Java Mama

Teacher gifts

2009-05-19T07:46:00.005-05:00

We are ready to gift our teachers. Tomorrow is the last day of school. There is a school party, of course. This one will include a water slide, pizza, cookies and a few hours playing with classmates. A lot of the same students will be together again in the fall, which will makes tomorrow's good-byes a little easier. Hello summer break!

Yo! Yo! Yo!

2009-05-15T15:43:00.005-05:00

We have two more days of pre-k school left, next Monday and Wednesday. I am awful at thinking up fun and cool teacher gifts. How exactly do you say "thanks for watching 2/3 of my children 3-days-a-week, encouraging them, disciplining them, being an example for them, making sure they don't get hurt and tending to them when they do."? I am not so sure what that answer is, but this year whatever our "thanks" ends up being it will be decorated with yo-yos. I have been making them for the past two days during quite time. It is almost as much fun as knitting. I think I just like busy hands (mine -not the kiddos). This is as far as my idea got before I was side-tracked. I am thinking a gift card in the tins and then decorating the outside:

I got a little side-tracked when I though about adding some yo-yos to a tank. I think it turned out cute. Maybe a little too cute (like 4-yr-old cute?). I'll see if I wear it before going any further, even though I have some Amy Butler fabric that would look cute on a white tank or tee.

Have a great weekend!

Eureka!

2009-05-08T15:26:00.001-05:00

I had a funny, kind of silly, and very slight of frame librarian in elementary school. Her name was Ms. Tippins. She always seemed fragile due to her small size and soft voice. When teaching us the Dewey Decimal system and getting us familiar with the library she instructed us to say "Eureka!" when we found our book. So, that was the first word I though of when I found this article: Press Alabama Chanin. It is funny some of the odd things we remember. Anyway, I have been looking for this article for months. I know I read it and had the hard copy at one point. We have 50+ magazines floating around our house at any time which made the search so difficult. About twice a year I can't stand it any more and pass on or get rid of heaps and piles of magazines ranging from The Economist to US Weekly ( don't judge!). I'm sure it got tossed during one of those tantrums. Anyway - for those that enjoy Southern culture, food, Alabama Chanin or all of the above - check it out! Have a great weekend. Happy Mother's Day to all of you Mommies!!

I'm feeling better

2009-05-01T13:49:00.004-05:00

I am feeling better about stuff. My last post did not exemplify anything positive and there are so many positive things around me. I am disturbed by the recycling, or lack of recycling, and I am looking into alternatives. My water is clear, laundry is caught up, children are bathed. All good stuff. My two oldest girls are really growing up. They are tall and lean. No squishy parts to squeeze. When I give them hugs I can feel muscles and bones. They are little girls.

My baby is a toddler with plenty of soft, squishy parts which I take full advantage of and squeeze often. I know these years go quickly.

I am working on another scarf. This one will be a burgandy Malabrigo worsted yarn. I have six more rows and 3600 stitches. I plan on finishing it tonight on my way to see a friend. I am flying to Denver while the girls hang out with their dad for the weekend. I am not sure what he has promised them while I am away, but they aren't complaining about me leaving. It makes leaving a little easier. Be back next week. Have a great weekend.

Toxic

2009-04-24T13:37:00.004-05:00

Brown water, recycling abandonment, more brown water. It has been a couple of days filled with disappointment.

This is my washing machine bowl. It is horrible. 5 pm today will be a 24 hour cycle of brown water spewing from our faucets. The water department is supposed to be working on it, but I have not seen an improvement. The upside? Not doing laundry, dishes or baths until the situation is cleaned up. Grrrr! I am fantasizing of living in a green city; recycle containers on street corners, fresh, clean water. Oh yeah - our little city here has decided to give up their recycling efforts. Due to the economic climate, increased recycling costs, blah, blah, it is no longer advantageous. We didn't even make it a full year. All of this is seeping into my blood resulting in a toxic mood.

Surface

2009-04-10T13:56:00.005-05:00

If I am not here, and I am often not here, I am either cooking, cleaning, taking care of girl #1, #2 and/ or #3, or knitting. Today blogging won out because I wanted to showcase : Surface !
I am so pleased with this sweater. I am so happy I attempted it! I had plenty of support from my local yarn shop. I first saw the sweater here and fell in love with it instantly.
I get lots of inspiration when I visit Philigry. My photo does not really do the color justice, but it will do for a quick intro. I opted out of button/button holes and will do one large button at the top of the button band with a loop closure. I think it will suit the sweater nicely.
***
Time now to turn my attention to Easter details. I am all Easter-ed out between school and church activities. Hard to believe we still have the actual holiday waiting for us. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

What's in store?

2009-03-12T08:23:00.005-05:00

We are on Spring break here. This will be one of two spring breaks. Our next one is two weeks away. It is giving me a taste of summer. I am trying to decide what to do, where to go, and thinking about how we will fill our days.

I want to knit. I bought the yarn for two projects that I would like to complete before summer, but we will see how that goes. The above will be for me. Below will be for Erika and Ainslee. I took them to the yarn store to pick out the yarn.

I am happy with the colors they chose. They would have both picked pink, but I told them pink was not an option. A closet can only have so much pink, and there are so many incredible colors to choose from. They did a great job.

***

The weather has warmed up quite a bit. It is shorts and flip-flops here in SE Texas. We are expecting a slightly cooler weekend, but I am sure it won't stick around for more than a few days.

The warmer weather does mean more outside options for bikes, kites, bubbles, sidewalk chalk. Aidan (above) loves to be in the mix, and the thought of not being able to keep up with her two big sisters has not crossed her mind.

So, while I think about being holed up in a quiet room watching episode after episode of House and knitting away, I know that is not likely to happen. Back to the planning stages for a soon to be hot and humid summer.

Airing out

2009-03-05T14:56:00.008-05:00

Our typical morning starts out with this. Sometimes not so messy.
Other times a little messy.

With the warmer weather I have been airing things out. They smell so much better after blowing around outside for a while. Our duvets and bed quilts have all taken a turn in the warm sun.

I have been doing a lot of knitting. I seem to be starting more projects than I finish. I am still working on my sweater, but not with the same fervor. It will definitely be finished in time for the fall which is the next time I am likely to see weather below 70 degrees.

It seems a little odd to be knitting with wool and wool blends while wearing flip flops. I think I need to find a project that requires cotton yarn.

A snack, a visit, and happenings

2009-02-26T10:51:00.004-05:00

We have a new favorite snack. It is a tad on the messy side for the baby, but it was a hit. Pop some popcorn (microwave is fine) and spread it on wax paper or a jelly roll pan. Sprinkle with a couple handfuls of dried cranberries. Melt a cup of chocolate chips in the microwave, watching carefully, for a minute or until melted through. Quickly, spoon the melted chocolate into a piping bag or zip-top bag. Snip a corner and squeeze on top of the popcorn/cranberry mix. The chocolate will bind the popcorn and cranberries so spread it thoroughly. Let harden and eat. I think this would be fun to make as a party favor for school or birthday parties as well.

A few weeks back we went to Austin for the Austin marathon. It was a short trip and it confirmed my feelings that I definitely want to spend some more time in Austin. It seems like a fun city. While we only spent one night there we packed enough to spend a week! Martin kept asking why we had so much stuff. Hmmm, I wonder. I have given up on packing lightly when traveling as a group of five.

(hotel provisions)

Sunday was race day. We found a spot to cheer on runners and wait for Dad.

Big hugs for the runner, and the end to a fun, although quick, get-away.

Dinner time

2009-02-12T08:48:00.004-05:00

We eat in a lot. There was a time when I wished we ate out more, but that time has passed. Three kids in a restaurant is not always fun. Even when their behavior isn't the issue there is always some distraction that keeps me from eating a hot meal. They have to potty, they need a refill, dropped napkins, food needs to be cut, "this isn't what I wanted!", I could go on, but I am sure many of you have heard it all before. So, we eat in a lot. I enjoy cooking when I have an idea what to cook and all ingredients are on hand. An easy meal that we all enjoy is nachos. I try to make them healthy and kid-friendly (no super hot stuff). A few nights ago I made tostada-nachos. I topped corn tostadas with rotisserie chicken, cheddar, olives, queso fresco, cumin and salsa. Bake till warm and cheese is melted. These were topped with lettuce and avocado. Dinner was done! Another recent hit was green curry. This was very easy. I browned chopped chicken thighs, sauteed some onion and followed the directions on the Thai Kitchen Green Curry Paste bottle. I added some different veggies (butternut squash, a left over baked potato, and chopped carrots). I made some Jasmine rice and that was that.

I am always on the lookout for quick and healthy options. I try to have everything purchased and thought out in advance so that the evening's witching hour isn't quite so scary. If all else fails then scrambled eggs or pizza delivery is always an option!

Feet and such

2009-01-24T10:23:00.003-05:00

I do realize that my blogs border on mundane much of the time, but I keep it going. I keep it going mostly for me, but I do hope it contains some fun or interesting tidbits for someone who might decide to stop by. Having said that here goes another post.

Feet: Erika and Ainslee are 4. They wear a size 10R shoe. Aidan is 15 months and she wears a 6 double wide shoe! Mundane for those who didn't give birth to the three kiddos. Amazing to me! Okay, on to other topics. This is my newest knitting project which I found while reading Philigry. I am in love with this project and knew I would have to give it a try as soon as I saw it. It is going well and I hope to complete it quickly.

I am off to knit. I hope to have a completed sweater to show you soon! Enjoy your weekend.

Hey There

2009-01-18T10:23:00.003-05:00

What has happened since I last checked in? My trips to Goodwill have come to a halt, dinners have been made, eaten, some frozen, shared with friends. My "baby" is growing at an alarming speed. Her vocabulary is expanding, her tummy is expanding, she is wanting to hold her own spoon and feed herself, her walk is slowly picking up pace and looking like a jog, she is holding her own and having fun.
My older daughters are asking so many questions (we are in the "why" stage for sure!) that I am not sure I can answer adequately. BTW, what is in a brain? I need to Google that one. The question keeps coming up.

My college Alma mater won the National Championship title - GO GATORS! I have started a new knitting project. And, I am doing my best to take '09 one day at a time. What's going on with you?

Happy New Year

2008-12-31T09:20:00.008-05:00

I love the idea of a new start, improving, changing, beginning. 2008 has been very good to us. I am sure 2009 will be great too. We will definitely do our part to ensure that it is good. Here are some photos from our trip to FL. No snow and hardly even jacket weather.

The oysters were my husbands. I like them, but not nearly as much as he does. This plate lasted about two minutes.

The beaches were overcast and windy, but the kids did not seem to care. Toes were buried and dipped in the cold Gulf waters. Waves were chased, as well as birds.

Things here are continuing at a lazy, vacation pace. It really couldn't be better other than being around family this week too. I guess I'll talk to you all next year. Have a safe and happy new year!

Free week

2008-12-29T21:05:00.005-05:00

This photo is NOT an indication of our Christmas holiday. It is funny and very uncharacteristic of Aidan. Erika and Ainslee were all smiles the twenty minutes we waited in line and then once they sat in Santa's lap they wouldn't smile. Not a grin. Ugh. The best part was caught on video after the photo was taken. I had Aidan (she was then happy and smiling and pointing at Santa) and E & A were still on his lap chatting away. He was good at asking questions and listening and not rushing onto the next kiddo. So, we had a great visit in Florida, Christmas and the surrounding days were a whirl and a blur in the best way, and now we are back in TX. We have one more week until pre-k starts back up. I have some time (a whole free week's worth) with the girls and no place I/ we need to be. It will be nice. My husband and I are also on a cleaning rampage. All of sudden he has gotten the urge to purge and is going through closets & drawers. It is so unlike him, but I LOVE it. He can be a pack rat for sure, so I will enjoy it as long as it lasts. Christmas is being packed up, the Goodwill stack is waiting to be delivered, and I am feeling good about all the tidy closets & drawers. What a way to say "bye, bye '08".

Lazy Christmas

2008-12-17T15:37:00.006-05:00

Things are slowing down here. Friday is the last day of pre-K and their class holiday party. Saturday we load up and leave. With the exception of two gifts (to be bought once we are in FL) and some wrapping (also happening in FL) I am done. Tree, baking, cards - all finished. I can get wrapped up in the excitement (stress) of holidays with the best of them. This is much better, although I do have a little voice "Am I forgetting something?". The downside to having time on my hands? Too many bad Lifetime Movie Network movies. Why isn't there anything good on during the day? It is nice having some quiet time mid-day. I have been knitting a little and catching up on magazines too. Such lazy decadence.

Seriously? It is snowing!

2008-12-11T10:40:00.003-05:00

Many of you won't blink twice when reading this, but I was surprised when I pulled the blinds this morning. Our front yard was covered in snow! So was the back yard, the car, and all of our neighbor's yards! I dismissed weather reports that snow was a possibility. Flakes maybe. Snow no. I am eating my words. One of the girls was awake when I realized the whiteness. My reaction was more astonished and surprised than hers. Me: "Ainslee, come look. What is all that?" Her: "Um, snow." spoken in a very monotone and still-sleepy voice. Too bad my husband in is Louisiana (which is also getting snow by the way). If he were here we would have a snowman in the front yard. He is the fun one.

Counting the days

2008-12-09T20:27:00.003-05:00

November and December are travel months for us. I feel like I am constantly counting days till our Thanksgiving trip, returning, unpacking and starting to count all over again for the Christmas trip. So, with the Thanksgiving trip behind us we are at home for another two weeks enjoying our decorations and the cold weather in between all the warm weather that we still get in spells. These photos were from our trip to Colorado. We wanted snow and did we get it! All seven kiddos had a great time in the white stuff. The adults managed to get in almost as much sledding as the tots.

Getting home was a little harry. The roads were pretty bad and cars were slipping and sliding all over the place. I had white knuckles until we finally got back to Denver.

***

Blogging has definitely taken a back seat to everything, especially watching three little girls enjoy simple holiday treats (aka The Polar Express, hot chocolate, making sweet treats, decorating the tree, admiring the tree each morning). Hope your holidays are chugging along at an enjoyable pace!

Knitting mission complete

2008-11-18T12:53:00.006-05:00

If you have read my blog then you have probably picked up on the hints I have dropping for months; I have been fiddling away at a knitting project and it is finally complete. Relief! The project and pattern were not terribly hard, but the lace portion was about to do me in. I will not be attempting another pattern that has lace for quite a while! The pattern is June is for Jag and I picked it up, along with the yarn, while in Florida this past summer. I saw a cute yarn shop while scouting out a book store with my sister one afternoon. Lorena Haldeman was very helpful and friendly. The pattern was probably a smidge beyond my knitting level (again, the lace - UGH!) but it was the bump I needed to move to the next level, so to speak. The true pattern is for a scarf, but I altered it a bit to make a wrap. I am hoping to get lots of wear out of it and the the TX winter weather is just right for a light, wool, wrap. Right now I am working on a hat for Aidan. A plain and simple hat. Knits and purls, easy and simple. I hope to have it finished in weeks, not months.

Boo!

2008-10-27T20:27:00.004-05:00

This is our attempt at a scary pumpkin. He looks more silly than scary. The girls have been reciting funny little rhymes about Halloween and looking for spooky trees as the sun sets. They are hiding from one another and trying to scare the other. The kid-friendly sentiment of having a spooky Halloween is in the air! The only thing missing is lots of candy and Charlie Brown's "The Great Pumpkin" cartoon. Have a spooky, fun Halloween week!

Friday catch-up

2008-10-24T14:51:00.005-05:00

Well, blogging is quickly getting pushed further down on the list of things to do. For any of you still checking in, thanks for hanging in there. Not much has been updated, as you know. Today was the pumpkin patch visit at the pre-school. Each child brought a pumpkin to school earlier in the week which were then grouped together to make the pumpkin patch. Today each child was able to pick out their own and this is what came home with E & A. Erika picked the tiniest one in the patch according to her teacher. I was expecting much larger pumpkins which we would carve for Halloween. Guess we will be heading out to buy a few more, larger, pumpkins this weekend. Ms. Aidan is the big 1 now. She started walking last Saturday and turned 1 on Wednesday. It was a big week for her!

I am making a concerted effort to take more individual photos of each child. I have too many of E & A together and not enough individuals. Here is Ainslee.

and Erika.

Have a great weekend!!

Friday - enough said

2008-10-10T15:23:00.004-05:00

Things that were a hit today:

*edamame

*Blue balloons for E & A

*Listening to She's Electric by Oasis

* watching Aidan sway to the music in the rear view mirror

* finding a new favorite t-shirt

* getting in a great cardio workout

*naps

I hope your Friday was filled with lots of hits too!

a few weeks in photos

2008-10-05T20:22:00.010-05:00

Here is a look at what we've done since Ike:

This was the only damage we sustained. It was a large tree. There are so many trees that were lost and have since been cut for disposal. Our first couple of nights back in Beaumont we could smell oak in the air.

This was at our door during a very brief stay in New Orleans. We stayed there one night and got our post-hurricane game plan together.

The people we talked to at the hotel in New Orleans were very nice. This man in particular spent quite a bit of time entertaining the girls and talking with us. This was a Koi pond that all three of the girls were captivated by:
Cousin's house in Memphis. Five girls in one house - ages 10 mos to 6 years:
Sisters loving their cousins' dress up clothes:

At Grandma's house in FL. Aidan loved the beach and laughed at the waves when they ran up on her feet:

Erika & Ainslee thought the waves were fun too:
For an evacuation it wasn't bad. I was very ready to return home when the time came and I am glad to be here now, but I think we made the best of it while we were gone. A lot of people came out so much worse, in our town and nearby towns. My heart & prayers goes out to them.

Back to our regularly scheduled program . . .

2008-10-05T15:32:00.003-05:00

Between soccer, day school, three active children and one equally active husband I really haven't missed the Internet - too much. Ike knocked out our power and phone/ Internet. Power was restored weeks ago. Today AT&T restored our phone connection & Internet service this afternoon. Now that I have it back I have a lot of catching up to do. You would think I would have finished a knitting project (nope), caught up the baby books (nope) or at least cleaned out a closet or two (nope, nope). Well, it is good to be back and I can't wait to see what all of my fave bloggers have been up to.

Sorry, no photos

2008-09-17T23:11:00.004-05:00

No, I haven't been neglecting my little ol' blog in lieu of my facebook addiction. We have been displaced due to Ike and blogging has fallen to the wayside temporarily. I am in TN for a bit with the three girls, and my husband is in MS trying to set up a temporary office. Things could be worse, but today could have been better. Today consisted of: Aidan still trying to cut a tooth which is giving her all sorts of grief and completely disfiguring her lower back gum area, Erika deciding to walk to her cousin's bus stop all on her own after waking from her nap and realizing her sister & cousins were not in the house (there is a much longer version of this story, but I will spare you), and finally, hearing my SIL answer her front door this evening and being told that her husband's car had rolled down the garage & hit a light pole.

Crappy day. Bed time for all five kids: 8:00 pm. Cocktails for all adults: 8:01 pm. I am predicting some retail therapy tomorrow and praying for a smoother day!

p.s. - we had NO damage to our house and only minor damage to one car. That is the silver lining.

I have a new addiction

2008-09-08T20:21:00.003-05:00

This photo is not very relevant, but it is humorous. This is Erika during her soccer game on Saturday. Only four players can plat at one time, so Erika is relaxing and snacking while she rests. Hmm. Pretty comfy.Now, to the addiction part. There was a time when I was addicted to reading blogs. I would spend hours or whatever time I had to browse. Now I have kind of settled into my favorites and I will read them every few days to see what great ideas or funny stories they are sharing. Leave it to me to find a new addiction, one that my husband got sucked into and I originally snubbed as a "waste of time". Well, it is and it isn't. It is FACEBOOK! AGH. I can't get enough. For those who may not know it is a website/ resource to find people you know/knew in high school and even college, from old jobs, whatever. I am finding all these old names & familiar faces from high school, chatting with them to see where they are and what is going on. Meanwhile my three children are doing ????? because I have my eyes glued to the computer screen. Seriously, I should know better. I didn't go to my 10 year reunion by choice, and I probably won't go to the 20 year, so why am I so captivated by this site? I don't have an answer other than plain curiosity. You may want to check it out - if you have an hour or two to spare!

Unpacked

2008-09-05T14:29:00.006-05:00

We are home and unpacked, but not before we made a pit-stop in Oklahoma and stayed a night with my SIL and her family. I really wanted my three girls to see her two boys, and it was a nice break from all the driving. There are no frills, fluff or pink to be found in my SIL's house, but the girls didn't seem to notice. They had fun playing like the boys for our short visit.

School started this morning, so after getting home last night, unpacking and getting organized for this morning, I was prepared to help them get ready for their first day. Once again, they didn't blink back a tear or ask me to stay. They found their back pack cubby and waved me off. Enjoy the first September weekend.

Magic marshmallow poofs

2008-09-02T10:51:00.005-05:00

My husband has headed back home to return to work, but the three girls and I have stayed in AR for a bit longer on an extended evacuation vacation. Here is a baking project my MIL does with E & A during our stays here.

For the rolls: combine 1/8 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon in a small bowl. Use 8-oz package refrigerated crescent rolls and separate dough into 8 triangles. Dip 1 marshmallow into 1/8 cup melted butter and roll in sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Place the marshmallow in the middle of the crescent roll. Fold marshmallow into the dough by wrapping corners of crescent roll and pinching together. Try to get it tight and wrap marshmallow completely. Dip wrapped crescent roll in butter and then in the sugar/cinnamon mix. Placed the coated roll in a muffin time lined with a baking cup. Bake at 375 for 10-15 mins until rolls are done and no longer doughy.

It is a fun little project and goes quickly if everything is prepared assembly-line style. The finished product is a sweet, sticky poof. This is a grandma's-house-only treat for my girls, or has been, but it would make a fun anytime baking project for little hands. Enjoy and keep wipes handy!

On the road again

2008-08-31T18:15:00.007-05:00

Well, my plans to stay in Beaumont for the remainder of the summer have changed due to Gustav. We evacuated Saturday and spent a night in the hotel and then continued up to Arkansas today to visit my MIL again. I always enjoy my visits and leave feeling a little spoiled.
We all had a good time in the hotel room, a little mini-vaca. I don't have huge concerns regarding our things back home, but hurricanes are predictable so we are hoping for the best. With no return date back to Beaumont, I am sitting back and enjoying the company. With any luck I will get a big chunk of my current project completed. So far, so good, but boy is it time consuming. Hope all those LA, TX evacuees are finding a safe spot to stay for a few days.

Summer at home

2008-08-21T16:38:00.006-05:00

We are back from our final summer trip. The suitcases have been emptied & retired for a few months. We (the three girls and I) drove to AR to visit my MIL. She is a great host and lives in a fun little spot. For such a small place, it is actually still classified as a village, there is lots to do. One of my favorite things was a walk along Tanyard Creek. It is a pretty spot and perfect for kids. Who doesn't love hopping along stones and walking on creaky, wooden bridges? My MIL broke into her perfect troll voice while walking on the bridge.

The weather was so mild and cool compared to our sweltering Texas summer weather. I could have stayed longer.

But we are back, and happy to be back. Sorry for all the grumpy talk previously. I do have a legitimate excuse: mono. Apparently we all have/ had it and no one realized it until about four weeks into the virus when some blood work was drawn. Hmm. I wasn't expecting that one. So, a few weeks remain for everyone to rest, relax and wind down the summer before preschool starts up. We also added soccer to E & A's schedules so that will help to keep us busy. Their little shin guards are pretty cute - can't wait to seem them in action.

Grumpy

2008-08-10T13:04:00.004-05:00

The party is over, the weekend is winding down, I am tired and I am grumpy. My husband is tired of me being grumpy. I don't even know why I am so grumpy, but I am! I am hoping it is lack of sleep and tomorrow I will feel light and refreshed instead of overwhelmed. The three girls and myself are venturing to Arkansas on Wednesday (I really need a few nights good sleep to ready myself for this day o'driving). Our week in Arkansas will be spent with Grandma and should be restful. I am also hoping to complete a large chunk of my knitting project while I am there. I have not had much luck getting much of it completed here. This will be a wrap. My first. I intend on making one for a friend that is moving from FL to a much colder climate at the end of the summer. It would be nice to finish hers before her winter starts. We will see.

The birthday party was a hit. Erika and Ainlsee had fun and there was a good turnout of other children to make it a noisy affair. I feel like all we did all day was eat and open presents.

It was fun to help them celebrate and to share in their excitement.

Two four-year olds and a soon-to-be one year old. It makes my mind reel in a very full and appreciative way. So, the house is quiet for the next couple of hours and I have some knitting that needs attention and an attitude to adjust! Better get busy.

Rain day

2008-08-05T14:30:00.004-05:00

We are having a rain day today (similar to my rainy day in Connecticut, above). I did leave the house once for a well baby visit, but if it hadn't been necessary I would have hunkered down for the day. I have thought about this blog a bunch in the past few weeks, but I haven't logged in to write or read much. I not sure if it is lack of motivation or just nothing to share. Either way, I decided today was a day to pop in and say HI. My girls weekend away was bittersweet, I loved the time away and enjoyed seeing some new places, but I missed the folks back home. I missed them a lot. This was my first time away that I felt such a strong pull to return home. I account it to Aidan being so young still. My husband handled it all beautifully and everyone had a great time. So, it was a success by all accounts.

Another success, I hope, will be E & A's 4th birthday party this Saturday. Four years old. Tears spring in my eyes when I say it out loud. Craziness. So, there will be a dozen or so kids and lots of tumbling, a foam pit and who-knows-what-else. We opted for a gymnastics party. They are excited and I am getting prepared. I'll let you know how it goes!

Sous la table

2008-07-23T08:33:00.004-05:00

This is a new favorite spot. All three girls seem to feel on level playing ground and often congregate here. It is all fine with me other than the occasional hustle and bustle of two bigger girls rough housing around the littlest one.
This morning while drinking my coffee they all decided to meet up under the table. It seemed especially sweet for some reason. I am leaving on Friday, alone, and knowing the fun that awaits for me this weekend makes family life seem much sweeter at times and more frustrating at other times. I find myself irritated by tiny things much quicker and simultaneously counting down the days to lift off. I also know that I will miss the little hands and feet while I am off without the rest of my family. Sure the flight will be nice & quiet, but who is going to make funny comments about mundane things and how can I be the judge of ugly face contests hundreds of miles away?
My husband made the sincere comment a few weeks back that I was so lucky to stay at home with our children every day. He is right and I often think this while he is getting ready for work in the morning. Well, now it is his turn for five days. He will be the lucky one and get to be the recipient of the comments (funny and whiny), he can judge the contests of all varieties, and he can enjoy the noisy, messy bliss that is stay-at-home parenting. I am sure he will be happy to see me on Tuesday night and I know I will be happy to see all of my family when I return.

Flour sack II

2008-07-21T09:57:00.003-05:00

Okay - I just looked at my post and upon closer inspection of my photos I realize my stitches are pretty crazy looking. I knew that, but now YOU do too! Oh well - I am still in practice mode!

Flour sack

2008-07-21T09:46:00.005-05:00

This is my newest bag. My MIL sent me a flour sack from War Eagle Mill. She was up there a few weeks ago with my SIL and I had put in a request for a bag on her next visit. I had envisioned the bag below and thought it would be fun to make.
I had everything except for the overall buckle and set to putting it all together when I received the bag in the mail last week. I am happy with the results, but I am not sure how much use it will get. Right now it is hanging beside my aprons and I like all the various shades of reds together. The sewing practice was needed and I feel good that I did something somewhat creative.

This weekend also included a trip to the beach (why was I thinking it would be fun? Aidan ate sand the whole time!) and coming up with new combinations for salads. That is about all I can manage to prepare for dinner lately. Summer laziness has hit me hard! Hope you all had a good weekend.

Returning home

2008-07-16T14:40:00.003-05:00

We are home. It was a good time away, but I am glad to have everything and everyone under one roof again. With mid-summer here I am taking stock of what I have done and have not done. There are some things I had wanted to accomplish that I have not started so I guess it is now or never. I am really enjoying the summer days with all three girls and am surprised, pleasantly, at how smooth the days have been. There have been tantrums and tears, but it would be strange if those didn't work themselves into our daily happenings now and again - right?

So, with five weeks of summer remaining I am forging ahead. I hope to have some creative posts to share in the next few weeks as well. I am thoroughly enjoying some of my favorite blogger's projects. They are inspiring. I really wish there were more hours in the day. Catch up with you more later.

Crackin' up

2008-06-24T09:13:00.003-05:00

A little of this: Prompted a little reading of this:

Warning - a hammer, a rolling object and two four year old children can be a little scary! No injuries were sustained, the coconut meat was not an instant favorite, but they loved the coconut milk. All in all a successful first for this gang.

Nurse Mom

2008-06-21T14:23:00.005-05:00

We have halted all fun summer activities to allow for some little ones to recover from summer time viruses. Ainslee was hit the hardest. For a week she had a fever, then didn't, then did and the the grand finale was a all-night-stomach-bug that kept her running from bed to bathroom crying "my tummy hurts". I felt awful for her. She is all better now and back to her silly ways.
Baby Aidan's just started. Right now it is a runny nose and the occasional sad face accompanied by tears. I hope this is the worse for her. We don't see many pouts or tears from this one, so we know she isn't feeling great.

Tomorrow starts a full and crazy three week stretch. I have been going over my schedule and making lists for this & that. It is all fun stuff (VBS, family trip) but all of it is time consuming on the planning side. I am ready to stop dosing out Tylenol and dive in to the fun stuff.

Summer Fun

2008-06-16T14:19:00.007-05:00

I realize I am walking a fine line in blog-land. I am not doing much to blog about but I continue to post entries on my blog. I am sorry for the lack of activity that is going on, but I can't seem to make myself do anything creative. In celebration of father's day we did spend a lot of time together and had a lot of fun, but still nothing crafty. We did go blueberry picking on Saturday morning and it got hot fast. We picked for a little under an hour and then played on the farm.

There was a stocked lake (catfish) so we saw a few people fishing, there was a playground and some shady spots to just sit and people watch or relax. We did a little bit of everything.

We also stayed the night in Houston to visit with a friend who happened to have a pool. It was perfect for the HOT weekend we had here in Texas. I think Ainslee would have grown a fish tail and gills if we had stayed one moment longer! I hope you all had a great weekend too.

Girl Time

2008-06-10T14:33:00.003-05:00

There is no lack of girl time here in our house with a 4 to 1 ratio, but this afternoon I had a friend over and I had some woman-time. There are plenty of play dates and gatherings where I see other moms, but I don't get to talk to them about much because some little one needs juice, to go potty, a band-aid, the list is really endless. So, for two hours I was able to talk to my friend and connect a little more with minimal interruption. The only down side? It left me wanting more. Where is the balance? It is tough for me to find a balance and I need to work on doing a better job in this department. The time is coming when all three of my little girls will have three very different schedules, so in some respects I have more control over my schedule now than I will then, so why is it so hard to find time to do things I enjoy doing that aren't mommy or wife related? Seriously, I am throwing that question out there to all you stay-at-home-parents. There is still no craftiness happening here. I did finish a dish cloth (whoopee) but I am content to read or flip through a magazine when I have a few quiet moments. Sewing & knitting inspiration haven't hit, and I am not going to force it. I would like both endeavors to remain enjoyable, so I am waiting for some inspiration to hit from somewhere. I'll be sure to let you know when it does. Okay - off to read before some little someone, two, or three wakes up.

Creative thinking

2008-06-03T14:04:00.005-05:00

Between three children and two nap schedules it would be so easy to never leave the house, but that would not be good for any of us. Today was wide open with only one required stop to the dry cleaners. We headed downtown to a thrift store that I really like, but the store was gone. It was here in March, but now it is one large empty space. Not sure what happened. We made our way back towards home and stopped at another thrift store that I like almost as much. It was still there and then some. The store looked as if it had exploded in a semi-organized way right out the front door. There was stuff everywhere. A visual feast for sure. The owner whisked my two oldest girls upstairs to work on some watercolor painting (big selling point for shopping mama!) and Aidan & I browsed. There were a couple of things I spotted and continue to mull over but the four little treasures below came home with us. They have been warmly received in E & A's kitchen. These just happen to be four of E & A's favorite grocery items too.
My rule of no TV (they still watch TV, I just don't have it on 24/7 and I am really trying to eliminate it from our morning routine all together) has challenged me to find ways to entertain the girls so I am happy to add to their toy collection if it supports my efforts to spur creative play. As a result of no TV this morning a magical transformation has occurred. Our laundry room became an elevator. The room is located off our kitchen and has a pocket door. I can totally see why they picked this little spot as the elevator since it is boxy in shape when the pocket door is closed. This morning they packed their "briefcase" and headed up the elevator to their office. They played happily for quite some time. They get all the credit too. I love seeing their minds at work and seeing what they come up with. So, there is still no creating in the tangible way, but lots of imaginary creations taking place.

Week One

2008-05-28T07:44:00.004-05:00

Week one of no school. We haven't settled into a routine yet, but part of that is due to the recent holiday weekend and part because I still have zero energy to enforce a routine. I am still blaming allergy issues. I don't feel "normal", I can't seem to stay awake past 8:30 p.m., but I do feel better. This weekend started off with a scurry of packing to take a last-minute trip to San Antonio. Then we leisurely unpacked after not being able to book a hotel on the River Walk (Martin's only criteria). After unpacking we headed to Houston to visit the children's museum which was fun. We had not been before and the girls hit the ground running. I think we will make a weekday trip back during June. They loved it and have been asking to go again. It was great to see them just go, grab, pull, explore and all of it was allowable behavior! Aidan was even intrigued by all the activity going on about her.

The rest of the weekend was spent at a nearby park or two and keeping A & E busy doing anything other than watching television. I am still looking forward to visiting San Antonio though. Austin too. Martin and I really need to plan better.

Not much has occurred in the way of crafting. On the way to Houston I did knit one-half of a dishcloth. I have intentions of finishing it this week AND on making my way to Joann's for some supplies, but until that trip actually occurs I don't have anything to start anything with. I hope you all had a great holiday weekend and it is carrying over into this week!

Guess what time it is?

2008-05-21T16:50:00.006-05:00

Summer time here in our little town. Pools, slip-n-slides, sunscreen. There is no stopping us now! School is officially over. I was not prepared for the last day of school. I knew it would be a change in our schedule and I was looking forward to the freshness and variety it would provide us with, but I was not prepared for tears - from ME! I can't believe a whole school year has passed. Just last August I was pregnant and excited about packing lunches for E & A. Now here we are in May as if fast-forwarded. I walked into the pre-school class on Tuesday, which had been stripped of its color, decoration, and energy, and it hit me like a load of bricks. I was so caught up in making plans for the summer that I did not consider what the end of school also signified, the passage of time i.e. the growth of my two oldest daughters, the arrival of a third daughter, the memories acquired. It sounds trite, but the emotions that I felt were so sharp. This parenting thing has a surprise around every corner.

I am super happy to be looking forward to a fun-filled summer and only good things have come out of this past year. We have another item to add to our summer journals already:

We now have two butterflies. You can see one in the photo above plus three of the remaining chrysalids. The girls haven't even seen them yet. They weren't there this morning, then like magic they were fluttering around this afternoon. The girls are taking an extra-long nap, but as soon as they wake up I will introduce them to the winged duo. Catch up with you all soon. Oh - the puzzle t-shirts that I tried were a big flop. Big F-L-O-P! I think I will pick up another knitting project but I haven't picked a specific one. I'll let you know.

Desperately Seeking

2008-05-17T21:34:00.005-05:00

I hate to post this photo with such a lame blog entry, because I do like the photo. It is another from our visit to Shangri La. I just love the two shades of green, and I am desperately seeking my happy, green, fresh place that I was in yesterday. Amazing how quickly the wind changes, so to speak. After posting my post and doing my normal thing yesterday afternoon my day just unraveled into one messy tangle and it ended so poorly. I know it happens this way sometimes, and I just let things slide knowing today would be a new day, but when I woke up and still felt irritated I knew I was in trouble.
I want my happy place back. I am 100% sure that 99% of my sour mood can be traced to allergy & sinus trouble. I have been fighting it for about eight weeks now, I have been to see the doctor twice in those eight weeks and agreed to go on a Rx to alleviate some of the symptoms, but six weeks after starting the medication I feel basically the same. What gives? I am told this area is awful for allergy issues. I would say so. I have never had this type of battle with my body and I don't like it. I am anticipating a call to my doctor on Monday which will probably result in a visit to his office - oh yay. Feeling crummy on top of dragging three poor (healthy) children to a doctor's office; not sounding great. But, to end on a good note, we did enjoy a great meal outside this evening and it was topped off with a freshly baked blackberry pie. The crust was very ugly, but flaky and the berries stood up pretty well; it was a pretty good pie considering I am not the greatest pie baker.

Happy Place

2008-05-16T13:40:00.008-05:00

I am in such a happy place this moment. I had the greatest morning. Possibly the greatest morning since becoming a mother. Seriously. I will explain in a bit. My mother's day was so nice. Since this is only my third celebration as a mother there is no routine or tradition established. My MIL was in town so it was nice to spend time with her. Basically our day was spent being lazy, talking, being outside with the three girls, being inside sipping on a cocktail while watching a movie during naps (felt like such a guilty pleasure, but so nice) and a light dinner then the whole bunch of us had an early bedtime. Perfect.
We paid a visit to Shangri La again, above, so my MIL could see the gardens. We also sewed. Man - I feel armed and ready to sew. She was very helpful and gave some great pointers.

I was able to finish up twirly skirt number two. I really like the skirt and it looks cute on Erika & Ainslee. I hope they like it. Neither one has asked to wear it yet, but it is sitting in their closet ready to go. If I make a second one for them I will make it a little longer which will be an easy adjustment. They are on the tall side and I just didn't account for that in my fabric cutting. I have also found a new sewing addiction - deconstructing clothes in my closet. This is so much fun. I have a shirt that could & was mistaken for a maternity shirt. Every time I wore it (twice so far) I thought twice about wearing it and more often than not would hang it back in the closet. The fabric is sweet which is why I decided to buy it even though it had an empire type waist and ties that went around back. Coming out of a maternity state the last thing I want to wear is a maternity-style shirt. Well, I wore it once to go pick up shrimp for dinner and the fish man asked me when I was due. The horror, for both of us. I laughed and made light of it since I expected it to eventually happen, but I felt so bad for him. He tripped all over himself apologizing. Hence the deconstruction. Off came the ties (they are now cute hair bows for the girls) and the side seams were ripped out and readjusted to make it much more slim fitting. I know I will wear it a bunch more. The fabric is so soft & thin which will be perfect for summer. I keep looking for more things to rip apart. I have some t-shirts I am going to try and play with based on an idea in Amy Butler's Midwest Modern book (puzzle tees). I'll let you know how it goes.

Lastly, this is the happy place part, we went to pick blackberries this morning. This was a first for Erika & Ainslee. We meet four other moms and their children at the farm and set out. I had no idea what to expect. It turned out to be a perfect outing. Aidan was so happy and content to watch all the other children run around, Erika & Ainslee stuck beside me rather than playing - they actually liked picking the berries. When Ainslee did get tired of it she sat on the blanket close by and munched on berries while Erika and I finished filling the buckets. The thorns & mud didn't phase either one. It was such a great morning. Seeing all the green acres, horses, cows, hearing the roosters crow; it just put things in perspective for me. I wasn't down or unhappy before the farm visit, but I feel so rejuvenated. It was a great start to our weekend. I hope ours continues and you all have a great one too.

p.s. our caterpillars arrived and have already transformed into chrysalids. I will post updates of their progress.

Happy Day

2008-05-09T15:16:00.009-05:00

An early mother's day greeting to all you mamas! Hope you all have a great weekend with your families. This flower is one of two that I received. E & A brought them home from school yesterday. They are very sweet. See the little egg in the grass? That is a real egg that I picked up one morning while taking out the garage. There it sat, half of it anyway, right beside the yucky 'ol garbage can. I have it tucked into this pot for my MIL to see. She is quite the nature enthusiast and loves birds. I know she will get a kick out of the owl family & the half shell. Think they are connected? Probably not likely.
I also finished my seed packet cards for E & A's school mates. It was a fun and quick project that I was able to start & finish during nap times.

Here they are, all ready to go. Now I just need to figure out what the actual teachers will be receiving as a year-end "thank you".

Have a great weekend.

Just the facts

2008-05-08T20:52:00.005-05:00

This is going to be quick because I should be in bed. I really try to go to bed between 8:30 & 9:00. You may be laughing, but I am so serious. Without sleep I am so grumpy. Grumpy and three kids do not go well together. So no more rambling and here are some quick facts.
***
The above photo is the roof above our front entrance. We discovered an owl family is nesting on the two tallest columns. My husband video taped them with a night vision spectrum and we were able to count five sets of eyes. We know that there are babies just because of the size difference. The one photographed above is an adult. Pretty cool- huh!
Lastly, I mentioned doing a summer book. Actually, what I intend is for the two oldest girls to do their own summer book. They will turn 4 in August so it will be fairly simple, but for anyone interested in doing something similar this is what I have so far. We picked out two notebooks at Target this evening. As a end-of-school gift I am giving them a disposable camera, along with some books for summer reading. I received a note from their teacher that she is giving all the students "summer-survival totes" and asked if any parents were interested in participating; I decided to buy each student some flowering seed packets. I thought it would be something fun to do and it is something that E & A can use as a journal topic. So, that is what I have so far. Oh, I also purchased a butterfly house. Another surprise for E & A that we can track in the books. I am continuing to think of ideas & projects that can be done in various stages & journaled in some fashion throughout the summer. If you have an idea please chime in. I have three months and two fat journals to fill! Have a great night.

Kites and such

2008-05-07T08:50:00.005-05:00

My Tuesday morning was very quiet. Aidan has developed a little nap routine & I am trying so hard to stick to it so that she gets her required sleep. Yesterday was spent here at the house. E & A were at school, Aidan napped & I sewed. I am working on the twirly skirt still (I can't tell you how slow I am with projects). I had everything cut so all I had to do was follow the tutorial and go. I figured I would have it finished it less than 2 hours and have time to do something else before going to pick up E & A. I must think a lot of myself since that was not even close to what happened. I got maybe a third of the skirt put together & sewn when I ran into a problem with the hem. I can't get it to sew without puckering. I got to a stopping point and now it will sit until this weekend when I can take a look at it with the help of my MIL (aka: experienced sewer). I hate to stop and see it sitting on the machine, but I know if I keep fiddling with it I will really mess it up - so it sits.

(Ainslee - above- pre-kite mode).

I love the above shot of Erika. I hate that my camera wouldn't allow me to get any closer. I want a big-girl camera so badly and have run out of hints to drop. I even have my SIL dropping hints on my behalf; in the mean time I know I am missing out on good stuff. Anyway - we went kite flying this weekend. This was a family first. It was a lot of fun and the girls ran, and ran. The kites were in a goody bag we received at a recent birthday party. We had pretty low expectations but were very happy once Martin was successful getting them up and the girls were able to keep them up (hence all the running).

And lastly. Food. Specifically, summer salads. I have been using recipes from the food & wine site. I tried the Shrimp and Noodle Salad with Ginger Dressing. It says 30 minutes for the total prep & cook time - but it took me longer. I would definitely make it again but I would make it a day in advance and let it sit overnight. We liked it better the following day. I have also made the chicken salad with grapes & blue cheese. Another hit. I am really loving this website. I hope you take a peek if you like to cook.

Here I go . . . another twirly skirt

2008-04-30T15:24:00.004-05:00

I am just going to dive in and ignore the "what if I mess it up" feeling in the pit of my stomach. I am using the same pattern but this time I am making it for E & A. I decided to start with one and just add it to their closet to see if they notice or like it. If they do and it is a success (i.e. they fight over it) then I will make another. I ordered my fabric online with the intention of making two, but being a novice sewer I ordered the incorrect amount and do not have enough material to make two. So, one it is. I can handle one. So far I have the fabric cut (thanks to my handy set of new tools). I am ready to start sewing. In between cutting my fabric pieces I made a cake for some friends that are coming by tomorrow morning. If you ever have a craving for a sweet, sweet, gooey cake then Paula Deen's Gooey Butter Cake will surely fit the bill. Wow are they sweet, but they are tasty. There are so many variations that you could probably do a different variation once a week for weeks on end. I stuck to vanilla and added caramel pieces to the filling. Well, I hope to make some progress on the skirt this week; I'll post a pic once I have a finished product.

Food Find

2008-04-29T12:37:00.006-05:00

If you have any interest in cooking you may like this little gem of a source that I found: http://www.foodandwine.com/. Yep - same site as the magazine. My husband's friend gives me his old mags and I always enjoy looking through them. The food section of the website is great and has many different sections. I took a peek at Quick Meals and decided it was worth bookmarking for further reading and recipe selecting. I hope you take a look. I don't think it will be a waste of time. So, did I mention splash parks in my last blog entry? We made our first visit on Friday. The girls just LOVE them, which is why I love them. If only there was a little more shade so I didn't have to fret over their delicate, fair skin! Can you tell how excited they were? So easy to please! Have a great week!

Sweet

2008-04-25T08:47:00.003-05:00

Oh-boy. What happens to a mama when the daddy leaves for two days? The mama gets very tired. TGIF. Thank God the daddy returns today! To keep hands busy (aka: avoid "empty" time which is inevitably filled with arguing & fussing) we have been trying to make cards. There are a lot of birthdays on the horizon, not to mention father's day, so I am trying to create a supply to have on hand. It is working out well. I had a pad of canvas paper in our craft stash and cut the paper into fours so they are more or less postcard size. We are painting/ decorating one side & the other side will be where we write the message. It is a fun project. I also have an idea to do a book to record our summer activities. I am thinking I will make two and have each of the girls fill in what we do. I haven't worked out any details so if anyone has an idea or has done this before let me know. I would love to hear. E & A will be four in August so a written journal is not an option, but if I can do a photo/ drawing journal of some sort we may be able to stick to it.

Our weather has turned warm & the splash parks are open. Time for salads & light meals. It is nice, except there is no turning back now. It will go from warm to boiling in about two months time. Oh - I almost forgot why I titled this "Sweet". Well, I was woken up this morning (6:30 - not bad since I was the only adult here) to E & A whispering. They knew I was asleep and were trying to be quiet while they got up & went potty this morning. I could here: "shhh, Mama's sleeping, whisper, whisper, shhh. " We are making progress. Six months ago they would have just come barrelling in asking for juice & cereal. Sweet.

Meet the new gang

2008-04-21T08:49:00.006-05:00

I had to stay home on Friday to wait for a service call, so I took the opportunity and finished up the dolls that I started over a month ago! It is funny that reading one little blog entry can set off a production of sewing & knitting in a house far away. Erin completely spurred this project, by her post and then her encouraging words. Thanks Erin. It was fun, I got to work with my mom on it and the girls love their new dolls. These are from Wee Wonderfuls, doll patterns & sweater patterns. I have an idea to sew some simple dresses for E & A's dolls so that they can change their clothes, but I am not sure when or if that will really happen. Ainslee ended up with the yellow bear:

Erika picked the blue bear simply because it sports a pink bow:

Aidan received the button-free white kitty:

I am so pleased that I started the project AND finished it. I am ready to start sewing some more, but I don't know what to start. I could start on E & A's twirly skirts . . . I bought some fabric and am ready. Just need to find some uninterrupted time. Other than the dolls we had a relaxed & warm weekend. Hope your weekend was great!

This and that

2008-04-12T14:42:00.002-05:00

I failed to mention Grandma Great in my last post. She was the whole reason we went to Arkansas. My husband's grandmother turned 90! The photo below is her with six of her nine great grandchildren. She is doing great, she is quick witted, still quilting & sewing, playing bridge. She is a busy lady.
This little guy is making frequent visits to our Loquat tree. He and my husband have a little contest to see who can gather the most from day to day. The squirrel is winning. It is nice to see him pop into my view from time to time. I do love having a window above the kitchen sink. Small blessings.
We had a new family first today. A concert. There were people thrashing around, screaming fans, crying fans. Total hysteria. Did I mention they were toddlers and the show was Sesame Street? My two oldest have never watched much Sesame Street, but they liked the show and were both so happy that there was a princess (fairy godmother-to-be). They also liked the cotton candy. It was fun to see them watch the show. I had a mini and private cry thinking of them going to their first rock concert. I am sure that will be late next week sometime. Seriously though, it hit me that their time with Martin and I is finite. We will only be cool for so long. Sigh. I must be hanging on to some postpartum hormones. Hope you are all enjoying your weekend!

Whiz, bang, whirl

2008-04-10T16:37:00.005-05:00

Whiz, whirl; that is the pace I feel things are moving around me, even if I am not keeping up. Do you ever feel like this - I already know the answer is yes, so you don't even have to respond. Wow. My sister, mother of three, always said that after two kids "it" didn't matter. "It" being open to interpretation. I should check back and have her define "it". I think she felt that after two kids the work load for 3, 4, 5 were all the same. WRONG. Or, I am doing something WRONG. Not sure. I love having three children, but it is crazy.

Our trip to Arkansas was great. We all had such a good time and no one wanted to return home as early as we needed to. We were having too much fun. The funny thing is we all just hung out together. There were seven children ages 6 yrs - 5 months, 8 adults, lots of food, talk, catching up. So nice. But, being home is always nice too. I returned home and was promptly thrown back into our routine. As a result I have had two consecutive nights of incredibly good sleep. The daffodils are from my MIL's yard. She orders bulbs from Washington state every year. I just love the color of these. They look like a little audience, so attentive and orderly. Well, I have a few things to post, but pictures are required and I have a lot of photos to upload and sort before I can share. It is all on my list. Catch up more soon!

A weekend winds down

2008-03-30T16:50:00.003-05:00

Well, the tostadas were a hit. There was a lot left over which was made into nachos on Saturday night. Nachos, a movie & a cold beer. Nice. This weekend was pretty lazy. We got out of the house a bit just for fun. No errands were ran, no hurried happenings. It has been very nice.
The photo above was taken for my SIL. She sent this little dress to Aidan (now 5 months) a few weeks back. Erika & Ainslee have similar dresses which they have worn the past two winters and which will be retired this winter. Their legs are just too long now and the buttons cannot be lowered any more. The dresses are very cute and come from Chocolate Soup in Memphis, TN. Cute store. Thanks so much Aunt Ann! We are leaving town on Wednesday to drive to Arkansas where both of my SILs and their families will be. It is my husbands grandmother's 90th birthday celebration. I love visiting his family & I wish we could stay a week or two, but it just can't be managed at this time. A long weekend will have to do. So, in honor of Ann and the rest of my husband's family I am sharing a recipe that they all love and have shared with me. It is tasty & coincidentally, I am serving it to my family tonight! I hope you give it a try & enjoy it.

Creamy Chicken Cordon Blue
3 large chicken breasts pounded flat

3 slices of ham

3 slices of Swiss cheese

1 can cream of mushroom/chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup dry white wine

Paprika, salt & pepper

Pound Chicken and lay flat, place one piece of ham & cheese on each breast. Roll and secure with a toothpick or two. It doesn't have to look pretty. Lay in a deep, oven proof dish (any casserole dish should work). In a bowl mix soup, sour cream & wine (a Tbl. of Dijon can also be added at this point). Add paprika, salt & pepper to taste. Pour this mixture over the chicken. Cook at 350 degrees for 1-1.5 hrs (it will be bubbly). Serve with rice.

Hope your weekend was great!

Sew, what have I been up to?

2008-03-27T14:24:00.009-05:00

This is what we (Mom & I) worked on her last day here. It was something we intended to start during afternoon nap time, but we never made it out of the house that morning to buy supplies. So we made a trip to the fabric store after nap time, bought what we needed & started the skirt after all three girls were in bed.
The pattern is loosely based on the twirly skirt here . My mom advised me along the way, so I didn't have to follow the pattern exactly to achieve the same look, but when I try it on my own, I will definitely rely on the pattern. I am happy with the way it turned out. The fabric could probably be heavier; I chose a cotton Batik. It reminds me of a trip to that Martin and I took a few years back. Close up, I really like the design and color variation. Far off it is a little Laura Ingalls-ish. It will be worn though.

This skirt above was longer and had an extra ruffle. It was kind of frumpy and hung in my closet too much. My mom helped me shorten it to knee length. Because we cut off the bottom ruffle the new bottom has a little flare to it. Very cute. I know this will be worn a lot this summer also. Love skirts!!

I received this is the mail yesterday. No clothes, which was a little disappointing, but I am sure I will enjoy it all the same. I am off to the couch to browse through it now. I am sure I will fall in love with something or three. Oh, and for dinner tonight? Pork tostadas. Yum, yum. The pork is crocking in the cooker now. I got the idea here and knew it would be up our alley. They sound pretty tasty. Fresh guac. is made and waiting also. Can you tell I am looking forward to dinner?

homesick

2008-03-26T10:05:00.009-05:00

Would you like to sit for a bit? Or maybe take a virtual walk and see a little of what my family experienced this past weekend. We visited a local garden that has reopened after closing fifty years ago. Apparently there was a freakish snow storm that killed off much of the privately owned garden, the owner was distraught and overwhelmed and shut the doors. They have recently opened. This is Shangri La in Orange, TX. It is beautiful. It reminds me of Florida, which is home in my heart-of-hearts.

The weather was perfect, the children behaved, the conversation was nice. It could not have been better.
It also made me so homesick to return to Florida. I am pretty flexible when it comes to relocations and we have moved a fair bit, but both my husband and myself think of Florida as home. We have bought two homes there, one small & sweet after graduating from college, and a very pretty "family" home. When purchasing this last house I thought it would be our home for a while. It was ours for less than three years. We sold it to move here, but it was the house we brought our baby girls home to, there were egg hunts, Thanksgiving gatherings, birthday parties, football gatherings, sidewalk chalk art, dinners with friends, stoller walks through the neighborhood, which were replaced by walks with the wagon and eventually tricycle races, gardens, great neighbors. It remains very special to me.

So, to visit this garden and be reminded of so many things from home, well, the garden touched a soft spot. It was a perfect day. I loved it & I love thinking back on it. The sewing ceased for a few days, today is my mom's last day here before she returns to Florida. I think we will sit and sew a bit during nap time this afternoon. Seems like a nice way to wrap up her visit. I hope to be able to post a few photos of our handi-work soon.

Hip, hop

2008-03-23T05:17:00.004-05:00

A couple of our Easter happenings this weekend

Stopping in & catching my breath

2008-03-20T15:16:00.005-05:00

I have been trying to notice how toys are grouped from day to day. I have been taking random photos and will do a post on it - someday. I love the way each daughter groups toys in equally random ways. The little crawly scorpion staring up at you - he was a surprise my husband picked up at the Phoenix airport last week. It coincided with the little wind- up caterpillars my daughters acquired the very same weekend. Cute stuff.

So, my mom is visiting from Florida. She is here for another week. The time is flying by & I feel like we are getting a lot accomplished, but I am also wondering if we can get it all completed before she leaves. She has been a tremendous help and has made my day-to-day life less rushed. Her visit came about the same time I was beginning to feel completely & totally overwhelmed.
We have been sewing, talking, cooking, running the two oldest girls to pre-school & picking them up. It is so great having adult company here during the day. I love it.

(this photo has no relevance to the post - but I do love the combination especially when sauteed with a little butter. Yum!)

This has been consuming our time. She is doing most of the sewing & I the knitting. I am much further behind, but we are both getting there. It is fun and it is what I needed to broaden my understanding a little. My skill level doesn't reach the expectations of my ambition when sewing (one of many things) is involved, but she is teaching me many, many things. I hope to show off the finished products in a few days. We are still outnumbered by children, so we can't guarantee how long we can work on something before some little one asks for something or some even littler one needs to eat, but you all know how that goes.

Fun in the sun

2008-03-15T21:38:00.007-05:00

Today Erika & Ainslee helped a friend celebrate his 4th birthday. My mom kept Aidan and E, A & myself drove to a neighboring town to play in the sun, visit with friends and have fun. The weather was hot today - it got into the 90's for a brief spell- so we spent some time in the shade too. It was a lot of fun but we all came home tired and ready to relax.
Can you see Erika's bubble? It is HUGE. There were lots of bubbles today, bubble wands, bubble blowers, . . . . A kid's dream. I honestly think my two girls came home with more than we took. They each received a bucked filled to the rim with trinkets & goodies. Seriously, a kid's dream.

On the way home we had the rear windows down and Ainslee had her pinwheel going at top speed. You can't see the pinwheel in the photo, but I love the look on her face in this photo. Peaceful, rosy cheeked, fascinated with the whirl and metallic spin of the pinwheel. So simple.

I myself am craving a little simplicity, but I find that when I choose simple in day to day life I feel like I have short changed my rowdy, eager toddlers. (By the way, at what age do you stop referring to children as toddlers???) So, lately I have been pressing forward, engaging them and keeping them busy. Kudos to you moms out there with children at various ages and stages. I am finding it a difficult transition. I am blessed with three beautiful children and I know the time is coming when life will be hectic in a whole other way, so I try not to dwell on the difficulties of raising small children. I haven't met a mom yet that hasn't had similar issues, so I know I am not the first. Anyway, blah, blah, right. Why am I still up at 10 pm if I am so tired? Reasonable question. I am waiting on my pillow cases to dry. Erika has something funny going on with her eyes (I am praying hard that it is allergies and NOT conjunctivitis. please God please!). She took a rest in my bed this afternoon so I am washing towels, linens etc just in case. Signing off & going to bed!

Just in time for Spring - a wool sweater

2008-03-14T15:39:00.006-05:00

Hi All - project complete. I feel like I am on a roll lately. Pretty gratifying. I didn't mean to toot my own horn in my last post about making a gift and all, but considering I have sewn about 8 times in my 33 years (when I say "sew" I should actually say "patch" as in holes, hems . . .). I was feeling a little full of myself that I had completed something that was worthy of giving. Make sense? Anyway, I have finished my little knitting project, and it is little:

I first saw this and loved it so much that I wanted to try it. Then I went here and thus began my first knitted sweater.

Erin was very encouraging and sweet when I verbally drooled over Helen. I have yet to start the actual critter portion of the project (see note above re: sewing - this will require more sewing) but have enlisted my mom to help while she is visiting. The little sweater, while cute from a distance, is pretty crazy looking in spots. I think it will end up on Aidan's Raggedy Ann doll so that it will be put to use, but I am hoping the second sweater (and 3rd, and 4th) will go a little more smoothly. I'll let you know. Back to knitting. Have a great weekend!

The return of Monday

2008-03-10T14:10:00.003-05:00

Wow - it is here again. I am serious everytime I say this - but the time flies by. Good days & bad days alike. Yesterday was perfect weather - today is not so great. It is very rainy which means the next few days will be muddy. I was making some phone calls during a quiet moment when the house grew very dark. I had to turn on a few lamps for extra lighting and it reminded me of being in grade school. I can remember how cozy it felt on a dark, rainy day to be inside in the fluorescent-lit class room working away on assignments. I had that same feeling this afternoon. Anyway, this weekend was pretty productive. I made a gift for a friend's baby. That is huge for me -as an adult, I have never made a gift for someone other than knitting dish clothes. This particular gift was not a dish cloth. So, I got it wrapped up today and realized I didn't take a photo of it! So, I guess I can't share that, but I will tell you what it is once it has been received. I started my knitting project again. This is round 3 for me. I am having a heck of a time understanding a particular part of the pattern so I have enlisted the help of a friend. I am meeting with her tomorrow to have her explain what I am doing wrong. After tomorrow I should be able to complete the project in no time. Did I just jinx myself? I guess we will see.

Sitting for a spell

2008-03-05T14:44:00.004-05:00

There is a mellow mood in the house right now. There is some music in the background along with the washing machine's spin cycle, I have a fruity Italian soda (I wouldn't drink this unless the kids were asleep because they would ask for a sip, and another and so on). Oh, and the girls are sleeping, all three. It is nice. Erika still has pink eye but it is so much better today. I think she will be able to go to school tomorrow. I would hate for her to miss Texas week. Tomorrow is the party so she just can't miss it. This was her yesterday. I guess she got tired of asking me a gazillion questions and resolved to sit and "read". I love how she uses her finger to follow the words which she can't yet read. Ainslee does it too, but she follows right to left. That is a telling sign she really isn't reading!
This is my arsenal. It is still germ warfare around here and I am not slowing down until I know that the pink eye virus is gone. The linens and hard surfaces are incessantly getting washed. I thought I was careful last time pink eye hit, but I am trying so hard to keep it at bay this time.

So, last night after everything was cleaned, all girls were tucked in, and I had prepared for this morning I flopped into bed and started a new project (below). I love the yarn. It is a soft pink color. I threw the paper away that had the yarn's official color on it, so I am not even sure what it is, but I like it. It is a wool blend. I have never knit with this before and it is so much easier than cotton. There is more give. I am not very far along, but I have mentioned that I am not very quick yet. I don't want a bunch of do-overs (I have already started over once) so I am taking my time. I will post a photo and explain it all when I am further along. I think I will try to do some more knitting now while the house is still all quiet & mellow! See ya'.

Sick day for one

2008-03-04T12:18:00.002-05:00

This photo was taken a long time ago - more than three years. Erika and Ainslee have done pretty much everything together and have reached a majority of their milestones with a day or so of one another. The only time they spent the night apart was when one was hospitalized with croup, and then days later the other was diagnosed with croup and had to stay in the hospital over night.
This morning Erika woke up with a double-whammy of pink eye and is home bound. Ainslee is at school. It is a little sad, and Erika doesn't quiet understand why we can't go and get Ainslee. She keeps asking though. To perk Erika up after dropping of Ainslee I drove through and bought her a doughnut. She ate part of it and then said she was going to save the rest so Ainslee could have a treat too. Sigh. I can't imagine what it would be like to have a twin sister. I am so very grateful that I know what it is like to have twin daughters.

Rain, Rain, it's okay

2008-03-03T18:11:00.004-05:00

What is the best thing to do on a rainy day? Cooking? Yep, me too. The weather didn't quite hold out for our park plans, so it was an indoor day instead. I made whoopie pies. Look good, huh? Want to make them yourself? Check out Philigry for the recipe. They are very tasty. Erika said they look funny, but I don't think she will mind after she tries one.

Whoopie pies, a big batch of Chicken Spaghetti, and chalk rainbows. That was pretty much our Monday up to this point.

Happy Monday!

Sewing & stuff

2008-03-02T21:44:00.003-05:00

Tuesday & Thursday are our school days around here. This week is Texas week and the kids are encouraged to dress in their best western wear. Since we don't have cowboy hats and stuff I sewed these on Saturday. They were fun, relatively easy (I still struggle to control the stitching with my machine), and I am happy with the result.
One of the best things? I had everything I needed - no quick trip to the store for anything! I don't have a "stash" so I was very happy that I was able to do it all in one attempt. I even made a Texas onesie for Aidan. I just couldn't leave her out.

The stitching is still pretty crazy looking close up, but it is am improvement over my first attempt months back! I did make a run to the store today for some new yarn. I am going to try and attempt something similar to this. I have already talked to my mom about having her help with with some of it on her next visit. I am hoping to get started on the little sweater this week. I have my fingers crossed for a successful, and not too lengthy, completion.

The light show above? That is the new solar powered sun catcher I purchased. I saw one in Arkansas during our Christmas vacation and thought it was pretty cool, but I didn't get it. Then I ran across one again and decided I should get it this time. It hung on the window for about three days with no "show". Then this morning while sitting at the table I saw a little something over my shoulder. I looked up and the kitchen, breakfast area, living room & hallway were awash in rainbows. Quiet a show. The girls had so much fun trying to catch them. It was great. My husband thinks his family and mine all need one. I agree. AND lastly, I made the blondies again with almond extract - I think I like them even better! Have a great week.

Back again for a brief second

2008-02-26T14:25:00.003-05:00

Hi there. Two posts in one day; you would think I wasn't getting anything else done. I actually am though. It is proving to be a fun & productive day. That doesn't usually happen with all three kids here; it is usually one or the other. Anyway, turns out Ainslee isn't' well enough to go to school, but isn't so sick that she is confined to bed. She has been up and about most of the morning - thank goodness. So, in honor of her not-too-sick-day I have made a big pot of soup for dinner & a little dessert - Apricot Blondies.

Wanna make them too: 1 1/2 cups AP flour, 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, freshly ground pepper (just a dash); 1 stick unsalted butter - softened, 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar, 2 tsp. vanilla extract, 1 large egg, 1/2 cup dried apricot chopped, 1/2 cup white chocolate chips (I actually used milk chocolate), 1/2 cup salted roasted almonds chopped (I used unsalted, blanched sliced almonds). 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8 inch square baking dish. In a small bowl whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, salt & pepper. 2. In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter with the brown sugar and vanilla at medium speed until creamy. Beat in the egg until smooth. At low speed, beat in the apricots, chocolate chips and almonds, then beat in the dry ingredients. 3. Using a spatula, scrape the dough into the prepared pan, pressing into an even layer. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 40-45 mins, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let cool.

Okay, now I am off to try and restore some order to the guest room.

not feeling so good

2008-02-26T09:25:00.003-05:00

This is the nest I made for Ainslee as she isn't feeling too good today. Notice she isn't in it? Me too. She is feeling bad enough to miss pre-school, but not so bad that she wants to stay in bed. I did what my mom always did - nice cool sheets on the sofa - but she doesn't want to stay there either. She does have a fever, but no other symptoms. It doesn't help that her sister is bouncing around the house. Ainslee is inclined to join in. Oh well. I'll just see how the day develops.
~~~
I almost took a photo of the car yesterday, pre-Goodwill donation, but it just seemed wrong. There was so much stuff; I felt a little glutinous. I finally decided that no amount of organization will make us fit in this house so it was time to clear out. I am trying to get it all organized for real before my Mom & MIL come next month. They will be here at the same time - a first. I am glad I am finally getting this accomplished & I am really looking forward to both of them visiting next month. Well, as I typed Ainslee crawled into her nest and is now curled up watching TV. See - I thought she would like it! Have a great Tuesday.

It's Monday - again

2008-02-25T09:35:00.003-05:00

These weeks keep sneaking up on me. Monday arrives and before I know it Monday is here again! So, what have I been doing? A lot, but not much of it is very interesting. There have been doc. appts, ped. appts, house stuff, outside stuff. The weather is still a little fickle, but we have been outside a lot more. Notice the new scarves below? I started them in December after receiving a purl stitch tutorial from my MIL and I just finished them a few weeks ago. I am not fast - that is for sure. They both insisted on wearing them with the tails thrown over each shoulder. Stylish, but not great for photos. Anyway, they are now in the dress-up clothes. Their whole purpose was to practice my knitting since I haven't done it in a while. I am working on a dishcloth now - WOW you say? Yes, a dishcloth. It has a pattern which is also something I have never done. So far, so good. As soon as that is complete I am going to work on something more substantial - like a throw. I have one in mind.
Anyway, a certain someone (below) is growing & growing. She is rolling, "talking", and she is very interested in what her big sisters are doing. If they are in the same room as Aidan, then Aidan's eyes are fixed on one or the other.

This was a tea party that Aidan wasn't invited to, but she so wanted to be there. Once she is sitting up I am sure she will be invited to all the tea parties.

Well, as I said, it is Monday again and this week is looking like another busy one. The girls (all three) have been gracious enough to allow me to post a blog, so it is time to divert my attention to them before their generosity expires! Sending smiles your way! Have a great week.

Be Healthy

2008-02-13T17:44:00.002-05:00

My blog title may seem a little ironic considering my last post talked about chocolate chip pancakes; all things in moderation. However, health has been on my mind a lot this week.

I am thinking about things I can change to improve and protect our lives. We are all fans of fruit & veggies which is helpful. Sunscreen is big in our house since we are all fair, but I know there is more I can do. I wish I was disciplined enough to grow our own fruits & veggies. I also wish we could go entirely organic, possibly even cut out red meat, and I would not have any problem cutting out chicken. That is my least favorite protein (although the Barefoot Contessa did roast a chicken the other day on Food TV that looked pretty good). Those are all a little too extreme at this point in our lives, but maybe one day.

***

The weather has turned cool again which gives me a opportunity to bundle up in some more sweaters, and there is a busy Valentine's day ahead of us. The parents have been invited to eat with our children at school tomorrow and stay for the Valentine's party. Sould be cute. Hope you all enjoy your Valentine day.

Sweet squared

2008-02-09T18:33:00.001-05:00

It has been a sweet day. The weather has been great the past couple of days which has allowed a lot of outside time. We started this morning off with chocolate chip pancakes. This past summer I made pancakes just about every Saturday morning. I grabbed my cookbook this morning and saw the recipe for chocolate chip pancakes and figured I would give it a try. Martin was out of town so it was just the girls and I - all lovers of chocolate. I didn't realize they were chocolate pancakes with chocolate chips.

It turned out to be a little too much for me, but both of the girls loved them. We have extras which means they get to have them again tomorrow.
This afternoon Erika was the first up after napping. We sat outside on the glider, Erika walked around the yard picking little purple blooms and asked me to put them in her hair. I love when children ask for something sweet without having to be prompted by us adults. She does look sweet!

Well, Martin is about an hour from home, I have a bottle of wine ready and the pizza delivery phone number ready! Hope you are all having a great weekend.

It has been a while

2008-02-06T15:10:00.000-05:00

I think about blogging much more than I actually blog. There is just so much to do so much of the time & I don't feel as on top of it as I used to feel. There is always this little lady to feed, bathe, play with. She is just growing up so fast I can't stand to think of missing a moment, and she is just soo much fun! Then there are the occassions when I myself have to eat. These were actually prepared for Erika & Ainslee to snack on but I did sneak a few of the blue ones for myself.

And then there is all the partying that we do on an average week. The city sponsored a family art day at our small little art musuem and we attended for a few hours. There were masks to be made, face painting, candy sculptures, drawing, painting, stringing beads. All the stuff 3 1/2 year old girls LOVE.

Not to miss out on anything, she snatched Ainslee's mask during the big-girl-naptime. She thinks no one can tell who she really is.

A day late but none the less: Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulet!

Checkin' in

2008-01-30T08:54:00.000-05:00

This is starting to happen more & more - they get busy playing with something and I get a little quiet time. It is kind of nice.

We have been doing a little of this to finish up our valentines. They are

finally finished & bagged ready for the party next month.
I have been drinking A LOT of this. I never understood why my parents drank so much coffee - now I get it.

And finally, this was a little "sewing" time as the girls call it. This past weekend I pulled out my knitting needles after bath time. They promptly found their sewing cards and everyone had busy hands for a short time.

Have a great Wednesday!

A sad day

2008-01-22T12:01:00.000-05:00

After returning home from our Christmas vacation every one went on with their normal routine. The baby was a baby, and our girls were our girls. One thing that was not the same was our cat. Snoozer was not Snoozer. After several trips to the vet, medications, x-rays, different food, the cat still wasn't the same. We decided ,to be fair to him, it was time to say good-bye. This was our good-bye to Snoozer. At the time I wasn't sure why Martin would want a photo of the good-bye, but hours later I am glad he decided to take this shot. This will be the first time in our twelve years together that we have not had a pet. It will probably feel strange for a while. Sorry for the sad post, but I wanted this documented.

Quick photo post

2008-01-21T16:37:00.000-05:00

Some left overs from the brunch (cranberry walnut cake). The get together was fun and I had a great time talking and catching up with friends.

Due to some rainy weather we have been indoors A LOT. We have been crafting up a storm to get v-day cards completed for E & A's classmates.
I have been spreading out the project for days. Glue one day, stickers the next, . . . . Here are some cards that we have nearly completed. All they are missing is the GLITTER!

This little face, or a variation of it, has been popping up on the chalkboard a lot. I think this is Ainslee's since she prefers faces without a nose.

Happy Monday!

The BIG Race

2008-01-13T21:11:00.000-05:00

Our early morning went something like this:

Coffee for me, donut holes for the girls.

Cruising along, Houston bound
We made it in plenty of time. Erika is enjoying the parade of runners at this point.

Our marathon finisher! Yah Martin/ Daddy!

I am very proud of him. I love that he pushes himself to do crazy things - like marathons. I haven't been inspired to attempt a full marathon, but a half may be in my future. Either way - he did it & I am so happy for him!

What's happenin'?

2008-01-12T21:47:00.000-05:00

2008 is rolling along. See out little garden fairy? I wish I had a dusting, laundry fairy too. The girls went back to school on Thursday. So, I dropped them off and went about my day. I came back to pick them up at the scheduled time and I noticed the teacher trying to catch my attention. Uh oh. Turns out one of my sweet little girls slapped a little boy about 30 minutes into the school day. Just hauled off & slapped him. When I got home & asked her why she hit him she sheepishly answered: "he made an 'mmm, mmm' noise at me." Well. Okay. I guess that is a reason, but seriously. Slapping? No one has ever slapped her, so why was that her reaction? Needless to say she got a sad face from the teacher which blows her & her sister's theory that boys get sad faces & girls get happy faces. What else is going on here? Tomorrow morning all three girls and I are loading up and driving to Houston to watch Martin/Dad run the H. marathon. I am hoping we get there in time to see him cross the finish line. We should have plenty of time, but you just never know how mornings are going to go around here lately. After the race he is bringing the big girls back and Aidan and I are going to do a little shopping. Yah! I am really looking forward to visiting some stores that I have been missing since moving to teeny little Beaumont. I also have a brunch-y, small, get together that I am hosting on Th. I am excited to do it since I love cooking for people, but I also know how much work it will take no matter how small I try to keep it. Which brings me to my next thought: cooking blogs. if you have any food/ cooking blogs that you like let me know since I haven't found too many on my own.

Well, I have tried the "tough love" tactic to try & get Aidan to sleep and I can't take it anymore. Thirty minutes is my limit; time to offer her some comfort. Good night all and have a great week!

Christmas is O-V-E-R

2008-01-07T14:51:00.000-05:00

That is what I keep hearing from Erika & Ainslee. They say it with emphasis & finality. They are right too! We had a great trip, a great holiday and there is no longer any evidence of Christmas anywhere in the house. We celebrated New Year's eve early & hit the sack around 10 o'clock and a couple days later we had a quiet birthday celebration for moi (33 years). I still feel like a kid most the time and am amazed when I realize I have three children, so age is not something I give much thought to other than around my birthday. There isn't anything exciting to report; nothing going on here other than day-to-day stuff. I did learn how to purl thanks to my talented & patient mother-in-law. I am currently working on scarves for the girls. We don't really need them here, but they love accessories so I thought it would be a fun project. It is good practice too. I hope 2008 is starting off with a bang for all of you out there. Talk to you again soon!

Feeling a little bah-hum-buggish

2007-12-20T16:46:00.000-05:00

I hate to say it, but I really am. I finished wrapping presents today and have started making lists & piles of things that need to be packed for our trip (we leave on Sat.), but I am just not feeling the holiday vibe today. I have dealt with a crabby husband for two days now, the girls have been tired from too many late nights (our fault since we are the parents, but they have been having fun!), and Ms. Aidan still won't sleep anywhere independently (what's it been since my last post - two days. Am I expecting too much?). There - those are my excuses for feeling crabby myself. I am really wishing I had a box of chocolate covered cherries right now. I would eat the entire box. In reality I know that once we get to our destination I will be in full holiday spirit - we are meeting some really great people up in AR. I truly love my husband's family and have a great time with them all. Now, if I can just get us all packed and ready and make it through the 9 + hour drive to AR . . . .

Anyway, enough of the bad attitude. The above photo is one of my absolute favorites. Ainslee is on the left, Aidan and then Erika on the right. They are really great kids - all three. I was looking through Erika's baby book for a moment today and noticed some remarkable similarities between Aidan & Erika. Aidan's infant photos & Erika's photos around the 8 month mark are very similar. Kind of crazy.

~~~

In case I don't get a chance to post again before we leave, I wish you all a very happy & safe holiday. Happy New Year too!

Yawn, stretch, yawn

2007-12-18T14:25:00.000-05:00

This photo proves she can sleep. She sleeps for hours in her swing; I can run errands for two or three hours and she will soundly snooze in her car seat, but she will not sleep in her pak-n-play. She absolutely refuses. On Saturday morning it was just the two of us at the house so I decided to put her down for a nap when she was noticeably tired. From 9:30 am till 11:30 she cried. Never cried herself to sleep, just cried. Sunday night I went to bed around 9:30 pm. She was in the pak-n-play cooing and being sweet. At 10 pm I was woken up by her cries which continued until 2 am. Yes folks. I let her cry thinking eventually she would go to sleep. At 2:30 am she was sound asleep in a little ball next to me - in my bed. It is sweet and I love having her in bed with me, but I am thinking long term. E & A never slept in our bed. They were always in a crib or a pak-n-play; I guess that is where I screwed up. January 1 it is tough love for Ms. Aidan. I don't care who she wakes up or how long she cries she will be doing it in her crib in her room. Sorry baby girl.

Gray day

2007-12-07T15:35:00.000-05:00

Christmas cards.

I guess this is the best thing to do on a gray Friday during nap time. The house is so quiet. Other than some music, and little snorts & gruffs from Aidan who is sleeping close by (she is not a quiet sleeper by any means) there isn't a whole lot of noise in the house. It is nice. It will be short lived since the girls are due to wake up any time now and then we are off to the bowling alley for a birthday party. It definitely won't be quiet there.
~~
Just thought I would take a quick break and let the writing cramp subside. Back to the cards! I hope you all are enjoying the holiday and all that goes with it. Have a great weekend!

Just be present . . .

2007-12-02T19:59:00.000-05:00

Today I received a message that hit home. It was a "ah - ha" moment, and it was so simple. It just took hearing it from someone else to make it sink in. The message was that the best gift we can give another person, any person, is to be present. This past month my mind has raced to keep track of things I needed to do, wanted to do, or felt were so important that they just had to be done. I even blogged about it. Mean while I have three little charges that could not care less about 90% of that list that was getting longer & longer. I told them more than once during the past few weeks, " just go watch TV for a minute, I am almost done." Even as I said them, in the moment, I knew it was ridiculous. It felt necessary at the time. So my goal for this holiday season, and forever, is to make sure my priorities are in check and to be present in the lives of three little girls that I love so much.

~~~

Having that in mind when I came home this afternoon I set up a family plan for this evening that went rather well. After the girls napped we decorated the tree and had a yummy stew for dinner. There was even some story time and photos squeezed in. I hope it sets the tone for the remainder of the week. Hope you all had a great weekend too!

A full day at home

2007-11-28T13:31:00.000-05:00

My husband took "my" car to see about having a recall item repaired. I feared his car would not house all three car seats so I told him to just leave then in my car. Me & the girls are having a full day at the house with no way to escape. So far so good. Last night I started decorating for Christmas and worked on it a little more this morning. I am at a stand-still until my husband puts the tree up. We baked oatmeal cookies, prepped tonight's dinner and did laundry. The girls did a great job of entertaining themselves when I was working on things that didn't interest them. Aidan did what she does best - sleeping. I am still in my pj's and would love to crawl into bed & take a nap, but instead I will be putting on my painting clothes to finish up a project I started months ago. I bought a table & chairs for the girls and rather than having it finished I decided to paint it. I have always favored neutral colors and would have probably painted it all white in our previous house, but since moving into this rental house and having every wall white I have started to crave color. The table & chairs are a combination of pinks & reds. So far all I have managed to do is paint the table, and part of the chairs. It is supposed to be part of E & As Christmas present, so I really want to complete it before we leave for Arkansas. Shouldn't be a problem if I could only rip myself away from the computer!
**The photo has nothing to do with the post - just haven't included one in a while. This was taken on a nature walk in FL over Thanksgiving**

Feel the buzz?

2007-11-26T15:19:00.000-05:00

I am feeling it. The buzz of stress knowing there is so much to do and seemingly little time to do it in. Every year I do this to myself & every year everything gets accomplished. Why do I stress so much? Do I secretly enjoy it? Anyway, my family returned to TX yesterday and as I looked at the luggage piled up in the living room, stacks of mail from the previous week, toys & shoes strewn on the floor, "the buzz" set it and has been buzzing every since. Amid all the mail were the birth announcements that I ordered. I opened the package and discovered that I did not like them at all. I disliked them so much that I have scratched the whole endeavor. Our far flung friends & family will get a peek of our newest one in the Christmas card so I am scratching the birth announcements off my list. I did keep one to include in her baby book just so she knows I did try.
***
Furniture. This is something that causes me stress as well. My husband and I don't see eye-to-eye on what we need, how to acquire it and what to do with it once we have it. In our 9 years of living together we have purchased very little furniture. We have inherited some, and brought some into the relationship that we previously & separately owned, and purchased some as a couple. Neither one of us like the idea of walking into a store, picking out a "set" of furniture for a room and buying it. We try to avoid conspicuous consumption and like the idea of recycling furniture. We also like 100% wood. I have begun to scout out pieces and have come across two great ones. One is a dresser for the girls room, and one is a beautiful oak dining room table. Both are sitting in our garage waiting to be tended to. I have decided to refinish both, but I have no clue when I will get to it. My husband thinks both are fine as-is and wants me to just leave it be. See what I mean?
***
My family had a great Thanksgiving holiday. Really great. I wasn't looking forward to our FL visit ending. Now that we are back in TX and gearing up for Christmas I am looking forward to visiting my husband's family. I feel so blessed that I enjoy his family AND mine. I am a lucky girl. I can't wait for the whole gang to get together. I know it will be a blast. Now I just have to make it through the next few weeks and get everything on my list completed. No time like the present . . . better get started.

I am thankful for patience . . .

2007-11-16T15:03:00.001-05:00

I often run short on patience. Very often. I have gotten better as I have gotten older, but I am still too short too often. My older & wiser sister, who is a mother of three, always told me that patience comes when you have your own children. Hmmm. Not sure she was right about that. I am finding myself snapping at Erika & Ainslee with some frequency lately. I justify it in my head by listing reasons that may allow me to be grumpy (lack of sleep, hormones, being tied to the sofa/ bed/ chair as I nurse . . .), but those are all excuses. I should be more patient with them. Today, to try an avoid any snappishness on my part I decided to avoid the car and errands that always ensue when we are all loaded up, and to hoof it. The girls and I went on a long, long walk through a couple different neighborhoods, past a mini goat farm where we stopped for a while, and then back towards home with one last detour to the park. It is something we should do more often. We tend to go to parks a lot but I usually end up sitting on a bench talking while the girls play. Not quite the same. So, during this season of thanksgiving, I am thankful for a healthy family, good friends, and patience (which I promise to strive for more of).

A quick HI . . .

2007-11-12T16:37:00.000-05:00

I am not sure when I will figure out a schedule to check e-mail, read all with my fave blogs or update my blog with some more frequency. Twice in three weeks seems a little inadequate, but I will figure it out. Eventually. We are off to my mom's house this coming weekend for the Thanksgiving holiday so this may be my last blog for a while again. Thanks for your comments. It is so much fun to receive them even if I am a slacker & don't respond.

~~~

So, for the past three weeks I have had my mom here or my MIL. HUGE HELP!! I haven't lifted a finger to clean or cook. I have received many, many meals from my MOMs group. What a life saver. The meals have all been delicious and it is so meaningful to receive a meal from each of them since I know they are busy as heck with their families. It is such a thoughtful gesture. I am trying to think of some fun way to reciprocate once I get the above mentioned schedule in place. As of yesterday we are on our own. I feel like I am on my own, since I have all three gals by myself all day, but to give credit where it is due, my husband jumps right in once he is home. He has been great.

~~~

Yesterday was a blah day. I managed to get all the girls ready and we made it to church. While there I saw a little old lady, probably in her 80s, sitting behind me dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. She looked soooo sad. Throughout the service she kept dabbing and I kept wondering what or who made her so sad. I had to leave the sanctuary early to find the cry room since Aidan needed to nurse, so I didn't introduce myself, or say anything to her. I am awful in these situations 99.9% of the time, but I really think yesterday was a day I should have made the effort. Also in church they mentioned veterans and asked for all veterans to stand. It made me think of my dad, who served 30 years in the USAF, which made me shed a tear. The day I told him I was pregnant with his sixth grandchild was the same day he passed away. Now that Aidan is here, it makes me very sad that he isn't. I am so glad I told him and so grateful that he got to know Erika & Ainslee. I only hope that they remember him even just a little. Aidan has dark hair just like me & just like my dad. I like to think she got it from him just like I did. So, I was a little tired and sad at this point in the morning. I came home, we ate lunch, and I was ready to relax. As usual I did a load or two of laundry. All is well. Martin's watching football, I am reading, the girls are all sleeping and the hum of the dryer is . . . wait - why isn't the dryer humming? Because it is broken! The first load is partially dry and the second load is in the wash waiting to be dried and now NO DRYER. These are just the small, unrelated events that led to a sad, blah day.

~~~

Today? Much better. A very kind man came and repaired my dryer before 10 am for less than $60.00. I was dreading the thought of dragging three kids out to to buy a new dryer. Now I don't have to! I also managed to get up and showered before my husband left for work. I took all three girls to the park, picked up lunch, and got them home & down for naps at the usual time. Yeah!! I think that is pretty good for my first day alone with my three children. I hope tomorrow goes as well or better!

Let me introduce you . . .

2007-10-30T16:13:00.000-05:00

Miss Aidan Jane has arrived. She is 8 days old today and doing great. Incredible. She is relaxed and eats & sleeps like a champ. Knock on wood. I have been doing lots of cuddling and snoozing myself, all of which is possible because my mom is here and has been doing everything else. I will take it while I can. I certainly didn't take advantage of all the help when the girls were first born and now I question why I didn't. First-time-mom ignorance probably, but I won't make that mistake again. I will have all of it to take care of soon enough. For now I will snooze and and cuddle all I can. Hope you all have a fantastic and spooky Halloween tomorrow!

Just photos

2007-10-17T12:23:00.000-05:00

Photos from the past week.

The SE Texas State Fair:

The tilt-a-whirl: NOT a hit with the girls!

Enjoying her corn dog

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yesterday's windy visit to the pumpkin patch:

Do they look bored to you?

Ainslee & the bumpy pumpkin

Yummy

2007-10-14T17:15:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was spent at the fair. At least a solid couple of hours. It was hot and the girls & I were worn out when we got home. I have some photos to post once I get them uploaded. In the meantime I was feeling terribly guilty for the carb-loaded, vegetable/ fruit deficient meals that I fed the girls yesterday:

Breakfast: pancakes

Lunch: sprite & a corn dog

Dinner: grilled cheese & french fries (they only ate the fries) and another sprite.

I wasn't up for cooking last night so we ended up eating lunch & dinner out which is pretty unusual for us. Today I made up for it, somewhat, and am ready to dig in to our tasty supper:
tilapia w/ lime butter, homemade mac and cheese & steamed broccoli. I am not the best photographer especially when it comes to food so I will spare you, but I am sure it will taste yummy. Can't wait.

Shoes, shoes, shoes

2007-10-12T12:49:00.001-05:00

Why is it I can walk into any store, Target, Dillard's, or Neiman Marcus & find a pair of shoes I like in about 10 seconds. I can take my girls to five stores and they don't like anything. They won't even try them on. The only exception being ridiculous character-style house slippers. Those they want by the truck load. This morning I spent close to two hours trying to beef up the girls fall wardrobe with some long sleeve shirts, cords and shoes. I was able to find a couple of outfits for each of them that they "agreed" to, but no shoes. I am thinking I should just go out and buy some, put them in the closet and see how that approach goes. Do they really need to help pick them out? No, probably not. I am just making it harder on myself. Anyway, so I was able to accomplish part of this mornings task. I am thinking we need to take Dad to the mall & let him experience shopping with the girls - maybe he will be more successful in the shoe department!

Pops of excitement

2007-10-10T15:31:00.000-05:00

Pregnancy hormones, lack of sleep from having a horrible cough this past week, excitement about meeting the new baby - all of it has me experiencing intense mini-moments of excitement throughout the days - little pops. We are under the two week mark until we meet the new baby. Pretty soon my mom will be arriving to stay & help out for a bit; it is all really happening. To bring it home even more I received the sweetest little onsie (above) from Joanne. It is absolutely adorable. Thank you so much, Joanne.
***

And on a similar topic, I am having a hard time believing that these two are going to be BIG sisters! Just three short years ago they came along weighing 5lbs 8 oz, and 5lbs 9 oz and now they are running around the house and singing Wheels on the Bus, asking to go to the zoo, and doing normal kid stuff. No babies no longer. I think they are going to make super big sisters!

See ya' September!

2007-10-01T13:42:00.000-05:00

I am so happy that October is here. September seemed like it would never end. The final count down to the arrival of our newest family member has begun, and I am so anxious to meet her. I still have a to-do list that I can't seem to eliminate. We need to set up her bed, wash her clothes and blankets, add the third row seat in the SUV, put the infant car seats in both cars, I need to finish a little project for the girls and I know there are other things that keep zipping across my brain, but you get the idea. I had hoped to finish Christmas shopping by now, but that hasn't happened yet. Speaking of shopping, check out www.darlybird.com. This site has some of the cutest things. I fell in love with about 20 different items and plan on making a few purchases. It reminds me a little of some Etsy shops I have seen. If you do check out Darly Bird let me know what you think!
***
We have had another week of the sick swap. Coughs, sore throats, pink eye. Martin has escaped it all so far, thank goodness, but it all caught up with me this weekend. I am actually on my way to curl up in bed while the girls finish their naps. I just wanted to pop in and say "HI". Hope it is a great week for all of you.

Thrifting

2007-09-21T14:34:00.000-05:00

Notice some changes? Okay, a change? I have been thinking about this blog and what it is about. I have gone through this thought process several times since my blogging beginning as it has always been rather aimless. I don't want it to be about my children, but that is what I do 99.9% of the time. I am not crafty enough to have a craft blog. So the thoughts continue and I continue to blab as the mood strikes which is rather aimless as well. I will let you know what I come up with. On to the real content of today's blog - thrifting. This is something I have not done in years due to four little hands that don't always respond to "No" as quickly as I would like. Now that I have some children-free time during the week I am trying to take advantage. So, yesterday I hit three little antique/ thrift stores & wouldn't you know I found something at all of them. The first does not have a defined purpose but I just liked the look of it. For now it is storing some art & craft supplies next to the sewing machine table.

It may end up a different color eventually, but for now I am liking the red. The other purchase was for E & A's kitchen. I had it set up on their stove and they noticed it right away once they came home from school. I have had a never ending supply of coffee & tea ever since.

Too cute & I love the color. An even better characteristic? It is not ceramic and won't shatter into a bazillion pieces on the tile flooring. The third is currently in my bedroom which is also where one of the girls is napping. It isn't old or used but it did come from an antique store, and it is the softest baby blanket I have ever felt. It completely matches the bedding for the baby too. This is the first non-utilitarian purchase I have made for the baby. It is hard to get excited about buying diapers & bottles, but this purchase made me very happy. I can't wait to wrap her up & see how she likes it. As an aside, I mentioned the "burrito wrap" to my husband the other day to see if he remembered how it was done. This worked so well with both girls that until they could wiggle out of the blanket they were swaddled in blankets to help them fall asleep. His response, which was verbalized while reading the newspaper, never making eye contact with me, and which I absolutely loved: "Yeah, I remember. That is how I wrap up the girls' baby dolls." Love him!

Bump in the night

2007-09-19T13:23:00.000-05:00

Martin has been out of town for the past few nights. The first night he was gone I had taken a shower and was getting ready for bed when I heard the doorbell ring multiple times. The girls were sitting on my bed and looked at me with a "what are you going to do about this" look. I think they thought it was an odd time to have a visitor too. I gave them strict instructions not to move as I quickly got dressed and tried to figure out what was going on without having to answer the door. I was in the dark living room when I heard a thud-thud, patter-patter on the roof. Yes, ON THE ROOF. 8 PM, it is dark, I have two little girls in my room and I am 8 months pregnant. I was freaking out. I looked outside and there were two work trucks in the road in front of the house and I could see one man walking back to the truck with a ladder. Apparently the owners of this house are going to have some roof repairs made and that was what all the hub-bub was about. After I calmed down, got the girls comfy & tucked in I called the property manager and left a nice but firm message that this was not acceptable. She called back on Tuesday morning in total agreement. Good. Well, last night I am in bed, lights off, girls are sleeping and I keep hearing noises. I look to the cat to see if he responds, which he does, which freaks me out more. I finally fell asleep but I was a little edgy. Thankfully Martin is due home this afternoon so I can sleep peacefully tonight! Have I mentioned I am just NOT comfortable in this house?

On to prettier things: these are our shamrocks that have moved with us various times and which my husband has had longer than we have known each other. Actually, the ones he has had the longest are green and are in the other bathroom window. The purple ones started from a volunteer that Martin found by our pool pump in FL. I think they are pretty and the girls love the fact that the leaves "go to sleep" or close every evening.

And this is another bump that bumps in the night. As soon as I get in bed and get comfortable she starts her nightly flips. 34 weeks and counting.

This is me tooting my own horn

2007-09-17T16:52:00.000-05:00

This is the door that separates the laundry room & garage. It is very ugly and has no winning attributes other than being clean. I decided a couple weeks ago that it was time to take action and do something to prevent me from having to look into the garage whenever I am in the laundry room, which is a lot.
This rug is one that I have had for a while and I really like. It too is in the laundry room, and it served as the "inspiration" for the window.

And this is the finish product! It consists of a tension rod and four cloth napkins that I cut & sewed together to make a curtain.

While not perfect and certainly not retail quality, for a mere $14 and change it is a huge improvement over the first photo.

Wind & Wet Stuff

2007-09-13T13:10:00.000-05:00

This is the conversation my husband overheard at about 3 am this morning between Erika & Ainslee:

"It is windy outside."

"Ya, it is very windy."

Well, it was a hurricane! Totally caught me by surprise and apparently I was not the only one.

The water in the photos below is where the street is normally. We had a river running through the neighborhood for a few hours. The girls thought it was great. Not so great will be picking up the many small limbs that are littering the front and back yard. I am saving that for after nap time so I have some little hands to help out.

Surprise for Baby

2007-09-11T16:40:00.000-05:00

Today as I drove up to the house I noticed a small white box. Mail! It was a surprise package from a fellow blogger. Stacy sent a present fit for a princess. Such cute little baby-girl goodies:

and

Thank you! Thank you! I am don't want to gush, but am very touched by such thoughtfulness. My first two lived in onsies the first six months - this little one will be all dolled up from the beginning!

Amusing ourselves

2007-09-10T16:29:00.000-05:00

What is that in the photo? Yes, the picture is centered AND in focus. Poor Ainslee is just being squeezed out of the frame by my big belly. This was last week at 32 weeks. The photo makes me laugh. Last week passed like a whirlwind. It seemed like we were constantly on the go. To balance out the craziness of the week we made a point of taking it easy over the weekend and doing small things to amuse ourselves. We did some small art projects, a little napping, a little sewing (still working on that!), some cooking, and hanging out with friends. It was a great weekend. Today it was back to the never ending to-do list that keeps me on track. I am hoping this week is a little less crazy but just as much fun! Thanks to all of you who have left comments recently. It is so much fun to hear from you!

School is F-U-N

2007-08-30T21:00:00.001-05:00

Wow, I am so excited for the girls to start school. Tuesday is the big day. We had orientation tonight and it was a great introduction for the kids & parents. Their class is small and the teacher seems completely competent and up for the task at hand. My biggest thrill? Packing their school lunch. I know: NERD-ALERT. It all goes back to my love of food. The girls received back packs and matching lunch boxes for the birthday a few weeks ago so they are all geared up, now I just have to make sure the back packs & lunch boxes are properly loaded up. I have been checking out various websites to get ideas of what to pack and so far the best has been foodnetwork.com under the section: back to school. If you are in school mode with your children and get stuck on ideas for lunches then I recommend checking out their site. It is pretty useful & nothing too complicated is on the list. Also, if you are a lunch packing pro then drop me a note. I am always up for a good idea!

Pregnancy hands & feet

2007-08-30T08:32:00.000-05:00

I am at THAT stage. My ankles & hands look pudgy & feel tight. Turning over at night is a major chore and I am just flat-out-sit-on-the-couch-tired. But, there are two little girls to manage & entertain so I keep going. I am not complaining necessarily, just stating the facts. I am uncomfortable (that is a complaint), but that is part of the process. Pretty soon, too soon, it will all be over & our little family will be five strong.

***

The last cousin frame is complete. I am mixed about it. I like it but would change a couple of things. I would still like to make one for our house so I can easily rotate family photos, but I will see if that happens. I think each set of frames has improved & it is just fun to sit down and paint. I bought a small canvas and have started painting it, but haven't decided what is going to go on it. Sorry for the shadow, but you can get an idea of the finished product. This cousin has a December birthday so I am ahead of the game. Feels good for a change.

Coming together

2007-08-28T07:54:00.000-05:00

We have preschool orientation in two days and I believe classes start next week. Crazy. It boggles my mind that three years have passed and that the plans I made months ago to put them in school are now coming together. Time flies. It is pouring rain here and does not appear that it will stop any time soon. The house is dark and the girls are staring out the windows looking for more school buses to drive by and giving me weather updates ("Mom, it is raining"). I have a two small projects that I should be able to complete today. I did work on some hair bows, but I can't seem to duplicate the bows that the girls currently have. Mine didn't turn out horrible, just different than expected. Hair bows & barrettes don't seem to stay in their hair long anyway. These will definitely do for now.

We are off to Austin on Saturday to meet up with a friend of Martin's from high school. I have always heard such positive things about Austin and am looking forward to seeing it for myself. I am hoping for nice weather & happy kids - everything else is icing.