whatever

even though today was a sad day
i wanted to put some things on that were making me smile.

*starbucks venti carmel macchiato

*new CD – all french music…i don’t know any french but i have always liked french sounding music. there it was at starbucks…i used my happy pass (did i use that term correctly jana?) and bought it. it’s so much fun…just the case itself is so french and flowery and the CD is pink…it was meant for me

*a few weeks ago i walked into Michaels crafts store…it had been awhile…there in the front row…the first thing you see…martha stewart crafts floor to ceiling end to end…it was so beautiful. i had to stop and have a moment. i am not a martha worshiper but that girl has got IT! it was so perfectly displayed, coordinated and marketed. i wanted it all…seriously. i didn’t yet. it’s not outrageously priced either. it’s about time martha!

*smoothies…all the time..frozen blueberries make it so good.

*tea parties in the dining room

*new flowers in the garden are blooming…yellow echinacea

*ponytails on annie….she rarely allows this…but look how cute!

*also my white sharpie pen is making me very happy

*new “radio station” on the internet at www.Pandora.com…it only plays what you like…it’s genius…if you wanted it could be all barry manilow all the time…or kool and the gang??? we chose oscar peterson and it feels like we are in maggianos restaurant every night…if i close my eyes and don’t listen to all the screaming kids around me.

*my blog getting 300 hits the day Kim but me on her blog! holy cow.

okay just a sampling of the photo album i made on the bottom left of our house.
it’s not everything of course
there is already too much but once i start taking pictures i like them so much i can’t choose.
our dining room is yucky
and the foyer is under construction
so not shown.

enjoy our house.
housing is cheap in kansas
compared to chicago at least.
so all you chicago friends…
check out kansas!
we may be redneck but it’s worth it.

kim are you happy?
full frontal.

3 pages from talby’s book

for many of my pages i look at other people’s pages for ideas and then copy in my own way. so if you happen to see one of your pages on my blog be flattered not mad.
i admit it.
i scrap-lift.
all the time.

don’t forget to check out kim’s blog!
too cool.

and my sister corrected me about kool and the gang.
it was an 8 track player in the boat.
none of us had any 8 tracks so that’s why we listened to that over and over.

there’s a party going
on right here.
a celebration to last
throughout the year
so bring your good times
and your laughter too
we’re gonna celebrate
and party with you
CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES
come on!

hahahahahahaha

you have got to love remake albums.
especially dora the explorer ones
more than once i have overheard annie singing to herself
“celebrate good times … come on!”

i can’t help but include my memory of that song.
family friends of ours had a cabin on a lake.
we were in the boat & the tape player only had one tape – kool and the gang. so we listened to that song over and over. i think of that every time for the past 20 years. do you remember that lorel?

we had friends over saturday night.
watermelon margaritas – yum yum.
and we played a game called Marry Date or Dump.
you have to choose from the 3 people on your card
which you would marry
which you would date
and which you would dump.
there are other catagories too.
then everyone tries to guess what you’d pick.
it makes for alot of laughs.
one card was *ben affleck *matt damon *brad pitt
it’s a tough game!
ha ha

note to self … tylenol PM works.
whoa.
talby about gave me a heart attack when she came in at 9:00 this morning!
i was out cold.
i was blessed with a big breakfast of blueberry pancakes!
craig you rock. seriously.
even flowers on the table and placemats.
talby had been busy. . . if only she knew how to make coffee.

then we were off to the zoo.
we only four kids to take – this would be easy.
you know you are a bad mom if your kid says “i don’t feel good” and you say “you are fine. walk faster.” and then 5 minutes later he throws up on the sidewalk.
this is not the first time i have done this to a child either!
don’t worry there is no photo.
poor scott.
we came back home and he fell asleep on the couch.

and last but not least
maybe it should have been first
Kim chose me for a daily entry of her blog!!
we don’t know each other but i found her blog while searching for inspiration (like i do almost everyday)
i sent her a note and right away she picked me.
how cool.
i am a happy girl.
thanks Kim! i love all your fun finds.
check her out.
www.todayscreativeblog.blogspot.com
(i don’t know how to make a link yet and my 12 year old isn’t home to teach me)
i put in on my happy things list to the left – daily inspiration.

talby took this picture a month ago.
she just wanted a turn behind the camera.
there were lots of bad ones of course but this one … i love.

sunday 7:30 AM
i got out of the shower.
craig was still in bed.
annie comes into the bathroom –
pointing to her tongue
“mommy i get ice cream in my mouth!
mmmmmmm”
i said “ice cream?”
this is what i found – still in my towel.

naughty.

friday was low key.
in an effort to have a good day i just let everyone hang out.
after lunch my mom showed up (surprise)with my grandma on their way to new mexico for a 5 day trip. out of the blue she asked if lauren could go too.
i thought about it.
i weighed the importance of a piano recital (her 5th recital) and a trip to somewhere i will probably never take her with her grandma and her 2 great grandmas.
it was a no-brainer.
once in a lifetime for her maybe?
i hope she comes home with memories of her grandmothers that she will cherish (at least someday)
so my mom, my grandma and lauren left within 15 minutes to pick up my other grandma and head out driving to new mexico.
i hope they have a fabulous time.
they don’t come back till wednesday.

we continued to hang out.
we enjoyed our hot chocolate in the afternoon.
craig showed up early from work.
he took the afternoon off.
he took the boys golfing.
talby had now been left twice in one day – new mexico and now golfing.
she was sad.
we headed to the kitchen to make a surprise dessert for everyone.
cooking makes her happy.
we made oreo pie.

we went to the recital for scott.
he did wonderful.
he asks to quit but i think he is too good.
and he only asks to quit when he wants to watch tv instead of practice.
he does like to play.
on the way there in the car he shouted “i need it quiet in here!!! i need to think about my song!”
he was nervous.
but he did great!

and WHEN did my middle child grow so big that he can reach the upper cabinets without help?!!
he’s a good boy unloading the dishwasher.
sean stop growing up so fast!

these pictures . . .
i know there are too many
i have a hard time choosing less
but these pictures make it look like our first day of summer was good.
don’t be fooled.
but these moments were good.
so they will remember those right?
not the long time-outs
and the chores they hate.
i hope so.
after piano lessons we got Sonic
yum.
then we went to the park.
i laid a blanket in the grass.
had my magazine all ready.
i was going to relax.
within minutes they were gone all the way across the field to the creek.
they asked permission but it was one by one till it was just annie and i
and she really wanted to go!
can’t be left out of anything.
so we went too.
exploring in the sunshine . . .
it was just so pretty.
they were too brave for me.
even annie begged long enough to “go swimming” and i let lauren and scott take her in … to wade her feet.
it made for nice pictures.
with all the rain the water was flowing nicely.
they all got very wet.
lauren and scott were hunting for creatures.
they found a water snake!!
but she couldn’t catch it.
thank goodness.
then suddenly the fun was over.
everyone was done.
no reason just . . . bored?
we went home and our bad day continued.
bummer.

but it’s only day #1
it can only get better.

any great creative ideas for some fun with my kids?

and wait till you see the bathroom art project.
lauren drew some amazing stuff.
she surprised me. . .
how talented she really is.
not bragging just proud.
so maybe that is bragging?
whatever.

it’s late.
i need sleep.
without dreams of ants coming out of every crack in my house.
the refrigerator was covered with ants in my dream – inside and out. how sick is that?
i even got out of bed in the night and turned on the light because the dreams seemed too real.
so i need better sleep tonight!