more laundry?

Just found out from this guy that when he is mad at me, he puts clean laundry in his dirty clothes hamper...  which fully explains why it seems full much faster than usual.

Wow.  What a personality this middle child has!

[photo is from a pig roast at a friend's house---they had a "corn hole" for the kids to play in, in addition to pony rides (which Billy LOVED) and a moon bounce.  Love Fall Fun!]

organizing

I found this blog today while on Pinterest and was hooked.  Read her idea and loved all the before and after photos and got to work purging :)  And organizing all the things I THINK we need to keep.

[Six months of not being used and you throw it/donate it?  I'm not sure about that for school stuff...otherwise a good rule!]

Don't tell the boys but I have big plans for all the crap, Uh, I mean toys in the house!

bike riders

Here's what we've been up to since coming home from vacation :)

I think Billy logged five hours on the bike the first day...

chores

Drying cloth diapers requires more than one cycle in the dryer, so for the second drying, they go on the deck, on the clothes rack... I just can't see running the dryer, heating up the house while the air conditioning is running.

Some days I have some helpers :)

digging

Our boys love dirt.  Wait, our boys LOVE DIRT!
The boys were thrilled to be allowed to help these men dig in our neighbors' yard... their electricity was out in half of their house...  weird.

They shared their snacks, kept the men smiling with their conversations, got to be in the hole, put the dirt back in the hole, and were each paid a quarter. Thrilling day!

 Lillian and Mommy stayed inside most of the time, watching from the window.

we can't do everything

we can't do everything

all I can say is AMEN! (Click above title to read what I just read)

in the van

Do you see what I see?
Do you hear what I hear?

LOVED sitting in the car, in the rain, watching my boys sleep for 45 minutes yesterday :)

POOP

If you aren't offended by the title, keep reading.

:)

So I have been down with allergies, a fever, and a cough. On the couch, napping here and there, hoping the boys don't get into too much trouble.

Yesterday I was awakened by Charlie coming down the steps saying, "I have big, big poop" and then Billy, saying, "Mom, wake up quick, Charlie pooped." I open my eyes to see a half naked Charlie. As he starts to sit on our cream-colored carpet, Billy says, "No Charlie, don't sit down." I am working really hard at waking up at this point. I ask where Charlie's diaper is, and Billy parrots me. No answer from Charlie. But then after a third round of questioning, he says he will show me. He takes me upstairs to my bathroom and shows his diaper on the floor, tells me he went pee-pee in the toilet, and tells me again, "I have big, big poop." There is also poop all over the toilet seat (he has learned to sit facing the toilet to pee...) and a huge wad of toilet paper in his diaper. Thankfully no poop all over MY bathroom or down the hall and stairs.

Until today's poop episode... Day two of Mommy's illness. I am feeling better, but still not normal. Slept in a little, was able to make some breakfast for the boys today, read some stories, got out some puzzles, felt a little more like a mommy. After my early afternoon nap (when Charlie wouldn't nap and Billy distracted him somewhat) I awakened to hear that Charlie had gone potty and Billy was attempting to put a Pull-Up on Charlie [we have tried them and decided they are too expensive and don't work for Charlie. But Billy can help Charlie put them on...] I try to get Charlie settled back in for a nap, only to hear him playing shortly after. I make Billy's 3pm snack and try to have a little something myself when Charlie comes down announcing, "I have big, big poop again!" This time holding up one leg in the air. Precariously. Has to hold on to the wall. There is poop all the way to his ankle. So, upstairs we go to investigate where there is sure to be some poop trail.... thankfully it was only in his room. Two smallish spots and some smeared on the door post. Apparently, the Pull-Ups either don't keep poop in the diaper, Charlie tried to get it off himself, or his dear big brother didn't put it on correctly.

So I am washing clothes and wondering what poop story I will get to share tomorrow! Hopefully I will be feeling normal... Please pray for me!

design walls

not sure how closely you will have to look to see our new design walls--courtesy of Billy, who left his pencil out, and Charlie, who wanted to draw. These are on the walls of our stairwell, as you walk up to the bedrooms...

[I heard Charlie telling me he was drawing, but when I looked up he had paper and I just assumed...]


regular old eraser doesn't work so great and the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser only works on some of it, any suggestions?

January signs of life

can you smell it? I can!

A much-needed new kitchen sink mat

the remains of a robot

helping Mommy by folding wash clothes and napkins

~ it's that time of year ~

this is what's on our counter tonight...










Are you addicted?








Can you put down the Christmas Crack once you start eating?






I'm so glad it's all going with De to the office!


If you don't have the recipe, go here http://www.scribd.com/doc/44947541/Christmas-Crack

fall

I'm not sure where autumn went, but it's come and gone. Life has gone by quickly recently. I kept thinking we should get in one more trip to the zoo before it gets too cold, and it's 32 degrees with no sign of being warmer in December [according to accuweather.com]...

So, here are some recent signs of life :)

flowers

~*from my honey*~

Eating on the deck

We enjoyed lunch on the deck several days this week.
We had some other company come along too, but they waited patiently for the leftovers.

August signs of life

flowers from my love

cherry tomatoes and cucumber ~ from our balcony garden

coffee table

I heard someone say, or read what they wrote, that we often neglect taking photos of our life and home. Especially in this digital age, we take tons of photos of people, but we often cut out or ignore the background. So, I'm trying to take more LIFE photos and make the background the main focus. Here's my first. Our coffee table.

I bought this coffee table 6 years ago when I moved into my first home, my condo. It was in great condition, and still is, I guess, though the cars and blocks and trains that have been pounded into it might let you know otherwise... Just signs of life!