i can’t tell you what the warm sun has done for my spirit.  it’s amazing to me how something as simple as the weather can have such an impact on the overall mood of a person.

we jumped into full spring action this weekend.

and it was about time.

when i was a little girl…i was wiiiiide open!  (that’s texan for…”wild.”)  my dad’s pet name for me was “bull”…short for bull in a china closet.  at the time…i hated it.  i’ve learned to embrace and even appreciate my bullish tendencies.  i could most often be found outside and barefoot.  my mom told me that she felt like she talked to my feet more than my face because i was always tumbling through the house…thanks to an early obsession with mary lou retton.  and i didn’t care about things like dirt stains or germs.

there was one thing, though, that i would NEVER do.

under no circumstance…would i EVER touch an amphibian or reptile.  of any kind.  no matter what.  i still have flashbacks of riding my bike home from swim team practice one morning and 2 boys thinking it would be funny to throw a lizard at me.  oh…the terror.

so you can imagine my surprise when i sighted my eldest daughter chasing around a lizard on the patio of pappasitos yesterday at lunch instead of enjoying her tortillas.  and then…she surprised me even more when i saw her little hands reach out…totally sure of themselves…to catch the thing.  i’m happy to say that my first instinct was to grab the camera.

and my second one was to crinkle my nose and squeal, “ew…aiden…i think he wants down.”

i was immensely proud of my girl.

****

it was time to go to work outside.  bushes needed trimming.  weeds needed pulling.  and we all needed the sun.

if there is dirt within a 100 yard radius…sister will find it.

she is happiest when she is outside.

little, big man learned how to weed a flower bed.

we’re gettin ready for soccer season round here.  aiden practiced all afternoon on saturday and this one wasn’t far behind.

****

back when the pinterest inspired pantry happened…i told chad to just keep that paint brush handy because the pinterest inspired laundry room was not far behind.

it only took a couple of hours on saturday morning to convince him of why this needed to happen.

he built the shelf with some scrap wood that was already in the garage.  and then we used the left over paint from the pantry.

after a trip to walmart…we ended up with this.

i’m not sure that my love of laundry will be re-kindled…but i’d sit and have my coffee in this room any day.

happy march monday.



after finding my own spring inspirations the other day…the sun finally followed.  in no time…we are going to be giving bathing suit hose baths, eating dinner on the patio, and staying out, long past dark.  i, for one, can’t wait.

i love when seasons enter and exit.  i remember the feeling that i would get as a kid when the first cold front would blow in and when the first warm breeze would call for a short sleeve shirt.  it’s exciting.  it’s promising.  it’s inspiring.

never underestimate the power of pastel sugar.  the possibilities are endless.  i see some serious st. patrick’s day cupcakes coming our way.

let’s talk about how happy this st. patrick’s sign makes me.

maybe you didn’t know…i’m irish.

i think i’m gonna start calling the kids “laddie.”

serious inspiration comes from long, flowy skirts and fresh, red strawberries.  but when you put the strawberries ON the skirt…step back.

and sister friend is gonna be wearing footie jammies till she’s in college if i have anything to do with it.

didn’t i tell you that i was gonna find a tulip or two?  why yes…those would be mini cadbury eggs in that tulip.  serious spring. 

it was obviously time that the spring sheets hit the bed.

when you’re irish…every clover patch calls for four leaf clover searches and the making of clover flower head dresses.

this week, winter cabin and cedar scents gave way to coconut and sweet pea while blonde highlights made me feel a little more myself.

i’ve become a little obsessed with twine lately.  that stuff can cover anything.

would you believe that chase found this on clearance at joann’s?  how could i tell him no?  the boy neeeeeds this blanket.  so…we’re gonna need to make this happen at some point.

look who’s the size of a pony.

when i happened upon this scene this afternoon…i instantly had memories of myself sitting on this very roof as a child.  i sat on this roof a lot.  and now she can too.  i loved seeing her there.

and so can she.

i’m gonna be honest tonight.  i’m so tired.  i’m more tired than i’ve been in a long time.  i don’t know why, either.  maybe it’s the complete and utter shock that my body is in after 2 weeks of pilates.  maybe it’s my body’s way of fighting off the cold that annslee has snotted all over me.  or maybe it’s just that my ability to deal with tantrums in lacking.  maybe i’m old.  i don’t know.  but what i do know is that i have gone to bed at 8:30, two nights in a row and this morning…chad let me go back to bed after i got the kids off to school and i slept until 10:30.

that’s not normal.  i don’t like being tired.

however i’m feeling…i think annslee is feeling exactly the same.  sister had worked herself into a hot mess by tonight.  and she was letting us all know how she felt…in the form of tears, screams, hitting, flailing, throwing herself on the floor, and yelling “NOOOOOO” at the top of her little lungs.

i wanted nothing more than for her to go to bed…but there was no way…no matter how tired i was…that i was going to let her day end like that.

i scooped her up and told her we were going for a moonlit walk.  she sniffled “ok”, put her head on my shoulder and i kept a slow and steady pace down the lamp lit sidewalk.  i watched the night breeze blow her whispy hair and felt her dangling legs get heavier the moment she gave in to sleep.

i’m hoping that she and i both will feel better in the morning.



inspiration this morning will have to come from a spring scented candle or a vase filled with tulips because, laaawwwwd…the weather outside is not helping any.

it’s been raining and cloudy and foggy for, like 2 months.

the dog doesn’t even remember what it’s like to play football in the backyard.  he only knows tiptoing through puddles on a leash and being told, “no” everytime he even thinks about exploring the rest of the backyard…what used to be his playground.

i’ve got to get some spring cleaning done.  and by spring cleaning…i mean, simply getting the rings scrubbed out of the toilet and, maybe the occational floor mopped, if i’m lucky.

this weekend was a fun one.  but tiring.

friday night was a rare…but needed…girl’s night.  i got together with some of my favorite friends to celebrate dea’s birthday.  that meant a drive to the woodlands and a few-and-far-between slumber party.

the drive provided a sunset, skyline view that never ceases to suggest that maybe we should have rolled out the red carpet for it.

aiden went with me to hang back and have a slumber party of her own with dea’s daughter.  and once we got the kids and her husband settled…we made our way out into the night.

it always feels strange to be headed somewhere…anywhere…without any children.  it’s as if a long, lost life is whipering…

“pssst…hey…remember me?  the life you used to live?  where you could head out into the night with friends to find whatever shenanigans were lurking around the corner whenever you wanted?”

and i always silently reply…

“yeah…i remember you.  and truth be told…i don’t miss you at all.  actually…in about 2 hours…i’m gonna start really missing the familiarity and comfort of my man, who knows every little thing about me and unconditionally loves me anyway and the 4 little disheveled babes that always find their way to be saddled up to my side…where they fit just perfectly.”

but in the meantime…

i really can be known to either be laughing really loud or making good on a triple dog dare.

take this fella, for instance.

we found out that he was some sort of famous, vip, crazy, super rich guy that never fails to drop over $2,000 on his meal.  he stuck out like a sore thumb and had rose petals everywhere and a very obvious jewerly box propped up for his date.  i was facinated by this scene…right out of the gate.  it’s a lifestyle that is so unbelievably foreign to me.  so…duh…i had to keep an eye on what was going on over there.  like how can two people eat enough and drink enough to spend $2,000?  i neeeeeded to know.

and claire needed to know too.  she was the only other one that was willing to ask the necessary questions to our waiter.  let’s face it.  our “we are totally proper and trying to appear amazingly cool” ship has sailed.

cue her triple dog dare to ask him to take our picture.

and i’m the idiot in the movie who you are yelling at:

“DON’T DO IT!!!  JUST SAY NO!!!  YOU WILL MAKE A FOOL OF YOURSELF!!!  WHO CARES IF IT’S A DARE!!!  DARE’S ARE FOR FOOLS!!!”

who does it anyway.

in my opinion…he could have tried a little harder.  how hard is it to center a picture?

****

we moved it on next door to hear a live band.  i may or may not have requested johnny cash…making the lead singer laugh and then talk the drummer into singing folsom prison.  this started the place hoppin (as apposed to the crap, boring music they were playing) and a couple actual jumped up and started jitter buggin.  i was pretty proud of myself…until the guy who was dancing tripped over the band’s amp…knocking the base guitarist’s mic stand out of the way…and landed on the floor.

we took that as a sign that we needed to make our exit.

so…dancing was the obvious choice.

she got herself stuck on the floor board of the back seat.

so what?

and these two…had a party of their own and had worn themselves, slap out.  singing and dancing to taylor swift can really take it out of ya.

colt’s last basketball game of the season was saturday.

we love the coach.

i love that he has a job in ministry just as much as the next person…but the guy can coach.

i’m convinced that he would make a great living as a basketball coach.  i’ve never seen him more in his element as when he is coaching kids to play ball.

it’s really amazing.

he knows just how to target each kid and get them playing to the very best of their ability.

including this kid.

it’s official.  my good camera is broken.

i took it in and the lense is a gonner.  which is no good at all because to replace it would cost $800.

originally, these action shots would be crystal clear…but now it can’t focus appropriately.

i’m quite sad about it.

i took the next picture to show why this particular team match up had me thinking “teen wolf” the whole game.

look who my son is matched up against!!!!

it’s like david and goliath.

colt is 11 and this kid is a 7th grade beast!

colt never backed down or showed any sign of giving up.  he played tough and aggressively.

and when he dribbled circles around goliath and made lay-ups over michael j. fox as a wolf…

i puffed up with mama pride.

at the end of the season…i love it when chad presents him with a hand-shake, a trophy, and words of honor and respect at the player that he was throughout the season.

****

and last night…at this sight,

i puffed up with mama pride again.

there is something about watching an older sibling come alongside to help a younger one.

and i’m tellin’ you what.

he explained it to him better than i ever could have.

and he made chase feel smart and capable and important better than i ever could have.

 

and that’s when i think that siblings are one of the greatest things ever invented.

smoothies and bread with olive oil…

dinner of champions.

she had already had her bath.

that’s pretty much par for the course.

****

ok…

i’m going to turn off the computer, light a spring candle, find me a tulip or two, and take advantage of the last 30 minutes of the sesame street power hour.

sister will watch her some sesame street on occation.  and when she does…

it’s time for the whirlwind blow-by cleaning.



“go texan day is, like, my favorite day of the year,” i told my dad on the phone this morning.  his reply was one that only my dad would give me.

“no it’s not.  you have way too many favorite days of the year.  halloween…christmas eve…st. patrick’s day…etc. etc. etc.  i wish i had as many favorite days as you.”

well…it’s ONE of my favorite days of the year, anyway.  and it’s really up there too.  it’s favoriteness is elevated substantially due to me loving it so much as a kid.  and…the fact that i now better understand it’s purpose of welcoming the trail riders for the kick off of the houston livestock show and rodeo…well that just makes it even better.  plus…there are horses.

and we all know how i feel about those things.

if i knew how to link things into the post…this would be when i link an old blog post from, like 4 years ago, about how i am still bitter about the fact that i never won rodeo art in elementary school.  and don’t get me started on the fact that they don’t do rodeo art anymore.

it’s a cryin’ shame.

that’s why, this year, we are having our own rodeo art contest with our family and some friends.

this is my year.

i can feel it.

sister can rock the cowgirl thing.

i mean…you don’t want to look “in costume” or anything.  going texan is NOT a costume.  going texan is just using plain, good fashion sense.

and behind every cute cowgirl is a rugged cowboy.

now…i love me a man in a hat.

and a black cowboy hat…

with a dimple!!!!!  don’t even try to tell me that ain’t adorable.

in honor of what should obviously be a NATIONAL holiday…i photographed my grandpa’s boots.

they sit atop my closet shelf and only make an appearance when i drag chad to a country bar or the rodeo.  but when he wears those boots…

it’s fair to say that he gets nothin but lucky.

did i mention that i love a man in boots too?

mine are worn, slap out from being worn on one-too-many crowded, sawdust and dirt covered floors wear they have been stepped on as much as danced in…but they make me veeeeerrrry happy.

and don’t think that just because a kid isn’t in school that they miss out on the fun.

she looks like she waltzed right in off the prairie.

all we are missin’ round here is the horse.  i think we should have 6.  everyone needs their own.

how can i make that happen?

and another thing i’m wondering today is…

if i get a horse in the next…say…week; and start training in the next…saaaaayyyyy…month; would i make it as a barrel racer before the rodeo next year?

i know what you’re thinking and quite frankly…i’m appalled.

what ever happen to…

“you can do anything you set your mind to?”

i, for one, BELIEVE.

look out, folks.  i’ve got my healthy on.

along the same lines…if you are a fan of ranch (we eat ranch dressing on everything round these parts) then you must try this.

i’ve sited pinterest so many times…even i am sick of hearing about it, so…i’m abiding by the rule that if you reference someone or something 3 times…you can stop referencing and take credit yourself.

i’m aware that i made up this rule myself.

and i’m ok with it.

so…you add a package of ranch dressing seasoning to a tub of plain greek yogurt and you have a much healthier alternative that tastes exactly the same.

i faked my own kids out.

and if i can do that…

than anything is possible.

****

every muscle in my body is sore.  i’m pretty sure that after my pilates class tomorrow, even my eye balls will be sore.

my friend invited me to try out a class with her because i was blabbling on about how i’m sick of being squishy and she said that i was a perfect candidate for pilates.  she has apparently been doing it for 4 years and somehow thought it would be a good idea for me to come along with her to try it out.

i was scared.  what the heck are those little purple balls for, anyway?

the last time i worked out…(12+ years ago)…there were no little, purple, squashy balls involved.

i quickly found out.

and my arms have been feeling the wrath of those little, purple, squashy balls all day long.  at one point…i think i told those little, purple, squashy balls to “bite me.”

i’m going back tomorrow.

i refuse to let those little, purple, squashy balls get the best of my arms.

****

today, the sweet pea had her bestest friend over after school.

i had the brilliant idea to let them help me make dinner.

i’m sure it tasted great.

i wouldn’t know.  because so much of it got dropped on the floor, or stirred with their hands…i didn’t really eat much of it.

i’m telling you what.  these kids can completely have their way with a kitchen faster than annslee can decide to throw a tantrum.

and…that’s fast.

****

chad has decided that he is going to read a psalm every night at dinner.

we don’t do a great job reading the bible with the kids.  well…let’s just go ahead and be honest…i am sucking at reading the bible, in general.  but…i’m loving this whole psalm-at-dinner thing.

so…he was reading psalm 2 last night (yeah…so…we’ve been doing it for 4 nights now and we have forgotten 2 out of the 4…but that’s not really the point of the story) and something brought up the fact that in the bible, it says that mary rode into bethlahem on a jackass.  i’m gonna go ahead and chalk that up to having 2 upper elementary aged boys.  none-the-less…we explained that, that was what a donkey is called sometimes and that it isn’t a bad word when talking about an actual donkey…but that you shouldn’t really use that terminology because it just isn’t necessary.  everyone seemed to understand.  but a little while later…aiden, seriously asked,

“so…every donkey’s name is jack then?”

why must they always ask questions that are impossible to answer?

and then…

chase…

being chase…

announces, very matter-of-factly to the room,

“tomorrow night…i’m going night surfing.”

okeedoke.

today, i saw a sight that made my heart flutter and my skin long for the sun-kissed glow that only the warm, spring sun can bring.  our morning dove has returned and is preparing her old, vacant nest for her babies.  it’s as if i actually saw her draw the blinds to let in the sun light as she pulled the dusty blankets from the furniture that hadn’t been used all winter long.  i couldn’t believe it when i caught glimpse of her this morning.  it’s like an old friend has come home.  i guess that can only mean one thing.

the babe and my “YES” walks will need to pick back up again and the cold, dreary rain is getting ready to give way to the sun and a warm breeze.

i, for one…am ready.

****

we did some baking this weekend.

i’m really working on inviting and welcoming the kids into the kitchen more.  i struggle with messes.  therefore…i struggle with children in the kitchen.  however, i do realize that this is a problem that needs to be overcome and that these kids deserve to make a good mess with the rest of em.  on this particular day, they did.

friday, i got to have 3 extra kids in my home for the day.  my cousin, tammy dropped her kids off at 8:00 friday morning and i had the pleasure of trying to entertain a 14 year old and 2 year old boy and an 11 year old girl…along with annslee.  i was in my element with the two 2 year olds…but was in new territory with the 14 year old boy and 11 year old girl.  luckily…they were both prone to naps.  whether or not from being tired or bored…i’m not sure?

we did chase down a renegade ice cream man…which i would think is fun at any age.

which brings me to a point that i may have already brought up before:

the ice cream men around these parts look sketchy, at best.  and don’t get me started on the run-down, white vans.

after we got our ice cream, aiden asked, “mom?  is the ice cream man a stranger?”

i told her, “yes.”

she’s no fool.  she was thinking the same thing i was.  he’s probably someone’s grandpa and the nicest and most moral man you will ever meet.  he’s probably even a pastor who is making a living as an ice cream man on the side to fund an orphanage in somalia.

but…let’s just say that until i know those things for a fact…

my children will not be chasing down the ice cream man without me.

while the girls and i did that,

the boys did this.

i love a man that can play ball.  chads still got it on the court.

however…i could do without the old man complaining about his arm.  it sorta takes away from the “sexiness” factor.  no??

chase and annslee treated us all to a little johnny cash.

while loved ones caught up.

this is my cousin (with honey).  technically, she is my second cousin.  my mom and her dad were first cousins.  however…we grew up pretending we were sisters.  she would come from ft. worth and stay with us during the summers and i would count the days until she would get there.  we got ourselves into all sorts of trouble.  actually, we really didn’t.  we just did things like practice and plan our future careers as an all girl musical group in between riding our bikes to the neighborhood pool.  as luck would have it…

i dug up an old recording that we made at a mall while staying a week with honey in beaumont.  it was one of those little, recording studios where kids off the street could go in, pick a song, and sing it to a track into a real life microphone and pretend to be famous for, at least, 6 magical minutes.

oh…did we ever sing.  we recorded a little bangles’ eternal flame and i’m not gonna lie:

there were parts of it that were actually pretty good for two 12 or 13 year olds with absolutely no experience.  but there were also parts of it that were a hot, southern mess…with all our texas twang.  looking back…we totally should have picked a country song.  i’m gonna remember that for next time.

we cranked the volume on that sucker and let our husbands, all our kids, and honey hear us in all our glory.  i’m not sure if they were all laughing at us or with us.  well…except for honey; who swore up and down that we were the two best singers that ever lived.  (everyone needs someone who will support them like that, i think.)

the next day, we continued the reunion, of sorts, and went to main event.

the puddin cup took her first turn at bowling.

note to self:  to avoid tantrums next time…don’t try to help the girl.  let her do it by herself.  even if she does roll the ball and watch it travel slow as christmas to it’s destination…which may or may not be towards the pins.

this is aiden with her third cousin, maddie.

and let it be said…that although i do not condone the killing of innocent animals (unless they are snakes or something else that is threatening my life)…i do love to shoot a gun.  this, in my opinion, is the best game in the joint.

annslee and her third cousin, cody tried their hand at skeeskee ball skill here.

visits with family can’t be beat.

****

a couple of weeks ago, i think i made mention of helping honey clean out her closet.  she wanted to free up some space by giving some of her old clothes that she no longer wears anymore to goodwill.  i had the honor of being able to take a couple of treasures home with me.  one thing that i snagged was a big, over sized sweater that she crocheted.  and another was this black, pleated skirt.

i wore it to church yesterday and colton took some pictures so that i could send one to honey.

i feel really funny taking “outfit” pictures…

but everyone seems to be doing it.

don’t worry.  you won’t be seeing outfit pictures a lot…do to an overwhelming amount of “lounge” attire.  let’s be honest.  no one wants to see that.

but this???  can we just all agree that getting to wear my honey’s old skirt is pretty awesome?

even if she would be appalled that i paired it with denim and a bandanna.

for church, no less!

 it’s no secret that i am a creature that should have come with the warning:

 “caution…may go completely overboard on holidays or special occasions.”

so…it’s no surprise that 24 hours simply won’t do when it comes to all things lovely for the day of love.

it’s a good thing i get a whole month for christmas or we’d be in serious trouble.

our valentine’s day celebrations ended up not fitting into just one day.

i blame the school.  it took most of the day to get those parties done with.  and by the time they got home…they were all sugared out before we ever even got to the chocolate covered strawberry and malt making.  don’t worry.  we rallied.

annslee acts like she runs the place.

and if aiden’s gonna dance…then step back…

because the party’s just gettin’ started.

by the looks of the table when the kids came in from school and chad came in from work…you would have though cupid had flown in and had his way with our entire house.

not so.  this was it.  i swear.

i think chase was the most excited about his valentine present.  he had been reminding me about them every day for the last 3 weeks.

and this one?  you know you’ve hit a home run when her eye’s light up and she nearly starts crying because she is so happy.  she tears easily…and i love that.

sister friend is getting the hang of everything celebratory.

she got her very own play-dough.

aiden’s new year’s resolution was to “cook more with mom” and upon seeing the chocolate covered strawberry commercials that they play quite frequently on sprout…she informed me that this was happening.

and who am i to squash a good resolution?

and while that was happening…

so was this.

we valentined ourselves right out by 8:00 and had

“to be continued.”

thank you kathy c. for the heart straws!  they made our malts taste 10 times better.  at least.

i have struggled lately to sit down and play.  i have lost balance and taken my eyes off the prize and instead chosen to focus more on the superfluous details that only i really care about.  and it is a choice.  i often act like it’s not.  play dough was just what i needed to get back on track.

i love how aiden is just at that age where she watches me really closely and then copies whatever i am doing.  in this case…it was spelling out each other’s names in play dough…but i’m aware that it doesn’t stop there.  today…i reminded myself…”watch yourself…because she is.”

and you can rest assured that the little one is watching and copying aiden just as closely.

here’s to getting into their world more and allowing them in our’s when it’s appropriate…even when it makes things a little harder and takes a little longer.

here’s to validating and helping her make good on her new year’s resolutions and allowing her to cook with me.

and

here’s to play dough.

this is what i woke up to this morning.

it’s been a while since i’ve received flowers.

these were a site for romantically sore eyes.  i think when there are 4 kids involved…chad and i can easily swing right into co-habitating real fast.  not that every day shouldn’t be valentine’s day…blah blah blah…but it is nice to have a day that reminds us to give flowers or make a special desert or set the ipod on dinner mix shuffle and dance a little in between homework and soup’s on.

we don’t get out much.

so, as chase would say…

“happy valentiMe’s day.”

i don’t know if some of you experience this or not…but it seems like, at any given time, i feel more “in sync” with one or two of the kids at a time.  it’s not like my love is any greater for one than it is another…it’s more like…as we are all traveling from day to day, inevitably…one of us is sprinting; one of us has settled into a nice, steady jog; one of us is walking; one of us is meandering…eyes off the road and completely distracted by the lovely surroundings; one of us is frustrated and being pulled in a zig zag fashion while holding a dog leash with a 60 pound dog on the end of it; and one of us is refusing to get up off the couch.  we are all in the same book, and even on the same page…but every so often, 2 or 3 of us just happen to jump onto the same line.

chase and i are on the same line right now.

his meandering and my sprint have somehow brought us together for the common purpose of showing each other how special we think the other is.

i appreciate chase and all of his…”chaseness.”

like i love that he told the whole 3rd grade, including his teachers, that we took him to budapest, hungry over the christmas holidays to visit the birthplace of harry houdini.  and somehow…he convinced them that this was a true story and that we are actually “that” crazy…or historical…or whatever it is that we would be if we actually did something like that.  he has had them all believing this for the last month.

i also love that he has this new imaginary friend, named cody armstrong…who’s father is neil armstrong.  he has never had an imaginary friend before…and i have no problem with it.  maybe i would if i thought he was being serious.  but he is not.

he’s being chase.

and he is being creative and funny and imaginative…all in the name of entertainment.

and i love me a good entertainer.

i tweaked an idea that i saw online (you can guess the website) and made these for the teacher’s for valentiMe’s day.

i filled mason jars with bubble gum and hershey kisses and labeled them

“blowing kisses your way.”

aiden’s teacher’s birthday was yesterday.  so i kept it simple and made “pampering in a jar.”  it’s simply a fuzzy pair of socks, lotion, bubble bath, and lip balm.  i saw this on pinterest too.  i’m telling you.  there are lots of good ideas out there.

speaking of valentine’s day…we had a little house concert at our house saturday night as an early valentine’s date night with friends.

i only wish i had taken more pictures of our friends.  i was sorta busy blabbling with people and didn’t think about pulling out the camera until our friend, tom conlon, was performing.  this caused me to actually crawl across the floor to where my camera was located in our bedroom.  this wasn’t the classiest move…but it got the job done.

if you have not heard tom’s music…check him out on itunes.

some of my favorite tom conlon songs are

cover of the impression’s people get ready

check him out.  you won’t be disappointed.

i have many plans for my valentiMe loves today.  i’ll be back tonight to fill in the rest of our beautiful day.

until then…

go love someone.

i hate picture day.

now…i am aware that “hate” is a very strong word…and it is, indeed, bordering on over reacting…but any time pictures are involved, it evokes pressure that feels equal to filling out college applications.

i knew that today was picture day.

i knew it because i got the forms to fill out (3 of them) to order the class picture and special spring pictures a few weeks ago.  you know…they are real good about sending those things home early.  so you can be prepared.  i knew it because i set those things in my to-do pile on the cabinet and visited them every now and then.  i knew it because the teachers sent the kids home yesterday with “tomorrow is picture day” stickers stuck to their chests.

and then what happened?

i stayed up watching mindless tv until 11:30 and then hit the snooze button until 7:30 this morning and waited until i had just enough time to wake the kids up, throw out some clothes for aiden, let the boys wear their athletic pants (that is happening an alarming number of times these days), slap aiden’s hair in a top knot, let them pour their own cereal while i throw together 3 lunch kits, initial homework, and ruffle their hair and kiss their heads as they shoot out the door with chad.  that’s a total run-on sentence…but let’s be honest…my mornings are run-on mornings.

that’s when i remembered that it was picture day.

it went something like this.

yelling:  “AIDEN….WEAR YOUR NEW SUNDRESS WITH THE PINK SWEATER INSTEAD OF WHAT I LAYED OUT FOR YOU AND HURRY UP SO I CAN DO YOUR HAIR.”

“CHASE…IT’S PICTURE DAY!!!!  YOU NEED TO GET DRESSED IN SOMETHING NICE!!!

him yelling back downstairs from his room:  “I AM, MOM!!!”

me:  “WHAT ARE YOU WEARING???”

chase:  “THIS.”

me:  “CHASE…I CAN’T SEE YOU.  I’M DOWNSTAIRS.”

(chase appears over the balcony)

me:  “oh no no no no no no…you are not wearing sports pants with your pajama t-shirt from last night for pictures.”

chase:  “THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO WEAR.  I DON’T WANT TO WEAR NICE CLOTHES.”

it went on from there.

oh…there were other issues too.

like colton insisting that his teacher told the whole class they had to wear a blue shirt and that is why he needs to wear this ratty t-shirt from, like, 3 years ago and aiden needing her bangs trimmed, and chase needing his hair wet down.

i also feel guilty that i didn’t spend $30 to order the class picture for them.  i just feel like that is a ridiculous amount of money to spend on a picture that they may or may not pull out in 20 years to re-live who all was in their 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade classes.  it’s like i just know that the teachers and photographers are going to say, “wow…your mom must really not love you if she is not ordering these pictures.”  besides…i could take a better picture myself.  i should scan and show you all of their school pictures over the years.  tons of money wasted on pictures that never saw frames because they were either completely out of frame, they were smiling some fake smile, or the background was a ridiculous shade of blue that was about a natural as if i colored it with marker.

needless to say…by the time they were out the door, i had to light a candle and make myself a cup of coffee and give annslee a bowl of chocolate chips to snuff out the tantrum she was throwing because she wanted to go to school with aiden.

****

moving on.

there were “and horses” the other day.

i was minding my own business in the grocery store when i heard an announcement that the Clydesdale’s horses were out front.

i have never grocery shopped so fast in all my life.  i began throwing stuff into the cart without looking at prices, labels, brands, or lists.

i had to get to those horses.

i all but pushed children out of the way to get to this fella.

this is my new friend, magee.

he is an official anheuser busch clydesdale.

and he is one of the most magnificent horses that i’ve had the privilege of pretending was mine.  i had all kinds of scenarios going in my mind as i stood just beneath his neck…stroking his strong muscles while pressing my head against him and telling him how beautiful he is.  i love standing at that spot with a horse.  you can look right into their eye and see right into their souls and all of their gentleness and vulnerability.

i would have given him one of my apples if i didn’t think the budweiser people would be on alert that they have a possible horse thief on their hands.

****

and since chad was home from ukraine…

i had the bright idea to go ahead and start the pinterest pantry project.

our pantry had gotten completely out of control.

and i kept seeing and pinning pantry pictures to my pinboards on pinterest and every time i looked at them, i got more and more excited to transform my pantry into a beautiful corner market space.

this is the before:

i knew there was nothing that would make me finish this project like pulling everything out of there and having to live for a couple of hours like a hoarder.

and yes…

i let annslee entertain herself by carefully measuring out dog food from one scoop to the other.  she did this for, at least an hour.

and then put the men to work.

i surveyed the items and  decided to find another storage place for anything that was not medicine or food or kitchen necessities.  that was the hardest part.  i had a lot of stuff stored in that small space.

then annslee and i hit walmart to buy the jars and containers.  this is part of my plan to produce less trash as a family.  these bins can be taken and filled in bulk to avoid packaging.

i found the glass jars for $5 and less; and opted for plastic containers for the cereal and snacks that were only $2 each.  the hardest part of this task was wrangling annslee on the walmart isle.  at one point, i thought i lost her at the checkout.  i was busy, putting everything on the check out counter and she spotted the candy section a few isle over.  cue panic.

i explained that this is why she needed to stay strapped in the basket and that i could not continue to chase her all over walmart because she thought she saw a skittle floating through the air that she had to run and follow.

she said,

“no.”

anyways…we are off track here.

so…after putting everything back together…

the pinterest pantry project was complete.

it took a day and a half and was totally easier than i thought and worth the time and limited funds.

the key was uniformity.  i could have used mismatch baskets and stuff that i already had…but i really wanted to lighted it up with all white.  these bins were from the grocery store and were $2, $4, and $5 depending on the size.  i was looking for baskets, but opted for these because they are cheaper and can be wiped out and labeled easily.

another key is removing the commercial label off of bottles and replacing it with clean, matching labels.  for example, i just removed the label on the vanilla bottle and used my own.  now it is pretty and i love seeing it every time i enter the pantry.  i also used an old oreo tin to hold wooded clothes pins for chip bags, etc.

i eventually want to print off pretty labels…but for the time being, i used martha stewart ones from staples.

i already had the bushel baskets (from hobby lobby, i think) and i thought they worked for the bottom shelf with things like, bananas, onions, root vegetables, crackers, bags of different coffees, and random bags of dried beans.  if i used dried beans a lot…i would put them in a jar…but i don’t.  so…i thought they would be better stored like this.

i found the wooden crates at michael’s on clearance.  i think i paid $7.99 for them…which was more than i wanted to…but i’m glad i did.  they are perfect for canned drinks and canned goods that are heavy, bulky, and not uniform at all.  i put those babies on the floor and i wasn’t sure i would like them there…but i really do.

i found this dog food tin at tj maxx when trout was a tiny puppy and i love it.  it keeps the dog food fresh and is easy for the kids to get in and out of so that they can feed him themselves.  plus…it just looks nice.

i find myself looking in my pantry “just because” now.  i think it is a very welcoming, kid friendly, pretty space that makes meal prep, plan, and list making a lot easier.

up next…

operation pinterest laundry room.

we celebrated honey’s 91st birthday on saturday after colton’s basketball game.

one of my favorite stories to listen to her tell is about how,  when she was a little girl, she would spend every summer at her grandma’s house, out in the country.  blackberry cobbler is still her favorite desert because that is what my great, great grandma fannie would make for her when she was a little girl.

so…i thought that i would try my hand at cobbler making…knowing full well that it would never compare to her grandma’s…but i still thought it would be special for her.  and she deserves nothing more than to feel special and celebrated.  and you know me.  i never shy away from a reason to celebrate.

i searched high and low for a traditional cobbler recipe.

first, you take 2 1/2 cups of fresh blackberries (washed and patted dry) and combine them in a bowl with a cup of sugar.

i am of the philosophy that if a cup of sugar is good…then a cup and a half is better.

let the berries and sugar sit for 20 minutes…or until a fruit syrup forms.

pre-heat the oven to 375.

in a medium bowl…mix a cup of flour; 2 tsp of baking powder; 1/2 tsp of salt; and 1 cup of milk.

add 1/2 cup (1 stick) of melted butter to dough mixture and whisk.

pour the dough mixture into an ungreased 8 inch baking dish.

add the berry mixture on top of that.

bake at 375 for 45 to 55 minutes.

i added sugar on the top for the last 10 minutes of baking.

serve warm with either fresh cream, whipped cream, or ice cream.

****

here is the birthday girl getting irritated at me for making her pause to snap a picture before she took the first bite.

she loved it.  and she felt special and celebrated…which is so important to do for the people we love.  i’m convinced…you will never regret taking the time to find out what makes a loved one feel cared for and going the extra mile to make that happen.  sometimes it’s the littlest thing that makes a person feel loved.

totally worth it.  every time.

****

since chad was still out of the country, we took a break from hosting a superbowl party this year.  usually i would be totally depressed to not have any plans on superbowl sunday…but i was pretty satisfied with how today went down.

i did discover that we have christmas pencils mingling around with the valentine’s pencils…which is disturbing…but…let’s just stay focused on the positive.

i was visited by my very favorite animal this afternoon.  she dressed up like a deer.  how exciting is that?

i’m not gonna lie about getting a tad bit excited when madonna started in on like a prayer during the half time show.  there may have been dancing.  and singing.

by all us girls.

chad was invited to watch the superbowl at the US Embassy in ukraine.  i really just can’t even wrap my mind around that.  i mean…on the one hand…i’m thinking “oh how cool…that’s so great…a once in a lifetime opportunity…yay for you…”

but…on the other…i’m thinking “seriously????  how is it fair that you are off flitting around the globe being treated like a freaking dignitary????  and why can these things not happen when i am with you???  oh…that’s right…I’M NEVER WITH YOU!!!!  hey kids…lets pretend that we are watching the game at an embassy and that i am royalty that has been invited in.  k???  it will be fun.”

we did have fun though…

in our pretend embassy.

we jumped on the couch when the giants scored; we danced to madonna; we laughed…loudly…at the m & m commercial and had the option to rewind if we wanted.  we ate pizza and folded laundry and played “let’s count your ribs” until all four of them were giggling to the point of squealing.

do they do any of those things at the real embassy?

i think not.

that’s only allowed at the pretend embassy.