August 15, 2011
It's Monday (late, but still Monday), so that means I'm at my Simple Woman's Daybook. Link is to the left if you'd like to drop by. Seeing as school is starting up again, I have a few sigtags relating to that. Link is also to the left. If you want one (or all), email or tag. See you all back here tomorrow! Hugs!
August 10, 2011
As is the norm when Avery spends the night, she got us all up very early, & ready to tackle life & the day. She started off running, & that's how she went through the entire day. We had to run to Pet Smart & get Tinkebell some food & then on to grocery shopping. I had promised Elliot, Emily, & Avery a stop into Krispy Kreme on the way home, so of course that was their favorite stop. After we got home & put the groceries away, they devoured one for their snack. 
Can you tell she enjoys hers?
This is how she eats hers - she gobbles the top & leaves it after the 'goodies' are gotten off of it - 
After an afternoon of non-stop playing with them, I was more than ready to go out to eat when Mike got home. Our son has been trying to get us to try his favorite burger place, Smash Burger. It was 'so' good! I had the mushroom swiss, & it was the best one I have ever had. Elliot loved his too, & ate, & ate, & ate. After 'every' single bite, he announced "Wow! This is the best hamburger place EVER!" 
On the way home, we made a big mistake with Avery! She said "Oh no! My nose is running!" Mike used the old joke "Go catch it!" She got the funniest look on her face, & then she burst out laughing so hard after she got it. So all evening long, she would say "Oh no! My nose is running down the road! I have to catch it!" She'd say the silliest things - like 'my nose is running down the road, & a car is going to hit it!", or "a dog is going to get it!". This went on, & on, & on, & on.... Avery the comedian!
August 9, 2011
Well, would you believe that after a week of my deep, deep cleaning, that I keep trying to find more to do? When I couldn't find anything more to do in our house, I decided to tackle my computer. So I spent late last night doing that.
Avery arrived tonight to spend the night, & will be spending tomorrow with us too, so I'll have to have another cleaning day after she goes home. She's a little tornado, but a sweet tornado.I got a new geek gadget - one that you will either love, hate, or laugh at.
I had never seen these before, & was reading my People magazine & saw Lenny Kravitz with one - somehow it looks more 'cool' with him holding it -
Anyway, I decided to order it from Amazon & got it in 2 days (love Amazon!). I ordered a pink one & red one. With all the talk about radition from cell phones, I am one that would rather be safe than sorry, so decided to give this a try. It will be great for longer cell phone conversations. There's lot of neat colors, & I love the retro look. Click here if you want to check it out. I got the Moshi Moshi one ('hello' in Japanese when you talk on a phone). I actually think the reception seems better with the handset, than without. I told Mike that at least I will never misplace my phone again when we are at home.
August 8, 2011 It's Monday, so that means I'm at my Simple Woman's Daybook. Link is to the left if you'd like to drop by. New summer sigtag link is also to the left. If you want one, email or tag. See you all back here tomorrow! Hugs! August 5, 2011
I started the week with my deep, deep clean, & I ended the week with it. In fact, I think it will go through the weekend. We're going to have 'family cleaning day in the garage tomorrow, so by the time we are finished, I'll have the cleanest most organized home in Las Vegas! 
I got a bit sidetracked today when I cleaned out some areas & ran across my diary. This particular one went back to when Shad was a baby. I 'had' to sit down & read for awhile, which turned into a long while. I shared some of it with Shad, & we both ended up teary. Actually, I was more than teary...I 'really' cried. I'm so thankful that I kept this diary for my children. My goal was/is to pass it along to them one day. I think they will be quite surprised to see all the detail. In my diary that I read today, I had written that I hoped one day, they would look back at this, & see just how very, very much they were loved. When Shad read that, he said "We won't have to read this to know that. We've known it every moment of our lives." That really touched me.
Mike has been out of town all week, & he got home this evening. With him, came Chinese takeout, & it was so welcomed! He found me buried underneath a bunch of stuff that I was going through. In fact, I was going through cards & letters that he'd given me through the years. Some of the most sweetest, romantic words! I handed them to him & let him read a few & I said "Who is this man??" He read them & said "I wrote this?!! No way!" 
I have to share this Avery story with you, & I hope it's proper to do so. She's been having so many problems going to potty. She went the other day & was 'so' happy. As soon as she saw me, she ran to me & said "Nana I went to potty, & it was big up to the sky!" And then she showed me just 'how' big.
Hmmm...I wonder what her fishing stories will be like one day?
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! See you all back here on Monday at my Simple Woman's Daybook. Hugs!
August 4, 2011
Today was my son Shad's birthday. We all went to Famous Dave's (one of his favorite restaurants).
We could go there a thousand times, & each time, Elliot, Emily, & Avery would have to have their picture taken with this bear -
And why did she become Miss Grumpy? Her napkin was taken away when she announced that she ate some paper (her napkin).
By the looks of her half eaten meal, she ate a 'lot' of that napkin
After eating way too much, we all headed back home to relax & enjoy some pie from Marie Callenders. My son would much rather have a pie than cake.
We didn't get to relax long - Shad had to play games with Avery so that she could work her energy off after having pie -
Emily loves planning games, & she told us that she had a special one. She drew this & called it 'pin the tail on the doggie'...notice the tiny little tail that she had attached to a tiny piece of tape - 
To show you just how tiny this tail is, I had her to hold it so that I could take a picture of it -
We all got such a kick out of it. She didn't think a thing about it. The only thing that was wrong in her opinion, is that this was going to be 'pin the tail on the donkey', but it turned out looking more like a dog.
August 3, 2011
Sorry I didn't make it here yesterday. Lisa dropped Avery off for me to babysit, & by the time she left last night, I was ready to go to bed when Elliot & Emily went to bed. We had played 'carnival' for a couple of hours, & of course, I had to be the 'ride'. They were played out by the time she was picked up, & so was I!Before the 'carnival' opened up, Emily & Avery wanted to hula hoop, & those girls can hula hoop!
I can't believe that at 3, Avery can hula hoop!
Avery obviously got ahold of a pen, because she was covered in markings from her thigh to her ankles. When I asked her what happened, she told me "I write my name." 
I'm glad she chose to 'write her name' there, instead of on the wall (which she's done before - in crayon).
Today was day 4 of my deep, deep, deep cleaning of our home. I feel like a cleaning machine! I've went through every room, & managed to bag up so much stuff for Goodwill. I should finish it all up tomorrow, & then on to the garage this weekend. Elliot & Emily have loved being a part of this. I felt a twinge of sadness though when Emily told me that she had some toys set aside to give to Avery.
I know she's outgrown some of those toys (a couple of them she's had since she was 2), but she wasn't ready or willing to part with them a few months back when she went through them. Just another reminder that she's growing up. Elliot parted with a lot of his toys too, & said that he didn't really like playing with toys anymore. And he doesn't. Kids seems to give up toys so much earlier nowadays. With Elliot, I think this is because of video games. What toy can compete with that?? Emily still loves her toys, & I hope she does for many more years. Anyway, I sure wish I could push back the hands of time! I want to keep them little for a long while more! This picture is one that I took last August, & have it printed out with word art added to it. We were at Krispy Kreme, & Emily wanted to dance with Lilly. To me, it's such a sweet picture of the freedom & joy of being a child. The sentiment that I put on it, is so true!
August 1, 2011 It's Monday, so that means I'm at my Simple Woman's Daybook. I promise, I'll get here earlier one day! Link is to the left if you'd like to drop by. New summer sigtag link is also to the left. If you want one, email or tag. See you all back here tomorrow! Hugs! July 29, 2011
I mentioned in my post last night that Avery was going to spend the night. Just as I knew, it was good that we took a day yesterday & enjoyed being lazy. She was making the rounds to each bed at 5am - she wanted to let us know that she saw the sun peeking out, & that meant that it was time to get up. I tried to get her to crawl up into bed with me, & she did for about 5 minutes. I was 'so' sleepy but I knew that there was no way she was going to go back to sleep. She was a livewire all day long. She also informed us all at the beginning of the day "If you don't do what I want to do, then I not gonna play!" She wanted to learn how to "do a flip dance" (& heaven help us if she learns to flip!), so Elliot & Emily tried to teach her - 
I think I have found Elliot's bent - I need to enroll this boy in gymnastics!
She was 'so' proud! Of course we had to cheer for her, & the more we cheered, the more she danced. Afterwards, I told them that they deserved a treat from Starbucks, so off we went. Was that a sneaky way for me to get my Starbucks fix?
Tonight, Emily & Avery put on a 'magic show' for us. Emily told us that she was going to "disappear" Avery, & Avery was going to "disappear" her. They had set up a table with a throw over it. Here's the magician & her helper - 
We were told to close our eyes, & Emily said "Abracadabra! Now open your eyes!" Oh no! Where's Avery!? We all gasped & said that, & had to pretend that we didn't hear the little giggles coming from beneath the throw covered table.
After being told to close our eyes again, Emily said "Abracadabra! Now open your eyes!", we were 'shocked' to see that Avery had appeared again!
Remember how I told you that she doesn't like to 'lose'? And by her comment to us this morning, you can see that she likes to 'run the show'. Well, this is Miss Avery after her third disappearing act.
She was upset because she didn't want Emily to say "Abracadabra" & make her "not disappeared". She was happy under that table (Ooops! Not supposed to know that she was under there!). It was hard to not know this though, as you can see in these pictures from 'Act One' tonight - before they became really good 'magicians'
- 
Those tears from Avery stopped instantly when we told the 'magicians' that we were taking them out to eat.
After a day of tag, hide-n-seek, dress up, 'flip dancing', & just plain playing, I will bet Avery will not be up at 5am tomorrow! I know we won't be!
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! See you all back here on Monday at my Simple Woman's Daybook. Hugs!
July 28, 2011 I decided to take today as a 'do nothing day' (except for our run up to Starbucks). Seems like it's been non-stop the past few weeks, so this day was needed. You always hear the phrase 'lazy days of summer', but I don't know where those went! Today, I found one. We curled up on the couch with books & iPad, & had such a good day. We were carrying that over into the evening, & then we hear this little knock at the door. Even though we weren't expecting her, we all knew who it was, but we always pretend not to know. I hurried & grabbed my camera, because I wanted to show you what she looks like as she 'flies' to me each time she comes. It's so sweet!
She runs into my arms & gives me the biggest bear hug! That girl can squeeze! She says "I never going to let you go!" After her big hug, she began jumping up & down, clapping, & said "I get to spend the night with you! I never leaving here again!" Then Emily grabs her by the hand, & they both start jumping up & down - 
So we were not only surprised by a visit from her, but also that she is spending the night & all day tomorrow. That was a good surprise - the kind we love. It's good we had that lazy, do nothing day today, because we sure will need that energy for tomorrow!
Yesterday, Emily forgot to show her that she'd lost her first tooth, so she showed her tonight -
Avery said "Oh no! I'll buy you a new one Emily!"
She kept telling us all evening "We have to buy Emily a new tooth! Hers is lost!
I showed Elliot the picture of his acrobatic pose in the picture from yesterday's post. He looked at me so shyly, & said a single word - "Oh." I mean what could he say? He was caught in the act. July 27, 2011
We went to see the Winnie The Pooh movie. They really loved it. Whenever we go to the movies, I always love looking next to me & seeing this -
After the movie, we headed for (can you guess?) - Starbucks. Then off to pick up a few things for our chicken fajita dinner tonight. That's a favorite at our house. Lisa & Avery came over too, but Avery informed me that she wasn't going to eat that "green stuff" (guacamole), & that I had to fix her something else. We played 'balloon bop' before we ate. One thing about Avery - she hates to lose. Or feel like she's losing. She missed catching the balloon, & immediately plopped on the floor with this look that we've all seen a thousand times! 
A few seconds later, & she was crying. Pooh says "Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon." Well, Pooh never met Avery, because I've seen her 'uncheered' with one many times!
Notice anything in the background in this picture?? I didn't notice it until I was going through the pictures tonight. He knows it's a no-no to do this on the couch. Wonder what he'll say when I show it to him tomorrow?
Makes me wonder what else he does when he thinks I'm not looking. I know what he was doing though. He adores Avery, & is soooo protective of her. He heard her crying, & was flying to the rescue.
If you ever wonder why I post lots of pictures on my blog & focus on my life with Elliot & Emily, it's because I want this blog to reflect our days with them. One of their favorite things, is for me to read my past blog posts to them each night. They love it! Each morning, they want me to read what I posted the night before to them. During the day, they will so often say "Are you going to tell about this in your blog?" Many times when I read it to them, Emily will say "That's not all we did. I want you to tell about everything we did." Or "Why didn't you put in more pictures?" I try to explain to them that I can't post everything. If I did, it would be a book each night! I have thought about copying & pasting each blog post into another blog everyday. That way, I could add more & share more, but that one would be just for them (& us), & they could have a part in 'writing' the posts. Like tonight - I could have shared so much more (like the picture of Emily crying, holding her popped balloon in her hands), but I don't want to go too long or bore you to tears. Anyway, I'm sorry if I go long on some posts, & share too many pictures, but now you know why.
July 26, 2011
Today was my errand day. Not so fun when it's triple digit temps! I keep reminding myself of what they say about the heat here - "At least it's a dry heat". True, but it's still hot! Elliot told me that he thought going to Starbucks would "help us", & I agreed with him. He loves going there, & tells me that he can't wait until he can have an iced caramel macchiato with me. I drink decaf, so I've let him taste it, & he loves it! 
The kids & I baked some cookie pops when we got home. Elliot wasn't interested in helping to make them so much, but he sure was interested in eating them! Emily compares it to 'The Little Red Hen' story. 
She lost her first tooth on Sunday! We were eating breakfast Saturday morning, when she said "Mommy, how old are you when you lose your first tooth?" I told her 5 or 6, & she said "Well, I think I'm losing mine, because it's loose." And sure enough it was. This is something that she dreaded, but it was a breeze for her. It fell out while brushing her teeth the next night. It made me feel a bit sad, because it really made it hit home - she's growing up!She was really excited when she found out that she would get something for losing this tooth. I had to explain a bit about this though, after she told us that this is what she wanted -
Remember, this is the bed that she was going to get when she came out of her baby bed, but then she saw the Princess carriage bed & wanted that one instead. Even though she loves her Disney Princess pumpkin carriage bed, she said "If I had this one, you could sleep in the top part, & when we weren't sleeping, we could play up there in your sleeping part."
Today she made me smile when she asked me if I had any of my baby teeth left to lose. I told her "no", & she said "Oh, I was thinking that you could ask for a new iTunes card when you lost yours."
July 25, 2011 It's Monday (late Monday), so that means I'm at my Simple Woman's Daybook. Link is to the left if you'd like to drop by. New summer sigtag link is also to the left. Remember being excited to go to the carnival or fair when you were small? Or maybe you still get excited! That's this weeks sigtag theme. If you want one, email or tag, & let me know hair & eye color. See you all back here tomorrow! Hugs! July 21, 2011 Mike has been out of town this week, & was supposed to get home tomorrow. He sneaked home early & surprised us today. Elliot & Emily were so excited! As soon as he got home, he & Elliot ran out to get 'How to Train Your Dragon' for our new 3D tv. They've seen it before, but wanted to see how it looked in 3D. Elliot isn't all that fond of the 3D movies, because he says he "hates wearing glasses to watch it", but he does think it looks "cool", in his words. Emily had zero interest in that movie, so she & I watched 'Curious George 2 - Follow That Monkey" from Netflix. The guys had brought home take out for dinner, so it was a relaxing evening. Emily & Elliot were asking me about jobs & work, & we were talking about how Mike works to pay for our home, our clothing, food, toys, ect. I could see that Emily was thinking during this talk, & aferwards she said "Mommy, do you get paid?" I told her "No baby - not like Daddy gets paid. We all get the benefits from him working so hard. Plus, just getting to spend life with you & Elliot each day is all I want." Her eyes welled up with tears & spilled down onto her cheeks, & she said "But you work so hard. You do everything for all of us. Why don't Mommies get paid too?" I talked to her a bit about it while I held her, & then she went off to her room. I began cleaning up the kitchen, & a few minutes later she & Elliot came to me & she said "Mommy, we know what we're going to do. If you don't get paid, then we're going to pay you!" Then they both held out their hands & gave me this - 
It was so sweet, that they had run to get into their piggy banks. Emily was still teary, & it just really touched me. I ran to get my camera, because I wanted in some small way, to freeze this memory. And they think I don't get "paid"??? I get 'paid' a thousand times over! I will treasure this picture. So much so, that I'm going to print it out & frame it.
July 19, 2011
Yesterday was a girl's day while Elliot spent time with Shad. I had planned a surprise morning out for them all, but when Elliot felt the heat, he didn't want to go out. He avoids this Vegas heat as much as he can. I picked up Avery so that she could spend the day with us, & she was so excited. We stopped at the dinosaur park & they played in the water there for awhile.
Avery doesn't like to get her face wet (that's an understatement), so she did everything to stay dry from the neck up, & she accomplished that.
Next was a stop at Starbucks. Each time we go through drive-thru there, Avery yells out to them that she wants a "hamaburgular & french fries".
She settled for a strawberries & creme frappuccino.Then it was off to their favorite stop - Krispy Kreme donuts. Notice the Sleeping Beauty Barbie that Avery is carrying? She convinced me that she's "been wanting this for 'so' very long!" Emily & her always love to watch the fresh donuts being made. So sweet that these best friends took time out for a kiss -
Linda, I know how you love Krispy Kreme, so please don't drool on your monitor.
Then off to get Elliot, & we met up with my son & Lisa to eat out. The kids chose Cici's pizza. Elliot ate his weight in pizza & brownies! Here's a picture that I took of them there. I have no idea what Avery was thinking, but I sure would like to find out.
Then it was off to grocery shop & home to That's how hyper she was!
July 18, 2011 It's Monday (late Monday), so that means I'm at my Simple Woman's Daybook. Link is to the left if you'd like to drop by. New summer sigtag link is also to the left. If you want one, email or tag. See you all back here tomorrow! Hugs! July 15, 2011
Today Mike turned 12...or at least that's what he had convinced the kids for awhile. Emily said "12! Wow, that is big!" Remember when you were little, & you thought that 20 was 'big', & over 30 meant you were over the hill? I will never forget when Mike & I first married at 17 & moved to Phoenix, AZ. This couple took us under their wings & we became good friends. One night over dinner, they were asking us about our families, & asked how old Mike's parents were. I said "I'm not really sure, but I know they are pretty old. I think they are 36 or 37." I remember it so well, because I was shocked when they burst out in laughter. Then the dreaded question - "Well how old do you think we are?" After stumbling over my answer, they told me that they were "pretty old" too, because they were 37 also. I look back now, & I cannot believe that I thought they were old! Although, I do think that 37 'was' older then - or so they seemed (& looked). Or do I think that way because I'm older now??? So anyway, Mike had a good '12th' birthday. We got up, got ready, & went to see Cars 2. Elliot's favorite has always been Lightning McQueen, but he's now taken by Finn. Emily & my favorite is still Mater, & she loved that he was like a "hero" in this film.
After the film, we went out to eat. Emily always has to set Lilly up with a few bites -
We went shopping afterwards. I never know what to get Mike, because he always says he wants & needs nothing. Hard to shop for a guy like that! This year, I told him "Why don't you just think of something that you really want, & get it for yourself." And that's what he did. We came home from Best Buy with a 52 in. LCD 3D tv. I had some qualms about the 3D tvs, but this one uses 'passive' glasses instead of the shutter ones, so supposedly there's not the concerns with these. I also thought you could only watch 3D on it, but there is a switch/button that you hit if you want to watch something that is 3D. Otherwise, it's a normal tv. I must say, it is incredible! It feels silly sitting there with the glasses on, but you forget about them after a few minutes. My son came over & laughed - he said we look like the Blues Brothers watching tv. Mike called another friend before we bought it, & that friend said he would buy our plasma that we have hanging over our fireplace (which is now where the new one hangs), so in the end, the 3D tv was a great birthday deal.
We ended the day with Mike's favorite cake - German chocolate. Actually, he got two cakes - carrot cake is his other favorite, so he got both. Avery told him that she was going to spend the night with him for his present from her. She does anythng & everything to get to spend the night with us, & we love it! So right now, there is a little girl sleepng upstairs. She's recharging her batteries so that she can be ready tomorrow. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! It's been great to be back to blogging this past week. I'll see you all at my SWD on Monday! Hugs!
July 14, 2011
Avery spent the night last night & woke us up early to crawl into bed with us. She's such a cuddle bug when she first wakes up...she feels like a big squishy marshmallow, & I love it. You cannot convince her that she should go back to sleep. She'll tell us "But the sun is awake, so it's time to get up." And when she gets up, she hits the floor running. An hour or so after we got up, I found this on the couch -
I've had this little antique looking horse for about 15 years, & that little bear sat on it. And no, I didn't keep it on the couch - he has sat on the floor with a few of my other bears. The only time he's been moved is when I've caught Avery trying to ride it (like that is possible!). Avery heard me say "Oh no!", & she comes running, looks at me with the leg in my hand, & says "Nana, that horsey broke his leg on the couch." I said "Avery, his leg couldn't have just broke off. Did you try to ride him again?" She replied "You need to glue horsey's leg. It broke off." I asked her again if she did it...& she told me again that "horsey broke his leg on the couch"...then she added to it, by telling me that she found him like that. So then I put 'Pinocchio' on my lap & told her that it was okay, & that her telling me the truth was more important than the broken leg. She said "Well, I rode him when I was little & I broke his leg a little bit." So 'horsey' is waiting for some glue. I will bet you though, that as soon as he's fixed up, Avery will try to ride him again. She's 'so' big, & this is a 6 inch tall horse, & she honestly believes that she can ride him!
We took Mike out to eat tonight for his birthday (which is tomorrow). Emily chose the place to take him, & we all had a good time. Avery devoured some watermelon...she was a mess!
This picture was before she got 'really' messy. She had Emily in giggles, & Elliot worried too death that she would choke on a watermelon seed.
Never a dull moment. We're going to take the kids to see Cars 2 tomorrow. It was between that & Winnie the Pooh, but I think we'll save Pooh for later in the week. I love Pooh, so I'm probably more excited than the kids to see it! See you all back here tomorrow (can you believe it?).
July 13, 2011
She is such a sweet little girl, but a bundle of non-stop energy. I have a feeling, that she is going to be a handful. Last week she told me "I feel like being a mean girl today." I asked her "why?" She replied, "Because Emily won't do what I want her to do." She loves to 'be the boss'. Each time she comes over, we know that we are in for an hour or more of hide-and-seek. The thing is, she doesn't know how to play. When it's her time to hide, she goes to two places every single time. Behind our recliner, or in the shower. And keep in mind, our shower is all glass, so we can see her. We play along, & act as though we can't find her. I'll say loudly, "Where could Avery be?" She'll call out "I'm in here!" I'll then say "Hmmmm - I wonder if she could be in here", while we go off to a different room. She'll call out really loud "No, I'm in the bathroom!" When she goes behind the recliner, we'll walk into the room, & all we see is her from her eyes up, peeking over the back of it. I'll say "Baby, you're supposed to hide." Her reply? "But I wanted to see if you would find me." 
When she was finished, she held it up for me to see & said "Oh Nana! I so very sorry. I didn't get your hair right." I sure hope she doesn't think that everything else is right! Till next time, smile much, & be blessed! July 12, 2011
I can't believe I'm back today! My once posting at my SWD, made me want to come back before next Monday. I checked into my blog tonight, & it was so heartwarming to see the comments. I thought I'd share a few pictures from Emily's end of season performance in Sleeping Beauty last month. She was 'so' proud that night, & so were we! She loves ballet! Here she is, as she entered the room - she wouldn't take her eyes off of us, & we couldn't take our eyes off of her!
Last, but not least - her ever constant companion LillyTrixieLilly ("Lilly for short", as she tells everyone), in her regular weekly spot, patiently waiting for her friend to finish. She was made an honorary member of the class (notice her feet). And no, she hasn't aged this much - I used a texture on the photo.
I hope you all enjoyed sharing in Emily's special evening. Till next time, smile & be blessed!
July 11, 2011 I'm not back to blogging on a regular basis, but I would like to go back to at least doing my Simple Woman's Daybook each Monday, & offering a sigtag each week. I hope that this leads to me making a post every now & then, & then hopefully back to full time blogging. I will be visiting my reads & keeping up with you all. I've missed you! If you want to check it out, I have a summer sigtag (link is to the left). If you want one, let me know by tagging or email. Hugs! July 8, 2011
How I will miss these sweet innocent childhood days one day!
July 7, 2011
March 14, 2010
It's Monday, so that means it's my Simple Woman's Daybook. Link is to the left if you'd like to visit. I had a busy weekend, so I didn't get to work on the weekly sigtag. I'll do that tomorrow & post it. See you back here tomorrow! Hugs! March 11, 2011
Today was a lazy day, but we planned it that way. After playing 'Gumbo' yesterday, I felt we were entitled to having a day like today. After breakfast, we had to run out & get Tinkerbell some food, then I ran by Starbucks. Lisa had called Shad this morning, & she wasn't feeling well, so I bought her & Avery a treat too & dropped it off to them. Avery was 'so' excited to see us. She was 'really' excited when she saw that I brought her a cake pop from there. Lisa was feeling a bit better when I got there.After we came home, we didn't do much of anything excpet relax. I went through the apps on my iPad & deleted the ones that I don't really use. Of course, then I went to the app store & got more apps. I read some magazines on it too (ever read a magazine on the iPad? UNREAL!).
We went out to dinner tonight, then back home to more relaxing. Seriously, it was a major lazy day, which makes for a major boring post (sorry). I'll see you at my Simple Woman's Daybook on Monday. Have a wonderful weekend! Hugs!
"The essential question is not, "How busy are you?" but "What are you busy at?" ~Oprah Winfrey~
March 10, 2011 Avery got dropped off this morning - she got to spend the day & evening with us. She loves it when I take them to Starbucks, so we took off for there as soon as she got here. This is their new treat -
They are 'so' good! As you can see, Avery couldn't wait to eat hers. I kept telling her to look at the camera, but she couldn't keep her eyes off of the cake pop - nor keep her tongue in
Her verdict? "I want more cake pop!"
Avery also wanted us to play "Gumbo". I have no idea what or who she means, but she told me "I be the people & you be Gumbo." She told me that I have to roar, growl, & get her. Emily thought she meant "Gumby". She said "You know, that green guy you used to watch when you were little." Elliot thinks she's saying "Dumbo", but when we ask her that, she says "No, Gumbo." I told her to show me what Gumbo looks like, & this is it - 
When I showed her the picture, she said "Yes! That what Gumbo looks like!"
So, I was 'Gumbo' for over an hour...chasing two screaming girls through the house, & one very hyped up little boy (I think the cake pop had something to do with that).
The more I roared & growled, the louder they screamed, & the faster they ran. At least I worked off that cake pop.
So we go from 'Gumbo' to playing Princesses. Notice her arms - what Princess doesn't have tattoos on her arms???
Notice the hat Denise? Avery claims it each time she comes over, & Emily graciously shares it. She 'loves' that hat!
After playtime with the Princesses, came Chinese takeout, followed by hide & seek, & then finally settling in for the evening to watch American Idol. It was a full, but fun day. Never a dull moment here! Especially when you have 'Gumbo' in the house."A child reminds us that playtime is an essential part of our daily routine." ~Unknown~
March 9, 2011 Well, no Smilebox tonight. Mike took the day off from work today, & I worked on our Disney photos for the most part of the day, but I'm not even close to finishing. I always take so many photos (surprised? ), so I'm rethinking the doing of a Smilebox. Maybe I'll share a few pictures here & there.
As I mentioned, Mike took the day off, so he & Elliot hung out together while Emily & I had our time. She sat by me as I went through our gazillion Disney pics - she never tires of seeing them. She & I also made a little shopping run & Starbucks run. We had takeout for dinner, & then settled in to watch American Idol. So that was our exciting day. Speaking of American Idol, what do you think of it this year? I think it's one of the most talented groups ever. I'm enjoying the judges this year too. I wasn't sure how it would be without Simon, but it is been good. I have loved seeing a softer side of Steven Tyler.
Emily wanted this Minnie Mouse balloon so badly. We promised her that she could get it the day we left, although Mike did tell her that he wans't sure it would make the trip back home. Our car was packed down, & it wasn't so pleasant sharing space with this huge Minnie. We had to wedge it right behind the seat - right by my head. I was 'so' sleepy, so had fallen asleep about an hour out, when all at once I was awakened by this huge POP! Talk about a rude awakening! I jerked my head up, Mike yelled & swerved (he thought a rock had hit our window & broken it). Emily screamed & then cried when she realized her balloon was gone, Elliot yelled out (he thought we'd had a blowout)...looking back, it was comical, but it wasn't at the time. I think the pressure of climbing made it pop. Lesson learned - no more Minnie balloons will be traveling with us! For my quote today, I changed one of Pooh's - "Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon....unless it pops." ~Winnie the Pooh (words in bold added by me)~
March 8, 2011 As I mentioned in my post before we took off for my birthday, I knew we were going to California, but wasn't exactly sure where in California. Emily had planned this for weeks. She had been whispering to Mike nightly, & I had to either go out of the room or put my hands over my ears. Or rather "blindfold my ears" as she called it. She planned out the hotel (the Disney Paradise Pier) & some of the meal places. So yes, it was Disneyland, & I was so happy. It made it extra special, just because she had worked so hard to plan this. 5 years old, & planning away! I have to admit, I was 99.9% sure that we were going there. I fought to keep a laugh in when we were packing the night before we left. She wanted me to pack her Princess Cinderella dress & her Cinderella glass slippers (the dress & shoes that she always wears to meet the Princesses at Disneyland). Playing along, I said "Baby, why do you want to pack this? We're not going to Disneyland." She said that she wanted to pack it "in case we ate somewhere fancy." So anyway, I had to keep my head down or eyes closed during the last 30 minutes or so of our trip (not the most pleasant thing to do), so I read during that time. All at once, Mike, Elliot, & Emily yelled out "Surprise!" & I look up to this - 
That was our 'home' for 5 glorious days! We had a view of the Hollywood Tower of Terror. I can't believe it, but Elliot rode that a few days later. It was his first & last time. He says "NEVER again!" because he "didn't like the way it made his legs feel like they were floating."
I 
I hope to be able to make a Smilebox of our time there, so I won't bombard you with pictures & make this too long. Hopefully, I will be able to work on the Smilebox tomorrow & share that with you. See you back here tomorrow!
"Always when judging Who people are, Remember to footnote The words "So far." ~Robert Brault~
March 7, 2011 It's Monday, so that means it's my Simple Woman's Daybook. Link is to the left if you'd like to visit. I posted a St. Patrick's Day sigtag - link is to the left. If you would like one, please email or tag & let me know hair color. See you back here tomorrow! Hugs! February 26, 2011 I wanted to stop in real quick & let you all know that I will try to get back to blogging in another week. And yes Kia, I guess I have had 'bloggers block'. That, & that busyness that comes with raising children. So please forgive me for being so lazy about blogging lately. Yesterday was my birthday, so for my gift, I'm being whisked away for a week. We're leaving in the morning & should return late Thursday/early Friday. We're going to California, but that's all I know. The rest is a surprise. Apparently, this little girl has planned most of this,
so it will be interesting to see where I end up. Seeing as she planned it, I would bet it's Disneyland.
It's been fun to see her whispering to Mike for the past 4 or 5 weeks. She will then look at me & say "I"m sorry Mommy. I'm not whispering about you. I'm whispering about your surprise plans."
Anyway, I will try to get inspired to blog again when I return. Hope you have a great week! Hugs! "A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip." ~Author Unknown~
January 31, 2011 It's Monday (late Monday), so that means it's my Simple Woman's Daybook. Link is to the left if you'd like to visit. I posted a Valentines sigtag - link is to the left. If you would like one, please email or tag. See you back here tomorrow! Hugs! January 28, 2011
I'm here early today because tonight is our monthly slumber party that we have with Elliot & Emily. It's definitely their favorite night of the month (ours too). We're starting it early today. Mike took off work at noon so that he could come home & start his time with Elliot early. They've just left to go out to eat, & going to follow that up with a movie (Tron). Emily has chosen going out to eat & then shopping (she is 'so' much a girl!). We'll then meet up to let them choose their slumber party snacks, come home, put on pj's, play games, & eat goodies. Elliot will then go off to our room with Mike to play video games & watch movies. While I'll go off to Emily's room to play Princess, have a tea party, & whatever else she desires. She's chosen Lady & the Tramp as our girl's movie tonight. So for tonight, I get to be a Princess, sleep with a Princess, 
So off I go - I have a little girl here anxious to get our slumber party time going early. I'll see you all back here on Monday at my SWD. Have a wonderful weekend. Wish I could share some of our 80 degree weather with those of you that are 'enjoying' snow. Hugs!
"Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression." ~Dr. Haim Ginott~
January 27, 2011 Since I've been absent from blogging for awhile, I thought I would highlight some things that I missed sharing while away. For today's post, that would be Emily getting "holes" in her ears (her words). She'd always said she would never get these "holes"...'until' I received a beautiful pair of snowflake earrings from a sweet friend. When this friend found out that she was disappointed that she couldn't wear them, she said that as soon as Emily got "holes" in her ears, she would be getting some earrings from her too. That was all Emily needed to hear. She wanted to go that very day, but I convinced her to think about it & I talked to her about it. She got up the next morning (on New Years Eve day) & announced "Let's go get the holes in my ears!" So off we went to the mall. I let her watch 3 other kids get their ears pierced, & she was still all for it. She did want to know what it would feel like, & the only way I could explain it to her, was "like a big pinch - a stinging". I did tell her that it would hurt, but not for long. Here's her piercing story in photos - 
After the first ear had been done, she yelled out "Mommy!" I flew to her & comforted her, & I honestly thought she wouldn't get the 2nd ear done, but she did.
I felt so bad for her. I really felt bad when afterwards she said to me "Mommy, you told me that it would feel like a big pinch, but it didn't. It felt like a big nail going through my ear." She was wanting to show her earrings off within an hour though, & wanted to wear a ponytail for the rest of the day -
And she was 'really' happy when those promised earrings arrived in the mail!
She squealed "Minnie Mouse earrings!" when she opened them. She's counting the days until she can wear them. She has to wait until Valentine's Day. So another 'biggie' for Princess Emily!
"Life isn't a matter of milestones but of moments." ~Rose Kennedy~
January 26, 2011
If you checked out Monday's link, you saw that Emily began ballet classes on Monday. She had the 'best' time! I'm so happy that she's finally being able to do something that she's dreamed about. My only regret is that I didn't start her sooner. For weeks, she was on pins & needles, asking me every hour how many more days until her class. Now I am asked how many days before her next class. She's hooked! I made a Smilebox showcasing her first lesson. Sorry that some of them are blurry - the pictures were taken through the glass wall at the ballet studio. Hope you enjoy sharing this with us! You may want to click on 'full screen'.  |
 |
| Digital slideshow customized with Smilebox |
"Dancing is the poetry of the foot." ~John Dryden~
January 24, 2011 I'm sorry that I've been MIA for awhile. I'm back now & ready to blog. It's Monday, so that means it's my Simple Woman's Daybook. Link is to the left if you'd like to visit. I posted a Winter sigtag - link is to the left. If you would like it, please email or tag, & let me know hair & eye color.I have missed you all, & hope you forgive me for another long absence. It's so easy to let the busyness of life prevent us from doing certain things. I'm so sorry to those of you that were concerned. I hope I have pics to share tomorrow of Emily's big day. If you want to see what has her so excited, please click here. See you back here tomorrow! Hugs!
November 24, 2010 Today started out as one of those slow days that are so lovely. The kids & I slept in until 9:30, & after breakfast we lounged around some more. That all ended at noon, when Mike came home early. He & Elliot ran out to look at video games, while Emily & I ran out to Starbucks & to do some Thanksgiving shopping. Walmart was packed! It was fun though. I always enjoy seeing all the hustle & bustle of shoppers doing their holiday meal shopping. We decided that we are going to go to a Thanksgiving buffet, so all I had to pick up were some things to make desserts with. We also had to order Emily's birthday cake. She chose it, & it's another Princess one (of course). They asked what we wanted put on it, & I said "Happy Birthday Emily". Emily said "I want it to say 'Happy Birthday Princess Emily'", so that is what it will say. 
As we left, Emily was set to wear her pumpkin hat that Denise knitted her. That was before we checked our mail before we took off. I had ordered a hat from Denise for her & for Elliot, & they are 'so' cute! Of course, Emily had to wear her Christmas tree hat after opening it - 
Notice the ribbon around Lilly's neck Denise? She thinks you put that on the package for Lilly to wear.
Elliot 'loves' his dinosaur hat! As soon as he saw it, he squealed "Oh! A Stegosaurus hat!"
Thank you Denise! They are so perfect, & you certainly made a little boy & a little girl's day.
Hope all of you have a blessed Thanksgiving tomorrow. We are all so richly blessed in this country, & I love it that we have a day of Thanksgiving. This morning, a friend from another country wrote "There are so many days in which I wish I were an American, even if for just a day, to be a part of your country & your traditions. Your day of Thanksgiving is one of those days." Be blessed, & enjoy your family & all that goes with this day."We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction." ~Harry A. Ironside~
November 23, 2010 Warning...boring post ahead! I'm getting here so late, so not a whole lot of brain power is left for today. We are trying to make a last minute decision on Thanksgiving. I was going to cook at home, but found out last night that my son Brandon isn't going to be here because of work. My son Shad can't come either. Brandon could come if we eat very early (11am), but he wasn't so sure he wanted a big Thanksgiving meal that early. So we will most likely go to one of the Thanksgiving buffets here at a casino that is near our home. Mike votes for this. He wants me to have the day off, & that sounds good to me. I will make some desserts for later in the evening, & we will enjoy them with our sons that night.
Emily said that she wanted to make a 'decoration' to hang on our refrigerator for Thanksgiving - 
It makes me smile each time I see it. This also makes me smile
We were cleaning, & she told me that she had something very special written to me on her chalkboard.
Speaking of Miss Emily, she asked me "Am I strong?" I said "You're very strong Emily." She then bent her arms to show me her 'muscles', & said "Then why don't I have those humps on my arms that people have when they do like this?" "Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse." ~Henry Van Dyke~
November 22, 2010 It's Monday, so that means it's my Simple Woman's Daybook. Link is to the left if you'd like to visit. I posted a few Christmas sigtags (yes, it's that time again! Can you believe it!?) - link is to the left under 'weekly sigtag'. If you would like any or all of them, please email or tag. See you back here tomorrow. Hugs! November 19, 2010 Sorry for the lack of posts this past week. The night before last, I fell asleep, & last night I was so sleepy that I could barely hold my eyes open. I think I jumped a bit too fast into doing catch up after my week of not feeling well. After a good night's sleep (9 hours!), I feel wonderful!Now on to the winner of the giveaway! As always, Emily's pictures will announce it -
Congratulations Karen! Let me know what gift certificate you would prefer - Wal-Mart, Amazon, iTunes - or something else.
I can't wait for next month's giveaway. I hope you all know how much I enjoy doing these.
I have 2 very hungry guys waiting for me, & one little girl that wants to go eat & then shopping, so I'll see you all back here on Monday at my Simple Woman's Daybook. Can't wait to catch up with all of you this weekend. Hugs!
"The best gift of all, are memories." ~Unknown~
November 16, 2010 You don't know how good it feels to be getting back into the groove of things! My next 'must do', is to catch up with all my reads. I want to see what you all have been up to. So, I am feeling 100% again, & loving it! But now I have another problem. I'm typing this with difficulty because when I was making our bed today, I broke the nail of my index finger. It got bent back & broke off down into my nail bed. Talk about pain! Emily was crying when she saw that I was bleeding, & then Elliot joined in. I felt like joining in. It's really painful...my finger is swollen, & feels like it's throbbing. I guess that will teach me to make beds.
I still haven't finished going through our pictures from our Disney trip, so no Smilebox yet. We had such a great time. Although I think I got the bad cold because of walking around in the rain the first night we got there. It was drizzling & really chilly. Elliot & Emily loved it, & it made for a good memory. If this is how I got the cold, it was worth it.
She's growing up too fast. I remember when we first got her this Cinderella gown, it was down to the floor, & she had to hold it up to walk. After meeting with the Princesses this time, she got another one, & it too is down to the floor. You will also notice her ever present 'friend', LillyTrixieLilly ("Lilly for short", as she always tells everyone). I cannot believe how often people would come up to us & say "Oh, I saw you in the park earlier (or yesterday, ect.)! I remember you by the doggie!" We hear that all the time here too.
Whereas Emily is all Princess, this is more to Elliot's liking. Emily won't even go near him -
We did the Breakfast In the Park with Minnie on two of the mornings. That's always a highlight for the kids. Emily wants to go back into the kitchen so badly to see Minnie cook. She drew her a picture to give her - 
Minnie then took her around the entire restaurant, while holding up the drawing & pointing to Emily & her name on the drawing.
When she got back to our table, Minnie pointed to her & began clapping. Everyone then stood up & clapped for her as they chanted "Emily! Emily!" It was definitely a memory that she (nor we) will ever forget.
Don't forget the giveway! See last Friday's post if you haven't seen the goodies yet. Hugs!
"Memory is a child walking along a seashore. You never can tell what small pebble it will pick up and store away among its treasured things." ~Pierce Harris~
November 15, 2010 I'm getting here late today/tonight, but it's still Monday, so that means it's my Simple Woman's Daybook. Link is to the left if you'd like to visit. I posted a Thanksgiving sigtag - link is to the left. If you would like it, please email or tag, & let me know hair & eye color. If you'd like to have just your name alone (without spouse name) at the bottom, please let me know. Don't forget about the giveaway (see Friday's post). See you back here tomorrow. Hugs! November 12, 2010 I'm sorry that I've not gotten back into the groove of things since we've gotten back from Disneyland. I came down with a horrible cold when we got back - the first one I've had in years, & it really got me. For a week, my home was my couch, & that's where I stayed unless I 'had' to get up. Now this week has been spent catching up with everything that I didn't get to do last week. I'll be back next week sharing some pictures from our Disney trip. I still have to go through all of those. Anyway, I am posting the giveaway that I had meant to post the last week of October, but better late than never. Emily will draw the winning name next Friday, & I'll post the winner before 6PM Pacific time. Rather than posting the 'rules' here, you can scroll down & read my September 28th post to see them. Here's the 'goodies' for this giveaway - A Thanksgiving Raggedy couple, Yankee Macintosh apple candle, 2 fall kitchen towels, & a pillow with the sentiment "Some of life's greatest treasures, are just the little things" -
The winner will also get to choose a $25 gift certificate of their choice - either Wal-Mart, Amazon, or iTunes, or if you have another online store that you love to shop, you may choose that.
Remember, each time you visit & leave a tag, counts as another 'entry'. Hope you all enjoy this one.
See you all back here on Monday at my Simple Woman's Daybook. Have a wonderful weekend! Hugs!
"If you want to feel rich, just count all the things that money cannot buy." ~Unknown~
November 8, 2010 Today is Monday, so it's my Simple Woman's Daybook. Link is to the left if you'd like to visit. I will post the new sigtag tomorrow. See you back here tomorrow. Hugs! October 23, 2010 I wanted to stop in here tonight to let anyone that might stop by here, know that we'll be at Disneyland this week. I should be back for a Thursday post I've been so busy all week...double school days since we're leaving, so that we wouldn't get behind. Computer life was basically non-existent this week. I've missed blogging & catching up with all of your lives, & look forward to getting back into the normal swing of things when we get home. We're looking forward to this time away. I cannot tell you how excited Elliot & Emily are!
I do want to share one thing - Emily bought me a present. A few months ago, I got her a sheep Pillow Pet (the ones you see on the tv commercials). We went out shopping, & she told me to turn my head because she saw something that she had to get. I paid for it...just couldn't look as she lay it down & the cashier put it in a bag. She knows I like lady bugs, so here's my present - 
She told me "Now we can lay on the floor together when we watch Disney."
She wanted me to try it out, so she got her sheep one, I got my ladybug one, & she wanted me to lay on the floor with her & watch Wonder Pets. It was sweet.
We had a few days in which we got rain. We loved it! Emily got her prayed for rainbow. We were driving, & had to pull over & enjoy it before it faded. Isn't this an awesome rainbow? 
For those of you that ordered a sigtag, I'll get those out to you as soon as I get back. I will see you all back here when we get back from Disneyland. Have a wonderful weekend & week. Hugs!
"When you lose, don't lose the lesson.." ~Unknown~
October 19, 2010 Nothing real exciting happened around here today, aside from cleaning the house. We had Avery for 2 days, & when we have her we like to focus on just spending time with her. Not to mention all the time we spend chasing her about. There is a 'lot' of chasing. I've been sharing some of my favorite little things that I've picked up. I want to share my new August Moon angel - Princess In Pigtails. Of course I had to have this one. Emily 'loves' it!
I also picked up three new Boyd Bear figurines to put in my patriotic laundry room. I 'love' these!
The little boy bear brings back memories of when I was a little girl in gradeschool. Every single morning, we all had to file out & stand as we watched our flag being raised. Even as child, I thought it was so beautiful. You probably can't tell it in the photo, but the little girl bear (Eleanor Bearsevelt) is standing on a resin quarter. So cute!I have pictures of Elliot, Emily, & Avery in my patriotic laundry room - pictures that we took on the 4th of July. This picture of Emily with her pinwheel is one of them, so I was really excited when I found this Boyd's Bear -
As I took the above photos, Tinkerbell sat & waited for me to finish - or maybe she was waiting for me to take her picture - 
She looks big in thia picture, but she's so tiny - 3 1/2 pounds. Her vet tells us that we certainly picked out the perfect name for her because of her size. My only regret about her, is that we didn't get a cat sooner. We're still waiting on a sister for her.
Sorry for this 'all over the place' this & that post. I had big time bloggers block tonight. See you all back here tomorrow. Hugs!"The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason." ~Benjamin Franklin~
October 18, 2010 Today is Monday, so it's my Simple Woman's Daybook. Link is to the left if you'd like to visit. I posted 2 new fall sigtags - link is to the left. If you would like one (or both), please email or tag, & let me know hair & eye color. See you back here tomorrow. Hugs! October 14, 2010
I decided to join in Kim's Thursday's Top Ten. This week it's all about food! Specifically the top 10 favorite foods that you enjoy cooking or eating. This was harder than I thought it would be. I like too many foods. . Not in any particular order, here is my list - 1. I love to bake breads - pumpkin, poppyseed, carrot, zuchinni, & banana are my favorites. I love the scent of baking bread going through the house.
2. When fall arrives, I love to make soups. Chili is a 'huge' fall/winter favorite here, followed closely by potato. Honestly, I think potato soup works miracles if you aren't feeling well.
3. Lasagne & manicotti. Fix one of those, with a hot loaf of bread (garlic butter with it), & a big salad, & my husband thinks he's in heaven!
4. A pot roast dinner - comfort food to the max!
5. Mexican food - 'love' it!
6. Chinese food.
7. Warm soft (just out of the oven) oatmeal, peanut butter, or sugar cookies.
8. Strawberry cheesecake ice cream.
9. Pizza.
10. Strawberry crepes.
Emily is sitting here with me, & she wants to give one...she says "I love mashed potatoes, but Elliot always eats his faster & gets the extra."
This is a favorite desert in our home - it's 'so' good! If you try it, let me know how you liked it.
Surprise Carrot Cake
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 cups flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 cup oil
3 eggs, beaten
3 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Combine cream cheese, sugar & egg, mixing until well blended. Set aside.
Combine dry ingredients. Add combined oil & eggs, mixing just until moistened. Fold in carrots & nuts. Reserve 2 cups batter; pour remaining batter into greased & floured (or use baking spray) 9-inch bundt pan. Pour cream cheese mixture over batter; carefully spoon reserved batter over cream cheese mixture, spreading to cover. Bake at 350, 55 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool thoroughly. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.
"Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie." ~Jim Davis~
October 13, 2010
Today was so busy, & yet at the end of it, I felt like I didn't accomplish a whole lot. Probably because it went by in a whirlwind too. It seemed I had just started it when I looked at the clock & saw that it was 4pm. It was strange, because the day flew by, & the evening dragged by. Since it's getting darker earlier, I think that has something to do with that. 
We are having such beautiful fall evenings. Emily & I go on a walk each evening, & it's been a beautiful 70-75 each night. Such a change from just a few short weeks ago! Vegas more than makes up for the blazing hot summers when fall sets in. I shared this picture of Avery enjoying her cupcake a few weeks ago. As I've mentioned, she is 'crazy' for Dora. So I took this picture & added something in it for her. I wish you could have seen her face when I showed it to her. At first she smiled & said "My cupcake!" Then she took a better look, & her expression changed to confusion & then shock, before she yelled out "Oh no! Swiper no swiping! Swiper no swiping! Swiper getting my cupcake! Swiper getting my cupcake!" It was so funny - 
"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God." ~Corrie ten Boom~
October 12, 2010
Over the weekend, I put out our Pooh's Halloween Village for Elliot & Emily. I wanted to share a picture, but couldn't get it to show like it looks. I also brought out my Boyd Bears Halloween figurines, & wanted to share a few of these.
Here's a close-up of his map...do you remember knowing all the 'good' houses to hit? I did. I now try to make our house one of those houses.
I never remember a Halloween or fall party that I attended when I was growing up, in which we didn't bob for apples. Now that I am older & wiser, I realize what a germfest that was! EWWW! That never entered my mind then! The little sign on the bucket here, says "Contest Rules: Bob at your own risk. No double dippin."
Did you ever know a kid that used a pillow case for his Halloween 'loot'? I knew a few. This little guy is planning on bringing in a lot of candy!
Looks like he's doing alright! Did you ever get popcorn like he did? I remember being given popcorn balls. That was when we were safe in taking homemade goodies, but that sadly changed.
Halloween was so innocent when I was growing up, & I've always kept it that way for my kids. No gore, no scary costumes, ect. And you rarely saw an adult dressed up unless they were going to a costume party, but now I see as many adults dressed up as I do children.
I've posted a new fall sigtag - link is to the left. Take or email if you would like to have one.
"Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives, is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see." ~Corrie ten Boom~
October 11, 2010 Today is Monday, but no Simple Woman's Daybook post. I typed it all out, tried to save it, & got a 'save error' message. I tried to go back, but the post was gone. Needless to say, I was frustrated! Too late to type it again, so I'll see you all here tomorrow. Hugs! October 8, 2010
Emily has been wanting to learn how to jump rope for so long. This is a 'lot' of pictures, but just wanted to share our jump rope lessons today. Believe me - it will take a 'lot' more lessons! 
"A child reminds us that playtime is an essential part of our daily routine." ~Unknown~
October 7, 2010 Since most weren't so sure that they liked my August Moon figurine, I thought I would share a few of my angel figurines from them...they are a bit cuter than the one I shared yesterday.
All I have are the angel ones, but the 'I need chocolate NOW' figurine appealed to me, so she was my first one 'without wings'. Emily asked me what you all thought of her, & when I told her that I wasn't too sure that many liked her, she said "Well, maybe it's because they looked at her face & saw that she didn't look happy, & they probably wondered why the cupcake didn't have icing on it too."
FINALY! Fall weather greeted us this morning! It was 60F when we got up this morning (& it felt 'glorious' after our hot summer!), & the high today was 79. LOVE it! We are supposed to creep up near 90 again next week, but for the next fews days it will be in the 70's. We took advantage of it & played outside for awhile this afternoon. 
"You can't hide your true colours as you approach the autumn of your life." ~Unknown~
October 6, 2010
I have been getting very spoiled lately! Today brought such a sweet surprise, from an even sweeter friend. 
This Willow Tree Angel of Learning, has special meaning to her & to me in our lives. I love seeing the things from friends that are in my home! Little reminders tucked here & there of what a wonderful gift friendship truly is. Thank you sweet friend!
I love the August Moon pieces from Lang, so I treated myself also! They are different/unique in looks, but there's something very endearing about them to me. Mabye it's their simplicity. I know they don't appeal to everyone. My son saw it sitting on my counter, laughed & said "Why in this world would you want something 'so' ugly sitting out?" I love her, & her message reflected how I felt today (many days) too!
Emily loved her because she is standing atop a cupcake.
I received my 5th email today from some readers about not being able to read my Simple Woman's Daybook anymore. Apparently, it is only readers that use Firefox. The ones (Firefox users) that have tried IE, say it works fine there. I read that Firefox made some changes last week that now prevents some readers from viewing certain blogs or sites. It's a problem that was supposed to be fixed. So if you've tried to read there, & you use Firefox, that's most likely the problem.Mike got home today after being away for a week & a half, so Elliot & Emily were so excited when he walked in. He pretty much was tackled.
After he had a few minutes to catch his breath from his 'welcome committee', he announced that we were going out for dinner, & that only got him tackled again. So off we went to dinner, followed up with shopping. I cannot believe all the Christmas stuff out already! Elliot & Emily were in awe."The worst solitude is to be destitute of sincere friendship." ~Francis Bacon~
October 5, 2010 Ready to find out the winner of September's giveaway? As always, I'll let the pictures reveal that to you - 
Congratulations Denise!! In the above picture where Emily is showing me the name & smiling so big - it's because she asked me who won. I told her "Denise", & she squealed "Oh Denise! She's the one that made me the beautiful hats!" I'll get your package out tomorrow. I know you will enjoy everything.I promised I would have this posted by 6pm, but just a bit late because my sister called me & wanted to chat. I'll cut this short though so that I am pretty much on time with it. See you all tomorrow. Hugs!
"For it is in giving that we receive." ~St. Francis of Assisi~
October 4, 2010 Today is Monday, so it's My Simple Woman's Daybook day. Click on the link to the left if you'd like to visit. New Halloween sigtag is posted - link is to left. I'm ready to announce the September giveaway winner tomorrow - so not too late to enter or get another entry in (see September 28th post). See you back here tomorrow before 6pm Pacific. Hugs! October 1, 2010
I cannot believe that it's October 1st! This year has flown by! Halloween this month, Thanksgiving next month, & Christmas the next month...doesn't seem possible. Seeing as it was October 1st, I thought it would be a fun thing to surprise the kids with a trip to Krispy Kreme for their Halloween kickoff. They 'loved' the box - 
Weathermen had promised us a thunderstorm today, but it never became a reality. We were met with sunny & blue skies. Seeing as we rarely get a thunderstorm, we were excited. We spent some time decorating Avery's room for her overnight stays. She's crazy over Dora, so 'lots' of Dora in there! This picture is a bit blurry because of her jumping up & down excitedly, but this was her reaction when we told her to open her eyes - 
She loves Dora, but fell in love with a Tinkerbell toddler bed that she saw at Babies R US. She was so excited when she saw it in her room -
I got some bad news later today - my MIL called to tell us that she was told today that she has inoperable lung cancer. She has to have more tests before they start her on treatment, but they told her that it doesn't look good, & that it seems to be in the late stages. Please remember her in prayer.Don't forget about the giveaway...winner to be announced before 6pm Pacific time on Tuesday. I'm exicted! Have a wonderful weekend. I'll see you back here at my Simple Woman's Daybook on Monday. Hugs!
"Always watch where you are going. Otherwise, you may step on a piece of the Forest that was left out by mistake." ~Pooh's Little Instruction Book, inspired by A.A. Milne ~
September 30, 2010
I haven't done a meme in ages, but this one from Kim's Top Ten Thursday appealed to me since I love fall. Fall seems to come later here in Vegas, but it's beautiful when it does come.1. Cooler temps after extremely hot summers here in Vegas.
2. Getting to watch the leaves change colors. So beautiful!
3. Getting out my fall decorations, shopping for new ones, & seeing the fall decorations throughout our neighborhood.
4. Soup weather. I 'love' the smell of a great soup simmering for most of the day.
5. Getting to bring out the sweaters. I love bringing out my fall scents in candles too (tried to sneak two things in this one).
6. Getting out our flannel sheets & my brushed flannel pjs.
7. The sound of football on the tv. I don't watch it, but for some reason, I love hearing it in the background.
8. The start of the new fall season on tv...it's always so nice to look forward to my favorite shows returning, & seeing if there are any new watch worthy shows.
9. The start up of school with Elliot & Emily.
10.Looking forward to the fall holidays, & kicking off my Christmas shopping.
I want to share this picture taken in Brown County Indiana, near where I grew up. If you visit there in the fall, the beauty is breathtaking!
Don't forget the September giveaway (see Tuesday's post). Hugs!
"The trees of Autumn are flaming torches, lighting the way to winter." ~Unknown~
September 29, 2010
We played hide & seek again today. I had to run get my camera when I 'found' Avery. Can you find her? 
The girls also discovered how fun it is to fill your hands with bubbles & clap 'real' big. Oh to be a child again! Looks like they are in a snowstorm.
To cap my evening off, Elliot decided to get his foot wedged down into our couch. He knows it's a 'big' no-no to jump on it...something he swears he wasn't doing. He says he was 'walking' on it & his foot slipped down into there. This is the 2nd time he's done this. Scared me too death the first time, & scared me just as much this 2nd time. I think he learned his leason. He was really shaken by the time I was able to free him.Don't forget September's giveaway (see yesterday's post). Emily cannot wait to draw the name. She's also wants to do one of her drawings to add to the goodies.
"The quieter you become, the more you can hear." ~Unknown~
September 28, 2010
I had meant to get here midday today to post my giveway, but Avery had other plans for me. She was fine as long as I was playing with her or right by her side. But let me start to do something else, & she would all of a sudden tell me "My tummy hurts. I want to hold you." We went to buy cupcakes...'boy' cupcakes (Transformer rings on them), & 'girl' cupcakes (pink & green iced with 'tons' of sprinkles). I thought that was only fair, seeing as Elliot always has to eat a "girl" cupcake. The girls chose mini cupcakes. I sat them down & gave them their cupcake, then turned around to get them a drink. Emily got down from her chair to help me. About a minute later, we all sat down again, & Emily looked so shocked. She looked around & said "Where's my cupcake???" Immediately, I knew where it had went. There in the place where her cupcake had sat, was her cupcake paper. Avery looked so guilty. Emily asked her "Avery, did you eat my cupcake?" No answer...so I asked her. She looked at Emily, & said "Yeah, I ate your cupcake." She had also eaten 'her' cupcake too...all within a minute! I got so tickled...I can imagine her reaching over, grabbing it, & eating it as fast as she could. She 'loves' food! Emily wasn't so thrilled that she had eaten hers. Even though hers looked like the rest, she told me "I picked the one with fluffier icing than the rest, & more sprinkles. Mine was prettier than them all." I guess Avery thought so too. 
It's time for my September giveaway! This one celebrates fall. Since I've archived my posts, I'm going to paste in my 'rules' here for those that may have never read them or entered before. If you have read them, then skip on to the goodies... 1. You must leave a tag in my blog (either my Simple Woman's Daybook blog or here). This is your 'entry'. Each time you leave a tag, will give you another 'entry'. When you tag the first time, just mention that you want to be a part of my giveaway, so that I will know that you want to participate.
2. I want 'you' to give also. This will get you an extra entry. This isn't a requirement, but I hope you participate. I am a firm believer in 'giving back', & being a blessing to someone else. I am not speaking of giving monetarily (although you could if this is how you chose to give). Giving takes many forms, & sometimes the best of all is giving with simplicity. Something as simple as baking cookies for a friend, a neighbor, co-workers, even family. For years, I chose a family each week, & would bake an apple pie for them. I would drop it off at some point in the afternoon so that they could look forward to an after dinner dessert. Such a small gesture, but it meant so much to the receiving family. Dropping a 'thinking of you' note in the mail or via email. So often, the gift of words is the best gift of all. Going to Starbucks? Pick up an extra one to take to someone at work, or to drop off to a friend, a family member, a neighbor, ect. (I do this often). Better yet, call & ask someone to meet you there for an hour of chat (gifts of time are wonderful in these days that most are 'too busy'). Call someone, just to let them know you care, & let 'them' talk. While driving, let someone in front of you...happily. Smile at that grumpy salesclerk you may encounter (gift of kindness & patience) Call that tired Mom, & 'tell' her (don't ask her), that you are taking the kids for a few hours. Simple little ways of giving of yourself. If everyone would give in some form or fashion each day, just think of what a much better world we would live in. If you chose to do this, in one of your tags, please say "I gave". No need to let me know 'how' you gave, just that you 'did'. If you want to share, then please do.
3. If you win my giveaway, I want you to in turn give something to someone else of your choosing. By that, I mean that I want you to chose something out of my giveaway that you won, & give it to someone. A 'pay it forward', so to speak.
That's it. Some very simple guidelines, & a simple excercise that hopefully will make us all aware of how we can give each day.
Ready to see the goodies? First off, is a cute little raggedy scarecrow couple -
Next we have 2 fall candle rings with votive candles, 2 fall dish towels, a Home Sweet Home Yankee candle, & two Blossom Bucket figurines -
Hope you see something that you like enough to enter. Emily will draw the winning name next Tuesday, & I'll post the winner before 6pm Pacific. Remember, every tag counts as another entry.
"A day is Eternity's seed, and we are its Gardeners." ~Erika Harris~
September 27, 2010 Today is Monday, so it's My Simple Woman's Daybook day. Click on the link to the left if you'd like to visit. New fall sigtag is posted - link is to left. I'm ready to announce my September giveaway tomorrow - so I hope you stop in to enter. See you back here tomorrow. Hugs! September 24, 2010 I had high hopes of getting to sleep in for a bit this morning, but Emily woke me up for 'cuddle time'...so cuddle time it was. I thought for sure that she would sleep in, because she got up at 2:30am wanting a drink, & then decided that she felt like crawling into bed with me & chattering for an hour. Anyway, it was just as well that we got up early, because I had a lot that I wanted to accomplish today. I've been on a fall cleaning kick this week, & loving it. Mike got home at noon - he surprised us...so after he arrived, he took Elliot to do some things & Emily & I took off for our girl time. One of our errands was to find some pumpkins. When we go to this one store, she always wants to 'drive' the "car cart" (she honestly believes she is driving), & I always smile when I see her & Lilly from behind. Today it hit me, that I had better capture that memory before she gets too big to 'drive' the cart - 
She & Lilly get lots of smiles & comments as she 'drives' through the store. I get a kick out of hearing her honk her horn (it's more like a big squeaker sound) at customers if she wants to warn them that she's coming. I remember Elliot loving to ride in these too, & I'll never forget the day he tried to get in, & realized that he was too big. I think it hurt me more than it hurt him.
Emily & I ended up being out all afternoon/early evening. Mike & Elliot went to eat, & that meant I had a date with Emily (& Lilly) for dinner. 
We rarely (if ever) eat out without Mike & Elliot, & it was sweet just having an 'us girls' dinner. The food wasn't that great - we deciced on Ruby Tuesdays, & wish we'd eaten somewhere else. I hadn't eaten there in years...now I remember why. Maybe it was on off night, but it bordered on horrible. During the meal, Emily said "Mommy, this makes me wish that we had eat at home."
Hope you all have a great 1st weekend of fall. I'll see you back here on Monday, at my Simple Woman's Daybook. Hugs!
"The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra." ~Jimmy Johnson~
September 23, 2010 Our first day of fall was a wonderful start to the season. As soon as we got ready this morning, we headed off to Starbucks. I don't think I was the only one that wanted to start fall with my perfect fall drink (pumpkin spice latte). It was 'packed', & that's what everyone was ordering. From there, we went up to Krispy Kreme. Elliot & Emily love watching the donuts get iced - 
The fall donut was apple harvest, but Emily stuck with her regular -
See this sweet smile? He'll be "pingin' the walls' (as Emily says it) after the sugar from his donut hits him -
Emily & Lilly entertained us with a dance after she finished her donut. This was the finale. Emily calls it a "jumping twirl" -
After leaving there, we went to Michaels to pick up a 'few' more fall decorations. Elliot & Emily wanted to each get a scarecrow. I also wanted one. I'll blame the sale, but we got a few more than we had planned on - 
Emily picked out 3 of those, & she's named each scarecrow that we got.
I think Tinkerbell is licking her chops because she wants to munch on the rafia -
Once we got home & sat out some decorations, we worked in our yard for awhile. While out there, the mailman brought me a surprise from a sweet friend - 
Thank you Cindi! What perfect timing - right on time for fall! I love it, & Emily loves her gift too! You made her day (& mine).
Everyone voted on breakfast for our first dinner of the season, & it did fit well. We had the 'works', & it was so good! After dinner, we settled in for the evening. I am so happy that my fall shows are back.
For the first day of fall, I've added another sigtag to the other one that's being offered this week. If you want her, please specify hair & eye color. Link is to the left. See you all back here tomorrow!"No Spring nor Summer Beauty hath such grace As I have seen in one Autumnal face." ~John Donne~
September 22, 2010 I am so happy that fall finally arrives tomorrow! It's my favorite season. Living in Las Vegas, & having the brutal summers that we do, has made me look forward to it even more. I am ready to greet it, & we will celebrate its arrival tomorrow. Even though we are supposed to hit triple digits, it won't prevent me from starting my first fall morning at Starbucks, enjoying my favorite fall drink - 
You know it's fall when you have a pumpkin cheesecake roll! It's waiting to be enjoyed tomorrow -
With my pumpkin spice latte & pumpkin cheesecake roll in hand, I think I'll curl up with this, to see what Autumn Delights await me. I have saved it to open up tomorrow -
I've shared this picture before, but come to my door, & you'll get an Autumn welcome. I love the look of doors during this season & Christmas -
My fall Boyd's are taking center stage in the fall decor. These are 2 of my favorites -
Do you do anything to kick off each new season? I try to make it special, & a celebration. I'll be taking Elliot & Emily up to Michael's tomorrow to choose a few fall decorations. We'll stop by Krispy Kreme afterwards so that they can get a featured fall donut...I believe it's apple harvest. No matter what the flavor, they will be excited.
"Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all." ~Stanley Horowitz~
September 21, 2010 I wish you could have seen the bathroom (& me!) after the girls were done with splashing during their baths the other night! They had as much fun splashing me, as they did each other - maybe more. A simple time, but such sweet memories. 
"Much of my reading time over the last decade and a half has been spent reading aloud to my children. Those children's bedtime rituals of supper, bath, stories, and sleep have been a staple of my life and some of the best, most special times I can remember." ~Louise Brown~
September 20, 2010 Today is Monday, so it's My Simple Woman's Daybook day. Click on the link to the left if you'd like to visit. New fall sigtag is posted - link is to left. See you back here tomorrow. Hugs! September 17, 2010
We went out to eat tonight at a Mexican food restaurant. When we asked Avery what she wanted to eat, she pointed to this picture & said "Mmmm! I want that one!"
Out of all the food pictures on the menu, I cannot figure out why the chili stood out to her.
We went shopping for awhile aferwards, & then came home to relax. I bought Magic Mikes (microphones) for the kids, & 5 mintues after opening them, the thought hit me "What in this world was I thinking???"
They were singing at the top of their lungs, & thought it was great fun to out sing the other as far a volume. I think Avery won in that area - she is 'so' loud anyway. When she arrives, you 'know' she's arrived. 
See you all back here on Monday at my Simple Woman's Daybook. I'll be by to visit you all this weekend. Hugs!
"There is no time of life past learning something." ~Unknown~
September 15, 2010 Avery picked up Tinkerbell today - a no-no unless I am there to watch her & teach her how to do it properly. She overheard Emily telling on her, & telling me that not only did she pick Tinkerbell up, she squeezed her. This is why she isn't allowed to hold her unless we are with her. So what did she do? She ran & 'hid'...she thinks that as long as her head is underneath the chair, then she's hidden well - 
It's so funny that kids think they are hidden as long as their heads are hidden. It reminds me of a couple of years ago when we were playing hide & seek. I was the seeker, & this is how I found Emily (exactly where Avery hid today) -
We decided to try out a little Italian restaurant near our home tonight. It was delicious! So much so, that I think it will become one of our favorites. I wish we'd tried it out sooner. It's nice too, because it's 2 minutes from our house. Avery kept wanting to eat her pizza by leaving it on her plate & putting her face into it to take bites. We'd tell her to eat it correctly, & she would tell us "I wanna eat like a dog. WOOF!" Later, after her cupcake snack, she said she wanted to play dog & "eat Tinkerbell's food". Elliot was panicked - he said "I think the cupcake has made Avery crazy." "A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes." ~Hugh Downs~
September 14, 2010 Before I announce the winner of my giveaway, I want to first brag on my little artist. As most of you know, Emily 'loves' to draw! Today in our homeschooling, for art she drew a chicken - 
Pretty good for a 4 year old - or at least I think so.
Now on to letting the pictures announce the winner of the giveway! Emily always loves me to take one picture of her before she draws. This is her 'silly' smile - Avery was doing something that got her so tickled - 
She always has to check out the name before she shows me, & by her expression, you would think that she can read the name -
Congratulations Linda!! I would have loved to have seen you reading this. I can only imagine the squeals! If you were to know Linda, you would understand what I mean. We met in England 21 years ago, & our friendship has spanned time & the ocean. Believe me when I say, she 'squealed' when she read this post. I'll email your Amazon gift certificate tomorrow after you read the post, & send your package on the way to England tomorrow! Time to go have some evening fun now...out to eat, followed by some not so fun stuff - grocery shopping. Although, we'll probably be so full after our meal, that we'll end up coming home with nothing from the grocery store. See you all tomorrow. Hugs!"A friend accepts us as we are yet helps us to be what we should." ~Unknown~
September 13, 2010 Today is Monday, so it's My Simple Woman's Daybook day. Click on the link to the left if you'd like to visit. Two new fall sigtags are posted - link is to left. I worked really hard on these two, & I think they 'scream' fall. Don't forget about the giveaway (see September 8th post)...Emily will draw the winning name tomorrow before 6pm pacific time. See you back here tomorrow. Hugs! September 10, 2010 It may not feel like fall here yet, but it's beginning to 'look' like fall around our home - 
Emily wanted to sit our fall angel out on our mantel...she loves this one because she loves fall -
Mike came home early today (noon), & he got a kick out of sitting in on Elliot & Emily's school time. He's never really sat in since he's at work during it, so he got to see a bit of what he misses. It's so sweet to teach them. Elliot 'hates' math with a passion, & Emily loves it. She loves doing what she calls "plus-es" (addition). Mike asked her how did she do it so well. She told him that she starts out by lining the numbers up in her head. As I said, Elliot hates, hates, hates math, & he doesn't think the numbers will line up in his. Teaching them is an experience that I wouldn't want to miss for the world. There's only one thing Emily would change about school - she says she wishes we would have it everyday, with no days off. These are sweet days with them.
Tonight was 'picnic' night in our family room. We do this sometimes with the kids, & they love it! It's something different & fun for them (& for us). After our picnic, we played some games with them, & then settled in to watch a movie of their choosing. If you haven't seen the giveaway yet, please check out Wednesday's post. Emily will be drawing the winning name next Tuesday. Hope you all have a great weekend. See you back here on Monday at my Simple Woman's Daybook!"Children will not remember you for the material things you provided but for the feeling that you cherished them." ~Richard L. Evans~
September 9, 2010 Emily found a good use for a Whole Foods bag today...she told me that she wanted to have a 'sack race'...so that's what her & Elliot did. They had so much fun. I love the simple joys of childhood! Sorry these are a bit blurred...they were hopping fast 
They were quite happy (especially Emily), when I surprised them with ladybug cookies tonight -
My friend Kat (click on her name to visit her Etsy jewelry site - Shiny Moonbeams) is having a jewelry giveaway at her blog. She does such incredible work. I've ordered from her before, & 'love' her work! Click here to visit her blog to see how you can enter her giveaway. You might be the lucky winner of two of her beautiful pairs of earrings! Below is a picture of one of the pairs of earrings that you could win - 
Speaking of giveaways, don't forget about mine (see yesterday's post). If you want to enter, pleae let me know in a tag. Emily will draw the winning name next Tuesday."Jumping at several small opportunities may get us there more quickly than waiting for one big one to come along." ~Hugh Allen~
September 8, 2010 Okay - I promised that I would share my surprise with you all today. At the end of our little party on Saturday, Mike gave me this - 
An Apple Ipad! I have wanted one since they first came out. To say that I am 'in love' with it, is probably an understatement. This little gadget amazes me! Guess who wants one now? Yes, Emily.
She dumped her piggy bank & asked Mike if she had enough for one. I had put so many educational games & other kid's games on my itouch, that I told her that she could claim that as hers now. She says she will use it until she gets her ipad.
After Mike got home from work today, while he & Elliot had their 'guy' time, Emily & I went off to the mall. I spent ages in Sephora (love that store!), & came away with a lot of goodies. Pennys was having a jewelry sale, & Emily picked out a new toe ring. She wants to be like me, so she's worn one since before she was 3. She was heartbroken when it broke when we were at Disneyland in May. I had promised her that we'd get her another one as soon as we found one she liked, so she was so happy tonight to have her toe decorated again. With everything that was going on at the end of August, I didn't post the August giveaway, so I'm doing that today. It's a simple one, but one that I hope you all like enough to join in the fun. Here are the goodies for this one - 
It's a Bath & Body Works one. In case you can't see the products, it includes Warm Vanilla Sugar shower gel, body lotion, & body spray. From the Summer Vanillas Line, there's the Lemon Vanilla shower gel & body lotion. There's a fresh market apple anit-bacterial hand lotion, along with a pocket size fresh market apple anti-bacterial hand gel. Then there's Cinnamon Stick room spray, & a Cinnamon Stick candle. Lastly, I am throwing in a $50 Amazon gift certificate. If you are interested in entering & not familiar with my 'rules', rather than post my them in this post, you can read them in my April 13th post. If you'd like to join, please tag & let me know that you're interested. Don't forget - each tag, gives you another entry, & giving in some way, also gives you another entry. Since I'm late in getting this posted for this week, Emily will draw the winning name next Tuesday before 6pm Pacific time.
"A smile is the light in the window of your face that tells people you're at home." ~Unknown~
September 7, 2010 Emily was so excited this morning. We woke up to this - 
We so seldom get to see this, so I had to take advantage of it & ran up to Starbucks. I got to feel that it was fall for awhile - pumpkin spice latte with a pumpkin cheesecake muffin -
When I say that I got to feel like it was fall for awhile, I mean a very small while. The rain lasted a 'big' 15 minutes, & within an hour this was back -
We had a party for Avery Saturday night to celebrate her getting to come stay with us for the week. We had ice cream -
We played games, watched...can you guess? Yep - her favorite, a Dora movie. We all had a lot of fun. I think one of her most favorite things though, was getting to do this -
It's the first time she's gotten to hold Tinkerbell alone. She has a tendency to 'squeeze' her. She did really well, & was so proud of herself.
It was a party for Avery, but I am the one that ended up getting the big surprise. Since this post has been long, I will share about that tomorrow.
"If you haven't time to respond to a tug at your pants leg, your schedule is too crowded." ~Robert Brault~
September 6, 2010 Today is Monday, so it's My Simple Woman's Daybook day. Click on the link to the left if you'd like to visit. New fall sigtag is posted - link is to left. See you back here tomorrow. Hugs! September 2, 2010 Today was a whirlwind of a day. Grocery shopping needed to be done, & Avery was thrilled that she got to go along with us. Here she is coming downstairs, all ready to go. 
She said she wanted to wear her "king hat", so she did. She wore it in the store too. In fact she wore it until I took it, when she decided that she would rather eat it than wear it. If you look closely at it (above her left eye) in the picture of her coming downstairs, you can see that she began nibbling on it in her room.
Emily always has to give her a kiss on the cheek. Avery loves it on the lips, but she is a 'very' sloppy, slobbery kisser, so Emily tells her "Please just let me kiss your cheek."
On the way home from shopping, we stopped in at Starbucks. Emily's bird was there again -
She got to pet it this time, but I didn't get a picture of that. For some reason, she thought that the camera would scare it & make it "bite her" or make it "fly away". I was really disappointed after we left that I didn't get a picture of her with it.
Speaking of Starbucks...when we stopped by the other day, I saw something that made me so happy! Could fall really be near??? 
It made me feel that Fall is here...even if it is triple digit temps still. I 'love' the pumpkin spice lattes! So of course, I had to have one.
After we got home from the grocery store, we baked a carrot cake to surprise Mike when he got home from work. It did surprise him too...it's one of his (& our) favorites. He was so glad to be greeted with the smell of it just out of the oven when he got home. The girls got cupcakes. They had ones with Hello Kitty rings in the icing, so Emily wanted to get them for Avery since she loves Hello Kitty. After dinner, time playing outside, & then bubble baths, they enjoyed them while Mike & Elliot enjoyed carrot cake. Here's Avery devouring hers. Notice that she eats all of the icing first, & she almost icings herself in the process!
"We should certainly count our blessings, but we should also make our blessings count." ~Neil A. Maxwell~
September 1, 2010
I didn't make it here yesterday, & I almost didn't make it here tonight either. This week has been full! I started our school year with the kids on Monday. For the first 2 weeks, we're doing a refresher of what they learned last school year, so it's going to be an easy beginning. I thought this would get their year off to a good start. Emily 'loves' learning. The night prior to our start day, she couldn't get to sleep because she was so excited. Elliot thought it was the end of the world because he had to face school again. He said "School again? When do I get to stop doing this?" Sorry Elliot - but 2nd grade is a 'long' way off from being finished. 
To say that we're all so happy that she's here for a week, is an understatement. We got her Monday, & she gets to stay till next Monday. After not seeing her for 5 weeks, she already seems as though she grew.
We took most of the day yesterday & went to the dinosaur park.
Followed by eating out & letting the kids play in a kid's zone. Emily had an 'electrifying' time -
After that, it was off to Toys R US, to do some shopping to celebrate Avery. Elliot gave this stop a 'thumbs up' -
Today my son took Avery out for the afternoon. He said this was one of her favorite things -
Tonight, we all went out to eat at Chili's. Elliot & Emily came away with another balloon - Emily a bear, & Elliot a motorcycle -
My younger son & his girlfriend came over & spent the evening with us. They brought the kids each a gift. He made Elliot's week - he bought him lightsabers (oh joy! ) Avery loved them as much as he did. This picture turned out really weird - probably because of the speed at which they were using these things! 
I'm sorry that this was so long. I wanted to give you a condensed version of our last couple of days. I hope to get around & visit with each of you tomorrow sometime. I am so behind in my reads. Have a wonderful day!
"Why try to be someone you're not? Life is hard enough without adding impersonation to the skills required." ~Robert Brault~
August 30, 2010 Today is Monday, so it's My Simple Woman's Daybook day. Click on the link to the left if you'd like to visit. New fall sigtag is posted - link is to left. I posted 2, but they are similar, one holding her pumpkin & the other with it beside her. Let me know which you want. If you want both, let me know. See you back here tomorrow. Hugs! August 27, 2010 Mike took today off, so we made a run to the Air Force base here (Nellis). Elliot & Emily love going there. Elliot loves seeing the planes, & he & Emily love seeing all the jets take off. They love knowing that Mike flew these. Here's the 3 that he flew during his Air Force career - 
This isn't the best picture, but Elliot & Emily loved getting to see the take-offs -
We shopped for awhile & then ate lunch there. It was a simple outing, but they had so much fun.
While there, I found some things that my sister loves from the Philosophy line - click here if you want to check it out. They really have some wonderful products. Anyway, I got her a few things, & Emily & I ran out to mail them out to her after we got home. She will be so surprised. Mike bought 2 new video games for him & Elliot, so while they had their 'guy' time, Emily & I ran to Starbucks for a treat, then came home & had our 'girl time'. Perfect ending to a perfect day! Have a great weekend! See you all back here on Monday at my Simple Woman's Daybook!"He is rich or poor according to what he is, not according to what he has." ~Henry Ward Beecher~
August 26, 2010
I got up early to run out to do some errands. Elliot wanted to do our routine stop at Starbucks - so we did. Here is is, giving a thumbs up for his vanilla bean frappuccino - 
I felt so bad for him, because 2 minutes later our pugs were lapping it up. He dropped it, it spilled everywhere, & they were on it in a flash. So now we have a few more Starbuck fans.
Emily told him "Elliot it's okay, you can have mine." He didn't take it, but I have a feeling that he wanted to.
Mike came home early, so after eating, we all settled in for another relaxing evening. I love these nights!
"The trouble with most people is that they think with their hopes or fears or wishes rather than with their minds." ~Will Durant~
August 25, 2010 Right after breakfast this morning, I took Elliot & Emily outside to play. It was so hot (106F), so I was the designated 'sprayer'. I kept it set on 'shower' the entire hour that they were out, & that kept them cool. We had such fun. After we went in, it was time for baths & popcicles while they bathed. Oh to be a child again! I called my sister this morning to wish her a happy birthday. She 'loved' her gifts in my box to her. She really loved the 'gift' from Elliot. He had gathered up about 11 cents, & as I was signing her card, he brought it to me & said "I want to give this to Jenny for her birthday." It really touched her. I also called a local place there, & had a birthday cake & ice cream delivered to her. I was on the phone with her when it was delivered, & it was funny to hear her suprise. I heard her ask "What is this?!! Who is this from?" She was told "It's from Judy, Elliot, & Emily." She was so happy, & I was even more happy to surprise her with it. I won't share her age, because I don't think she would want me to, but I thought it would be fun to call her that many times today. It made her laugh, as I'd call her throughout the day & evening & ask her "What are you doing?" It was a fun day, & one that I hope gave her good memories.
While we ate dinner tonight, Emily decided that we were going to pretend that we were having a meal on an airplane. Our destination? Disneyland. At one point, she told us that the pilot had just announced that we would be landing soon, "so please hurry & finish your meals". As we got up from our chairs after eating, she reminded us that we were getting off the plane, & to remember that we were going to Disneyland. So...our home was turned into Disney for awhile. Game night followed after that. Emily is such a little competitor. She 'loves' to win! Can you tell by this 'really' happy face?
"Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it." ~George Halas~
August 24, 2010
After breakfast this morning, I took Elliot & Emily out to run some errands. They got a special treat when we made our stop at Starbucks. A couple were there having their coffee with their pet - 
When they first saw it, they thought it had flown there by itself, & Emily was trying to plot out how she could lure it into our car. She was so disappointed when I told her that it had owners.
I got the prettiest candle in the mail today...so pretty, that I hate to use it, but I will. It's called cinnibun, & smells 'so' good!
It looks good enough to eat, so I had to explain to Elliot & Emily that it was indeed, a candle. Emily said "Oh! I was getting ready to ask you if I could could have a bite of it."
I called my sister today, & had a nice long talk with her. She received her birthday box from me last Friday, but I told her that I didn't want her to open it until tomorrow on her birthday. She said that every time she passes by the box, everything in her wants to tear it open. I We felt like going out to eat tonight, so Elliot & Emily wanted to choose the restaurant. They both wanted Chili's...it's become Elliot's favorite restaurant. We played sit down Simon Says while we waited for our meal (Emily's suggestion). She ended up being the winner, & she 'loves' winning!
We came home & settled in for a famiy evening. Elliot wanted to play video games, so he & Mike did that, while Emily & I watched some of her recorded children's programs. We ended the evening with cupcakes, but at least they were mini cupcakes. I told the kids that I was going to have to stop eating so many goodies, or I wouldn't be able to fit into my clothes anymore. Emily said "Well, it won't matter to me, because I'll love you no matter what you look like." "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." ~James Baldwin~
August 23, 2010 Today is Monday, so it's My Simple Woman's Daybook day. Click on the link to the left if you'd like to visit. Emily wanted it to be her turn today, so she dictated her answers to me. New sigtag is posted - link is to left. See you back here tomorrow. Hugs! August 19, 2010 With Mike being away last week, & him having a very lax schedule this week, our schedule is so off whack. We all slept in till 10am this morning! That was nice, but I felt as though I missed half my day. Mike only had to go in for a few hours, so we went to Chili's when he got home. After our meal, there was a "balloon artist" (as he called himself), come by our table. These aren't very good pictures, & they really don't do the balloon shapes justice, but Elliot chose an airplane - 
Such a simple little treat, but they played with them for hours.
After we left Chili's, we went shopping for awhile at Best Buy & Walmart, then it was on to home to let Elliot & Emily choose a movie to watch. It's been so nice this week - we've let them choose something each evening, & we snuggle up together to watch it. Emily & I also baked muffins for later in the evening. Monday night was a cinnamon streusel coffee cake, last night was cookies, & now muffins??? I've been in such a baking mood, but after tonight I need to stop before my scales stop being my 'friend'. Elliot told me that my stomach might get "squishy". For a long time now, Elliot has been saying that he thinks he would like to be a doctor, a veterinarian, or a pilot when he grows up. He came to me yesterday & said "I know what I want to be now." He then said "What are you called, because I want to be just like you." I said "Honey, I'm a homemaker." He said "That's what I want to be too - a homemaker. I'm going to be just like you!" I know he will change his mind again next week, but I thought it was so funny & sweet."Regret for wasted time is more wasted time." ~Mason Cooley~
August 18, 2010 I just sat here for over an hour writing out my post, but for some reason, when I went to save it, the server timed out. I am heartsick that I lost it, & it's too late to write it again, so you all get a break today. Oh the joys of computers sometimes! I'll see you all tomorrow. "The tragedy of life is not so much what men suffer, but rather what they miss." ~Thomas Carlyle~
August 17, 2010
After Mike getting home on Sunday after being away all last week, & him taking yesterday off work, today was back to our 'normal'. My two little helpers & I cleaned house all morning, & then it was off to do some errands. We ended up being out until 6PM. While out, I had to mail out my sister's birthday gifts, so I put those into a bag & took them up to the post office to package them there. They were just closing when we walked in, but I was going to use the self mail anyway. I put her gifts into the largest priority mail box, but I forgot my tape. So it was back home to get that. Got that, & found out that the gifts wouldnt fit into the box. So I had to go buy a box. I won't go into my post office fiasco, but I ended up going up there & back home three times for that one package, before I got it sent on its way to my sister. We were driving along & I noticed that Emily didn't have her sunglasses on. When I asked her where were they, she said "Oh no! My sunglasses are at the post office!" So back we go again to get those. We were going to go out to eat tonight, but by the time we got home, we wanted to eat here & then settle in to enjoy a relaxing evening. Elliot is a real homebody, & he was thrilled when we decided to stay in & have pasta, salad, & bread. He was even more thrilled after eating & playing games for awhile, when he & Mike smelled cinnamon streusel coffee cake baking. Emily & I had decided that would be a nice cap off to our evening as we watched a children's show with them. It definitely turned out to be a comfort food evening. And it was welcomed!"You cannot always have happiness, but you can always give happiness." ~Unknown~
August 16, 2010 Today is Monday, so it's My Simple Woman's Daybook day. Click on the link to the left if you'd like to visit. I'm so in the mood for fall, & you'll see that with the sigtag offered this week. Link is to the left. If you want one, please let me know if you want it with or without the wording. See you back here tomorrow. Hugs! August 13, 2010 The kids & I slept in till a bit before 10am today! It was nice, but I felt like I had lost a big chunk of our day. I decided to turn it into a lazy day for us, so we chose a few of their children's movies & snuggled up on the couch to watch those. We then played games for awhile, read for awhile, & then caught up with some children's shows that I had recorded them. It was one of the laziest days on earth, but we so enjoyed it. I love having days that we do nothing but just enjoy time together. As we were cuddled up on the couch together, Elliot hugged me & said "I love you so much! You're sweeter than a cookie!" Emily said "I love you more, & you're sweeter than a cake. Cake is sweeter than cookies, right?" She can't stand to think that someone could love me as much as she does. Hope you all have a great weekend! I'll see you back here on Monday at my Simple Woman's Daybook. Hugs!
"How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then to rest afterward." ~Spanish Proverb~
August 12, 2010 I'm glad you all enjoyed Emily's jokes. As you could hear, I can never not laugh when she's telling them. She loves jokes, & is constantly entertaining us with them. I'm sure she'll want to do this again very soon. And yes Toni, that was Elliot's voice in the background.
Denise asked me if that was my sister Jenny in the picture with me - yes, it was. She would be mortified if she thought I had put that on my blog, because it wasn't a good picture of her. I will have to share another at another time, to showcase her. She was 15 when I was born - I am the baby girl of 10 children. She always called me 'her baby', & still does, because she took care of me when my Mom had to go away when she had tuberculosis. She was hospitalized when I was 8 months old, & had to stay there until I was a bit over 2. I guess us kids couldn't see her, so my Dad would take us, park in the parking lot, & let her see us from her window. From what I understand, we didn't get to go often, because it was quite far. My sister says they would hold me up so that she could see me. My Mom said it broke her heart to have to be apart from "her babies". She was hospitalized (in a Sanitorium) twice for tuberculosis - the time when I was 8 months old, & before that she had to stay in for a year when Jenny was 2. I cannot imagine how hard that would have been for her - leaving behind her children & only being able to see them from her window. And for my Dad - to have to take care of all of us alone for that time. I asked my Mom once what that time of her life was like, & she told me that it was the saddest time of her life, & that her arms actually ached to hold us...she said that she would stand in the window & wave at us, but she told me what we couldn't see, was the tears streaming down her face. I'm sorry Denise - I told you a whole lot more than just answering your question about that being Jenny. She & I are not only sisters, we are best friends. Yesterday was my shopping day, & today was cleaning day. Emily still loves to clean - I wonder if that will stop? I loved cleaning when I was a little girl too, so maybe she will always love it. I need to take a picture of her cleaning the floor 'Cinderella style'. She always wants a "rag", & she gets on her hands & knees to mop. Yes, we have a mop & I use it, but she wants to do it this way because that's how Cinderella mops. She also wants a "pucket" (bucket) as she calls it, because she says that Cinderella had one when she cleaned the floors. Tomorrrow she wants me to teach her how to mop with a real mop, to see which works better. "Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing." ~Phyllis Diller~
August 11, 2010 Today was our Costco run, & of course I left there with much more than I had set out to get. It's very hard to resist some of their deals that they get in. Elliot & Emily sure had fun - they love the free food handouts, & they ate their way around the store. So much so, that they were too full for dinner when we got home, so we ended up having to eat late. One of my sister's childhood friends recently moved back to the hometown, & contacted her. She wanted her to come over & go through some of their photos, because she knew they had some of my family. Jenny (my sister) was thrilled to find quite a few, & will be going back to look through more. This is perfect timing for sepia Wednesday. This is one of the ones she found - can you guess who the little girl is? Yes, it's me -
It looks like I ate well as a child.
Emily learned some new jokes this morning, so she wanted me to film her & "put it on the computer for our frends to see." I know these are old jokes, but they are new to her. Each time she tells jokes, she makes herself laugh, as you will see. Enjoy being entertained by this 4 year old comedian -"A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs - jolted by every pebble in the road." ~Henry Ward Beecher~
August 10, 2010 Saturday afternoon it looked as though we might get rain, & Emily was so excited. We so seldom get it here, so when it rains it's a big thing. Especially to her. She would check out the window every half hour or so, & even though the skies looked like rain any moment, it never came. She was so disappointed. I put her to bed that night, & about midnight I heard the unmistakable sound of a 'huge' downpour, & I mean huge! It was pounding hard against the windows. I knew after Emily's hoping & praying for rain, that I had to wake her up. And that's what I did. I woke her, carried her to our balcony, & we stood outside in the pouring rain. Yes, at midnight. And yes, in the rain. I think it was sent just for her, because it went as quickly as it had came. Within 10 minutes, it stopped. It was so worth it waking her. I love making memories, & that night standing in the rain at midnight, was definitely a memory! I thought she might have trouble getting back to sleep, but she was having sweet dreams within 10 minutes of me putting her back in bed. Tonight while we were eating dinner, Emily said "Elliot, do you know why Daddy has to work so hard?" He replied, "So that he can buy our food, our clothes, our car, & our home." Without missing a beat, she said "Well, that's all true, but the real reason is because Eve listened to that serpent & she ate the friut. Then Adam ate that fruit in the garden when God told them not to eat it. So because he disobeyed God, all the 'mans' in the world have to work hard now, & they sweat when they work." She then stuck her index finger out at him & said "Elliot, you better not disobey God!" She cracks us up. Emily had left her beanie toy on the couch, & this is how we found Tinkerbell taking her afternoon nap today - arm wrapped around it -
Isn't that the cutest thing??? She is the sweetest little cat - soooo tiny!
"Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this." ~Unknown~
August 9, 2010 Today is Monday, so it's My Simple Woman's Daybook day. Click on the link to the left if you'd like to visit. Two new sig tags are at link to the left. If you want one or both, specify hair & eye color. See you back here tomorrow. Hugs! August 6, 2010 I am one that never takes a moment for granted. I 'love' life - every little (& big) thing about it. I love each day, & try to live each day to the fullest. Having said that though, this is one week that I won't be sad to see end. It's not been the best of weeks. Finding out that my nephew had died last Saturday, & trying to help my son through the pain of Lisa leaving him has been so sad & difficult. Seems like each time we would feel that things would be okay, she would throw something else at us. It's not been fun. He's getting more discouraged each day at not getting to see his daughter. 'We' are getting discouraged. And yet, we hope. I'm sorry that I've not been around visiting this week. With so much going on, it was difficult to fit it in. I do want to stop in & visit you all this weekend. I need that - just to touch base & see how your week has went. As always, Elliot & Emily kept me smiling today. Elliot with his antics of being a superhero. He gets so involved, he 'really' thinks he is one! He told me that he wishes he really was one, so that he could fly around & help me do things really fast. And Emily - she played the part of an angel all morning today. Little does she know, that to me, she 'is' an angel. She saw Shad sitting, & it was obvious he was very sad. Her in her wings, softly tiptoed over to him, & she asked "Shad, are you okay?" She then gave him a big hug, & she said "I can pray for you Shad. My prayers always help." And she did pray, & he said that they 'did' help. A little later, she had moved onto building something with blocks, & I noticed that she had hung up her wings. It made me smile, & of course I had to capture it & freeze this memory - 
Elliot suggested that we have our slumber party tonight, even though it's supposed to be a couple more weeks until our next one. We thought that was a great idea! So off we ran to the store, & let them chose their slumber party treats. They chose pizza for the slumber party meal, so that's finshed, & now we're ready to start our fun evening. Shad is invited, & we hope he has fun. I know he will - you can't help but have fun on these nights. I'll see you back here on Monday at My Simple Woman's Daybook. Have a wonderful weekend. Hugs!
I had to come back here tonight. I mentioned above that this hadn't been the best of weeks, & how it was a week that I would not be sad to see end. After having our slumber party with Elliot & Emily tonight, I take that back. It still wasn't the best of weeks, but what a sweet way to end it. I 'was' sad to see tonight end. To have our home filled with the squeals of laughter as we played games or played silly, to see utter joy & excitement over every little thing tonight, & to be told that this was "the best night ever" put a glow on this week. What a wonderful ending!"We're all kissed by angels but some of us never think to pucker." ~Terri Guillemets~
August 5, 2010 We had to run out for awhile today to do a bit of shopping. We had hoped that Avery would get to come over tonight, so seeing as she is Dora crazy, we bought 4 Dora dvd's. We were all so excited, & had planned on going out to eat before we settled in for Dora. She didn't get to come, so we're hoping that tomorrow will be the day. We won't be able to celebrate Shad's birthday tomorrow either, because we have to give a 24 four hour notice for the cake. That won't matter though - if she comes tomorrow, we'll order it for Saturday. It will be celebration enough just to get to see her. Elliot & Emily want to make a Starbuck pitstop every single time we go out now. The new favorite drink for them is the Vanilla Bean Creme frappuccino. I'm mentioned that Emily always asks them to draw a heart & a smiley face on her cup. Today Elliot decided that he would ask them to draw something on his. I thought it would be something simple, but he asked them for a dinosaur. The barista said he would do his best, & he didn't let Elliot down.
We had a relaxing evening. Mike had to work, so Shad & I went out to eat with Elliot & Emily. Shad feels so lost without Lisa & Avery, & I hurt for him. After dinner, he had to go on to his volleyball league game, & the kids & I came home & relaxed. Emily wanted me to read stories, so after about 12 of them, it was bedtime. Right before bed, she saw a moth & was concerned it was going to follow her up to bed. She wanted to know what they eat. She 'loves' butterflies, but she's afraid of moths."Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers." ~Garth Brooks~
August 4, 2010 Today was my son Shad's birthday. He didn't get the gift that he had wanted more than anything, & that was to spend it with Avery. We are hoping that he'll get to see her tomorrow or Friday. If so, that is when we will really celebrate his birthday! We all want her included...afterall, this girl 'loves' to party & eat cake! This picture of her trying it for the first time, can attest to that - 
We watched a movie tonight with Elliot & Emily - Ponyo. I had never heard of it, but Mike got if from Netflix. I was bored out of my head, & couldn't keep my eyes open. Maybe if I hadn't been sleepy to start with, it would have been better. Emily didn't like it either. Elliot loved it, but he loves movies. Seeing as it's Shad's birthday, today's sepia Wednesday is 2 pictures of him taken when he was 2 weeks old. He is as sweet today, as he was then! Happy birthday Shad!
"Your birthday is a special time to celebrate the gift of 'you' to the world." ~Unknown~
August 3, 2010 Today was errand day, so we were out for most of the day. As we drove around in the 100 plus temps, Elliot tried to convince me that if we didn't hurry home, he was going to "melt". A vanilla bean creme shake from Starbucks prevented that from happening. We had to do our grocery shopping too, & I always let Elliot & Emily choose a special treat. Elliot 'loves' Airheads, so that's what he wanted. He is laughing so hard in this picture because I told him a silly joke - 
What do you think the little girl that has this word art in her bedroom, would chose?
It didn't take her long to put a ring on her finger - she had to have one on before she began eating a cupcake -
I got some sad news Saturday night. One of my sister's lost a son. She always called him a "special child", because he was autistic, & she felt so proud to be "chosen" for the privilege of getting to raise him. And I felt proud to be his Aunt. He will be so missed.
As I was rocking & cuddling with Emily tonight, she said "Mommy, I know why God made me. He made me to give to you. He made me just for you." "The day which we fear as our last is but the birthday of eternity." ~Seneca ~
August 2, 2010 Today is Monday, so it's My Simple Woman's Daybook day. Click on the link to the left if you'd like to visit. New sig tag is at link to the left. Hope you like him - he got into the strawberry patch & ate a few too many. See you back here tomorrow. Hugs! July 30, 2010
Ready to see the winner of the giveway? As always, I'll let the pictures tell the story - 
Trying to read the name - she told me that I should have printed it, because she can't read cursive
-
Congratulations Susan!! I'll get your package out asap. Thanks so much to all those that joined in the fun. I'm already planning next month's.
Off to go out for dinner now. See you all on Monday at My Simple Woman's Daybook. Have a great weekend. Hugs!
"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." ~Victor Frankl~
July 29, 2010
so as we were lying in bed talking, I told her that we'd make it a Minnie Mouse morning & have Minnie Mouse pancakes. Okay - I know this is Mickey Mouse, but we 'pretended' it was Minnie Mouse. I just noticed too that this picture doesn't look so appetizing.
They were though. 
After breakfast, I decided to make this our 'big clean' day. It's normally on Mondays, but with all that went on this week, it got pushed to today. We 'really' cleaned. I got so ambitious I took everything out of our drawers in our bedroom & got rid of quite a bit. This led to other rooms too, & it felt so good to do some purging. When putting everything back in the drawers, I decided to switch things around a bit. Mike got home tonight, went up to change into his shorts, & after about 10 minutes, he called down "Where in the world are my shorts!" In the middle of our cleaning, we decided that we needed to run up to Starbucks for a treat. Emily carried her Minnie Mouse themed morning into the day -
This boy was pretty happy with his trip to Starbucks - we all came home with cookies, & his new favorite drink is the strawberries & creme -
After our treat, Emily decided that she wanted to organize her crayons & drawing supplies. She was afraid that Tinkerbell would come try to get into things, so she said that she was going to draw a "scary looking, ugly spider hanging on a string", & she placed it by the door to the room. She thought this should do the trick in keeping her out. She told me that she hoped it wouldn't scare me as I passed it - 
Did it do the trick in keeping Tinkerbell out? No.
Speaking of Tinkerbell - here's a picture of her & Emily this morning. She is so sweet. Look at those pretty green eyes - 
Sorry that I shared so many pictures today. If you ever wonder why I tend to go on 'picture overload' on some days, it's because I want this blog to be a record of Elliot & Emily's days, & I not only want to tell them about it, I want them to 'see' it.Don't forget the giveaway - still not too late to enter (see Friday's post). Emily will draw the name at around 4pm, & I will post the winner by 6pm. All entries up until 4pm will be counted. Can't wait to see who gets this one!
"Housework is something you do that nobody notices until you don't do it." ~Unknown~
July 28, 2010 Emily was a happy Princess today. She didn't know it, but I ordered her a Cinderella wedding gown jammies, & 'glass' slipper shoes. UPS delivered them today. 
Of course, she wanted me to go to the ball (our dining room) with her, & at the strike of midnight, she flew to the stairs, & left this -
I then had to pick up the slipper, go knocking on her bedroom door, & try it on her to see if it fit. She never tires of playing this. She's already told me that we will play it again tomorrow. No complaints here, because life with a Princess truly is magical!
All Princesses must end their day in the royal bath, & she loves hers. And yes, it truly does say 'The Royal Bath' over her bathroom door. I love the wall art that adorns her wall by her bathtub - 
For sepia Wednesay, I would like to share this picture of another Princess - Avery throwing a ball, that was taken in February.
Don't forget about the July giveaway (see Friday's post). Emily will draw the name on Friday, & the winner will be announced by 6pm Pacific time.
"The perfect shoes can change your life." ~Cinderella~
July 27, 2010
We had another fun 'slumber party' night. We got our snacks for ready for each of us - Mike & Elliot, & me & Emily. I had taken them to the store that day, & let them each choose their snacks. Emily is so funny when she picks hers. She only wants 'healthy' food, so peanuts was one of her snacks. She also decided to get a Reece's Cup - it's healty because it "has peanut butter in the middle, covered with dark chocoate, & dark chocolate is good for you." I told her that the chocolate on it is milk chocolate, but she's convinced it's dark. She'll also eat Almond Joys, because they have "a big peanut in the middle of them, & peanuts are healhty." Elliot has one criteria - sugar & chocolate! That's not a good mix with him because he gets hyper afterwards. Anyway, we got our jammies on, collected our snacks, chose our games & movies, & off we went to our rooms. Elliot was 'thrilled' that he got Toy Story 3 for the Play Station 3, so that made his night. These nights are going to be among our favorites nights in this household. One of the sweetest memories of my slumber party with Emily, is my talk time with her. She had chosen a Wooly the Lamb movie to watch, & it dealt with the consequences of disobedience. After we watched it, she wanted to know if I had ever disobeyed when I was a little girl, & wanted me to tell her the story. As I told her, I could see her facial expression changing & her eyes welling up. All at once, she threw her arms around my neck, & broke down in tears. She didnt' like my consequences. She told me that it was too sad, & she was crying over what it had cost me. It took awhile to comfort her, & she felt better after I told her my happy ending a year or so after my consequence. I would tell the story here, but it might be too long. Plus, I don't want to be responsible for making you all cry too. She is so sweet - she will sometimes cry if I tell her a story about my childhood, because she didn't get to see it happen. Then she'll ask me if I have pictures of it so that she can see it. I ordered Emily a pumpkin hat from Denise (click on her name to visit her Etsy shop), & isn't this the cutest hat??? 
We 'love' it!! She wanted to wear it out, but I convinced her that 113F was a bit too hot. She said she didn't care if her head got hot.
Love this hat!It's been a difficult week or two. Many of you have heard me talk about my DIL Lisa. She left my son last week, & it's been really hard. I wasn't going to mention it, because I was hoping she would come to her senses & come back, but I don't think this is going to happen. My son could sure use your prayers. My heart hurts for him & for Avery. I'm sad for Lisa too. It's sad to see this little family broken.
Don't forget about the July giveaway (see Friday's post). Only a few days away from drawing the winning name!
"Those who are brutally honest are seldom so with themselves." ~Mignon McLaughlin~
July 26, 2010 Today is Monday, so it's My Simple Woman's Daybook day. Click on the link to the left if you'd like to visit. New sig tag is at link to the left. Don't forget to check out the July giveaway - see Friday's post. See you back here tomorrow. Hugs! July 23, 2010 Mike only had to work till noon today, so he & Elliot did some things around the house while Emily & I ran out to shop for awhile. We decided that tonight would be their monthly slumber party, so after shopping, we ran by to pick up some snacks that each of them wanted for tonight. Then it was home to pick up Mike & Elliot, & off to Panera to eat. We also ran by Best Buy to pick up Toy Story 3 for Playstation 3. We thought that would be fun for Mike & Elliot to look forward to during their slumber party tonight. Two excited little ones here right now! Time for my July giveaway! Instead of posting in my 'rules' here, if you haven't entered before, you can read my April 13th post to see them. I have decided upon a kitchen giveaway for this month. Ready to see everything? First is a snickerdoodle cookie mix & a peach ice tea mix - 
A $30 Walmart gift certificate to help you buy a little something to put in your kitchen -
If you want to 'enter', please leave a tag letting me know. Each & every tag you leave will count as another entry. If you give in some way, let me know just by saying "I gave", & that will give you another entry. I'll have Emily to draw the name before 6pm Pacific time next Friday, & announce the winner in next Friday's post.
Off to my slumber party now. See you all back here on Monday at my Simple Woman's Daybook. Have a great weekend. Hugs!"All the so-called "secrets of success" will not work unless you do." ~Unknown~
July 22, 2010 Avery woke up bright & early - 4am was the first wake-up call, but she went back to sleep pretty fast. As I've told you, she 'loves' to eat - it's her life. Her first words when she woke up were "I'm hungry." I don't think you could ever feed her enough, & even if you did, she would tell you that she's hungry again within an hour. No wonder she is 2 1/2, & she wears size 5 clothing! She used to get Emily's outgrown clothes when she was a baby, but they have worn the same size clothing for awhile now. She saw a picture in one of Emily's books & brought it to me, saying "Ummm! Cookie!" (Told you all she thinks about is food!). Here's the 'cookie' -
I didn't get to do a whole lot today except watch a few hours of Dora (Avery's favorite), play, & read stories. I Tonight I was cuddling with Emily & talking to her before I put her in bed. I looked down at her & saw that her eyes looked teary. I said "Baby, why do your eyes look like you've been crying?" She said "It's not sad tears, it's happy tears, because I love you so much." This little girl melts my heart 'everyday'!I'm hoping to be able to announce my July giveaway tomorrow. Can't believe it's time for another one. Where are these months going???
"I'd give all wealth that years have piled,
The slow result of Life's decay,
To be once more a little child
For one bright summer day."
~Lewis Carroll, "Solitude"~
July 21, 2010 Today was my errand day, but I had to cut it short because we had to get home to babysit for Avery. She got dropped off this afternoon, & she's spending the night with us. She's so sweet, & so funny. She lets it be known that she's arrived, no matter where she goes. She's a ball of energy! She loves this megaphone of Emily's, & for the first hour or two, she only 
She had to have quite a few snack breaks - not to mention a large dinner. She 'loves' to eat! She attacks her food like she does everything else she does. Can you tell?
She loves Dora, so after we ate dinner, we all watched a Dora movie. If Dora is on, she sits down & gives her full attention -
After the movie, it was bathtime for the girls. They love getting to bath together! They both had their feet put up, & I couldn't resist getting a picture of their 'raisin' feet. Notice that Avery's feet are as big as Emily's, & she's almost 2 years younger -
Then it was on to bedtime snacks & a 'carnival' ride. 'Me' being the ride. I put my arms underneath their armpits & swung them around. They were squealing with laughter & saying "One more ride! One more ride!" All 3 went off to bed happy & played out.
"Any kid will run any errand for you if you ask at bedtime." ~Red Skelton~
July 20, 2010 I found this post idea at another blog (thank you Mum!), so thought I would use it for today. Today I... Got woke up early by a 'big' kiss from Elliot! It startled me, but what a sweet 'alarm clock'.
Had a wonderful morning visit with my son Brandon. I can't help but look at him, & wonder how my 'baby' sprouted up to 6'2"!
Read 'The Velveteen Rabbit' to Emily after breakfast.
Read her 5 more stories after that one - she 'loves' reading & books (just like me).
Made a quick sweep through the house. Not much to clean today, since yesterday was my 'big' clean day.
Called my sister Jenny to catch up (even though we talked on the phone yesterday..and the day before...and the day before...and, well you get the picture. Can you 'ever' tire of talking to your sister???
Chatted back & forth via email with my sweet British friend Linda. Hoping soon to be chatting face to face (right Linda???)
Went to a surprise 'birthday' party for me, thrown by Emily. (no, it's not my birthday, but I get a surprise party at least 3 times a week). This was my delicious birthday cake she 'built'
Was asked by Emily if I would like to see one of my 'presents'. She led me over to one of my Longaberger baskets & told me that she had wanted to make the lid look prettier, so she had drawn a picture of me & her on it...she was beaming!
Got to spend some time reading on my Kindle. I 'love' my Kindle!
Prepared a delicious Italian meal for dinner tonight. Elliot announced that I am "the best cooker ever!" Emily enjoyed it too, because she licked her plate.
Spent a relaxing evening with Emily while Mike & Elliot played video games.
"When you have to make a choice and don't make it, that is in itself a choice." ~William James~
July 19, 2010 Today is Monday, so it's My Simple Woman's Daybook day. Click on the link to the left if you'd like to visit. New sig tag is at link to the left. See you back here tomorrow. Hugs! July 16, 2010 Today was another really slow day for us here. I got up with good intentions to clean house from top to bottom, but decided to let that go, & just enjoy my day with Elliot & Emily. We didn't venture outside at all - too hot. So it was an indoor day filled with playing games, watching a couple of their favorite movies, eating...all the fun stuff. Emily made me laugh today (as always). I gave them each a lollipop, & I only had two - a larger one & a smaller one. She wanted the smaller one, which was this - 
Elliot looked at his wrapper & said "Oh goody! I got a strawberry one!" Emily looked down at hers & said "Oh no Mommy! I hope mine doesn't taste like wood, because I got a drum one." She then showed me the wrapper & said "See the wooden drums?" I hope that put a smile on your face, as it did mine.
She also told me today that she couldn't wait until she was big enough to reach the sink, rinse the dishes, & put them into the dishwasher. She then gave me a big hug, & said "Then you can rest while I do work, because you won't have so much to do." I've always let her help me, but she wants to do this all on her own. She does a great job, & has come a long way from this picture that I took when she was 1 year old. I was letting her help me put some small things in, & when I turned around, this is what I found - 
I guess she must have thought her shoes needed washed too.
I'm so thankful for all the picture memories that I have.I will see you all on Monday at my Simple Woman's Daybook. Have a wonderful weekend! Hugs!
"We find delight in the beauty and happiness of children that makes the heart too big for the body." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson~
July 15, 2010 After having to run out for some reason or another every single day for the past 2 weeks, we had a pj day today, & it was 'wonderful'! We slept in until 9am, had breakfast, cleaned up quickly, & then settled in to enjoy our day. A lazy day was so appreciated! After being out in this blazing heat (113 today) all day yesterday, we all really needed it. I don't want to wish my summer away, but I'm 'so' ready for fall. Elliot & Emily are even wishing for fall already. It's so hot, that it's not enjoyable to even go to the parks, so they are ready for cooler temps. Being Vegas, that's still quite a ways off though.I think I lay wrong on my neck last night. It's bothered me all day, & has hurt into my shoulders too. I have kept an icepack on it off & on today, & that helps tremendously.
When my son Brandon came over the other night, he was trying to tell Elliot & Emily that he believed that his girlfriend was "the one". He then went on to explain to them how that meant that he loved her & wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Without missing a beat, Emily hugged me & said to him "Mommy is the one for me." She means it too - she loves me beyond belief, & it's so precious. I'll remind her of that statement in about 8-10 years. "For you see, each day I love you more Today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow." ~Rosemonde Gerard~
July 14, 2010 Today was a whirlwind of a day! As soon as we finished breakfast, I took Elliot & Emily out for the day, & we ended up not getting back home until 9pm tonight. We have an outlet mall at the end of the Vegas Strip, & I wanted to take them out there to browse the Disney outlet (which they loved), & to ride the merry-go-round that's in the mall. They loved that too. It's funny how each child picks his or her favorite horse, & it must be 'that' horse. The lady that was operating it, said that 99% of the children that ride, has a favorite chosen before they get on. Some might settle if the one they want isn't available, but Emily will hold out until she can get hers, even if we have to stand in line 2 or 3 times. She called her first choice, her "American horse". It was decorated with the American flag on both side of her saddle. Her second ride, she called her "flower & angel horse". Her reasons for her choices? She said "I love America, flowers, & angels." Being a boy, Elliot went for the animal themed ones - a huge eagle, & second was a squirrel. After their merry-go-round time, we ate lunch, rode some arcade type rides, & shopped. I decided to take them for a drive down the Vegas Strip while we were down there, & that always facinates them. They can't get over all the different themes - New York, Paris, the castle, the pirates, ect. Emily cannot get over the Statue of Liberty, the Eifel Tower, or a pyramid being down there. Today she said "I thought only Egypt had pyramids."
Elliot asked me if we had one because we were a desert like Egypt. Tonight we went out to dinner & then to see Toy Story 3. I wonder if I am the only adult that was happy the lights were out at the end, because I was sitting there crying?? I'm so soft-hearted, & it tugged at my heart. As Andy was giving his toys away, I looked over at Emily holding Lilly so tight (as she always is), & the tears came. She was fighting back tears too. We had such a sweet day today. As I was tucking Emily in tonight, she asked me "Could we start today over, tomorrow?" I'll share two photos for Sepia Wednesday. These were taken today on our outing. I think the sepia effect goes so well with carousel photos.
"There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered." ~Nelson Mandela~
July 13, 2010 I am so late in getting here for today, so this is going to be a short post. My youngest son Brandon has been over this evening. He's had a rough past almost 24 hours. He wrecked his Harley last night, & thankfully he wasn't hurt - just a few scrapes & bruises, but it sure scared him enough that he just wanted to talk a lot out. He's only had his bike a few months, & was going to trade it in on Thursday for a car, so he's pretty discouraged right now. I think he's got the 'bike phase' out of himself now...he has no interest in ever getting on one again. He says that it locked up, so that is being checked. I told him that he needs to focus on the fact that he's okay, & by the time he left here tonight, he sees that. Elliot lost another tooth tonight - his 5th. I am so relieved! He wiggled it 'all' day today, & wanted me to check it every hour. If he feels one loose, he wants it out 'now'. Brandon brought him over 2 new toys tonight in celebration.
A few days ago we were having spaghetti for dinner, & I wore on of my favorite white linen tops. Of course, seeing as I wore white, I got some on me. I looked down, saw it, & said "Oh no! I got sauce on my top, & it's my favorite!" Emily looked at it, & said "I don't think it looks bad Mommy. It's okay. Everyone will think you just have a little orange button on your shirt." Since she said that, I had to document it with a picture of my "orange button" - 
"Feelings are much like waves, we can't stop them from coming but we can choose which one to surf." ~Jonatan Mårtensson~
July 12, 2010 Today is Monday, so it's My Simple Woman's Daybook day. Click on the link to the left if you'd like to visit. I posted 2 new sigtags today also - link is to the left. If you want one or both, let me know. See you back here tomorrow. Hugs! July 9, 2010 Today was going to be an all day at home day, but that didn't happen. Mike was coming home early to do some things with Elliot, so Emily & I decided to run out for awhile. We went over to Joann's & I found a couple more things to go in my Americana laundry room. For right now, this little pillow is hanging on my cork board - 
Not too bad for just a few dollars! I love the after holiday sales!
Even though Emily is only 4, I've been teaching her to keep a prayer journal. Of course I have to do all the writing for now, but that's fine. For each day, we date the page, she gives me her requests, & then we pray for them. I'm teaching her to put symbols beside the answered prayers - of course she chose a heart, & the date of that answer. I also have her to give me at least 3 things that she is thankful for on that day, & I write them in her 'blessings' or 'gratitude' section. I have her a 'praise' section too. Each journal will have an entire year's worth of requests, blessings, & praises. Today when we were out, I told her to pick out a brand new prayer journal notebook, & she was so excited about this. I think this little book will be so neat for her to be able to look back upon. It will be neat for me too. How I wish that Mom would have done something like that for me! Can you imagine being an adult & being able to look back upon the things that you prayed for, & the things that you were thankful for from the time you were 4??? I would love it! Of course, with Mom having 10 kids, that would have been a lot of work for her. Elliot hasnt' really wanted to do this yet, but I'm having him to start one too. He's getting excited about it also.We babysat for Avery tonight, & for once she didn't run non-stop. She was tired, & wanted to sit for most of the night. She loves dressing up, & this is how she spent most of her evening -
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. See you all at my Simple Woman's Daybook on Monday. Hugs!
"Prayer is as natural an expression of faith as breathing is of life." ~Jonathan Edwards~
July 8, 2010
I called a HomeGoods on the other side of town, & they told me that they had one left, so the kids & I jumped in the car & took off to get it. It looks a little bare right now, but will soon have pictures tacked to it, & whatever else we decide to use it for. I am going to look for some Americana stick pins. I really do love this - it's quite large too - 44 inches wide, by 33 inches in height. My Americana laundry room is coming right along. Here's a few pics of some other things I've put in there - first is this Uncle Sam that I got at Michaels for $2. He was marked down after July 4th - 
I got this for $2 also from Michaels, & decided to hang it on my laundry basket -
I'm not finished with this yet - I need to find & add some things to my shelf -
I'm using this Longaberger Americana basket for keys. I might add too, that even with using a key basket, Mike is constantly trying to find his keys, because he never puts his keys here.
This is an Americana cow that my son Brandon got me for the 4th of July a few years ago...now she has a home.
One of quite a few Americana cross stitch projects that I have done -
I have always loved my Lang calendar holder, & this month's calendar picture really fits in -
This isn't really Americana, but I wanted to share my Mickey Mouse towel holder that I got years ago from Disney. His home has always been my laundry room. I 'love' him!
Sorry for so many pictures, but wanted to share a bit of my home with you. The room looks really cute, & with the red washer & dryer, the Americana theme flows together so well.
Even though Mike's birthday isn't until next Thursday, we went ahead & celebrated it tonight since he will be out of town. We went to one of his favorite Mexican restaurants (Ricardo's), & I baked him the chocolate cake that Toni shared on her blog. What a yummy cake!! So rich! He loves chocolate, & I knew by the recipe that this was 'really' chocolatey(is that a word? If not, it is now), so he was in chocolate heaven. We all settled in this evening & watched 'The Wind In The Willows'. Elliot & Emily laughed & laughed at Toad's antics."Middle age is the time when a man is always thinking that in a week or two he will feel as good as ever." ~Don Marquis~
July 7, 2010 As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I had a date this morning! We got up early & went off to IHOP for breakfast. Normally they are packed for breakfast, even during the weekdays, but today it was quite empty, & that made it nice. If the meal is a 'face', Emily always goes for it - 
I remember the days in which that was the meals that attracted Elliot too, but he's growing up. He now goes for the 'big boy' meals, because as he told me "I'm not little anymore. I'm a big boy." It was so sweet to sit there & talk to them about whatever they wanted to talk about. Life is just sweet with them!
After we left there, we spent most of the day out & about with errands & shopping. I wanted to go to HomeGoods to pick up a red framed cork board that I've been looking at for 8 months now. I liked it, but wasn't sure where I would put it. Well now I know where I want it to go. And now that I know, it's gone. They aren't sure if they will get anymore in, so now I 'really' want it. Why is that?? Since we bought the red LG washer & dryer, I've turned our laundry room into an 'Americana' theme, & it's really cute. Elliot & Emily call it our "America room'. I used to always have one room devoted to this theme, & decided on July 4th, to do it again. Anyway, I want that framed cork board to hang in there. Knowing me, I will fill it with pictures. I have 2 more HomeGoods stores to check tomorrow, so hopefully I will find one. We can never run out without stopping in at Starbucks. Each time we stop, Emily gives her order, & then says "with a heart & a smiley on my cup please." At Christmas it was "a smiley & a tree". She once refused her drink last Halloween because they drew a little ghost on it. They then poured it into another cup & drew her "heart & smiley face". 
For Sepia Wednesday, I want to share this picture of Emily & Avery. I'm sorry about the distorted flag - Avery wouldn't stop waving it.
"You never know how strong you are, until being strong is the only choice you have." ~Unknown~
July 6, 2010 We had a wonderful 4th of July weekend. On Saturday, our neighborhood park put on an incredible 4th bash. It lasted all day, & ended with fireworks at 10pm. We watched those from our balcony, rather than deal with the crowds. The park is behind our house, so we have a perfect view. These aren't the best of pictures, but here's a couple of Elliot & Emily enjoying the show - 
After having a cookout on Sunday, which seems to go hand in hand with the 4th in America, there were fireworks all over the valley, so we watched another 'show' from our balcony. We could see the Vegas Strip fireworks, as well as many more throughout the valley. Many have ask me how far we live from the Strip since I have mentioned that we can see the New Years fireworks & the 4th fireworks. We're about 12 miles away, so it's not like we are up close, but we 'can' see them. Especially with the huge way that they do them down on the strip. Here's a view from our neighborhood - 
Does that make you homesick Linda?
Our neighborhood also had fireworks, & you could hear them still going off at 1am. We bought Elliot & Emily sparklers (which we had to search for, seeing as most places were sold out). Again...not the best of pictures because of the smoke from the sparklers, but I love Emily's face in this -
I decided to let Elliot & Emily have fun today like the type of fun I had as a child...I hooked up the good ol water hose with the sprayer, & let them run through as I sprayed them. They had the best time - good old fashinoned fun! I had bought a sprinkler over the weekend, but it was a bust...the water dribbbled from it instead of the huge spraying that the box showed. I wish I could have gotten pictures, but I was the designated sprayer, so it wasn't possible. Afterwards, I took them to MacDonalds. I did take pictures of that, but I will spare you. Off to bed now, because I have a morning date with 2 little ones at IHOP. See you back here tomorrow.
"Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability." ~Sam Keen~
July 5, 2010 Today is Monday, so it's My Simple Woman's Daybook day. It was Emily's turn today, so enjoy this post from a child's eyes. I posted 2 new sigtags today also. If you want one or both, let me know. Specify hair color for the girl. See you back here tomorrow. Hugs! July 2, 2010 Today was a really relaxing day. Mike took the day off, & he & Elliot have been having their fun - video games, eating, movies, ect. That left Emily & I to have our girl fun. Girl fun usually involves going out to shop (we did), going to Starbucks (we did), chatting away (we did), lots of laughing (we did), & eating some goodies (we definitely did!). She loves it when it's just the two of us, & Elliot loves it when he has Mike all to himself. This picture shows how much laughing we do, as she waits for our Starbucks order - 
In fact, I am being serenaded by harmonica music as I type. I have been serenaded a lot today. She's wanted one of these for quite awhile, so she's making up for all the lost time, playing it.
This afternoon I was able to print out quite a few pictures to put in frames. At the rate I take pictures, I'll never be able to have all the ones that I want out, actually put out. While I did this, Emily sat across from me doing this -
I've been working with her on the computer, & she's really picked it up quickly. She has her own favorites folder now - Sprout, Noggin, NickJr, PBS Kids, Disney, ect. I'm off to digiscrap! Hope you all have a wonderful & safe 4th! See you all back on Monday at my Simple Woman's Daybook. Hugs!
"My God! How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!" ~Thomas Jefferson~
July 1, 2010 Emily 'loved' Lilly! She was so happy & excited. She always sleeps with her, so I took her out of the bed before I woke her. I wanted to be there when she first saw her. I led her to our living room, eyes closed, & then told her to open them. She started laughing when she saw her, & she kept saying "Lilly's fluffy again! Lilly's fluffy again! I love her!" She then wanted to know if I thought Cinderella (at Disneyland) would remember what she looked like, because she can't wait to show her again when we go back. It was so sweet to watch her with her all day - she was so protective over her. Her fear was, that she would get "squished" again. Here are a few pictures from this morning when she first saw her - 
We ended up spending the rest of the day cleaning. I wanted to get all the things down from our 'school room' walls, since we'll be putting up new things in August. That led to me wanting to clean more. I was so ready to sit back & enjoy a quiet relaxing evening after we finished. Then I was reminded that I had said I would babysit - 
Well, there went the quiet, & there definitely went the relaxing. That's fine though - she makes us laugh, & we love building memories with her. She is a little tornado. She wanted a drink, so in between me walking to the kitchen, & getting her cup, I hear this 'scratching' sound on the family room wall...as soon as I hear it, she says "I make wall pretty!" She had taken a pencil & scribbled all over one area.
Emily had the idea that if she got her Dr. kit, it would keep her busy, & it did. I had to be the first patient. Here's a shot that I look while lying down while she checked my heart (stomach) - 
I asked her if I was well. She said "No, sick. Avery 'hassa' 'fick' (fix) you. Shot!" She then gives me a shot as only Dr. Avery could. She plunged the toy syringe into me like a knife, then she annouced that I was "ficked".
"Childhood is the most beautiful of all life's seasons." ~Unknown~
June 30, 2010 Today was my weekly errand day, so Elliot, Emily, & I were out for most of the day. It was blazing hot, so we would have much rather been relaxing at home. Elliot loves plaing XBox & Play Station 3 now, so he was one happy boy when I asked him if he would like to stop in at Game Stop. He found him a new game, & that made his day. He & Emily (& me) needed to cool off, so we made a pit stop into Starbucks, then on to home to get things ready for a cook out tonight. In this heat, it's so much better to cook out as much as possible. That way, we avoid the heating up the kitchen. 
I decided a few weeks ago that it was time for LillyTrixieLilly to have cosmetic surgery. I have tried to prepare Emily for this, by telling her that it would be nice if Lilly were 'fluffy' again, & if her head would stay up by itself again, ect. She wasn't too keen on this, & she would have 'really' not been keen on it, if she knew that this would involve 'cutting & stuffing'. I could have never let her know that. With the new washer & dryer, I told her today that they worked so nicely, that if we were to let Lilly have her 'bath' in them, it would help to 'fluff her up' again. So we 'bathed' her, & she wasn't quite dry when it was time for Emily to go to bed. She wanted to wait on her, but I told her that she would be dry very soon, & that I would bring her up when she was finished. I was hoping she would fall asleep, & she was fast asleep within 10 minutes. So tonight was the night - I put on my surgical gloves, & Lilly went under the knife. She did quite well. I cut (I don't know what Emily would do if she were to know that!) a little inch incision on her tummy, near her back legs. I didn't take one thing into consideration though. After stuffing her, she was so fat, that I couldn't get her underneath the sewing machine arm. I hadn't even thought about that! So I had to sew her up by hand, & try to arrange some of her raggedy flat fur over her incision. I hope that Emily 'never' finds that! I really plumped her up...so plump, that it was even difficult to sew her by hand. When you saw Emily holding her in pictures, you really couldn't tell her her stuffing had shifted from her neck & her 'waist'. That's because Emily always carried her with her arm around those areas. She was in dire need of fluffing up! Ready to see the before & after? Here's the before - 
Aside from her fur being loved flat, she looks like she did the first day we bought her. I sure hope Emily likes it. If not, I will put her under the knife again, & remove most of the stuffing. I honestly had mixed feelings about doing this - I was very torn...I love the 'character' that this little friend had devoloped, but I was afraid that she was going to be as flat as a pancake if I didn't take some steps to remedy it. Did I go overboard on the stuffing?
Notice the bow on her neck? I couldn't tie it because her neck was too fat. I'll let you all know Emily's reaction.Today for sepia Wednesday, I would like to share this picture of Elliot with a bit of color left in.
Seeing as I always end my posts with a quote, I thought it fitting to end with one from 'The Velveteen Rabbit', seeing the majority of this post was about Emily's constant companion. It's long, but so fitting, & I have always loved it. So sorry for this super long post.
"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."
"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.
"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."
"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"
"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand." ~from The Velveteen Rabbit~
June 29, 2010 Our 'slumber party' was a huge success! Elliot & Emily had so much fun, & so did we. We are going to do this once a month, but I don't think that is enough for them. Both of them ask a few times a day "when will our next slumber party be?" I take more pictures than anyone I know, but I ended up with only a few pictures of our night, & I regret that so much. It was hard since we basically had separate parties - Mike with Elliot, & me with Emily. I did get this one, after Emily called to me & told me that Lilly was eating chips -
We get a kick out of the things that Emily has her to do.
It was so sweet to be in Emily's room across from ours, & hear Elliot's bursts of laughter coming from our room. Mike said the same about Emily's laughter coming from her room. Elliot ended up coming into Emily's room at 9:30, to tell me that his "eyes were sleepy", & that he wanted to kiss me goodnight. And Emily? At midnight I finally convinced her that we really should go to sleep. She said "But there's still so much party to have." You would think after a night of games, playing, movies, stories, ect., that she would be more than ready to call it a night, but if she thinks there is an ounce of fun still left to be had, then she wants to have it.
She's doing her new thing here. She takes a bite of whatever she's eating, says "Ummmm! That's delicious! See?" She then opens her mouth as wide as she can to 'show' you that it's delicious. Not a pretty thing, but it makes us laugh.
"Children are not casual guests in our home. They have been loaned to us temporarily for the purpose of loving them and instilling a foundation of values on which their future lives will be built." ~Dr. James C. Dobson~
June 28, 2010 Today is Monday, so it's My Simple Woman's Daybook day. Link is to the left if you'd like to visit. I have a little patriotic siggy posted too - link is to the left. Hugs! June 25, 2010 I'm going to something that I haven't gone to since I was a teenager. I'm going to a pajama party, as Emily calls it! We called them slumber parties when I was a teen. She is so excited! I'm going to spend the night with her in her room, & Elliot is going to spend the night with Mike in our room. We're planning food - snack like things. I'm not sure what all Mike & Elliot have planned for their night in our room - I know there will be video games, eating, & a movie. Emily & I will be playing with toys, watching a movie on Mike's laptop since she doesn't have a tv in her room, reading stories, playing games (not video games), playing dress up, & whatever else she wants to do. We're going to run out & let them each choose some snacks that they would like. I decided that this is something that Mike & I will do with them once a month. It will be a special time that I hope they will treasure as time goes by, & I know we'll build some wonderful memories with these 'pajama parties'. It's always good when we can give them one on one time. Anyway, both of them are 'so' excited over tonight.Ready to see the winner of the Canon camera? As always, I'll let the pictures tell the story.
Congratulations Kathy! You are going to love your camera! Please email me with your address, & your camera will be on its way!
Hope you all have a blessed weekend. We're off to let Elliot & Emily pick out some snacks for our slumber party tonight. See you all on Monday at My Simple Woman's Daybook. Hugs!"What a child doesn't receive he can seldom later give." ~P.D. James~