We are glad you get to spend the day together and hope you are having a good one! (But enough is enough already! Please just come home, Daddy!)
We love you more than anything!
Happy Birthday
~Your Girls
Happy Birthday Boys!
Reply
Projects ~ Theme Thursday (kinda)
This is kinda what we all feel like around here…
…dazed and maybe a little confused. We are all fighting head colds, stuffy, stuffy noses and chesty coughs.
When I found out this week’s theme was Projects, I decided that I really only had 2, okay really only had 3 “projects” that I wanted to get done this week.
1. Switch out some photographs in the frames around the house (mostly on the mantle – but really all over),
2. Get all of my news/RSS feeds moved over to NewsGator (so I can read them on my iPhone), and
3. Organize my scrap stuff in time for my Crafty Friday Nite Party (as in the Friday that is tomorrow).
So…how did I do?
Well, here is the before photo of the frames on the mantle.
And here is the after shot.
Stunning, isn’t it? Part of the problem is that I love all of these photos, but I have new ones I want to put up and I’m seriously running out of space for frames. I remember my Dad asked me when we lived in Chicago – “How did you guys ever decorate before you had kids?” It’s true…we have a lot of photos of the girls. I just need to part with some of the photos…but how do you do that? Another day, perhaps.
Let’s see. Second on the list?
Well, I did start that project at least. See? Laptop open. Coffee nearly gone. Newsgator account created. And a few feeds even entered before my head just had to lie down on the pillow. So heavy. (See first paragraph up there…see it? Stuffy head?)
Then I did catch a second wind and decided as long as Emma was running around (she clearly could have gone to school today) we were going to tackle the playroom/craftroom. I was going to attempt to at least get to that third bullet point on the list.
So many stinkin’ little tiny Polly Pocket shoes, and Barbie shoes, and dress-up shoes! Honestly, do they reproduce in the middle of the night?
Hours later after we had rounded up a trash bag of toys to giveaway and another bag of junky stuff to trash, I decided it was a good idea to steam clean the area rug in the room. It does look amazing on the playroom half of the room.
Needless to say the scrapbook stacks of stuff are still sitting there on the desk (the craft side) beckoning me. But I just don’t have the energy tonight. I am pretty happy that everything is back in its’ place on the toy side, the craft side will have to wait for another day.
One other happy little outcome from this project. Emma really got into the cleaning and organizing. She was so proud and called me to come see how she had organized the play kitchen.
If I had any voice left I would have surely gone on for a good ten minutes about how amazing it looks and how I couldn’t be prouder. But I fear I may have passed a little of my obsessive-compulsiveness on to her today.
What a 3-year old fairy might say… ~ Wordless Wednesday
…when her Mommy says it is “too cold for a fairy costume today.”
“I will just wear a turtle on my neck!”
For more Wordless Wednesday.
When I grow up…
We were lying in Addie’s bed reading books the other night and Em and Ad decided that they are both going to go to the University of Michigan, and they are going to go at the same time so they can be there together.
(So which of our relatives would like to take them in for a few years so we can get in-state tuition? Even then…times two…aye!)
And Addie wants to be a fireman (firewoman?) and Emma wants to be an “ambulance doctor.”
Look what great public servants we are raising! Although to be fair, Em also wants to be a teacher, a ballet teacher and an astronaut, and I’m sure it will change again within the next 24 hours.
Speaking of professions, while we were walking to pick up Addie from school today, Emma had her American Girl doll (Elizabeth) and we discussed parenting styles…
E: Mama? Don’t you think I am such a good Mommy to Elizabeth?
M: Yes, I do. Where did you learn to be such a good Mommy?
(Oh, come on! Of course I was fishing here…tell me you wouldn’t have said the same thing!)
E: From you!
(See! Absolutely the right answer! Good girl, Em.)
M: Hmmm…well, I’m not always such a good Mommy.
(Guiltily thinking back to about 5 minutes earlier when I was very impatiently trying to herd Em and all of her crap out the door!)
E: Yeah, well sometimes I have to yell at Elizabeth too!
(Fantastic. Yes, maybe this week isn’t going as smoothly without J. as I had imagined.)
But at least Emma isn’t drawing pictures on her homework of me like this! (You have to read the description below the picture – I’m still giggling over it!)
And, I know. These photos have absolutely nothing to do with the post – they are simply gratuitous pics for Daddy.
We miss you!
xoxoxo,
-Your Girls
Crafty Tuesday
Pink and purple and sparkles…that is what little girls’ ballet bags are made of.
I have been wanting to make a bag for her ballet slippers since Em started dancing, oh…three years ago or so. And now her friend has started dance class as well, and I thought a bag would be a good gift for her. Finally I was able to find pink, purple, sparkly fabric with toe shoes on it.
So, bags were made yesterday!
Emma’s face when I handed her bag to her was priceless. “OH, Mama! I really love it,” she squealed. And then Elizabeth and her ballet clothes were put into the bag within the first five minutes and we headed over to the park.
Perhaps, I’ll have to make her a bag/backpack to carry Elizabeth. I can’t even imagine the reaction I would get from that one.
How do we get the candy? ~ Best Shot Monday
Technically, this was a horrible shot. That was indeed a very plaid sofa behind the girls. So I tried to tone down the colors by editing the photo and making it black & white. Plus the lighting wasn’t so great and it was what I imagine it would be like to be a member of the paparazzi at a Hollywood movie premier, with about ten moms and dads jockeying for position, trying to take photos, flashes going off left and right.
But all of that aside, I cannot stop looking at this photo and just smiling. My two princesses, (it was a Princess-themed birthday party for Addie’s little friend) anxiously waiting for someone to just bust open that pinata!
Such concentration and seriousness! How can it not be my Best Shot Monday for today?
Winter Wonderland ~ Theme Thursday
Well, I guarantee our take on Winter Wonderland will be quite different than most of the other Theme Thursdays for today.
Instead of playing “king of the hill” on top of snowbanks – we frolic in great, heaping piles of leaves and at best hope for maybe a rainy day or two.
And this is our version of the “snow angel” –
We can visit the snow (about an hour away) whenever we choose, but…really, why would we want to?
Considering it is almost impossible to get them to wear long sleeves, I think these California girls would agree that snow is waaaay over-rated!
Spin this way…~Wordless Wednesday
…to make it go faster!
(Yes, it is very hard to shoot photos while the teacup is spinning as fast as it can go!)
Click for more Wordless fun.
Crafty Tuesday
No, I didn’t forget, exactly…and it IS still Tuesday, it just really feels like Monday to me.
I had asked J. last week if he got MLK day off and he said, “Pshaw…no!” But then later he called me and said, “Hey, guess what? We do get Monday off!”
And since he is going to be a bit busy and traveling the next two weeks (that little thing called the SuperBowl, you know…) we decided to do a little impromptu mini-vacation. We took the girls down to Disneyland for the weekend and stayed overnight at a hotel with an indoor pool, which is almost as exciting to the girls as Disney…almost! We had a great time, and I’ll put up some photos and stories later. (Thanks for all of your help, Uncle Jeff!!)
And yesterday we just had a lovely day at home. It was what weekends are supposed to be like, I think. Relaxing and fun and just a little bit productive.
So…that is why I woke up feeling like it was Monday. And why I did not even think of Crafty Tuesday until a few moments ago.
But both girls are at school, and President Obama was just inaugurated, so I think it is indeed Tuesday.
I unfortunately only have two measly cards to show today. I have a stack of fun stuff to use and I’m feeling very creative – so I expect that I’ll get some stuff done while J. is away this upcoming few weeks.
These are the cards I made for my parents last week for their birthdays.
Again with those tri-fold, cross cut envelopes. I do like doing those. And I included my two favorite quotes:
God could not be everywhere, so he created Mothers. ~Jewish proverb
Any man can be a father, it takes someone special to be a Dad. ~Anonymous
So happy TUESDAY to all of you! Do you have anything good to show?
A little housekeeping
I am quite possibly the very worst blogger when it comes to graciously accepting awards and completing tags in a timely manner. I’m not kidding…I keep a sticky on my desktop of my “tags” and one of them dates October 28th, 2008. As in the October 28th that was nearly three months ago, yes.
You’d think that I would use these tags and awards when I have nothing to write about and I can sneak a post in, but that isn’t the case. In fact, I always have stuff to write about, it is just the time to do it that I seem to be lacking in.
Since we have returned from our holidays (and were greeted with glorious weather!) I have been on a bit of a spring cleaning kick. The house is literally shaking as I whirl through the house, on to the next rug, the next closet, the unwieldy stack of goods for donating. (Okay, maybe it isn’t so much the cleaning that is making the house shake, but more likely the little earthquake we had again last week. And let me tell you, the cats? They do not care for the earthquaking!)
So where was I? Oh, yeah…we have been spring cleaning freaks here at the house. And I need to do the same here at Chaos, too.
I am working on switching Chaos over to our own hosting site. Have hit a snag or two, but when the wrinkles get worked out I can post pretty! big! photos and also have a lot more control over how it all works and looks around here.
In the meantime, I have some really, REALLY outdated links over there on the side. See ’em? So let’s do a little updating over there too. I have a new list of awesome friends that I regularly try to read, but maybe you have a blog and I don’t know about it – or you want to make sure to make the new list? Leave a little comment love and I’ll make sure to get you updated.
Next…that tag up there? The one from October 28th? It was from my friend Kate over at her blog My Pet…Peeve. She awarded me the “I love your blog” award. Mwah! Thanks, Kate.
And in accepting this award, I have to answer the following with one word.
Ahem…
1. Where is your cell phone? Purse
2. Where is your significant other? Sofa
3. Your hair color? Mouse-y
4. Your mother? Crafty
5. Your father? Frugal
6. Your favorite thing? Family
7. Your dream last night? Non-existent
8. Your dream/goal? Happiness
9. The room you’re in? Living
10. Your hobby? Scrapbooking
11. Your fear? Something happening to girls
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Here
13. Where were you last night? Disneyland
14. What you’re not? A saint
15. One of your wish-list items?
16. Where you grew up? Michigan
17. The last thing you did? Goodnights
18. What are you wearing? Jammies
19. Your TV? Paused
20. Your pets? Kitties
21. Your computer? MacBook
22. Your mood? Content
23. Missing someone? Always
24. Your car? Empty! (Gas!)
25. Something you’re not wearing? Bra
26. Favorite store? Tar-jay
27. Your summer? Beach-y
28. Love someone? Definitely
29. Your favorite color? Blue
30. When is the last time you laughed? 5 mins. ago
31. Last time you cried? Last week
Whew….I was almost able to do them all with one word. That is kinda hard.
Neeext. My friend Colleen tagged me to do this last week, I think. And I did take the photo when I was told- but never got it posted.
So the rules are:
1) Take a picture of yourself right NOW!
2) DON’T change your clothes, DON’T fix your hair… Just take a picture.
3) Post that picture with NO editing.
4) Post these instruction with your picture.
5)Tag 10 people to do this..
So Addie and I set up the camera – and of course she had to be in the photo because she LOVES to use the remote. So this is “our” photo, sans editing.
Uh, yeah. No editing, remember? And…Yikes!
So my hair? It is in pigtails because I was on my way to spin class and that is the only way it will stay out of my eyes. I do realize it looks totally dorky, but let me repeat…it is the only way it will stay out of my eyes!
Now Addie’s hair…I’ve got nothing there. I can’t remember if this is before or after I tried to tame it. Somedays it is just better not to ask. How about we look at a photo of just her, though.
Mmmm…much better. And that, my friends, is why I like to take the photos, not be in the photos.
And, one more. I was tagged on this one from Christina – and the rules on this one read:
1) Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer
2) Select the 4th picture in the folder
3) Explain the picture
4) Tag 4 people to do the same
So I’m going now…I just dumped all my photos to our back-up drive, so I’ll go there, the ones on my laptop are not going to be as fun, I’m sure.
And….jackpot! This beauty is from January 2006. Jam was out of town and I was trying to use the remote to take a photo of his girls to send him via email. (Since this was before he could log onto Chaos to see his girls anytime he wanted!)
Would you look at the cherub-like, sweet little face on Em? She wasn’t even three yet! And the chub-a-lub of love on my lap! Those cheeks are just delicious!
*Sigh* Good times, good times.
And that I think qualifies as possibly one of my longest blog posts. But it feels soooo good to get the housekeeping done. Now I’m off to do some real laundry…