Twosday

Aleena is starting to figure out the idea of days, and time. She is always wondering how many more days until Amy gets to come over, or if we have an upcoming event she is asking about how many days. She is very confused on what "tomorrow" means. I will tell her that we are going to do something tomorrow and then the next day when she wakes up she thinks that the current day is tomorrow. It is a bit confusing. Tonight we were talking about maybe going out of town on Saturday, and she asked how many days that was and I said about 3 days, and she replied with, Yeah, we have today, Tuesday, and threesday. I just chuckled. She thinks Tuesday means Twosday. Which if there is a twosday, there should definitely be a threesday.

Little Monkey

Today I was working in my craft room, it is back by the kitchen. I had all the doors shut, and the stairs blocked off and Livee was wandering in and out of where I was working. It got real quiet for a few minutes so I went out to see where she went. She figured out how to climb ON TOP of my kitchen table. We are talking about a little tiny peanut girl that doesn't even weigh 20 lbs yet. She climbed up there and helped herself to a yogart that one of the kids had left on the table. So for the next hour she kept trying to climb up there. One of the attempts she fell off the chair and got a fat lip. She is definitely not afraid to try things especially if she wants something bad enough. I am going to have to put a leash on her so she can't go very far.

Family Letters Update

I got these decorated today. They are rustic with rusty wire and stars on them. The picture does them no justice. I did the torn edges and antiqued them to go along with the rustic theme. I need to get some lessons on taking pictures.

Family Letters

Another set for the books. I am in the process of decorating this set for an order. I will post how they turn out tomorrow. I really like the heart that comes out of the "a". It can be left in, or taken out.

Livee & the kitties

Livee loves the kitties. It is so funny to watch her react and talk to them. Don't mind the mess, but it is to cute to not post. The kitties have learned to hide when she is coming so she keeps trying to get the one out from under the play pen.

Messy Monster

Livee is my Messy Monster. When I am working on a project she usually comes and hangs out with me in the craft room. I open my paint bucket and she plays with them for a bit. She decided she needed a bit more hands on. She figured out how to get inside the bucket and throw all the paints out. If there is a bucket, sack, drawer, or a stack of papers, she feels it is her job to make sure every object is thrown on the floor. She is such a messy monster. The monster part comes in when I tell her no-no, she thinks it is funny and wants to get into it more. AAARRGGHH. Is this a clue as to our terrible 2 stage? Yikes.

Livee, watch out.

Livee had her first encounter with swings. Aleena was swinging and Livee walked right in front of her. Aleena couldn't stop and kicked Livee right in the eye. It broke the skin a bit and was a bit puffy, but nothing too serious. Livee is sure starting to get quite the collection of bumps and bruises.

Rollie Pollie

Aleena LOVES rollie pollies. She is always collecting them. Here is just a sample of one afternoons collection. She identifies the big ones as dads and moms and the little ones as babies. A funny happened the other day. She was collecting them and Livee was kind of tagging her around. I was sitting to my craft table with the sliding glass door open. Aleena was setting her collection on the sidewalk, and Livee was just coming in and out of the door a million times. Pretty soon I hear Aleena say "Livee spit that out!" Aleena came running to me "Mom, Livee ate the Dad!" I guess Livee isn't afraid of eating rollie pollies. NASTY!!

Another Kitty Update

The kitties are getting big. We had to move them to the laundry room because we started finding little poo's on the floor. Amazingly we found some in their litter box the first day. Tigga is not loving that we moved them. She cries all day. She cries to come out, and then cries to go back in. Hopefully she will adjust soon because her crying is enough to drive me bonkers. The kittens love it in there and could care less. They are so cute now wrestling and playing with toys. They only have about 2 more weeks until they get to go live at their new homes. They are eating soft food and seem to be nursing less and less. The kids will be sad, but we know they are going to good homes.

Happy Birthday Hallie

Today Hallie turned 9 yrs old. That is so crazy. She is getting so grown up. Hope you had a special day.

Hallie had the cutest cheeks.

We were trying to fit into a photo booth.

Hallie was trying to pose against the tree like her sissy.

Happy Birthday!!!

Sweet

I love when I create something new. I tend to get a bit obsessive about it. I made this magnet board with a little shelf for knick knacks for a birthday present. It was one of those projects that just went together smooth as silk. I foresee me making more of these in the future. I went out to the garage with no idea of how this would turn out. I didn't have much nice new wood to work with, so I headed to the old wood pile. I found some old pieces of some wood siding, I mean really old. Brad fixed up an old house a few years ago, and brought these home.

Before

After

Gratitude #11

The Lord has truly been watching over us this week. The battery in my car started acting up and finally gave out yesterday. We actually found the receipt and it was still under the 3 year warranty so Brad went late last night and they gave him a brand new battery for FREE. I hardly ever keep track of receipts, but for some reason I decided to take care of that one.
Part 2 happened today. The Boys and Girls Club is offering a summer program to kids and it is only $10 a kid for the whole summer. They get lunch and a snack, and can go Monday thru Friday, 11-6. They don't have to stay the whole time, but it will give them some stuff to do. They will activities, games, sports, and they can go on a field trip once a week. The field trip is
2$. So we went to registration tonight. My good friend was there. She is on the board and is very active in the Boys and Girls Club. She knows our financial situation and offered to pay our membership fee. I just felt really thankful. I hope somehow and someday I can pay it forward.

ps.-I just realized the field trips are 7$ each. We may have to rethink the field trip thing. With 3 kids that is probably going to be out of our budget.

Pumpkin Bread

My kids don't normally love pumpkin stuff, but I made this recipe the other day and they loved it. They will eat all 3 loaves in about an hour if I don't watch them.

3 c. white sugar
4 eggs
2/3 c. water
1 c. oil
1 can pumpkin, the smaller one, about 14 oz. I think
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3 1/2 c. flour (I did 2 c. white, 1 1/2 c. ww flour)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinn.
1/2 tsp cloves
Mini chocolate chips about 2 c.-(optional)
Combine wet ingredients and mix well. In a different bowl, combine dry ingredients and stir. Add to wet and mix well. Divide into 3 loaf pans.

Bake at 350. For 40-50 minutes. I try not to let over cook. I start with 40 minutes and keep checking about every 5 minutes until knife comes out clean. I like mine real moist and not dry.

Enjoy!!

Hair Station

I haven't got it all organized, but Hallie had this vanity in her room. She has been wishing that she could get it out, so I decided maybe that could be the start of our hair station. Aleena was so excited she thought she should blow dry her hair before bed, all by herself. My only concern is maybe the carpet getting yucky under the vanity. Any ideas?

Easter Eggs

I have been wondering all weekend where the tradition of Bunnies that lay eggs came about. So funny to me. Anyways, we dyed our eggs Saturday evening. We had 2 soccer games and so we didn't get to them until later. Linden, Michelle and the kids came over and we made the mess together. It didn't seem as chaotic this year as in the past. Linden had some big paper from work and we threw that on the table and really kept it less messy. We had sparkly eggs, sporty eggs, color crayons on eggs.

We ordered pizza for dinner. To save on paper plates and dishes, we put clean paper on the table and just used it as plates. It looks a bit gross but it worked really good. We just rolled it all up when done and everything was clean. The thought that was so fun to get it everywhere.

I am not sure why he thought I needed to see his egg sandwich all chewed up.

Jase was very proud of his eggs

Livee kept climbing in and out of the door. Kaisey wanted to follow but isn't quite ready to climb in and out of the door. Livee didn't think we were very nice shutting the screen door.

Savanna is my serious girl in front of the camera.

Everyone seems very focused.
Here is the crew.


Here is a short clip of the excitement.

Here is there basket of goodies. We couldn't find our baskets this year, so we used paper bags and they actually worked out perfect. The kids love to sort their goods.

Savanna chillin after church.

It was a beautiful day outside, the kids went out and were playing on the tramp. I know, they actually do play together sometimes.

You can't have Easter without Rice Crispy nests. We made these to take over to Grama Gladys's house for dinner. It was a great weekend, and now I need to work off all the chocolate I ate. I hope you all had a great Easter.

I Have to do This!!!

I am getting the spring cleaning, organizing bug. A little background, I have 4 girls that all have thick beautiful hair. We can never find a brush, comb or water bottle when needed. Daddy has to hide his brush so that he doesn't have to clean it out of long hairs, or find his brush because the girls have used it and taken it out of the bathroom. All the girls tend to flock to my bathroom to do hair or I haul stuff to the couch so that they can watch tv for a minute. Which I don't mind, but then my bathroom looks like a hurricane came through it and everything sits on my couch. Poor Brad, Sunday morning Brad gets about a 2" spot of the mirror. I saw this idea today and I want to do it this. She took an old changing table and turned it into a hair station. It just so happens I have a changing table that is collecting junk. I need to decide where I would put it. I could put it in my bedroom so the kids can watch tv if I am doing the hair, plus it will keep the kids I babysit out of it, they can't get their hands on it and tear it apart. Plus it would be a home for all hair stuff. But then that is one more thing in our room, something would have to go, maybe the broken eliptical machine. Click here to see the project.

Aleena Silly

The kids were arguing the other night and Brad said, "If you guys don't knock it off, then you don't get to go with me." Aleena so proud of herself replies "I'm Knockin' off, huh Daddy?" She was the only one not arguing and she knew she was being a good girl. Too Funny.

Homemade Bubbles

My kids have been asking for some bubbles. I can't wait to try these homemade bubble. I found this at a cool site called Make and Takes. Click HERE for recipes. Have any of you made bubbles? I will let you know how it works.

Catch up!!!

I have some catching up to do. I feel like I had a busy week, but got nothing done.

Here are a few pictures from last week. Since I started trying to take pictures every day, I really feel like I could sit and take pictures all day.
Savanna was out playing with Livee. Livee loves a soccer ball. She even tries kicking it like she is trying to play soccer.

A couple of the kids were arguing over who gets to sit on Daddy's lap, so I told them all to pile on.

We pulled out the home videos and were watching. Livee thought it was so funny. She would get up real close to the tv. I think she thought they were her. She looks like all my other kids when they were little.

Livee was playing on this chair. She would hide under it and play peek a boo. She would lay down and pop up fast. Pretty soon I realized she wasn't making much noise. She had played peek a boo too long and fell asleep in this funny position. Way more flexible then I ever dreamed of being.

Brad has been saving up some cans. All the kids came out and helped crush them.

Aleena got to borrow some PJ's from her friend and she would not take them off. She even wanted to wear them to bed after a day in the dirt. I finally convinced her to wear clean ones. She spent hours out in this dirt hole. She picks flowers (weeds) and is digging for treasures.

If you lay on the floor, Livee thinks you are down there for her to wrestle.

Aleena was getting ready to fall asleep so I had her help me paint butter on the breadsticks for dinner. She loves to help in the kitchen.

Dude finds the funniest spots to veg out. He thought the walk way was a great spot.