a change is gonna come

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

picture taken december 2009

it's a pirate's life for miller

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!