Mmm Life

Homeschooling!

2011-09-27T19:28:00.000-07:00

Never ever ever EVER thought I would be homeschooling. But, here we are, about a month into it. I probably won't update this at all regularly, but since this is a trial thing, I thought I should somehow keep track of the ups and downs. Why not here on my little blog?

So far, I say it is going great. I still feel like I can't fit everything in and I know I need to do some things different, but overall it is going well. I just take it day by day.

Yesterday, we went for a walk. First, we had gone outside at Maris's suggestion to work on our projects at hand: water coloring book for Maris, spelling for Macie. Then, I took the opportunity to use the driveway and do some form drawing exercises. That digressed into chalk drawing and hopscotch. I was still OK with that b/c hopscotch is an important part of Macie's PT stuff. Now to the walk.... I decided to have Macie practice her numbers in Spanish while we walked. She has 1-10 down and has for years. But it is 11 up that is not so great. I was about to yell and scream (thankfully, I did not.. an amazing thing for me) but I held in my frustration that she COULD NOT remember 11 to save her life. Or 20 or 14. But, anyway. The walk ended. We went on with school. Later that day, I was drilling Macie with addition flash cards. About 1/4 way into it, she started answering in SPANISH! Even 11!! Not 20, but that is OK. So, WOW. It is small victories like that that make me feel like it is going well. And, I can forgive myself a little for letting the rest of the day lead me, rather than feel like I am in control of it.

Victory #2 (or positive #2):

Today, after we dropped Maris off at her Nature School class, Macie and I went for a walk thru the park. We saw two bobcats!!! We watched them climb down to the river and get a drink, hide in the grass and stalk something in the river bed. It was really cool!

Bye for now!

Llano's Birthday

2011-09-05T20:11:00.000-07:00

So much for keeping up with the blog. And, my last post about looking forward to summer? WHAT WAS I THINKING? It has been the worst summer ever (weather-wise).

Anyway, this post is about my sweet Llano. 13 years ago this weekend, while visiting the Llano River in Llano, TX, we found her. If it had not been for Sara, who saw the poor thing laying at the side of the river and went over to pet it, I would not have her today. I wouldn't have even thought of going over to the dog, much less feed her from our ice chest and put her in my car. She was going to take her to San Antonio to the humane society. If it hadn't been for john... John said I should keep her. With every intention of just keeping her for a while, I agreed. If it hadn't been for Tina.....Then, Tina, my roommate, also fell in love with her. She agreed to let her stay (even though we weren't supposed to have pets at our Austin rental house). She even kept her for a month and took her to work with her while I was finding a place to live in Arlington. The rest is history. When I finally did find a place in Arlington, I lived in some scary duplexes just so I could have a yard for her! The person who didn't even want a dog, much less an inside dog, found myself letting her sleep in my room at night to protect me! Now, she is in all the time.....

Sounds very melodramatic, but it is amazing how much a dog can change your life!! I love her and she is so much a part of our family! Even Granny calls her her "Granddog". She is a very special dog. Happy Birthday Llano!!

Looking forward to summer

2011-05-16T20:49:00.000-07:00

The weather has been unseasonalbly cold around here, which is nice. Even though I dread the100 degree days that I know are coming, I am still looking forward to summer. Macie and Maris are both tired of school. Ha! As we get closer to the end of the year, it has been more difficult to get Macie to do her homework. It is not difficult for her, she just doesn't want to sit and do it. Tonight after several requests and much whining, she finally grabbed her homework and went behind the tv. This is a favorite hiding spot for the girls. She finished her homework in no time flat. She usually drags it out over the week, because it is due on Friday. There behind the tv, she did the WHOLE thing in record time, no whining! Couldn't believe it. John was even watching tv part of the time she was back there.

We do not have a busy schedule at all compared to most of our friends. But, summer will bring a much more relaxed time. I am looking forward to doing all sorts of things with the girls. Maybe more moments like these:

Thanks Aunt Sandy for the lemonade stand kit. She made $4.55!! Macie started mixing it up before I could help her. She mixed the entire Country Time container into that little pitcher. Too funny. Needless to say, it was WAY to strong and I had to dilute it. Llano may not be too excited about Macie and Maris having more free time. They never have been too interested in dressing her up. I don't know what this was all about. But, it was bound to happen sooner or later. My poor, sweet Llano. She is SO OLD.... 13 1/2 years. The vet says her kidneys are going bad.

Not sure why I decided to post today. There have been several "blog worthy" topics I could have talked about. Hee hee. I am tempted to do a recap like I did in the fall. But, I am sleepy and I want to read my new Clean Eating magazine. My next post could be months away.... but maybe I will get back into it... Maybe not.

Halloween

2010-11-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

I have to post about Halloween too! I am on a roll folks! Macie was Hannah Montana. No, she does not watch the show, but the girl is everywhere. But, yes, she loves "The Best of Both Worlds" and "Party in the USA". ANYWAY....

I made her costume, cuz we couldn't find the one she wanted in her size. The wig was a nightmare and was soon tossed after this picture. She looked much better without it and later had her hair sprayed purple. She really only wanted the headset microphone thing anyway.

Maris wanted to be Cinderella even before she really knew what was going on. I had bought her a costume but she thought it was too itchy. I borrowed one and that was too big and too itchy too. SO, the night before she had to wear her costume to school, I made her costume too. I had most of the stuff. But, I bought some trim and copied the tutu idea from here. Then, I bought a cream colored outfit at Walmart and dyed it blue and added some of the stuff from the skirt. Aren't I talented? I was so excited and surprised that it turned out half way decent. It's not perfect but, IT IS NOT ITCHY!!!!

My sweeties:

The Recital

2010-11-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

OK, it was SOOOOO cute!!! The video quality is not very good. I want one of those new video cameras that Luke showed me now! And, partly due to operator error, the video misses Maris striking a pose when she first came out on stage. So, here is a picture.

No one told her to put her hand on her hip like that. Party in the USA was playing when they walked out and she thought she was HOT stuff. All of the little girls did great and they couldn't wait to get on the HUGE stage. Without further delay, here it is.......

Wednesday

2010-10-30T20:13:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, it was a typical rushed day. I needed to run to the store after school and after a pre-planned playdate. But, I was tired and didn't feel good. So, John said he would bring home pepperoni rolls. So, I had some time to just hang out with the girls. Macie wanted to do her homework outside. When we were out there, this little butterfly kept coming around, fluttering right by us, landing on us even. It was so fun to watch it and try to get it to land on us. Macie had just checked out this book from the library about a girl who plays with a butterfly and then can't find it the next day. Maris just happened to take it outside that day. Here is a picture of it on the book!

It was fun and relaxing watching that little guy! I did not take this moment for granted at all!

Our Fall

2010-10-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

I have been too involved in other things to keep up with this blog. But, I have decided that my life is so interesting, that I must share! Hee hee. It has been a crazy October. I love the fall, but it gets so busy. Shara came down and we went to the fair and After Dark in the Park. Our family also went camping at Mineral Wells State Park and rode our bikes all around Clark Gardens. It was fun, girls did great sleeping in the tent.

We saw this little guy on our bike ride....

They loved hiking too and climbing on rocks. Although, Macie and I decided to take a hike by ourselves that turned out longer and scary than I had anticipated. WE SAW A SNAKE! Ugh. But, we made it. And, a spider attacked me at Clark Gardens and in an attmept to shoosh it from me, I think I broke my hand. Seriously, I couldn't use or let it hang down for the rest of the day. And, it STILL hurts three weeks later. Dork!

My spooky food for fall:
Sheperds Pie

Maris's opinion of spooky sheperd pie

(wow she looks terrible here. She really is cuter!)

And, this is the pumpkin cake. Hee hee.

During John's 3rd consecutive weekend of camping, I had a mini craftie night with Priscilla. We made this lovey wreath.

It is made of burlap. We also then took a little square of burlap, embroidered our initial in it, glued it to a page from an old law book and framed it. That was just so we could say we did two crafts. But, it did turn out cute.

While I am talking homemade stuff, here are my curtains and window mistreatments. I think I don't like it. But, I guess it will stay a while. Shara helped me with the blind mistreatments while she was here. I have a little more to do, and of course they need the wrinkles removed. You can also see in this picture, that I painted my estate sale table and chairs red. I like it. (And, you can see, just as I did, thru the camera, that Maris is picking 2 of my 5 lemons before they are ready!!)

Last but not least, we went to 6 Flags tonite. It was crowded but girls had fun. We were just yards away from the WORLD SERIES! We could see the homerun fireworks from the cowboy boot ride! Go Rangers! Oh, and there were people in the 6 Flags parking lot (really close to stadium) with their big screen tvs, hanging out watching the game. I don't get that at all. Wouldn't you rather be at home? But, whatever I guess.

Tomorrow is Halloween, so maybe I will be moved to post their lovely costumes. Oh, Maris has a recital. I will just have to post. It will be too wonderful not to.

Shaving Cream

2010-08-03T20:06:00.000-07:00

It has been a million years since I posted. Too busy with other stuff, but tonite I am moved to post. Ha! I read about this messy craft in the FW Star Telegram. You put shaving cream in a cookie sheet and smooth it out with a squeegee. (at least the new squeegee I bought for girl's bath came in handy..ha). Then, you put several dots of food coloring on the shaving cream and swirl it around with a stick. Lay a sheet of cardstock on top of the cream and press lightly (or not if you are Maris). Take up the paper and use the squeegee to scrape the shaving cream off. It made a cool print. The newspaper suggested doing this outside. As soon as the paper was out of the tray, the girls could not wait to get their hands in it. The pictures tell the rest of the story. I just hosed them off and then it was bath time. Very fun. Would do it again.

today

2010-05-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

In some ways, I hesitate to write this post. My blog is kinda like a journal I guess. Part journal, part sharing with y'all what is going on in our lives. Anyway, here we go....

Today, I went to a funeral of a 62 year old woman who had been suffering with Alzheimer's disease for 10 years. Her daughters are my age, her grandkids, my kid's ages. I hardly ever cry anymore. In fact, I think it has only been once in the last 2 years. So, I was shocked that this service moved me so much. When I pulled into the church parking lot and saw the hearse and limousines, I felt myself tearing up. I had barely sat down in the pew when tears were pouring out of my eyes. Thank goodness Alisa had klenex! I sure hadn't thought of bringing them. I was moved by so much. First, the outpouring of support in that auditorium. People who had taken off work, taken their kids out of school, made time out of their day to come and pay tribute to this woman and to support and show love for her daughters, husband and parents. I felt so blessed to be part of that community. I then thought of how it must feel to bury your spouse, your mom. The pain must be horrible.

Over the past couple of years, several people from our church have been providing weekly meals for the woman and her husband. He kept her home with him the whole time. For the past year or so, he has had to feed her, do everything for her. In the last months, she wasn't even able to eat solid food. Every time I took them a meal, incredible emotion filled my heart. He was always so pleasant and positive, appreciative, loving. He loved her so much. I would think of all their dreams turned upside down. How life was not supposed to be like this. They weren't supposed to spend retirement this way.

Hearing her family and those closest to her, describe her and her life, make me want to be a better person. I want to be a better mom, daughter, and wife, and Christian. I guess that is why I wanted to write this post. I wanted to put it in writing to remind myself, but also to share with you. I really didn't know her. But, her life and the love that her family has shown, inspires me.

We sang this song at her funeral and I just love this song.

Macie's Ears

2010-05-06T13:38:00.001-07:00

She got them pierced!! We were on our way to buy shoes for her on Saturday and she asked if we could go to Claires. I said "I don't know, I don't think we need anything from there." Then, she said she wanted to get her ears pierced. I jumped on the chance, because I really thought she wouldn't get them done until she was much older. I had mentioned it a couple of times and she was very opposed to the idea. We seriously had not talked about it in a year, so I think it was a ploy to get me to go to Claires. It worked! And she left with 3 sets of other earrings too! The ladies were very nice. Two ladies did both her ears at the same time so it was all over in a quick little click. No tears. Right after it happened, I almost cried. Ha! This is a big deal! She is growing up! She'll have them forever.... Anyway, whatever.

This is an example of how she looked for 2 wks.

An update on the tutu obsession... Maris ended up wearing the thing for 2 weeks straight. Then, magically, one weekend, she decided it was OK to go without it. She still loves it and finds it and wears it quite often, but she is OK without it too. She is so picky about clothes though. It is annoying. Today, she was actually wearing a cute shorts outfit. UNTIL... Macie, who is home sick (fever and vomiting, yea!) came strutting out in HER pink tutu. So, now Maris is sound asleep in a sweet little tutu.

Oh, and Macie had her debut performance in the kindergarten circus as the silly dog. It was great! I can't figure out how to get the movie on the computer though. She did so well, I want to show you how great she was. Maybe I can figure it out. If not, be sure when you visit, I will be pulling out the DVD!

Obsession

2010-04-08T12:10:00.000-07:00

I have always heard of toddlers who had a favorite shirt or some article of clothing they loved. Maris has an obsession. She had a short, but crazy obsession with plastic princess shoes for a while. Aunt Sandy got her a whole set of them for her birthday and she was hooked! She was wearing them EVERYWHERE, running in them, SLEEPING with them tight in her grasp, throwing a fit when forced to put on regular shoes. It was kind of funny at first, but it got out of control! Now, we have moved on to tutu and "na na" shoes. She has been wearing the same tutu and shoes (w/o socks) for 3 days straight, only taking them off to take a bath and then immediately finding them and putting them back on. The other night after her bath, she was delighting in watching her naked shadow dance. Then, all of a sudden she said, "Oh, my na na shoes!" and ran to get them on. Her na na shoes are ballet-looking pink shoes from Payless. She calls them na na because that is what she sings when she dances in them.... "Na, Na, naaa naa...." I will admit, I have not pushed the issue terribly yet. But, her feet STINK! Really bad. So, I'm going to have to do something. Plus, she has several cute dresses and outfits that just don't work with a tutu. Most of the time she is happy just wearing the tutu over whatever else she is wearing. Before this particular tutu, she was wearing tutu-like skirts from her wardrobe that satisfied her. I even convinced her one day that a normal looking skort was a tutu. No such luck the last 3 days. John has put her to bed the last two nights because I was gone. One morning she woke up holding the shoes. I ask him about it and he said she threw a fit when he took them off and he finally just gave them to her in the bed. This morning when she woke up, she was wearing them. So, I don't know if he gave up and let her sleep in them or if she put them on before I got in there. And, the thing is, she gets so much attention when we go somewhere. Everyone comments on the shoes AND the tutu. They tell her she looks like a princess or ballerina, which of course she LOVES. Which reminds me, yesterday I was getting her out of the car and I said, "come on out stinky feet" and she said, "I not Stinky Feet, I baby". Ha!!!

She is a hoot I tell ya! When I picked her up from school the last two times, they said she spent a lot of time doing her ballet moves in front of the mirror. She is funny! Anyway, I figure it won't last too long and it is pretty much harmless......

This is a picture taken with John's phone of Maris clutching to her princess shoes for dear life while reading her bedtime story. Notice she is also wearing the current obsession, the tutu. I don't have a picture of her new na na shoes and tutu combo yet.

Another picture of the princess shoes. Just a typical day at play......

Random Post

2010-03-03T19:28:00.000-08:00

I am posting this little story, because I wanted to share with you about Macie's hearing, but also because of 2 funny related stories. I took Macie to the audiologist to get her hearing tested yesterday. She has had a few infections since her tubes fell out. And, since Christmas or so, I have felt like there have been times when she isn't hearing as well as she should be. Anyway... my friend who is an audiologist, urged me to have her professionally screened. (She had been tested at school and pediatrician's office). So, yesterday we went and she has moderate to mild hearing loss, below normal. While at Maris's 2 year check up today, I talked to the Dr about it and she suggested some nose spray and an antihistamine to dry up the fluid in her ears that is causing her not to hear well. I was explaining this to Macie and telling her about the medicines she had to take. I told her they would help her ears get better and she could hear better. She replied: "Then, why am I spraying it up my nose?" Ha! It was so funny! THEN.... after church tonite, Maris was very tired and cranky, but I wanted to stop by the Walgreens drive thru to get the Rx. I took Maris out of the car seat while we waited for the Rx and she was of course not happy to get back in. As we are driving off, she cries: "Where fries??!!!" Ha again! My children know that fries come thru drive thru windows. Oops. Oh well. It's a fact of life, they do come thru drive thru windows, they may as well learn it now. Hee hee. But, back to Macie's hearing... It will be fine once the fluid is gone. If the drugs don't work, she will get tubes again.

And, because I love pictures I am posting some random ones here too.

Macie and Maris at the Livestock Show in their Rodeo shirts.

My little cheerleaders! Eleven 5 year-olds, people!!! They drove me crazy at times, but I loved them! We had a great little season that ended last night with a cool awards night complete with Mavs Man. One of my cheerleaders won a gift card to Target and one won 2 tickets to a Mavericks game.

Maris: "You want me to knock the whole plate off or just throw down the meat?"

That's all for now!

Maris' 2nd Birthday!

2010-03-01T20:19:00.000-08:00

I know you expect this, but... I CAN'T BELIEVE SHE IS 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She had a fun day. After a good nap, our family came over and showered her with gifts. We had dinner and then she got to blow out her candle and eat cake! (or lick icing off a cupcake is more like it) She did a great job blowing out the candle too!

(For someone so picky about shoes, she really can work these heels! A great gift from her Aunt Sandy & Uncle Mike).

I had made Macie a ruffley skirt from this site and Maris just loved it. But, of course it was too big and she would get frustrated because it didn't fit her. So, at the last minute, I decided to make her one for her birthday. She loved it! She wore it to Macie's Upward cheerleading game and pranced all over the place. When she got up from her nap and saw all the decorations and cake and stuff, she loved that too. That made me happy, cuz then maybe the two year birthday isn't all for the mom afterall. Ha! Oh, I just love her!

Poor trees!

2010-02-12T05:20:00.001-08:00

This is terrible! But, I am thankful we still have our electricity. A bunch of people in the area are out. The snow is really deep and pretty, but oh the poor trees! I don't even think the pictures really capture how bad it is. I am scared more are about to fall. The one on John's car had not fallen at 630 when he checked and then at 7, there it was. We both have colds and he is out there trying to clean it all up. Ugh.

Snow Day!

2010-02-11T19:39:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness! It has been snowing in Arlington ALL DAY! It is so pretty, but is now causing some issues. I couldn't get 5 feet from my drive way today in order to pick up Macie, Mica and Logan. My neighbor had to drive me up there in her pretty new Lexus. I felt so bad with 4 wet kids in there! The truck would just not drive on the slushy snow. Now, tree limbs are falling left and right. I'm not just talking small little limbs! Big huge, half of trees. It's really scary. Almost 1/2 of our tree in the front is covering half our street. And, another huge tree from our house just hit our neighbors house. Our neighbors on both sides have HUGE parts of trees down too. I am sad and scared. I love our trees, so I want them around. But, scared that one is going to come crashing through our roof! Or, smash John's car. (maybe not such a big loss there!) Literally, as a I sit here, I am hearing limbs crash and hit our house with a big boom. Anyway, just writing, cuz it helps me to vent I guess. Here are some pictures of the fun and the ugly. Poor Maris hates the snow, or maybe she just hates that jacket. Ha! We took a big bubble bath after they played in the snow a little.

Broken Bow

2010-01-21T11:52:00.000-08:00

Our family needed some refueling and reconnecting! Macie had a 4-day weekend, so we decided to go to Broken Bow, OK. We almost didn't go because of various issues, but I am so glad we did. Sara had suggested (insisted) that I watch Oprah the other day where Peter Walsh was on there helping a family reconnect. We didn't have the same issues as that family, but at the same time, it still hit home. John and I watched it together and (I) decided to make this family trip a reconnecting time. In the show, the family had to go without any tv, computers or cell phones for a certain period of time. So, even though we rented this luxury cabin with FOUR flat screen tvs, we decided (I decided and John agreed) no tv all weekend. Except for the Cowboy playoff game, which I think John wishes he missed. But, anyway, can you believe we did it? In the show, the family was also given 4 other rules to live by. At the end, the family tweaked the rules for something that would work for them. We used this model and came up with our own 5 rules.

We also read through Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. I was always kinda reluctant to read his stuff and John was too. But, we needed something and several people reccmended this. It was a great book! We are going to be putting his ideas into place in the coming month.

I really hope we can stick to all of our little "resolutions" we made this weekend.

So, here are some glimpses of our weekend. It was really fun and I highly reccomend going. We ended up staying an extra night because we loved our cabin so much. Ha! It was a splurge, no doubt. We will have to figure out in our new money makeover how we can do it again though!

We were greeted by this cat at our cabin. At first, we thought it was wild. Obviously, it was not. But, I don't think it had an owner. I was totally going to bring her home! I think I could have convinced John, don' t you? But, she was gone the next day after our bike ride.

This was in our backyard. Blury picture. We roasted hot dogs. Girls got too cold, so we had to do the smores on the inside fireplace.

Picnic in Beavers Bend State Park. Beavers Bend park has rolling rivers with trout fishing and rock throwing, a big beautiful lake, hiking trails, a museum and massive network of ATV trails. There is camping too, but the nearby abundance of "luxury cabins" are just too fun!

We tried a few off-road trails, but bikes with passengers just aren't made for mountain biking. We took these roads through the state park campgrounds. No one was there. We saw a bunch of deer. It was beautiful and fun.

The front of our cabin.

The above 3 photos were all taken with the self timer. We were pretty proud of ourselves. Ha!

All that fun stuff to do, and all Macie and Maris needed was a bucket and some rocks and plants.

Our cabin also had a hot tub. We all enjoyed that every night too. It was chilly outside and it felt great. I usually don't like em and I thought Macie and Maris would hate it. But, I was wrong!

So, have I convinced anyone to go any time soon? If so, let me know, because we left our pack n play there and I want it back! Ha!

Macie's pictures from Broken Bow

2010-01-21T11:27:00.000-08:00

Here are some of Macie's photos from our trip:

This is a view of our cabin from the loft.

This was the coolest tree. We saw several like this, growing horizontal and then straight back up.

Fairy House

2010-01-14T10:59:00.000-08:00

Pretending is so fun! When I was little, Paul and I had a family of mice (imaginary!) that lived by our stairs and we had a friendly ghost that lived in the attic. We had so much fun with them. Also, depending on how many times we spun around, we could turn ourselves into either Peter Pan or another boy (for him) or girl (for me). Some how I stumbled upon this fairy door on etsy at the faerywatcher shop. The lady was super nice and it was only $10. Now that I have it, I see how easy it was to make. She made it out of popcicle sticks and twigs with some fake leaves and stuff. I tried to convince Macie that a fairy made it, but she really wasn't convinced. She said a fairy could not have made it because the leaves were fake. But, she was excited about it and was all caught up in the imaginative part of it. She moved the door to another tree and we made a front walk with a welcome sign and she made a backyard with trees, pool, table and chairs, all out of sticks and leaves. It was fun. My original idea was to just put it in the backyard and wait for her to discover it. But, I couldn't wait and I wanted to capture her reaction on video.... SO, I kinda guided her to it. I wasn't too obvious I don't think. I was going to post the video on here too, but I don't have time to figure that out and can't find the cord to the video camera. Maybe someday, but I doubt it. Anyway, here are the pictures. I think we could totally make our own fairy doors!

Cool Jeans Fix

2010-01-12T19:44:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in forever and I really want to, but always end up doing something else. But, I thought I would share with my 3 readers (ha!) a neat little trick I found and tried today. So, this is a lame post, but an easy one.

So, when you find a great pair of jeans at the thrift store for $3 and they fit and feel great over your big butt, but are WAY too long, what do ya do? It kinda defeats the purpose to take them to the tailor for $10 cuz then they are $13 jeans. Not such a great deal. And, hemming them myself isn't an option cuz it would look like crap. So...... I found this website that tells you to just sew some colorful stitches at the bottom and then just cut them off! It is a controlled fray. It was just what I wanted and was so easy and quick, goes perfect with the worn vintagey comfy look of my jeans. But, I think I cut mine a little short. Oh well. Thought I would pass it along...

kitchen decorating

2009-11-23T18:37:00.000-08:00

I have finally put my kitchen somewhat back together since we repainted it in March. I am trying to use my bakers rack for extra storage, not just junk or pretties. I wanted my coffee pot over there, but it opens from the top and wouldn't fit on the shelf. So, john had this idea to put the thing on a drawer slide. Now, I just pull it out to add the coffee and water and i have a whole little coffee station. I am really liking it. The yellow bowl holds my filters and the coffee is in the canister. I still want to repaint the whole bakers rack. But, haven't decided how yet. And, I am undecided on the curtain thing. i made it out of a thrift store table cloth. it looks kinda stupid. I bought the drawer shelves in Round Top and the new drawer pulls at Anthropology. Yes, the pulls were more than the drawers. ha! Sara took the lovely pictures of our girls cooking when she was here in june. i got the idea to display them this way from a magazine. Can you belive i did that all by myself? The guy at Lowes cut the boards for me..... Ok, and john hung them. oh, and Sara took the pictures. ok, so i just put them on the board. ha! i was still impressed with myself.

Just as a side note.... i am totally addicted to the thrift stores! i have been going almost every week and finding all sorts of tresures. Several Christmas gifts are coming from there. maris picked out her own sit n spin for $3. That will be under the tree. ha! And, i found a cute vanity bench for Macie that i am going to re paint and fix up for Christmas. More stuff that i won't reveal at this time. hee hee. ok, bye!

Halloween and Flower Pillow

2009-11-02T20:30:00.000-08:00

Wow! It's been a long time. Is anyone even looking at this any more? I need to just give this thing up. But, I wanted to post Halloween pictures of my cuties and to show off the flower pillow I made Macie. I was having a good ole time making it until I had to sew those dang petals on! You sew them on when they are stuffed and it was a little difficult.... It was a pain in the BUTT! Also, when I got ready to post this, I realized that I didn't have a picture of Macie in her Halloween costume by herself. So, this is a cute one of her and her friend Jordan aka Tinkerbell. Funny cuz Macie was Tinkerbell last year and Jordan was Ariel. Hee hee.

Thrifting and crafties

2009-09-16T11:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to some thrift stores with my friend Amy. We met at Panera Bread and then hit the shops. It was so much fun and I spent too much money. Here is a sampling of what I got. I had been looking forward to a big cup of coffee from Panera Bread all day... you know those big coffee mugs they have? Anyway... found one at the thrift store! And, it's so cute!! Presentation/packaging is everything. Had been wanting one of these truffle bowls or whatever you call it. And, the ugly duck thing, I bought for the embroidery loom. Hopefully, I will post a project with that soon. I also got a vintage tupperware cheese grater for $2, a ballerina outfit for Macie, two red kitchen rugs, a pumpkin towel and a shawl. I want to go back. Trying to hold off and save my money for Round Top in about 10 days!!

When Sara was here a couple of months ago, we both got some of these cute hearts cut out of an old quilt. Sara had the idea that I should put them in these oval frames that I had (I bought two the same day as the hearts). Anyway, I finally got around to putting them up in Maris's room. They look cute. I think it needs something else though. What do you think? Different spacing, more stuff?

Finally!

2009-09-16T11:31:00.000-07:00

Here is a project that I had been wanting to do forever. And, it took me forever. I just worked on it here and there and finally finished it. I think it turned out cute. Of course, Macie will never wear it. I asked if she wanted to wear it to school tomorrow and she said: "Maybe the next day". That translates into: "I am never putting it on again". I guess there is hope that someday Maris might wear it. I guess I should be happy that she agreed to wear the spiral skirt I made her today. Oh well, I enjoy making the stuff. I took one of John's shirts that had a rip in the sleeve and the fabric band is some fabric I had used for my kitchen curtains. The hardest part was making the pattern. John helped me do that.

Maris's First Day of School

2009-09-08T20:43:00.001-07:00

Today was Maris's first day of school. How cute is she???!!! She cried when I dropped her off and was crying when I picked her up. But, her teacher said she was fine in between. Her teachers are SO nice and sweet. I am so happy about that! Ok, back to Maris. Granny made her this sweet little dress. Macie and Sally (Macie's doll) have matching ones. I need a picture of all three. Thanks Granny! And, check out her backpack. I got it from Etsy and she LOVES it! She can even say "backpack". It is just too cute! Oh, and if you can see it, check out the name tag on the backpack, also from here (Etsy) and adorable. I ordered some for all Macie's friends for Bday gifts. And, did I mention cheap?

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-08T20:30:00.000-07:00

This picture makes me laugh! "Excuse me sir, license and registration please." We had a wild weekend. I was in the mood for a vacation, but we never go our act together, so we kinda just played tourist here close to home. Fri, I drug the family to Grapevine Mills to do some returns. The bribe was eating at Rainforest Cafe. It was fun. Saturday, we went to Fossil Rim Wildlife park to see and feed the animals. It was fun too, but not as great as it has been in the past. Plus, it was super expensive. I think it will be a while before we go back. Sun, we took it easy and Mon we went to Lake Grapevine. Macie tried out our new boat toy that is kinda like a raft or tube you pull behind the boat. She road it with Erin. Later, she told me "That thing was awesome!" It was cool to see her riding it and not too scared. Maybe she will learn to ski in a few years.

Unfortunately, we also were at the Dr two times this weekend. On Fri for Macie's ear ache. Thurs nite she was crying and saying it hurt. Fri morning it didn't but I took her anyway. Turned out to not be bad and she didn't take meds for it. Mon, I thought she had a urinary tract infection.... won't go into details. We are waiting for the final results of that test, but she was fine later in the day, so I think it was nothing serious. She calls it an eery-eery infection. Too funny.

Oh, and by the way, I tried to beautify my blog, but couldn't figure it out. I got tired the other day and just left it like this. Sara help! I will try again in a few days. I am such a dork!

Maris make me laugh

2009-08-30T20:06:00.000-07:00

So the last entry was all about Macie, now for Maris. I have been getting to enjoy Maris much more now that Macie is gone all day at school. She has been cracking me up! She grabs my hand and pulls me where she wants me to go. One day, we spent like 15 minutes racing from the backdoor rug to the kitchen sink (3 feet). She would say "Go!" and then run and giggle and giggle. It was hilarious. One day she brought me Macie's gloves and wanted them on her feet. She wore them around like this for about an hour. TOO FUNNY!!! She is also very into her babies right now. She loves to feed them, put them to bed, read to them. So sweet!

First Day of School

2009-08-30T19:11:00.000-07:00

We survived the first week of school! Macie has enjoyed it. I was surprised that she wasn't just completely exhausted when she got home. On Thurs, I was talking to another mom and she said she thought her daughter was running on adrenaline and she was waiting for the crash. I laughed and thought, that was a possibility. We had been walking to and from school, but this day I decided to drive and then go to Sonic for drinks. On the way, we drove by Nature School. Macie casually said, "There's my old school. I miss Ms. Terry." Then, she started bawling her head off! She cried and cried. Poor thing, I couldn't even hug her cuz we were driving. (She climbed up to the front when we got to Sonic). Later that day, our whole family was in the car (on the way to the Cowboys blue and white practice game at new stadium) and I commented to John that I was proud of Macie for not having her pin moved in class. She then said "I almost got my pin moved today." I asked her why and she started bawling again. Through her sobs she said: "I love my mommy and daddy too much to tell them this news." She got that from a book we had from the library before school started called "The Bad News Report Card". It was funny, but sad all at the same time. She was just exhausted. What wonderful parents to drag her off to the Cowboys thing. Anyway, we never did find out what she did to almost get her pin moved. Friday after school, we had a bunch of her friends from church and the neighborhood who go to her school, over to play on the big water slide. Everyone had a great time. So tomorrow starts a new week. I think she will do fine.
As for me, I am handling it well. The neighbor has offered to take her to school in the morning. I am secretly very glad that Macie wanted me to take her last week. She has to wait in the cafeteria until her teacher comes out and takes the class back. She was in their with 5th graders! Gasp. But, next week , I think it will just be 1st grade. She told the neighbor tonite that she would walk with them tomorrow. I may try to weasel my way in just one more week. But, on the positive side, I did get the carpets cleaned in Macie's room and my room and the hallway. This week: closets watch out!
I have to say that these pictures are not the best in the world. We were running late of course. I still remember exactly my first day of kindergarten picture. Sorry Macie. This is yours! The second one was taken in her classroom. Oh, and by the way, I have to say that neither the backpack nor the lunch box would have been my choice. I really tried to get her to choose a cute flower or butterfly, non-character lunch box. (The backpack is from last year and a long story). But, then I thought, I had a Strawberry Shortcake lunch box and a Holly Hobby. So, who am I to deprive her? And, what difference does it make anyway? I think I would have drawn the line at Hannah Montana, but thankfully, that did not come up.

End of Summer

2009-08-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

End of life as I know it!!!!!! I know, I am being dramatic. But, it is just a matter of hours now that Macie will start kindergarten. Tonite, I had a vision of her eating lunch in that great big cafeteria will all the other kiddos. No me. She will love it though. Probably won't miss me a bit. This is going to be hard for me! Its enough to make me consider home schooling.... not really, but ALMOST! Kindergarten should not be all day. They should at least get out at 2 or something. I think the hardest part will be when Maris and I do stuff like playdates and library. I spent the last week trying to cram in all this fun stuff. We went to the zoo, she went swimming with Aunt Patti, we went swimming for playgroup, went to the Children's museum and saw Imax Dolphins, got her hair cut at Sweet n Sassy and had lunch with Daddy at his office. And, today, the whole family went to NRH2O, a water park. After the intial shock it will all be fine and dandy, I'm sure. I am looking forward to getting into some kind of a routine. School will force that a little. With Maris in mothers day out for 2 days/wk, I have visions of me completing tons of sewing projects, udpating my blog frequently, having a spotless house and catching up on all kinds of projects that have been building up.
Ok, with all that said, I wanted to post some pictures of our summer. Again, I can't format all this so it looks pretty and organized, so I am just going to post pictures and you can figure out what is what. In June, Sara, Lily and Natalie came to visit. It was SO much fun! The girls were a hoot! Lily and Macie staying up all hours chatting and giggling in Macie's room. Sara and I crammed in all that was humanly possible with 4 girls in tow.
For the 4th of July, we went to my parent's house. I think it is going to be a tradition. We picked blackberries and shot fireworks. The guys and the older kids (there were 14 great grandkids there) put on a firework show that would have compared with any city sponsored show. It was amazing. It had poured down rain right before dark and cooled everything off. We snuggled up with blankets and jackets on the front porch and watched the show. Can't beat that. The sky right before dark was amazing too.
In late July, we went to Lake Murray with 3 other families from our church. We stayed in cabins and had campfires and cookouts. One day we rented a double deck party barge thing that had a slide off the top deck and a jet ski to play with. We brought the boat too. We had a lot of fun.
Sometime in there we also went to a Ranger game. Through the library reading club, Macie got to parade around the field before the game started. I think John was more excited about that than she was. But, it was cool. Ice cream and french fries got us all the way to the 7th inning. I was impressed.
August seems to be clouded by the fact that my Dad was and is still so sick. But, like I said above, we managed to do a bunch of fun stuff. We even stopped by Sulphur on the way back from visiting my Dad. The girls loved it. No pictures of any of that.

Ok, are you still reading? This is a long post. I must go now and finish a dress I am making for Macie. Will post more with all my new free time next week........ Here are the pictures in no particular order. I will have to add "figure out how to blog" to my list of projects.

Silly picture

2009-07-28T21:05:00.000-07:00

I am the worst blogger ever! But, who cares. Look at my little toot. She is so funny. Snuggled up on Macie's babydoll bed. Too cute! I want to post some more picts from our Ranger game experience and our camping trip. Maybe....

Inspiration

2009-07-13T15:28:00.000-07:00

I am doing a Beth Moore Bible study right now and she listed the words of this Steven Curtis Chapman song in the lesson today. I had to share them cuz I think they provide such wisdom! so true with all of life, but I esp feel the trueness of it with kiddos.

There's only on who knows
What's really out there waiting
In all the moments yet to be
And all we need to know
Is He's out there waiting
To Him the future's History
And He has given us a treasure called Right Now
And this is the only moment we can do anything about
And if it brings tears
Then taste them as they fall
And let them soften your heart

And if it brings you laughter
Then throw your head back
And let it go, let it go

You gotta let it go
Listen to your heartbeat
There's a wonder in the here and now
It's right there in front of you
And I don't want you to miss
The MIRACLE OF THE MOMENT.

Garage Sale!

2009-07-09T21:21:00.000-07:00

Last night on my way home from Walmart, I noticed signs for a "HUGE Garage Sale Thurs ONLY". They got me. So, this morning, I drug Macie and Maris with me. Can't help it, its in my blood... love garage sales. Macie does too. ANYWAY.... Look what I got. It is a Kenner Family tree house. My FAVORITE toy as a kid. (Well pre-Barbie and Cabbage Patch of course). I about knocked Macie down when I saw it there on the sheet for $3. Ha! I bought Macie some annoying knock off Weeble Wobble one a couple of years ago, it just didn't compare. I have previously seen these on Ebay for TONS of money. If you have time and are so inclined, check it out. I looked on Ebay again tonite and there were listings of the complete set ranging from $10-$250 (buy it now price). I am curious to see how high the bids go on the $10 one. OK, I know, I'm crazy. Of course mine has no people and is missing a wall I think, but still. I HAD to have it. I thought I would see if Ebay had the people or furniture. The furniture was about $3-$15 a piece. And, the people were $15 each. So excited, had to post it on my blog! Macie and Maris got toys too. Macie got a talking Dora doll for 50 cents (that will probably see the Goodwill pile next week) and Maris got one of those round toys that you point the arrow at the animal and pull the string and it makes the animal sound... 50 cents. Tonite I saw signs for an ESTATE SALE nearby. I think I will hit it on the way to Maris's Dr aptmt tomorrow!!

Summer!

2009-07-02T08:10:00.000-07:00

We are having a fun and busy summer so far. I don't think anyone has been too bored around here. We had a great week with Sara, Lily and Natalie. It was so fun having them here. I think we packed in as much as we possibly could. Lily and Macie had Nature School in the mornings and they played and played the rest of the time. We got the big slide out again and went to a water park. Sara took pictures. We talked, cooked, schemed. We bought fabric and made dresses for Lily and Macie. And, Sara and I even got a babysitter for the kids and snuck away for 1 1/2 hours to a lovely antique store in downtown Arlington. We had tons of fun and gathered some stuff for more projects!!

We are off to OK for 4th of July tonite or tomorrow. (Macie is throwing up today, so don't know when we will leave.... ugh, life with kids). I will be posting lots of picts of projects and the 4th soon.

The BirthdayParty!

2009-06-15T14:12:00.000-07:00

Wow. It was crazy. Somehow there were a million kids at my house. And, it was the hottest most humid day of the year. But, it was fun. Again, more random pictures. I had to make the cake twice, b/c the first one looked like crap. We ended up buying a high dollar inflatable waterslide for the party (and to use all summer). I tried to get it on craiglist for 1/2 the price, but the lady was such a flake. I just couldn't make it work with her. She lived an hour away too. So, Target sold it to me for the previous week's sale price and I got 10% off by applying for the credit card. I love doing that. I got the best deal from GAP. And, currently I have $60 in credit at Pier 1.... but I digress...

So, we had the crazy slide which was a hit. But, the kids went crazy for the treasure hunt, too. That surprised me. I thought they wouldn't want to get off the slide. Katy drew a map for me, I tore it in 4 pieces. The first clue we snuck into the pool at the bottom of the slide inside of a plastic bottle. They read the first clue which told them where the 2nd piece was located and so on. Then, they put all 4 pieces together to make the map and locate the treasure. I filled this small treasure box with candy and trinkets. They attacked that thing! It was funny.

After the party, John and I tried out the slide. It was fun. It was a pain to take down and clean and our yard was a swamp afterwards. But, we plan to get it out once every week or two during the summer. I hope it holds up. We read some bad reviews.

Oh, and presents galore! Ha. But, she got some really great stuff. A lot of art things and puzzles and games and stuff. I am definitely going thru her toys and donating some. The girl has too much stuff!! I'll admit it, she's spoiled. Ugh.

Our Trip to OK

2009-06-15T13:59:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures just randomly thrown in cuz I don't know how else to do it. (Sara, you are going to help with that next week, right?) There were surprises all around. The first surprise, which I knew before we got there, is that my Dad has moved back from Korea. Yeah! The other surprise was 2 dirt bikes and a 4-wheel truck thing that we are calling a Kubota, even though it isn't. Anyway.... They were fun. I even tried the dirt bike. I used to ride them when I was little. No fear back then I guess. And, there was a new baby calf, born just 2 days before we got there. They call the mom "Dolly". See why? Poor Mama!

Some updates

2009-05-27T09:02:00.000-07:00

Maris is eating and sleeping much better! She has taken to eating without her hands and just diving face forward into her plate. Macie and I thought this was so funny yesterday when she got mac and cheese stuck to her snotty nose. It was really funny when there were two noodles stuck there, but I couldn't grab the camera fast enough. Unfortunately, she likes to eat that way off the floor too. She will dump her snack out and then eat them off the floor like a dog. Ha! (I know, it's gross and I do stop her). I guess that is why we have ants and also why I won't spray with chemicals.... so we still have ants.

I finally decided on Macie's birthday. I don't know why I was having such a hard time. Finally, it all just came together in my head. Thanks for all the comments on the blog & otherwise. We are going to have the party at home and it is going to be Mermaid and Pirate theme because Macie wanted to invite boys this year. It will involve our fabulous fort in the backyard, that is very soon to have swings and maybe even a tire swing, and some kind of water fun. We are considering buying or renting a big water slide. Macie and I made the invites, modeled after some ideas I found online and in Parents mag. The invitation is on blue cardstock, cut with wave scissors & blue glitter paint on top. The bottom, we dipped in sand. Then, I mailed them in a paper bag. The invite said to bring the bag for the scavenger hunt. I stayed up til midnite working on that Mon nite. I thought it would be regular postage, but the grumpy lady at the PO told me it would be 59 cents. I had to use two ugly stamps, one of a pitcher and one of James Michener in a Hawain shirt. Ha! Oh well. Cost more to mail them that make them.

About the gifts..... This was a hard one. I am going to just let people bring gifts. And, I think I will wait until she is a little older to try the no gifts thing. I still think she doesn't need anything else. Our house is full of toys, and you know what her friends fight over when they come play? AN OLD BROKEN CELL PHONE! Don't donate your old phone or recycle it, send it to me so they will all have one. Ha!

Now, I have to go clean up the sand that Maris dumped out all over the desk and carpet. I know, I was stupid for bringing it in the house.

Macie is out of school for the summer. I am looking forward to summer and we have a few trips planned. But, I think I will be ready for kindergarten. Macie is so bored already!

Birthday Dilema

2009-05-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, again, I don't know how many people read this regularly, but I need some input. Sara, I already talked to you about this, but am still having some problems deciding. We started having friend bday parties with Macie at age 3. She has had 2 really fun backyard splash pool parties. This year, we were planning on another at home party. Possibly pirate and princess themed so she could invite some of her friends who are boys. I really enjoy the home parties and making the cake and all that. But, for some reason am tempted to go somewhere this year. Macie told me this morning she wanted to go to the princess tea room place. This is where they get to jump in a bounce house, dress up, have nails painted, get their own tea and teapot and cakes and cookies. You pay someone to do all that stuff. Problem is, I would have to limit the invitees cuz its pricey. This is probably the last year she will want to dress up like this. So, what do you think.... at home or fancy pants tea room? I really never thought I would go somewhere for a party, esp a place like that. But, really, I do end up spending a lot of money and definitely a lot of time getting favors and decorations and making the cake and decorating the house and cleaning up the house......

Next issue: Gifts. I really have been thinking that I want to request no gifts or donations to a charity. Macie wasn't too hot on the idea when I mentioned it once. Should I push it or wait until she is older? (For Maris, I think I will definitely start earlier, but Macie has had and has been to too many parties and seen all the gifts galore). Ok, any input would be appreciated.

Mothers Day

2009-05-07T19:40:00.000-07:00

I had to share these things:

Macie made a Mothers Day card for me at school. It was a Mad Lib-style form letter and here is what it said:

All About My Mom by Macie:

My Mom's name is Stephanie. She is 37 years old, has brown hair and brownish greenish eyes. If my mom gets to go out to eat, she wants to go to Burger King and she likes to be with the family. Mom spends most of her time cleaning the house and her hobby is playing with me and maris in the bathtub. She would love to take a vacation to everywhere. The best thing my mom does for me is put me to bed.

Hee hee. By the way, I hate Burger King. She said she couldn't think of anything. But, I would like to go on vacation everywhere.

These pictures are of some more flowers Macie picked for me. She LOVES picking flowers. This little vase is a tiny syrup bottle from Cracker Barrell. My grandma was visiting last week and it was her idea. It is so cute and PERFECT for the tiny flowers Macie finds. And, what a great reason to go to Cracker Barrell and order the pecan pancakes! (You get a glimpse of my new kitchen in this picture too. I am currently making curtains, then I will take a picture. My mom helped me get started... I may never finish). The other picture is of some dead magnolia tree leaves. Our neighbor has a magnolia tree and Macie is always picking them up and making a bouquet out of them. This time, we brought them in and put them in a vase. Add some rocks from the front yard and its not a bad look.

Some day I am going to figure out how to make my blog look nice. Maybe when Sara comes to visit...... I have no idea where these pictures are going to come up on here. Anyway, one more thing to share. Last Saturday, I bought myself a mothers day gift. Maybe I will take a picture of it. But, it is two interlocking rings, one says Macie, the other Maris. I first saw the idea here at nelle & lizzy. But, I saw that a lady was selling them here locally and was engraving while you wait. So, got me one.

And, finally, I am adding the picture of Maris cuz I think it's funny. She is walking around the kitchen with a bag of Pirates Booty. Maybe that's why she doesn't eat dinner...... (actually she is getting much better)

Easter & a Macie conversation.

2009-04-28T20:36:00.001-07:00

I know, Easter was a million years ago. But, here are some pictures of our little family. I tried all day to get a sweet picture of the girls in the dresses their Granny made them. They were both being stinkers. Notice Maris's muddy toe in the family picture. Ha!

And, here is a funny little Macie story:

Macie: I don't like my name.

Me: Why?

Macie: It's too different. I want a more prettier name like Sheeba or Rudolph.

Okkkaaaayy....... This is an example of a conversation based soley on the fact that she wants to be talking... about ANYTHING.... Just talking. Ha! Which reminds me... She was describing a girl in her class today and she told me "She's not much of a talker ya know". Hee hee.

Mommy Confessions

2009-04-23T12:43:00.000-07:00

As I was warned, having Maris has been humbling. Picky eaters bug me and I love to sleep. Macie slept thru the nite by 6 wks (mostly), and eats tons of stuff (not as much as she used to though). Our dog sleeps all night, always has. ha! Maris... she's a picky eater and she still isn't sleeping thru the nite. Well, she does sleep until 4 or 5, if we are really lucky 6. So, technically, that is thru the nite, right? But, I still nurse her to sleep for naps and bedtime. Ugh. She will sit in her high chair for 5 minutes or so and then tries to escape by scooting down under the tray. I always give in and let her out because I am tired from trying to get dinner cooked then cut up on the girls' plates and on mine. (John is rarely home before dinner) I just want to eat in PEACE! So, she gets down after two bites and entertains herself while we eat. Last night she ate her avacado off her plate in her high chair, then got down and ate a piece of egg off the floor from breakfast and some Pirate Booty chees puffs she found left over from her snack earlier. I joke that I should just scatter her dinner around the floor under the table and she would eat it. For lunch today she had a chicken nugget in the car and 4 french fries. That doesn't include the nugget that she chewed on and then spit out in my hand. Lovely. When offered some foods, most foods, she blows a razzberry at it and turns her head away. What the heck? Anyway.... I am not sure who all reads this, but I don't want a lecture or advice. Just venting. I know what the problem is. I have a million excuses and I just can't get there yet. I do have to say to all those people that I secretly looked down on for: nursing too long, not eating well, not sleeping..... "SORRY, Now I know why!!!!!!!" Hopefully, I can get everyone whipped into shape before its too late!

I have been horrible at updating this blog. I hope to post some picts soon.

simple things

2009-04-02T09:04:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have been crazy and busy for me. I won't go into details, cuz its whiny and I just don't feel like it. Consequently, my patience has been short and my girls have been driving me crazy. Then, on Tues, the girls and I were in the front yard and the ice cream truck came speeding down the street. Macie got a huge watermelon flavored popsicle with candy seeds in it. I just remember how much fun that was when I was a kid. Then, we met some friends down at the park where Macie picked these wildflowers for me. She ripped most of them up by the root. It was hilarious. Sometimes I forget that she is just 4, still such a little girl.

I have not been updating my blog like I want to because I have been busy with other stuff. But, I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Maris is getting tubes in her ears on Fri am. I am so ready. She has had 5 ear infections! And, she has not been sleeping well AT ALL, which of course contributes to my crankiness. So, I will start making her sleep better after that. I am selling a ton of stuff in the JBF consignment sale this weekend, clearing out a bunch of junk. Hopefully this weekend I can do a little shopping and can start re-decorating my newly painted kitchen. Of course I am going to wait until the termite people come and drill holes in the newly painted wall on Friday. Oops I said I wasn't going to whine. Ok, that's it for now!

Overheard in OK

2009-03-23T19:36:00.000-07:00

We spent a great few days in OK visiting my mom and Grandma. I forgot my camera in my rush to leave my horrible kitchen and mess of a house, but maybe will post pictures soon. But, I got a kick out of this conversation that took place on Sat while we were fishing down at the pond:

Macie: "Grandma, I'm diggin up this cow patty!"

Grandma Ruth: "Oh good, do you see any worms"?

HA! Gotta love it!!

Macie-ism

2009-03-13T12:09:00.000-07:00

On Tues, John and I had our 8th anniversary. On Mon nite, I told Macie that the next day was our anniversary and that we had been married 8 years. She got sad and kinda started to cry. I asked her what was wrong and she said "You're getting so old". Ha!

The girl is a hoot. She just came in here and told me that she was scared of the Dora show on tv. Sheesh!

Oh, and I know every parent has probably experienced this. We went to zoo on Mon and Spring was in the air if ya know what I mean. The elephants and turtles were mating. The elephants were very intersting to say the least. Anyway, Macie says: I didn't know elephants played piggy back rides. We of course, left it at that.

Ugh

2009-03-13T11:08:00.000-07:00

I just had to share my woes. Really, I'm just feeling sorry for myself, cause I know none of this stuff is THAT bad, but here we go....

1. The roof over our kitchen, where we are currently re-texturing and painting the ceiling, IS LEAKING

2. The kitchen faucet broke. As if having the whole kitchen torn apart wasn't bad enough....

3. I stubbed my little pinky toe on Tues and it hurts SO BAD! The whole area is swollen and black purple and it hurts to walk on it still.

4. Maris has been running a fever for 2 days, and has tonsillitis and her 4th ear infection since Sept. She is going to the ENT to see about tubes in her ears! She's just a BABY!

Ok, its not that bad, but poor me anyway. I will say that I am so thankful to have such nice friends and be around such nice people. On Wed nite (before I knew about the leak and before the fever and faucet) I went to church with both girls and it was pouring down rain. Scott Souder went and parked the truck for me. After church, it was raining again and Scott Tenery went and got my truck for me. So nice! On Thurs, Kelly brought Macie home from preschool. Also on Thurs, Gina verified Maris's ear infection so I didn't make a needless trip to the Dr.

I think its supposed to stop raining sometime today, which will be great. I don't know how you stand it Clarissa! Hopefully John will fix the roof this weekend and we can get the kitchen done! It is taking FOREVER! OK enough.

Quick Update

2009-03-11T13:48:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures and some updates of what has been going on in our life. I want to get back into updating this blog, but I feel like too many other things have been going on. The pictures are out of order, but oh well. Sara, when you come visit, I want you to give me bloggin lessons. Anyway........... Maris's birthday was fun. She got a cozy coop car and tons of other things. Granny made her little bday dress.

Macie had her first soccer game on Sat. These pictures are of her playing goalie. They are misleading, because this is the only time she actually partcipated. The rest of the time, as the girls chased the ball up and down the field, she was several yards behind them wandering around. She also thought the goal net thing (she gets her athleticism from me) was a stage and was dancing around. I am hoping she was just REALLY tired due to the camping trip the night before and will do better next week.

On Friday night, we went camping at River Legacy Park down the street from our house. The city organized it and it was a lot of fun. They provided hot dogs and smores, Macie made a lantern that she uses as a night light now and the librarians read some books. At 9, they showed a movie (open season) on a big screen. Macie knew a couple of friends there from Nature School and of course met some new ones. She had a great time. Maris loved it too. She had a ball in the tent and on the air mattress, and in her little lawn chair. The weather was great, but WINDY. The tent was blowing all over the place, even ripped our brand new tent. Maris and I made it until 1 am and then took off for home where we slept much better. We were all 4 trying to sleep on a queen size air mattress. ha! Oh well, we hope to try camping again later this spring.

What a Week!

2009-03-05T19:40:00.001-08:00

Ugh. My life went totally crazy starting last Sat. I think I will copy Sara and post this in list form. This week:

1. My mom came to visit... Yay!
2. Maris's Bday... Yay, so cute and sweet.
3. Repainted my kitchen table and chairs.... not as easy as it sounds
4. Scraped the popcorn texture from my kitchen ceiling, consequently have been eating off the card table in the living room and living with a thin layer of white dust all over the house
5. Attended 4 nights of a marriage conference
6. Maris decided she didn't want to sleep day or night
7. Attended soccer practice and Upward cheerleading Awards night in the same evening... Macie won a gift card and Mavs Man was there!

And, it's only Thursday! Tomorrow night we are going camping at River Legacy park, right down the street from our house. (Maris and I will probably come home). It is organized by the park dept and they are having sleeping bag story time, hot dogs, smores and songs and a movie! Sat, Macie has her first soccer game and we are going to a birthday dinner. I hope to post pictures of Maris bday and Macie's cheerleading and soccer stuff soon. The kitchen will have to wait until its all done. Probably another week at least. Can't wait til next week.... cuz I need a BREAK!

Weekend Update

2009-02-23T18:17:00.000-08:00

Well, Bubbles was the least of our worries this weekend. On Fri night, Macie started running a fever. We took her to the Dr on Sun and she has strep throat. Poor baby. She was really miserable. AND, she missed two birthday parties and cheerleading. She is doing much better today. When she realized Bubbles was gone, she said: "Can I get a new fish today? I am really going to miss Bubbles.... sniff" Whatever.
Anyway, look what I made! It is a 96 cent clip board covered in cute scrapbook paper.... got that idea from Priscilla. And, the grocery list I adapted from one I saw online. It has a spot for meal planning at the top and then perforated shopping lists at the bottom. I LOVE IT! And, by the way, if and when we get around to repainting our kitchen, the colors in the clip board are the new colors of our kitchen. Can't wait to get started on it!!!

Bubbles

2009-02-20T21:07:00.000-08:00

Well, it's a sad day here at our house. Ms. Bubbles our little Beta fish died today. She hadn't been loooking so great the last few days. I told Macie Thurs morning that it didn't look good and she bursted into tears. John is out burrying her right now (11pm) in a red box. So, I guess sometime tomorrow between cheerleading, two birthday parties and babysitting her friends, we will tell her. I am wondering if she will notice. We had her for over a year. Santa brought her a Beta in her stocking in 2007, but the stocking fell off the mantle and the fish didn't last long after that. So then Macie and John went and bought Bubbles a few weeks after Christmas. It really is sad. Poor Bubbles. I didn't have the heart to flush her. And, I didn't want to make a big deal out of a burial, so I think this late night affair is best.

crafties

2009-02-12T21:12:00.001-08:00

I love Valentines Day cuz its so pretty. All that pink and red. Plus, I love any excuse to eat sweets, esp assorted chocolates. ANYWAY.... Here are some crafts Macie and I made. The cards are for her Nature School teachers. I thought the leaves looked like hearts and were appropriate for Nature School. The heart is a Valentine for the birds that she made at Nature School Open house the other night. It is a piece of bread, brushed with egg white and dipped in bird seed.

Our playgroup made those Hershey treasures candy bars covered in the mailing labels. That idea was from this link Sara had on her blog the other day. Too cute! I thought the kids could decorate their own labels too. It didn't turn out as well as I hoped. They were too busy I think. Oh, plus I forgot the markers. Ha! Macie liked the idea at home, choosing blue polka dots. We also made some yummy heart sugar cookies for the kids to decorate.

Tonite, I made some pretzels covered in almond bark with red sprinkles for John to take to work.

And, believe it or not, I'm not done yet. Maybe. I want to make some petit fours. We will see how that turns out. Plus, our friends are babysitting the girls on Sat nite while John and I have a date and they are going to do MORE Vday crafts. Aaaah.

Oh, almost forgot. The blue bird is from a kit of Martha Stewart puppets from Walmart. I haven't decided if it was worth the $ yet. Macie and I assembled them and then she did a puppet show for Maris. So, it was entertaining. They are cute and easy. Five come in a kit (bird, lion, bunny, frog, pig) for $12.

This is kinda messy and out of order, but it's late and I just wanted to get it up there.

Sewin Fool

2009-02-05T19:54:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures of my latest sewing projects. I still have two more to do and I am kinda losing steam. One is a flannel jumper dress which I really need to make this week, or it will be spring and she won't be able to wear it. The other project I still want to do is the one that started this whole sewing thing in the first place. It is a spiral skirt my friend at church made her girls and I have been wanting to make it since October. But, I was intimidated so I tried the other skirt first. Then, I got distracted. Just as I am now... ANYWAY, I made the skirt in these pictures from the instructions on jcarolinecreative site for the peasant skirt. It is under the "How To" tab. You measure your hips or waist and then it calculates the rectangular pieces for you to cut. The instructions were so nice and easy to follow. They are for an adult size skirt, so I just cut the length of each one in half for Macie. Clarissa... You can do this if you want to try apparel. I didn't really understand the instructions for the waist band, so I did my own thing there.

The other dress was inspired by the fabric that Macie chose on the shopping trip to pick out the fabric for the unmade spiral skirt. The picture doesn't really show it, but this lovely fabric has glittery little dots all over it. It just screamed sun dress. I found this pattern for a pillow-case style dress. It's OK, but those little glittery things itch her and its a little short. So, even in summer she will probably need leggings and a shirt under it. Oh well. If you are interested, it is McCalls #5797 and was super easy.

Stock Show

2009-02-05T19:29:00.001-08:00

The girls and I went to the Ft Worth Stock Show this afternoon. It was fun. I love the stock show! There are REAL cowboys and cowgirls there. These people are hard core. Brushin and combin their animals. Cowboy hats, boots and fancy belt buckles walkin around everywhere. Clarissa, next year you need to visit in early Feb. Last year we met a family there that was showing a steer. They gave us some insight into that whole world. The competition is fierce, with thousands of entries for one category. Anyway... Maris was in awe over all the animals. A turkey gobbled in her face and scared her and then a big ole pig scared her a little too. Here is a sampling of some pictures:

FUNNEL CAKE!! .......on a bale of hay, with the stench of pig in the air. Can't get any better than that! I would never have let Macie eat funnel cake at 11 mos. Whatta ya know? Maris loves it.

This tractor is HUGE! Macie won this little blow up unicorn on the midway. I am such a sucker.

Poor Mama pig. I feel her pain! Ha! Look at those cute little behinds though!

OK, this is a little scary looking. Just when I think Macie is growing up and really is a big girl, she brings her blow-up unicorn, named Rainbow Sherbert, to the dinner table complete with popsicles for dinner ("because they don't eat people food, ya know"). Makes me laugh and makes me glad she is still a little 4 year old girl.

Weekend Update

2009-02-02T09:50:00.000-08:00

This is more rambling, but here is some stuff. On Sunday, we went bike riding with Mark and Ashley. Right before Christmas we bought a bike trailer for the girls to pull behind our (John's) bike. They loved it the first time we went out, but this time Maris was pretty fussy. I think Macie was squishing her. We may have to rethink the riding situation, get Macie something else. ANYWAY..... we went riding at River Legacy park near our house and we saw 2 bobcat babies and a momma bobcat! It was SO cool! The walked under the bike path through a drainage pipe and really didn't seem to care about us at all. We have seen the bobcat two other times at the park. And, Macie and her nature school class saw one last year on their nature walk. I wish I had had my camera with me. Sadly, no picts to post.

More food stuff:
I forgot to say in my ramblings some other food we are loving right now. Thanks to my cousin Lisa, we are eating what we call waffwiches. These are 2 waffles with peanut butter and jelly, made like a sanwich. Yummy!

And, another yummy thing is chocolate, banana, strawberry smoothies. I got this from Amanda and I think she got it from Bob Greene's book. Anyway, you take 1 cup of Light Choc soy milk and about 1/2 c of frozen strawberries and one banana. Stick it in the blender and yummy! I never really measure, but this morning I made it with frozen strawberries and frozen banana. It was thick, had to eat it with a spoon. It was like eating ice cream. Again... Yummy! And the girls liked it too. It is also a great way to use up fruit that is about to get too ripe. If we have bananas or strawberries that are getting ripe, I slice them up and freeze them. Then, they can go right into the smoothie.

Oh! I almost forgot! Maris is crawling!!! So cute. She is 11 mos and finally decided to crawl. Should be walking any day now too. Macie crawled at 11 mos too. I am excited, but it is going to change some stuff around here.

Ok, will post some picts of my lastest sewing creations soon!

Funny Pictures and Ramblings

2009-01-28T14:36:00.000-08:00

Pictures first:

Macie's first love letter. This is a picture of lips that she colored pink, cut out and taped to a pink paper. Then she wrote "I Love Cort... Macie" (it's kinda backwards, it evolved as she went). She loves her some Cort! He is a little boy she knows from church, sees him at preschool and playgroup. The picture was totally her idea. I had no input, by the way.

Macie was serving food out this window to Maris and Llano got involved.

This is what Maris does when she is excited to see you. I love it. Its kinda like how she says Hi!

This isn't funny, just posting about it cuz I haven't. Macie is cheering for Upward Basketball. It's going OK. I am the assistant coach. There are 8 4-year olds. That gives you an idea. Ha!

This is an expression we see from Maris quite often, especially when Macie is around.

Now some ramblings (inspired by Sara):

First topic is snacks: If you haven't tried the Pepperidge Farm Pretzels Thins, you must go get a box right now. They are SO yummy! And, great for dips. I love dips. I esp like them with spinach dip. I have been eating tons of Cheerios lately. I forgot (since Macie was a baby) how yummy they are for a snack. Not with milk, just eatin them right out of Maris's bowl. Not too sweet or salty, kinda melt in your mouth. Yum! And, lastly YAY! for Girl Scout cookies. Of course I always get the Samoas (Carmel Delites) and Thin Mints. But we are also on our 2nd box of Peanut Butter and Lemonades. Both excellent!

I never posted my New Years resolutions. Some aren't so much resolutions as they are goals or tasks to be completed. Sara, keep me on my toes!

1. Get organized.

2. Exercise, I would say "more" but I do nothing now so...

3. Sew more, learn more about it, get better at it

4. Paint growth tree on wall for girls

5. Get all 2008 photos into Blurb book

6. Improve my marriage

7. Enjoy the moment more

Thats all I can really think of now. Doing OK on some stuff. This was a lot of stuff. Bye for now!

Skirt

2009-01-28T14:18:00.000-08:00

I finally made Macie a skirt. It wasn't the one I was planning on making because I decided to start wiht this easier one. I am planning on getting some more fabric and trying the other one in a week or so. It took me all day Saturday and Janet had to come over and help me thread the surger. But, its done and it fits and Macie likes it. Yay! She loves full skirts and dresses. Thank goodness this winter she will wear leggings. I have two more dresses planned too. We will see. I love the site jcaroline creative. They have some of the prettiest fabric, but its pricey. And, since there is a good chance I will mess it up, I just don't know.

Can I Be President?

2009-01-20T13:25:00.001-08:00

I have been glued to the tv today, loving every minute of the inauguration coverage. That is VERY unlike me. I am normally not into politics, tv (that much), or news coverage of big events in general. But, I am just so amazed and moved by this event.

Today, while watching all this, Macie asked me if she could ever be president. I can totally, without a doubt tell her that YES! she can be president. Last year if she had asked I probably would have said Yes, but thought it was a long shot.

I remember my old boss used to hold up this picture of the TCEQ board of directors and point out that they were all old, white men. It is an image that we grew up with, hardly questioning. Now, our kiddos will have another picture of leadership. That alone, political opinions aside, is so hopeful for our country and even the world. So dramatic, I know!

Overheard

2009-01-14T12:43:00.000-08:00

So, I am starting to freak out that Macie is going to be starting kindergarten in a few MONTHS. I never thought I would be one of those moms that would be all teary when their kids grew up, but it is just crazy how fast things are going. The best saying I ever heard is: "Motherhood is short years and long days". It is SO true. I am freaking out about kindergarten for two reasons: 1. We will be tied to a school schedule for the next 17 years! 2. Macie is growing up. So, on the subject of Macie growing up..... I am trying to cherish each little moment and each little bit of innocence..... in between the times she is driving me insane that is. So, don't know how long this will last, but I am starting a new thing, that could be daily knowing her, called "Overheard" where I am going to write down some little Macie-isms or chit-chat that could be overheard in our house.

Here is today's dose:

Macie, (while looking at some Disney princesses): Can princesses make people into princesses?
Me: Princesses are people just like you and me.
Macie: Well, I want to be a princess.
Me: You have to marry a prince.
Macie: What is a prince?
Me: The son of a king and queen. But, there are no king and queen in the US.
Macie: God is our King. Jesus is His son. I will marry Jesus.

Some may be totally disgusted by this whole conversation, but whatever. She loves princesses. Of course I could have answered in a different way and told her she is a princess, blah blah. I guess she has been listening in church after all.

Her little lines of logic just amaze me. Here is one from Thanksgiving while we were visiting my parents:

Macie LOVES her cousin Erin. Erin likes to sleep in and of course Macie is up early and can hardly stand to wait for Erin to get up so she can begin following her around all day. We were about to eat breakfast and here is the conversation:

Macie: Aunt Priscilla, does Erin like cold pancakes?
Aunt P: No, why?
Macie: Well, maybe you should wake her up, so she can eat the pancakes while they are hot.

So sneaky. Did I say innocent before? Oh well.

Maris Waved today

2009-01-14T12:37:00.000-08:00

Today for playgroup, we met at the mall. The older kiddos were riding the carousel and all the mommies were waving and smiling as good mommies do, of course. And, Maris waved too!! It was so cute. I thought she MAY have kinda waved a few times before, but this was unmistakable! Too too cute! Nothin like a baby clapping or waving.

Christmas

2009-01-08T19:22:00.001-08:00

I really haven't felt like posting anything, don't know why. We had a very nice Christmas. Here are some highlights in pictures:

Despite having a stomach virus for a week, I did get to do a little fun pre-Christmas stuff with Macie.

Our annual self-portrait Christmas picture. Maris joins us for the first time. I am always amazed at how well these turn out, considering we have to figure out how to set the self-timer, which usually involves getting out the book, find a place to set the camera, then get kid(s) and dog to look at the camera even though no one is behind it and John has to run and jump in place.

Granny's dolls. We had Christmas dinner at John's parent's house. His mom made these dresses for the girls. And, one for Macie's new doll, named Macie too!

The day after Christmas we went to my parent's house. Part of our family tradition is eating chocolate and biscuits for breakfast. Maris got to take part this year.

Happy New Year everyone!

Disney Pictures

2008-12-19T09:07:00.001-08:00

We had such a great time at Disneyland. I really don't even know where to begin. It was really magical when we walked in, like entering a different world. Corny, I know. I am just going to post a bunch of pictures. It was great to see Clarissa! Some of the other highlights were the Princess Lunch where we met Cinderella, Ariel, Snow White, Jasmine and Aurora (Sleeping Beauty). The Pixar Parade in California Adventure was very cool. And, an area in Disneyland called Toon Town was very cool too. It was a whole town of Mickey and Friends. You could tour their houses, PO, gas station. It was like a huge playground for kids. Loved it! Don't have much time, so will post the pictures and end for now!

Too much Disney?

2008-12-08T10:08:00.000-08:00

NO WAY! Ha! Just back from Disneyland and we had a great time. When I asked Macie what she wanted for breakfast this morning, she said "a waffle with a touch of butter, some cream and a cherry on top". WHAT? She settled for syrup and a cherry. Oh, and by the way, she was dressed in her pink princess dress-up clothes, wearing a yellow crown and had even BRUSHED HER OWN HAIR! Ha! Princess influence is not all bad. Will post more about our trip along with pictures later. Just thought that was too funny!

Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T19:57:00.000-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving. It was the first Thanksgiving at my parents' new house. It was so nice. This is the view of the house from the pond. My mom got the girls our own robes to keep there when we visit. The beds were comfy, the food was yummy. We fed Jasmine the donkey. (macie is wearing her robe) She was so funny, bugging us for corn and cubes my Dad had bought her.

We went fishing. I think Macie was a little bored. Priscilla caught a pretty big fish! The beavers are eating this tree by the pond. And, they have a dam in the creek behind the pond. My parents have also seen coyotes and deer there.

Macie shared a rootbeer float with her Grandpa.

Macie adores Erin and was attached to her the ENTIRE time. Thankfully, Erin was so sweet and played with her the whole time. We helped my mom decorate her Christmas tree too. It was a nice trip.

My Mom Rocks!

2008-11-22T19:46:00.001-08:00

My mom's house is finally done and it's beautiful. She has been through a lot, having to really stay on top of the contractors and handle all kinds of stuff. She has learned to do a lot of stuff for herself and is definitely not afraid of hard work. Here she is helping my her brother build an iron fence around her pool and patio! We are all having Thanksgiving in the new house. I can't wait!!

Outfits & Random Updates

2008-11-22T19:33:00.000-08:00

I was going through some pictures, trying to clear out my camera and found these cute ones of Macie. The red outfit was her cousin Erin's. My mom made it. It was from a pattern that she used when I was a little girl. I LOVED these pant suits! She made matching ones for me and my friend Kim Ard. The other picture is how Macie decided to come outside and look for leaves the other day. She's a hoot.

Last weekend, John's work had employee appreciation day at 6 Flags. They closed the park to employees and friends. We had so much fun! Macie is so tall, she can ride any ride there, and pretty much did. She rode the SHOCK WAVE!! It's the roller coaster by the highway that loops 2 times upside down. Wow. I used to love roller coasters, but I just can't handle them any more. Right when the ride started, I thought: "What the heck am I doing? I am going to die and my 4 yr old daughter is right beside me!!" Oh well, getting old I guess. It was good practice for Disneyland.... 10 more days!!

HAIR CUT!!!

2008-11-11T09:24:00.000-08:00

Talk about changes..... Wow! Macie had been telling me she wanted to get her hair cut. I was stalling because I thought it was so pretty. But, she hated having it brushed, so I finally gave in. Clarissa was in town and she went with us to this obnoxiously cute place called Sweet and Sassy. It was fun. She got glitter stars on her face and walked down a runway. I thought it was totally worth a few extra dollars. Its only been one day, but I still can't get over how different she looks. We haven't washed it yet, so it still has the 'style' the stylist put in it. She used a round brush and blowdryer. I don't see us doing that everyday, so I hope it still looks cute tomorrow. Couldn't figure out how to change the order of these pictures, so the after is first. Oh well.... you get the idea. Gotta go get her from school....

Tinkerbell Party

2008-11-11T09:14:00.000-08:00

Macie's Granny gave her the new Tinkerbell movie for Halloween. John was out of town this weekend, so we decided to have a Tinerbell party. Macie invited her friends Kaleigh, Hunter and Jordan. They all wore their PJs and we made sugar cookies and rice krispie treats and ate popcorn. They watched about 15 minutes of the movie and then went to play upstairs. Ha! But, they had a good time. Maybe it had something to do with all the sugar they consumed beforhand.... After they left and I put Maris to bed, Macie and I finished the movie. Fun girly night!

CABLE!!

2008-11-06T19:16:00.000-08:00

After 6 hours of installation, we finally have cable. I know it's ridiculous that this is what I am posting about, but it is seriously life-changing. We have on-demand movies. We can rent movies from our couch!! I was thinking that this wasn't such a good idea, beginning a week ago when it was all John could think or talk about and intensifying last night when John was drawing a sketch on the "preferred installation" method and worrying about how they were going to install it. When the guy showed up, he asked to see the computer and tvs. He was shocked to find out we didn't have cable or satellite. "You have RABBIT EARS?" Ha! Then, to John's horror, there was discussion about running wires on the outside of the house. So, John acutally left work and came home to supervise the installation. This is HUGE. It required removing sheetrock, drilling holes, 3 separate attic entry points and 6 hours of labor from the poor guy to bring us up to date. But, after all that, when he finally turned on the tv, I couldn't believe the picture on our 20 year old (really) tv. It was so clear! And, I didn't have to adjust the rabbit ears. I'm in love.

I had mentioned to the installer guy that Macie had never had cable and that she hadn't ever watched Dora. So, when he was setting up the tv, Macie says: "Where's Dora?" I didn't even know she heard me talking about that. The guy has kids and says, "oh, that's chanel #132", and it was on!!!!!!! Macie is in love. After he left, Macie asked if he was going to another person's house. I said he was probably going home, since it was 6:30. She said: "He must have driven a long way." I said I didn't know and she said: "Well he is from China, he's Chinese". HA! It was so funny. The guy is Asain, I don't think Chinese, but it was so strange she said that. I asked her how she knew and she said she just knew what Chinese people looked like and that he was speaking Chinese. He was not speaking Chinese, but did have a slight accent. Just goes to show that kids pick up on EVERYTHING! Still have no idea where she got that. I have never referred to a person as Chinese.

So, for now, we are in tv paradise. At least until the first fight over turning off the tv. There is an equal chance it being with Macie or John. Shoot, it may be me now that I have HGTV. Hee hee.

Trunk or Treat

2008-10-26T20:28:00.000-07:00

I know I am partial, but this is the cutest dang pig I have ever seen!!! AND, she sat, with her little pig hat on her head, for almost 2 hours on the back of our truck. SO CUTE! Our church has Trunk or Treat every year in the parking lot. People decorate their cars and the kids trick or treat to each one. This year we were supposed to decortate like a movie and since Maris was a pig, we did Charlotte's Web. Turned out pretty cute. Her baby friend Madeline was a lamb and fit in perfect! Macie was a beautiful Tinkerbell. I love this picture of her stuffing popcorn in her mouth with one hand and a fistful of candy in the other hand. HA! John was Mr. Zuckerman. Hee hee.

Changes

2008-10-24T12:24:00.000-07:00

Our lives are changing!! Maris moved from the infant seat to the regular car seat, and of course doesn't really like it. Macie moved to the booster seat and LOVES it. She stuck her foot out the window yesterday on the way home from school. Probably not safe, huh? I really don't want to label my kiddos, but that is so typical! Maris is so grouchy about stuff. And, I had no idea that a 7 month old could throw a fit like she does. I took an apple slice away from her today and she freaked out! Screaming and arching her back, a full fit. Not that Macie doesn't have her share of fits, but she is so happy about stuff, so fun-loving. I shouldn't complain. Maris is pretty easy going too, just some stuff she really digs her heals in. Oh well. But, I digress....the biggest change going on right now.... WE ARE GETTING CABLE! John is so excited he can barely stand it. Turns out the new fiber optic line they were installing, that I talked about in an earlier post, is allowing us to get cable, internet and phone for the same price we already pay for phone and internet. Pretty exciting. HA!

Fun Stuff

2008-10-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

It was good to be a Mom this week. I have Tinkerbell wings in my house, I got to see a live theatrical version of Cinderella, and got to tour a fire station. Thanks Macie!!

Saturday

2008-10-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

The weather has been so nice! Today, I told Macie to go get dressed and she came down in her new favorite outfit, the purple tutu I bought last week at a garage sale for $1. The best $1 I ever spent. She was playing outside, so I grabbed the camera. Next thing you know, we all ended up in our hammock that is about 4 feet off the ground. Ha! Anyway, it was so relaxing. We saw a HUGE hawk fly over while we were hanging out in there. Then, some workers were installing a new fiber optic line behind our house and Macie climbed up on her tree house and said "Do you need some help from a purple ballerina?" It was cute and FUNNY! That's what I want Saturdays to be like.

Fall Fun

2008-10-07T11:59:00.000-07:00

Last week, my Aunt Shara came to visit and took us to the State Fair and to the Dallas Arboretum. She has taken macie to the OK State Fair the last 2 years, but this year, we just couldn't make it there. So.... she came here. We all had fun. Maris was a trooper. Fall has so many things going on. We went to the Aroboretum too. Macie had her face painted. And, there was a girl there in her Quinceanera dress for photos. We told Macie it was a princess and kinda played it up. She totally fell for it and the whole rest of the time was asking about the princess.. Where is she, how did she get here..... She even slept with the picture under her pillow. Ha!! We are going to Disneyland in December. I think she will have fun.

First Post

2008-10-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

Well, everyone else has a blog, so I decided I needed one too! This may be the only post I ever make, because I don't know how I will find time to do it and really don't know what I am doing. Also, not sure why I need one other than, like I said, everyone else has one. Hee hee. My real motivation is to share what's goin on with us with those I don't get to see much (or ever!). I guess I figure if you don't care about what's goin on, then don't look at my blog. Ha! I am still figuring all this out, so hopefully it will improve with time. I am amazed by moms who have time to do all these cool things and I feel like I barely scratch by with the bare necessities. See the links to some blogs of mom's I'm talking about over there. You are my heroes ladies! Maris is eating a tube of Desitin, so will go for now.