whatever

waffle is at the vet getting neutered.  

big plans for today:

cutting out a bunch of paper turkeys for my 3 year old sunday schoolers 

having coffee with a friend.

sewing another curtain.

cleaning up my kitchen (how does it get so gross so fast?)

and sorting all the laundry i folded.

watching some DVR-ed shows (i am 3 weeks behind on 3 shows!)

many of you asked about the chandelier in the girls' room.

it's from IKEA.  

you can find it here but it's not available online.  

you have to get a cord kit also….super duper cheap.

i love this lamp.

oh how i miss IKEA.  

i wish i could walk through an IKEA today with naturally blond hair.  

HA.

happy friday.

the craft room (soon-to-be-bathroom) has this little window
that looked into my closet before.
i wonder what it was for??
here is a shot from last week when the boys demo-ed the plaster in the closet…

and the same shot today
after craig knocked down a wall on monday.

and a new closet is framed out
same size as before just 4 feet into the bedroom now….

and there is a wall between the bathroom and craft room…

it’s moving right along.
annie and i are getting very used to bernie, darrell, troy, clyde & terry
at the house everyday.
i think we’ll bake them some cookies this afternoon.

happy birthday to you!

oh how i miss you.
i miss your sheer honesty…
with me…with yourself…
everyone needs a friend like you.

so i was thinking of you as i went through my pictures
trying to find one of you
and i pulled photos that i thought you’d like.
you like coffee…

unflavored (blech)
with the cream warmed up before you add your coffee.
you like this girl…

alot.
you like burn’s cafe.

who wouldn’t? mmmmm….pie.
you like kids doing this…

i knew it would make you laugh.
you like chocolate chip cookies…

burning hot right out of the oven.
that’s crazy.
you like reading all these…

even if i don’t…”Knowing God” is HARD lisa!!!
you like these guys…

and these guys…

i do too.
and you more than like this guy.

what a lucky guy he is.
and you like salad…

but you like butter more…

me too. especially with sugar.
you like kids showing their arm pits…

as much as the next person does.
you like uncle gary’s pigs…

did you ever think you’d like holding a pig?
you like this sweetie…

so handsome in that photo.
you like emily…

the laziest cat in history.
i wish so much i could celebrate with you today.
i hope your birthday is full of yummy cake….

and no treadmills.
or airplanes.
love you lisa.
happy birthday.

we finally saw santa.
he happened by craig’s office yesterday.
with rudolf and the grinch.

this is talby’s face she makes when she is nervous…
always.

annie was keeping close eye on that grinch.
but they weren’t afraid.
and there was no crying.
santa misunderstood what talby was asking for.
she said “it’s okay…when he brings me that i will just give it to annie”

just as i was about to get the perfect shot…
annie was done.
“see ya”

upstairs on their way to craig’s office
they saw him again through the glass wall.
knock knock knock
“santa!! santa!!”

then some time to play on daddy’s marker board.
and computer.
and mess up all his drawers.
and eat cookies from their christmas party.

then we went to the carwash.

seriously…this was the highlight of their week!
better than santa?
better than cookies?
these girls know how to party.

much better.
much calmer.
more sleep.
refreshed.

i got lauren enrolled in school…finally.
she was given a lower locker.
she went to the office and said “um..since i am like the tallest kid in seventh grade…would it be possible to have an upper locker?”
she decorated it later with a friend.
SEVENTH GRADE!!! yikes.
i remember football games, slumber parties, dressing alike with my friends, “going together”, hanging out at pizza hut and boys boys boys,
i wonder what she will remember.

i managed to get annie to play “sprinklro-ene” for almost an hour today.
(sprinkler under the trampoline)
i fell asleep on a blanket in the grass for maybe 3 minutes.

inside for a much needed wake up snack.
iced coffee and chocolate chip cookies…mmmm.

then an impromptu haircut on the porch.
i just thought she needed one.
she won’t wear ANY thing in her hair for more than five minutes
she won’t let me brush it.
it usually looks like this.

so i chopped a bunch off.
it’s not perfect but it will be super cute after a bath.

then she was rewarded for sitting still (sort of) with m&m’s.

then she shoved the whole handful in her mouth.

we ate a dinner of noodles and grilled cheese
went for a walk around the block with ice cream cones
a quick swim in the pool
and off to bed before 8:00.

now it’s lauren’s bedtime so i am off to the craft room to start scrappin’.
(or watch tv..whichever comes first)

This Friday was all about relaxing.
The little girls and I made chocolate chip cookies because I was craving them soooo badly. They were very good.
During Talby’s preschool I laid down with Annie to get her nap in and I got almost an hour before waking up . . . very nice. I enjoyed the quiet in the craft room sorting my art box.
What is an art box you say?
It’s a big cardboard box where I started throwing Lauren’s art into 8 years ago. Since then it has 4 other children’s art on top of it. It’s actually very fun to go through. Two years ago i bought these boxes with labels. I put everyone name on the boxes and there they sat for the past two years . . . empty. Some of the things were cracking me up. And it’s so cool to see how much they progress in their handwriting and drawing skills.
During Lauren and Scott’s piano lessons I have to keep the other kiddos quiet. Usually a challenge but not today. Their teacher comes here because she is so great. Annie painted watercolors and Sean & Talby played play-doh – for 2 hours! They were even upset when they had clean it up for dinner. I love days like that!
And my 2 oldest are OLD enough to ride their bikes to soccer practice! That’s awesome.
The only bummer of the day is that we drove to see the Hillsboro high school basketball game in Halstead and the game was over (tournament). We had the wrong time. But a blessing in disguise . . . movie night with popcorn on the couch instead was very relaxing.