A Visit from Pops and Granna

We enjoyed a visit this weekend with Pops and Granna who came from Arizona. The kids had a great time being read to, playing games, eating treats, and just generally soaking up the fun times with grandparents. This afternoon before leaving they took Parker and went to school to have lunch with Madelyn, which completely made her day!

Madelyn recently lost her other front tooth and today she said,"Mom, I'm teething" as she showed me where a new permanent tooth is coming in. It's funny to hear a six year old say she's teething, but I guess she is!

Finish It Friday--skirts and curtains

Finally! Something fun to post for Finish It Friday!

A couple of months ago I started this skirt for Madelyn and it sat pinned together and waiting for a hem until yesterday. Happily, she loves it and will actually wear it (that is not always a given with her--she's a little persnickety with her fashion choices)! The fabric was left over from a name that Amanda did for her etsy shop at http://www.sheachicdesigns.etsy.com/

I did some window mistreatments for my kitchen and laundry windows. I originally found the idea on http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/search/label/window%20treatments (it's the panel/cup hook example at the bottom of that page). I love how they turned out and I think I will hang a small fall wreath to top it off. I've got the family room windows in my sights now . . .

What have you finished this week?

4th Tag

My good friend Elise tagged me to post the fourth picture in the fourth file on our computer. In this picture Madelyn in just two or three days old and it was so fun to watch her sleep, or do just about anything else!

Madelyn's Birthday Bash . . .

Madelyn is 6 years old!



The cookies she got to share with her class at school. I know it looks like I had the kids decorate their own cookies, but actually I have to take credit for the phoenomenal craftsmanship.




The birthday girl and her candles



The birthday cake up close and personal, again showcasing my artistic skills.



She was really excited about presents and enjoyed opening several books and puzzles that night.

Finish It Friday

For this week's installment of "Finish It Friday", I am happy to report that I regained control of my ironing basket, and it currently sits empty, after a full four weeks of adding to it and ignoring it. I usually know it's time to tackle the ironing when it's the dead of winter and the only shirts Adam has to wear to work are short-sleeved. However, last week I got so tired of seeing the mountain sit atop my dryer that I took it all downstairs to the basement storage room that sits dark most days. I felt much better not seeing that huge to do pile everytime I walked in or out of the garage entrance (which is where the washer and dryer are located). And happily, I only felt kind of guilty knowing that the pile still existed, just not in my constant sight. But now, guilt be gone--I'm free at last!

I'm thinking next week's project will be something fun, not that the last two posts of mending and ironing haven't been sensational, but, you know :)

The Long and the Short of It

You know how some days you just wake up needing a change? Well today was one of those days for me. My hair has been the same for a while and, as I was getting ready this morning, I decided that today was the day for a change. A big change.

I took Parker and Meredith and got them all set up with snacks and prayed that they wouldn't make a scene for however long this was going to take. I told the stylist what I wanted and showed her a picture of how my hair was cut about two years ago, which was a short A-line bob that I loved. She looked at my hair, which has grown quite long, and asked if I was sure I wanted such a drastic change. I assured her that I did and so she said,"Let me measure because if we're cutting off more than 10 inches this cut will be free." Sure enough, it was 10 inches exactly! So, I got a cut that I love for totally free (except for the tip that I gave her) and I was able to donate to Locks of Love on top of it all! So that's the long and the short of it.

P.S. The picture on the left is how my hair was two weeks ago. The picture on the right is the one that I took to have her copy, and she did it exactly the same.

Leapin' Lizard Flies Again!

Leapin’ Lizard is the small bike that Madelyn passed onto Parker earlier this year when she got a “new” bike. The bike acquired this name because the phrase is scrawled across the bike and it is littered with neon geckos. Parker was doing well riding it with the training wheels and on Saturday Adam decided to take the training wheels off to see how he would do. At first Parker screamed one of those nervous, but delighted, screams and as he got the hang of it he started to say, “I’m doing it! I’m doing it!” Starting and stopping is still a little rough (several bushes in the neighborhood bear the distinct imprint of a littel boy and a bike!), but he feels quite pleased with himself with good reason. Long live the Lizard!