Monthly Archives: February 2011

Power through – day by day.

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So much for my promises to be a better blogger. I really think that my calendar is plotting against me. Perhaps in a former life I wronged it somehow? Or packed it too full one month? Whatever the case, I just open my calendar each morning and try to work through it all. One day at a time. I find myself thinking, “if I can just make it to the weekend…it will all be okay.”

Except for this weekend. This week we are just trying to get through the weekend. And trying to get everyone healthy.

We have amoxicillin cocktails all around over here since Em and Ad both found ear infections this week. Half of Em’s class was out this week, and half of Ad’s class has been in and out of school for the past two weeks. I blame it on the weather. It.Is.Cold.Here.

Of course it is all relative, I realize. But it will be 70 degrees and lovely one day, and rainy and 40 the next. Everyone is feeling a little under the weather. Even Tiger.

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Amongst all the sickies, we have had a little more excitement than normal. Addie was awarded SuperCougar at school today. The character trait that they were working on this month was honesty. So apparently Mrs. F. thinks Addie exhibits honesty. Huh. Well, she definitely says what is on her mind…I guess that is honest, right?

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And with that we are off.

Em has her final dress rehearsal tomorrow for her ballet performance on Sunday. And sandwiched between ballet, we are taking the Brownie troop on their first overnight. All 18 of them. God bless ’em.

And God help us Moms. Wish us luck.

And pray we just make it through the weekend…

Dipy Week #56 ~ Tuesday. 11:33am.

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So what are two of your favorite (;-) bloggers doing on a random Tuesday morning at 11:33am?

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Shoot whatever you are doing at 11:33am on Tuesday. That was our theme this week. And as you can see it is mostly “business as usual” with Kimberly, the dedicated blog Goddess that she is. And at our house on Tuesday (and really all week long) it has been cookies, Cookies, COOKIES! At 11:33am on Tuesday I was boxing up the cookies to ship to our Michigan folks, so maybe, just maaaybe, they will be there in time for the weekend!

See what the rest of our lovely ladies are up to today over at…

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Hosted by Megan and Hip Momma

Crafty Tuesday

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Hey, I have a legit Crafty Tuesday entry today!

Finally, I got one of those little study snuggly block quilts done. Yes, those quilts that I had started for the girls awhile ago. Like…um, back before Christmas?

So I started with Em’s – hers is birds, owls and lots and lots of polka-lots.

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Hmmm…perhaps I should have smoothed it out a bit before I photo’d it. But I quilted the front and batting together (stitched in the ditch – is that what it is called?) and then backed it with a yummy tangerine flannel.  And then tied it in the corners with turquoise yarn. I got squeals when she came downstairs on Sunday morning, so I think she liked it. She has been snuggling with it ever since.

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And, Tiger and I have been using it on the sofa in the evening after she pops off to bed. It is warm and definitely snuggly.

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Now, of course I have a certain little 5-year old who asks almost hourly when her kitty cat quilt will be done.  Off to finish that one up.

Eyes Wide Open.

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This morning it looked like a scene right out of COPS here on our little, quiet, neighborhood street. There was an attempted burglary. There was a lockdown at our school. There was every cop in the city on our street. And there was a suspect handcuffed on the curb in front of our house. And that was all before 9am in the morning. It was quite an eye-opening experience, that is for sure. All of the suspects were apprehended and our quiet little town has since returned to normal, or as close to normal as we get here in barely controlled chaos-ville.

We might live near LA…but it certainly isn’t the ghetto. Things like this don’t happen here, do they?

Earlier this week we started out at the “Happiest Place on Earth” where I was treated to another eye-opening experience. Since we had the day off of school I promised the girls I would take them to Disney and we invited our friend Audrey. It was a pretty popular destination since a few of Em & Audrey’s friends showed up as well. (They also happen to be some of my Brownie girls, too…they are the best girls ever!)

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Girl Power. My little 2nd grade Brownies took on Darth Vader in the Jedi Training Program.

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It is a thing of beauty to watch these girls grow literally right in front of my very eyes. It is also a little bit heartbreaking. I can’t think of them growing up without getting that tightening in my chest and a little bit weepy. But look at them! Even last year, there would have been no way that Em and Audrey would even think of getting up in front of hundreds of people on stage to learn how to use a lightsaber. But there they were…

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Tell me she doesn’t look like a focused, well…at least twelve-year-old!

Yeah, it has been a trying week on many fronts.
But it is nice to have my eyes opened every once in awhile. I certainly don’t want to miss any of this crazy thing called life.

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Crafty Tuesday

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I apologize for skipping out on you last Tuesday, and today is a thrown together mish-mash of random bits we have been slamming together the past few weeks. Instead of staying home on our “day off” yesterday and getting caught up, I took the girls and we met friends at Disney. It was so very fun and now I’m so very far behind on our “start” of the week.  But it was well worth it and so you get a condensed version of what has been crafting around here lately.

Some more burp rags…

And a taggie blanket. (Thanks to Stacy who warned of the apparent taggie-nazis that will NOT let you list the taggies on etsy. Good FYI…)

I found this fabric awhile ago and have been racking my brain for something to make for my girl scouts. We are preparing for an overnight at the end of the month and found out that they all need bandanas when they cook or are around campfires. Bingo. Easy peasy – 18  little bandanas made quickly with the ‘ol serger. So.In.Love.With.That.Machine.

And Addie and I ripped off this idea from someone (Christina? Was it you??) from last Valentine’s Day. This is her valentine card to her classmates. I can’t tell you how painful the three hours were that it took to write her classmates’ names and sign these. There are only 27 kids…three HOURS! So thankful that one is over.

And Em’s to her classmates. Apologize for the horrible photo – it was literally as we were running out the door. She is holding a conversation heart that says, “You Rock!” and we just attached a little bag of hearts. Not nearly as painful, but she has had two more years of practice, too.

Okay, lay it on me. I’m working like mad to get my “real” work projects done so I can finally finish the girls’ quilts this week. Inspiration??

Firefighter Addie.

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This photo is for Uncle Ken. Our little firefighter-in-training.

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And this photo is for me.

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I want something to point to when Addie is a famous fashion designer and I can say…”would you just look at the style she was rockin’ when she was a mere five?!”  Oh, and also…kudos to me for letting her dress herself and allow her personality to shine through.

It mostly all kinda, sort of “goes” together. And well, most days…that is just good enough for me.

Newest fishy in the sea.

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Her month of hard work has paid off. Her coach told her last night she is ready to move onto the swim team.

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She literally “lit up” when they told her. She is clearly very proud of making the team and I am so very proud of her, too.

And I am very impressed with her desire to get into the freezing pool every single night to practice. And also that she has a seriously wicked butterfly stroke. So much better than her mama’s…by far. Her Coach walked her through it for the first time last night and I think surprised everyone with how quickly she got it.

Now whenever Coach T. says they are going to do a race, Em asks “can we do the butterfly stroke?” (Cue the rest of the class groaning and complaining.) I just pray she continues to be so in love with swimming when she is required to swim an hour every night of the week.

(Tonight’s photo credit goes to Addie. She is not going to be impressed with spending that much more time at the pool, I can tell you that much.)