One for you, two for me ~ Best Shot Monday

Posted on February 28, 2010 by carrie

I haven’t talked much about Ad’s school lately. And we actually have two days off this coming week for conferences. Yes, conferences…for preschool! What are they going to tell us? “Well, she doesn’t eat as much glue any more, she is progressing nicely?”

Maybe I’m feeling a little snarky because this week is the week. THE week we register her for kindergarten in the fall. I can hardly think of it without getting a giant lump in my throat.

But much like my hesitation at first in sending her to preschool, I know deep down that come fall it will be time for her to move along. She is so ready, and so very excited. While she might not have the…ah, shall we say school acumen that her older sister has, she shares the same excitement about going to school. And she still asks every single day, “On this day do I get to go to school?”

This past week was her 100th day of school so they were instructed to bring in 100 somethings. It could be anything. I was pulling for Cheerios, or stickers, but Emma pipes up with, “Hey! We should get jellybeans! That would be fun!”

And since our little “never-met-a-candy-she-doesn’t-like Sugar Bear” thought that she might get a few jellybeans on the side, she heartily agreed that it must be jellybeans.

So she counted out her 100 jellybeans…

And then had to recount them, since some of her piles seem to be down a few…

And then after about a dozen of the beans, she declared, “I don’t think I really like these jellybeans, Mama. They taste like crayons.”

How she knows what crayons taste like? We’ll never know. But I do know that I love these sweet cheeks with all my heart.

(And yes, there is a definite quota each day on how many times I need to kiss them.)

Dipy #5 ~ self portrait

Posted on February 24, 2010 by carrie

If there is one thing I hate more than photos of myself, it is a self portrait. Of course, I agonized over what to do and how to shoot this for so long, I literally had a 10-minute window to try to get something this afternoon, just so I could send it to Kimberly in time. So while Kimberly looks all glam in non-mommy clothes, make-up and all – you get me how I usually look on any given Wednesday. T-shirt, jeans, no make-up…and like I am many days, peeking out from behind my camera.

(We still make a pretty sweet looking duo though, huh?)

Stop over to see all the faces behind all of the Team-Up Thursday pairs today.

teamup

Hosted by Megan and Hip Momma

Crafty Tuesday

Posted on February 23, 2010 by carrie

Little light here for CT today.

I have this little dress – horribly and quickly – photographed before we finally got to deliver it to our sweet little 1-year old friend.

This is one of those projects that started out with an incredible vision, and then fell apart incredibly quickly. Pretty much everything that could go wrong with this little dress….did. This is actually the 2nd dress – there is a first version that is going to be adapted for Em’s American Girl doll…it wasn’t even able to be salvaged.

It was supposed to be reversible…finally I gave up on that. The inside lining that light blue color in a cotton/linen, which come to find out is kind of see through. And why…oh why(???), did I think it was a good idea to put buttons on this? I hate buttonholes. But, it is done, I do love the birdy fabric and Elizabeth seemed to like it just fine. I’ll get better photos of it on her some time.

And that, my friends, is all I have this week. Yikes. That sicky illness last week kind of through my crafting out the door.

But wait! I do have another little crafty tidbit I can show. I think I can probably show.

I didn’t get permission from my mom – but she doesn’t have a blog, and I’m pretty certain she won’t mind if I show off her Valentine card for a minute or two.

So check this out… (again, sorry for the crappy photography – in my dining room at 8pm at night…lovely 1970s chandelier lighting!)

So it looks like a simple little V-day card, right? Then you open it…

Can you see all the cutout folds? You can’t really get the full effect in this crummy view – but trust me, it is really, really cool. It got “whooaaa’s” from the whole family. So thanks, Mom! They had to have taken a long time.

And with that, what does everyone else have for today?

It’s a scene, man.

Posted on February 22, 2010 by carrie

No really. It was a crazy Girl Scout cookie scene around our house this weekend. Still kind of is, at least until we can get all these cookies delivered and out the door.

Look one way in our dining room, and there are piles of cookies…

Look the other way, and more cookies…

And in the other corner? We have…yep, more cookies…

I know I have been bragging a bit, ok, a LOT about my Emma lately. And if you can stand it, I just need to do a wee bit more. I am so very proud of her. It really is very fulfilling to watch her literally blossom in front of our eyes. She worked so very hard to get the cookie orders put together. She read the orders and filled out the thank you and payment slips, while J. and Addie pulled the cookie boxes together and then I bundled them up all pretty-like. It was a nice little assembly line we had going on.

But then, while J. and I were out yesterday afternoon, Em went and made special thank you notes for all of her customers who bought a lot of boxes. And that is why I have to make this my Best Shot for this fine Monday.

Beyond the chaos, Em’s bedhead and jammies, and the hundreds of boxes of cookies we have to get delivered, I only see my sweet little girl working so hard to become a responsible big girl. And it just makes me smile.

Happy Friday!

Posted on February 19, 2010 by carrie

It is still Friday, right?

Man, my SuperMom cape was ripped right off this week. Yesterday I found the worst case of the flu knocking on my door, and I just now (9:00 at night on Friday) feel even close to human again.

And what is the thing I hate even more than being sick? Feeling like I have lost control. I do not like having to call for backups, asking for help. I don’t like feeling like I have let people down, or slacked on my responsibilities. And for someone like me who has each day planned and packed full, it is very hard to have to make twenty phone calls canceling appointments and meetings, arranging for someone else to pick up and drop off my girls.

But, then again…Oh.My.Peas! This flu knocked me on my butt. Thankfully I had my little staff of cuties to take care of me.

When Em came home yesterday and found me barely moving on the sofa she brought me my tea and a washcloth for my head. And then she brought in the thermometer and took my temperature. I wanted to cry, it was such a sweet, motherly thing to do. And then she leaned over and said, “Mama? What about the bucket? Do you think you need me to bring it? Do you think you might get sick?”

Ah, that girl. And then Addie came home and rubbed my back like I do when I’m trying to get her back to sleep. Little pats of her hand and all the while asking, “Does that feel good, Mama? Like this?”

As good as it felt having my girls take care of me, my super husband picking up all the slack over the past two days was even better. From representing me and taking Em to get recognized at a Daisy thing last night to packing lunches this morning, it made all that “letting go” just a little bit easier knowing he was “on it.”

And the good news is, now that we got that out of the way, we can really enjoy the weekend! Hope yours is happy and healthy, too. We’ll see you on the other side.

Dipy Week #4 ~ Team Up Thursday

Posted on February 18, 2010 by carrie

It was my turn to pick the theme this week and I chose Family. I thought since we had a 4-day weekend we might be able to figure out a cool family shot. It was a lot harder, A LOT HARDER than I thought.

But I swear to…well, I don’t like to swear to “something,” but I absolutely promise you that I thought, “maybe I can get a shot of all of our feet?” And I actually told J. that I was going to try to do it.

And then…well the weekend slipped away and everyone went back to school and work and I was left with an empty family of sneakers instead.

And then? I open Kimberly’s shot last night…

SERIOUSLY?! It is almost eerie. I mean, for having never met and living on absolute opposite sides of the country, how is it that she and I are so completely “in tune” with each other?

I love it. And I absolutely adore her feet photo. Raya’s sweet little feet crossed is almost too much. I think this one needs to be framed over the mantle. And I think I’m going to steal this idea and recreate it, too.

Find out how other teams fared over at:

teamup

Hosted by Megan and Hip Momma

Crafty Tuesday

Posted on February 15, 2010 by carrie

Whew. Last week was kind of a blur and our Valentine/School obligations did not leave much time for much craftiness.

The girls put together nearly 50 valentines between the two of them. Em went with the bird/owl themed ones…

We ended up using a lot of scrap paper up. And Addie went with the, what else? Cat themed ones…

She was signing the back and didn’t like that the “back kitty” didn’t have a face, so she also drew smiley faces on all of them before we attached the lollipop…

And I have saved a few bucks by making hairbows for the girls and as gifts. (Do they EAT the hairbows?) They both love to wear them, but rarely do they end up in the hair drawer. I’m not really sure where they end up.

I got an entire package of 25 alligator clips on etsy for $2.25. And some ribbon from the DollarSpot at Target (5 ribbons for $1). So each clippy bow works out to about .35 cents each. Not too shabby. Plus I don’t get all worked up if they don’t make it back home since they are kind of cheap.

I had a few other good reasons for not attacking any of the sewing projects on my list, too.

The bedrooms of Thing 1 and Thing 2. The Great-Bedroom-Painting-Projects of 2010 took up The.Entire.Weekend.

I had promised the girls that they could pick out their paint. Of course I was hoping they would pick the pretty, LIGHT color on the tops of the swatches. But both girls went with the “middle,” very-much-brighter, colors. And both of them picked their colors because they liked the names. Yes, they did. Emmy picked “Watercolor Lilies” and Addie picked “Scent of Rose.”

She screeched, “ROSE? I should pick Rose for my color, because I am Rosie, right Mama?”

Riiiight.

So after the wallcovering debacle, (Should it stay? Should it go?) five coats of paint between the two rooms, the “help” of two monkeys, and a bit of testing our very stable 16+ year marriage – the girls’ rooms are finally back in order and we are crashed on the sofa.

The unveiling of the Watercolor Lilies. Hmmm…doesn’t look too bad…

Em working the roller. She actually did a really good job and lasted for almost the entire four walls (I was betting 1 wall, tops!).

I didn’t really take a before pic, but you can see the room here from a few years ago, it didn’t look too much different.

And here it is put back together. Sort of. I don’t want to hang anything on the walls now that we worked so hard to paint them!

And then we have Addie’s, Scent of Rose. I think a “Taste” or maybe “Whiff” of Rose might have been a little bit more palatable. Scent is, well…kinda strong. It looks more like sugary, make-your-teeth-hurt-kinda sweet cotton candy. But she ADORES it. And really that is all that matters.

Addie really just wanted to write her name. She lost interest much sooner than Em did…

Checking out her pink room after it had dried overnight…

A little peek at her room, I haven’t put the curtains up or anything on the walls in here yet either. J. was helping me put all the hardware back on again. Her before room pics are also here, obviously the bed has been converted from the toddler bed.

I guess now that I look at it again, it really isn’t that bad. And it has toned down. A little…

Of course, the problem with doing house projects is that they are very satisfying, once they are done that is. Such great improvements! Just imagine if we stripped the doors and repainted the trim, too? Or maybe that hideous wallpaper in the girls’ bathroom should come down? Or we could….

(Poor J. I just know he is trying to figure out when he needs to travel again to escape my home project madness.)

Just Remember ~ Best Shot Monday

Posted on February 15, 2010 by carrie

Dear Emma Gracie –

I know it is hard sometimes, but here are a few things I hope you will always remember:

When she goes into your room and messes with your stuff, remember it is just stuff and she often shares her things with you, too.
When you get mad and want to snap at her, remember you are one of her most important role models. She is always watching you and how you handle things.
When she wants to borrow your clothes, remember some day you’ll be able to wear hers too, and then you’ll have double the wardrobe.
When she wants to tag along and play with you and your friends, remember she looks up to you “big girls” and just wants to be like you.
When you feel weary, sad or lonely, just remember you have a built-in best friend who is always there.

Just remember…she will always be your sister. And I hope you never forget what an incredible gift that is.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Posted on February 14, 2010 by carrie

Wishing you a day filled with love and laughter with your favorite people.

The view around here.

Posted on February 11, 2010 by carrie

Wednesday was the much anticipated “Special Friends Day” at Addie’s school. Daddy got asked to be her special friend and off they went happily skipping to her school.

About an hour and a half later, J. walked in carrying a very lethargic parcel of a girl. And this is pretty much how she looked the rest of Wednesday and most of Thursday…

I hate it when the girls are sick. But now that they are a little older, they know enough to just sofa surf for a bit and take it easy. And that makes it much easier on everyone. She did however try convincing me that she was okay to go to school on Thursday (even though she had a raging fever of 101). I think it was just because she wanted to deliver all of her kitty valentines to her friends. (They were delivered – thank you, Brandi – and the valentines for Addie were even delivered back to our house! Such service.)

Emma finished all of her Valentines as well…

Her class had a Valentine’s Day tea party celebration that I was kind of in charge of coordinating. I was very excited – as we had many fun things planned and the kids were REALLY excited about it. But alas, I had to bail out and couldn’t party with the first graders since I was home with Addie. I was kind of disappointed, but the other moms said it went off without a hitch and Emma had a great time, so no worries.

What did I do with an entire day housebound? So, you know how I really hate…HA! J. is cringing right now. Every time I start a sentence with, “So…you know how I really hate (insert some sort of travesty here)?” He just knows that there is going to be some project tied to my proclamation.

And of course, there is.

I really hated the wallpaper in our little breakfast nook/kitchen. (Apparently I hated it so much I cropped it out of most photos, but you can get a glimpse of it here.) It was too much. We have a Spanish-style house with really cool Spanish tile in the kitchen…and this wallpaper is the last thing that should have been put up in there.

So it came down. And I spent the majority of my day stripping the glue off, so that we can paint it nice and fresh and new.

And even stripped with just the primer paint it already looks a hundred times better. Now…to find a color to paint it.

The girls have a four-day weekend, and I already promised them that we would paint their rooms, so I foresee an awful lot of painting in the near future. (Sorry, J.)

Before our crazy (short) week around here – as in last weekend – my view was a little bit different…

That was my plane from Orlando to Miami on Saturday. Yeah. That IS the cockpit. No flight attendants, only the pilot and co-pilot and there was no door separating us from them, either. Now, I am not a nervous flier, I actually kind of enjoy flying. But when the plane starts shaking, you can see the runway (out the front windshield) still a good couple hundred feet below, and then you watch the co-pilot flipping about twenty switches as fast as he can…yeah, it makes you a little bit uneasy.

Needless to say, I made it safe and sound to Miami and the SuperBowl! And then I was treated to views like this…

And hey, there’s that boat featured in our Team Up Thursday yesterday…

And I got to go to my first SuperBowl…

And even though my Colts didn’t win, it was still the SuperBowl…

And it was pretty cool. We had great seats. Besides football we got to see The Who (I didn’t even know I liked them – but their halftime show was amazing!) …

And we were entertained by the slightly drunken antics of Jamie Foxx who was just a few rows behind us up in the suite…

Yeah, it was pretty spectacular. And well worth the crazy traveling and jockeying around to make it all work.

Thanks for taking me, J. It was so much fun.

BarelyControlledChaos

Chaos Controlled.Barely.

One for you, two for me ~ Best Shot Monday

Dipy #5 ~ self portrait

Crafty Tuesday

It’s a scene, man.

Happy Friday!

Dipy Week #4 ~ Team Up Thursday

Crafty Tuesday

Just Remember ~ Best Shot Monday

Happy Valentine’s Day!

The view around here.