Is this a little Blair Witch project to you too?

It cracked me up!

we found Cinderella

We visited Rose Hill cemetary Tuesday in Macon and as we were reading the names my mom said "Cinderella..." and a wide eyed Kid4 said in a very surprised voice; "Cinderella's DEAD"!? We laughed and also had some explaining to do.

a painting for my mom

I found the most creative blog while searching for a gift I could make my mom. I wanted to paint my mom a silhouette of the Nativity for Christmas on a little canvas, something she can prop up and use at Christmas.

I was a little afraid that I wouldn’t be able to do it but I googled “Silhouette of the Nativity” and stumbled upon the artist woman. Her ideas are lovely and the way she shares them are brilliant. She uses good pictures and explains it all so clearly. I spend several hours searching her archives and soaking up her good ideas.

I went with her Nativity scene and painted it on canvas for my mom. I loved how it turned out and I think my mom will have it for years and years. Aren't handmade gifts the bomb?!

The most wonderful thing about my whole discovery is that she is also as sweet as can be and emailed me back such a nice email giving me permission to post a picture of my painting using her idea. Go visit her blog, she’s full of goodness.

Thank you Artist Woman!

Christmas picture outtakes

We snap picture after picture while trying to get a good Christmas picture. Here are a few that didn't make the cut for obvious reasons!

necklaces

These are the cute necklaces that Kid2 and I made for her friends. We try to handmake our gifts to save money and also whats better than the gift of time?

How was your Christmas friends? Ours was great. It was a different kind of Christmas this year the kind where there aren’t 4 kids ripping open gifts. Its was more big things and less little tiny cute little kid things. I miss the old days but am learning to embrace the new days, the days with older kids who want something big instead of many small things. There wasn’t so much paper and tape this year but there was just as much happiness and cheer!

Kid1 picked out a car years and years ago that he wanted. He has been dreaming of a 1991 Honda Civic. Mr. B. found a GREAT deal on one so that’s what he got for Christmas. A sweet friend of ours let us stash it away at his house while we anxiously waited for Christmas day. Last night Bat Girl and I picked up the “new car” and enjoyed zipping around in it. Kid1 was thrilled this morning and is totally head over heels for his new ride!

Kid2 has been dreaming of a pair of custom made converse, made by her of course. She has made pair after pair on comverse.com and this year I signed into her account and had her very own creation delivered for Christmas day. How thrilling to see your very own creations come to life!

Kid3 has like most boys dreamed of Xbox games this year. He is going to marry his Xbox I just know it! He got the Xbox game he chose and many other things he also enjoys. A 13 year old boy is not the easiest to shop for. I would tell anyone that asked to run to your nearest game stop and load up on things to thrill your 13 year old!

Kid4 was dreaming of so many things. She has been dying for the swimming doll AND a swimming rescue pets dog. She also wanted squand, and this and that and so many things. She was tickled to unwrap a rescue pets dog, the swimming doll that I stood in line for hours for, and many other things. We all loved watching her open her toys and the thrill in her eyes when she saw her new white rocking chair from Santa. There’s something so magical about watching kids give the things they picked, the thrill of knowing they are thrilling someone else by giving. There was something so amazing about the excitement in her eyes while she opened her own gifts.

We had a lovely Christmas and it’s also Mr. B. and me’s anniversary so we had an extra lovely day knowing we were spending yet another Christmas together with our babies.

18 years and couting

I look back at 18 years and can’t believe it’s been that long and this short. Sometimes it feels like I’ve known you all my life and sometimes we share the excitement of pure strangers.

Your kindness often surprises me. Out of the blue you seem to deeply understand someone beyond what I think anyone else can. Right when I think I know you inside and out you surprise me even after all these years. Isn’t this what a marriage should be? Isn’t it perfect to still be surprised by one another sometimes? You’re the right kind of surprise and the right combination of exciting and I thank you for being you.

Our wedding day was one of a kind, I’m sure of it. I think back on it now and how imperfect it was yet the memories are so worth all of the craziness. We didn’t have months of planning and picking out dresses and flowers, we just had us, we just got married and there something so perfect about that to me. I was so nervous, I was so unsure about so many things, but I wasn’t unsure about loving you. I didn’t know how our life would play out, I had no idea how to become a wife and mother but I knew how to love you and that’s all I needed.

Our years have certainly been exciting more than not and although I would change some things, I would not change much. Each child we have loved has changed our relationship in one way or another. Each day has brought us new excitements and new challenges. Each year has taught me lessons that I never thought I would have to learn, yet I’m thankful for them all in one way or another. Each day with you I become more and more in love with the man I married 18 years ago.

I can’t believe we’re here together in the place in our lives where we are watching our children date, finish high school, drive and move out. Does it seem possible to you that we are already at this point in our life? Has time flown for you too? Some days I look at our children’s faces and they seem much too old for us. I marvel at the fact that they are so old now and that we have been a family for so many years. The children in our lives have blessed us deeply and I know you’re the only one that understands that fully.

Thank you for being you, thanks you for loving me, thank you for being my constant companion and someone to depend on. Thank you for the understanding and patience you give me when I am so hard on you. Thank you for knowing me well enough to understand my quirks and loving me in spite of them.

Our life could never be written in one single story but hundreds of small chapters that no one but us would understand. Our life together has been one tall tale after another weaved together to create a very beautiful and sometimes weird life that I love.

I cherish you. I simply cannot imagine life without you as my witness to our days together. I love you, I love you more than I could ever say, and there simply are no words to thank you for being my witness, the father to my babies, my rock and the man that I have loved for so long.

Thank you for the 18 years you have given me and I am looking forward to so many more.

handmade gifts

This is what I made our family and the kids teachers this year for Christmas.

I sanded wood, I painted wood, I stenciled wood.

And... VIOLA!

What do you think?

Happy

Are you ready for the big day?

Shopping done?

Decorating finished?

Baking?

everything planned?

We are(mostly).

Just a little before Christmas (read: parents visit) cleaning.

I can't wait for the big day.

Happy Wednesday before Christmas friends!

Beautiful dancer

Kid2 loves to dance.

She's a beautiful dancer.

She's such a pleasure to watch.

I adore her!

I'm the luckiest mom in the world to call her mine.

I love you beautiful dancer.

A dream come true

Kid4’s got her very first American Girl doll today. It’s such an exciting thing to choose an American Girl doll. Kid2 has several American Girl dolls and each one was a special event.

On Saturday Kid4 saw an envelope with her name on it in the mail and quickly ripped it open before I could stop her. She was so excited to find money in a Christmas card from my sweet mother in law. I felt sick because I knew it was Christmas money and really it was meant to be opened on Christmas morning. She had no concept of how much would buy what and really just wanted white chocolate (she has a strange affection for white chocolate). After much talking about what she might spend her Christmas money on I asked her if she wanted an American Girl doll like her Sissy and she thought it was a perfect idea!

The Girls, me, Mr. B, Bat Girl and her husband, the Shadow all packed up in the car Sunday and headed to Atlanta to pick out her new lifelong friend. She was excited the whole drive and as soon as we got to the store she rushed in. They had only one ‘just like you’ doll left. We grabbed it and then looked around a little and enjoyed being surrounded by beautiful dolls.

We did do some other shopping and enjoyed being together today. We had a lovely lunch, a fun drive and a perfect girls day with a dream come true.

She named her Tracy. Welcome to our family Tracy, we love dolls around here!

Christmas decorations

These are pictures my kids made when they were little. I hung them with the platters.

Our mantle and sillhouettes.

These cute button trees were made by little cute as a button little girls last year. It was a very fun craft. Kid4 was thrilled to see them come out of the box this year again!

My mom gave me these little darling mittens a long time ago.

I had extra garland so I hung it on my chandelier.

Our Christmas card tree in the entryway.

The dining room has my favorite picture of the kids when they were little.

I love to decorate for Christmas. Aren’t Christmas decorations lovely? I would love to do so much more, I would love to decorate for Christmas all year long. Don't worry Mr. B.- I won't!

Saturday caramels and cleaning

Do you have a list of things your doing before Christmas? I do. I REALLY try to keep things calm around the holiday. WHY IN THE WORLD would you want to spend a “holiday” all stressed out? We are making cookies and of course we decorated the tree and house, but we didn’t kill ourselves doing it. In fact there are several boxes of Christmas decorations that I didn’t even open *GASP*!

Tonight we made caramels with Kid4. She unwrapped the butter and poured in the corn syrup but then she had to sit far away while Mr. B. stirred his heart out. I can’t bear the thought of her getting burned. She wanted to stir SO badly.

(Kid4 made this butter statue- I loved it)

The caramel is cooling and we are chilling.

What are the things on your list? I am cleaning for my parents (do you clean when your parents come too?) I needed to clean up anyway. I am finishing the gifts I made for our family and friends. I need to plan a menu for next week, wrap a few more things, whoop up on the kids and make them clean their rooms and closets so when my mom inspects she is not disgusted (JK- Mom- she probably won't inspect). I’m washing the blankets so they will be fresh if my parents are freezing here and all the sheets because… well… kids are gross. Today we cleaned the garage, picked up our closet, did laundry, picked kids up, dropped kids off, made lunches for the week ... you know the regular Saturday things.

What did you do today?

Whatever you did, I hope it was great! I hope you’re not stressed out over the Holidays! Don’t be stressed out friends. Stop and enjoy the time you’ll have home with your kids.

This morning Kid4 said
Her- I can see the moon…..
Me- yes, that’s the moon alright.
Her- is that where aliens live?
Me- oh… that’s what some people think.
Her- I think they DO! I wish I could speak Martian!

Do you ever feel like your kids ARE speaking “Martian”? Do you have days when they ask you things that you can't answer? Some days I feel like my kids and I are speaking a totally different language!

Here’s an example

Kid4- Am I going to dance on the OTHA day?
Me- Tuesday is the day you go to dance.
Kid4- The OTHA day?
Me- Tuesday is dance day
Kid4- do you mean the OTHA day?
Me- TUESDAY, tomorrow… not today!
Kid4- so- the OTHA day?
Me- Yes honey, the “otha day” you’re going to dance.

And she’s happy.

Here’s another example

Kid4- can I change my birthday?
Me- nope.
Kid4-but I reaaaaally want Juuuuuulyyyy!
Me- Kid4 it doesn't work that way (the searching of the brain for a good way to explain it begins) Honey, your birthday is the day you came out of Momma's tummy and we can't change THAT day. It's your BIRTH day, not just a party day.
Kid4-why not because I want too.

me- Well honey, it's a day that YOU were born. It's a certain DAY, it ALREADY happened, we can't change it now. God picked THAT day for YOU!

Kid4- what if God changes his mind about my birthday?

me- well.... I guess if GOD himself changes your birthday then I guess we will change the date.

Happy again. conversation over.

Are THEY Martians? Do they speak "Martian"? Hmmmm….. the mind reels…..

Here's another good example-

Any kid of mine- can I drive?
Me- HA! not so much

CRAZY, I tell you, CAH-RAZY!

shake it up baby

This stubborn lovely little girl had a fun time at her christmas recital. She enjoyed every minute of it and having fun is key when your 5. I love having little girls!

no place better...

This is hanging above our home center (on the "porch"). I loved it so much that I want to make a banner for everything now. Just think- every Holiday, every birthday, new babies! I'm making one for my Mom for Christmas, one for myself for Kid4's room. I LOVE personalized things! I saw some beautiful banners on Etsy and was inspired to make a jillion, I ended up with just one for now, but I love it!

(please excuse the photo, my camera is on the fritz and Im using my phone instead)

to hang or not to hang...

There is no question!

and the award goes to.......

ME

Oh my…

So I’m the worst parent in the world.
Let me give you some background before I start telling you this story.
Kid1 was SUPPOSE to be home. I thought he was home.
That should be enough background for now.

Mr. B. was out of town and I was headed out to pick up Kid2 from work, she works at the dance studio. Kid4 asked if she could go with me, but I said no because she always falls asleep in the car if it’s after 5 and she goes to bed at 7 so a nap at 5 would be a very bad idea…

As I left I told her to go find her brothers downstairs and hang with them until I got back. I got into my car, I pulled out of the driveway, I turned down the street, I passed Bat Girls house, I left our neighborhood and headed to the main road that takes me to town to get Kid2 and I had a very bad mom feeling.

I called Kid1 on his cell phone to check on things and there was no answer. I called Kid3 on his cell phone to check on things and there was no answer… I then called our home number and Kid4 picked up (remember she is 5 and not suppose to pick up the phone). She answered in a very little and scared voice and this is how it went-

Her- “Hello”
Me- “Hi, can you give the phone to your brothers”
Her- “well… that’s the problem… I am home alone”
Me- (in a louder panicking voice) “Give the phone to your brother, he is probably in his room”
Her- (in a smaller more scared voice) “I checked his room, he is not there, I am home alone, I have looked everywhere”
Me- (in full panic mode) “KID4 there is NO WAY that your home alone! Your not old enough to be home alone (incase she was wondering)!
Her- “I know, but I AM home alone. I’m scared, should I go outside?”
Me- “NOOOOO! Just don’t move, I’m coming back…. Don’t worry…..”

SO…. She was home alone probably only 6 or 7 minutes but I was freaking out and so was she. Thank goodness I was able to talk to her while I turned around (like a madwoman I might add) and got back to her.

WHERE was Kid1 you ask? Kid3 had found “the coolest underground water system in our neighborhood” and Kid1 just “had to see it”. He thought for sure “I knew he was leaving”… yeah, not so much.

Now I can never say “of course I wouldn’t leave you home alone… has ANYONE ever left you home alone?” Now that’s all shot… to you know where…. I actually left the kid home alone…

Bummer.

piercing palooza

My rotten darling little bossy 5 year old girl came home from school today and said-

Kid4 - Mama, ALL THE GIRLS at school have their ears pierced! Kelsey, Hannah, Naiah, ….. Lindsey, McKenzie…..ALL of them! They pierce ears at the mall!

Me- Yes they do! Would you like to get your ears pierced?

Kid4- YES!

Me- remember how I told you it hurts? Are you okay with it hurting you?

Kid4 YES!

Me- Did you ask your friends if it hurt them and how bad it hurt?

Kid4- NO, I knew you would say that! I don’t want to ask.

Me- it’s okay with me if you get your ears pierced but I just want you to know that it REALLY REALLY hurts for a little while and then it goes away.

Kid4- I WANT to do it, please please please??!

Me- okay! Lets do it. We’ll do it tonight!

She did it! She was so brave. (I was extremely nervous)

I have a few rules when it comes to my girls getting their ears pierced. They have to ask for it and want to have it done. It’s also okay with me to get ALLLLL the way to the mall and change your mind. Two more important rules are 1. I’m okay with crying, I understand it hurts but there is NO kicking and NO screaming 2. once you have had one ear pierced you MUST get the second done. I always explain this all in great detail before we start.

I almost cried when she had it done! I was so sad to watch it hurt her. She sat in Kid2's lap and buried her head in her sisters shoulder when it came time to do the 2nd one. She certainly cried a little but she didn’t kick or scream. She did end up totally thrilled with herself! It was such a treat to see her be so happy! She keeps singing over and over “My ears are pierced, I have pierced ears….. la la la la … pierced EARS, pierced ears!” It’s so cute! It’s the best thing in the world to watch your daughter be so thrilled with such a personal decision!

Imagine ! That preschool

Our school is a place we love and we can't wait to fill it with preschoolers.

Bat Girl and I were leisurely driving along Friday blindly following my bossy GPS going through a neighborhood I had never seen and admiring it when all of a sudden there was the most beautiful sight.

I know your thinking, fawn and her babies’ drinking water from a stream or something like that, but my friends this was a different kind of beautiful sight, a freebie kind of a beautiful sight! This was a porch in someone’s trash. It was columns, porch railings and all the things a girl could want right there being thrown away. As we passed it I said “could we use that for something?” We kept driving while we discussed the wonderfulness of the things we could do with our new found treasure and decided to turn back.

Bat Girl and I were not quiet or quick about loading it up but the previous owners didn’t seem to care. We got it all loaded up and let me be honest here, it wasn’t easy. I mean really people; it was 2 columns and a porch railing! Poor Bat Girl hit her head on it several times and once I came to a hard stop and feared for my sun roof!

After loading, unloading, painting and repainting, hammering, nailing, blood, sweat and not a single tear our preschool home center is in full rock star mode! Our preschool is coming along so well. Bat Girl and I are like the parents of a newborn baby, beaming with every inch of it’s bright walls and learning tools for our new preschoolers to explore.

Opening soon….

meeting the Pioneer Woman

Bat Girl and I took a day trip to Atlanta to meet The Pioneer Woman and buy her new cookbook. We had a great time! We waited in line for 4 hours but we sat on the floor and talked and laughed and had a fun time. We also discovered that we may be too old to go to a late night book signing… you live and you learn right?

It was totally worth it, she was sweet and so kind. After signing hundreds of books with not even a second of a break she smiled with a kind genuine smile at us and visited with us for a second. She was worth the wait!

**please pardon our blurry photo’s (how frustrating!)**

Our new school

This is the front of our new school! Isn't it the cutest?! We love it.
We worked so hard to get it all finished so we could take a little break before Christmas and get our gifts made, our houses decorated, cleaned and just breathe!

Guess who we are going to see today?
I'll give you a hint...
She has just published a cookbook is the mother of four punks and probably say's "yee haw" alot.
Can you guess?

GUESS WHAT?

Mr. B. and I went to his company Christmas party tonight.

and...

I won this beauty!

I have never won anything before!

I am so excited!

I've wanted this mixer my whole life.

(I may or may not have been born wanting this)

I love it!

YAY ME!

"Never a dull moment"

Bat Girl and I have had a day, that’s for sure! Our day was full of poop, mud, clay, one alcoholic and a partridge in a pear tree. (I wrote this earlier this week)

“Never a dull moment” is what Bat Girl said to her husband when he asked how our day was. She’s so right- there is never a dull moment with us. We headed out this morning to pick clay up from another town, took the truck mudding because my GPS so smugly thinks she knows where she’s going and picked a drunk man off the street after narrowly escaping being hit by a passing car.
This morning we were chased by pit bulls. I don’t want to make this out to be more than it is, we never got out of the truck but it WAS scary- have you SEEN Cujo? We picked up 100 pounds of clay after the Cujo incident and wanted to find the nearest bathroom due to the best Dr. Pepper ever that we sucked down. My know it all GPS decided to take me down a dirt road that turned into a mud road from all the rain yesterday. We went mudding for the first time today and finally made it home.

We worked at the school, we worked at home, we worked and worked. The little darling baby that I am keeping pooped on Bat Girl when she sneezed while getting her diaper changed.

After an evening at the grocery store Bat Girl and I were on our way to pick Kid2 up from work at the studio and as we turned left we saw an elderly man fall into the road. I thought for sure he would get back up but he couldn’t. I was in a panic because the other drivers weren’t seeing him. I stopped my truck and jumped out, ran in front of 2 cars and almost got hit myself. When I reached the man, I realized he was very VERY drunk! I helped him up and walked him to a curb near my truck and asked Bat Girl to call the police because this guy couldn’t even walk and I knew we couldn’t leave him there. He was such a sweet little guy and just begged me to help him across the street to Pizza hut, I was afraid he’d get hit by a car if I left him there and he tried to leave. The funny thing about this story is that when the police got there Bat Girl noticed blood on my neck and let’s just say- I’m not good with germs. While I was helping him I had wiped blood away from his forehead and was pretty careful not to get it on myself.

I got some anti-bac and BatGirl so carefully was wiping at my neck and she was saying “it might not be blood, it’s a little dark looking” really all along I was feeling AIDS seeping into my body through my neck and freaking out inside… she was scrubbing along when I remembered I just had a cookie … long story short it was a chocolate chip! We laughed so hard because she knew I was really secretly freaking out!

We rarely have a dull moment together and I love every moment we have- mud in my tires, drunk old man and all!

Holy Moley

We found a little mole tonight.

The pictures not great.

You may not be able to see him.

Don't worry he can't see you either.

Kid4 named him "Harry Joiner Mole B"

He was darling.

We snuggled him.

We smiled at him.

We set him free.

Then we sung oh' moley night all together!

Just kidding!

a sneak peek

This is one fabulous wall in the art room of our new preschool.

One 4 foot section is chalk board and the other is 3 easels.

This room is designed for free art like painting, chalking, drawing, sculpting, tearing paper and using glue till your hearts content.

Kid4 wrote me a little note when she came up today.

She loves me "two" and I love it when she writes.

Stay tuned for more sneak peeks!

Yes I did and I have the doll to prove it!

YES! You're right!

I got the doll.

Bat girl and I stood in line outside of Toys R us.

We stood in line inside of Toys R us.

We stood and stood and stood.

but...

Kid4 will have the doll she wanted this year for Christmas.

It was worth and besides that-

Bat girl is halarious to stand in line with at midnight!

The zipping ceases

Why do we shop on Black Friday? Seriously WHY DO WE DO IT?!

Bat Girl and I have been shopping on Black Friday for years and years and years in Dallas and friends I am here to tell you that I have never seen crowds like I saw this morning in Warner Robins, Georgia!

Last night Bat Girl mentioned to me that there was a sale on a certain baby doll that I have been coveting for kid4. I wanted her last summer for Bat Girls pool and then for Kid4’s birthday but the doll is FORTY DOLLARS! I don’t mind paying a pretty penny for like say an American Girl doll. As a matter of fact Kid2 has quite a few American girl dolls, but FORTY DOLLARS for an all plastic doll … okay it doesn’t make sense, never mind. Here’s the bottom line- I wanted the doll for cheap. So Bat Girl says “Hey that swimming doll is 20 bucks at Toy R Us and it opens at midnight”. It was late already so we thought heck we’ll head to Toys R Us at 11:40 and zip in and pick up the doll…

Do you think that’s what happened? Do you think we “zipped in”? I’ll give you three guesses…

NO.
NO ZIPPING.
NO “run in real quick”
NO be home in an hour and head to bed before the real shopping day begins.
Not even a parking spot.

I have never seen such a crowd.

Do you think I waited in line to save TWENTY DOLLARS on a doll?

I’ll let YOU guess!

LOWES is for

BOYS

Why is Lowe’s for boys you ask?

There are so many reasons and I’m not even sure where to begin.

First of all don’t you think that the wood of the same sizes should be kept together?
Can you even imagine how efficient it would be at the store if the prices were all in the same spot? Can you imagine the prices all being either above or below the actual wood? Can you imagine how easy it would be if all the right wood was in the right piles? Like if there weren’t sheets of pine mixed in with sheets of siding wood? I know, I know… it would be a perfect world. Can you imagine if while you were struggling with a piece of 4X8 wood someone, a man helping you put it on the cart that doesn’t roll straight? Can you imagine that it might take less than 2 full hours of choosing wood if Lowe’s were more girl friendly.

We went, we picked our wood, we bought it, we loaded it, we had it cut, we paid for it, we loaded it again on two carts, we loaded it AGAIN into my truck and then we unloaded it into the preschool. We now have 3 bulletin boards, 7 shelves and some really cute molding around the easel/chalkboard area. It’s gorgeous!

BUT Lowe’s IS for BOYS!

a preschool and a little surprise

Bat Girl and I have had a busy week! We are opening our own preschool and we are more than excited! There are so many things that we can’t wait to do with the kids. We can’t wait to let kids be kids. We want to watch them develop and grow through play.

We found the perfect little building with the perfect little art room. This perfect little art room will be full of paint, clay, chalk, glue, paper, crayons, markers, and anything else you can think of to create. We have a science center, a home center, a building block center, a writing center, a gross motor center a library center and so many things to exchange, change and switch around. We have puzzles, books, scissors, soft things to lie on and more than I can mention. I have taken lots of pictures but I left my camera at the school. So in the mean time….

We took a little break from all our work and here’s a little tidbit of what we did Sunday.

Yes! thats little Stellan in my arms- can you even believe it?

busy

Bat Girl and I are opening our very own preschool.

We are so excited!

We are also...
busy
working our tails off
painting
sanding
hanging
measuring
sorting
more painting
cleaning
and did I mention painting?

I'll post pictures when I find my USB

I miss you...

just me

So what are you up to today? Bat Girl and I are up to so much, I can't even tell you! There will be lots to catch up on and we'll do a catch up session real soon!