American Idol fan

Our conversation went like this

Kid4- Mom why don't we watch American Idol anymore?
me- It's not on for a few more months honey
Kid4- Is it not on because Randy Jackson died?
me- NO! It was not Randy Jackson, it was Micheal Jackson
Kid4- Is Randy Jacksons name Randy Harmonica Jackson?
me- nope, thats not his name and he DID NOT DIE honey
Kid4- are you sure, I think he did
me- I promise you, Randy Jackson did NOT die
Kid4- Im not sure I believe you.... can I sleep with you tonight?

so on to a different subject thank goodness!

show us where you live

This Friday Show us where you live is Entry ways at Kelly's Korner. Thanks again Kelly!

WELCOME

please pretend that I have re-potted this plant and there IS NOT a plant hanger still on it from the store... please, please, please!

This cute white dresser was my Great Grandma's. Both my girls have used it in their rooms.

that door is the guest bathroom. Kid4 write's little notes on that chalkboard, and when we have guests we write "Welcome _____" it's exciting to Kid4 to write someones name on the chalkboard.

Thanks for stopping. I hope you have an excellent week! My fun friend Linda's coming and we have the best week planned!

faces of summer

Don't you just love the many faces of summer?

entry way woes, wreaths and windows

My entryway has been a little too busy for my personal taste. I talked Mr. B. into hanging 32 pictures of our family in the entry way so that it's the first thing you see when you walk in, but I just never liked it. I wanted to like it, I tried to like it

I didnt like it, it was too much.

I have been struggling with the best things to do with the entry way and although Im still not 100% convinced that this is perfect I do love this wall. (I cant show you the whole think yet, it's not done)

I have one philosophy when it comes to decorating. If I love it, I can make it work in my house somewhere. I loved this window YEARS ago and bought it in Paris Texas on the side of the road. I have used it here and there but this is by far my favorite. I found the wreath at goodwill last week. (Kid2 hates the wreath, I loved it!) I bought the words "Live, Love, Laundry" for my laundry room and haven't hung them yet so "love" has found a new home.

(that leaves my laundry room with "live laundry" and well... thats how I feel somedays, like I'm living laundry)

What do you get when you mix your favorite old window, one "ugly" wreath and a little love?

TA-DA!

of teens and cake

I have a little story to tell you.

I made a cute little lime-ade cake today and it was yummerific.

My kids loved it, we cut it and added a big sweet fluffy drop of cool whip.

Oh' it was a slice of lime green heaven

My kids ate around on it all day, a piece here and a piece there.

Until this happened.

see it?

If you have teenagers you see more than one slice of cake left.

If you have teenagers you know that there is one slice of cake left for one reason...

Can you guess....?

That one slice is sitting there all lonely and un-eaten because if that sweet slice of heaven gets eaten, someone will have to wash out the pan.

And NO-ONE around here would want to do that!

So it sat until I threw it away and washed the pan.

And that is the story of teens and cake.

The End

a little elbow grease and you can have "H-O-M-E"

I saw something (cant remember where- a blog? a book? a magazine???)

I loved it.

I needed a cheap piece of art for my basement.

So I had an idea. (insert lightbulb here)

When decorating my home I have tried really hard to use things I already have- old windows, frames, furniture, pictures of kids, you name it, if I own it I am using it.

(thats a little cheap decorating 101 for ya)

I have a cute walk out basement and although I love it, I haven't given it enough attention. I have focused my attention on the main floor and the girls rooms... my basement has gone virtually untouched until...

this weekend at ideafest 09'

Mr. B. worked so hard to help me complete a few projects and work on the beasement so it is more live-able, more enjoyable and a place the kids will hang out in more.

back to ideafest

Mr. B. cut a big ol' piece of wood into 12x12 squares and with a little sanding and a little paint and a little more sanding and then some letters....

We made this!


I'm thrilled, I love it! It's just the thing that my basement needed.

summer pics

I took some pics of the kids today

I try to take a christmas/winter picture of them

a first day of school picture/fall picture

and

a summer picture

I usually take about 100 but today I ended up with 14

as they get older they have better things to do than stand around together

I wanted a black and white for the entry way

I love the one I ended up with

NO!

you can't see it until I get it all framed and finished

soon my friend... soon

I love me some home cooked meals!

Remember how I told you about my fun friend Linda coming to visit? I am so excited to cook for her, but she’s a REALLY good cook so I'm a little nervous too. I am trying to do semi easy things so I won’t be in the kitchen all day… heres a look at what I have planned.


Sunday-
B- Breakfast sandwiches (sausage, egg and cheese on an english muffin)
L- picnic at the aviation museum (Frito pie in its own bag- fun for kids)
D- Lasagna, green beans, and rolls
*- cheesecake

Monday-
B- scrambled eggs with cheese, toast
L- lunch out at Lanes packing company
D-cook out hot dogs, baked beans, chips and homemade hummus
*- peach cake

Tuesday-
B- egg in a hole with sourdough bread
L- peanut butter and jelly with carrots, chips and hummus
D-hot salt chicken legs, celery with peanut butter, biscuits and leftover beans
*- chocolate chip cookies

Wednesday
B- oatmeal or cereal
L- drive thru for lunch or sandwiches at home
D- Mr. B’s smoked pork butt with corn casserole and homemade focacia bread
*- nutter butter banana pudding

Thursday
Moms
B- chick fil a breakfast
L- Whistle stop café
D- wherever we want…. Its mom’s day!

Kids
B- cereal or oatmeal
L- PBJ or leftovers
D- pizza

Happy Birthday America

What are you doing for July 4th?

I hope you’ll be careful if you go out. I also hope you'll say a prayer for the state of our country, for the leaders and the men and women that serve to make this country free. I know we will. I know that before we dig into our big meal with our best buds, who by the way have and DO currently serve our country that we will pray and thank God for America and the freedoms we have and for the future of our country too.

our 4th of July plans are simple.

We’re staying home with our bestest friends and partners in crime Bat Girl, the Shadow and Dusty. We are going to cook out, swim and hang out all day long together. We’ll probably do a lot of laughing, we will certainly do a lot of eating and I’m sure we will take a nap or two!

I’m certain that our boys will play video games, ride their bikes, swim and probably even watch a little TV.

Bat Girl and I decided to eat at Chik Fil A for lunch because our local Chik Fil A is having a special promotion that whatever you buy on July 4th you can get the exact same thing the next week with a proof of receipt. I see this as a buy one get one free kind of a thing! We love chicken, we love Chik Fil A so we’re totally game for it!

So we’ll go out for lunch, but for dinner we are making…. Drum roll please….

Presenting the I love America menu featuring:
Smoked pork butt (Mr. B’s of course)
Grilled corn on the cob
Potato salad
Green bean bundles
Apple pie
Jello cake
And probably cookies

SEE! I told you we would eat and celebrate! Last year Kid4 and I made flags together and handed them out to our neighbors, it was fun and a nice way to meet new people. I think this year her and I will take little flags and a bag of cookies to our neighbors. If July 4th is all about this country, shouldn’t it also be about our neighbors…? I love America!

Mt. Perfect comes to me!

My good friend Linda from Mt. Perfect and her kids are coming to visit us and I'm trying to plan the best trip possible for her and her kids. Linda and I have been friends for years. She was so sweet to me and always invited me over for playgroup when Kid4 was a baby. Since then we have become great friends and I can't imagine how dull my life would be without her!

Here are my plans-

Sunday-
Church
make a picnic lunch to have at the aviation museum
play at the park there and have a snack
head home for dinner and swimming

Monday-
Lane packing company in the morning while it's still cool
lunch at Lane packing company
Monkey Joes is a great place for kids to hang out and stay cool.
dinner at home and swimming

Tuesday-
making bird feeders while it's still cool in the morning then head out for
Free kids movie at the theater
picnic at home
Big children’s museum for the hot afternoon
home for dinner and a swim.

Wednesday-
morning head to Macon to look at the big Victorians and beautiful downtown
smaller children’s museum for a few hours.
late afternoon bowling
home for dinner and swim

Thursday-
Moms day-no kids! Bat Girl and I are taking her to Juliette Georgia to eat at the Whistle Stop cafe and wander around Juliette... its gorgeous! Her kids are staying home with my kids. It’s a mom’s day off and Mr. B. will order pizza and make sure everyone’s safe and happy, while us girls munch on fried green tomatoes and enjoy the Whistle stop cafe!

What do you think? Am I missing anything? Does it sound like a good vacation for kids? My Kid4 and her second son are almost the exact same age so it’s really like a little vacation for her too. She will enjoy spending time with her buddy and seeing all these fun places too.

Tomorrow I’ll post the menu… You’ll probably want to come too and that’s okay, I love company!