it is so much harder to get twice the amount of supplies to school the first day, not to mention five people including a toddler who demanded to walk all by herself which was only half bad because we were using the stroller to get the supplies to school. and, i am sure our lateness was not at all perpetuated by the child who asked for me to make her dress and then cried because the headband i surprised her with was the wrong shade of aqua. seriously.

notice how big sister is carrying her brother's nap mat this year. do you remember that he carried her backpack last year? sometimes they are so sweet to each other it makes my heart hurt. other times we won't discuss.

we took carter first. she acted like the seasoned pro from the get go.

then, it was miller's turn. this is miller with his sweet teacher, miss grashot.

miller wasn't the only one who thought he was going to kindergarten. he was very sweet to let her pretend for a minute.

with a little coercion, we were out the door and headed back home.

and then there was one . . .

hotlanta

2011-08-12T00:24:00.000-05:00

as i mentioned, the summer is long. not only is it the heat, but because it is josh's busy season, we rarely get a change of scenery. with temperatures in the 100s and humidity off the charts, it doesn't take too long for our family of 5 to go a little stir crazy. luckily, josh had a couple of weekends off so we headed to atlanta to visit grammie & papa joe.

our first day, Wednesday, we hung out at their house.

josh and the kids scavenged the basement for vintage toys and, of course, uncle john's lego's provided hours of fun.

my sarah richardson inspired bunkie . . .

complete with seating area. the interior decorating is a little lacking as the pirate ship and space kits i had to choose from really limited my seating choices.

but, i did find a rotary dial telephone base . . . i think.

after naps, the kids helped papa joe make his famous oatmeal raisin cookies.

this was the first of several batches because these same cookies are the primary source for breakfast whenever we visit. "eggs, milk, wheat . . "

later that evening, our friends, the tillmans, arrived to vacation with us. grammie and papa joe claim they love house guests, but they may prefer it when the majority of them are over the age of 6. let's just say, i am pretty sure it took days after we left before the ringing in their ears ceased.

Thursday, we had big plans including . . .

lunch with free ice cream and . . .

the American Girl store!!!!!

everyone was excited about this adventure. (well, miller's enthusiasm for his sisters' and friend ended shortly after arrival when he realized there was nothing there for him to buy.)

but, this little girl's enthusiasm for her new bitty baby, shhhhhoclate, was hard to deny. and, yes, that is her name. and, yes, she chose her all by herself from the display of bitty babies. and, yes, she even used her own money from christmas and birthday and easter egg hunts and what not. and, yes, i am aware that she doesn't really understand that.

after miller scored a phineas and ferb (or vineous and verb, as he calls them) voice-inator, he was more than happy to play as others shopped.

after a trip to the outlet mall and dinner at a mexican restaurant, a nap with her new friend seemed completely necessary.

and, luckily, after a quiet day at home, grammie was renewed enough to share a book with all five pajama-clad munchkins.

Friday, jennifer and i had big plans, too. the scott antique market was our plan for the week. i took several pictures with my phone i will share in another post. let's just say, it was worth the trip.

Saturday, we hit the road again. this time . . . with one destination in mind . . . ikea. our kids loved the play area last time and they couldn't wait to share it with avery. the "babies" had to miss out on that experience. in fact, spencer missed out on most of ikea all together.

when we go to atlanta, we spend most of our time hitting our favorite things . . . restaurants, shops, etc. so, our dinner led us to the cheesecake factory where we were shocked to learn that even at 5:45 pm we had an hour long wait to seat a party of 9.

i will say time passes quickly when you spend most of your time escorting little ones to a potty that is no where near where your party has decided to wait it out.

while we were eating, i noticed spencer doing this . . .

i was completely curious. after observing her for quite some time, i heard her talking to the light . . . come out or come play with me, she would say. then jennifer said tinkerbelle. ahhh . . . spencer thought it was tinkerbelle inside this little light. our love for peter is still strong.

after a very long dinner, we entertained the fab 5 at the fountain while the daddies took care of the tab. i love the wind in this picture!

Sunday, we had even more plans. this was definitely the busiest trip to atlanta we have ever taken.

josh wanted to take the rest of us to a place known for their amazing burgers. let's just say they don't have amazing customer service as when we were entering i noticed a sign on the door saying kids were not allowed under any circumstances due to a state law. the guys had already entered, one of which toted a toddler. the person at the front of the restaurant said, "uh, we don't do kids."

uh, wow. is all i have to say. we had already paid to park and had pushed lunch to the last possible minute so we had to regroup.

an art store on the corner was creating a canvas outside allowing anyone who wished to be part of the creation.

we had 5 little artists who wanted to be a part.

they even provided smocks . . .

and were ah-mazingly patient.

meanwhile, the adults scoured for a lunch location . . .

one, served peanuts. our web results said the peanut debris was definitely dangerous if you had an allergy. next.

we settled on a kid-friendly italian restaurant that was quite yummy though we were so hungry i'm not sure we would have known the difference.

we finished just in time to head to our last destination . . .

and for the first time in our lives, we were early. we checked our kids in and sat down to find out this guy was there to lead worship.

what an amazing end to a really needed break from our summer reality!

thank you, grammie and papa joe . . . and thank you, tillmans . . . we will definitely do it again!

hot summer night

2011-08-04T01:59:00.000-05:00

we had another beautiful summer night . . .

this one included water ice. too.

water ice quickly became water melt . . .

followed by water mess. but, it was definitely fun to watch.

there was music, too . . .

and a stage for dancing . . .

and you know how she feels about dancing.

this was the last night for this series in the park. we can't wait for next year, let's just hope the weather is cooler.

the reality of summer

2011-07-21T06:19:00.000-05:00

i like the idea of summer. i like the idea of days without schedule or commitment. i like the idea of days spent outside. i like the idea of catching lightening bugs at night. i like the idea of grilling out. i like the idea of hanging out in the front yard till dusk.

but, then there is reality. reality is that summers here are hot, hot, hot. reality is that any time spent outside is almost unbearable due to the heat. reality is that mosquitoes are way more prevalent than lightening bugs.

right now, reality stinks.

but, every once in awhile, there is a night that is exactly what summer is supposed to be.

a night of nice weather,

a night with friends,

a night with music,

a night where everything seems perfect.

that was this night.

so, until summer passes, i will be thinking about nights like this, but i am already longing for fall.

am i the only one?

uh-oh . . .

2011-07-15T07:15:00.000-05:00

somebody put baby in the corner!

yes, people, this means we have hit the terrible twos. at first, she thought it was fun. maybe, she even enjoyed it. but, then, she realized what it was all about. time out=no attention. really, it is hard not to laugh . . . the booger-faced glances, the only-made-for-us-to-hear huffing sound . . . she better be careful or we just might send her to time out for a little entertainment. there's nothing to watch on dvr in the summer anyway.

worth the wait

2011-06-28T16:15:00.001-05:00

you know the phrase, the cobbler's children have no shoes? well, in our house, it is often chided that the photographer's family has no pictures. don't get me wrong, we have pictures . . . of our children, sometimes even all 3 together. but, those pictures rarely contain one of us, much less both.

in december, josh told me how one of the photographers whose style he really admired was coming to do a workshop in our city. no one comes to our city. like no one. during our discussion, i asked if he would want to see if he could do a shoot of our family. josh seemed shocked that i asked but agreed it was an amazing opportunity as he was coming to where we lived. so, we begged. uh, i mean asked. and, he obliged.

we couldn't have imagined a better experience. it stormed all week, but this morning it was beautiful and even a bit chilly.

our children responded like we never see. they are used to someone taking their picture, you know.

of course, josh couldn't leave the house without a camera of his own, so he shot some behind-the-scenes pictures, too. i love seeing both views. to see jonathan's favorite pictures, you can go here. and, it was also featured here. thank you so much, jonathan! we will treasure these forever!

"i'm a princess"

2011-06-27T09:38:00.000-05:00

i think most girls go through a princess stage. they watch cinderella or sleeping beauty and daydream about discovering they are a princess and maybe even finding their prince. for some reason, i was a little shocked when this all began with spencer. for her, it wasn't about the story, it was about the dress.

we knew there was a hand-me-down snow white dress somewhere, but we hadn't been able to find it anywhere. i stumbled upon it one day in april while in the attic. she immediately put it on . . . and slept in it . . . and demanded to wear it the next day. i'm talking clothes had to be removed under the dress and pulled up through in order to dress her. she wore it to bed, to preschool, to target, to everywhere she went.

while wearing her new favorite outfit on a trip downstairs in daddy's arms:
s: i'm belle.
daddy: no, you're snow white.
s: oh.
daddy: can you say mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?
s: ME!

(picture taken during an quick outing to the mall.)

while watching the royal wedding, she pointed to cate middleton and said, "look , momma, she's a princess just like me." ("yes, baby. yes, she is.")

although she doesn't wear the dress every waking moment anymore, she does still think she is a princess. "i'm a princess, too . . ." i think every little girl should think they are a princess . . . and i think sometimes it's okay to treat them like one, too.

wait . . . don't leave yet

2011-06-21T21:39:00.000-05:00

you are at the right place. we just made a few changes. pigtails & pjs was conceived when miller was a newborn. we've had a lot of transition in the last year and it just seemed time for the blog to follow in that transition. so, we have a new name. but, we will still be showing you a bit of our everyday life with a crafty snippet here and there. and, we hope you stick around ;)

how to make this kid happy

2011-06-14T16:07:00.001-05:00

this little boy is passionate. he loves like no one else. he loves books and space and food and his family and his friends and . . .

super heroes. like all of them. one of his favorites is the green lantern. so, i decided i would make him a shirt, but it got put in the pile of crafty to dos. and, well, that pile is big . . . huge . . . like never ending. once a few things cleared out, i found this:

see, i had good intentions--i bought the shirt and even drew the design on freezer papaer.

so, when i was ironing something else the other day, i decided to make someone a little surprise while he was at kindergarten camp. i will show you what i did in case you are lazy like me and don't like to read the instructions on the freezer paper box. this is also to prove to all you girls out there who say you aren't crafty how quick and easy some projects are ;)

step 1: buy supplies (shirt, freezer paper, and paint. i use tulip soft fabric paint in matte.)

step 2: draw design and cut it out or use your cricut (even easier) to do so.

step 3: iron freezer paper onto shirt. make sure your steam option is turned off. this only takes a minute and you just want to make sure that it is adhered to the shirt so your paint won't seep into the area you don't want painted.

step 3 1/2: realize that you ironed the wrong pieces down and do it again. an awesome side note about freezer paper- the same piece can be ironed again and again.

ahh, much better.

step 4: paint your design. i used a stamping dauber to keep my paint thin in hopes that it would have a more vintage-y, faded look. i usually use a foam brush.

step 5: let the paint dry before peeling off the freezer paper.

this is a hard step for me. i am always so anxious to see what it looks like that i peel it off in advance and just try to be careful.

my favorite little boy in his new shirt:

my favorite little boy in his new shirt with super hero arms . . .

my favorite little boy in his new shirt with super hero arms and . . . just kidding. that's it.

thrifty thursday

2011-06-09T15:15:00.000-05:00

it's back!!

school has been out for exactly two weeks. it is possible that i have accomplished more in those two weeks than in the last year . . . well, at least six months.

i don't know what it is about summer, but it makes me want to paint walls, sand random pieces of furniture and sew pillows and such. is it just me?

it could be my slight obsession with this person or her new show about her summer house. summer house? can i just have the kitchen? and, where in the world do they find those shops? i have never stumbled upon such ah-mazing pieces in my life! so, with a huge desire to find a bargain and a desk for my ever so crafty six year old, i searched the estate sales this past weekend. i mentioned to my mom i was going and she volunteered to tag along. i feel like i make much better decisions when someone is there to help justify my cause. and, well, that she does.

here is my loot:

um, hello . . .

still not helping . . .

whatever. at least she isn't blocking anything in this one. what you see: a janky iphone picture taken in my dark, but newly painted entry (ahem, i told you i'd been busy) . the little desk is a past find, but it held all my new treasures nicely so it got to stay for the picture. other things you see . . .

three yard sticks (love),
a vintage globe (no idea how old, but hawaii is not a state, so at least 1948.)
a turquoise tupperware cheese holder (replacing the one i had but the top cracked)
vintage aqua pop beads (who knew?)
two mismatched vintage salt and pepper shakers (because they are adorable!)
a random red metal thing (any ideas?? it cleaned up quite nicely and is now holding pens and such)
a vintage metal mold (plans to use later)
a designers curve (a sewing tool that currently cost $15, but this vintage one cost me $1)

and . . .
a 16x20 green frame
a 3x5 aqua frame
a vintage industrial 4 loaf bread baking pan

the last three came from a local antique store i drug josh to on our day date last week when ~~my mom volunteered~~ my parents graciously asked to watch our kids.

and, remember that desk i was looking for . . . well, i also brought home this:

in fact, it was the reason i headed out, but once i saw it in person, i started to wonder should it be for miller? i planned to paint it, but should it be sanded and left au natural? i love the shelves! they would be so cute with a couple of girly baskets, but they would also be cute with a couple of metal bins. can i find another one before carter thinks she lost out?? please feel free to weigh in . . . in fact, it would be much appreciated ;)

shhh . . . it's a birthday party

2011-06-06T06:52:00.002-05:00

in april, miller turned 5! i really can't believe it. we planned to go to chicago like we did when his sister turned 5, but 3 weeks before his birthday, he decided he wanted a party. like a real party with friends and a theme and what not. um, okay. what kind of party?

his first idea was super heros. i envisioned hours and hours of sewing capes and "eyes" for each kid, combine that with easter and the dress i needed to make his sister for the week before and our first ever family photo shoot the week after and i just saw crazy. me crazy, that is.

any other ideas? a book party. huh. i think we can do that. and, so, we did. a book party it was, specifically, focused on the library because he loves to go and read and borrow books.

the invitation . . .

a hand painted canvas directing guests . . .

welcome . . .

the library . . . complete with our personal favorites . . .

because everybody deserves a birthday banner . . .

they began by enjoying the library . . .

and making their own personal book plates . . .

we read one of miller's favorites, i wanna iguana . . .

then, headed outside for a few games . . . a book carrying relay

and, a character matching game . . .

we taped a character on each person's back and they had to ask around to find out who they were and then find the character they matched

like the man with the yellow hat and curious george

or peter pan and tinkerbell.

then, we headed back in and read harold and the purple crayon . . .

and then made a mural like harold.

one of miller's favorite things to do is make books. he staples paper together and draws his own story inside. he shared one of his recent books with his friends and then we invited them to make their own.

at every birthday party there is something that doesn't go as planned. whether good or bad, it just goes differently than you expected. this was it. i thought they would zoom through this activity, but instead, they thought carefully . . .

drew intentionally . . .

and, even asked to share their creations. it was quiet, it was inspiring and it was really cool to see their imaginations unfold.

then, it was time for cake . . .

a very specific cake request from the birthday boy . . . an open book.

we headed back outside to eat and open presents because it was too pretty outside not to.

and, as the party came to a close, each child received their own treat:

a library bag freezer paper stenciled with read., a book, bookworm glasses and some gummy worms complete with googly eyes.

i think book nerds were created in all.

random photo friday

2011-06-03T01:11:00.001-05:00

i wanna be a . . .

2011-06-01T15:40:00.000-05:00

during the week, we have two days off from preschool. april is a busy, busy month for us- full of wedding season, a birthday, a holiday and whatever else may lie. so, our days off are spent at home while mommy tries to get things done like sew, clean, etc.

spencer found carter's guitar one day and it was love at first sight.

strumming along . . .fentle wittle, wittle tar (her version of twinkle, twinkle little star)

moments later upstairs, she found something else . . .

her tutu and hat, as she calls it.

trying to entice her brother . . .

life in the lime light is hard. rock star . . . ballerina . . . who knows? but this kid definitely has some personality.

a picnic with nancy

2011-05-29T23:59:00.001-05:00

one saturday in april, after josh had headed to a wedding, we decided to have a picnic. we chose the front yard so the sunshine could help keep us warm. as we set up a picnic area on the driveway, carter came out in what she deemed picnic attire:

nothing says picnic like black heels, leg warmers and mismatched clothing.

after our simple lunch of sandwiches, yogurt, cheez-its and juice boxes, she even volunteered to pull her siblings in the wagon.

i do have to say i am very thankful she finds heels so easy to walk in and possibly even comfortable. it appears she plans to spend many, many years wearing them.

all she wants to do

2011-03-19T23:07:00.005-05:00

this little monster was found at target during valentine shopping. she loves it so much. she would say she needed the monster when we were shopping. she would hold the monster, kiss the monster, tell me how much the monster loved her and then, at the end of our shopping trip put the monster back on the shelf with a wave and shout of goodbye. then, we stumbled upon the monster in the 90% clearance section after the holiday had passed. even though it didn't play music, i thought it was worth the $1 to take a risk. a couple of new batteries and she just can't stop . . . all she wants to do is dance.

our little monster is 2

2011-03-17T21:48:00.000-05:00

spencer's birthday is four days after christmas and because she isn't old enough to know yet, we push her birthday into january in an attempt to catch up or rest up from all the holiday craziness. i always want my kids parties to be about them, so when we thought about how to celebrate spencer's birthday, we decided to have a small party with all of spencer's favorite people (our family and a couple of families of friends). her theme: monsters . . . because she loves monsters.

i found this idea here and made my own in spencer's favorite color, "my pink", as she calls it. (please don't look to closely as the janky mini blinds we have yet to get rid of.) she loves this monster so much, it is still lurking in the window. still.

we had a couple of two year old friendly activities: coloring and a monster photo booth (but the pictures were accidentally deleted-oh, well). we also had monsters, inc. playing in the family room. these adorable coloring pages can be found here.

i made these adorable monster wreaths with a cardboard circle, a feather boa and googly eyes. so simple and so cute! you might see them again at halloween.

who doesn't love googly eyes?!? so, i glued them to everything, even plastic cups.

instead of a cake or cupcakes, we made moon pie monsters. when spencer learned to say "high five", it sounded like "moon pie" so we thought this was the perfect treat. and, they were so fun to make.

josh and the kids came up with all the silly monster faces using mini oreos, mini m&ms, caramel bugles, twizzlers, fruit wedges, cotton candy, and heart shaped suckers.

of course, our little monster wanted the "my pink" one as her birthday treat!

her one requested gift was a soft buzz lightyear that talked. i didn't think it was possible, but her favorite ms.kris (or just "fiss" as she calls her) was able to find the perfect gift.

and, each child got to take home their own lovable monster.

it's so hard to believe she is already 2! it was such a perfect way to celebrate our sweet little mess!

the first snow

2011-03-15T21:35:00.003-05:00

we expected a bad winter. we were told it would be cold and snowy. it has been cold. it has snowed twice and flurried a few more. i guess that's a bad winter here. but no matter how often it snows, only the first real snow of the season brings about anticipation and excitement.

goodbye winter (we hope). . . we will see you next year!

pink i love you & guts!

2011-03-15T18:00:00.000-05:00

while i have always have multiple excuses for why i post erratically, it seems to be in abundance lately.

first, my children broke my computer. for real. the geniuses over at apple said they could fix the damage for more than we more than a new ipad. no thank you. but, i also don't think it is in our best interest to buy another ipad unless i know it will work for me. the jury is still out on that one. so . . . the blog posts and email responses continue to be nonexistent.

one of our favorite family movies is ramona and beezus. while there is so much to love about this super cute movie (um, hello, josh duhamel), it seems my children love the "bad words" more than anything. it is not uncommon for someone to be called a "seabass" or to hear a disgusted "guts!" being said from the next room. but it was guts we did see over and over and over when the week long stomach flu hit our house a couple of weeks ago. ten days passed before all was well and very little was accomplished other than holding a bucket or washing the affected laundry.

then, when we thought all was well, we discovered that someone had pink eye and then someone else had pink eye and then someone got pink eye again and then someone else got pink eye again and so on and so on. i started to worry that their eyes might fall out from all the drops we were giving them. the nurse reassured me they would not. but, on a day carter was sent home from school due to the a red, itchy eye, she made this and gave it to her brother . . .

maybe this is her way of apologizing for infecting him with the dreadful stink eye. maybe she should have wrapped up a box of drops to go with it.

sometimes it's okay to play with your food

2011-01-27T23:30:00.002-06:00

featuring her ballet leotard and a practice run for horrible hair day at school the next day, carter thought her corn made much better teeth than food. when she started singing, we had to agree. josh and i both remember this song from saturday nights at our grandparents' houses. our kids caught on quickly and love to sing it. can you guess their favorite part??

on christmas day

2011-01-06T23:04:00.000-06:00

though i have post dated the last several posts i have written because i am so far behind, i figured since i was actually posting this sooner than last year, i would leave it be . . . so here's to a new year and new beginnings.

and, now, i give you christmas day at our house . . .

well, because on christmas eve, all our pictures looked like this.

the next morning, these two were so patient waiting in our bed watching various christmas specials while they waited for their sister to wake so they could run down stairs and find this . . .

carter was so excited about her princess bible (in her book stack under the tree) that she didn't even look at what santa had left.

looks like santa found out about our insane love for peter and friends.

look! a lego r2d2 watch with a little man! santa listened!

monsters! spencer loves monsters and books, so this book was a hit . . .

until she saw baby jesus sitting next to her and begged mommy to rock him and "sing sunshine". how could i say no???

bed head and presents . . . what could be better!

"gasp! baby boy!" spencer's favorite gift-mismatched bitty twins!

so, before, we opening any more presents, we decided to take our annual pj picture-

really. i know it is hard to believe anyone has mad pitcher skillz when we have results like this . . .

but, it is a good thing we kept taking photos or we might have missed the getup someone demanded to wear the rest of the morning/afternoon:

what a mess!

advent

2010-12-26T01:00:00.002-06:00

last year, we began an advent calendar. we celebrate each of the days of december leading up to christmas with an activity. these activities are done as a family and include serving others, making gifts and decorations, and spending time together.

decorating our tree actually occurs on thanksgiving day while we watch the macy's thanksgiving day parade, but here are a few pictures anyway . . .

breakfast with santa . . . we were planning to attend breakfast with santa as a family until i was stricken with the first bout of strep throat. (yes, i said first. i had strep throat twice in december. it definitely altered my original plans for the season. oh well.)

but, josh was so sweet and took them by himself to the most disorganized event since the easter egg hunt. he even put himself in this photo rather than miss out on this classic memory.

and, when he asked on the way home, they all said they had fun and that is all that matters.

writing letters to santa . . .

peter, i mean miller, wrote . . . dear santa, i have been a good boy. for christmas i want: lego R2D2 watch (the one with the little guy).

and, miller made sure to tell santa that was what he wanted at each visit. i hope santa was listening!

zoo lights with friends . . .

painting coffee mugs for family gifts . . .

snowman doughnuts for breakfast . . .

making graham cracker gingerbread houses . . .

we used a glue gun to adhere them together before the fun began.

everyone thought their house was fabulous . . .

but only one thought it looked good enough to eat!

the enchanted forest . . .

and even meme came along for this outing.

and lots and lots of crafts . . .

we made glitter bells and stacking trees and cardboard trees. we used mostly recycled items to make our crafts. next year, i will have to start earlier. and, i would love to tie more of the crafts in with our books. maybe next year i will be more organized . . . maybe ;)

merry christmas

2010-12-25T22:42:00.000-06:00

a little holiday tour

2010-12-22T22:29:00.000-06:00

these are just a few of the things that make it feel a little bit more like christmas at our house . . .

christmas cards and one of our favorite christmas movie quotes

our annual holiday cards and pictures with santa displayed together

tinsel and glitter

stockings hung by the chimney with care (i love that we can do this now!)

my vintage ornaments on a white tree

star lights

glitter bells made from egg cartons

and, a sweet, handmade angel i found at an estate sale.

because fabric makes everything better

2010-12-20T18:47:00.000-06:00

okay, first things first, thank you so much for all the sweet comments reassuring me that i am not the only one who second guesses myself when i am making a gift for someone else!

when making gifts for others, my first rule is it has to be something i would want. and, well, some would say i am finicky. (and, some might say picky, but i prefer the former as it sounds nicer ;) this year, i just couldn't find any inspiration in catalogs or the blog world, so i turned to my stash. i found several magnet strips from ikea i bought a couple of years ago with good intentions to make cute for my kids artwork. then, i found two big ikea boards (similar to this). but, i had 5 teachers and 4 co-workers who needed gifts. so, i searched for a similar board and found nothing. then, while wandering through hobby lobby, i stumbled upon this:

they call it wall decor. it met all my requirements: metal, substantial in size and weight, and 50% off. really, no one should pay full price for anything from there.

i bought 5. one for 4 of the teachers and one for myself because i was starting to get excited about the project. and, collected my supplies.

now, if you own this and it hangs on your wall as is, please do not be offended because that is not the intention. but, the next thing i did was paint a thin coat of acrylic paint over the print.

then, after it dried, i flipped it over and trimmed my fabric so i had about an inch border all the way around. i used a simple linen colored cotton, but it would also be cute in a fun print.

i painted it with a coat of mod podge.

and flipped it face down making sure to smooth out any wrinkles.

then, i cut the corners like so . . .

and mod podged all around the edges tucking the fabric under the already attached hooks.

for the finished product, i added some cute ribbon, 4 magnets and our christmas card.

for the magnets: i used 7/8" covered buttons and fabric scraps like you see in the back ground above (i may have a fabric addiction). i added magnets with hot glue because e6000 is not my friend (or maybe i am impatient, or maybe it was already 2 a.m.). and, made some adorable-y cute, mismatched magnets which may or may not be the entire reason i made this gift.

i thought this would be a cute way to display notes or photos or bits of inspiration or whatever. what would you do with it?

a confession or two

2010-12-18T12:46:00.000-06:00

in the last few years, i have discovered something about myself. i like to make things. and, i like to make things for other people. both of these are confessions. why?

well, when you make something, it is like wearing your heart on your sleeve. (or, at least i think it is . . . i am very bad at understanding old phrasing.) a compliment or criticism can make or break you. example: as a girl, if you buy a shirt on sale and while wearing it, someone comments on how cute it is, then it validates that you got a steal and almost makes the shirt even cuter than it was just minutes before. when i make something, if someone comments that they like it, it tells me maybe it is possible to make something and make it cute. it gives me a little more confidence to try something else. am i the only one who feels this way??

then, i see something i think someone would like. even better, i think i can make this something. at first, i get really excited. i collect all my supplies. i start creating and, another confession, i start to doubt that what i am making would be appreciated by someone else. i start to wonder if they will be sad that they received it. i think, will they want this gift or will they throw it away wondering why i didn't just buy them something . . .

but, when you make something for someone and they like it . . . or they even love it . . . words cannot express how much it makes my heart smile. and, if they find out i made it, and still like it and don't feel like i gipped them out of a real gift . . . well, then i might just make another gift because it feels good to create something for someone else. really good.

so, i confess. and, i wonder am i the only one who feels this way? (oh, good night, people. i really just put myself out there. if you know me, you know i am not so lay-it-all-out about my feelings. abusive punctuation-yes, sharing my fears-no.)

i hope not. and, i hope to share a quick and easy gift tutorial, too.

i'm back and ready to craft!

random photo friday

2010-12-10T22:48:00.002-06:00

our little kicker

2010-11-03T10:15:00.000-05:00

we let the kids pick one activity to participate in when they turn 3. sometimes, it is something necessary but disliked, like swim lessons, and sometimes, it is something they would like to try like ballet.

this year, miller chose soccer.

it began in september. september in memphis is constantly a uv code red or whatever indicating that children and the elderly and pets and anyone with common sense should not be outside.

and, soccer was on sundays from 2-3 p.m. nice.

on day one, miller was so excited to be at soccer.

so excited, he randomly gave thumbs up to strangers.

he ran and ran.

while his personal cheerleader . . .

cheered and cheered.

he appeared to have some moves. we saw promise.

then, the leaves began to fall . . .

and the weather began to cool . . .

and soccer became not so exciting. maybe it was the lack of naps. it was on sundays, so we were all making that sacrifice.

miller followed through--a life lesson we all have to learn. he finished the six (turned eight) week sport, but he just doesn't seem to have the skills to be the next david beckham.

even if he does look adorable sitting on a soccer ball.

falling for fall

2010-11-01T01:51:00.000-05:00

i love holidays. it could possibly be considered an obsession, an unhealthy obsession at that. it starts in september/october with halloween. halloween has become one of my favorite holidays. to me, it is more of a child's holiday, a holiday that celebrates imagination and creativity and self confidence. those things are much better than the halloweens of the past, right??

i love halloween so much i have a tree. a small black wire-y tree that we decorate with handmade paper ornaments each year.

and, i definitely think i could create an advent-type calendar for this time, too. we have several yearly traditions, like the pumpkin patch.

we go to the same one every year. this year, because josh works from home, we were able to go during the day. interestingly enough, the sun shines right through all the trees leaving bright sun spots and weird shadows that you have to watch when taking pictures. note to self: next year, go in the afternoon even if it is fall break ;)

someone kept dropping all the pumpkins we were trying to show her and hand to her. sometimes, it is overwhelming when you are the youngest.

we picked out 6 pie size pumpkins for school projects and carving and one really cool green/gray pumpkin that we never took a picture of. too bad because it was the most perfect pumpkin even if its friend was housing a black widow spider-yikes!

the next day, we headed to do something i have been wanting to do for years. this was definitely a good year to start.

the maze!

we spent lots of time walking in the dusty dustiness. yes, it was so dusty it needed to be reiterated. it was so fun . . . even if we didn't always agree.

but, somehow, we made it out even with so many opinions.

then, just a few days before halloween, we had our annual pumpkin carving night with our friends, the tillmans.

i was inspired by martha's october magazine cover to use pie pumpkins instead of regular pumpkins. it was so much easier! each child had their own pumpkin and there wasn't so much work for us when they decided after the second scoop they were done cleaning it out.

and, they looked adorable in my kitchen window!

happy halloween from neverland

2010-10-31T00:53:00.000-05:00

sugar high

2010-10-25T10:20:00.005-05:00

each year we go to the fall festival at the preschool where i work. it is huge and the kids have so much fun and collect more candy than they can eat and we finish it off at perkins eating brinner with friends.

this year, spencer wanted some candy, too. since candy is awarded as prizes, she had to play a few games.

it is a good thing she is cute because she didn't exactly understand all the rules.

to balance out her lack of ability due to age, she helped with clean up, too.

then, it was off to choose her prize.

it was a difficult decision.

a decision that required much thought . . .

and a little sacrifice . . . even if it was partially eaten.

wrangling three in the crowd made for little photos, but i did make josh take the picture below because many of you know my children, especially carter, have a fear of animals. but, she asked to do this . . .

and, i let her even though there was a girl holding a chicken standing feet away from her and screaming, "cool kids want to hold a chicken!"

no. i did not make this up.

halloween always brings out the crazies.

for the first time

2010-10-22T10:25:00.001-05:00

october has been full of firsts, some may be common, but i am sure some are not so common to all.

the first one happened twice . . . carter lost her first tooth and two weeks later, she lost her second.

this is her tooth fairy pillow i made. it is pictured with the dollar and response letter she received. carter has asked both times to keep her tooth and the second time she asked what was done with the teeth she did collect.

one day, we went to the zoo with friends. it was not a normal day at the zoo . . .

because those sweet friends took my children to see the bird exhibit . . .

and it was spencer's first time.

and, because this day was the first time this little boy wore jeans!

carter had animal day . . .

and chose to be a poodle, specifically poodlena.

the next day, she went to a birthday party dressed as her favorite rock star . . .

taylor swift.

her first time to wear cowboy boots and curl her hair with sponge rollers.

then, it was farm day at preschool:

this is the first time miller enthusiastically dressed up for any day other than pajama day.

. . . and it was spencer's first time to dress up. she was not quite as enthusiastic as she had only been awake for 15 minutes.

and, finally, carter had her first field trip and her first . . .

ride on a school bus. in case you were curious, the field trip was also to the zoo.

while just a few of the highlights of october, these firsts were definitely something worth documenting . . . even if i am backdating it in december ;)

a scraptastic birthday

2010-09-22T10:17:00.000-05:00

months before we were even thinking about how to celebrate, carter overheard that they hold birthday parties at archiver's. assuming that they were for older children, i dismissed the idea, but she did not. in fact, her only request was that her sixth birthday party be at archiver's.

so, i called and they rent out the space for a very minimal fee and provide all the necessary equipment and a teacher. um, yes please. see, i tend to go a little overboard on the birthday thing. because i wanted it all to coordinate and be cute enough for my pink-loving 6 year old, i also provided paper, ribbon, buttons and glue sticks.

then, that morning, carter requested a hat . . . because her sister had one. um, okay, i can squeeze that in.

i used the same adorable paper i used to make the invites to create pinwheels and cupcake toppers and embellish her hat.

after some brief instruction from our teacher, the girls got started creating. they punched and cut and glued . . .

and she was so content to be surrounded by paper and pretties and friends. so, while the girls worked on their pages . . .

we had a little photobooth.

and, she smiled the entire time. once everyone had some fun, we printed them onsite and the girls added them to their page.

and they turned out so cute!

then, it was time to sing . . .

and enjoy some yummy cupcakes. after opening gifts and thanking our guests, i swooped up the table cloths and threw them in the trash. we packed up the car and headed home. it was the easiest party i ever hosted or planned. so easy i might just have the next one at archiver's ;)

he said

2010-08-25T23:31:00.003-05:00

tonight we celebrated carter's birthday with dinner at chili's (her choice, obviously). josh started talking about what we were doing 6 years ago at that moment.
miller: where was i if i wasn't in your belly?
josh: you were a distant thought.
me: we didn't know about you yet.
miller: i was in the sky with God.
josh: yes, and he sent you to us a little later.
miller: did he send me in the mail??

i love . . .

2010-08-20T00:48:00.001-05:00

to hear her read to her sister. it makes my heart so happy!

last day of summer

2010-08-14T10:12:00.001-05:00

determined to have a very full and fun last day of summer, we headed to the sprinkler park after naps.

it was someone's very first time . . .

and, of course, she had to have the perfect shoes for the occasion.

she was a bit hesitant at first, but then she jumped right in!

and, so did her sister!

goodbye summer, we will miss you! but, i think we will appreciate you a lot more next year ;)

it's hot!

2010-08-13T23:55:00.001-05:00

heat will make you do funny things.

since we moved, it has been hot. so hot. and humid. with no rain. in fact, it is really miserable.

but our days as a family of preschoolers is limited. carter had her first day of kindergarten on tuesday. next week, it's five days a week.

so, in an attempt to max out our time and show josh all the things we did when he worked in an office, we decided to go to my big backyard.

today day it was 100 degrees outside. 100 degrees. it was hot. and the heat . . .

can make you forget about the ones you love the most.

can make you bite off more than you can chew.

can make you so tired you want to fall asleep sitting up.

can make you sit in a pool of hot water and forget who or what may have before.

can make you befriend even the most unlikely of friends.

while we will miss the carefree days of summer, we will not miss the heat.

it's official!

2010-08-10T23:37:00.002-05:00

i always knew this day would come. i always knew i would be emotional. and, i always knew she would be excited!

the week before her first day, i cried every time i thought about it. it is such a change. such an adjustment.

she has to go 5 days a week. FIVE days. she has to be there at 8 o'clock. in the MORNING. this is a shock to most of our family. carter gets up at 6:30 a.m. the rest of us get up . . . after her.

it is this frequency and promptness that caused the tears. not because i will miss my sleep (that would be josh most of the time!), but because this means my child will be with someone else more of her day than she is with me.

this same little girl who has been by my side and under my care from the moment she was born will be at school for 7 hours a day.

and this will make our day look a little bit different.

we will miss her during our day, but we know she is having so much fun!

a night at the park

2010-08-09T22:54:00.000-05:00

one of the benefits of our new home is that it is walking distance to the parks that also act as the playground to carter's new school. so, in an attempt to help carter feel comfortable on her first day of school, help miller feel like he is a part of her new experience and spend lots of family time together before the big day, we headed to the park the night before the first day of school.

one of the things we miss about our old house are the swings we had in the back yard. everyone (including me!) loves to swing.

we spent a lot of time in the preschool area of the park. i think we may exceed the weight limit of this little guy!

i'm pretty sure that is true again here! but leave it to their daddy to show them how not to play at the park.

someone decided they needed a drink to cool off from the ridiculous august heat . . .

or a bath. oops! nothing says its time to go like a bottle of crystal crack in your diaper. you could hear her shoes squoosh all the way home!

registration day

2010-08-03T12:32:00.000-05:00

today we attended our first school registration day. my mom came over to watch the younger two while josh and i took carter. we had all the necessary paperwork proving birth date and residence, but when we arrived, we were handed a stack of papers to fill out.

i felt like i was buying another house i signed my name so many times.

even carter had to sign her name . . . on the internet student user agreement. who knew?

once we were finished with the paperwork, we headed to the cafeteria to pickup her supplies.

it was super convenient to just walk up and purchase the kindergarten box that was filled with the exact supplies the teachers has requested including a chair bag (i think it needs a little something-what do you think?) and her choice of nap mat. her choice was barbie. of course, it was.

the first day is approaching fast. let the emotional roller coaster begin.

a change is gonna come

2010-07-29T12:35:00.002-05:00

and, just like the song says, it has been a long time comin'.

when we found out we were expecting carter and the doctor gave us the baby's due date, we knew then that we had a little less than six years before we would have a child in kindergarten.

when we bought our first house within the city limits, we knew when we had children, we would have to make a choice or two: public or private, city or county. and with those decisions would possibly come another move to a different neighborhood to attend that school.

when josh started a new hobby that soon became a passion and later a business, we knew we would have to make some choices-a day job or one job, a home office or a store front.

so, unlike most people, we made all these decisions and changes together. why? honestly, because we are two of the worst procrastinators ever. seriously. and, so, in one single week-we closed on our houses, carter had her last day of preschool, i taught my last day in the classroom (for now), we moved out of our house, and josh quit his day job. that means we have all been home together this summer. no routine. no normalcy. just lots and lots of change.

but, change is good. so good because josh is home now. because we are in a much bigger space we were desperately in need of. because carter started kindergarten today at a school that we feel is the best fit for us. because i will still be at the preschool, but as the director of my age group. and, because routine is on its way and our new normal is about to begin.

a summertime favorite

2010-07-21T17:00:00.000-05:00

i have vivid memories of childhood . . . most of which involve food. one of my favorite summer traditions was going to sno cream castle. it was a tiny little stand with two serving windows and a row of four picnic tables to the side. it had a hand painted list of all their treats from corn dogs to hand dipped ice cream cones. my favorite treat was the rainbow sno cone. we visited the sno cream castle every summer no matter how much the surroundings changed. during college, i stopped there after summer school one day and told josh i wanted them to cater our wedding . . . nothing says forever like footlong corn dogs and sno cones, right?

eventually, the sno cream castle closed its windows forever. occasionally, i drive by its faded sign and remember childhood summers standing in long lines waiting for my yummy sno cone to help quelch the heat of the south.

then, a few years ago, someone introduced us to another local sno cone shop. nestled in a neighborhood that has seen better days, people come from all over the city to stand in long lines to order their favorite flavors from pickle juice to shrek.

so, now, on hot summer nights (and some days), we pile into the car, head down to jerry's, select our favorite flavor and pile into the back of the car to enjoy our tasty treat.

sometimes, we even get to share with friends.

i love that i now get to share this tradition with my own children. while the location may be different, the affection is still the same. there is nothing better than a yummy sno cone on a hot summer day.

if you are local and want to know our favorites, miller loves blueberry, carter loves to try new things, josh loves blackberry supreme and i love wedding cake, but every once and a while i have to go with rainbow.

a detour

2010-07-13T00:33:00.000-05:00

why ikea? well, because it is moderately priced, had several pieces that fit our style, and is located in the same city as josh's family! so, not only did we buy some great pieces, we got to visit his parents and brother.

as some of you know, josh's little hobby that became a business was also a hobby for his father and grandfather. because josh has also been shooting some film, his father gave him an older camera that belonged to his grandfather. they found a couple of rolls of film laying around and, suddenly, josh had some entertainment for the week.

josh's brother was able to come stay with us one night. the next morning, he dug through the basement and came up with a huge plastic bin of legos.

he and miller created for hours. and, miller even got to bring home a few pieces.

meanwhile, carter was busy doing some needle point with grammie. she sewed her name onto the canvas all by herself. grammie helped thread the needle with each color and gave some helpful instruction.

later that night on our way to eat yummy mexican, i convinced josh to drag our sweaty kids into a field covered in white wild flowers. never mind the fact that he had to strategically avoid the grave yard located in the background.

while our brave little boy trudged out into the field without hesitation, the girls were a hard sell. after a few minutes, we decided they had done their time in the tall grass and headed to dinner.

i know they will one day be annoyed by the clark griswold-like abandon we use when selecting our next destination. i am sure it will embarrass them when we make a quick stop, drag everyone out of the car and dash across busy streets to have a few pictures taken. but, i hope one day, they remember these crazy ventures fondly inspiring them to create their own detours. look kids. big ben. parliament.

back to reality

2010-07-08T18:07:00.000-05:00

we returned from la to boxes and painting and cleaning and reality. josh had to work out the last four days of his day job including one out of town and shoot a wedding. carter was in the midst of kindergarten camp and the rest of us just waited. on the first day we could, we finally moved into the new house. or at least we put beds in all the rooms so everyone could sleep there. josh set up his office. and we took the big kids to vbs. then, we started to unload the boxes. so many boxes.

and, then we realized we were missing some furniture. miller didn't have a dresser . . . because it was built into the closet at the old house. i didn't have a craft cabinet . . . . because it was the built-in from the playroom at the old house. we were in need of some things. so, we decided to take a little road trip . . . .

to ikea! because we planned on buying several things and the beast (our expedition) is pretty maxed out just from shear numbers, we decided to rent a u-haul once we arrived.

we had heard about ikea's play place. because we had so much shopping to do, we thought we would try

it. so, we dropped the big kids off and were given a pager and 45 minutes of shopping time sans 2 walking kids. (in case you don't know, 45 minutes of shopping time with only one kid who will sit in a cart is equivalent to 3 days of shopping with 2 additional children who walk alongside the cart wandering off because they saw something shiny or begging for every little trinket they absolutely neeeed.) so with our trusty ikea pencil and list in hand we raced off to make the best of our time.

we managed to walk through the vignettes and the showroom documenting all our furniture needs before our 45 minutes were up. we also met up with josh's parents and grabbed another cart for the little stuff because their carts are tiny.

we spent hours (literally) wandering around ikea buying picture frames and cheese graters and cinnamon rolls. and, when looking though bin after bin lost its excitement, carter and miller found their own way to entertain themselves . . . and others passing by. while it wasn't as fun as the rock wall, ball pit, movie theater or art center in the play place, they seemed to be just as happy.

eventually our time at ikea came to a close, but not before we had taken advantage of their amazing prices and their incredibly kid friendly environment. in fact, if i hadn't carried her out kicking and screaming, my little ocd handwashing baby would still be right here . . .

we miss you, ikea! and your swedish meatballs, cinnamon rolls, tiny sinks, free diapers, paper measuring strips, free play place and all your other family friendliness. other stores should stop and take notice. we would tell them, but we are too busy putting together all this . . .

but, we will see you next time . . . the kids can't wait to come back and play!

. . . that's where i wanna be

2010-06-30T01:01:00.000-05:00

since josh and i began having babies, we have only been away from them a few times and it was usually to bring home a sibling. but, two years ago, josh surprised me with a trip to los angeles. due to his strict vacation schedule with his previous job, we left after work on friday and returned sunday evening. since then, we have always wanted to go back and stay a little longer. when some friends were leaving for a cruise from los angeles, we decided to fly over and see a little more of the city.

i think there are two types of travelers-people who like to vacation like a sight seer and people who like to vacation like a local. josh and i are typically the latter. and, we LOVE to eat. so, lots of our vacation revolves around food. by the time our friends landed, we had already planned the day.

we started here.

then, we headed here because we couldn't wait . . .

for this . . . rows and rows of beautiful fabrics. it was total eye candy. we (um, the girls) just wandered in awe trying to selectively choose what we could pack and carry home.

it was a hard decision.

at first, at least one boy, was entertained by taking pictures, but then we were told that was not allowed. huh. so, they waited patiently. patiently, knowing that once we were done, we would finish our day at the farmers market. and, enjoy this . . .

oh.my.goodness.
so yummy.
followed by mango yogurt with fresh fruit from pinkberry.
more goodness.

and, that was day one.

now, you are probably expecting day two, but we apparently didn't take very many more pictures so that might be a little difficult. so, it went a little like this:

yummy brunch at john o'groats
a little ferris wheel at the santa monica pier
some random wandering at the promenade
a little visit with a friend of our friends
followed by a swanky dinner at firefly
until 1 am
uh, that was 3 am our time
we were so tired
because we have 5 children between the two couples
and we are usually only up at 3 am
when someone is sad or sick

but, that is okay because we could sleep in and it was still only 9 am
that is why i love la

so, on day 3
we hit wahoo's fish taco
dropped our friends at the boat
shopped ikea
shot an engagement shoot
dropped the film
and ended the day where we began on day one.

because on day 4
we returned to reality.
and, this is reality . . .

three weeks

2010-06-20T00:26:00.000-05:00

the last two months have been a blur. when i thought about this summer, i saw it as this amazing time where we would squeeze in all these fun activities knowing that this would be carter's last summer before she started school. in the dream-laden haziness, i saw josh being home to spend time with us and taking one day a week off for us to do some family filled trip to the zoo or the sprinkler park or the gardens or somewhere. anywhere. but here. trapped inside our house because the heat and randomness have gotten in the way of us packing up and heading out.

let me back up. so, when i last left you, we were living with my parents for a few days while we waited to get possession of our new house. days turned into weeks. three. to be exact.

in those three weeks, carter attended a morning camp two weeks. summer camps are great because they get your kid out doing something fun for usually a week so they don't get bored, get to try something new for not too much money, and you get a small break. except you have to entertain the younger one because he is sad he didn't get to go to camp, too. and, you have to make your day fit the camp schedule. therefore, cleaning and painting our new house wasn't exactly the top priority those days.

in those three weeks, josh and i took a little trip to los angeles. by ourselves. that's right.

but, we left my parents with the same three children that had already overstayed their welcome because when we planned this trip last october our house was supposed to go on the marked in january, not march. because i know you are wondering, all my children and my parents survived. even the one who is as cute as she thinks.

in those three weeks (and a few extra random days since), we painted every single room in the house except josh's office and the hallways. every single room.

in those three weeks, my children watched more tv and movies than should be allowed. ever.

then after three weeks, when we realized how long it was taking, we decided everyone should pitch in and pull their own weight.

we decided three weeks was long enough.

we decided what was done was good enough.

and we moved in.

most of these photos were found on our point and shoot camera. apparently two little somebodies did something other than watch tv while we were working ;)

she said

2010-06-11T14:19:00.001-05:00

we went to los angeles for a few days and my parents kept our kids. when we returned, i was told the following story:

carter had been tattle taling on my dad all day. she walks into my parents bedroom where my mom is and proclaims, "papaw is wrong."

my mom: "wrong about what?"

carter: "he says i am not as cute as i think i am!"

hahahahahahahahahahaha! oh, to be that confident.

lost

2010-06-09T21:17:00.002-05:00

there are some things i can't live without. there are some things i can't imagine waking up and not being a part of my life. and, occasionally, something sneaks onto that list without me even knowing how dependent i have become. like diet coke.

sometimes, i fight the relationship at first. sometimes, i refuse to believe how needy i am. but then, when i let my guard down, i realize that the opportunities are immense, the possibilities endless. and, suddenly, the love affair begins.

at first, it was just a picture or a phone call but then it was directions no matter where i was or the ability to make a list when my 5 year old had ganked every pen within a 5 mile radius. and, even when i didn't handle it with care, even when the impact forced little spider like veins to scatter across its body, it continued because it knew i needed it. it knew i couldn't make contact with the outside world unless it was in my possession. but, everything has a breaking point . . .

and, a concrete floor was its demise. now, it just glows.

and, i can't do anything. i can't call or be called. i can't text or be texted. i can't make a list or find out where i am or check the weather in los angeles (which i needed because i was in los angeles!) or take a picture when my baby fell asleep on the floor the other day or check email or entertain children with various games or function. somehow, slowly, over the last two years, my entire brain was transferred into various iphone apps. and now, it is gone. all gone.

goodbye, friend. i will miss you.
well, at least until the bigger, better version of you enters my life.

really?

2010-05-30T01:34:00.000-05:00

as some of you know, i'm not a fan of jeans on my kids. i just don't see how they are comfortable for babies and i feel like they make my little ones look too grown up. i know i am in the minority here. trust me.

but who knew the demand was so great? huggies did.

no, this is not a snl skit. though i really thought it was at first. and, according to this, not only am i in the minority in not putting jeans on my kids, but i may be in the minority if i put pants on my kid at all.

thrifty thursday

2010-05-27T11:08:00.001-05:00

there has been very little estate saling to be had this winter. maybe it was because of the freezing cold temperatures (not anymore . . . 90 degrees in may. so sad.) maybe it was because there weren't any sales to hold. but, a few weeks ago, i had some luck at a few . . .

what you see:
a sweet pink dishwasher basket
a milk glass spice bottle (for my mom-she loved it!)
a few children's school books
a stack of flashcards
some old valentines
a dogwood handkerchief (love the colors)
some vintage christmas
a stack of craft fruit baskets
a collection of golden books with no cover
a metal grid (for flower arranging?)
a silhouette in a sweet little round frame
a metal tray (with hand drawn mushrooms?? random.)
and a tole pendant light

i was really excited about the pendant light. i see it all shiny and new after a few coats of spray paint hanging in one of my girls' rooms. and, the metal tray will get the same treatment followed by someone's monogram, maybe. so many possibilities with all these new rooms to decorate . . .

and on the home front, we are still crashing with the 'rents. (bless their hearts.) the only day my kids slept past 6:30 a.m. was the morning after my parents had spent the night away- as in away from us. we will start painting today. ahh, gallons and gallons of new fresh light colors of paint are waiting for me and anyone who knows how to use a roller. see ya there!

mi casa es su casa

2010-05-24T00:16:00.000-05:00

i have a really good reason why i have been such a blog slacker since march. i was so excited to be all caught up after disney and was ready to get back in my memory documenting, crafty showing routine when something unexpected occurred. well, i think unexpected is a lie, it's probably more like inevitable.

see, when baby numero tres entered our world, josh put the brakes on private school. not that we are private school only people, but due to the location of our current home, it was private school or jail. i say jail because if you don't take your kid to school, then they are truent. if your child is truent, the po-lice take you to jail. (that's what happens, right?) and, well, home schooling is not a current option for carter and me. she needs to go to school in the fall.

so, that means we have to move. and, in order to buy a house, you need to sell a house. or, in our case, you accidentally put a contingent offer on a house and attempt to sell your own that is not even on the market in less than a month. and, well, i can't make a story any shorter than i just did.

there is one thing we have learned that when in our circumstances, we all have to make sacrifices.

example 1: when you miss your realtor's call because your baby had your phone and your husband texts you to say she is standing on the front porch waiting for you to leave and you throw everyone in the car while sweeping up the play dough mess and every one is complaining that they still have on their pajamas, sometimes you have to wear your sister's pants.

even if they are a size 18 month.

example 2: when you spend the entire afternoon working on birthday sewing because your parents graciously take your children for the afternoon and your mother gives them all a bath, but they have no current pajamas at her house, but all of their past season clothes are being stored there, sometimes you have to wear last year's pajamas.

or the year before that. whatever.

example 3: when it's been three weeks since you put a contingent contract on a house and you really only have another week to sell yours in order to have enough time for all the processing and junk and you are having an open house in an hour, everyone has to pull their weight.

even if you're a baby.

and sometimes, or at least this time, it all works out.

and you wait until the last minute to pack and find out one day before closing that you won't get possession of your new house until five days after you give up possession of your current house.

so, now, we are homeless.

and, we are all having to make sacrifices. (especially my parents!)

i guess we can always hire spencer out if we need to.

random photo friday

2010-05-21T00:17:00.000-05:00

picture taken december 2009

it's a pirate's life for miller

2010-05-15T16:12:00.000-05:00

so, somebody had a birthday which means somebody also had a birthday party.

miller made his birthday theme request not long after his last birthday party. most of their requests have been unique; a fun challenge to create as at the time, no one else was planning something similar. but, this request has been done. over done. well done. done.

his request: a pirate party. he had very specific requests including activities and decor. for me, the challenge this time was making it unique.

i began like i do every party planning event-i asked my mom what she might already have i could use. she is a wealth of all things. she provided me with yardage of several fabrics. these fabrics became the foundation of the party. they also became sashes, booty bags and buntings.

when the children arrived at the party, they choose a sash, a booty bag, a hat (ordered from oriental trading co) and an eye patch.

once they were geared up, all the buccaneers hung out on the ship for further instruction.

to create the ship, we used the plans and rivets from mr. mcgroovy and graciously received the boxes from a local independent appliance store that has since gone out of business. and, by we, i mean my husband and my father.

the first activity was walk the plank:

after successfully escaping the dangerous waters, each buccaneer received a compass for their booty bag.

then, an announcement was made that captain miller was ready to read the treasure map.

look how cute they are using the compass to read the map.

captain miller leads the way . . .

buried in the sand, the children found necklaces, rings, jewels and coins.

after filling their booty bags with loot, it was time for some fish and chips, served with frosty ale (root beer), crocodile's blood (sprite with hawaiian punch ice cubes),

and some fruit skewers.

then, it was time for my favorite part-cupcakes!

making a big wish . . .

they were red velvet with cream cheese icing. yummy.

besides telling me that a pirate ship must be present for it to be a pirate party, miller was also insistent on a pinata. though i didn't necessarily think the custom went with the theme, finding a pinata that fit the theme was a breeze. some how there are no pictures of the actual event.

our last activity was the canon ball pop. the goal was to keep your canon ball from being popped. after outfitting each child with a balloon canon ball, the fun began.

some of them ran to protect theirs,

while others ran to pop them,

but, everyone was sad to see their's go.

after successfully making most of the kids cry when their canon ball was popped, we called it a day. (hmm, maybe, the buried treasure should have been the last activity.) all the buccaneers left with their booty bags full of loot that they had pillaged and plundered for.

yo, ho, ho, it's a pirate's life for miller!

he is four

2010-05-11T23:05:00.000-05:00

this is my sweet boy at the beach last year. he had just turned 3.

this is him just a few days after he turned 4. four.

because i want to freeze time and enjoy him at this age forever, i want to document some of my favorite things about miller at 4:

*he has a huge heart. he loves his mommy like no one else. he is so protective of his baby sister and recently told me that he likes being a big brother better than a little brother. (i don't blame him.)

*he can sleep anywhere. (look at how long he is??) this is what happens if he doesn't get a nap. he cannot make it. can.not.

*he has the sweetest voice. i love to hear him talk and there are several things i could hear him say over and over again. (including: WHAT?!?, Hugh) of course, this same voice can make glass break when he is upset.

*he lays his clothes out on the floor before putting them on, complete with his shoes on the wrong feet ;)

*he still loves books, toy story, pockets, and the colors hot blue and brown. he still loves blueberries, tomatoes (but he doesn't pronouce them bumatoes anymore :( ), cheese, and milk and will take a bite of anything once. even if it is just once.

*he comes up with bedtime get-ups that look like this:

this kid is a mess. full of personality. full of life. full of love. he makes our life more full because he is in it. happy 4th birthday, miller!

holla

2010-05-07T23:11:00.000-05:00

since i posted spencer's first birthday pictures, i have received some of the kindest words. when creating anything, i usually do so for myself. (of course, when others show interest it is the icing on the cake.) but, when creating for my kids, i usually go over the top and enjoy myself even more. i loved creating every second of it and love that others have enjoyed it, too. so, just in case you want to check it out, i thought i would give a shout out to the girls who have featured spencer's little party:

birthday girl

little shindigs

table tops for tots

so, in true ellen style, holla!
thank you, ladies!

art for art's sake?

2010-05-02T22:35:00.000-05:00

each year, we have an art show at preschool. it is a fun night of family, food, entertainment and our children's art. we save pieces they have completed throughout the year and display them in various ways. the kids loved showing their daddy all the things they have made this year.

carter's display outside her classroom

miller's self portrait

i love that he used yellow and brown paper because he said his hair was both colors.

this is carter's self portrait from fall:

"it's me in the belly of a crocodile."

(yes, she cut it out all by herself-she has mad cutting skillz.)

many of the older classes, do another self portrait in the spring for comparison.

this is carter's self portrait from spring:

when i first saw the drawing, i asked her what was in the picture with her.

"it's a potty. that's me about to go to the bathroom."

me: "why . . . yes . . . it is."

our easter in pictures

2010-04-29T23:47:00.000-05:00

night dying

2010-04-26T22:57:00.001-05:00

another easter tradition is dying eggs with our friends. in an attempt to channel our inner martha, we read up on and watched all the tutorials she gave for this year's eggs. armed with a cricut and several martha punches and some vinyl, we thought we were ready. while the guys grilled and the kids played, we punched and cut and prepared for the event. once everyone was fed, we finally began. by now, it was almost dark, but anyone with kids knows some activities are best done outside so we pushed through.

we had almost three dozen.

we had each vinyled up 10 or so and each participating child had 4.

each child immediately dropped their eggs in a dye cup. they took about 2.5 seconds to finish dying all their eggs.

then, they were more than willing to help the mommies with their eggs.

meanwhile, this little guy was trying to climb into the koi pond. luckily, our husbands wrangled the youngest two or this little guy would have been swimming with the fishes, literally. spencer sat in her high chair nibbling away at dinner quiet as a mouse. it got so dark, we had to get a flash light to see what color we were dying our eggs. when we flashed it on spencer to see what she was doing, she was covered in mosquitos. that's when we headed in.

where did we go wrong or why don't our eggs look like martha's:

*instead of a beautiful studio full of all the things you may or may not need to dye eggs, we were scrambling to get everything outside and within our range of use.

*instead of incredibly gifted artisans with degrees from top notch art schools as assistants, we had 5 incredibly cute helpers who all attend preschool, though some of them are quite crafty themselves.

*instead of preparing for this project months ago using regular working days to practice and perfect the ideas before publishing them, we texted about our plan briefly 24 hours before putting it to use and began preparation less than an hour before the sun went down.

martha, we got nothin' on you because these two girls will never be that prepared. we just don't function like that. we are last-minute, up-til-the-wee-hours, pull-it-off kinda girls.

and, well, that works for us.

sometimes.

the hunt

2010-04-25T21:19:00.001-05:00

like most holidays, we have several traditions we like to do each easter. one that we have done for the last few years is the family egg hunt at the botanic gardens. this year it was the day before easter just like every other egg hunt.

waiting can be so hard . . .

last year, our experience was horrible. this year, i was determined to be on time so we wouldn't have the same problem. in actuality, we were early (i know, can you believe it?) so, after a few activities, we went to wait at the designated area for our age egg hunt (3-5 year olds). we started to worry when the people next to us broke the tape keeping everyone out of the hunt area so they would have an advantage (i am not kidding). we heard people strategizing about where to go and how to get the most eggs. (really?) then, they finally sounded the horn and right out of the gate, carter tripped and fell in the mud. (it had been raining for days.) just like anyone else, we become suddenly competitive and start yelling at her to get up and go when we see this . . .

bless his heart! he can't take the stress. it happens every year. but, for some reason, they will allow one parent to accompany a child in this age group, so i run out to assist him. remember, my competitive nature has reared it's head and i proceed to drag miller to every area i can see eggs just in time for someone else to snatch them up! along the way, i see adults grabbing eggs and dropping them in their kid's baskets and i even saw one woman with at least 100 eggs being held in her shirt like a sling. (fyi, this egg hunt might have lasted all of two minutes and the children participating were supposed to be 3-5.)

sweet girl still searching for more eggs

assessing the damage to the knee

the walk of shame, i mean honor

because we did not cheat for the 9 and 11 eggs they collected.

after a brief discussion about why we still follow the rules when many choose not to, we headed for pictures with the easter bunny. poor spencer, she didn't even see it coming . . .

followed by her "i-am-really-beside-myself-and-you-don't-seem-to-care" face

a quick race to the big tree on our way to daffodil hill

my sweet girls in the beautiful white daffodils

and, miller marching through the dead ones, but i really dig the way josh framed it.

after daffodil hill, the kids had their faces painted with stencils. (really? a stencil. it was horrible. they couldn't find anyone who had enough talent to paint simple spring images on kids' cheeks.) and, they ran out of water- the only thing miller and i wanted to drink. so, josh bought me a diet coke. it didn't taste right, so i commented, "this diet coke taste like . . . " and josh chimed in " . . . disappointment."

we couldn't take any more, so we headed out early, picked up some sonic happy hour treats and headed home for another holiday tradition that evening.

from socks to pigtails

2010-04-22T23:30:00.001-05:00

what do they say about march? in like a lion, out like a lamb . . . or is it in like a lamb, out like a lion?

i have no idea, but if you were talking about our march, it would be crazy.

while i have a lot of catching up to do, i will begin with a few random pictures of our every day.

sometimes when my kids are playing at my parents' house, they will take a bath because everything is better at meme and papaw's house. my mom started curling carter's hair with sponge rollers occasionally and she loved it. one night after a bath at home, she requested i curl her hair. because i do not own a curler of any kind, i rocked it old school with socks. josh was so confused. having come from a house full of boys, he had no idea why i would use socks. i told him he was lucky we didn't have frozen orange juice cans or i would have used those. do they even make those anymore??

on a lazy monday, dr. carter requested i see her for an appointment.

it's a good thing i took her up on the suggested appointment as i had an ear infection and needed a shot.

(why do all pretend doctor visits end in a shot? i know the majority of our real appointments don't.)

she loves making graphs and charts.

look at those chubby baby thighs

playing on the playground at preschool during spring break

(i know, we can't stay away.)

and, for the first time,

piggies!!

josh suggested we see if spencer's hair would go in pigtails. i couldn't believe it was already long enough.

oh. my. goodness!

we ♥ disney

2010-04-14T23:43:00.000-05:00

blogging disney is difficult. maybe that is why i know a few blogs that stopped being updated after attempting to blog a disney trip. i am relieved this trip is documented and ready to move on. because not everything seemed to fit somewhere, here are a few more random disney facts:

miller thinks we took a wrong turn on our way to the beach and that is how we ended up at disney world.

my kids are obsessed with peter pan. obsessed.

randomly, when we are driving, carter or miller will throw their hands up and act like they are on a roller coaster. weeeeee!

because many of you asked, yes, i did make the mickey shirts from day 1 and the guitar shirt from day 4.

i relished in taking a not-yet-walking 13 month old to disney. she was content in the stroller and my sling when we had to stroller park, which was often.

even my dad was impressed with the disney experience.

i really want to go back. soon. like they say, it is the happiest place on earth.

"just keep swimming, just keep swimming . . . "

downtown disney

2010-04-13T01:19:00.000-05:00

because we didn't go to sea world, we had an extra day with nothing to do. we had planned to do downtown disney one night, but instead we spent a very lazy last day there just enjoying the beautiful weather and riding out the disney happiness high.

after lunch at t.rex, we played at the lego store:

and played . . .

then, we headed into the world of disney to pick up some souvenirs and play . . .

poor miller, he has so many years left to endure this kind of stuff

spencer popped herself in the eye with the elastic strap on her hat and made her i am beside myself face

once all was right with the world, we got the obligatory hat picture

and then enjoyed mickey bars (another mandated disney activity)

but, one of us appeared to not enjoy a mickey bar, nor did she enjoy watching everyone else with theirs

any day that ends like this is a good day!

favorites:
carter: mickey bar
miller: t rex restaurant
spencer: well, it definitely wasn't the mickey bar, now was it?

more magic at the castle

2010-04-07T11:31:00.000-05:00

our last disney day we spent at magic kingdom. the weather took a drastic turn and we woke up to temperatures barely above freezing. so, we bundled up and hit the park.

we began with mickey's house which is set up like a museum, and then headed out to the judges tent to meet mickey and minnie.

meeting mickey and minnie was one of the things they had been anticipating the entire trip.

next, we headed to minnie's adorable pink and purple cottage. she is a much better hostess than mickey as we were allowed to sit on the sofa. isn't it adorable? i only wish all my fabrics were covered in laminate. it would definitely be more kid friendly!

spencer began giving kisses this week complete with the "mmmmm" sound. so, we spent a lot of time giving and receiving. "mmmmm . . . ."

who knew minnie loved to sew!
then we were off to the barnstormer-their first roller coaster. they loved it! i think we might have a couple of thrill seekers on our hands. after lunch at pinocchio village haus, we grabbed fast passes to peter pan's flight, checked on the wait time at ariel's grotto and then headed to adventureland.

spencer played peek-a-boo with josh while we waited in line at aladdin's magic carpets.

we paired off while we waited our turn.

then, we enjoyed another version of everyone's favorite ride.
we also rode pirates of the caribbean and the jungle cruise before we headed back to fantasyland. miller was a little fearful at pirates of the caribbean because you begin in complete darkness like the disastrous dinosaur at animal kingdom, but he was much happier when he found out that pirates filled these caves. he said his favorite part was "when the pirates were happy" at the end.
"yo, ho ho, it's a pirates life for me . . ."

in fantasyland, we began with another ride on the tea cups.

then, ran to fantasy garden with belle.

"who likes to read?"

miller was much more smitten with belle this time around.

and, the lighting was much better. when we were finished it was time for peter pan's flight, and then we finally gave in to the wait at ariel's grotto. the wait time: 50 minutes.

it was the longest wait of the entire trip. we thought it would go faster as the line didn't look that long. the wait was not as entertaining as the other rides-their was no movie clips, no funny banter with flounder or sebastian, no twisty turns that made us think we had been waiting for seconds instead of minutes.

once carter was drenched by the little playground area, we used the only entertainment we know- the camera. my parents swapped out littles-spencer rode small world again, miller rode cinderella's carousel again, they both had a snack at pinocchio's again.

and, just when we thought we couldn't take it anymore, it was our turn. and, we totally understood-we were with her for at least ten minutes.

discussing geography and life on land vs. under the sea

she was so quirky and quick and just like you might imagine ariel to be.

then, miller joined the discussion. again, smitten. ariel decided to make fish faces to make him laugh.

more fish faces

it was so worth the wait!

when we were finished we headed to get settled for the spectromagic parade & fireworks.

during the fireworks, carter said, "disneyworld is the best city!"

sweet papaw let miller use his his shoulders during the parade which was not short. but, they were in awe and it was a great way to end our time at disney world.

favorites:
carter: meeting ariel and the pirates of the caribbean
miller: the barnstormer and the pirates of the caribbean and getting to buy toy story and pirate souvenirs
spencer: miller's mickey mouse light saber

favorite ride: pirates of the caribbean

bunny love

2010-03-31T10:01:00.001-05:00

last year, i made this bunny garland. it is one of my favorite paper things i have made. i hung it in the aqua frame i painted for spencer's first birthday party and, ahh, i could look at it all day. i haven't gotten to craft much for easter this year, so we are going simple with this and a little bunny topiary. i am enjoying the simplicity, but definitely felt the need to decorate with something. am i the only one who feels the need to decorate for each holiday?

where the wild things are

2010-03-29T11:00:00.000-05:00

disney day 3 was spent at the animal kingdom. it was the warmest hottest day we were at disney and the humidity was ridiculous as it rained the next day. almost immediately after entering the park we knew this would be our hardest day-it was hot, the park is really spread out and we were starting to drag from our long drive/lack of sleep/immense disney fun.

look who we found at the gate!

miller wasn't really sure what to do with goofy

after making lunch reservation at the rainforest cafe, we attempted a picture in front of the tree of life. i think this sums up everyone's feelings about the heat. and, yes, this is the best picture we got.

our first attraction was kilimanjaro safaris. as josh said, it made the entire day worth while. it was amazing to see the animals so close. the kids were in awe.

when we were finished, we headed to harambe train station so we could catch a ride on the wildlife express to rafiki's planet watch. we had heard the affection section contained exotic breeds of animals for the kids to see and pet.

here is one of the exotic breeds. looks like a sheep to me. it was a long ride and walk for miller to pet a sheep.

in fact, all the animals looked just like the ones happy times farm brings to the preschool each fall.

exotic, huh.

the most amazing details of the animal kingdom are in the street scenes they have created in africa and asia. you really feel like you were on another continent. miller and carter found the african drums on our walk to asia. because josh has been to india, he really wanted to see how the disney created asia compared to the real thing.

from here, we headed to the festival of the lion king. it was amazing. spencer spent most of the time trying to crawl out of the sling so she could see more of the entertainment. our stay at camp minnie-mickey put us past due for lunch. so, we hurried out of the park to have a little lunch break. we definitely cooled off while watching the animals in the rainforest. since we had never been to the rainforest cafe, the kids were fascinated. we left with just enough time to ride the triceratop spin before traumatizing miller at dinosaur. because he reached the minimum height requirement and loves dinosaurs, we thought why not? ooh, why did we do that? it was one of the roughest, scariest rides especially for a 3 year old. the ride occurs in complete darkness. we rode in an atv that herks and jerks down a path while life size dinosaurs come at you (complete with disney breath-in-face effects). i literally spent most of the time trying to protect miller from the craziness while he buried his head behind my arm. sweet carter just looked at her daddy and asked, "are they real?" to which he replied, "no, sweetie, they are like big toys." after all that, we finished the day with finding nemo-the musical. the big kids loved it, so much so they still sing several of the original songs from it.

"just keep swimming . . ."

favorites:
carter: dinosaur (brave girl!)
miller: triceratop spin and kilimanjaro safaris
spencer: kilimanjaro safaris and the rainforest cafe

favorite ride: kilimanjaro safaris

yes, somehow we took very few picture, like we should be ashamed so few pictures. after our miserably hot, full-of-walking, exhausted-looking kids day, we decided to take a disney break. our vacation day four plan was sea world. sea world on february 24th. because they were predicting rain, we opted to hit the outlet malls instead. we are so thankful were not at the park on that traumatic day. we already knew we would have to explain the death of my parents' cat eventually, but we didn't want to have to explain the unexplainable.

random photo friday

2010-03-19T13:30:00.000-05:00

magic at the castle

2010-03-15T17:54:00.000-05:00

disney day two was the day everyone was anticipating- well the adults, that is, because what the kids didn't know was we had an 8:25 reservation for breakfast at cinderella's royal castle. we woke the kids up (that never happens at home) and told carter about our reservations.

i had packed carter's favorite princess dresses from home and let her choose which dress and how she wanted to have her hair done. it wasn't exactly what mommy would have chosen, but this day was all about her and i didn't want it any other way.

we were so proud of ourselves when we pulled out of the driveway around the same time we had planned. it is a longer walk into the park itself and then you have to take the monorail. on the monorail we chose, the driver announces that we are going to play cat and mouse with the one behind us to see if he can find us as a testing procedure. uhh, really. does this seem like a good idea to you?? and, what about all these cute little princesses waiting to have breakfast at the castle? after ten of the longest minutes suspended in the sky in the middle of the monorail, he found us safely and we moved along. so, needless to say, we were late as usual. of course, we still had time to stop and take pictures because there were very few people in the park as it wasn't open yet.

she was so excited! we headed into the castle and were greeted by cinderella. we had our picture taken with her and then were ushered up the spiral staircase. as we were headed to the staircase, i looked at carter who had tears in her eyes. big, watery eyes. i asked her if she was okay and she could only nod her head. then, i realized that she was emotional from meeting cinderella! it was so precious. i held back my own tears as we climbed the stairs knowing that this was so magical for her.

upstairs, we were seated in the raised area of the dining room. the chef immediately arrived at our table and asked miller what he would like for breakfast. we had noted miller's nut allergy on the reservation just because it asked, but never dreamed the attention he would receive. the chef brought out each course of miller's food and verified that everything was nut free. it was nice for miller to get some special attention for his allergy instead of always having to tell him he can't eat things.

a little bit about the experience: all of the servants (the role they are playing) refer to you as "my lord" and "my lady" and "the royal family". each princess is completely in character and never, ever sways. as we enjoyed our breakfast, they would announce the arrival of each princess. then, each princess would make her way around the room, signing autograph books and having her picture taken. we were in the worst location for photos. poor, josh! every one on the main floor had amazing light from the beautiful windows, but we were in the darkness. but, it doesn't matter because the pictures are just a memory of the experience, right?

first, we met aurora. she referred to miller as the prince and said "he was as handsome as prince philip." well, of course, he is.

next was snow white. if only josh had a picture of miller's reaction. he has always been his favorite because she wears hot blue. isn't she beautiful? i think i see why he is so smitten!

then, jasmine. she asked, "are you going to hang this portrait on your palace walls?" yes, yes we are.

and, finally, belle. she has always been carter's favorite princess. carter got all teary-eyed again when she met her-so sweet! belle immediately noticed carter's dress and said, "oh, i see you are wearing my ball gown. you must have a date with the beast later."

i love that miller is more infatuated with his sword than the beautiful princess touching his arm.

and, then spencer. belle was the only princess who gave much attention to her. right after this picture was taken, spencer moved belle's hand off of her arm and belle said, "oh, you don't like to be disturbed. i understand. i am like that when i am in the middle of a good book."

after we finished and carter changed, we headed out to start the day in the magic kingdom.

of course, we had to begin our day with peter pan's flight.

because we entered the park early and the weather was a little overcast, our wait at most of the rides was almost non-existent.

spencer loved it's a small world. and, i definitely appreciated it more as an adult. it's all about the details.

our longest wait for the day had to be dumbo the flying elephant. but, it was worth it. can you tell how much fun they had?

and, miller and carter enjoyed it, too.

making plans at cinderella's golden carrousel

miller loved the carrousel

so much so that he rode it again on day 2 at magic kindgom.

spencer rode her first carrousel. she didn't want to be up there alone, so i had to ride to.

carter rode "the royal horse" next to us, or so she called it.

next, we went to mickey's philharmagic. i really wasn't expecting much, but it was so cute and the kids loved it. when that was over, we let the grandparents take spencer to sit and have a snack and we headed to the mad tea party.

while we were waiting for our turn, we spotted alice in a tea cup! she was spinning with a little girl dressed up in an alice costume-it was so cute! when we left the tea cups, an impromtu signing was taking place, and , of course, we had to meet her.

after our time in fantasyland, we headed to tomorrow land and did buzz lightyear's space ranger spin, monsters inc laugh floor, tomorrowland transit authority, tomorrowland speedway. we finished just in time to get a seat for the celebrate a dream come true parade.

waiting for the parade to start

carter's way of waiting

do you see the button in miller's hand? it is one of the "my first time" buttons they hand out when you enter the park. he carried it everywhere that day. everywhere. he was so cute about it.

he was not sure he was okay with this guy.

but, she was definitely okay with this girl. we love some toy story, and carter really wanted to meet jesse, but she wasn't with buzz and woody at hollywood studios. after the parade, we headed out so we could get the kids to bed early. it was definitely a magical day and one i doubt anyone will soon forget.

some more quotes for the day:

"miller, if you get hit by a car, you won't get to go back tomorrow." me
"i'm too tired to go to bed." carter

favorites:

carter: meeting all the princesses

miller: dumbo with papaw and the race track with daddy, and the teacups, and peter pan and the carousel

spencer: small world

favorite ride: peter pan

he said

2010-03-11T23:19:00.000-06:00

we have been sick, sick, sick. between the stomach virus that took our house by storm and the fever virus that has latched onto spencer for the last 5 days, i am over it. i have yet to take all three kids to preschool this week. luckily, my gracious parents have kept the ailing children so i could teach, and get a break from the sickies. so, today miller and spencer stayed with my parents at their home. let me set this up with a little back story:

when i was 17, i took in a stray cat while my parents were on vacation. yes, i did this occasionally much to my father's chagrin. thankfully, josh's allergy has curbed this unwelcome habit. my mother, who probably fostered such antics, took the cat to the vet and found out that he was a young cat who had been neutered and then dumped. so, we kept him. fast forward 15 years and here sit my parents with a 17 year old ailing cat who lives in the upstairs of their home do to my children's unwarranted fear of things that jump. even though they rarely saw him, they loved him and asked about him often. miller had become brave enough in the last year to help feed and care for him. this new found affection kept my parents from doing what they so desperately knew needed to be done. so, a couple of weeks before our disney trip, my mom did it, and then left town in hopes that my children would forget. ahh . . . naivety, naivety.

while we were in disney, they mentioned continuing their vacation at the beach the following week to which one of my children said, "but who will feed sam?" uh oh.

now, back to today. my mom said she saw miller's eyes dart upstairs not long after he arrived. after a little while, he just put it out there and the following conversation occurred.

miller: where's sam?

my mom: well, he was really old and not well and he died. do you know what died means?

my dad: he went to be with Jesus.

miller: so if God took him to live with Jesus, do you think he could send a dog to live in your room?

my mom: do you think dogs are better than cats?

miller: yeah. cats sleep too much.

rest in peace, sam. rest in peace.