she's back

My baby raccoon is back. This time she wanted to reinvent herself as the pink and gray raccoon. She asked for a red nose, “I want it to look like it’s bleeding.” ???? So, I gave her a red heart nose hoping that would satisfy her design … and it did. Another thing she added this time was ears.

This child of mine can hardly sit still for a minute. In fact if you lay down with her and you can count to 5 and she hasn’t moved a muscle, then you know she’s conked out. So, for her to sit and be still while I put all this on her face is a huge challenge. It surprises me she wants to do it over and over again knowing how difficult it is for her to endure the time it takes to get it completed.

Meet “Sugar”.

fake wind

Who knew you could have so much fun playing in the wind of the electric leaf blower?

Honestly, I was so excited to get these shots. She has not been very cooperative with the camera lately but today she ate it up. Who knew it’d take hurricane winds to get her there!

Some of the shots are a tad bit blurry due to the wind.

It has felt like Christmas morning all afternoon since I got Aperture loaded on my computer. I LOVE IT!

Oh, So I guess I will finally say it … I am trying to get better at my photography skills. I would LOVE to maybe someday be able to do it as a side job. I am looking for volunteers to help expand my portfolio, so if you’d like to get your picture taken, call me.

spring readers

One of my favorite things about our house is our front porch. I just love it. Earlier this evening #1 asked to read on the porch while he waited for dinner. #2 loves to take his lead and she followed him out there and perched on the rail with her book.

If you asked me 2 years ago if I thought my son would enjoy reading for pleasure, I’d say no way. In fact I can be quoted on many occasions saying, “I doubt he’ll ever be a leisure reader, he just doesn’t enjoy it.” Well, I was wrong, dead wrong. Thanks to the Magic Tree House book series, Landon fell in love with reading. He reads at least an hour and a half every day. No, I don’t require him to do this, he just choses to. Every night as we close up the house before we head to bed, there he will lie in his bed, dead asleep with his face in a book. I love it.

These aren’t the best pictures, but at least they document the moment.

annoying

So, my son was around an adult the other day and they were laughing and cutting up. Next thing I know I heard “You know you are kinda annoying when you act like that” come seriously straight out of his little disrespectful mouth which was directed right at the adult he was teasing with. Thankfully his dad was there to intervene because I was so embarrassed I had to step away. After I got over the embarrassment I found it almost … I am not sure what word I should use … see the other week me and my crew were dining out with two other ladies and their kids. #1 was trying to be Mr. Funny Guy and most of the kids were laughing which just egged him on more and more, but then a voice clearly rang out, “You are so annoying!” Which was directed right at my son. The mom of the little girl scolded her and what was her reply? “Well he really is annoying, mom.” I had to turn my head and laugh, she was speaking the truth, in a very blunt way … but it was the truth. He shrugged it off but the rest of the dinner he was much more calm. So fast forward to the more recent insult, #1 was required by us, the parental units, to write the adult he offended an apology letter. He sat at the table staring at the blank page. Then he got up and asked, “Mommy, what do I say? I can’t say that I didn’t mean what I said, I do think “he” can be annoying.” At first it seemed he was being disrespectful again, but quickly I saw it differently. His integrity wouldn’t allow him to lie against how he truly felt, and I admired that. I never want my kids to lie and say things they don’t mean just to please someone else, it’s fake … but they do need to hold their tongue and know what is appropriate to say, especially to an adult. He did end up writing an apology all on his own. I wish I had taken a picture or copied it to save and share, but it said …

Dear “adult”

I am sorry for saying your were annoying. I wasn’t thinking when I said it. I do think you are funny.

Your friend -
Landon

I should have taken typing in high school

My friend Perry introduced me to this little testy test. Her score blows mine out of the water.

52 words

Speed test

You type 302 characters per minute
You have 52 correct words and
you have 6 wrong words

After attempting to improve for … I am embarrassed to say how long, let’s just say a LONG time … 52 was the best I could do. Can you believe someone really hired me 9 years ago to be an administrative assistant with typing skills that bad? I was even worse back then!

How fast are you?

(note to self – do not waste one more minute trying to beat your high score, it’s a waste of time!)

easter girl

Each kid goes through a phase where one is a bit more photogenic than the other. Lately it’s been #3.
#1 and #2 fought the grumpies all day so my best shots were of my youngest.

easter 2008

We hosted Easter at our house this year. We spent all of yesterday and every minute after church getting our house and yard ready for 30 family members to have a late lunch with us. Everyone brought their own meat and side dish and we grilled out and had some great grub. We had an egg hunt for the kids and the weather was so perfect everyone pretty much stayed outside (which means my house is still in perfect order! YAY!) Here’s some photos from our afternoon.

Why didn’t someone tell me I really needed some lipstick!

counting eggs

She was very grumpy the were no more eggs for her to pick up.

That’s a boy for ya.

some of our family!

gratitude

As I am scooping ice cream into a bowl for #1, the sweetest words spontaneously come out of his mouth, “Mommy, thanks for all the cooking, folding clothes and all the other chores you do for us.” Melted, yes I just melted. I look at him and smile and say thanks. Then I go over and hug him and he continues, “I just really appreciate all you do for our family, you’re the best mommy ever.” I am a puddle now. He is seriously the most grateful kid. I don’t think hardly one meal goes by that he doesn’t thank me for preparing. He is so considerate. I am so so blessed.

celebrating him

Today my man turns 34, so … here’s a birthday poem to my most favorite person on this planet. (try to not envy my poetry skillz : )

same goes for the car …

I can’t keep a car clean to save my life! Out of our car I just got out 10 movies, a dozen books (yes one was a very over due library book!), enough clothes to make a complete load of laundry, several bags of trash, a sack of toys and gobs of crafts from church and co-op (a home schooling class).

Speaking of crafts … my kids generate more paper crafts than a baby chicken produces poop. Their creativity absolutely thrills me, but I have to say I secretly throw most of it away. We’d have to rent some sort of storage unit to preserve every piece of art they conjure up.

Look at them go. Almost every day this table looks like this.