Not Me

Now, if you are a loyal follower of certain blogs...you know that there are certain "days" for things...My friend Marla does a Swirly Saturday...Big Mama does a Fashion Friday...MckMama does a Not Me Monday...

I'd like to play off of the Not Me Monday...I know that it's Wednesday...my calendar for some reason is on the month of December, but I do remember that today IS Wednesday...but, the fact that my calendar is reading December should give the tip off there that I've had a bit of a crazy week...or half a week as it is...

So today, for me, is Not Me Wednesday...No, it doesn't rhyme or have any sort of alliteration...just pretend with me okay?

Let's begin:

I most certainly did not leave a rotting banana in a bag in my laundry room awhile ago only to discover HUNDREDS of fruit flies flying around my clean laundry this afternoon.  And, I most certainly did not lock myself in the laundry room with a fly swatter and begin swinging it aimlessly until I killed almost all of them...Nope, not me!

I most certainly did not casually say to my 2nd born, "Sure, you can take her diaper off (referring to Little Munchkin) and help her sit on the potty" only to hear moments later, "Ummm, Mom, she pooped on the floor!"...Not me...I mean, WHY would I let a 5 year old help a 2 year use the potty whilst I am fiddling with who knows what in another room?  And I most certainly did not have to go and get toothpicks to pick the poop out of the wood floor cracks upon which she swished it...Nope, that's just way too disgusting right?

I did NOT send my 2 lovies out the door yesterday morning in the chilly 51 degree weather in short sleeves and told them, "Oh, it'll warm up...don't worry" only to discover later that it really WASN'T going to warm up...in fact it was going to reach a whoppin' 58 degrees ...what kind of mother does that?  And so, I did not have to pack Little Munchkin in the car and haul over to the school with long sleeve shirts and jackets for my girls after they got on the bus with their teeth chattering.

I did not feed Little Munchkin cheez its for breakfast yesterday morning because I was in too much of a hurry to get out the door and get jackets to the other girls...not me, because I didnt' have anywhere to go remember?

I did not finish off the rest of the cookie dough in the fridge yesterday...I did not, I did not, I did not!  Jillian Michaels wouldn't approve...it wasn't me...Cookie Monster did it!

It's only Wednesday...what in the world...I think sometimes God must be looking at me thinking one of two things 1) Okay, she is just crackin' me up!!!  or 2) Oh, come on girl, I raised you better than that!!! 

Good grief!  There are times that I don't even understand half the things I do, I think my brain needs a little break! I'm already looking forward to Christmas...which may be subconsciously why my calendar is hanging on December...hmmmm? 

Enjoy your day!

My Big Fat Macedonian Wedding

I shot my first "official" wedding on Saturday...as a second shooter...or rather, a 4th shooter...

Regardless, it was an experience.  I was soaking it in!  Meredith, of Cope Photography, let me tag along.  Don't get me wrong, she put me to work. I discovered some more muscles that Jillian Michaels hadn't uncovered while hauling some of those massive lenses!   

This "experience" was far different than the wedding I was at in June...this was high scaled and had an innumerable amount of people.  (obviously, they counted at some point, but after 500, I just quit trying to figure it out)  And when I liken it to My Big Fat Greek Wedding...well, multiply it by about 5 and that's what it was like...

The band didn't stop playing, they didn't stop dancing, they didn't stop eating, and they didn't stop drinking...it was over the top!!  Meredith did such an incredible job of keeping everything in balance and focus...she became the go-to person for the bride and groom...just to keep things moving in the right direction...(seeing as it all "started" at 11 and the wedding wasn't until 2pm)

I'm anxious to hear her opinion on the images that I was able to capture (when I wasn't dodging the "friendly" groomsmen or being drenched in the rain) 

It was good to get home...but I was sooooo thankful for the opportunity and the experience of it all!  I learned some more "camera" stuff too...and I'm anxious to get practicing some more! 

Also, need some opinions out there concerning what I'd call Picture Parties...I'm thinking of scheduling a Sunday afternoon...basically, I'd sign up about 4 "clients/families" for about 15-20 time slots...I would shoot  for ONLY that amount of time and get whatever I get and then go onto the next family for 15-20 minutes....So, for about an hour, I'd be at a location taking pictures...This would be no cost to the people for the session...however, I would have the pictures up on a gallery...if they liked one or all of them, it would just be a one time cost to purchase the CD (maybe $30?))...I'd make it less than a scheduled regular session because they're not getting the full 30-45 min. and not as many pictures...However, when I think of places like Picture People or Celebrity Kids or other similar types of venues, they charge about $15 per 8 x 10 print...In my case, people get an entire CD that they can print however many they want (at Costco even, for $1.46 a print)  Does that sound reasonable to you? Love your input friends!!!  If it's a go...I'll jump on over to my "other" site and get it signed up!

Have a great Monday!

We're Goin' to the Chapel...

And we're....Gonna take PICTURES....

I'm a little giddy...just a little...

Tomorrow/today (saturday)...(I'm writing this on Friday night, but it won't post until Saturday morning) I will be going to a wedding...well, not just going...I get to take pictures at the wedding...how awesome is that? My newly found friend, Meredith of CopePhotography, asked me to shoot with her...now, if I look at this realistically, I'm really only 1 of FOUR photographers that are going to be there...so the likelihood of any of my pictures doing anything great is basically slim to none, but good grief...I GET TO SHOOT PICTURES AT A WEDDING!!! AND...here's the REALLY cool part: I get to use her lenses...these are beautiful, Nikon lenses that make the most buttery, wonderful 'bokeh' (that's just the blurry backgrounds)...

She let me "borrow" one for today to practice on...I was in lens heaven... Here's just one shot I got during my practice time...I'm posting the rest on CT PhotoMemories, if you want to see more (just click on the little button on the right there and it will "shoot" you right over) gotta love the PUN!

Another REALLY cool thing that happened today is that our complete hutch finally arrived! YIPPEE...So, my evening has been spent rearranging all my cupboards and trying to figure where I'm going to put everything...

This "rearranging" translates into an utter mess of my kitchen...much to my husband's chagrin...He's more of a neat cleaner...He makes a small mess, cleans it up, then he's onto the next area, then he cleans it up...

Not so with me...I like to get down and get dirty...I open ALL the cupboards...dump EVERYTHING out...sort it out on the counters, on the floor...

The problem, is that I get bored right in the middle of the whole thing and end up on the computer...hmmmmmmm? You're wondering what my kitchen looks like RIGHT NOW aren't you?

Yes, so I'm thinking I better close this post...I'm not sure if I'll be able to post any pictures that I might get from the wedding...my guess is, probably not...but, I'll let you know how it goes:)

Have a great weekend!

Fop It Mommy

"Fop it Mommy...Fop it"

Sounds a like a hip hop song title or something huh? Nope, that's the newest saying of Little Munchkin anytime I start singing...

"A B C D E F G..."   FOP IT Mommy...Fop it

"If You're happy and you know it..." FOP IT

"Mary had a little..."  FOP IT

"I Love you so much, I love you so..." FOP IT

Yes, Fop It is toddler talk for STOP IT...or rather, "Mommy, quit singing because I just do not like the sound of your voice and I would much rather be the one doing the singing...so if you please, close your mouth all together and put your attention on me"

I must admit it's just a tad disheartening to my soul that my youngest doesn't like the sound of my singing voice...because frankly, I've sung to her since she was in the womb for heaven's sake...And if truth be told, I'm a little saddened because I love to sing...I make up songs over anything and dance around the house with the girls all the time...

But now, I simply hum a tune and Little Munchkin comes running up behind me as fast as her chubby legs can carry her, looks up at me with those determined eyes and yells, "Fop It Mommy...no sing sng" (and yes I purposely left out the "o" in song because she doesn't really pronounce it, it's more of a gutteral sound...albeit cute)

So, I've now resorted to helping to lead worship at AWANA...it helps the cravings that I have to sing loudly and do hand motions...it's quite a work out as well, I might add...and I don't hear "fop it" from that audience...it's more like, "YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

Sweetpea and Peanut enjoy Mommy looking like a crazy lady up there on the stage...they point and laugh...but, secretly I think that they think it's 'cool' (one of my aspirations is to be a cool mom you know:) so I think I will continue to sing to my heart's content:)

That is, until I get the "FOP IT" signal from them:)

Following HIS Lead...

I'm not the most confident of people...I may come across as such, in certain situations, but in reality, I detest decision making...I do NOT like taking risks...and I'm scared of both success and failure.  Success because it means time, energy, committment...and not that I shy away from those things, it's just when it comes down to it, I'd prefer to be with my husband and girls than with anyone or anything else in this world.

Recently, with my new season of life creeping up on me, I've found that God has renewed that love of "creating things" in my heart.  I've always been like that, He made me that way.  That's why I love doing things with my girls or making up stories with them or playacting or pasting and coloring...it's the artsy side of me.

I had a passion for teaching when I first got out of college...I LOVED planning, I ADORED my students and I was in the spot light all day long!  WHAT FUN!  On the flip side of that, it took a lot of my emotional energy, physical time and was mental challenging...I so enjoyed it while I was a teacher...after having my kiddos those, I realize that with MY personality and my inability to "shut out" work, teaching isn't necessarily the ideal situation for me while my kiddos are at least still elementary age...at least that's what I suppose...(pleas forgive me as I run around the barn a few times to get to my conclusion...)  (yep, still joggin...I'll get there I promise)

Okay...so all this to say, in this meantime, God keeps putting these odd things in my path...photography type things...photoshop/creating/teaching type things...I wasn't looking for them...I wasn't going around asking for them...HE just kept bringing them to me...

And so, about 4 months ago Italian Stallion and I really started praying about what in the world to do with it all...because I am developing more time in my schedule because 2 of my kiddos are gone during the days...photography opportunities keep popping up...I need to start thinking about what my "time" is going to look like because Little Munchkin will be in school before I know it and if we want to be able to send them to college, get them married and possibly have a few "extras" in high school...well, it might be time for me to start looking into some ways to add to the family income..

This allllllll brings me to CT Photo Memories.  If you didn't notice before, there's a little button on the right side there that you can click on and it will take you to my little web blog site for photography...I figure that I've got about 3 years to grow this craft, and dabble in it...sorta risk free...This is where we believe God brought us...now, whether it was just to boost my confidence a bit and let me have a little fun OR whether He has a grander story in mind, I DO NOT KNOW...infact, do NOT have the slightest clue...

But, for now, I"m just gonna keep followin' where He keeps leading and when He closes the door...well, I'm still playing with my felt board and tinklin' the ivories with Little Munch, so I'm gonna be just fine! 

Hope over and let me know what you think...Love you all!

does it have to be in the EARLY morning???

Moo Moo MOOOOO
Moo Moo MOOOOO
Hear the cows in the early morning...

...God has made them MOOOO this way

Meow Meow MEOW
Meow Meow MEOW
Hear the cats in the early morning...

...God has made them MEOW this way

Quack Quack QUACK

Oh, what's that you say?  What am I doing?  Don't mind me, you see this is just the song that my 2 year old sings CONSTANTLY and LOUDLY everytime we get in the car...and although I'm very thankful that God made animals, and gave them interesting sounds...I'm not quite sure that the noise level directly behind my head, as I'm concentrating on driving is necessarily all that "soothing" to the ear...

Little Munchkin has become quite the talker of late.  It happened overnight I'm thinking...and despite my little "outbursts" it really is quite cute.  We broke out the ole felt board recently and she's been going to town with all her colors and shapes and letters and basically just anything to hear herself talk...ahhh a girl after my own heart!!

Daddy has the day off today, as do the girls...I'm off to enjoy them!!  Have a great Monday!

It's like I'm Laura Ingalls

Well...

with out the braids, and the fields of green...

and, I suppose without the electric oven, the Kitchen aid mixer, and the teflon coated pots and pans...

And, I guess they also didn't have Pam spray, quick rise yeast, or pepperoni from a bag and mozzerella cheese shredded in the fridge...

yeah, they didn't have a fridge either...hmmmmm...

Okay, well then, let's just say I felt very Martha Stuartish??? Holly Homemakerish?

You see...THIS is what I had for dinner last night:

Yummy stromboli, pizza dough from scratch, pasta sauce from our garden...

Green beans fresh from the poles in our garden, sauted in pine nuts, garlic and oil...

And...the biggest news: our LETTUCE is back...


Mmmmmmmmmmmmm, that big bowl of leafy greens was delicious!!!

There is just something to say for growing your own food, picking it and then eating it in your own kitchen!! It was so yummy!

Wonder what Italian Stallion would say to raising chickens...hmmmm???

Trouble with my Middle Fingers

Lest you think I’m some crude individual, please understand that my trouble is purely physical…not emotional, or anger induced…unless you count crying out in agony and pain…

For you see, I lopped off a big chunk of my middle finger while making sauce the other day…cuttin’ those herbs…wasn’t watching what I was doin'..actually, I was envisioning myself as Giada (you know, that Food Network star?) and tried to go lightning fast, with my amazing chopping abilites…nope, I’m NO Giada, that’s for sure…and so, this is what my finger looks like now…

I didn't want to post the "gross" version, so you'll just have to use your imagination...think slice, dried blood, puss, puffiness...are you getting the picture yet? Yes, so just look at the bandage and feel sorry for me...

I have no idea if I need stitches because truly, I just poured hydrogen peroxide on it and wrapped it in a bandaid…and then I purchased these cute little finger cots…(I do understand that these have a "resemblance" to other things, but we're just not going to go there okay?) Right now they are very handy when trying to wash my hair, or squeeze a lemon...my middle finger is very thankful!
Now the middle finger on my other hand…yes, well, if it can be done, I’m gonna do it…somehow I managed to jam it while running on up the stairs…yes, folks my KNEE hit my FINGER and jammed it back into my hand…don’t even ask HOW I’m typing at the moment, with my left finger cot on one hand and ice on the other…

Anyhoo…that’s my predicament for the day…in other news...this came today...

And then...half of it got sent back...

It's okay, I'm not overly upset about it in truth...they just forgot to put the plate groove in the bottom of the cabinet part...but, that's what I get for ordering something custom made and changing all their plans that they have set up because they know what is best and I'm just that crazy customer who thinks, "hmmmm, let's change this and this"

Still working on my other website for the photography stuff. I hope to have that up and running early next week, so I'll post a little link for it over on the side when I get a chance...you all can give me your feedback if you want...or you can just humor me lie and tell me what an incredibly awesome, creative and wildly imaginative person I am and how you just love everything about it!!!

Have a great day everyone...I'll be back soon:)

Head is Spinning a Little...

Two birthday parties...

Two soccer games...

A husband on a Z-pack...

A baby with a weird rash and swelling forehead due to a bug bite...

And me with crazy aspirations to start a crazy photography business...

This on top of the normal: like cleaning the house, reading with the girls, making sauce, doing laundry..

I'm a little nuts I think. I don't handle the "crazies" well...I get a bit frazzled...

Italian Stallion knows me well though...he called it a 5 points plan that I meander through whenever I get any idea...I don't know all the points, but I managed to get from totally excited to incredible self-doubt in just under 3 days. That's a record for me I think. Good thing I'm not giving myself a time line here...

In other news...if anyone wants a good laugh out of their young elementary aged kids...you've GOT to read this picture book entitled,
"Once Upon A Cool Motorcycle Dude"

I've read it to Sweetpea and Peanut about three times everyday. They are cracking me up...I've now gotten to put voices to the book, which makes it all the more thrilling to them.

Plus, I've discovered that the word "dude" works just like "dog poop" from awhile back...very entertaining...definitely helps the spinning head!

Just a Test...

Okay, so this is JUST A TEST...Just what you want on a weekend, I know!!! UGH...

I'm trying to figure out this slide show thingy and want to know if it actually works on this blog site...I just put all the random pages that I created from the quick 10 minutes photo shoots that I recently did separately with Peanut and Little Munchkin. Let me know if it comes through on your computer and whether it's actually clear or not...

Just so you know:) I'm just exploring all these different options/availabilities that are out there for FREE...and whether they are worth my time and energies. At some point, as I continue here, I will need to put together another blog site for photograph viewing, etc...I really like the whole slideshow thingy, (do you LOVE my professional lingo?) and want to see if what I already have on my computer will actually work for the time being. Hope you enjoy!

Tum Tum & Nutmeg

NO, I'm not speaking about my stomach and some spices...

I just started reading this book:

Yes, I understand that it is a children's book...it looked so cute sitting there on the shelf at Barnes & Noble and so I did what any other book lover would do...

I wrote down the title so that I could see if the library had it...they did, I got it, I began to read.

It's a cross between The Littles meet the Elves & the Shoemaker who find the Indian in the Cupboard and ride with Ralph on the Motorcycle...did you catch all that?

I've only read the first few chapters, but it's been so quaint and cute...I'm excited to start reading it to the girls. We just finished Poppy by Avi...they may continue that series on their own with the books on CD that I got from the library...but we really enjoyed the personalification of animals.

I'm not a literary critic (although I CAN be critical of literature in some cases) but, I thought I'd just share some book titles that have been really great for my girls at the ages they are...I like to dabble in lots of different genres as much as I can. I tend to creep back to historical fiction, but I try to veer away when I realize it because as a child that's ALL I read...I missed out on a lot of good reading because of it.

I've also realized that the books that my children are able to read on their own...well, let's just say that it's just not all that wonderful...don't get me wrong...if it gets them reading, then I'm all for it...but for heaven's sake, just HOW MANY different fairy books can Ms. Daisy Meadows conjure up...apparantly a TON and with all the SAME basic storyline for every one!!! My girls LOVE LOVE LOVE Boxcar children books right now too...they are fine books, good content, but utterly boring in my opinion...I can't even handle it...

So, you see, I CAN be critical...although in that criticism I DO see some value, b/c in the end, my girls are reading and that's what it's all about...

Anyhoo...I wanted to leave you with a list of read a louds that we've done and have been quite the hit! There are the typical classics in this list and you may see different genres...I'm not really putting them in any particular order...just whatever I can remember:) And so, it's also not an exhaustive list...shoulda kept a running tab there, but somewhere in my excellent organizational skills, ahem, well, I just plain left that out!

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
The Trumpet of the Swan By E.B. White
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Kenny and the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi
Any American Girl Historical Character Series
Hitty, Her first Hundred Years by Rachel Fields
Ramona Series by Beverly Cleary
Poppy by Avi
Narnia Chronicles by C.S. Lewis
Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgsen Burnett
The Little Princess by Frances Hodgsen Burnett
Sarah, Plain and tall by Patricia MacLachlin

Do you have any to suggest as well?

Scopin' It Out

I wouldn't necessarily call it "diving" in persay...It's more like dipping my toes in to test the water, with the full intention of getting entirely wet...it's just that it takes my body some time to warm up...and while, in most other cases in my life, I'm the "let's jump in and have fun" sort of person...I'm a bit more tentative in this situation.

I've scheduled a photo shoot for a friend in a couple weeks for her little boy. To say that I am nervous or excited or sick to my stomach or giddy with glee...those would be understatements...I feel like I'm on the roller coaster of emotions...but it's a good thing that I like roller coasters:)

I also am scheduling an engagement session. This one probably has me more nervous that the other one, cuz you can't really "fake" it and take pictures of piggy toes and call it cute...

I asked them if they had a location in mind that was special to them...b/c I'm all about having photos mean something and tell a story. She told me where they met...so, yesterday, Little Munchkin and I scoped out the place.

Although she was a rather "small" substitute for the shots, I used her to get some angles and to see where I could get some nice images...However, when it was all said and done...she looked so darn cute, I just focused on her instead of my surroundings...

It was quite the morning for the two fo us...we had a lovely time!!!

I Met The Teachers

Last night I had the opportunity to really meet Sweetpea's teacher.

Peanut's open house was awhile ago...back when those tiny little Kindergarten students got to go into their classrooms with their parents while said "parents" were praying that they wouldn't loose it right there because their little babies were heading to school....

Everyone but the Kindergarten classes had the curriculum agenda night...and therefore, I got to meet the teacher and here how the class was set up for this year.

It's a funny sense of nostalgia and "itching" I get whenever I walk into a classroom. Takes me back to those days when I taught..the silly faces of kids, the bonds I made with them all, the "aroma" after recess on a hot day, the awesome stories we read together, the charts, the pencils, the books...didn't miss the parent-teacher conferences so much...but, it's always a fun time to get back into the classroom.

We really prayed this year that God would place Sweetpea in with a teacher that would suit her best. I didn't want to request someone...I wanted to rely on whatever God thought best and I wanted to use whatever opportunity was placed before us as an opportunity to grow her...

Two years ago, I requested a teacher...she was wonderful for the first semester...then she retired...it was H.A.R.D. after that...but I learned that "LIFE" happens, even to little 6 year olds...

And so, this year, we chose to take whatever came our way...and this year, God chose to surpass our expectations...To be honest, we were a little sad at first...she had none of her neighborhood friends in her class, her entire soccer team was in yet another class...how would she handle it???

Now, I'm sure eveyrone raves about their teacher, and rightly so, because if God truly does orchestrate our lives, that's how it should be...and so I'm raving...

Sweetpea's teacher is just such a perfect match for her...you could tell she wasn't the most comfortable in front of a lot of people (unlike Sweetpea's mother), she was sensitive to the fears and shy tendencies of her students. She is ORGANIZED and structured...another bonus for SP, because dear ole mom struggles a bit in that deparatment, but Sweetpea thrives in that environment...

I came home feeling so incredibly blessed and thankful. It was hard to let them go this year...I've been talking about this new "season" of my life and to be honest, it's a little scary. I had a wonderful friend over today who listened to me "dream" a little. I'll probably blog, blah, blah, blah about it in later posts...but for the time being, I'm thankful for the little big ways that He takes care of my worries so that I can focus on other things when the time permits.

I Feel Loved...

Facebook was created for people like me...words people...people people...

I was overwhelmed yesterday with the birthday wishes of so many friends and family...Being that my love language is typically "words of affirmation", I got my quota and then some.

It also seemed quite fitting that I finished up another project on my first day of being 35. Sweetpea's best friend's birthday party is coming up and I had promised that I'd make her a Susan dress by fall time...so here it is!

All in all it was a wonderful day...

Started off by reading this...and I quote:
In the midst of the cleaning out process I discovered that by all appearances, Barbie has opened a nudist colony in the large yellow bin and invited all of her friends. I haven’t seen that many plastic boobs since the last time I watched an episode of Real Housewives of Orange County.

I laughed so hard thinking, oh my, that is Sweetpea's bedroom, except insert Polly Pocket for Barbie...just cracked me up...that quote was courtesy of BigMama...she's my laugh in the morning for sure!

Had a great morning with Little Munchkin at the library...went and got myself a starbucks (which LM sucked halfway down, cuz she's a little stuck on the caffeine like her momma) Went to the store to get me some M n M ice cream sandwiches to celebrate with my girls when they returned home from school.

Italian Stallion came home with a bowl of my favorite broccoli/cheddar soup from Panera...like a little sip of heaven right there!

I did spend the afternoon cleaning, but it felt good...and I would have a ton of pictures, but the frap was gone before i got home, I devoured the soup in a little under 10 minutes and I didn't think you'd all enjoy pictures of dusty tables, disgusting toilets and the ever messy playroom...

My girls bought me some pretty jewelry, I received some monies in the mail for some extra "shopping" later on...I just felt loved, and that's just about as good as it gets right there!!! I live a charmed life!

How Things Have Changed...

I have officially reached my MID-thirties.

It's really not that big of a deal...

Well, I'm sure my parents are in shock over the fact that they have a daughter who is 35...it may make them feel a little, let's say, "mature"...

I'm sure my little sister thinks that 35 is soooooooooo, wayyyyy old...and, when I was 23, yes, 35 was old...

There are those that are a few years older than me, and may feel quite superior to the fact that I"m just a 'youngin'...

And some are just a few years behind me and are just thanking the Lord that they still HAVE those few more years to go...

But, to those that are right around where I'm at right now, it's not that bad...

Yes, things have changed:

When I turned 30, I wore a size 2 pair of capris out to dinner to a nice restaurant with my husband...today, I can't get those darn pants over my hips and we went out to Red Robin where my girls ate my free sundae and everyone enjoyed my red face as they sang/yelled happy birthday to me.

Ten years ago I had only been married a couple months, taught school, drove a silver lumina...today, I have 3 children, sing Miss Pattycake songs all day while cleaning the kitchen and doing laundry and drive a mini-van.

I used to have bangs...'nuf said.

My husband will disagree with this BUT, I HAVE grown one whole inch over the past 2 years...my doctor will attest to it!

I used to think that going out until 11pm was fun and exciting...today, if I can get my kids in bed before 8:30, I am thrilled beyond belief!

Hot cocoa used to be my morning treat...today, COFFEE...NEED COFFEE (well, at least my special little coffee drink mix:)

15 years ago, the idea of anything "domestic" was ridiculous to me...today, I sew dresses for my girls, I can cook stuff with zucchini and it actually tastes good, and I can clean a mean bathroom!!!

I used to drive by myself in the car, anywhere...today, I have 3 car seats and the glove compartment is full of Donut Man, Laurie Berkner, Miss Pattycake and books on CD.

And...
There are Some things that haven't changed:

I still cry at Pride and Prejudice...
I still take pictures like my brain is going to forget every second of my life.
I still wear a size 8.5 shoe.
I still listen to country music (at least when I'm driving alone...)
My closet still consists of: denim, denim, denim, tee-shirts, tee-shirts, denim, tee-shirts, more denim and...more tee-shirts.

I'm planning on splurgin' a little this year...just updating the wardrobe a bit...perhaps I'll treat myself to a Starbucks coffee drink, listen to some country music, while drivin' alone to shop (although, still in my mini-van...and, if truth be told...I like it a lot better than my Lumina anyway)

I gotta say...with the many changes over the years, and without some changes...

I feel like I'm living THE life...

I love my husband, still my best friend in the world...

my girls are incredible, INCREDIBLE blessings...

I couldn't ask for more...

well...,

maybe another 35 years to enjoy it???

Busy Weekend

It's been a crazy couple of days...sorry for the delay.

My parents and sister came in town on Thursday and it's been a whirlwind of checking out classrooms, playing Chinese Checkers, making more pasta sauce, school cafeteria lunches, and some FUN deliveries and projects that I've started up once again...

First of all: this little beauty showed up on my doorstep yesterday...

The girls are ecstatic! They finally have a camera and I'm thinking that Italian Stallion will be happy to have a camera that will actually stay on AUTO setting instead of the crazy manual settings I always have on my SLR. You can't beat a FREE camera sitting on your front porch!

I've got a couple more projects in the making...well, one is complete...I think it's rather cute if I don't say so myself! My nephew is turning 3 and I thought he needed his own "space"...with an older brother and twin younger brothers...he's smack in the middle of some chaos...and he's a cuddler...he NEEDS his quiet, lovey time!!! Auntie to the rescue!!!

Also, (on the project list) is another Susan of Narnia dress for Sweetpea's best friend. I promised and I've got to come through...so if you remember these dresses from awhile ago?

Well, now I'm going to make the green archery dress...we'll see how that turns out.

And lastly, Little Munchkin is continuing to learn her letters. Italian Stallion wondered if the "art work" was going to continue onto our painted walls anymore...I suppose I should use a larger piece of paper OR maybe switch to washable crayons...either way, we're on the letter F right now because A,B,C,D,E,G,M,N,P,and T are all accounted for and F just seemed like a good one to go with...

And since we have this "new" little camera with video capabilities...yes, well, I'll have to figure out how to record her talking about what she's learning...I'm sure you'll get as much enjoyment out of it as does her mother, who is NOT biased or anything:)

That's it friends, that's my life right now...with the exception that I get a 3 day weekend with my girls...

Dog Poop

It's amazing what dog poop can do.

I don't actually mean what the "poo" itself can do...but, what the mentioning of dog poop has the ability to do...

It can take a beautiful picture like this:

And make it even better:

Did you notice that smile just getting "that" much bigger? Yep...dog poop...that's what did it...

Honey, lean up against the garage...don't step in any "DOG POOP"...Tada...happy smile...

Peanut, whatcha doin' over there? Are your toes in "DOG POOP"...hee hee, there's that expression that I love...

Dog Poop can also get you pretty "riled" up and goofy too...but that's okay...cuz, I don't have a clue what inspired that outfit, but it fits your personality just fine!

My days are lookin' a little different here lately...with the older 2 gone on most days...just me and Little Munchkin watchin' the endless marathon of Miss Pattycake videos and drinking "afoo ju" But, on those days that Peanut IS with us, I use nap time as a good excuse to spend some quality time with her...we started up piano lessons again today, went to the zoo in the morning and then I thought I'd get around to taking her 5 year pictures...we're only 3 months late, but that tends to be the trend around our house...

I always let them pick their own outfits...so, today I got a couple shades of purple and some pretty big smiles!

Wacky Wednesday Odds and Ends

Don't groan...it's just a fore-warning...I know it's corny, but, she's young...she'll get it...it'll make her smile...besides, although it is absolutely wonderful to be told that you are loved...it's only a matter of time before you basically can recite word for word what dear 'ole mom has written in her 95th lunch box note of the year...

I have to "switch it up" a little every now and then...and yes, I am well aware that we've only been in school for 5 days...but, let's remember the type of "change-around" personality that I am...my dear friend Sara can vouch for me...

So, here is Sweetpea's lunchbox note from Mommy for today!

hee, hee...Italian Stallion rescued that one from the depths of his elementary school memories...

myself? yes, well I was googling "knock knock jokes for children" at 11pm...it's pathetic, I know...

Anyway...onto other odd and ends:

Check out what McDonald's happy meal toys are for this last week? how did I go so long without realizing this...oh yes, I gave up Mcdonalds after watching the documentary Super Size Me and I couldn't handle the "molding" at the end...yuck!

What you may not know is that you don't have to buy a happy meal in order to get a prize...you can just buy the prize for 96 cents...ChaChing! Stocking gifts already!!!

In other news, If you are looking for a quality made swimsuit...and at a relatively good price...(by the way, I am aware that these "prices" are rather high even still...but, I've had my Lands End quality made swim suit for 10 years...I got my money's worth out of it) You may want to check out this store. My friend down the street purchased one this summer and it is not only so cute, but the entire thing is LINED and super comfortable!!! A lot of their tankinis are on sale right now...just fyi!

I'm ready for Labor Day weekend already...we've got a Fantasy Football Team party on Monday...don't ask me what that actually means...I kinda got sucked in with everyone else in the neighborhood...all I know is that I get to purchase some YUMMY chicken salad and croissants to share and my girlies will be around for a 3 day weekend!!! WooHoo...

Happy Wednesday!

All You Really Need

during a thunderstorm, when the lights go out...

Is a good friend...

Miss Pattycake on the laptop...

and, your blankie.

Yep, that's about it...

Thunder, you can go thump on someone else's house, cuz, I'm a little too into my "show" to worry about you none!