Hugs & Sippy Cups

Reminiscing

2011-09-23T08:17:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I went through some old cell phone pictures. The cell phone is always nearby, and I am just amazed at all of the memories that we can capture daily.

For example, would I ever strike you as the type of person to do this to her child?

Here is picture proof that I gave my daughter a mullet. I am ashamed.

And this picture for example....

...and this....

clearly show how lax my husband is in parenting standards. I know, I know, it's terrible. You wouldn't know that just by looking at him. But alas, hard evidence.

If you know my Emmers, you know that she can sleep anywhere. An.y.where. In a pew, on the nursery floor, folded in half in a grocery cart. She would fall asleep in the church nursery during a pm church service, and we could take her home, change her into pjs, change her diaper, put her into bed and throw covers on her and she would never wake up. Good memories.

Years ago, the girls and I used to play on the front and back porch of our apartment. We made so many paint and chalk messes. So much fun. Then, we had several sets of smokers move in that claimed both porches. My poor sister in law had an apartment right above the front porch and it (front porch) was practically turned into a smoking lounge! I don't know if she opened her windows all summer! This picture reminds me of some good times. Although....you see that red wagon there? It was ours. It was stolen.

I can't believe my babies were this small and delicious.

Where did the time go? How did they grow up so fast?

So thankful for the memories.

For Mamas of little boys

2011-07-12T20:06:00.001-05:00

You know EXACTLY what this is.

For those of you confused as to why I would post a picture of dirty underwear, I implore you to look deeper. This is not just underwear. No my friends, this is clearly a thumb, pointer finger, middle finger and ring finger.

This is a boy

who thoroughly enjoyed this

and then cleaned his hands here.

This my friends, is "just a boy."

ITAP

2011-07-04T18:39:00.000-05:00

of a soon to be birthday girl...with her piñata.

It's days are numbered.

Time spent with a friend is time well spent

2011-06-22T23:01:00.000-05:00

Earlier in the month, I had the opportunity to get together with one of my best buds. Megan and her dear husband live 4+ hours away and we are always brainstorming ways to meet up. But you know - life, work, sick kids and weather have a way of ~~ruining~~...changing plans. For example, one weekend we planned to meet up at her house, and West Virginia got over 2 feet of snow on Friday. Seriously, the interstate to her house was shut down. Impassable. Yes, so these things happen to us frequently. For realz. Well, needless to say, I was tickled pink to be able to spend a few days with her.

We took a run over to the art museum to have a look around. Moms and dads, if you want to go spend some time at a place that is quiet, strollerless, air conditioned and full of really boring stuff, I highly recommend the Philadelphia Art Museum. Or is it, Philadelphia Museum of Art? I'm gonna stop right now and refrain from consulting The Google, and leave it as just one of life's little mysteries.

No really, it was nice. And so quiet. So. Quiet. "I want to go to there." Quick...who says that?

I'm a firm believer in sticking humans in photographs. Yes, we saw Monets and Picassos, and these are the actual steps to the Art Museum, but really, wouldn't you rather that I stick a head in the picture and prove that I was really there? Indeed, my head does make about 1/3 of those famous steps obsolete...but I was there people. Character. It adds character.

And now that I think about it, maybe a touch of narcissism.

Eastern State Penitentiary is what you see behind my head in the picture above, and what Megs is leaning on in the picture below.

Good times. Hanging out at a creepy prison.

What trip to Jersey wouldn't be complete without a picnic at the shore? There's Old Barney behind our heads here...

...and way off in the distance here. I have many shots of this exact same pose. In every one, we are trying desperately not to be so squinty. In every one, we are failing miserably.

Ahhh....shade.

I feel that I must give an honorable mention to the husbands. They were around, but they didn't make it into too many pictures. Thanks Eddie and Buz for letting us gals "hang out." Let's do it again soon!

Man toys for the man boy

2011-06-21T15:07:00.002-05:00

Note to momma's of little boys.

THIS

is what you get a dirt loving, tractor obsessed, gun shooting, angry bird playing little boy who is turning 3. Davey certainly got his heart's desires this birthday. Many many thanks to kind grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

Here is my darling on the day he was born.
Angelic.

Here is my sweetness on the day he turned 1.
Ornery. Cute as a button.

Here is my pumpkin on the day he turned 2.
Mischievous. Loving. Rascally.

and....here is my man child on his 3rd birthday.
Just plain ALL BOY.

But, he told me that he loves me more than he loves his tractors.
Now that's saying something!

Happy Birthday David.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-27T19:39:00.001-05:00

ITAP

2011-04-19T10:28:00.001-05:00

(I Took A Picture)

of a cricket.
in a bag.
in my house.

Now let me explain my thought process here.

You see, I mentioned previously that a tenant across the hall has a very large lizard. She also has a very large container of crickets to feed said lizard. Very large. I've seen it. So, last summer we've had many escapees seek refuge in our home. We found them everywhere. Dave loved it when the crickets came to visit him. They came just to see him of course. So, he would catch them and we would put them in a little ziploc baggie so that Davey could carry around his little friend and they would be together always. Until...well you know. The end.

Fast forward to the present, we had a slow winter and nary a cricket came to visit us. Not until a few days ago. I saw a weak and weary little guy limping through my living room. He had probably been in the house for a while. I thought, "Oh great! Dave will be pleased!" So, as any good momma will do, I chased it around with a bag till he hopped in cause I didn't want to touch the thing. Dave normally does the catching...and sometimes the crickets don't survive the initial snatch up. This guy looked a little weaker than normal and would surely not make it out of Davey's chubby little fingers...but, I digress....so anyways....I picked up the cricket and gave him a long hard look. "Poor thing, he looks hungry." So, I put him on my microwave and gave him some bread. "I'll give him some strength before I pass him to the little man child." That cricket jumped up on the bread and ate away. Vigorously. Heartily. I swear that bug looked at me in thanks. Honest! I let him be that day, to get energy, you know.

So the next day, the cricket was happy and hopped in the bag like a good well fed little cricket would. As I looked at him, I began to feel guilty that I had just nourished him back to health and now I was sending him to his eventual death in the palms of a friendship hungry boy. Well..in Dave's defense...the crickets don't always die. When we remember to, we set the little guys free. But I had bonded with this cricket, and besides, Dave didn't know that I had him yet. I was determined to set him free and give him another chance at life. But then, it rained and rained and rained. Of course, we had to wait out the rain, that was only fair. That little guy sat on top of my microwave for 4 or 5 days. So today, I saw him. Looking at me. And today, I took a picture, and set him free.

The end.

He Arose!

2011-04-19T07:46:00.000-05:00

Here is a song that we sent to Grandpa in Korea so that he could have special music on Easter Sunday.

The two singing cuties make it EXTRA special.

We took a walk

2011-04-13T07:53:00.001-05:00

We're a little desperate for outside playing weather around here. Monday did not disappoint. Monday blew our socks off. The weather was gorgeous. It was amazing. It was incredible.

We left our house at 830 that morning to play. We came home 12 hours later. We played for hours. Many many hours.

We played with things

We sat on things

We jumped off things

Ok...ok...so maybe they posed a little for a few things...

...just a little...

ITAP

2011-04-12T08:09:00.001-05:00

(I took a picture)

of a rotting apple.
In my fruit bowl.
On my counter.

I was sort of fascinated.
It was pretty gross.
Decomposing juices.
Seeping out apple pores.

Man, how long was this thing in my fruit bowl?
Thinking about it now, I should of kept it longer.
What do you suppose would of happened?
Would it of exploded?! :o)

Stay tuned for more in this series of
ITAP
(I Took A Picture)
...of completely random things.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-06T18:48:00.001-05:00

Friday Rewind

2011-04-01T19:26:00.000-05:00

Today's Friday Rewind takes you back to October 2005.

This is Auntie Rachel.

But in this picture, she was just newly engaged to Uncle Eric.

Pre-Auntie.

We sure are glad that he found her.

She makes super cute babies. As a matter of fact, the cutie in the post below is hers!

We're so glad to have you in our family!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-30T21:28:00.000-05:00

Friday Rewind

2011-03-18T20:49:00.001-05:00

< < < Deep Sigh> > >

This picture seemed like it was taken only yesterday.

WordlessWordy Wednesday

2011-03-16T18:39:00.000-05:00

I have been severely remiss in posting "oh so cute" pictures the last several Wednesdays. You know how....when you start out completely intending to do something....but then before you know it, the hours in the day are gone....and then you think, "I'll do it next time," but then....next time comes and goes ...etc, etc...you know. You get me.

Here are some random pictures that were meant for previous Wordless Wednesdays....but alas...they never made their appearance onto the interwebz. So, in no particular order, complete with captions....

...I give you....

...the time we spent playing in a Chick fil A and I gathered the kiddies for a group picture. Hannah is wearing a Bacon sticker and Emma has a bandaid covering an ugly scratch right between her eyes.

....the time we got ONE day of warm weather and we spent hours outside soaking up every minute. Dave the man is wearing a teeny little Breathe Right Nasal strip because he could barely breathe through a super stuffy nose.

...the time we were waiting in a Chick fil A bathroom for Hannah to finish her business and Emma and I were bored so I whipped out my little handy cell phone and snapped a picture. Note: If this had indeed been a Wordless Wednesday, you would of been spared the knowledge that this picture was taken in a bathroom.

....the time that Davey was so tired, he fell asleep at the kitchen table. Notice, his pants are on backwards and there is a roll of toilet paper by his head. We were blowing noses like mad around these parts.

...the time we went to a nice park and I attempted to get a uniform picture of the kids all posing the same way.

....just look at this stinker giving this sweet smile. It's not fair.

...the time that we were at Wegmans and we found a new flavor of these Epically delicious treats.

...the time we had a fantastic Valentine's banquet at the church.

...the time Emma went to the dentist and she was so excited to see her name written on the welcome board! She was not too excited about what came next.

....the time that Davey went to the dentist and was so adorably small in the chair. He did so well and was enthralled by all the little instruments of torture that the dentist held in his hands.

...the time that my sweet husband surprised me with roses for Valentine's day. I haven't had roses in ages (per my request because of $$, not his negligence), and so these were a pleasant surprise.

...and finally, the time that Dave was....being Dave.

So there. All caught up. See you next Wednesday!

I can almost taste it....

2011-03-15T09:51:00.002-05:00

Spring is just around the corner. Warm weather. Sunshine.

The last two Saturdays were warm enough to begin our tradition of roaming the State looking for fantastic parks, nature centers, wildlife preserves and trails. Our Saturdays go something like this -Check the weather to confirm sunshine and no rain. Then look at the Google. Bring up the state map. Look around for green blobs that resemble large plots of green land. Google the name of said green blob to ensure that it is not a cemetery or golf course (we've run into a few of those). When a green blob has been deemed satisfactory for further exploration, we plot a course and pack supplies! Into a bag goes a loaf of bread, peanut butter, honey, Nutella, capri-suns, and whatever other snacks we have laying (lying?) around. These adventures have been extremely rewarding. Last year we found gorgeous nature centers, beautiful trails, river overlooks, fabulous play grounds, marshes full of minnows to scoop up with buckets, and much sweet time as a family.

Two Saturdays ago, we visited a favorite, Boundary Creek, in Moorestown. This park is a very very nice loop that takes you to several points along the river.

There are nice ramps, walkways and overlooks to enjoy the scenery and nature.

There is a beautiful pond full of huge Koi for the kids to enjoy and watch.

Special bonus, there are really nice bathrooms here (not pictured)! As a parent, you know that finding bathrooms are a major part of any trip.

This past weekend, we scoured the map and found a nice little place called, Jake's Branch County Park. It is right outside of Tom's River I believe. Much to our surprise, we found a newly built nature center!

Complete with life like nature scenes illustrating the various wildlife in New Jersey.

Very life like....

And some actually alive for real!

This room had snakes, toads, lizards, turtles and something else that I can't quite remember.

The highlight of this building is the five story scenic lookout at the top. From this point you can see the tops of the pine barrens...

And the cool play ground that we visited afterward...

And the Hindenburg Hangar. Yes, for realz!

The picture right above can be made larger by clicking on it. My husband took the picture above, and below is the identical picture that is used as an information plaque on the balcony.

So, GO! Consult the Google, gather up your family and go have an adventure! When you do, don't forget to share it with me!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-02T12:22:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-23T19:51:00.000-05:00

A Taco inspired conversation

2011-02-21T10:08:00.001-05:00

Since today is a Holiday, and Hannah has off from school, we were able to have a leisurely Sunday evening after church without rushing home to get the kids in bed as soon as possible. We decided to enjoy an easy, no clean up dinner...and cheap....at Taco Bell. Dave was so excited to learn that he was going to have a taco. He asked us repeatedly to make sure there was cheese on it.

"Can I have taco with cheese?"

"Can I have cheese with taco?"

His vocabulary is pretty good, and he has an interesting way of trying to express himself.

"Can I have a taco in my teeth? And eat it?"

For posterity's sake, our order for the kids reliably sound like this-
**one soft taco, no cheese
**one soft taco, no lettuce
**two normal soft tacos
I bet you can figure out which kid gets what order of tacos :)

While enjoying our food, Hannah overhead some people speaking Spanish. Hannah asked me, "Mom, can you speak Spanish?" Hearing my negative reply, she exclaimed, "My friend from school, Isabell, can speak Spanish and she isn't even Chinese!" Hmmmm....where did I go wrong here? Geography? Social studies?

Again, for posterity's sake, I want to remember this.

Emma eats her taco as follows:
1st -Open taco out flat
2nd -Eat lettuce first
3rd -Eat meat with spork
4th -Rip apart tortilla and eat last

Oops! And there's a hint as to who eats what taco.

Isn't it amazing how an $.89 cent taco can make your kids so happy? Will it be this easy when they are older?

Friday Rewind

2011-02-18T16:58:00.000-05:00

Way way way....rewind.

The following is yours truly...

I still remember this dress and how itchy it was. It give me the heebie jeebies looking at this picture. And, how awesome is that monster rock that I get to pose my hands on? Ah...the 80's. Good times. Sweet props.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-16T22:28:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-09T18:31:00.002-05:00

Just some thoughts...

2011-02-01T19:01:00.002-05:00

I'm thinking...that these type of puzzles are evil. This "puzzle book" style puzzle is pure agony to parents. This puzzle that sweet Emma is concentrating on consists of 6-7 pages with a puzzle on every page. If you fail to strategically flip the page, your puzzle falls apart. Inevitably, the puzzles do not stay in their rightful place and end up in one giant pile of pieces.

Like this.

THIS is torture to someone, like myself, with slight OCD tendencies...slight. When little people are finished playing with puzzles, said puzzles get put away decently and in order. Right? I am not alone on this theory, I'm sure. This lovely gem above has a continent on every page. Every. Page. So, just for the record, I know who gave these puzzles to my children. I will be returning the favor when you grow up and have kids.

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I was thinking... that if this poor little boy asked me for anything at this moment, ANYTHING, I would of gotten it for him. Thankfully, all he asked for was mommy. Not much keeps this little guy down, but his recent sickness knocked him off his feet. He stayed on this little make shift bed in the living room for days.

It is so terrible to see your babies like this. I am happy to report that he is doing so much better and is almost back to 100 percent.

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Emma was thinking...that Belle needed some simple black evening wear. Hee hee, just kidding. Actually the request was for "pwetty pwincess gown." So we found some fabric scraps and Emma picked out the bling. Belle has been deemed a "pwetty pwincess."

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I was thinking...that this shaggy haired little boy needed a hair cut. I have to get super duper motivated to cut his hair. He wiggles and scratches the hair that falls on his neck and squirms and gets hair in his mouth...sigh...I'm tired again just talking about it. I must admit, the results are totally worth it. Don't you just love to rub a little boy's freshly cut head?

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I was thinking...that I'm tired of snowy ice caked cars,

snowy plowed too late parking lots

and snowy slick roads.

A Haiku

Spring, I long for thee

Robins' songs I do desire

Flip flops on my feet

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And so I don't end on a whiney note.

I'm thinking that...I am truly blessed.

I have this

and this

and this.

In my fridge. Right now. Calling my name. Bye!

Friday Rewind

2011-01-28T16:44:00.000-05:00

Remember this?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-26T20:56:00.000-05:00

Friday Rewind

2011-01-21T11:13:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to Friday Rewind. It was interrupted by a failed hard drive. A drive that happened to contain tens of thousands of pictures from yesteryear. Many thanks to my techno savvy husband for recovering all of the memories and making this post happen. I dedicate this to you. Love ya!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-12T10:41:00.000-05:00

That daughter of mine

2011-01-11T21:34:00.001-05:00

She's a smart one, that girl. And honest to boot!

(click on image to enlarge)

I've picked some winners

2011-01-09T18:30:00.001-05:00

House shopping.

We've been house shopping. For a while. Waiting and praying for the home that God has for us. For the sake of journalizing, I should of written down all of the horrors from the other houses that we have seen - moldy basements, sheetrock ripped away to expose studs, kitchens gutted by scorned foreclosed homeowners, busted pipes...ahhh, busted pipes. This house is worth mentioning. It was dark. The house had been winterized by a foreclosure agency. The breakers were turned off. We walk in with our realtor. Flip some breakers to turn on some lights. We inadvertently turn on the pump for the water well. No big deal. No big deal unless there are pipes missing in the ceiling from the upstairs bathroom. Five minutes later, instant waterfall from the ceiling. Floor flooding. Good times.

Most ironically, a major defect that we have found in a home is the lack of space for a dryer. As in, just a washer, no dryer. No vent. No plug. No space. Just a washer. I say ironically because, a washer and dryer has been on top of my wish list for ages. I have literally dreamed about it. Dreamed. We have lived in an apartment for almost 9 years, and for 9 years I have depended on the occasional trips to the laundromat, occasional trips to the basement shared laundry facilities (pay use), and mostly, on the kindness of my father in law and mother in law. They allow me to use their machines when ever I want. I'm pretty sure there is a reward in heaven for their kindness to me. So, you can imagine, to walk around a future prospect of a house, only to find that there is no dryer.

Most recently, Friday night, I arranged to take a look at a few more hopefuls. Let me preface by saying, all of these houses look so much better in the property listing with it's carefully angled pictures. These are the winners that I picked to take a look at the other night.

House #1. Priced kind of high. Cute. Quaint. 970 sq feet. Eh. But cute. Cigarette smell in the last room. Hmmmm. Nice floors. Laundry room/pantry/furnace room/hotwater heater room. Ha ha, no room for side to side washer/ dryer. Small stackable. Huge silver vent things (what are they called?) running directly across tops of stackable = not enough room for anything larger to sit on top of each other. Deep sigh. But, I've seen worse.

House #2. Same age as last house, yet, sadder. Upon entry, gross smell. We are told a single man lives here. What, men can't clean? Yeesh. Kitchen, yucky. Laundry room, a washer and a clothes line. Seriously? SERIOUSLY? Bedrooms, grosser. Found the dryer, it's in one of the bedrooms. (Imagine the depth of my sighing.) Is it too much to ask to have a washer and dryer NEXT to each other? Moving on....Bathroom, my husband almost went through the floor on his first step into the bathroom. Rotted subfloor. Alrighty then, let's head for the door. Passing through the living room, there is a jug of urine sitting on table next to the recliner that is in front of the tv. In the words of my sister in law, I kid you not. A Wawa jug with the lid chopped off. Hmmmm. A sign? Yes, let's go.

House #3. Home in a foreclosure. The owners owe TWO times the houses worth. Perhaps a gem for a cheap price? Knocking. Knocking. No answer. Realtor used her realtor key thingy. We go in, whoa, people in here. Large dogs in here. Very large dogs. The owner walks up from the basement in her bathrobe. Yes, she knew we were coming. "Oh," she says, "Don't you like dogs?" Really large dogs jumping on us as we enter their domain, no. Awkwardly standing there....still standing while dogs circle us. "Oh, do you want me to put them away?" Oh really? What clued you off? Lady in bathrobe proceeds to give us the tour of her home. Filthy. Absolutely filthy. Kitchen, brand new with stainless steel appliances, but looked 20 years old from the dirt and grime. Hallways, filled with trash and clothing on the floor. The bathroom, a ginormous tub, yet the home's hot water heater is too small. She recommends an upgrade on the water heater. Daughter's room, we can't open the closets from the amount of clothes and trash on the floor. Son's room, we can't go in there, the cat is sick. Garage, converted into a bedroom. Sheets hung in the doorway to hide more trash and clothes, gross. Basement, something wet on floor, pretty sure it's urine. Was there a washer and dryer in that house? I can't remember. Ok, thanks bathrobe lady, thanks for the tour. We'll find our own way out. As we are leaving she yells, "Oh, I forgot to mench that the back porch has electricity." Yes, she really did say "mench."

So, the adventure continues. I am thankful to the Lord for supplying all of our needs. He continually takes care of us and gives us more than we ever deserve. Will you wait and pray with us? My kids have already put in their requests in prayer. A pink house. A big yard. A big bedroom to play in. I hope to report back to you soon about answered prayer! Until then, stay tuned....

1.1.11

2011-01-01T22:35:00.000-05:00

This is my dear husband. He turned 30 years old today. A few years ago, we started a tradition of all of us New Jersey Shorter's heading down to the great grandparents house in Delaware to celebrate Christmas and my man's birthday. Just in case you were wondering, this was a very yummy cake. Happy Birthday Sweetie!

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This is Uncle Buz with 2 of his nieces. Uncles are so much fun. Just look at these purty girls.

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This is a gaggle of girls. Shorter girls. More specifically, Shorter grandbaby girls(?)...girl grandbabies(?)...all the grandkids but Dave the man...because he's not a girl.

But anyways.

Just LOOK at these beautiful faces. Sweet little things.

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This is the descent of brotherly love.
Stage one. Bliss.
Smiling, beautiful, happy children. Blessings.

Stage 2. Showing off.
I'm so happy! I have my designated step! People are looking at me and smiling! The camera loves me. I was born for this.

Stage 3. Peeved.
How long do I keep saying "cheese?" Her step is awfully close to mine. Which camera do I look at?

Stage 4. Annoyance.
Oh...Hey...Move over. I felt that elbow! He's touching my step! (Adults now move in to quell the uprising).

Stage 5. Sullen.
Fine. I will stand on my step, but I won't be happy about it. No eye contact. No smiles.

Stage 6. Mutiny.
Descent complete. Further attempt at pictures, futile.

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This is an assortment of adorable children who have just opened some presents and are very satisfied to show off their bounty(?)....booty(?)...stuff. It was a bold move for us to hand them weapons after the previous session. Make peace, not war dear babies.

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This is a family. Moms, dads, brothers, sisters,uncles, aunts, daughters, sons, grandparents, great grandparents. I love this family. I am very thankful for them. Each one given to me by God. I am blessed beyond words.

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This is my offspring clothed in gifts from grandparents. Thank you Mom Mom and Pop Pop Joan for the comfy dino jammies. They are being enjoyed this very minute by sleeping children warm in their beds. And their mother is enjoying the children being warmly asleep :o)

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And finally....

This is the skeletal remains of a cannoli. I ate it's guts while patiently waiting for Blogger to upload my pictures. Blogger took a very long time, and I am grateful that there was not more than one of these delectable delights in my fridge.

Just keeping it real.

Happy New Year blog people.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-08T10:01:00.000-05:00

A few random ramblings

2010-12-03T15:00:00.000-05:00

The following pictures have absolutely nothing to do with each other. I just need to get a few things off my chest :o)

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This is a beautiful star that daddy made for our cute little tree. The size is a bit much. If I ever get motivated to fold and slice and dice more paper, I might make another one. A smaller one. But just so you know, that is highly unlikely.

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This is a bag of trash sitting next to the dumpster outside of our apartments. Next to the dumpster. It's times like this that I wonder ~ Seriously? For real? You could not of exerted 2.5 more seconds of energy to lift the lid and put it IN the dumpster? Do you think only your trash is exempt from local laws regarding waste in waste receptacles? Did your mother not teach you manners and respect? rant over. I feel better.

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This.
Now this is my sweet little man. I put him down for a nap in a bed devoid of toys. I gave him a cup of milk and a kiss. Ten minutes later, this is the picture that I took. He managed to bring 2 bits of manliness into bed with him and fall asleep to wonderful visions of heavy machinery and dirt.

Ahhh, life is good.

One of the saddest sights you'll ever see...

2010-12-01T08:16:00.001-05:00

is a gorgeous loaf of bread that didn't turn out.

In honor of Hanukkah starting tonight, I tried to make a lovely loaf of Challah to enjoy. The yeast that I used was sitting in my fridge, in a ziploc, for who knows how long. Ages perhaps. That was my downfall I believe. Oh well, maybe I can muster enough motivation to try another loaf today.

On the plus side, we get to start our Advent Calendars today!

Hooray for a piece of Chocolate every day till Christmas! :o)

Making Some Memories

2010-11-27T19:59:00.000-05:00

I'm so tickled about this beauty of a tree that we found today! Isn't it purty?

I just love this picture of my little family. I'm so thankful that we get to catch these little moments in time and look at them again and again.

The kids picked out all of the decorations and lights themselves.

And then arranged them, and then rearranged them, and then rearranged them again.

Thanks Mom mom and Pop pop for joining us tonight in making memories.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-03T09:01:00.000-05:00

A surprise visitor

2010-10-25T12:08:00.000-05:00

As we all sat around our kitchen table, eating lunch, we heard a wee little meow at the window. A sweet little kitty had jumped up on our window ledge and was begging for some attention. Well, he certainly came to the right place for attention. The kids were thrilled with excitement!

"Kitty must be hungry. Will Kitty eat french fries?" We shove one onto the ledge.

"No. Not interested."

"Will Kitty eat some left over beanie weenies?" We eagerly spoon some onto the ledge.

"Nay, beans are beneath me."

"Will Kitty eat some corn chowder?" We tenderly place some on the ledge.

Kitty spits out corn and scoffs, "I tire of your petty attempts to please me. I leave now."

"Oh goodbye dearest Kitty. Please come back and visit us soon!"

Poor poor naive little animal loving souls.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-20T07:41:00.000-05:00

Another Lesson Learned

2010-10-17T13:21:00.000-05:00

We've done it before. The kids have found cute little odds and ends in the forest and at the beach and have brought them home. Leaves the size of your head. Cool. The rock in the shape of New Jersey. Nice. Piles of bamboo to feed the (pretend) Panda's. No problem. Shells and crab skeletons at the beach. Harmless? A few days later...what's that horrible smell? Lesson learned ~ No more remnants of something that was once living and breathing.

A couple of weeks ago, a meander through the woods led us to these.

Acorns.Now there's a cool find. Kids, that will one day be a tree.

So, being the most awesome mom that I am, I used Emma's bonnet to hold a pile of acorns. Not too many of course, we had to leave some for the squirrels :o) Into the house they come. Onto the shelf they go. Promptly forget about them I do. As we were getting ready for church this morning, I decided that Emma would look super cute with her little bonnet to go with her dress. I took the bonnet off the shelf, and this is what greeted me.

About 15 of these little guys.

Ahh, the acorn weevil. Deep sigh. No hat for Boo this morning. I'm too creeped out to put that thing on her head.

Lesson learned. Just leave nature out in nature people.

Friday Rewind

2010-10-08T09:02:00.004-05:00

We miss you Hajime!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-06T08:40:00.002-05:00

Dino Birthday Extravaganza

2010-10-05T08:46:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, my first born turned 7 years old. And what did she want for her birthday? Well everything and anything that had to do with Dinosaurs. She's pretty dino crazy right now. We were pleased to oblige her. I hope that birthdays are this easy when she is 15!

She got this sweet dinosaur pillow case from her Mom mom and Pop pop. She gets to color it herself.

We found the next three gifts on Amazon. Amazon, I think I love you.

This game is like Operation, but instead of a buzzing sound, there is a roaring dinosaur noise when you touch the edges. It's a big hit.

This was large rock with several digging and chipping tools. There were 4 REAL fossils inside. Thankfully, I had the presence of mind to let her take this to her grandparents house to demolish. Mom mom, if you are wondering what the large pile of rock dust and powder is on your back porch, now you know. :o) It was late at night, we'll be back over soon to sweep it up! Love ya.

This sweet little guy is her new bedtime buddy. She informed me that the loveys keep the bad dreams away. There's a little FYI for you to store away..

Here's my pretty girl with her Dino Cake!

Happy Birthday Darling!

Friday Rewind

2010-10-01T14:30:00.003-05:00

Tractor Mania

2010-10-01T07:50:00.004-05:00

My man child

Eats

Sleeps

and Breathes
Heavy Machinery

And I'm good with that.

Don't you just love when little boys are just. so. boyish?

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-29T07:38:00.004-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-22T09:44:00.003-05:00

A special meet up

2010-09-21T08:53:00.008-05:00

with a special friend.

...and her husband.

...and animals were there.

My BFF and I arranged a rendezvous at a half way point between NJ and WV. We had some much needed girl friend time, the boys chatted about nerdy boy stuff, and the kids....well, that's what the animals were there for. We met up for the day at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. The weather was fantastic. The fellowship was sweet. The time went too quick.

Thanks for bringing her to me Eddie! We'll find something more man friendly next time. I do believe there is a Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World just about in the middle :o)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-15T07:19:00.003-05:00

Where do they learn this from?

2010-09-01T07:09:00.004-05:00

Do you see this?!

"Pweese Momma. Pweese can we have kid songs...pweeeeese?" My heart just melted into a puddle on the floor of the van.

You see, they asked us if they could listen to one of their little kiddie song cds. Sometimes when they ask, we pause and contemplate just listening to silence. Sometimes amidst the pause of contemplation comes begging and whining. That makes an easy decision doesn't it? :o) But then they pull this.

That just isn't fair folks. Not at all.

"Pweese Momma. Pweese...(hands folded in pleading)

"Of course baby. Which track would you like Momma to start on?"

To put the icing on this sweet, delicious little cupcake, he is reading a construction magazine. Rock and Dirt. Yes, for realz. It is a construction equipment magazine.

As they say, resistance is futile.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-01T07:06:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-25T14:45:00.003-05:00

Well, except for the words she is SPEAKING....<---and those :o)

I need STRENGTH

2010-08-20T12:11:00.001-05:00

...to not eat this whole blessed thing in one sitting.

Someone hide the butter!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-18T07:07:00.003-05:00

1 Day down...179 to go!

2010-08-17T07:21:00.007-05:00

Hannah started second grade yesterday. SECOND grade. How did that happen? Where did the summer go?

Before the day started, we sharpened all new pencils. I just love new pencils. You know, pencils that actually have erasers on them. Pencils that aren't covered in little dents made by little teeth.

She did a SUPER job on her first day. I'm so blessed to be the mommy of such a good little girl.

The other two did really well. Only minor disputes between them.

Emma likes to color, draw and make letters at the table with Hannah.
Dave likes to play with tractors, read Vermeer brochures, make lots of noise and wait by the window for the Monday trash man.

We celebrated the first day of school with making ice cream sundaes with Mom Mom, Pop Pop, aunts, uncles and cousins. Sorry, no pictures of the actual event, but it looked a little like this.
Just envision it a little messier, with more whip cream, cherries and in a styrofoam bowl. Ah yes, that's it.

I'm thankful for these special little things. Life is good. God is very good.

What would MacGyver do?

2010-08-07T09:08:00.003-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-04T09:35:00.002-05:00

***************************

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-28T19:59:00.004-05:00

****************************************************

Down the shore

2010-07-27T20:51:00.010-05:00

***Special thanks to DEANNA for taking the cute shots!***

Emo-isms

2010-07-14T13:37:00.007-05:00

For those of you who know our little Emma...aka Boo...aka Tater...aka Emo... you know and understand how she came to inherit her nickname-Emo. She is a very happy child. A very random child. A happy child full of random emotions. She has been our only child to chew her toenails. She can burst out into sucking and sobbing tears with one correcting look from her daddy. She is strangely meditative and at the most random times, she will say very random profound things. Several cases in point~

We were in a public restroom. Said restroom had stalls with very red doors. I only mention the color of the doors, because it is the only reason that I can think spurred the thought process in her head.

Me-"Emma, are you almost done on the potty?"
Emma-"You know what mom? All of the red words in the Bible are the words that Jesus spoke."
Me- "Oh really?"
Emma- "Yes, the red words are when Jesus was talking."
Me- "Yes, you're right. All done?"
Emma- "Yes."

***********************************

Sitting at a table in McDonald's, enjoying our lunch with Daddy.

Emma- "Hey mom, do you know about Pulleys?"
Me- "Ponies? Yes, I know about ponies."
Emma- "Pulleys, not ponies."
Me- "Sure, what are those Emma?"
Emma- "They pull things. They pull things and they make them go way up high."
Me- "You are so smart Em.

***********************************

In another public bathroom, sitting...taking care of business.

Emma- "Mom, do you know about possums?"
Me- "Possums? Why are you thinking about possums?"
Emma- "Because. Do you know that possums are nocturnal and they sometimes steal birdseed?"
Me- "That's great Emo, all done?"
Emma- "Yup."

*********************************

She probably tells me one strange random fact a week. It's a good thing I have a place to write them down :o)

A little cheese to go with your day

2010-07-08T13:45:00.004-05:00

Birthday Blessings

2010-07-02T20:27:00.007-05:00

My husband spoils me. He told me to pick whatever I wanted to do today. Anything. After much consideration, I asked for the following things:

BIRTHDAY gift
Yes. This is what I picked. Seriously. I confess, I am a LOST fan. Huge fan, and 'huge' is an understatement. But, let's not dwell on that. I'm still getting over it.

BLUEBERRY picking
We started the day off at a cute quaint little blueberry farm. Yes, Dave is eating them as fast as poor POP POP drops them into the bucket. The weather was gorgeous. The company was sweet-Thanks Mom mom and Pop pop for coming with us! The kids enjoyed roaming amongst the bushes. I came home with 9lbs of berry goodness.

BUFFET Lunch
At noon, my sweet husband took me to my favorite Japanese restaurant. Oh. My. Goodness. Enough said.

BEACH
We spent the rest of the day at Barnegat Light State Park. It's one of our favorite places to spend some family time together. The kids dig holes, chase crabs and splash in the little tide pools.

We spent two hours turning over rocks, catching crabs, carrying them around in buckets, releasing them, repeat. Dave has a new found talent. He is quite the crab catcher.

**note**
I am neither contemplative nor unhappy in this picture. I am merely trying to concentrate and keep my eyes open in the glaring sun, at the same time.

And to end a perfect day. We went to Wendy's and got their new BACON Frosty's.
Hee hee hee. Just kidding. My husband made that up.

Thank you God for my wonderful family and the start of another year to be with them.

Why? I don't really know.

2010-06-21T21:14:00.003-05:00

Do you ever do something completely ridiculous for the sheer reason that you know it will make your kids happy?

We just did.

We just happen to be a little crazy about crabs lately. We have read the books. We have seen them on tv. The kids have been talking about crabs non stop. Today we drove by a nice little quaint farmer's stand with the sign -Live Crabs- out in front. Two reasonings pushed us onward into the parking lot. 1) How hard could it be to keep a crab around? Bucket+water= hours of educational fun. 2) $1.25?! We'll try anything for a buck twenty-five! So here we are. Our once fresh off the ice docile crab is now feisty and poised for battle constantly. The 'just the right size' bucket now seems small and insufficient. Sink water? Bottled Spring water? I put both in the bucket...and have a jar of Sea salt standing nearby in case he begins to wane. What will he look like if he is waning? I gotta go. Time to consult The Google.

Wish us luck.

A series of pictures during an unfortunate event

2010-06-17T10:58:00.003-05:00

Just his pride was hurt, promise. Lesson learned - that's what karma does to you when you eat your mom's chapstick.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-16T14:04:00.001-05:00

Little Boy Bliss

2010-06-07T13:54:00.002-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-02T12:36:00.003-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-19T09:14:00.002-05:00

These days, it seems like

2010-05-10T20:53:00.002-05:00

bedtime Lovie's are getting bigger and less...uh...fluffy.

Mother's Day Weekend Extravaganza

2010-05-10T07:31:00.005-05:00

It's Monday. My wonderful weekend is over, and I must write it down so that I can relive it again and again.

It all started on Friday Night. My dear sweet husband encouraged me to go out with a friend and do some shopping. We had some particular things to shop for, which we had great success with. I also scored this "so much cuter in person" purse. I had a coupon and the lady gave me 15 percent off. I paid less than 3 dollars! Woo-hoo...a Mother's Day gift to myself!

We finished up that evening with some girl time and ate at Friday's, for which I had a significant coupon for!

The next morning, Saturday, I woke up to a nice big wrapped box and some beautiful cards from my sweet brood. My husband, the genius that he is, gave me my present a day early to keep it a surprise. He knew that if he waited too long, I was bound to find out. I don't do these things on purpose folks. A mom just finds things out. Lookee what I got.

It is so beautiful. And guess what? Yes, he had a coupon for 20 percent off. It makes the gift so much sweeter knowing that it wasn't full price, doesn't it?

Sunday finished out the weekend with the best yet. I enjoyed all the services very much. All of the moms received a delicious smelling Yankee Candle. Afterward, we tried out the waffle maker and made some spectacular, although not quite square, waffles. And here it comes. Wait for it. I went right to bed and took a nap. All. Afternoon. Long. My man kept the kids corralled at the other end of the apartment, and I slept like a log. I just breathed a big deep sigh of contentment just thinking about it!

My awesome weekend ended with a nice delicious Caramel Iced Latte with whip cream from D & D. And yes, we had a coupon.

The End.

Just a little bragging time

2010-04-30T09:44:00.001-05:00

Look at my 1st grader's paper. Isn't she doing a fantastic job?
(click on image to see it larger)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-28T08:57:00.002-05:00

Too Frugal to have fun?

2010-04-28T08:45:00.002-05:00

Hamsters, guinea pigs, parakeets and parrots.
Goldfish, Lizards, crickets and crustaceans.
Chinchillas, mice, snakes and spiders.
Homeless cats, groomed dogs, frogs and finches.
You may call it Petsmart.
My kids call it The Mini Zoo.
I call it Free Fun.

Wordless Wednesday ~ A new haircut

2010-04-14T08:48:00.003-05:00

A Guest Post

2010-04-12T06:59:00.002-05:00

from the Mom Mom :o)

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Let Me Tell You About My Grandson!

Boy’s! they are an adventure. They always find and do those things you never expect. Baby David as I like to call him, seems to always do something to surprise me. Each of the grand babies have something they really enjoy playing with at my house. DL loves to play with my spoons, HE likes the baby doll, dressing and undressing, socks and shoes, HJ’s favorite toy is her Pop Pop and making something (iced tea, coffee for Pop Pop, or what ever I’m cooking) she just likes to be involved in doing something, ANYTHING , EK just likes to pull out toys and watch TV.

Then there’s Dave. There is one particular thing he has been doing consistently when he comes over. How do I know it’s him? He’s the only one to ever go there. I caught him once and moved him onto something else but later when things would not work I KNEW THAT WAS WHAT HE WAS UP TO. After he visits each time I will be cleaning up taking care of the usual stuff and eventually have to run the garbage disposal to find out it doesn’t work. The kids are allowed to play in one cabinet and one drawer in my kitchen. I have had NO trouble getting the girls use to this. But the cut off switch to the disposal is under the sink, not in any easy to find place but out of the way. But he finds it . . . each time.

Deja vu

2010-04-09T09:54:00.003-05:00

Some things to write down before I forget

2010-03-22T10:51:00.002-05:00

My girls were having a little conversation in the back row of our van.
Emma - My heart is sad
Hannah - (great concern) Oh Emma! If your heart is sad, that means it stopped beating!
Emma - My heart isn't beating?
Hannah - No. That's what it means when your heart is sad. It stopped beating.
Emma - Oh....my heart is sad.

(For those of you that know Emma, you know why we call her Emo. She has random outburts of strange deep emotion. It is quite funny. We call her Emo so much that she prefers to be called that when people address her. Silly girl.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do you remember the conversation Hannah had with me about her future a couple posts ago? Well, apparently, after much thought and consideration, she has found something to do on her day off, Monday. She is so appalled at the amount of garbage along the sides of the roads, that she wants to pick up the trash. Her ideal Monday would consist of her, a large black bag, a long stretch of road and much trash. According to my six year old, "Why don't people care mom? If everyone threw their trash on the ground, all of New Jersey would be covered in garbage!" She even brought along a little grocery bag with us on our hike through the woods the other day. Future environmentalist wacko on my hands? Nah, just a little girl that cares deeply.

So, here's a recap of what Hannah wants to do when she grows up:
Mondays ~ Pick up garbage along the sides of the roads
Tuesdays & Wednesdays ~ Work as a Paleontologist at a museum
Thursday ~ Church day
Friday & Saturdays ~ Bag groceries at the Shoprite
Sundays ~ Church

A little ambition never hurt anyone :o)

Mystery of the eaten q-tip

2010-03-15T10:26:00.004-05:00

Minor episode in our home this morning. Here are the following details:

My evidence - Dave chewing something in his mouth. Small bits of cotton in his mouth. Remaining Q-tip stick (sans cotton ends). Empty travel container of Q-tips lying next to said cottonless Q-tip.

The deduction - Dave apparently ate some ends off of a few Q-tips.

The dilema - My husband has been known to clean out his ears after a shower each morning, and leave the Q-tips on the dresser. (I know you all are cringing right now) Yes, the question must be asked. Did Davey eat a used Q-tip? Is it possible that there was ONE clean Q-tip left in the travel case and he found it and ate it? I was desperately hoping for the latter conclusion! I mulled it over in my mind. I got squeamish. A little nauseated. But yes, certainly, he must of eaten a used one. Ick. Ack. Sigh. Could of been worse I suppose. My husband cleans his ears every morning, how dirty could that Q-tip of been?

The conclusion - Upon more careful evaluation of the scene, I discovered THIS an hour later. Hooray! Relief! He did indeed find the travel Q-tip case filled with many of them! They were NOT used, as I had finally resigned myself to accept. And look! One more headless Q-tip. He apparently helped himself to not one, but two. Never had I been more relieved and glad that my son had eaten two clean Q-tips!

Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned for the next Adventure with Dave the man!

What is going on in that little 6 yr old brain of hers

2010-03-13T20:51:00.003-05:00

Hannah disappears for a few minutes here and there. She is busily sketching and writing whatever comes to her mind. She amazes me with her thoughts and questions. Early this morning she woke up and went right to drawing something. She presented me with this a few minutes later.
Translation ~ I like to swim maybe if I put my eyes on God then I can walk on the water. (I don't know) The picture is her on water looking up at God.

It made me think of these verses:

Matthew 18:2-4

²And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,

³And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

⁴Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

That little masterpiece will certainly make its way into the pile of "stuff to keep."

She's got it all figured out

2010-03-10T21:36:00.004-05:00

Tonight, my six year old proclaims, "Mom, I want to be a scientist AND a grocery bagger."

A little preface to this...for months and months Hannah has changed her mind on what she wanted to be when she grew up. First, she wanted to be an artist. She carries notebooks and pencils everywhere she goes. She sketches, draws...she just loves it. She also loves dinosaurs, and when she found out that there was such a thing as a Paleontologist, she decided to become that because as she said, "a paleontologist was cooler." So, as it seems, she is torn. Her love for drawing, her love for dinosaurs, and now, apparently, her love for bagging groceries (she is my personal little grocery bagger at the stores). Tonight, as we wandered down the isles of a local grocery store, I could tell that she was pondering something deeply. At about the 14th isle, she said decidedly, "Mom, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, I can be a Scientist at the Museum. On Fridays and Saturdays, I can bag groceries at the store for people."

"Well, what about Thursdays?" I asked.

"That's church day!" She replied, as in du-uh, you can't work on a church day!

"So, then what about Sundays?" I asked, but already knew the answer to.

"Church."

"What will you do on Mondays?" I queried a third time.

She thought for a moment. I think she forgot about Mondays. Then she exclaimed, "That's my day off!"

That sounds like a fantastic work week to me, don't you think?

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-10T13:29:00.001-05:00

What??!!

2010-03-01T09:44:00.001-05:00

My daughter just asked me if a penguin was a Theropod because Theropod's were characterized by their three toes....

Why is my six year old talking to me like this?

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-24T12:50:00.001-05:00

Life's lessons learned

2010-02-24T10:51:00.003-05:00

Apparently, one of my children does not know the understood rules of eating from a box of donuts!

Take as many as you can eat, and eat as many as you take, but NEVER, under any circumstances, NEVER return a donut that has been touched or eaten!

It's a good thing I can teach them these important life rules while they are young!

Out of the mouth of babes

2010-02-18T14:06:00.008-05:00

This afternoon I complemented Hannah on being so brave while she vacuumed the living room. The vacuum has always been a thorn in her flesh. But today she conquered her fear and boldly sucked up the bazillion crumbs on the living room floor. I praised her told her thank you for being such a big girl! Emma was watching from a safe distance and put in her two cents. "Hannah is a big girl, and Mommy, you are a big big big big big girl!" In a fleeting instant, my mind went to my extra pounds. Then I chided myself for being so silly. My sweet baby meant that in the sweetest nicest way. Then my heart swelled and at that moment I was very pleased to be her Momma, the big big big big big girl :o)

Sigh....

2010-02-14T22:24:00.003-05:00

It is such hard work being such a boy

Two honorable mentions in two days

2010-02-09T22:34:00.003-05:00

ONE
Today, David told me that he loved me. He has always been my tender child. The momma's boy. The girls were always so busy, David wants to sit in my lap. The girls loved every minute in the church nursery, Dave protests when his momma walks out the door. You get the idea, he likes me, a lot. He has always willingly given me random kisses and sweet hugs to show me his love, but today, as we hung out in bed together, he matter of factly pointed to me and said, "I love you." Cue melting heart, welling tear ducts and lump in throat. My goodness. What did we ever do to deserve such precious gifts from God?

TWO
Yesterday, Hannah told me a lie. I should of prefaced by saying that she rarely lies to me. We try to teach our children that a lie is a horrible thing. There is no little lie or big lie. Any lie deeply hurts her momma and God. I asked her a question, and the second she answered, I knew instantly that she wasn't telling the truth. She was very quiet and I quietly asked her, "Was that the truth?" A few moments of silence passed, and she hung her head and softly answered, "No mom, it wasn't." She looked up at me and I was so saddened and disappointed. We looked at each other in silence. No condemnation from me. No anger. Just a great sadness. After a few moments passed by, a little tear rolled down her cheek and she quietly said, "I'm sorry mom." For the first time, I saw my daughter grieved over her sin. Her own sin saddened her. I immediately thought of my Heavenly Father that is truly saddened by my sin. Often, I hurriedly apologize, seek forgiveness and go on my way. But, if I could see His face, I would not see wrath. No condemnation. Just sorrow. The same sorrow that I had over my daughter's lie, God has over our sins. And instantly, I was grieved that I caused Him to feel that same sorrow and hurt. Yesterday, I learned something from my six year old. What did we ever do to deserve such precious gifts from God?

One of the most delicious things on earth

2010-02-04T22:46:00.002-05:00

is a freshly woken baby from a nap. Sleepy hair. Warm cheeks. Groggy gaze. Cuddly hugs. Sigh... Just so right. Just so yummy.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-03T08:34:00.002-05:00

Bathtub much? (Wordless Wednesday)

2010-01-27T07:42:00.003-05:00

Octo-dogs

2010-01-26T08:50:00.002-05:00

Who said kid don't eat seafood?

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-20T12:25:00.002-05:00

***I interrupt this Wordless Wednesday with some words about my dirty windows. I promise I clean them, but they look like that about 10 seconds after they are cleaned. Enough said. Carry on.***

It's never too early

2010-01-13T17:13:00.004-05:00

to begin practicing for your future occupation. I think all little boys go through a stage when they want to be a garbage man when they grow up. Dave is enthralled, gazing out the window, every Monday morning when our garbage man comes to pick up our apartment dumpster. If only that sanitation engineer knew how much joy he brought to a little boy on his Monday pick-up route!

Imagine my little man's pleasure when this little surprise came in the mail for him today. All afternoon he has been busily dumping various objects around the house. Today's dumpster full of treasures appear to be a play butter knife, golf ball and a toy car. I do believe there was also a little cow at the bottom. Now that I think about it, if I am ever missing anything important, I do believe I will go check the trash truck.

Thank you to my dear friend Rhonda and her kids, Emryn & Hunter, for such a sweet gift!

Just the girlies

2010-01-10T20:10:00.005-05:00

It's not usual that I get to take pictures of just my precious girls. Hannah and Emma have had 6 and 3 years, respectively, of pictures of just them. But, since the little man child came along, the camera follows him wherever he goes. It's just so much fun to take some pics of non girly things you know? But this morning, I seized the opportunity to snap a photo of my little girlies in matching dresses. They were so pleased to be going to church looking so "beautiful," as Hannah put it. Why yes you do look beautiful Hannah Banana. And Emma Boo too!

P.S. If you are wondering why Hannah looks so different, it is because I got tired of all of the static electricity and fly away hairs and so I brushed, clipped, pinned and hairsprayed every hair in place within an inch of their lives.

Who said dressing up girls is more fun?!

2010-01-06T13:41:00.003-05:00

Sure, there's a lot to be said about pink frills, purple bows, and lace tights. But, putting your son in little man clothes is just so right. He's not cute, he's handsome.
Ruggedly handsome
Terribly handsome
Sigh...be still my heart...

I'm not saying he wasn't there

2010-01-04T10:20:00.003-05:00

This is what I discovered as I was cleaning up my Christmas decorations. Apparently, there was another visitor to Bethlehem that night.

I think he wants to be there.

Why do we do these things to our children?

2009-12-28T09:42:00.003-05:00

I don't know honestly. It was a compulsion and I couldn't fight it. I just had to take Emma's little Tinker Bell dress and stick it on my son. Can someone explain that to me? In my defense, he did bring the dress to me. And now that I think about it some more, I'm pretty sure he handed it to me and said, "Pease." There. He asked for it.

But those of you that know Dave the man, here he is on a normal day, about to begin his rampage of manliness throughout the day. He exudes man-ness out his pores. And yes, those are bags of laundry he is sitting next to. Clean laundry mind you, so it's perfectly ok to stack it up in the hallway.

Christmas morning munchkins!

2009-12-25T16:25:00.004-05:00

Merry Christmas! I hope your day is full of blessings!

Wordless Wednesdays

2009-12-16T13:37:00.002-05:00

Always stick to the high ground

2009-12-15T08:32:00.002-05:00

Tuesday, Dec 15th.

The time was 8:20 am.

The setting is the living room floor, little building blocks laid out on a blanket for the kids to play with.

This is how I heard the following event take place.

Children playing nicely, seemingly.

Sharp reprimand from Emma. "NO DAVE. DONT TOUCH!"

The sound of someone being shoved.

Near death wailing from Emma.

At this point I turn around to see Dave caressing Emma's face in an apologetic way, thus implying his guilt. Emma had a pin head size drop of blood on her lower lip. According to the 6 yr old eye witness, David pushed Emma into a block. Punished and scolded, Dave sulked off to the living room. I took Emma into the kitchen to wipe the wee little blood from her mouth. Hand her a juice cup and the world is right again. Cue big sister to come in and comfort. As she wraps her arm around Emma's shoulder she say with great wisdom, "Come on Emma, let's drink this on the couch. It's safer there."

A sisterly conversation

2009-12-12T22:03:00.002-05:00

Big sister Hannah was pouring a cup of milk for her little sister Emma. It went something like this ~

Emma - "Hannah! Do you know where milk comes from? Milk comes from cows!" (imagine that in her little Emo high voice)

Hannah - "Yes Emma, milk comes from mommy cows." (in the "of course I knew that" tone)

Emma -"No it doesn't. It comes from daddy cows." (little sisters must be contrary of course!)

Hannah - "No Emma! Milk comes from mommy cows and daddy cows are made into hamburger."

Silence. Apparently that satisfied Emma, for she happily scooped up her sippy cup and moved on to more important observations.

At least they had good intentions...

2009-11-29T19:49:00.003-05:00

Someone kindly left all of us apartment dwellers a friendly greeting on the back steps this past Thursday.

They appeared to be so pleased with their artwork, they decided to continue their heartfelt message.

Drawing skillz....check
Spelling skillz...fail...